In just a few short weeks, yet another installment of Disney Lorcana will arrive. Ahead of that, the folks at Ravensburger sent me the two Starter Decks (more on that in a moment) for Azurite Sea. Flipping through cards from this new collection, I was honestly blown away by how the TCG continues to not only expand but, arguably, improve. So what makes this set so satisfying?
Please note: Ravensburger provided me with the two Shimmering Skies starter decks for the purposes of review. The opinions are my own.
Before you even crack open the boxes of this latest set, you may notice a subtle change. While past packaging has labeled these collections as a “Starter Deck,” this time, they read “Single-Player Deck.” Personally, I think this minor marketing tweak makes a lot of sense as the game moves forward. But, for what it’s worth, I suspect that most collectors/players will continue to refer to these as Starter Decks (as Ravensburger themselves does in some of their press releases).
Now let’s get to the cards themselves. To me, this is easily the most uniform theming I’ve seen from the game so far — to the point where I felt as though I could place all the cards on a large surface to make a single image. Okay, I don’t actually believe this is possible (although I didn’t try), but the art does evoke an idea that each card is basically a vignette playing out not from the others in the deck. I absolutely love that, in the majority of the card art in this set, some sort of water or other nautical feature can be found.
Given that cohesion, however, it is a bit surprising that these two Single-Player Decks do include a few “repeats. In the Amber/Ruby deck, you’ll find more than half a dozen cards that appeared in set 5 Shimmering Skies. It’s a similar story with the Emerald/Sapphire deck as there are four (by my count) cards from the prior set. Although these selections may seem a little out of place, overall, they do still fit pretty well and don’t distract too much from the larger theme Azurite Sea achieves.
Another headline of Azurite Sea is the new franchises it brings to the game. At the top of that list (for me at least) is Chip ’n’ Dale Rescue Rangers. As a child who grew up mostly in the 90s, this show was always a favorite — so I was very excited when the addition was announced during the Disney Lorcana panel at D23. Luckily, that tease delivered with some truly awesome cards starring characters from the series.
Also joining the game are the Big Hero 6. Seeing as I’m a fan of the film, I was pumped to see cards dedicated to each of the core characters. Not only are these card designs great on their own but, once again, I was also impressed how they managed to make the art fit into the larger sea-based theme — look no further than Baymax holding a life preserver or Wasabi slicing through chains while battling waves as proof of this.
One fun detail that Laughing Place recently had the chance to reveal involves the loveable rascal Stitch. With this being the six Disney Lorcana set, Stitch apparently took it upon himself to claim card 26 (as in Experiment 626). While this deck number is usually reserved for Amber cards, the aptly named Stitch – Little Trickster card remains an Emerald card. From what I saw online, this clever Easter egg had fans and collectors split, but I personally think it’s a fun detail — which is why I’m excited that this particular card is included in the Emerald/Sapphire Single-Player Deck.
Now, if you’ll indulge me, I do want to note some of my favorite cards in the deck — with the caveat that there are plenty more I love as well.
- Gadget Hackwrench – Brilliant Bosun: Art by Alex Accorsi
- Go Go Tomago – Darting Dynamo: Art by Alex Accorsi
- Wasabi – Methodical Engineer: Art by Taraneh
- Hei Hei – Not-So-Tricket Chicken: Art by Lisanne Koeteeuw
- Stitch – Little Trickster: Art by César Vergara
- Tigger – In the Crow’s Nest: Art by John Loren
- Winnie the Pooh – Hunny Pirate: Art by Koni
- Pooh Pirate Ship: Art by Kaitlin Cuthbertson
- Moana – Kakamora Leader: Art by Jared Matthews
- Rescue Rangers Away!: Art by Mariana Moreno
- Jasmine – Rebellious Princess: Art by Malia Ewart
- Mickey Mouse – Courageous Sailor: Art by Kenneth Anderson
Overall, I absolutely love both of the new Disney Lorcana: Azurite Sea Single-Player Decks. Between the two options, it’s a tough call, but I’d lean slightly toward Amber/Ruby personally — but both look great. Moreover, seeing how much I’m enjoying the deep theming of this set, I may just have to pick up some boosters to build out my collection.
It’s wild to think that, six sets in, Disney Lorcana is only getting better. Therefore, I can’t wait to see what’s to come with lucky number 7.
Disney Lorcana: Azurite Sea, will be available starting November 15th at local game stores as well as at Disney Stores and Disney Parks. This will be followed by a wider release to mass retailers (including DisneyStore.com) on November 25th. To find the retailer nearest you, be sure to check out Ravensburger’s store locator tool.