Disney Lorcana: Reign of Jafar is the newest set from Ravenburger's popular trading card game. As the name implies, there's a focus on Aladdin's classic villain here. However, the two new Starter Decks for Lorcana feature star glimmers from other Disney IPs and contain plenty of cards outside of Aladdin. This time around, there's an Amber/Amethyst deck and a Ruby/Steel deck. Each offers something a little unique, but both have an attention to detail regarding speed and a focus on winning quickly.

Reign Of Jafar moves the current Disney Lorcana story into a new arc. Like last year's Ursula's Return set, this one is built around a recognizable Disney villain and even features another PvE Illumineer's Quest. Glimmers and Illumineers must raid Jafar's palace and attempt to overthrow the tyrant. There are references to this in various Lorcana items, and while it's not necessary to play the TCG or even use the latest Starter Decks, it adds a bit of background flair.

Reign Of Jafar's Amber/Amethyst Starter Deck Review

A Musical Theme For Tiana & Bruno

Each Disney Lorcana Starter Deck comes with the following items:

• 1 single-player deck of 60 cards (that includes 2 foil cards)
• 11 Damage counters
• 1 set of game rules
• 1 paper tracker token
• 1 paper playmat
• 1 booster pack (of 12 randomized cards)

For the Amber/Amethyst Starter Deck for Reign of Jafar, the two foil cards are of "Tiana - Natural Talent" and "Bruno Madrigal - Singing Seer." Tiana is Amber, while Bruno is one of the newer dual-Ink card types - in this case, he's Amber/Amethyst. The cards inside this Starter Deck are built around these foils, with an emphasis on musical abilities and singing. For those who adore Lorcana's Song cards, this might just be the ideal Starter Deck for you.

The Amber/Amethyst deck here relies a lot on abilities and being able to use certain characters in order to enact those abilities quickly and efficiently. In other words, it takes a bit of strategizing and luck-of-the-draw to really get going. If you prefer a more aggressive approach, you may get frustrated by some of the finesse of this deck, and what at times can feel like an over-reliance on Action and Song cards to really get going.

Even if there's an emphasis on speed, this deck can feel like a bit of a slow-burn, especially if you can't draw the right cards. You can certainly rack up Lore using other methods, but the intent of this Starter Deck is pretty clear: using character combos and songs to reach victory. It's an enjoyable deck, and long-time players will probably find this an easier one to get the hang of than beginners will.

Reign Of Jafar's Ruby/Steel Starter Deck Review

Stitch & Mulan Get To Show Their Strength

Disney Lorcana Starter Decks have had a trend of releasing two types with each set - one that leans a little more magical and can require more strategizing, and one that is more aggressive if you're willing to go for big risks. The Ruby/Steel deck for Reign of Jafar feels like the latter deck in this dichotomy. Even the back of the box emphasizes strength as a core component of these cards.

The two foils in the Ruby/Steel deck are "Mulan - Charging Ahead" and "Stitch - Alien Troublemaker." Mulan is a dual type of those inks, while Stitch is purely Steel. The pre-made deck here is all built around strong glimmers that are able to challenge (Mulan's "Reckless" ability forces her to do this each turn if she's able) and gather Lore quickly. Many let you draw cards after certain acts or just by playing, which means you can get through the deck fairly quickly. The deck itself is fine - my only real complaint is that, yet again, we've got Stitch here.

Given how often Stitch takes front and center in Disney Lorcana sets, the character being a focal point here is a bit tiresome. Between a Stitch Collector's Set, and a new Lilo set to parallel it, Stitch has been a sort of mascot for the TCG - and that's not including all the times he's been featured as foils in Starter Decks or received chase cards. There's nothing wrong with Stitch, but I would like to see other Disney characters get the attention he has.

The deck itself is fairly easy to learn and is arguably the better one for beginners (out of these two Reign of Jafar Starter Decks, at least). This Ruby/Steel combo may be built on strength, but there are still weaknesses that can be exposed. During my time with these decks, I found Ruby/Steel took me a bit longer to get Lore, even if challenging and banishing felt a bit easier.

How Reign Of Jafar's Starter Decks Compare To Preview Ones

Final Thoughts On Disney Lorcana's Latest Pre-Made Decks

Overall, both Starter Decks for Reign of Jafar are nice additions to the current meta of the TCG. Typically, I have a clear preference for one deck over the other, but this time around, I keep going back and forth on which one I like best. I certainly enjoy aggressive decks like Ruby/Steel, but there's something inherently fun about the Amber/Amethyst deck that kept me going back to it during this review process.

Both Reign of Jafar Starter Decks offer different approaches to playing Disney Lorcana that can teach newcomers mechanics - or introduce longtime fans to a strategy they may not have considered before.

I believe this may just come down to the fact that the Amber/Amethyst deck feels a bit more original and new than its counterpart, even though the Ruby/Steel deck was excellent. Ultimately, it's going to come down to player preference, but both decks offer differing approaches to playing Disney Lorcana that can teach newcomers mechanics - or introduce longtime fans to a strategy they may not have considered before.

Compared to previous Starter Decks, I'd rank Reign of Jafar's somewhere in the upper-middle. Both are quality decks that I enjoyed trying out, but neither quite reach the heights of some of my favorites. They're well-worth checking out and show that, even nearing its two-year mark, Disney Lorcana has plenty of surprises and ways to evolve its gameplay with new character combos and strategies.

Copies of both Disney Lorcana: Reign of Jafar Starter Decks were sent to ScreenRant for the purpose of this review. Reign of Jafar will go on sale on May 30, 2025, at local hobby stores and some Disney Parks, and is available at larger retialers and shopDisney starting on June 6, 2025.