After the set was announced back in March, Ursula's Return spoilers have already begun popping up in the wild. Appearing like Pokemon in tall grass, we’ve already seen a suite of fantastic cards that are well worth getting excited about. Within this exciting bunch are a fair few Madrigals, who are joining Lorcana for the first time.
Since Encanto was only released in 2021, it’s safe to say the family Madrigal is a fairly new addition to Disney’s immense character roster. That being said, for many Disney fans, especially younger fans, the Madrigals are as much a part of Disney as Mickey Mouse is. Thanks to this, it’s great to see the Madrigals finally coming to Lorcana.
So far, we’ve seen six of the set’s Madrigals being spoiled. At the moment, it’s unclear if any more will be released, as there’s the potential for at least twelve cards to be made. Right now, we’ve seen at least half of the roster, who are split evenly between Amber and Amethyst for now.
Out of the six cards we’ve seen so far, the least exciting out of the bunch is Félix Madrigal, Fun-Loving Family Man. Despite having the hips of a mechanically enhanced snake, this Madrigal has been relegated to vanilla territory. Only offering two strength and four willpower for three Ink Cost, Félix Madrigal isn’t too special.
To change gears to Amethyst, next up is Luisa Madrigal, Magically Strong One, who is a four-cost 4/3 with Rush. Once again, this card isn’t very mechanically exciting, but they could still challenge with some good stats. Ultimately, unless you’re really all about the Madrigals, this is another card you can miss.
Switching back to Amber, we have Julieta Madrigal, Excellent Cook. Like many cooks, Julieta Madrigal is a healer, allowing you to remove two damage from a chosen character when they’re played. Should you take this action, you even get to draw a card, which makes Julieta even more exceptional. On their own, either ability would already be strong, but together, this card is a real treat.
Returning to Amethyst once again, Dolores Madrigal, Easy Listener offers another potential avenue for card draw. Unfortunately, while card draw is always useful, Dolores’ ability is arguably worse thanks to their increased cost and lack of extra flare. Despite this, since it’s not uncommon for an opponent will have an exerted character, playing Dolores efficiently should be easy.
Last up on the Amber front, we have Mirabel Madrigal, Gift of the Family, a five-cost 3/5. While their stats may not be much to write home about, their ability more than makes up for their cost. Granting every other Madrigal you control +1 lore during a turn when Mirabel quests, there’s a clear synergy to build around. Depending on how many Madrigals appear in Lorcana, this ability could just get better and better.
Finally, the last Madrigal card we’ve seen so far is Bruno Madrigal, Out of the Shadows. As a five-cost 4/5 Bruno Madrigal is mostly propped up by their ability which potentially allows you to resurrect a chosen character. Should the chosen character be banished in a challenge, they’ll return to your hand, allowing you to play them again. While this effect is only active on the turn Bruno is played, it nonetheless has a lot of utility and potential.
At the end of the day, while they’re not all smash hits, the Madrigals we’ve seen so far in Lorcana are great. Already we can’t wait to see what more Disney has up their sleeves. Thankfully, we shouldn’t have to wait long before we find out more, as the release of Ursula’s Return isn’t too far away now.