There’s been a ton of Disney Lorcana content lately. In May, we not only got the fourth chapter of the game (Ursula's Return) but also the cooperative standalone game Illumineer’s Quest: Deep Trouble. Then, just last week, a special early release of the learn-to-play Disney Lorcana TCG Gateway experience arrived at Target. Now, we’re on the verge of Disney Lorcana: Shimmering Skies hitting store shelves. Ahead of this, Ravensburger was kind enough to send me the two starter decks for this latest chapter of Disney Lorcana.
Please note: Ravensburger provided me with the two Shimmering Skies starter decks for the purposes of review. The opinions are my own.
First, these decks come in two configurations: Amethyst/Ruby and Emerald/Steel. On the former, you’ll find Elsa and Wreck-It Ralph on the box art while the latter features Scar and Kronk — so heroes vs. villains, kind of?
As for what each deck contains, here’s a full run down:
List of cards in the Shimmering Skies Amethyst/Ruby Starter Deck
- The Nokk – Mythical Spirit (2x)
- Archimedes – Exasperated Owl (2x)
- Bruni – Fire Salamander (2x)
- Earth Giant – Living Mountain (2x)
- Gale – Wind Spirit (2x)
- Anna – Mystical Majesty
- Archimedes – Electrified Owl (2x)
- Elsa – The Fifth Spirit
- Olaf – Happy Passenger
- Maleficent – Vengeful Sorceress (2x)
- Anna – Eager Acolyte (3x)
- King of Hearts – Monarch of Wonderland (2x)
- Hypnotic Strength (3x)
- Finders Keepers (2x)
- Retrosphere (2x)
- The Library – A Gift for Belle (2x)
- Taffyta Muttonfudge – Ruthless Rival (2x)
- Wreck-It Ralph – Demolition Dude
- Turbo – Royal Hack (2x)
- Rancis Fluggerbutter – Chocolate Charger (2x)
- Snowanna Rainbeau – Cool Competitor (2x)
- Daisy Duck – Spotless Food-Fighter (2x)
- Mickey Mouse – Enthusiastic Dancer (2x)
- Taffyta Muttonfudge – Crowd Favorite (3x)
- Taffyta Muttonfudge – Sour Speedster (2x)
- Donald Duck – Daisy's Date (2x)
- Vanellope von Schweetz – Random Roster Racer
- Simba – Adventurous Successor (3x)
- Minnie Mouse – Dazzling Dancer (2x)
- Glimmer vs Glimmer (2x)
- The Sword Released
List of cards in the Shimmering Skies Emerald/Steel Starter Deck
- Robin Hood – Timely Contestant
- Shenzi – Scar's Accomplice (2x)
- Little John – Camp Cook (3x)
- Zazu – Advisor to Mufasa (2x)
- Ulf – Mime (3x)
- Ed – Laughing Hyena (2x)
- Robin Hood – Archery Contestant (3x)
- Ed – Hysterical Partygoer
- Banzai – Taunting Hyena (3x)
- Robin Hood – Sneaky Sleuth (2x)
- Shenzi – Head Hyena
- Scar – Vengeful Lion
- Hypnotic Deduction (3x)
- Night Howler Rage (2x)
- Tropical Rainforest – Jaguar Lair (2x)
- Simba – Lost Prince (3x)
- Rudy – Groove Disrupter (2x)
- Royal Guard – Bovine Protector (3x)
- Sleepy – Sluggish Knight (2x)
- Kronk – Unlicensed Investigator (3x)
- Heihei – Protective Rooster (2x)
- Yzma – Unjustly Treated
- Kronk – Head of Security
- Arthur – Wart (2x)
- Simba – Son of Mufasa (2x)
- Pete – Games Referee (2x)
- Tug-of-War
- When Will My Life Begin? (3x)
- Food Fight! (2x)
As you may have noticed, unlike with the past couple Starter Deck releases, all of the cards contained in these sets come from Shimmering Skies. I wasn’t too bothered by cards from other chapters getting mixed in — and I suspect that this practice will return in future releases — but I do like that these are all new cards for players to explore.
Of course, speaking of new cards, something that’s been great about Disney Lorcana is that new characters are continually added to the game. In this case, while Wreck-It Ralph himself did make a brief appearance in Rise of the Floodborn, now we get several other characters from the films — including several Sugar Rush racers — in the game. As a fan of that franchise, I’m very excited about this addition and thrilled that so many of these characters are featured in the starter deck (specifically the Ruby section).
Once again, while I love the art on many of these Shimmer Skies cards, I do want to highlight some of my favorites. So, without further ado, here are my top 10 (from the two starter decks):
- Glimmer vs. Glimmer — Art by Ian MacDonald
- Turbo – Royal Hack — Art by Juan Diego Leon
- Elsa – The Fifth Spirit — Art by Lisanne Koeteeuw
- Maleficent – Vengeful Sorceress — Art by Aris Zentelis
- Earth Giant – Living Mountain — Art by Alice Pisoni
- Pete – Games Referee — Art by Luis Huerta
- Heihei – Protective Rooster — Art by Brian Weisz
- Robinhood – Sneaky Sleuth — Art by Nicholas Kole
- Night Howler Rage — Art by Antoine Couttolenc
- Shenzi – Head Hyena — Art by Otto Paredes
If I had to choose just one of these, though, I think I’d have to go with Kole’s Floodborn Robin Hood card Sneaky Sleuth. Between the hero's outfit, the fireworks, and Lorcana in the background, this card is gorgeous. Meanwhile, also in Emerald, the Night Howler Rage card from Antoine Couttolenc is similarly fun, colorful, dark, and creepy — I love it!
All in all, Disney Lorcana: Shimmering Skies seems to be another winning expansion for the uber popular game. Plus, having now had a chance to go through the TCG Gateway game, I feel far more comfortable actually playing Locrana than I previously did. So, whether you’ve been on the Disney Lorcana train since day one or are brand me to it, these two Starter Decks are perfect to pick up.
P.S. – watch for more Disney Lorcana coverage as I head to GenCon later this week!
Disney Lorcana: Shimmering Skies will be available August 9th, 2024, at local game stores and Disney Parks followed by mass retail and Disney Store on August 23rd, 2024. To find your nearest location, be sure to use Ravensburger’s store locator.