Summary
2025 has already been an incredibly impactful year for DisneyLorcana’s state of the game so far, with the Archazia’s Island set dropping in March and reshaping the meta in various key ways. Set 7 made the already powerful Ink color of Sapphire even stronger thanks to big newLorcanaLegendaries in Archazia’s Island, such as Scrooge McDuck - Resourceful Miser and Tamatoa - Happy as a Clam, all while empowering the color further with Belle - Apprentice Inventor and other cards. All other Ink colors arguably need the same level of attention going into set 8, but one of them needs a big upgrade that the game has been avoiding since set 2.
Even with the recentLorcanabans of Hiram Flaversham - Toymaker and Fortisphere, Sapphire remains an immensely potent color, making for an amazing pairing with Ruby over Steel now. Decks are still quite varied now compared to before the ban, but some card archetypes are simply not there yet to support certain color combinations or deck strategies. In the case of Amber, this Ink color has succeeded multiple times in the past when paired with Steel, mainly, and then with other colors too, to a smaller degree. However, it’s clear now that it desperately needs a replacement or at least an alternative to Rapunzel - Gifted with Healing.
Why Lorcana’s Rapunzel - Gifted with Healing Needs an Alternative
Rapunzel - Gifted with Healing is arguably one of the single best cards in the game, taken in a vacuum, and with it being a Legendary fromLorcana’s first setthat also has an Enchanted version, it can be overly expensive to buy or trade for in 2025. This card can go for about $50 up to over $60, depending on its condition and the seller, with the foil version being typically much pricier, and the Enchanted going for an eye-watering $190-200.
There are various factors that contribute to the price being so high. One is that Rapunzel - Gifted with Healing is simply avery powerfulLorcanacard; it costs 4, it’s Inkable, it’s 1/5, it quests for two, and mainly it has the Gleam and Glow ability that allows players to heal up to 3 damage from their characters and draw as many cards. Another reason is that it’s a Legendary, and it’s from the least-printed and rarest set to find, making it hard to get. Finally, due to these two factors combined, it’s also very sought-after for most Amber decks, which is where the problem lies.
Rapunzel - Gifted with Healingis so widely used because it just doesn’t have any real alternatives within Amber. There are draw engines in this Ink color, but they are few and far between, and none of them come close to what Rapunzel can offer. Rather than banning the card or rotating it out of the meta with new sets, Ravensburger should instead add a new draw engine or two for Amber in the Reign of Jafar expansion. If well done, this would solve two problems at once.
Lorcana Can Kill Two Birds With One Stone in Set 8
Having alternatives to Rapunzel - Gifted with Healing would make it less oppressive and widely used, also reducing its price in the process and relieving pressure on Ravensburger to reprint The First Chapter. This is a win-win situation, but it can only be possible if set 8 truly does something unprecedented, and includes one or two powerful draw engines for Amber. They could even beLorcana’s Dual-Ink cardsrather than regular ones, as those color combinations would then have something to use to draw cards effectively that is not Rapunzel. It remains to be seen if this will indeed be the case, but it’s something Ravensburger should at least consider.
