Summary
There are many changes coming toDisney Lorcanathis year, with the September release of the Fabled expansion introducing set rotation to the game as well as new types of rarities and reprints of existing cards. Yet, a lot of fans have their eyes set on the upcoming Reign of Jafar, the eighth expansion overall forLorcana, wrapping up Year 2 for all intents and purposes regarding rotation. Many newLorcanaDual-Ink cards are being added, and several of them seem groundbreaking in their own right, yet one of the most meta-defining cards that could come out of set 8 is a simple Uncommon.
Lorcana’s best Archazia’s Island card was a Commonin the form of Belle - Apprentice Inventor, as it made turn-one strategies all the more deadly when paired with items. This card was so strong on launch thatLorcanabanned Hiram Flaversham - Toymaker and Fortisphere to reduce the impact of Sapphire/Steel on the meta, mostly because of item abuse with cards like Belle - Apprentice Inventor. Reign of Jafar has yet to be released, and things may very well change, but one of the cards revealed for set 8 seems incredibly strong for decks that mill the opponent or make them discard.
Why A Reign of Jafar Card Can Break Lorcana’s Meta
Beyond The Horizon is aLilo and Stitch-themed card that is uninkable and costs 7. However, it is also a song for Steel, and it has Sing Together 7, meaning that characters with a total cost of 7 or more can be used to play this card for free, which is a huge advantage. More importantly, the effect of this card is what potentially makes it overpowered, as the user can choose any number of players, and they discard their hands in favor of drawing three cards. This is not only a powerful ability in a vacuum, but it makes some existingLorcanadeck archetypesmuch stronger on the get-go.
There are at least three archetypes of decks inDisney Lorcanathat benefit from a discard and draw effect, and all three can use Steel as one of their two colors or already do. These are:
How Emerald/Steel Can Abuse Beyond The Horizon
Emerald/Steel discard has been a strong archetype for quite some time, and though it didn’t shine as much in set 7, it is bound to be one of the best decks in set 8 thanks to Beyond The Horizon. This card not only combos with Prince John - Greediest of all to draw a card for each card discarded by the opponent, but it can also combo with Diablo - Devoted Herald to make the user draw three cards (one for each card drawn with the second part of Beyond The Horizon). Since Diablo - Devoted Herald will most likely be removed withLorcana’s rotation when Fabled launches, now is a great time to use it.
Beyond The Horizon is Perfect For Amethyst/Steel Wheel
Amethyst/Steel is a very powerful Ink combination inLorcana, thanks to a plethora of good strategies, with a popular one recently being wheel. This type of deck focuses on milling the opponent’s deck by making them draw excessively, possibly discarding other cards in the meantime, such as with A Whole New World, and reaping the benefits with cards like Jafar - Striking Illusionist, which makes the user gain 1 lore for every card they draw. This combos with A Whole New World, which may draw the player a copy of Beyond The Horizon, and it can then be played for free by exerting Jafar.
Lorcana’s Steel Aggro Decks Can Benefit From Beyond The Horizon
Last but not least, the various aggro decks that useLorcana’s Steelas one of their Ink colors can also make Beyond The Horizon work very well. This is because of the Sing Together part of the card, as this deck archetype tends to have multiple characters on the board at once, so exerting a few of them is not an issue. Likewise, since the goal is to play as many characters as possible and empty their hand, one can target themselves alone with Beyond The Horizon to discard no cards and replenish their hand in the process. These are just some OP applications for this set 8 card, and it’s very likely that it will end up making or breaking the meta.
