The Black Breath
~$0.21 low · ~$0.44 high
Black. Sorcery
The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth #78 · Illustrated by Chris Cold
The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth #78 · Illustrated by Chris ColdWhat is The Black Breath worth?
Highest TCGplayer price
~$0.44
Showcase foil · The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth #529
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TCGplayer market prices in USD, updated October 14, 2026. Each price is for one printing and one finish.
Oracle text
Creatures your opponents control get -1/-1 until end of turn. The Ring tempts you.
"When the black breath blows, death's shadow grows." —A rhyme of old days
Format legality
All 2 printings of The Black Breath
| Printing | Rarity | Non-foil | Foil | Cardmarket (EUR) | My collection |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth ltr #529· 2023Showcasecommon· Cardmarket €0.14 | common | $0.35 | $0.44 | €0.14 | |
 The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth ltr #78· 2023common· Cardmarket €0.05 · €0.19 foil | common | $0.24 | $0.21 | €0.05€0.19 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 The Black Breath
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Card details
- First printed
- 2023
- Printings
- 2
- Mana value
- 3
- EDHREC rank
- #10,045 on EDHREC (Commander popularity)
- Artist
- Chris Cold
What the codes mean
The small print at the bottom of the The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth card (#78).
0078 · LTR · C · EN
- 0078Collector 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 The Black Breath, 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.
Rulings (7)
2023-06-16
Each player can have only one emblem named The Ring and only one Ring-bearer at a time.
2023-06-16
The Ring gains its abilities in order from top to bottom. Once it gains an ability, it has that ability for the rest of the game.
2023-06-16
As the Ring tempts you, you get an emblem named The Ring if you don't have one. Then your emblem gains its next ability and you choose a creature you control to become (or remain) your Ring-bearer.
2023-06-16
Each time the Ring tempts you, you must choose a creature if you control one.
2023-06-16
If the creature you choose as your Ring-bearer was already your Ring-bearer, that still counts as choosing that creature as your Ring-bearer for the purpose of abilities that trigger "whenever you choose a creature as your Ring-bearer" or abilities that care about which creature was chosen as your Ring-bearer.
2023-06-16
Some spells and abilities that cause the Ring to tempt you may require targets. If each target chosen is an illegal target as that spell or ability tries to resolve, it won't resolve. The Ring won't tempt you.
2023-06-16
The Ring can tempt you even if you don't control a creature. In this case, abilities that trigger "whenever the Ring tempts you" will still trigger.
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