Disney Lorcana: 5 Whispers In The Well Cards To Pick Up ASAP
By now, you’ve probably heard the buzz: Disney Lorcana’s latest expansion, Whispers in the Well, is poised to shake up the meta like never before. With the new Boost keyword, an army of Gargoyles, and a huge power spike for almost every ink color (sorry, Ruby), this set may very well turn the entire game on its head.
While the meta settles over the coming weeks, we can expect card prices to fluctuate dramatically. As anyone who neglected to buy their playset of Dumbo - Ninth Wonder of the Universe before it hit $50 last set will tell you, waiting too long to buy singles can end up costing you. If you want to get a jump on Whispers of the Well and build your new deck ASAP, here are the new cards you should invest in right away.
#1 Webby Vanderquack – Junior Prospector
Much like Heihei - Bumbling Rooster, Webby is designed to help Emerald decks overcome the play/draw disparity inherent to Lorcana. Having Ward all but guarantees Webby will let you ramp up your ink well to match your opponents’ when you’re on the draw, or even skip inking on your turn to preserve card advantage.
Against Sapphire decks, which have been consistently dominated in the meta since Set 3, Webby becomes even more powerful. Sapphire ramp decks typically spend the early game building resources rather than establishing board control, meaning you’ll often get to quest with Webby multiple turns in a row, earning two lore and ramping with your opponent each turn. You won’t always get to Shift Webby out on turn two, but when you do, you’re likely to put your opponents on the back foot right away. Webby is a solid card, even off curve, and a worthwhile addition to practically every Emerald deck.
#2 Cheshire Cat - Inexplicable
Cheshire Cat serves a similar purpose to Belle - Accomplished Mystic, and can even achieve the same effect as Belle for the same Ink cost. While Cheshire Cat has one fewer Strength and lore than Belle, it offers an incredible amount of value thanks to its repeatable ability.
Belle showed us how powerful and flexible moving damage counters can be. It bypasses Resist, heals a friendly character while damaging another, and can even be used to move damage strategically between two opposing characters. Cheshire Cat will likely be a one-of or two-of in many Amethyst decks, replacing Belle in most circumstances. Boost will make a big impact on Lorcana this set, and Cheshire Cat has one of the best Boost abilities.
#3 Cinderella - Dream Come True
Typal cards like Cinderella are always going to be niche, but this Legendary has a lot of potential in Sapphire/Steel. At four cost, Cinderella can consistently hit the board on turn three following a Sail the Azurite Sea or Tipo - Growing Son. And since she herself is a princess, her ability triggers that same turn, giving you six ink to work with on turn four.
From there, you have quite a few options to trigger her ability again. Cards like Namaari - Single-Minded Rival or the new Jasmine - Fearless Princess have a lot of board presence and are great combo options for Cinderella. It’s not exactly a build-around Legendary, but any time you can ramp while also adding bodies to the board, you’ll be in good shape.
#4 The Horseman Strikes!
Though Amber typically reserves its resources to go wide and fast, removal tech cards like The Horseman Strikes! have occasionally made their way into Amber decks. World’s Greatest Criminal Mind was an important answer to rival a Cinderella - Stouthearted in the Steelsong match-up once upon a time, and it’s likely The Horseman Strikes! will fill a similar niche in the new meta.
Dumbo - Ninth Wonder of the Universe proved to be the bogey elephant of Set 9, and though the new Alert keyword will eventually put the pachyderm in its place, it seems this Amethyst card will continue to dominate in Set 10. If Amethyst/Steel decks ever take an outsized share of the meta, The Horseman Strikes! will find itself in every Amber deck. If I were building Amber in Set 10, I would acquire a set of this card immediately.
#5 The Gargoyles
Bonus! We have multiple cards for the fifth spot. If you’re playing Amethyst or Steel this set, you should consider picking up a few of the Gargoyles right away – especially the legendaries. For this list, we recommend the following: Demona - Betrayer of the Clan, Demona - Scourge of the Wyvern Clan, Lexington - Small in Stature, and Goliath - Clan Leader.
These overstatted characters offer a ton of value on the board, and while the Stone By Day ability may seem like a drawback, it's worth remembering they come into play ready, so you’ll almost always get to challenge or quest with them at least once. The Legendary Demona - Scourge of the Wyvern Clan stands out as a strong anti-Gargoyle card thanks to her ability to force the opponent to exert their characters and draw cards, which is not only a flavor win, but also a valuable tool in what is sure to be a Gargoyle-heavy meta.
Finally, Goliath - Clan Leader is a game-warping character. His ability is so powerful that it requires the opponent to find an answer or adapt immediately. Goliath is draw, discard, and board control all in one. Expect to see him replace Doc - Bold Knight in some lists, and push aggressive Amethyst/Steel and Sapphire/Steel decks to the next level.
