Before I start, this article features a spoiled card. While I almost never hold out long enough, I try to avoid spoilers sometimes. If you are like that as well, be warned. Do not scroll past the first card pic if you don't want to see anything in advance for the second card pic will be what I think will be the most chased card in the upcoming Shimmering Skies set.

Before we get there, we need to look at some finer points of the Shift mechanic that I didn't delve into in my previous article. The most critical part of the rules on Shift is what happens to the original card and more importantly what happens to the original when the top card is affected by something. I am assuming that most players understand that the top card enters the game in the same state as the original card. So, if you're Mulan - Injured Soldier has two damage on her then when you Shift in a Mulan - Reflecting it will still have two damage but it will also be able to quest and possibly play a song right away.

Other than the status of the undercard, everything else about the card goes away. Strength, Willpower, and any other abilities are forgotten, but the card itself stays in play. In my first foray into deck-building I accidentally counted a shifted Pluto - Friendly Pooch as a card in my discard to play a cheaper Chernabog - Evildoer. This was an error. However, if someone would have banished my Pluto - Determined Defender then both Plutos (how do you plural Pluto?) would have counted for Chernabog to be two ink cheaper.

Or another example, I have a Gramma Tala - Storyteller in play. I then Shift her to a Gramma Tala - Spirit of the Ocean. I do NOT get an ink from the Storyteller leaving at that moment. In fact, if my opponent responds with a Maleficent - Monstrous Dragon I still DO NOT get the ink because the under Gramma's ability is nullified. However, if my opponent replies with a Hades - Infernal Schemer I would gain two ink in my inkwell since both cards are together when sent there but split upon change of Zone.

With that bit of Shift info out of the way I can get to my warning card image. If you don't want to be spoiled do not scroll past the next graphic. Also, this is my warning about Spoilers. Sometimes they're wrong. When Mulan - Elite Archer was spoiled I either misread or it was mis spoiled to be Shift 3. The Archer is a good card on its own but at Shift 3 it would have been crazy.

Now, with the understanding of Spoilers can be wrong, I will go out on a limb and predict that the most chased card in Shimmering Skies will be...

Now is when the fun of Shifted cards being "stuck" together until a zone change is critical. If you play a Merlin - Rabbit at 4 ink you draw a card. Then Shift him to Merlin - Intellectual Visionary so you search your library for the card to go in your hand. Let's say you get a Madam Mim - Snake. Now at 6 ink, you could play the Snake and bounce both Merlins to your hand to repeat the cycle. By the way, if unhindered you can quest for 4 Lore during this process.

The big question is whether Ruby/Amethyst players can exchange their powerful but slow banish cards for deck manipulation and ramp that Sapphire offers? Of course, the rest of the set could introduce cheaper Merlins in Sapphire and then we aren't tied to Amethyst but for now let's go with the cards we think we know. I would say the answer is YES. In fact, below you can find a list using just the new Merlin with already existing cards.

In my list, I will put a handful of 1-of's. These cards could seem strange and random. That is intentional because these slots will be up to your local Meta. You see, the beautiful part of "Tutors" like Merlin is that you can put 1 card in a deck to tip the scales in a matchup without giving up deck integrity for the other 5 decks you'll possibly play that day. So, when you see 1 Zeus - God of Lightning in my list, it isn't because you should play that card but insert a card of choice there. I only used Zeus and the example because he is last Alphabetically.

In addition to the bounce fun with Merlins we add some Mickey Mouse - Detective and Gramma Tala - Keeper of Ancient Stories. The Gramma also can shift into win condition for our heavy ink games.

Blurple Merlin | Lorcana | Dan Eckstein

• Characters (38)
• 1 Gramma Tala - Spirit of the Ocean
• 1 Triton - Young Prince
• 1 Tuk Tuk - Curious Partner
• 1 Ursula - Sea Witch Queen
• 1 Winnie the Pooh - Having a Think
• 1 Yzma - Without Beauty Sleep
• 1 Zeus - God of Lightning
• 2 Madam Mim - Purple Dragon
• 2 Merlin - Squirrel
• 3 Gramma Tala - Keeper of Ancient Stories
• 4 Madam Mim - Fox
• 4 Madam Mim - Snake
• 4 Merlin - Goat
• 4 Merlin - Intellectual Visionary
• 4 Merlin - Rabbit
• 4 Mickey Mouse - Detective

• Songs (14)
• 3 Friends on the Other Side
• 3 Let It Go
• 4 How Far I'll Go
• 4 One Jump Ahead

• Items (8)
• 4 Fishbone Quill
• 4 Pawpsicle

This is just a rough draft and Shimmering Skies promises to bring some "shifts" in the meta. So, don't let the ink dry on this list, it is by no means ready.