DYLAN BAILEY
A Familiar Find
Play as the whimsical familiars of the world’s greatest sorcerers in a race to gather spell components and ingredients in Darrington Press’s A Familiar Find, a new charming and fast-paced strategic card game fun for the whole family set in Critical Role’s storytelling world of Exandria™, launching on April 7, 2026.
In 2015, Critical Role Productions LLC was founded on the core values of believing in the positive impact of storytelling, sharing the love of games with others, staying curious and always learning, and leaving the world better than we found it. Critical Role began as a group of friendly voice actors sharing stories and fun moments around a table. The group quickly made a name for themselves and garnered a cult like following through their Thursday night tabletop entertainment. Some can even argue that Critical Role has been a leading cause in the continued rise in popularity of Dungeons and Dragons in recent years. They have made DnD cool.
With their strong passion and experience in tabletop gaming and roleplaying, launching Darrington Press as a subsidiary in 2020 was a natural next step. Darrington Press is a publishing company that provides ways for people worldwide to create shared experiences through storytelling, while shaping their own adventures and making invaluable memories along the way. Darrington Press features games and products created and enjoyed by the team at Critical Role, and looks to solidify a long-lasting positive impact on the gaming community and industry as a whole. Some of their previous products include the board games Solar Gardens and Queen by Midnight, the DnD 5th edition sourcebook Tal’Dorei Campaign Setting Reborn, the investigative horror TTRPG Candella Obscura, and of course…Daggerheart. And now they have announced A Familiar Find, a new charming and fast-paced strategic card game fun for the whole family set in Critical Role’s storytelling world of Exandria™.
Learn more about Darrington Press LLC and their products by checking out their website.
In A Familiar Find, players take on the role of loyal animal companions on a critical mission. Across the corners of Exandria, powerful spellcasters are searching for rare magical ingredients—and it’s up to you, their familiar, to be the first to gather them. Players race through ever-shifting magical locations, collect key components, and outwit rival familiars attempting to sabotage their plans.
Bluffs will be called, traps will be set, and strategies will be evaded; A Familiar Find challenges players to think sharply and act fast but decisively. Featuring quick turns, easy-to-learn rules, and a deck full of surprises, every game delivers a fresh and delightfully magical experience. This lighthearted adventure will transport you into the paws, claws, wings, and abilities of a loyal animal companion racing to gather rare spell ingredients for the most powerful spellcasters in the world. Fans will be thrilled to play as iconic familiars from Critical Role Campaigns 1–3, including: Trinket the Bear, Mister, Pâté de Rolo, and more.
A Familiar Find will be available April 7, 2026, through Darrington Press Guild stores, Critical Role shops (US, CA, UK, EU, AU), and friendly local game stores at a market price of $29.99. The game can be played with 2-4 players over a course of 30-40 minutes and is intended for ages 12+. The game offers a diverse experience with 10 unique Familiar Character Boards, each featuring distinct abilities and playstyles for players to choose from. The gameplay is kept dynamic and ever-evolving by the inclusion of 84 Arcane Cards and 13 Location Cards.
Plus, Darrington Press Guild stores will have 5 unique Promo Location Cards that add even more variance and replayability! Go to https://darringtonpress.com/explore to find a Darrington Press Guild store near you.
We would like to give a special Thank You to our friends at Critical Role and Darrington Press for allowing us the opportunity to share this exciting news.
Cinderedge - Solo Survival TTRPG
Firewatch meets Disco Elysium in this haunting solo journaling tabletop RPG where you play a forgotten Ward Keeper maintaining a magical barrier against apocalyptic flames. Sacrifice memories to survive and create something beautiful from inevitable loss. Inspired by many of our favorite games, Cinderedge transforms tabletop gaming into an intimate meditation on duty, isolation, and what we sacrifice to protect others.
QuasiReal Publishing, founded by Grant Mielke, combines over 60 years of expertise in game design, development, and marketing. The company is dedicated to creating innovative tabletop experiences that push the boundaries of traditional gaming narratives. In the past they have done so through projects such as MythCraft RPG, Veil of the Eternal Night, and Bria’s Mythical Menagerie. Now they push that boundary to the limit with their newest project, Cinderedge.
