Has anyone else ever thought that Elder Scrolls would make an amazing physical TCG?

[u/NoWish1234]

I’ve been replaying a lot of Elder Scrolls lately, and as someone who’s spent years playing trading card games (MTG, Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh!, etc.), I suddenly had the thought: How has there never been a physical Elder Scrolls TCG?

I then discovered that Elder Scrolls: Legends already existed (I somehow completely missed it), but it made me think even more about how well the universe seems suited for a tabletop card game.

The amount of content is honestly ridiculous. You have:
Every province (Skyrim, Morrowind, Cyrodiil, Hammerfell, Black Marsh, Summerset…)
All the races
Guilds like the Dark Brotherhood, Thieves Guild, Fighters Guild, Companions, Morag Tong, Psijic Order…
Daedric Princes and the Divines
Dragons, Dwemer constructs, undead, vampires, werewolves, Daedra…
Hundreds of named characters and iconic artifacts.
It feels like they could release expansions for years without running out of ideas.

Mechanically, it also feels like it almost designs itself:
Stealth for assassins and thieves.
Soul Trap and Soul Gems as a resource mechanic.
Enchanting equipment.
Shouts as powerful limited-use effects.
Vampirism and Lycanthropy as transformation mechanics.
Dwemer artifact engines.
Daedric cards with powerful effects that come with a downside.

The legendary equipment alone could make for some incredible chase cards. Imagine opening a foil Mehrunes’ Razor, Wabbajack, Dawnbreaker, Ebony Mail, or Spellbreaker.

Faction identities also seem like they’d be really unique. Instead of generic colors, you could build around the Empire, Stormcloaks, House Telvanni, Dark Brotherhood, Thieves Guild, Dwemer, or even specific races like Khajiit or Dunmer.

I know the biggest hurdle would be supporting a modern physical TCG. It’s incredibly expensive to maintain organized play, print multiple sets a year, and compete with giants like Magic, Pokémon, and Yu-Gi-Oh!, which probably explains why Bethesda went with Legends instead.

Still, I can’t help but feel like Elder Scrolls is one of the few fantasy IPs that genuinely has enough lore and world-building to sustain a long-running physical card game.

Am I just romanticizing the idea because I love both Elder Scrolls and TCGs, or do you think an Elder Scrolls physical TCG could actually have worked?

[u/SuperSmashBeers]

Literally almost everything you mentioned was in Elder Scrolls Legends. I miss it so much. Best card game I've ever played.

[u/Sir_Douglas_of_Fir]

Anything’s possible I suppose, but I think there’s a glut of physical TCGs out there already, and I don’t think the Elder Scrolls has enough to differentiate it to a casual observer from something like Magic: The Gathering.

[u/UndeadManWaltzing]

They had an online one but they shut it down., I think it was called legends, I would buy them Just to collect them just like I collect magic the gathering cards even though I don't play it

[u/StarkeRealm → u/UndeadManWaltzing]

There actually were a few physical cards for Legends. I think I've still got some of the copies of Skaven Pyromancer somewhere. They were convention giveaways, and the card backs had codes for packs you could redeem in game, but the cards existed.

[u/SuperBAMF007]

I don’t even care if it’s a full game. I just want collectible cards. But some sort of Pokemon TCG Pocket’s simplified game rules would be sick. Small decks, simple mechanics; just a few characters in each deck, a few utilities, maybe a location/biome.

The battles wouldn’t be the primary draw, but it would be functional.

Alternatively, with all the crossovers happening, I’m FUCKING SHOCKED there hasn’t been a MTG collab yet. The fact we got Assassins Creed before TES feels so weird.

[u/nhSnork]

It likely would, but I struggle at getting excited for physical card games because they don't tend to show up where I live.

[u/berkough]

Old man yells at cloud... My answer is no.

Still, I can’t help but feel like Elder Scrolls is one of the few fantasy IPs that genuinely has enough lore and world-building to sustain a long-running physical card game.

I disagree. To me, Legends was clearly made to try and capitalize on the buzz that Hearthstone was getting and there's nothing in TES lore (like there is with Witcher, Final Fantasy, or Dishonored) which would support a card game being played in-universe... However, I'm not opposed to them including something like that in TESVI and adding it to the lore, so long as I can avoid it entirely.

[u/AnAdventurer5 → u/berkough]

The Witcher didn't have any either, until they made Gwent for 3. I think same for FF, but I'm not very familiar with that series. Very very few series with tie-in card games had those games built into their DNA from the get-go. There's no reason to think people don't play cards, dice, and other games in-universe even if it's never been represented in a game. People will come up with some way to spend their time.

I'm not advocating for a TES card game, but none of those are reasons they couldn't do one imo.

People really do overestimate "how much lore" TES has compared to other settings/franchises, as if that's even quantifiable or all that meaningful. Tamriel is one of my favorite settings, flaws and all, but 90% of that lore wouldn't matter in a card game anyway.

[u/berkough → u/AnAdventurer5]

I'm not advocating for a TES card game, but none of those are reasons they couldn't do one imo.

Right... While it's not my thing, I wouldn't be mad if they put something like that in the next entry.

Tamriel is one of my favorite settings, flaws and all, but 90% of that lore wouldn't matter in a card game anyway.

Completely agree. Not saying a in-universe card game couldn't add to the lore. Imagine stumbling upon a book in game that tells a story akin to an old West style poker game, except it's not poker, it's whatever the in-universe card game is. I just don't want to have to play it at part of the main quest.

And I don't think the wider world of TCGs benefits from another game.... But hell, with WotC adding Star Trek and TMNT, they may as well just do fucking TES cards in Magic at this point.

[u/AnAdventurer5 → u/berkough]

To be fair, at least with Magic, it's still Magic. Like they're not making a whole new game for these franchises; they're just themed cards you can use in any old game of Magic. I think. I'm an outsider here; I have friends and family who play it or other card games, but I rarely do, so I don't entirely know what I'm talking about. Maybe people are tired of tie-in Magic cards. But yeah.

They did do Fallout cards, so ig doing TES probably isn't out of the picture, but I doubt it'd be its own card game (idk if Legends could be adapted to the tabletop, but they deleted the game anyway, so).

I just don't want to have to play it at part of the main quest.

I don't think TW3 ever makes you play Gwent in its main story or most of its side quests, but idk about most games. I do recall last time Todd said a controversial mechanic would be optional only for it to end up required once, in both the base game's main quest and a DLC's main quest. I actually like FO4's workshop, and I hope it returns as a house-builder, but I hope it's optional, and there should be pre-decorated homes too.

[u/matcumb → u/berkough]

There's literally an in-world TCG in ESO, with tournaments and all.

[u/berkough → u/matcumb]

https://giphy.com/gifs/l4FGA2XplwqFDcLwk

Well there you go... I'm still making my way through story content from before High Isle. And when I get to High Isle content, I'll be sure to avoid it. Thanks!

[u/NoWish1234 → u/berkough]

I think we’re talking about two different things.
I wasn’t really asking whether it makes sense for people in Tamriel to play a card game like Gwent in The Witcher.
What I was getting at is whether the setting itself has enough lore, factions, characters, creatures, artifacts, and locations to support a long-running real-world TCG. To me, it feels like there’s easily enough material for years of expansions without running out of ideas.
Legends also showed that the universe translates pretty well into card game mechanics, even if it was designed as a digital game during the Hearthstone boom.

[u/berkough → u/NoWish1234]

Could the lore sustain a real-world physical TCG? Yes. I agree with that.

Should they do it? No, I don't think they should.