The next Disney Lorcana set to arrive is Azurite Sea, a set focused on Inventors and Pirate glimmers. The newest set features iconic Disney characters and fan-favorites dressed for the uncharted seas and tropical climates, and the two new Starter Decks really bring this theme home. Whether looking into Disney Lorcana for the first time or for longtime fans just wanting to try out something new, the Azurite Sea Starter Decks have a lot to offer.

The two new Starter Decks are Emerald/Sapphire and Amber/Ruby. The Emerald/Sapphire deck has a lot of cards focused on Big Hero 6, but Lorcana regulars like Stitch and Goofy get to shine, too. The Amber/Ruby Starter Deck features a lot of cards from Winnie the Pooh while also showcasing favorites from Moana and Peter Pan. As with past Starter Decks, some characters and properties repeat for both decks - in this case, Treasure Planet and Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers, for example.

Azurite Sea's Emerald & Sapphire Starter Deck Highlights

Big Hero 6 & Rescue Rangers Cards Shine

The Emerald/Sapphire Starter Deck is all about Inventors from Disney properties, and that means Gadget Hackwrench (one of the foils included) from Rescue Rangers takes front and center. Her "Mechanically Savvy" ability lets Illumineers play Inventor cards for 1 less ink, a pretty valuable ability given how many inventors are in this deck. In fact, the winnability of this deck is dependent on just how well someone utilizes these inventor cards and takes advantage of abilities like Gadget's.

Each Starter Deck includes:

• A single-player deck of 60 cards with two foils
• 1 paper playmat
• 1 Paper tracker token
• 1 Booster pack
• 11 Damage counters
• 1 Set of Game Rules

Other highlighted cards include is "Hiro Hamada - Team Leader," which comes with the ability "I Need To Upgrade All Of You." This protects other Inventors by giving them all +1 Resist as long as Hiro is in play. His other ability, "Shape the Future," allows players to spend ink and search their deck for the cards they need.

"Go Go Tomago - Darting Dynamo" (the other foil included in this deck) helps players gain lore quickly. As soon as the card is in play, Illumineers can gain lore equal to the damage of an opposing character they choose - all for the low cost of 2 ink. Obviously, this means a deal of strategizing and thinking is required to use this Disney Lorcana deck effectively - pretty on-brand for a deck that highlights Inventors.

Azurite Sea's Amber & Ruby Starter Deck Highlights

Pirate Cards Hunting For Precious Lore

Whereas the Emerald/Sapphire Starter Deck focused on using inventors, the Amber/Ruby Starter Deck is full of pirates. "Moana - Kakamora Leader" is a standout, since the ability "Gathering Forces" lets players move as many of the characters to one location as they wish - all while gaining 1 lore per character. "Pooh Pirate Ship," an Item card, returns a Pirate card from the discard pile to the player's hand - great for second chances.

The "Tigger - In The Crow's Nest" card is a bit tricky to get the hang of, but pretty effective once you do. The "Swash Your Buckles" ability adds +1 Strength and +1 Lore any time an action is played. Additionally, only characters with Evasive can challenge him, which helps off-set the 0 Strength and 4 Willpower the card starts off with. If players fail to use him correctly the first time, the "Pooh Pirate Ship" card can become invaluable here.

"Jim Hawkins - Honorable Pirate" is featured on the cover of the Starter Deck and, along with "Tigger - In the Crow's Nest," is one of the two foils included. With a high ink cost (7), but a fair bit of Strength (4) and Willpower (7), his biggest boon is arguably the "Hire A Crew" ability. This allows players to find 4 more Pirates from their deck and add them to their hand.

Are Disney Lorcana's Azurite Sea Starter Decks Any Good?

How The Latest Decks Compare To Previous Ones

From my time with the Azurite Sea Starter Decks, I was fond of the Amber/Ruby deck the most. A deck built around a crew of pirates is simply cool, and the Amber/Ruby combo fit more in line with my playstyle. The Emerald/Sapphire deck is by no means bad, and I enjoyed utilizing the various Inventors, but it does seem to require a bit more strategizing, whereas the Amber/Ruby feels more aggressive.

Compared to previous Starter Decks, Azurite Sea feels on par with the ones from Into The Inklands' puppy-centric Amber/Emerald deck (my personal favorite until now). In time, either deck may prove to be great for competitive play, but right now, I'm not convinced either are as competitively viable as Rise of the Floodborn's Amethyst/Steel deck, which is arguably still the most powerful Starter Deck to date. Even after the shine wears off, I suspect I'll be using Azurite Sea's Amber/Ruby deck, but only time will tell.

Overall, both Starter Decks from the Azurite Sea set feature some of the best artwork to hit Disney Lorcana, and from a beginner's perspective, they should both work well as an introduction to the TCG (the Quick Start rules are great). They both teach different mechanics, but in a way that won't overwhelm new players and can also be fun for veterans, too. Regardless, a set comprised of pirates, ships, and the high seas is undeniably cool and a well-welcome addition.

Source: Ravensburger/YouTube

Copies of both Disney Lorcana: Azurite Sea Starter Decks were sent to Screen Rant for the purpose of this review. Azurite Sea is available at local hobby stores on November 15, 2024, with a global release of November 25, 2024.