Die alone in a burning forest. Firewatch meets Disco Elysium in this haunting solo journaling tabletop RPG where you play a forgotten Ward Keeper maintaining a magical barrier against apocalyptic flames. Using just cards, dice, and a journal, document your final days through 150+ evolving prompts over the course of 3 distinct chapters. Balance your Ward’s supplies, sanity, and stability. Sacrifice memories to survive and create something beautiful from inevitable loss. Inspired by many of our favorite games, Cinderedge transforms tabletop gaming into an intimate meditation on duty, isolation, and what we sacrifice to protect others.
While the PDF version of Cinderedge may already be purchased for $14.99 on DriveThruRPG, QuasiReal Publishing has recently started a Kickstarter campaign (that is already fully backed at time of writing) that will introduce other variations of the RPG along with premium Cinderedge themed physical components for use while playing. This campaign will allow players to purchase this game in PDF, Zine, Hardcover, or even a limited Collector’s Edition. The Hardcover Collector’s Edition may be purchased on its own for $59. But there are also two main pledge bundles that offer even more. All Kickstarter contents are estimated to be delivered June of 2026.
Hardcover Collector’s Edition
Ward Keeper’s Stash
The Ward Keeper’s Stash ($69): Includes the Cinderedge Zine, Ward Keeper's Log Journal, the Collector's Playing Card Deck, and the Official Dice Set. All in a high-quality, magnetic close, rigid box. Also includes free PDF and OST Digital Downloads.
Unmarked Grave
Unmarked Grave ($129): includes the Hardcover Collector's Edition book, Ward Keeper's Log Journal, the Collector's Playing Card Deck, and the Official Dice Set. All in a handcrafted acacia wood box with burnt lettering and soft felt liner. Also includes free PDF and OST Digital Downloads. This will be a Limited-Edition Kickstarter Exclusive.
As a gift, QuasiReal Publishing passed along a PDF copy of the rulebook to allow for a review to go along with this article. Spoiler Alert! There is no happy ending, there is only the record you leave behind. An overwhelming ominous sensation is felt while playing knowing that at the end of it, there was nothing you can do. Ultimately, death comes for us all. I have run through 2 playthroughs so far and can gladly say that both were unique and saw different prompts.
For those who have never played a solo journaling TTRPG, the biggest gameplay mechanic is your own imagination. Typically you are given a setting for the story to take place; Cinderedge happens to take place during the mid-17th century in a magical high-fantasy world called Ancerra. Then you draw from a deck of everyday playing cards, with each card representing a different prompt to roleplay. By journaling how your character plays out these prompts, a story is formed.
Cinderedge takes that key mechanic of using the imagination and slowly twists it, homing to works by Lovecraft and Robert Howard. As the game and story progress your character, who you know is on a collision path with death, slowly goes insane as you are asked to sacrifice memories in order to survive. Imagine you are carrying a sentimental photo of a loved one in your wallet. Now imagine if the face in that photo began to blur, have its mouth sowed shut, or even grew horns. These are the types of mental obstacles your Ward will face; and you as the player are sickly asked to be the one that drives your character down that dark path. Words alone cannot describe this experience. There are genuine emotional stakes as players literally forget pieces of their character's identity to survive another day.
Nature - Digital Release Date Announcement
The physical version of Nature released in August 2025. Now in an industry first, the digital board game will release right after its cardboard counterpart. Nature by NorthStar Digital Games is coming to Steam on November 5, 2025.
In 2014, NorthStar Games released the award-winning strategy board game Evolution. The premise was simple, use traits to adapt to an ever-changing ecosystem where you and your opponent vie for scarce resources. But after multiple expansions, promo packs with new traits, and standalone sequels that original concept became muddled for new players stuck behind a barrier on entry. For this reason, NorthStar Games has decided to reboot through their newest board game Nature. Nature is meant to be a redesigned and streamlined version of Evolution that is more forgiving and seamlessly expandable through a modular design allowing expansions to be added and combined, creating a fresh ecosystem every time you play. Nature reinvents the beloved series' mechanics, offering faster gameplay, balanced strategy, and virtually endless variety. The physical version of Nature released in August of 2025; it along with 2 of the 5 planned modules can be purchased now. Check out the video above for a better look at what Nature has to offer.
Learn more about NorthStar Games and their products by checking out their website.
