Last Chance Combos in Reign of Jafar
We currently set in a strange void within the world of Lorcana. Mere hours away from the release of set 8, Reign of Jafar, yet something feels off. Ever since “The Next Chapter” livestream, a cloud has sat overhead and drawn our attention to the promised rainbows sure to shine alongside Fabled. Even during a LoreCast recorded earlier today, Ravensburger couldn’t help but show off more details on set 9, before Illumineer’s could even open their first packs of the imminent set 8. This feels like the calm before the storm. And the storm in question is Lorcana’s first Set Rotation. The moment Fabled releases at LGSs on August 29th, the first 4 sets of Disney Lorcana will be removed from Core Constructed. There is a big bold asterisk next to this, as some cards will receive reprints. But at the time of writing, there is no definitive list of what cards will be reprinted. Knowing that many cards will soon lose the ability to be played, we at The Ink Table Podcast had an interesting question. With this possibly being the first and last opportunity, how could cards from sets 1-4 combo/interact with cards from Reign of Jafar? Below is a list of some of those combinations. Make sure to try your favorites before it is too late.
Mad Dog - Karnage’s First Mate typically cost 4 ink to play. But his ability ARE YOU SURE THIS IS SAFE, CAPTAIN? allows him to be played for one less if you have a character named Don Karnage in play. While a glimmer of Karnage was added this set, the original was released in set 3, Into the Inklands. In truth, this may be a sign pointing towards Prince of Pirates being reprinted. But for now, it should be treated as a Last Chance Combo.
Mother Gothel - Withered and Wicked was released all the way back in Rise of the Floodborn, while Beast - Wounded and Mulan - Injured Soldier came out during Ursula’s Return. While it may seem strange to use characters that enter play with damage on them, all of these cars were at one point part of a powerhouse Amber/Ruby deck. That particular deck used the damage to its advantage by finding ways to turn it into card draw. Now a new deck archetype has arisen. There is now a risky Emerald/Ruby meta that wants you to maintain damage on your own characters in order to receive extra benefits such as increased strength or additional lore. Queen of Hearts - Haughty Monarch is an excellent example of this. While she typically quests for 3 lore, if there are 5 or more characters with damage in play she would quest for an additional 3. That totals out to one of the highest questing amounts in the game at 6. With a card like this, your opponent may be afraid to exert their characters or even challenge yours if it means putting damage on more characters in play. Using cards like Mother Gothel, Beast, and Mulan take your opponent out of the equation. You no longer have to rely on how your opponent plays or their actions. And there is little reason to be afraid of questing or singing with these damaged characters as cards like Alice - Courageous Keyholder will allow you to ready them back up when she is played.
Remember back in Into the Inklands when Moving Damage was added to the game? These Amythest/Ruby card combos sure do and may be the best use of it we have seen yet. Madame Medusa - Deceiving Partner and Hades - Ruthless Tyrant both have abilities that allow you to deal 2 damage to one of your own characters to gain a benefit in return. Medusa focuses on board control by sending characters back to their player’s hand, while Hades gives extra card draw. One fantastic combo is to use these cards effects and target the underutilized Hydra - Deadly Serpent. Any time it is dealt damage, you can deal that same amount of damage to chosen character. By choosing Hydra as the target of Medusa or Hades, you will be able to ping damage while still receiving benefits.
But the best combo occurs when Maleficent - Mistress of All Evil enters the fray. While her DARK KNOWLEDGE ability is nice, the DIVINATION ability is terrifying when combined with Hades’ SHORT ON PATIENCE ability. Both when Hades is played and when he quests, you may deal 2 damage to another one of your characters in order to draw 2 cards. DIVINATION allows 1 damage counter to be moved to an opposing character whenever you draw a card. Therefore, if Maleficent is in play and Hades is played or quests you may deal 2 damage to one of your characters, draw 2 cards, and move each of said 2 damage counters to an opponent’s character(s).
Megara - Part of the Plan gains Challenger +2 while you have a character named Hades in play. There are currently 10 cards named Hades in Lorcana. 6 of those cards were apart of sets 1-4. While this combo can still be pulled off after Set Rotations begin, you will be limited by which inks can pull it off. Starting in Azurite Sea, all Hades cards have been an assortment of Amythest/Ruby. Assuming none of the original 6 get reprinted any time soon, this may be your last chance to try this combo out using ink such as Amber or Saphire.
Say ‘Hello!’ to the Big Cheese himself, Mickey Mouse - Giant Mouse. This is a powerful card that our entire team has been googly eyeing since it was first revealed. Only 2 cards in all of Lorcana quest for 5 lore outright; this one and Mirabel Madrigal - Family Gatherer. Yet, Mirabel can’t be played unless you already have 5 or more characters in play. Mickey has his own steep hill to climb though, being a 10 cost uninkable. But…. his stat line and abilities in combination with how much he quests for has players scrambling to make this card work. 10 strength and 10 willpower alone is super strong; but Ravensburger had to go and slap on the Bodyguard Keyword and THE BIGGEST STAR EVER ability, to create a monster that even my own custom cards couldn’t rival. Turning this card sideways is a power statement. Quest for 5, sing a sing-together by itself, or just throw it out in Bodyguard. Just about any of your opponent’s characters will be banished trying to get past him; and if they do succeed, there are even more problems to worry about. The moment he is banished, 5 damage is dealt to EACH opposing character. Thats equivalent to hitting all opposing characters with an And Along Came Zeus and gets past Ward. If the idea of playing this card excites you as much as it does us, this may be the set to try.
Being 10 cost, players are scavenging for ways to cheese the Mouse into play. It may take a little luck but Mufasa - Betrayed Leader could do the job. And there is no fear of Mickey entering play exerted. Another method is to use Hades - Double Dealer to banish a cheaper version of Mickey, in order to play Giant Mouse for free. These cards were introduced in Rise of the Floodborn and Ursula’s Return respectively.
During Rise of the Floodborn a new ability trigger was added. All it takes is simply playing a Floodborn character while any of the cards listed above are in play, and you would receive some form of reward that coincides with its ink’s core values. My personal favorite of the group is Chief Bogo - Respected Officer that allows 1 damage to be dealt to each opposing character every time a Floodborn character is played. This special ability trigger was very fitting for the set it was released, as it helped showcase a mechanic that is unique to Lorcana. But…. they also come with their own issues. (encroaching Buck PTSD)
As the game has grown so has the number of Floodborn cards, and cheap Floodborns at that. We have seen in the past how easily this can become an issue. While the Ward Keyword definitely played a role, the surplus of cheap Floodborn characters allowed the ability of the original Bucky - Squirrel Squeak Tutor to pop very frequently. This ultimately led to Lorcana’s first and only errata. While the other cards listed may not be as meta as Bucky, they still offer something that is specific to Lorcana. So whether it be with the newest Floodborns from Reign of Jafar, or any of your favorites from the past, it is almost a definite that you will not get another chance to try it out.