Disney Lorcana Co-Designer calls Shimmering Skies “a new beginning”

Seasoned Disney Lorcana players are gearing up for the release of Shimmering Skies but Co-Designer Ryan Miller thinks the set will be a great entry point for newcomers too.

Disney Lorcana Shimmering Skies has finally arrived and there’s a lot to love here. We’re about to get a tonne of exciting cards that are sure to shake up the metagame as well as some dazzling Enchanted Rares that are sure to earn a spot on the list of Lorcana’s most expensive cards.

While this celebratory set of Disney Lorcana gives veterans of the TCG a lot to look forward to, prospective players looking to try the game out should keep an eye on it as well.

We sat down with Disney Lorcana Co-Designer Ryan Miller to discuss Shimmering Skies and he’s certain that this set will be a fantastic gateway to the addictive TCG shenanigans of Lorcana.

The theme of Disney Lorcana Shimmering Skies is celebration and it’s a fitting one given it will be the first set of the TCG with a simultaneous global release. Along with that, countries like Australia and New Zealand will finally be receiving the same Organized Play support that the Americas and Europe have enjoyed.

For this reason, Ravensburger expects to draw a lot of new players to the TCG and those expectations have informed the Philosophy of Shimmering Skies. Speaking to Lorcana Co-Designer Ryan Miller, he described the set as “a new beginning”.

“We always have to remember that every set is somebody’s first set,” Miller told us. “We have to make sure that when we design a set, we look at it from the angle of the different types of players that will get into it from experienced TCG players to more casual fans and new players.”

The first four sets of Disney Lorcana slowly introduced more intricate mechanics like Floodborn Characters, new Shift varieties, and of course Locations. With so many prospective players looking to jump in, the team at Ravensburger made the decision to slow that down for Shimmering Skies.

“This is another start for us here so we’re not looking to add a lot more complexity to the game,” Miller explained. “Of course, we’re adding new abilities, new cards, and all those fun things, but we’re not doing something like a whole new card type.”

Despite not getting a new core mechanic like Shifting or Locations, Shimmering Skies still has a lot to shake up the game for returning players. Whether that’s Anna – Diplomatic Queen’s modal abilities or Mufasa – Ruler of Pride Rock’s new level of Inkwell interaction.

These cards will do a lot to shuffle the meta around but Miller himself has always leaned more towards fun and flavour. His favorite card from Shimmering Skies is an example of that.

The card in question is Arthur – King Victorious. “I’m just so tickled by it,” Miller admitted. “I love his ability to Knight someone.”

Arthur has the ability ‘Knighted by the King’ which gives another character Challenger +2, Resist +2, and the ability to challenge ready characters. While that’s likely exciting for competitive players, the Disney Lorcana Co-Creator loves it for a different reason.

“It’s a really powerful effect but the story is cool too because he’s like ‘I knight you’, and it’s just so goofy,” he said. “I just think that’s just really fun thematic gameplay.”

“I think it’s always fun when the fun thing to do and the strategically correct thing to do are the same. I fall victim to this quite a bit as a designer,” He continued when talking about the Merlin/Mim bounce package; another of Miller’s personal creations.

Beyond Shimmering Skies, Miller couldn’t let too much slip about the future of Disney Lorcana. We probed and prodded about the possibility of more Illumineer’s Quests and an official online client but his fun and thematic response was a simple “we don’t talk about Bruno”.

“I can’t talk about any kind of digital plans that we have or anything like that,” Miller told us. “But once we do, I guarantee you’ll hear about it.” We’ll certainly be keeping an ear out.

Shimmering Skies is out now at hobby retailers across the globe. Our early experience with the set has confirmed what Miller discussed with us. It’s the perfect jumping-off point for your Disney Lorcana adventure.