Lobelia Sackville-Baggins

Lobelia Sackville-Baggins, card number 399 from the Magic: The Gathering set The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth, was released in 2023 as part of a collaborative expansion between Wizards of the Coast and Middle-earth Enterprises. The card depicts the character Lobelia, a minor but memorable antagonist from J.R.R. Tolkien's literature who famously attempts to claim Bag End for herself. Its inclusion in the set reflects the designers' intent to represent a broad spectrum of characters from the Shire, grounding the high-fantasy mechanics of the game in the domestic, often petty, social dynamics of hobbit society.

The artwork for this specific card was illustrated by Donato Giancola, a renowned fantasy artist known for his traditional oil-painting techniques. Giancola aimed to capture the character’s formidable and slightly intrusive personality, focusing on her stern expression and signature umbrella. The card's design features the 'legendary' card type and a mechanical ability that mimics her tendency to 'take' or influence the holdings of other players, a thematic translation of her literary obsession with inheriting Bilbo’s property.