An epic battle against a fabulous villain seems like a fitting end to the first year of Disney Lorcana in Australia, marking the release of Set 8(!) of the popular TCG. Reign of Jafar continues to build on the strong foundations laid out in previous sets, and excitingly, it even includes a co-op battle against the Aladdin baddie himself.
After the end of Set 4 featured Illumineer’s Quest: Deep Trouble in a fight with Ursula, four sets later, we’re due for another epic fight; although, similarly to Archazia’s Island before it, Reign of Jafar doesn’t offer much that’s specifically new; although, the artwork remains as gorgeous as ever.
Enhancing the fundamentals
Reign of Jafar is thematically strong; I love the idea of this man terrorising the Lorcana universe by using Illusions to trick you and make your attack on his fortress more difficult. Illusions use the “Vanish” keyword, which was first introduced in Archazia’s Island.
As a reminder, this reads “When an opponent chooses this character for an action, banish them”. That means they can disappear quickly, if your opponent has targeted them in any way, but in the meantime, they can be quite useful; for example, Magic Carpet only costs 3 to cast, but can quest for 2 lore, and buffs all other Illusion characters on the field. Not only are they potentially useful in this regard, but they’re visually interesting, playing again with the artwork freedom Lorcana allows; seeing Abu in full confused elephant form is simply adorable.
“I love the idea of Jafar terrorising the Lorcana universe by using Illusions to trick you and make your attack on his fortress more difficult.”
The other introduction from Archazia’s Island was Dual Ink cards, which have been really bolstered in this set. While they’re only useful for competitive decks that are built around two specific ink types, they’re more than worth considering; Wreck-It Ralph can pull Racer characters from discard back into your hand, gaining you lore in the process. When it comes to deck-building, I really appreciate the extra layer of tactical depth that a Dual Ink card can bring (and the way that the artwork of these cards often incorporates the two relevant Ink colours into the design is gorgeous).
In fact, Reign of Jafar might be one of the most visually appealing sets in Disney’s Lorcana’s relatively short history. Tapping into characters from Aladdin, The Great Mouse Detective, The Emperor’s New Groove, Pinocchio, Mulan, The Little Mermaid, and Tangled, along with some old favourites we’ve seen time and time again, like Lilo & Stitch. I’ve always appreciated how Lorcana incorporates the work of so many different artists around the globe to breathe new life into Disney’s packed archives, and that’s really on full display here, dialling even more heavily into the magical and fantastical nature of it all.
Taking on the big bad himself
While the fundamentals have been tweaked and given some extra depth, it’s the included Ilumineer’s Quest: Palace Heist that really gives Reign of Jafar some extra oomph. In the story, Jafar reassembles the Hexwell Crown and uses its power to seize control of Archazia’s Island, threatening the world of Lorcana. It’s up to you to break in and storm Jafar’s citadel in this co-op adventure that can be experienced with up to four players.
Firstly, just adding another co-op mode, both narratively and mechanically, is brilliantly clever. Not everybody gets into the competitive TCG aspect of long-running games like Magic: The Gathering, so Lorcana providing the opportunity to take on some of its most dastardly villains alongside your friends is a nice twist. It’s also a great way to teach newcomers how to play; after all, if you’re helping each other out, there’s no need to hold your cards close to your chest.
The Palace Heist pack includes everything you need to play; Jafar has his own scenario deck, and it includes 2 player decks, too, although you can add 1-2 more players with additional Lorcana decks (or, just use your own to begin with if you really want). The oversized Jafar card is a nice touch, as is the Reforged Crown tile, playmat, and tokens. The oversized parts are really neat, and the playmat adds an extra level of gravitas to proceedings. Overall, it’s just a satisfying way to play, and I hope that they continue the trend of introducing a new Ilumineer’s Quest every four sets, as it feels like a strong boss-fight way to finish a chapter, incorporating the mechanics that have been introduced so far.
Beyond that, Reign of Jafar includes all of the staples you’d expect from a Lorcana expansion, including the Ilumineer’s Trove, and two single-player starter decks that are a great way to get stuck in and make the most of the mechanics focused on in this set. The decks include an Amber/Amethyst deck featuring Tiana and Bruno from Encanto, with the Sing mechanic proving to be an important tool in your deck, and a Ruby/Steel deck featuring Mulan and Stitch (unlikely partners, perhaps, but let’s just go with it), which is a bit more attack-focused, capitilasing on buffs and Evasive.
Reflecting on the past 12 months since we first got our hands on Lorcana, it’s evolved quickly but also subtly. It would have potentially put off the player base by incorporating too many new mechanics quickly here; in many cases, Lorcana could be the first time some players have ever dabbled in a TCG, likely finding its counterparts too daunting after so many decades. Reign of Jafar serves as a strong exclamation point, with more excitement just around the corner.
Disney Lorcana: Reign of Jafar is available now.
Thanks to Disney ANZ for providing us with Disney Lorcana: Reign of Jafar products to provide this coverage.
About the Author
Luke Mitchell
he/him
Luke spends his time making radio, playing video games, binge-watching TV, getting unreasonably invested in wrestling, hosting bear events and hanging out with his beautiful pets.
