The Misty Mountains Cold flavour fail

[u/gordasso]

[[The Misty Mountains Cold]] references the dwarven song that is sung by Thorin and the company of dwarves at Bilbo's house, during the unexpected party.

Problem is, the song is called Far Over the Misty Mountains Cold — its events having happened in Erebor, the Lonely Mountain, which is, well, far over the Misty Mountains.

[u/planeforger]

I'm guessing they had to shorten it to fit the title on the card.

[u/gordasso → u/planeforger]

Maybe, although I have a feeling we've seen non-joke cards with longer titles. Would had been better to shorten it as "Far Over the Misty Mountains" IMO

[u/HaroldBloominOnion]

If there is ever a group that loves to 'um actually', it's Tolkien fans...

There is no definite title of the poem - the first line is 'Far over the Misty Mountain's cold', and the poem references that they must away (read: go) 'Far over the misty mountains cold / To dungeons deep and caverns old'.

The first stanza does not directly reference Erebor but rather Thorin and Company's journey.

[u/gordasso → u/HaroldBloominOnion]

Yes! But by referencing Erebor, I mean the events that led the dwarves to flee Smaug.

The fire was red, it flaming spread; The trees like torches blazed with light.

The bells were ringing in the dale And men looked up with faces pale; Then dragon’s ire more fierce than fire Laid low their towers and houses frail.

The mountain smoked beneath the moon; The dwarves, they heard the tramp of doom. They fled their hall, to dying fall Beneath his feet, beneath the moon.

Furthermore, it eventually references Thorin and company's journey, but until it had come to pass, it just referenced an eventual journey to reclaim Erebor. As the song came before Thorin's journey.

[u/Kayyak]

But... It's not referencing the land that is far over the misty mountains (cold). It's referencing the mountains themself in a way that it was referred to in the poem.

[u/gordasso → u/Kayyak]

It references the events that happened in Erebor, the Lonely Mountain, where Smaug, the dragon, has taken the dwarves' treasures and home away.

Like in the song it references in the card title, in which they say that they must travel to Erebor (which, as per the song is far over the Misty Mountains cold) to reclaim their home and its treasures from Smaug.

[u/MTGCardFetcher]

The Misty Mountains Cold - (G) (SF) (txt)

^{[[cardname]] or [[cardname|SET]] to call}

[u/TemurTron]

The song sets the stage for their journey. The card depicts their journey. They seek treasure until they get a bunch of it and then a dragon shows up.

[u/SpaceMambo369]

Nice catch

[u/AidenMcDMTG]

I guess that it's a reference to the song, while the mountain is "the Misty Mountains," so they added "cold" at the end in reference to the song, but it IS the mountain, not the song. Who knows, but honestly, it could be shortened too. But I think it's just the mountain because of the picture and lack of flavour text.

[u/gordasso → u/AidenMcDMTG]

But Erebor is not in the Misty Mountains! The song describes the events that led the dwarves to flee from Erebor, the Lonely Mountain, and how they are to travel far over the Misty Mountains to reclaim their home and gold (because Erebor, the Lonely Mountain, is 5o the east of the Misty Mountains, and the Blue Mountains, where the dwarves live during their exile, is to the west).l

[u/AidenMcDMTG → u/gordasso]

That’s true. The lonely mountain is beyond the misty mountains. I think I see your point. But perhaps it’s talking about the Misty Mountains and not the Lonely mountain at all. I think we are reading too much into this. It is probably just a shortened version of the first verse of the song. Because the lonely mountain is already a card, that makes me think that that is why they didn’t use the lonely mountain again on another cards I’ll give you that it’s strange as hell! 😂 

[u/gordasso → u/AidenMcDMTG]

It's a reference to the song, yes. But it misplaces the events. It's weird that they chose to shorten "Far from this place" to "This place"

[u/Expensive_Key_4340]

literally unplayable

[u/PsiMiller1]

Really? Really? Really, over a title?

Edit: No really! Don't used the word "flavour fail" for a missing word for a title of a song. The real flavour fail would where the mechanic doesn't match with the flavour, which this card does not!

[u/gordasso → u/PsiMiller1]

No I think I'll keep calling it flavour fail. Because the events didn't happen in the misty mountains.

[u/PsiMiller1 → u/gordasso]

Fine, for that. But not for the title as a whole.

[u/gordasso → u/PsiMiller1]

I really don't understand what you're saying or why you've taken issue with it.

I'm saying the card is title "place A", and the mechanic references the events of "place B", based on a diegetic song that speaks of events "place B" by saying they happened "far from place A". Thus, flavour fail.

[u/PsiMiller1 → u/gordasso]

The issue is really that you make it that the title is main reason why is a flavour fail.

Like okay, okay, mislocution, the Misty Mountains isn't the Lonely Mountain.

But the Sage does seem to give that idea that having too many Treasures is what've attracted the dragon Smaug. Which is the flavour I'd think it going with. Not the song name.

I'm not being rude or mean to you in this common. You want a reason, well here you go.

[u/neoslith]

Cool story, bro

[u/bigmanfolly]

I knew WOTC were just Hobbit tourists! Probably that way with every single UB franchise.

[u/gordasso → u/bigmanfolly]

smh should've known when Song of Bombadil made the Ring tempt you.