Lorcan's 5 Most Notable Cards for Azurite Sea

Azurite Sea is less than a week away and we finally have a complete card list, so it's time to get deckbuilding. Disney Lorcan's sixth set puts the Pirates front and center with some powerful naval synergies while also featuring inventors, robots and everyone's favorite afternoon cartoon Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers.

This set is loaded with powerful cards that are sure to impact the meta, potentially even creating opportunities for never-before-seen ink color combinations and archetypes. As you fire up your favorite deck builder and start making some spices, consider these new cards and how they might fit into your new favorite deck.

Maui, half shark

The more you watch Maui, Half-Shark, the better. The 7/5 Evasive character for six ink is already well covered before you even get to her two abilities, which individually have the potential to be a game, but together make Maui one of the most amazing legendaries to date.

It's easy to see the potential of Maui in existing Ruby packages. You can have him challenge a character to get the Friends back on the other side and then immediately play it to draw two cards and get one lore. Ruby/Amethyst decks may be able to limit Be Prepared now that there is a (somewhat) reliable way to get them back from the discard. In the new burning variant, it provides another way to get non-interactable lore. Plus, he can sing A Pirate's Life. Look for Maui, the Half-Shark, who is the new main part of Ruby.

Simba, protector of the pride

A lot of Floodborn characters are dependent on having valuable Shift targets, and if the Floodborn is good enough, you may find yourself playing dumb at times just to give him something to shift to. In the case of Simba, Pride Protector, its synergy with Simba, Protective Cub is what makes the card strong. Simba, the protector of the pride, wants to be evolved, and Simba, the Guardian Cub, gives him a way to be evolved instantly. The fact that you can play both Simbas for the same cost as just hardcasting Pride Protector can make this combo a powerhouse in Amber decks.

The explosive potential that Simba creates is remarkable. You could spend the first four rounds setting up cheap characters with high demands like Piggy; Pooh, the pirate captain; and Daisy Duck, Donald's Date, then discard both Simbas on turn five (or earlier if you already have a Guardian Cub in play), search and prepare your characters to do it again the following turn. The downside is that you need both Simbas to make it worthwhile, but the plus will be worth the extra slots in your Amber deck.

You're back

At first glance, a nondescript three-cost action with such a simple ability would be easy to overlook, but once you start thinking about all the things you can do with You Came Back, it becomes one of the scariest cards in the set. Its simplicity gives it flexibility, and clever deck builders will find many ways to take advantage of it.

Emerald/Sapphire (or Baja Blast if you're a sophisticated Illumineer) hasn't done much in the meta yet, but consider what happens when you can quest multiple times in one turn with Ariel, Treasure Collector or Tamatoa, So Shiny!. Why waste time setting up Lucky Dime when You Came Back does the same thing for less than half the cost? Mufasa, the Ruler of Pride Rock, already prepares an inkwell for you when he quests, now You Came Back will allow you to quest twice, earn eight lore, and prepare an inkwell twice, giving you three times the ink you had to work with before. This could be the card that makes Baja Blast finally happen.

Alice, the savvy sailor

Sapphire has a very defined identity. It's a ramp and plays a lot of items. Whether you play Sapphire/Steel or Ruby/Sapphire, the game plan is very similar. Alice, Savvy Sailor doesn't fit into this style of deck, but her ability is so strong that she can bring a new, completely different kind of Sapphire deck, which is a really interesting prospect.

Goofy, Expert Shipwright has a similar ability, so he too has great potential in this set.

Alice can be a big player in a Sapphire Aggro deck thanks to her impressive stats and even more impressive abilities. As Donald Duck, the musketeer soldier; it creates opportunities to quickly gain early game lore while protecting vulnerable characters from certain threats.

But it also allows you to play previously unplayable characters that were considered too slow and vulnerable in the past. Even if you don't get the benefit of earning extra lore, and giving a character like Arthur, Wizard's Apprentice, or Simba, Scrappy Cub a chance to gain value before being inevitably banished is more than enough to make Alice worth it. If Sapphire Aggro becomes a thing, we'll have Alice to thank for it.

Calhoun, Marine Sgt

Calhoun is Mr. Smee, Bumbling Mate level good and maybe even better. It's common for the one- and two-ink slots to shift throughout the season as the meta evolves, but I expect Calhoun to define the early game in Steel matchups immediately and for the foreseeable future.

Characters that gain lore from challenges, such as Robin Hood, Champion of Sherwood Forest, are always of great value as they allow you to control the board without sacrificing the lore you would otherwise gain from questing. Not only does Calhoun gain extra lore when challenged, but he also has Resist +1, guaranteeing that he'll get a few swings into the opponent's plan in the early game. There are only about 20 cards in the game that can trade with Calhoun, and only five or six that see any play. Expect to see a lot more characters play in this set with three powers of one and two prizes thanks to Calhoun.