Deceive the Messenger
~$0.18 low · ~$0.41 high
Blue. Instant
The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth #47 · Illustrated by Tomas Duchek
The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth #47 · Illustrated by Tomas DuchekWhat is Deceive the Messenger worth?
Highest TCGplayer price
~$0.41
Showcase foil · The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth #498
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TCGplayer market prices in USD, updated October 14, 2026. Each price is for one printing and one finish.
Oracle text
Target creature gets -3/-0 until end of turn.
Amass Orcs 1. (Put a +1/+1 counter on an Army you control. It's also an Orc. If you don't control an Army, create a 0/0 black Orc Army creature token first.)
"Tell Gandalf that he must seek my aid at once." —Saruman
Format legality
All 2 printings of Deceive the Messenger
| Printing | Rarity | Non-foil | Foil | Cardmarket (EUR) | My collection |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth ltr #498· 2023Showcasecommon· Cardmarket €0.30 foil | common | $0.27 | $0.41 | €0.30 foil | |
 The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth ltr #47· 2023common· Cardmarket €0.05 · €0.18 foil | common | $0.18 | $0.24 | €0.05€0.18 foil |
Prices are TCGplayer market prices in USD for each printing and finish, via Scryfall. They are a guide, not an appraisal.
Where to buy Deceive the Messenger
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Card details
- First printed
- 2023
- Printings
- 2
- Mana value
- 1
- EDHREC rank
- #14,131 on EDHREC (Commander popularity)
- Keywords
- Amass
- Artist
- Tomas Duchek
What the codes mean
The small print at the bottom of the The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth card (#47).
0047 · LTR · C · EN
- 0047Collector number: this card's place in the set list.
- LTRSet code for The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth
- CCommon
- ENPrinted in English
How to read a Magic card: every part and code, on real cards.
Card breakdown
The parts of Deceive the Messenger, read from the The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth printing. Tap a label to highlight its line. How to read any Magic card.
- Top: name and cost
- Art and type line
- Text box
- Bottom: stats and the info line
The info line, magnified
Swipe to see the whole line.
Top: name and cost
Art and type line
Text box
Bottom: stats and the info line
Also on this card
- Flavor text
- Italic story text below the rules. It has no effect on the game, and it can differ between printings.
Keywords
- AmassCR 701.47
- Put +1/+1 counters on your Army, creating a 0/0 Army token first if you have none.
Rule numbers from the Magic Comprehensive Rules, version of September 25, 2026.
Rulings (7)
2023-06-16
Some spells and abilities that amass Orcs may require targets. If each target chosen is an illegal target as that spell or ability tries to resolve, it won't resolve. You won't amass Orcs.
2023-06-16
Some cards refer to the "amassed Army." That means the Army creature you chose to receive counters, even if no counters were placed on it for some reason.
2023-06-16
In the rare case that you control multiple Army creatures (perhaps because you played a creature with changeling) while you amass Orcs, you choose which of your Army creatures to put the +1/+1 counters on. If that creature isn't an Orc, it becomes an Orc in addition to its other types.
2023-06-16
Amass abilities are now written as "amass [subtype] N." Previous cards with amass have received errata to say "amass Zombies N."
2023-06-16
To amass Orcs N, if you don't control an Army creature, create a 0/0 black Orc Army creature token. Then you choose an Army creature you control and put N +1/+1 counters on it. If that Army isn't already an Orc, it becomes an Orc in addition to its other types.
2023-06-16
Amass Zombies works the same way, except you create a 0/0 black Zombie Army creature token if you don't control an Army. If the Army creature you chose isn't already a Zombie, it becomes a Zombie in addition to its other types. By combining cards with amass Orcs and amass Zombies, you can end up with an Orc Zombie Army.
2023-06-16
If you don't control an Army, the Orc Army token you create enters the battlefield as a 0/0 creature before receiving counters. Any abilities that trigger when a creature with a certain power enters the battlefield, such as that of Mentor of the Meek, will see the token enter as a 0/0 creature before it gets +1/+1 counters.
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