We all know World of Warcraft from the decades-long MMORPG video game, but there are times when Blizzard branches out into different areas. Some of these different areas are things such as Cookbooks and stupidly expensive statues for anniversaries… But Tarot cards? This is a new one.
Name: World of Warcraft: The Official Tarot Deck and Guidebook
Author: Ian Flynn
Pages: 128
Publisher: Insight Editions
Publication date: December 10, 2024
Format: Cards
ISBN-13: 979-8886631180
I’m no Shaman, I don’t Commune with no Spirits
I’ve been sitting on this review for a few weeks now, looking at the deck box filled with 128 Tarot cards, something that I have never touched in my life. Karl doesn’t mess with the voodoo. I don’t talk with Ouija boards, I’ve never had a palm reading, no predictions of my future, and definitely no Tarot. However, I am in tune with some spirits, able to sense those who haven’t passed on and linger in the mortal world. My previous house was filled with negative spirits, which we had confirmed by actual mediums who knew what they were talking about… But I digress…
While I don’t mess with the spirits, luckily, my wife knows a thing or two about using Tarot cards. She’s dabbled in the media before and owns many sets herself… Mostly due to the artwork that is on the cards, but she does know how to use them. So for this review, I asked her to give me a reading using the World of Warcraft Tarot card set… Hopefully, we don’t summon Deathwing or one of the Lich Lords in that time.
A Beautiful Rendition of the World of Warcraft
My wife explained to me how Tarot readings work: You think of a question or problem, and the cards are laid out in a specific way as you pick them from the deck (You do shuffle them first, leading to cards getting mixed up and flipped upside down, which has a bearing on how they are explained). Since Tarot is a very personal thing, giving a full account of what I was asking and the answers that were given isn’t easy to do, just know that I’m going to be fine as I go forward in my recovery, with challenges happening along the way to test me in order to heal correctly, and maybe somewhat better than I was before having a piece of my spine removed.
Also, if you do get stuck with your reading, then you can refer to the guidebook for information and the meaning of every card in the deck and its position in placement, as well as a few different methods of Tarot reading. So people from beginners to experts can use this deck and not get too lost while whispering into the void.
What made all this news and revelations easier to think about and accept was the Tarot cards themselves. Given that this set is based around World of Warcraft, seeing The Jailer as Death works very well, the Three of Cups being represented by the three Bronzebeard bothers raising a glass together, Four of Wards being two Murlocs using 4 wards as a makeshift shelter, and The Lovers as High Exarch Turalyon and Alleria Windrunner. Everything relates to something or someone out of World of Warcraft lore, which makes taking these moments somewhat interesting to me as a former player of the game.
The art here is amazing, looking like something you would see in an art book full of concept art or a fan collection of moments recreated through detailed artwork. while you can’t see it in the photos, every card has a gold border that shines really well with any light source, even minimal light through my window is enough to almost blind me when looking at them at the right angle.
Predicting the Future in World of Warcraft Style
It doesn’t seem like I’ve written much about the World of Warcraft Tarot cards, or what they can do, but you’ll experience everything in a different way through each reading. There is no standard when it comes to using the cards to answer questions or make predictions about the journey that you are going to go through in life. Your experience is going to be different from mine, and your use of the cards will be unique to you.
The only way to see if these cards are for you will come down to if you are a Tarot reader, or know someone who is, and if you want to have your reading told by the characters and moments from World of Warcraft or not. For someone like me, having my wife use these World of Warcraft cards was a good way for her to predict my future as well as get her interested in World of Warcraft. Tarot is a different piece of merchandise for World of Warcraft and it’s just weird, much like messing with the spirits themselves.
Review Disclosure Statement: World of Warcraft: The Official Tarot Deck and Guidebook was provided to us by Insight Editions for review purposes. For more information on how we review video games and other media/technology, please go review our Review Guideline/Scoring Policy for more info.
Summary
World of Warcraft: Tarot Deck & Guidebook is something that I never thought I would need to review, but here we are. Every card shines with a gold border and amazing art of characters and moments from the game that you would know from the lore. While I might not mess with the voodoo, this set would be great for someone who does.
Pros
- Beautiful artwork
- Great use of characters and moments
- Very helpful guidebook
Cons
- I wouldn’t trust this in the hands of a Shaman or Warlock… Who knows what they might summon