Digital Release
In what is marketed as an industry first, the digital board game will release right after its cardboard counterpart. On October 9th NorthStar Digital Games announced that the digital adaptation of Nature, “the most anticipated board game of the year”, will launch fully featured on November 5, 2025. The core game can be purchased on Steam for $12.99, or for $24.99 you can purchase the Core Game + Flight & Jurassic Modules. The Digital version of Nature offers a full campaign, custom challenges, online matchmaking, and local multiplayer. You can also learn to play with an interactive tutorial on the free-to-try Nature app (iOS, Android, and Steam). Progress from the full game can be connected to an account, so you can pick up right where you left off on mobile.
At Gen Con 2025 I had the pleasure of spending time with President of NorthStar Games, Scott Rencher, who walked me through the digital version of Nature and later provided us with the opportunity to test the game out early on Steam. “We're thrilled to bring the dynamic, vibrant world of Nature alive in Steam,” he excitedly shared. “This is our Grail Project. Our team has poured our Evolution experience and four years of relentless testing and tweaking into this adaptation, and we can't wait for players to feel the thrill of trying to keep their species alive in this ever-changing ecosystem.”
For transparency, it is important to note that my time spent with Nature included the two modules that will be present for purchase at launch, Flight and Jurassic. These extra modules expand the game by adding many more levels, traits, and hours of gameplay.
In Flight, you find freedom and safety by taking to the skies.
In Jurassic, ferocious predators and colossal dinosaurs roam the land, making for much more of a carnivorous experience.
The core principle of adapt to survive is easy to understand as each round sees you growing your population and attempting to consume more resources than your opponent. Yet, strategy and complexity are added over time as you begin to add traits that evolve your species, while maintaining a balance of your own population size in relation to the overall resource pool. These traits can combine and synergize to create truly unique combinations and strategies that can be enjoyed by the most advanced of players.
If these complex strategies aren’t enough to satisfy these players, then maybe an advanced game mode can. Nature is intended for players 10+. While it is simple enough for all players that age to enjoy it does offer a Hard mode and online matchmaking centered around an ELO system, catered towards the more hardcore audience.
As someone who considers themselves a completionist, overall level design gets me excited. After completing each level, you can earn a rating (1 -3 Stars) that keeps me replaying them until I’ve achieved the highest score and checked off all goals. The digital map housing all of these levels is a treat visually, being reminiscent to educational computer games of the 90’s and early-2000s. Which brings up a thought that kept nagging at me the entire time I played this game.
Although not directly marketed too or targeted, Nature is the perfect game to be used as a tool to gamify a classroom, especially that of Biology and other Natural Sciences. According to Scott Rencher, the game was made with direct consulting from actual Biologists and Professors. Once high scores on levels are reached, you are rewarded with photos of different species that also contain insightful facts about each of them. Ultimately, Nature stays true to its name and showcases that it can be both scary and beautiful.
Elden Ring: the Board Game Rot & Sorcery Gamefound Launch
Rot and Sorcery, the two new standalone core boxes that expand the tabletop Land Between are live now on Gamefound. Steamforged Games are once again returning to the world of Elden Ring with Machinations of the Witch and Dominion of Rot. These new games can be enjoyed as self-contained experiences or integrated with the ones from the original version released in March 2025.
On February 25, 2022 the world was introduced to the Soulslike lovechild of FromSoftware Director Hidetaka Miyazaki and writer George R.R. Martin. Elden Ring would become one of the most polarizing videogames of the past generation and would even go on to win Game of the Year at the 2022 Game Awards. Critics and players were swept away by the massive world and naturally integrated storytelling. Yet, once the Elden Beast was slain and the credits rolled, fans were left with a yearning sensation and wanted to explore the masterfully crafted world even more. Then enters Steamforged Games.
Learn more about Steam Forged Games and their products by checking out their website.
Founded in 2014, Steamforged Games saw a humble beginning in the corner of a Manchester, UK hobby store. Today, they are one of the most recognizable and respected teams in the board game space. Their most notable work being tabletop adaptations of triple - AAA video games such as Monster Hunter World, Horizon Zero Dawn, Dark Souls, Resident Evil, Gears of War, and most recently Elden Ring.
