Lorcana Players are excited to get their hands on the new Shimmering Skies Set 5 cards on August 9. The new cards aim to shake up the meta, bringing many powerful cards into the mix to empower old meta decks and even create completely new playstyles.
Things can be confusing when new cards are released, as players immediately hop onto the experimental phase, trying to find the best new decks for the upcoming meta. In this article, I’ll list some of the top new cards that will likely play a role in the upcoming meta.
Mufasa – Ruler of Pride Rock
One of the best Sapphire cards to be released in the Shimmering Skies expansion is Mufasa – Ruler of Pride Rock. This is an 8-cost uninkable character with a 4|9 stat line.
When played, Mufasa – Ruler of Pride Rock exerts all cards in Inkwell and returns 2 cards at random from Inkwell to your hand. Although we’re losing 2 cards in our Inkwell, we’re still gaining them back in our hand, which can be either Inked again or played for more value. This will depend on which cards we get from our Inkwell.
What makes Mufasa – Ruler of Pride Rock is his ability when he quests. So if he sticks on the board, we get to use up all our Ink to play cards, quest with Mufasa – Ruler of Pride Rock, and then ready all cards in the inkwell, basically, giving us an additional turn to play more cards. Keep in mind that Mufasa – Ruler of Pride Rock quests for 4 Lore, so combined with Lucky Dime, you’re creating a win condition with him.
Daisy Duck – Donald’s Date
Amber is getting an astounding new early card Daisy Duck – Donald’s Date, a 1-cost with a 1|4 stat line, that can quest for 2 Lore. Just looking at those stats and Lore, she’s perfect for aggro decks, difficult for opponents to remove before she generates at least 4 maybe 6 Lore!
With how strong Daisy Duck – Donald’s Date is, she has a downside attached to her to balance her. Whenever she quests, opponents will reveal the top card of their deck. If it’s a character card, they may put it in their hand.
Despite the downside, Daisy Duck – Donald’s Date remains a great choice for many decks, especially Amber Amethyst, which would love the insane early Lore generation while giving opponents a challenge to remove her.
Pete – Games Referee
Pete – Games Referee is a 3-cost 3|3 Character that quests for 1 Lore. This doesn’t seem too strong at first glance, but Pete – Games Referee, Blow The Whistle ability is why he’s a great contender in the upcoming Set 5 meta.
When played, Pete – Games Referee locks the opponent from playing any of their actions until the start of your next turn. When timed correctly, you can completely shut down the opponent’s game plan, capable of changing the game entirely in your favor.
This will be meta dependent and which deck you’re facing, on the bright side, if you’re up against a deck where Pete – Games Referee might not find much use, you can Ink him.
Prince Naveen – Ukulele Player
Prince Naveen – Ukulele Player is one of the card players are hyped up for in set 5. He’s a 4-cost uninkable Character with the low 3|3 stat line. However, Prince Naveen – Ukulele Player is a Singer 6, which is great for a 4-cost Character, but his true power lies in his “On Play” ability, letting you play a song with a cost of 6 or less for free. This is a huge game changer for Amber Steel decks, letting you play Songs like A Whole New World, Grab Your Sword, and And Then Along Came Zeus.
Being a 4-cost means he’s a perfect follow-up play for Ariel – Spectacular Singer, which lets you draw a Song and set up your upcoming turn.
We could see Amber Emerald using Prince Naveen – Ukulele Player as well, playing Songs like We Don’t Talk About Bruno and You’re Welcome for free.
Amethyst Chromicon
The Amethyst Chromicon item allows each player to draw a card. This is great for decks with cheap cards, being able to play multiple cards a turn and not having to worry about running out of steam. The opponent drawing a card is a drawback, but if they’re unable to match the number of cards you’re playing, they might not find much use of the extra cards in hand. Additionally, you get to control when this item is activated, so you might find yourself in specific turns where you’re too far ahead and additional cards aren’t needed.
Hide Away
A 2-cost Action card that can remove an Item or Location from play. This can be a strong play against specific matchups, removing cards like Lucky Dime, The Queen’s Castle, or McDuck Manor from play.
You are giving the opponent an extra Ink, but it can be worth it if the Item or Location on the board plays a vital role in their game plan.
Cogsworth – Illuminary Watchman
Cogsworth – Illuminary Watchman is another powerful card for Amethyst. He’s a 1-cost 1|1 Character, capable of giving Rush to one of your Characters. This combo card allows you to control the board by letting one of your higher-stated units attack immediately with the Rush he gives.
This Character works best later in the game, so you’ll likely hold off from playing him until turn 3+. There are cases where you won’t find a use for him, so being an Inabkle card is a plus. With Amethyst’s Bounce mechanic, you can return Cogsworth – Illuminary Watchman to hand and reactivate his ability.
Kuzco – Selfish Emperor
Kuzco – Selfish Emperor is a 6-cost Inkable card with a 3|5 stat line. The Sapphire card has two abilities, Outplacement and By Invite Only. Outplacement is why Kuzco – Selfish Emperor is powerful, letting you Ink an Item or Location from either side of the board. So it can be used as a Location removal to slow down the opponent’s game plan, similar to cards like Rise of the Titans and Beast Hardheaded.
Although you’re giving the opponent an extra Ink, removing cards like Lucky Dime, The Queen’s Castle, or McDuck Manor from play is worth it to shut down that Lore generation.
Kuzco – Selfish Emperor‘s By Invite Only gives Resist to your whole board, but I don’t see this being used that often as it costs 4 Ink to activate.