Shimmering Skies is full of fun, exciting cards- like all of Lorcana’s sets so far. Oh sure, there’s the usual assortment of draft jank, but this is a game where even the jank is cool and interesting if you love Disney. I’ve not gotten to play Shimmering Skies as much as I have the previous sets since there’s not a consistent and accessible online platform right now, but what I have played with has revealed some interesting additions to existing deck archetypes. Steelsong in particular is absolutely feasting, and the aggro decks out there are thriving in the meta. Weirdly, Amber looks like the big winner this set but every ink color has some new tools in the toolbox. Here’s my picks for the best two cards out of each color. Reminder! I am not a competitive player; I’m a funsies player so these may not be the best meta cards out there!
This card is a 10/10 across the board- it’s one of the best looking cards in the game to date, it’s a great character, it’s an absolute powerhouse, and it’s one of the big chase cards on the collector’s market right now. Prince Naveen is a must-play in any Amber deck as far as I’m concerned as his ability to drop in on turn 4 and sing a 6 cost song is huge. This puts players on notice for an early A Whole New World or Along Came Zeus. And he’s a 3/3 body with two lore so he remains useful on the table. I can’t wait to make a full deck of musicians and include him for all kinds of merrie melodies.
As a theme deck player, we are getting to critical mass on a Donald and Daisy deck and this is definitely a card for it. But it is also a super solid card for Amber aggro builds that rely on maintaining a wide field of characters and card draw velocity. At 1 ink, questing for 2 and 4 willpower, this is a durable and effective card that is seeing a lot of play similar to how Mufasa was being run previously. I think this is a better card in some ways.
I’m a big Maleficent fan and I’ve enjoyed all the representation Disney’s best villain has gotten in Lorcana. This card may not set the meta ablaze and some may call it “unplayable” but I really like how this card sets up a Maleficent-themed deck. A turn 6 shift onto one of the lesser Mals could potentially be much more devastating than a turn 9 Monstrous Dragon. The removal effect here is appropriately wicked, especially if you are running a deck of Mal clones. And it’s another beautiful card in a set that features some of the best art in the game to date.
A good example of a great common. This is a simple card, based on Lorcana lore and not a Disney animation property, and it has a simple effect. It’s a brilliant tech against low cost, early game characters with Evasive, discard effects, or other troublesome qualities. It’s perfectly priced at 1 and with a 2 ink activation, meaning that it goes off on turn 2 if you need it. And it’s inkable if you draw it mid to late game when its utility is more limited.
Another great looking Legendary with a decent shift and a tremendous on-play ability. Keep In Step allows you to draw back your hand if you are card-poor turn 5 or later, which is not entirely uncommon. The only catch is that the opponent may also be low on cards, but with that said playing Clarabelle even for one or two cards is the move. And she stays on board with a very solid 5/6 and questing for 2. I also like that one of her shift targets (Contented Wallflower) has a scaled down version of this effect. Another great, all around card with some built in versatility to support a potentially powerful ability.
I honestly don’t recall the last time I played an Emerald deck without Prince John, but then again I’m a heavy discard player. The discount is good, and the ability is potentially devastating. Discard decks are all about denying the opponent the use of their cards, and by limiting their hand to 3 cards as early as turn 3 your goal of stripping their hand and getting your Flynn Rider, His Own Greatest Fans into play is simpler and more efficient. With this nasty item and some Sudden Chills you are setting up a bad time for any opponent.
Another of my favorite illustrations from the set- I love the food fight sub-theme and I love that this card gets really, really pissed off. Humble Pie is decent, knocking down the opponent’s lore but Raging Duck is absolutely nuts, giving the furious fowl +6 strength if the opponent has 10 or more lore. It’s an interesting piece of card design because the abilities sort of conflict each other, but they also balance each other out. And I love that the card is a Knight.
It’s a thing- the Legendaries in this set just look phenomenal. And Robin Hood is one of my favorites (despite being somewhat over-represented at this point). This is a good card with a potentially very powerful scry that allows you to drop a 6 cost action for free if one turns up. I’m a little less enthusiastic about it as he’s coming down at 1/4 but the payoff of throwing out a big action a couple of turns ahead of schedule is not to be sniffed at.
Similar to the Maleficent above, I love that this card sets you up for a bunch of Queen clones- it even shows that on the clever card art that subtly points at the Lorcana lore of “Glimmers”. I don’t think the effect or card values are phenomenal here (it’s a Queen scry), but I love the thematic implications of the card and how it illustrates what’s going on when you are playing this kind of deck. And, to be honest, I feel like Sapphire is the weakest color in this set so pickings are slim!
Another card that may not be a top ranker, but I like that it introduces a new gameplay idea- playing with your top card faceup. In the game I played the night before writing this article, I found myself in a do-or-die situation where I wished that I had this card rather than going heart of the cards to try to topdeck what I needed. Having the ability to foresee a possible Be Prepared or removal card is absolutely an advantage, and I’ll gladly slot an inkable 1 ink location into a deck to do so.
I’ll take all of the Disney wrestling cards you can come up with, Ravensburger. And this one is a corker with a killer ability. I didn’t think it was all that great until an opponent threw one down on turn 7 to block a Be Prepared. This is an excellent strategic card, the kind of 3 or 4 of uncommon that can turn into a game winner in the right situation. I’m looking at slotting this Pete into a discard deck so that even if the opponent has cards, it’s a way to stop them from being played.
I’m hoping that we get Knight versions of all the Princesses because they are awesome, and Snow White is no exception- especially because she becomes practically unkillable in a challenge if you are running a Knight heavy deck. She’s equality as good as Cinderella’s Knight Dreamborn, and with the Seven Dwarves showing up in Shimmering Skies you’ve got the core of a fun, compelling theme deck with some serious punch. Another great example of how the card design is practically begging you to play typal decks.
Next Time: Let’s make some Shimmering Skies decks!
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