Elden Ring the Board Game found its way to stores on March 31, 2025. Its original campaign launched in 2022 raising over £3.3 million (~4.4 million USD) with more the 130,000 backers. Now Steamforged looks to build on that success with a new, accessible entry point that expands the tabletop Lands Between.
Just as they have done previously, Steamforged will return to crowdfunding as they introduce two all-new core boxes —Machinations of the Witch and Dominion of Rot— set in eerie fog of Liurnia and the corruption of Caelid. While these boxes are compatible with the contents of the first campaign (Realm of the Grafted King, Weeping Peninsula, and Stormveil Castle), they also act as standalone entries with previous contents not needed to fully play and enjoy the self-contained experience.
In the Lakes of Liurnia, sorceries lay dormant, secrets dwell deep, and the Machinations of the Witch ensnare even the most cunning. In the Dominion of Rot, players must survive theaffliction gripping Caelid, traversing ravaged lands to face grotesque enemies, including thefan-favourite Starscourge.
“With the first core boxes, we built an engine we’re extremely proud of, that pushedthe boundaries of tabletop combat to recreate the challenging fights of the videogame,” said Mat Hart, co-founder and Chief Creative Officer at Steamforged Games.“Now, we’re expanding that foundation with new regions, new stories, and newgameplay, while making sure newcomers and returning players feel equally welcome.Fans can start their journey right here, with Rot & Sorcery, or returnto the beginning.”
As someone who has never played Elden Ring and finds little enjoyment in Soulslikes, I was fearful of even approaching this board game. But at Gen Con 2025, I was given the opportunity to demo portions of both Machinations of the Witch and Dominion of Rot, guided by the advice and wisdom of Steamforged game designers. Even with a minuscule amount of knowledge of the Elden Ring world, I still had a fantastic time. Gameplay felt similar to participating in a DnD campaign, but without a GM as the game smoothly runs itself. Combat had a degree of difficulty and strategy that matched the Soulslike genre. And that rush of excitement you get after defeating a powerful boss or pulling off some cool combo, is still there. But my favorite part was the level of strategy when deciding the best way to move in combat tiles and the most beneficial way to spend actions each turn. Below you can check out the demos I participated in for yourself.
Each core box offers a self-contained experience—fully playable without previous content—and includes richly detailed miniatures representing iconic enemies, immersive combat, and flavorful narrative. For returning Tarnished, the new boxes also integrate with those from the first Kickstarter for a grander, interconnected experience. The Gamefound campaign also features expansions and unlockable content that will be revealed while the funding period is live. Some content will be exclusive, making this a key moment for collectors and players alike. The Gamefound campaign is live now for both newcomers and veteran Tarnished. Discover the boxes, explore the expansions, and join the campaign.
©Bandai Namco Entertainment Inc. / ©FromSoftware, Inc
Last Chance Combos in Reign of Jafar
We have now entered the Reign of Jafar. But in the distance looms the presence of Lorcana’s 9th set Fabled and the introduction of Set Rotations. Many cards will be receive reprints, but there is no definitive list at this time. In this article, we dive into some card combos that use new ones from Reign of Jafar in conjunction with those about to possibly be removed from Core Constructed. After all, this could be the first and last time these combinations have an opportunity to be played together.
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.
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The Ink Table
Lorcana's Reign of Jafar Products Announced
We are a week away from the release of Archazia’s Island and before we could even make landfall, Ravensburger has pulled our gaze towards the future. Pull up a seat and join us around The Ink Table as we break down the products being released around set 8, Reign of Jafar. Come check out the deck boxes, card sleeves, and playmats adorned with the artwork of favorite cards from past sets; and catch a glimpse at some glimmers waiting for us to meet this coming May. All of this, and maybe some other secrets, await in this article.
Take a Look at the Set 8 Products
We see a possible Floodborn, Dual Ink Jafar setting on a throne while wearing the Hexwell Crown, assumingly after taking over Archazia’s Island.
We are officially one week away from the release of Lorcana’s 7th set, Archazia’s Island. But before we even had the opportunity to set foot on the island, the Team at Ravensburger has gifted us with tons of information about the following set and the products that will be offered alongside its release.
