Hello and welcome back, Illumineers! Today, we’re putting on our thinking caps and diving into the clever, strategic, and resource-rich world of Sapphire. This color has always been the king of ramp and big threats, but the new Lorcana Whispers in the Well Sapphire cards are introducing fascinating new layers to its identity. With the introduction of the Detective archetype, a brand-new keyword, and some of the most talked-about cards in the entire set, Sapphire is poised to be a major contender.
Alert: A New Keyword to Hunt Evasive
Before we delve into the characters, we need to discuss a simple yet impactful new keyword: Alert. This keyword states, “This character can challenge as if they had Evasive.” This is a fantastic, straightforward way to give non-Evasive characters a way to deal with those pesky flyers that would otherwise quest freely. It’s a great tool for maintaining board control and will make opponents think twice before relying solely on Evasive threats.
The Detective Engine is Online
One of the coolest new themes in Sapphire is the focus on the Detective classification, creating a web of powerful synergies.
Judy Hopps – On the Case & Uncovering Clues
We’re seeing multiple versions of Judy Hopps that fuel this new strategy. Her three-cost version allows you to put an item into the player’s inkwell if you have another Detective in play—a neat form of ramp. Her four-cost version, Uncovering Clues, lets you look at the top three cards of your deck and grab a Detective when she’s played or quests.
Judy Hopps – Lead Detective
The big payoff for the Detective deck is this six-cost, shiftable Legendary. When she’s on the board, all of your Detective characters gain Alert and Resist +2 during your turn. Being able to give your entire board the ability to hunt Evasive characters while also making them significantly harder to banish in challenges is a massive tempo swing, especially if you can shift her out on turn four.
Daisy Duck – Paranormal Investigator
This is another incredible top-end card for the archetype. A six-cost, shiftable 4/6, Daisy has a truly unique ability: while she is exerted, cards enter your opponent’s inkwells exerted. Getting her out early and questing can completely shut down your opponent’s curve. It prevents them from inking and then immediately using that ink to play a card, forcing them to be a full turn behind until they can deal with her. This is a devastating control effect.
Redefining Ramp: The Best New Ink Engines
While Detectives are the new theme, the core of Sapphire’s identity—ramping—has been supercharged. These are some of the key Lorcana Whispers in the Well Sapphire cards that will accelerate your game plan.
Cinderella – Dream Come True
This is arguably one of the most powerful ramp cards ever printed. For four ink (uninkable), this 2/3 Princess allows you to put a card from your hand into your inkwell face down and then draw a card at the end of your turn, provided you played a Princess (including herself). Crucially, the card enters your inkwell ready. This means on turn four, you can play her, ink a card from hand, draw a replacement, and use an ability that may cost ink. She is a self-replacing, non-exerted ink ramp that is going to be a staple in any deck that can run her.
Ichabod Crane – Bookish Schoolmaster
Ichabod offers another interesting ramp avenue. Whenever this two-lore character quests, if you played a character with cost 5 or more this turn, you get to put the top card of your deck into your inkwell exerted. This combos perfectly with Shift, allowing you to ramp on the same turn you develop a massive threat.
Kristoff – Mining the Ruins
Kristoff introduces ramp through the new Boost mechanic. He’s a three-cost 2/3 who quests for two. When he quests with a card under him from Boost, you must put the top card of your deck into your inkwell exerted. It’s mandatory, which can be a slight risk, but a consistent ramp is always powerful.
Game-Changing Spells and Standalone Threats
Beyond the core themes, Sapphire received some incredibly potent individual cards that will absolutely see play.
Spooky Sight
Move over, Let It Go—there’s a new board wipe in town. For six ink (uninkable), this action puts all characters with cost 3 or less into their players’ inkwell exerted. While it affects your board too, this is a devastating reset button against aggressive, low-to-the-ground decks. A control deck can easily build its board with characters costing 4 or more and then use this to completely wipe out an opponent’s early-game swarm.
Scuttle – Bird Brain
Talk about a power creep! For five ink, Scuttle is an inkable 5/5 character with Ward, who quests for two. A 5/5 body is already tough to deal with, but adding Ward makes him immune to targeted removal. He’s just a big, beefy, efficient threat that is hard to remove and demands to be answered in a challenge.
Fairy Godmother’s Wand
This two-cost item is a fantastic support piece for Princess decks. Whenever you put a card into your inkwell (which you’ll be doing a lot!), you can give a chosen Princess character Ward until the start of your next turn. This is perfect for protecting a key character like Cinderella, which triggers by her own effect!
Final Verdict: Sapphire’s Role in the New Meta
Sapphire has been given an incredible array of tools. The Detective archetype offers a brand-new, synergistic way to build a board, while cards like Cinderella and Ichabod Crane have pushed Sapphire’s ramping capabilities to a whole new level. With powerful control tools like Spooky Sight and Daisy Duck’s ink-locking ability, Sapphire can dictate the pace of the game like never before. I fully expect the best Lorcana Whispers in the Well Sapphire cards to be at the heart of some of the most dominant control and ramp decks in the new meta. It’s an amazing time to be a Sapphire player