This past weekend marked the start of the Lorcana Shimmering Skies Set Championships! Throughout October, game stores across the Phoenix valley are hosting these championship tournaments, giving store regulars and the larger competitive Lorcana community a shot at winning exclusive prizes. For this set, Ravensburger has introduced a new promo card, Mirabel Madrigal “Family Gatherer”, with special art by Hyuna Lee. The Top 8 players at each event will be awarded this promo, while the Top 2 will receive a unique play mat featuring Mirabel, with the first-place mat proudly labeled “Champion.”
Interest in Lorcana continues to grow across the Phoenix area, and this month sees multiple tournaments every Saturday and Sunday. With so many chances to compete, it’s no surprise that many stores saw full houses. Players appear to be enjoying ample opportunities to compete across the valley with many tournaments filling to max capacity.
Let’s take a closer look at the events from this weekend:
Tournament Highlights
Saturday, October 5 – Amazing Discoveries Glendale
The first tournament of this set champion season was held at Amazing Discoveries Glendale on Saturday, October 5th. 20 players made it out to battle for the promos. The crowd included many familiar faces from the competitive West Valley Lorcana scene. Here are the top finishers:
Top 8 at Amazing Discoveries Glendale – 20 player event
- Joseph Tatum (Joseph) 🔵🔴
- Edygordo23 (Eddie) 🔵⚪️
- ChinoDynasty (Tony) 🟣🟢
- TeacherOfMath (Mike) 🟢⚪️
- Doctorkrispy (Marcus) 🟢⚪️
- PoppyTrovey (Emily) 🔴🟣
- Sergioagt123 (Sergio) 🟢⚪️
- Omontoya (Omon) 🟢🟡
Saturday, October 5 – Phoenix Gaming Lounge
Later that day, Phoenix Gaming Lounge in downtown Phoenix hosted 22 players. Known for its creative “off-meta” decks, PGL’s tournament once again showcased some innovative strategies and playful deck builds. Here’s the Top 8 from this event:
Top 8 at Phoenix Gaming Lounge – 22 player event
- DusM4 (Dustin) 🔴🟣
- JoseRam21 (Jose) 🔴🔵
- Jonathan Pieffer (Jon) 🔴🟣
- FlameHashira199 (Austin) 🟢⚪️
- MilkGoesInLast (Cris) 🟢⚪️
- SuperFungi (Justin) 🟣🟡
- Michael Rodbell (Michael) 🟡🟢
- Aaliyahmaye (Aaliyah) 🔴🟢
Sunday, October 6 – Sun Valley Gaming
The championship weekend continued on Sunday with two more game stores hosting tournaments on opposite sides of the valley. In the East Valley Sun Valley Gaming in Gilbert saw a strong turnout of 30 players who battled it out in a five-round Best of 3 format. Here’s the breakdown of the top performers:
Top 8 at Sun Valley Gaming – 30 player tournament
- Sergioagt123 (Sergio) 🟢⚪️
- TacticalDreamer (Chris) 🟣🟡
- Tycat (Tyler) 🔴🟢
- StevenAntwan (Steven) 🔴🟣
- TheDave (Dave) 🟢⚪️
- MichelleM (Michelle) 🔴🔵
- MarkRosetti (Mark) 🔴🔵
- Ccastillo (C) 🔴🟣
Sunday, October 6 – Silver Dragon Games
In the northwest Valley, Silver Dragon Games in Peoria held their tournament later that day, drawing 23 players. with regulars receiving a 50% discount on entry fees. Steel based decks were heavily represented in the top finishers, with six of the top eight decks including Steel, and four of those being Emerald-Steel builds.
Top 8 at Silver Dragon Games – 23 player tournament
- Nate2000 (Nathan) 🟡⚪️
- Rmilyard5877 (Ryan) 🟢⚪️
- AZjag11 (Jonathan) 🔴🔵
- Buzzofwestwind (John) 🟢⚪️
- ChinoDynasty (Tony) 🟣🟢
- Dsingxv (Zach) 🟢⚪️
- Avanttheos1 (Randy) 🟢⚪️
- Kipasaur (Toby)🟡⚪️
Meta Report & Summary
This weekend revealed a resurgence of Emerald Steel, a favorite from past sets. However, it doesn’t seem as oppressive as it did during Set 4, with other ink combinations stepping up to the plate. The Phoenix Lorcana meta appears to be quickly evolving, and this set championship season promises a diverse array of strategies and deck choices
With tournaments every weekend, it’s a fantastic time for Phoenix-area players to join the action and make a name for themselves in the Lorcana community. Good luck to all competitors in the coming weeks, and may the best deck win!
Leave a comment on your favorite part of this weekend’s competitive play.