Hello, Illumineers! It’s time to talk about my favorite ink, Emerald. As a huge Emerald/Sapphire player, I’ve been eagerly waiting to see what new tricks and tools we’d get in Whispers in the Well, and I am not disappointed. Emerald is getting bigger, meaner, and has some of the most explosive combo potential we’ve seen to date.
From a massive power creep in stats to a character that can potentially quest for nine lore in a single turn, Emerald is evolving. It’s not just about bouncing characters anymore; it’s about overwhelming the board with threats your opponent simply can’t handle. Let’s dive into the glimmers that are about to redefine the ink.
The Meta-Defining Emerald Cards
Beyond sheer size, Emerald is getting some of the most complex and powerful characters in the set. These are the ones that will build new archetypes.
Goofy, Emerald Champion – The Ultimate Protector
Goofy continues the “Champion” cycle, and his abilities are absolutely nuts. This five-cost, uninkable 3/5 is a defensive powerhouse. First, he gives all of your other Emerald characters Ward. Second, and more importantly, whenever one of your other Emerald characters is challenged and banished, you banish the challenging character. This creates a nightmare scenario for your opponent, where challenging your board is a losing proposition no matter what.
Little John, Resourceful Outlaw – The OTK Finisher
Get ready for a new one-turn-kill (OTK) contender. Little John is a six-cost, uninkable 4/5 who quests for a whopping three lore. He has Boost 3, and his ability reads: “Whenever you put a card under this character, ready him.”
The combo potential is off the charts. If Little John survives one turn, you can do this:
- Quest for 3 lore.
- Pay 3 ink to use his Boost ability, putting a card under him and readying him.
- Quest for another 3 lore (6 total).
- Play Emily Quackfaster, whose ability lets you put a card under a character with Boost. This readies Little John again.
- Quest for a final 3 lore (9 total).
That’s a potential nine lore from a single character in one turn. If your opponent can’t answer Little John immediately, they will lose the game.
Sheer Khan, Fearsome Tiger – The Control Menace
The new legendary Sheer Khan is a terrifying control piece. He’s a six-cost, uninkable 5/4 with Evasive and two lore. His ability, “On the Hunt,” triggers when he quests: you may banish a chosen opposing damaged character, then you may put one damage counter on another chosen character. This creates a self-sustaining loop of removal. You quest, ping a new target with a damage counter, and banish the character you pinged last turn. He’s a slow but inevitable engine of destruction.
Webby Vanderquack, Inquisitive Seeker – The New Ramp Engine
Move over, Heihei! Webby is a new ink-ramping powerhouse. She’s a four-cost, inkable 2/4 with Ward and Shift 2. Her ability triggers when she quests: if your opponent has more cards in their inkwell than you, you may put the top card of your deck into your inkwell exerted. Being a Shift 2 character with Ward makes her far more resilient than other ramp options and allows her to come down as early as turn two, ensuring you can keep pace with any deck.
New Tools for the Trickster
Emerald is also getting some powerful songs and actions to round out its arsenal.
- Trust in Me: A six-cost, uninkable song with two modes. You can either give each opposing character -1 lore for a turn (a great stalling tactic) or force each opponent to discard two cards. Both options are incredibly disruptive.
- Malicious, Mean, and Scary: A three-cost, inkable song that lets you put one damage counter on each opposing character. This is huge because it bypasses abilities that trigger off of being “dealt damage” and is a perfect setup for cards like Sheer Khan, Jetsam or Prince Phillip
Final Thoughts on Emerald
Emerald is evolving from a tricky bounce-and-bother ink into a true powerhouse. With massive board control, a possible OTK combo, and some of the best characters in the set, it has the tools to compete at the highest level. I, for one, can’t wait to start brewing with these incredible new cards.