Reign of Jafar’s Starter Decks Are Two of Disney Lorcana’s All-Time Best

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Disney’s Lorcana’s upcoming set transforms the world under the control of a famous villain, with Jafar seizing Archazia’s Island and aiming to establish his reign in Reign of Jafar. Following convention, Reign of Jafar debuts with two fresh starter decks, showcasing pairings of Amber and Amethyst, as well as Ruby and Steel. These decks boast a variety of potent cards, such as Tiana, Bruno Madrigal, Mulan, and the mischievous blue extraterrestrial Stitch. Having had an opportunity to test these new starter sets, ComicBook found that while one set may have a slight edge over the other, the Reign of Jafar combo is undeniably one of the best Lorcana starter deck pairings in recent times.

To start off, let’s have a glance at the main franchises showcased in each starter set. Given that Jafar is our main antagonist, you’ll find other Aladdin characters too, but the majority of the set consists of Encanto, Bambi, Mulan, and Lilo & Stitch. However, there are other characters sprinkled throughout as well, such as Minnie Mouse, Clawhauser, Tiana, Friend Owl, Pinocchio, and Captain Hook. Now, let’s dive deeper into the details.

Reign of Jafar Amber / Amethyst Starter Deck

I found the Amber Amethyst deck instantly captivating because it showcases various Encanto characters and demonstrates the effectiveness and power of its unique singing mechanic when used strategically with the appropriate card combinations.

This deck truly excels in cards that cost 3 resources, as characters such as Pepa Madrigal and Clawhauser become increasingly valuable with their beneficial abilities throughout the game, especially when you incorporate more singing characters and actions. Clawhauser offers the Bodyguard ability to shield low-health characters, while also contributing as 4 towards singing songs and boasting 2 Quests. Simultaneously, Pepa grants you 1 lore whenever one or more of your characters sing a song. Having either character in play also enables key actions like Trials and Tribulations (costing 2 resources) and This Is My Family (also costing 2), which respectively allow you to weaken an enemy by 4 strength or gain 1 lore and draw a card.

The four-card selection on the deck offers various strategic choices. For instance, playing a tune brings Antonio Madrigal into your hand, a 3-cost character. Additionally, Try Everything allows for the elimination of up to 3 damage and readying one of your characters. Druun gives you +4 strength when facing challenges, while Bruno Madrigal prevents an adversary’s character from being ready during the next turn. Furthermore, Tiana can be considered a 6-cost character in songs, and whenever you play a song, she reduces the strength of every opposing character until the beginning of your subsequent turn.

In the later stages of the game, Alma Madrigal’s and Bruno Madrigal’s Dual Ink cards offer beneficial enhancements to your characters. Alma has the ability to ready characters whenever one or more of them perform a song once per turn. Meanwhile, Bruno (Singing Seer) allows you to draw a card for each character in play when he sings.

Moreover, there’s a 9-cost Fantastical and Magical action and song available. If you manage to accumulate a total of 9 song costs to activate it, you can draw a card and receive 1 lore for each character who participated in the singing. This could be substantial in the late game, even though it comes at a high cost, making it potentially worth the investment.

This game collection was delightful to engage with, encouraging exploration and strategy shifts as they occurred. Although it’s not common to have numerous cards active simultaneously, the dynamic combinations remained potent if you could adjust swiftly and allocate resources wisely. Furthermore, I tended to utilize higher-priced cards more frequently than usual in a beginner set, primarily because less expensive cards directly amplified or fed into the costlier cards within this set, making strategic patience and timing crucial.

Reign of Jafar Ruby / Steel Starter Deck

This Ruby Steel deck alters the gameplay significantly, emphasizing battles, challenges, and field manipulation. The shift is striking when compared to the melodic and action-oriented Amber and Amethyst starter decks. Interestingly, the 3-cost cards are powerful, but it’s the 1, 2, and 4-cost cards that truly shine in this deck. These lower and higher cost cards enable players to deploy characters swiftly at the start of the game and then strengthen their forces during the mid-game.

Based on your initial cards, you’ll find two remarkable characters available early – Captain Hook and Mulan disguised as a Soldier, each priced at just 1 ink. Captain Hook boosts his Strength by 2 when challenging, whereas Mulan lets you draw a card, then discard another when played. As the game progresses, cards like Light The Fuse and The Sword of Shan-Yu, costing only 1 ink, will prove invaluable. Light The Fuse allows you to inflict 1 damage on a chosen character for each character you’ve exerted, while The Sword of Shan-Yu enables you to exert one character and then ready another character of your choice. Given their low cost, these cards remain beneficial throughout the game.

In this game, the 2-cost range offers some fantastic options, such as Grandmother Fa who carries two Quests with her. Not only that, but using her in questing boosts one of your characters by +2 strength. Additionally, the Quick Shot action comes in handy, causing 1 point of damage to a character and letting you draw a new card. Lastly, Thumber offers a +3 strength bonus to a character on your turn.

In the mid-tier cost range of this deck, you’ll find some truly thrilling cards. For instance, Prince John boasts an impressive 5 strength and 5 willpower, though he takes 1 damage when an opponent plays a character. Despite his brief lifespan of only 2 turns, he’s still a valuable addition to your hand. The Matchmaker is another useful card, enabling you to remove an opponent’s lore whenever she engages in a challenge with another character. Additionally, Stitch (Alien Troublmaker) provides benefits by letting you draw a card and gain 1 lore when he banishes another character during a challenge. Lastly, Mulan (Charging Ahead) offers noteworthy evasion abilities and can challenge ready characters as well.

For the premium level, we’ve got some impressive additions: Mushu (Your Worst Nightmare) at a cost of 6 offers a fantastic boost – any character you play will gain Rush, Reckless, and Evasive abilities during that turn, plus he has his own 2 Quest. Additionally, Atitaya enters the field with 7 in both health and quest points, providing a balanced 7-cost option. Lastly, Beyond the Horizon, priced at 7, could potentially alter the course of the game dramatically. Under the right circumstances, it allows you to choose multiple players who must discard their entire hand and draw 3 new cards each, effectively disrupting everyone’s strategies instantly.

Although I typically prefer decks that aren’t heavily reliant on Challenges, I discovered a delightful blend of strategies in this one that significantly altered my battle tactics. Instead of solely focusing on weakening an opponent to minimize damage to your bodyguard or boosting your troops for a stronger attack, you’re faced with the intriguing decision of whether to reduce enemy strength so your bodyguard can retaliate forcefully next turn, or to amass your forces and strike their frontlines with numerical superiority.

Additionally, this deck offers Lore bonuses upon banishment and defensive enhancements for your heroes, adding even more strategic depth. The variety of tactical options prevents the challenge-centric gameplay from becoming monotonous.

The Final Verdict

As a passionate player, I can’t help but express my admiration for both Amber & Amethyst and Ruby Steel starter decks in the Reign of Jafar set. These decks are not only engaging but also become more captivating as you delve deeper into their unique playstyles and familiarize yourself with the cards. Though I find myself drawn to the allure of Amber & Amethyst, Ruby Steel has not failed to impress me. Whether you’re a seasoned fan or newcomer, these starter sets stand tall among the strongest in the game so far, and they will undoubtedly remain a vital part of my Lorcana gaming experience for quite some time.

Rating: 5 out of 5

Disney’s Lorcana: Reign of Jafar is set to have a pre-launch on the 30th of May, with a full launch scheduled for June 6th. To get all the information about Disney Lorcana’s latest collection, take a look right here.

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2025-05-29 06:10