Smaug, Wicked Worm

Smaug, Wicked Worm first appeared in The Hobbit (HOB), 14 August 2026. The original record is HOB #164, at rare, illustrated by Antonio José Manzanedo. Original finish availability: nonfoil, traditional foil.

Use the curated shortlist for meaningful edition differences, then the shared explorer for the wider catalogue. Editorial records reviewed 4 November 2026; current prices and legality can change.

Smaug, Wicked Worm costs {3}{B}{R} and is a 5/5 Legendary Creature — Dragon with flying and a black-red colour identity. Its enters ability creates tapped Treasures equal to the artifacts your opponents control.

Its other ability triggers when you cast a spell using mana from a Treasure: you draw a card and lose one life. That condition checks Treasure mana used to cast the spell, not simply whether you control Treasures. The initial tokens entering tapped distinguishes this card from Dockside Extortionist.

The original is The Hobbit (HOB) #164, released on 14 August 2026 at rare, illustrated by Antonio José Manzanedo. Nonfoil and traditional foil exist.

HOB #245 is the borderless book-cover version illustrated by Tyler Jacobson, also available in nonfoil and traditional foil. #281 is its surge-foil counterpart and shares Jacobson’s illustration. These are same-release treatments, not a sequence of later-set reprints.

The product is The Hobbit, with set code HOB. It should not be relabelled as an LTC printing from the 2023 Tales of Middle-earth Commander catalogue merely because both products depict Tolkien’s world.

Manzanedo’s #164 is the regular-frame debut. Jacobson’s #245 uses the book-cover presentation; #281 adds surge foil to that same artwork family. The catalogue’s poster-style tag and Wizards’ book-cover description refer to the presentation, rather than another card name.

Other cards named Smaug are different designs. In particular, Wizards’ gleaming-gold Smaug the Magnificent headliner is not a premium printing of Smaug, Wicked Worm. Do not transfer its artist, collector number, finish or approximate print run onto this guide.

#164 and #245 both offer nonfoil and traditional foil. #281 is surge foil only. A traditional-foil #245 is not the same finish as #281, although the Jacobson artwork is shared.

Wizards places surge-foil book-cover cards in Collector Boosters. This does not establish a gleaming-gold, etched, fracture or serialized Wicked Worm. A treatment offered for another Smaug card cannot be inferred for this one.

For the original: #164 preserves Manzanedo’s regular presentation. Choose the finish separately.

For book-cover artwork: #245 is the Jacobson record, with nonfoil and traditional foil choices.

For surge specifically: identify #281, then inspect the actual card’s surface and condition. Stock renders cannot show its physical reflectivity.

Our artwork-led starting point is HOB #245 nonfoil. It makes Jacobson’s book-cover composition the decision before adding a premium reflective surface. Compare #164 alongside it if documenting the original illustration matters more.

As reviewed on 4 November 2026, the catalogue lists Wicked Worm as Commander-legal and its legendary creature type supports a black-red commander role. This does not confer the same role or legality on a different Smaug card. The shared Deck Studio continues to check the selected card independently.

The One Ring — Compare another Tolkien card with distinct collector records and premium surfaces.

Dockside Extortionist — Contrast tapped Treasure creation with a different card’s untapped tokens.

Jeska's Will — Compare another resource spell where conditions affect how the card works.

Browse the complete Card Guides directory. For deck work, the shared Build a Deck action passes the selected printing to Deck Studio, where current legality and role eligibility are checked independently of this editorial guide.

Reviewed 4 November 2026 against accessible catalogue records and indexed catalogue extracts, with official product or policy references where applicable. Existing ManaScout text was audited rather than treated as evidence. Direct Scryfall API access was unavailable during this editorial review; the shared live explorer continues to use its existing integration.

• Catalogue: The Hobbit (HOB) #164
• Catalogue: The Hobbit (HOB) #245
• Catalogue: The Hobbit (HOB) #281
• magic.wizards.com: collecting the hobbit
• magery.com: smaug wicked worm
• mtg.wtf: Smaug Wicked Worm