While it is nice seeing what goodies await us in the near future, it is a shame that the story of what happens on Archazia’s Island has in a way, been spoiled. Up until now, we knew a battle was brewing between the Illumineers and the scheming Jafar glimmer; but we had “no idea” how the battle would play out.
As if the title of the set wasn’t enough, we now know that in Reign of Jafar, “Jafar has taken over Archazia’s Island, corrupting the beautiful haven into his menacing fortress.” And according to the blurb published on the Lorcana website, “His reign may be the greatest threat Lorcana has faced!”
The Reign of Jafar will prerelease at Hobby stores, Disney Stores, and the Disney parks on May 30th, before coming to big box retailers on June 6th. This 1-week gap between LGS and retail release is the shortest Lorcana has seen to this point and makes for multiple talking points we will surely discuss in our next podcast episode. But until then, let’s check out what other products will be offered.
The first product we will look at is the Illumineer’s Trove. Upon first glance you may be awestruck by the lineup of glimmers we can see here; but a closer look may reveal some hidden secrets. Our favorite is the line work coiling around the packaging, forming one of Jafar’s cobras.
Jafar, who is front and center, seems to be controlling both sand and tiny metal scarabs. A Minnie Mouse glimmer stands guard while holding a shield that appears to be inspired by Amber ink. A Rapunzel glimmer swings around using her hair, while slinging either paint or seeds from a bag on her hip. Tiana and Bruno glimmers appear on the side of the packaging, and we will get a better look at them later.
While we have not seen the exact contents yet, looking at past troves should shed answers. It can be presumed that the contents will consist of 8 Reign of Jafar packs, a special lore counter, 6 damage dice, and 6 card dividers. We will cover this further, as information arrives.
A better look at the art of the packs that will be sold as singles and appear in both the Illumineer’s Trove & Booster Box.
Above we get our first look at the Single Player Decks this set will be offering. The first, is a Ruby/Steel deck showcasing a Stitch glimmer holding his patent Plasma Blasters and a Mulan glimmer holding the Last Cannon. The second, gives us the best look at the Tiana and Bruno glimmers discussed previously. They adorn what will be an Amber/Amethyst deck. And we can’t help but admire Bruno’s jacket that is decorated in Story Star calligraphy.
One peculiar thing that stands out is how many of the starring glimmers are associated with different items. Some of the items, like the ones held by Stitch and Mulan, have previously existed in the world of Lorcana. Others such as Bruno’s jacket, Minnie’s shield, and Jafar’s scarabs would be new to the game. This begs to question as to why the items are such a central focus across the art. I know we just got Dual Ink and the new Vanish ability, but could the next set give us another new game mechanic?
I theorize that certain cards, like the ones associated with the showcased glimmers, will have a mechanic similar to locations. These cards would see players exerting a specified amount of ink to attach an item to them in order to increase stats. While a mechanic like this could be restrictive, forcing glimmers to be paired with specific items; I hope that, if this mechanic does exist, it would work similar to songs. We all know how fun it is to have characters like Genie sing Let it Go or Aladdin sing Be Prepared. What fun it would be to have characters swap items. We could have Timon jam out on Sleepy’s Flute or Lady Tremaine pour herself a cup with the Mad Hatter’s Teapot. The possibilities are endless.
The last of the Jafar themed products is the Illumineer’s Quest. This is similar to the product previously released alongside Ursula’s Return, that had us team up to take on the sea witch. The box gives a great look at what has become of Archazia’s once beautiful Island, now that Jafar has taken over. We also get to see our favorite Illumineers Shanzay, Venturo, and Martin as they prepare to go all Ocean’s Eleven in what has been dubbed the Palace Heist.
Thanks to fellow Illuminner Lorcana Villain we know a little bit about the contents of this item.
1 Palace Heist Rule Sheet
1 Palace Heist Playmat
2 cards featuring 4 battlegrounds
5 lore tracker tokens
29 damage counters
1 Reforged Crown tile
1 oversized Jafar card
1 Jafar draw token
50 card Jafar scenario deck with storage box
2 60 card player decks with storage
1 victory card (like the Half Hexwell Crown previously)
Other products include deck boxes and card sleeves with the art of Sorcerer Mickey and Giant Tinkerbell from previous sets. And we will get two new playmats, one inspired by the Rescue Rangers and the other a glowing jade Hades sure to make others around you envious.
