Behold, the new edition to the Arsenal Series, born from the essence of gods, representing wisdom and fairness, introducing – SHIELD! Athena, the goddess of wisdom, craft, and warfare. Embodying Athena’s spirit, the Shield is legendary, fierce, and is waiting for fearless players to wield it. Are you ready?

• The weapon from the Goddess of Wisdom – ATHENA
• Limited to 3500 Sets
• Featuring Laser Engraving, Laser Cutting, Hot Stamping, and Hand Assembly
•  Deluxe tuck case made from premium matte finish paper with Black, Purple & White imported foil from Germany 
•  Cards are manufactured by the USPCC with Metallic Ink & Casino Grade Quality 
•  Magnetic opening/closing system & Self-Locking System 
•  Each Box contains 15 pieces of uncut sheets & takes 20 minutes to assemble
   

Each Shield Set comes with a Deluxe Edition (Left) & Classic Edition (Right). The Design surprises us by the dark grey exterior, where black and purple patterns run through. The Deluxe Edition is centred around a stylized image of Athena’s shield that ablaze with Black, White, and Purple Hot Foil stamped lines.

The back of the box shows the same shield in a different version, taking out the silver colour to present a dimmer look. The black lines in the background that unify the whole design are mimicking an ancient Greek building structure, adding the monumentality of the image. Despite the multitude of lines and colours, the Classic Edition box design is rather simple and sleek, but very elegant with the dark shades of grey. 

The popular complex system of the tuck box was brought back again to continue its legacy. The uncut sheets consist of more than 15 parts, which are the aftermath of hundreds of experiments. The process of making the Shield Deluxe Tuck Box includes many steps: Printing, Laser Engraving, Hot Stamping, Laser Cutting, and Hand Assembly.

On top of the eye-catching foil lines, the Shield Deluxe Edition surprises us with a stunning opening structure. The eight-piece card box is made out of 330 grams of matte finish black cardboard paper. The making of this box takes 8 times more paper than an ordinary box, and therefore, making this deck luxuriously heavy.

We kept the popular magnetic opening/closing system and the self locking system that allows the card box to be kept in a perfectly unfolded state and set on the table for everyone to admire. Just like how we admire the ancient Olympian Gods in their sacred temples.

When you pull on each side of the box, it spreads out, the eight buckles slides smoothly down the slide rails. Each section is crafted with utmost precision and allows the box to fan out into a perfect 145-degree angle. Giving the tuck box a perfect balance as if embodying the spirit of Athena.

When the box is spread out, you can notice that each piece is lined by a Purple Foil line, which traces the Shield-shaped cutouts. However, when you fold the box, the eight parts come together to create a window through which the Shield can be seen, and the Purple Foil lines form a stunning halo, as if the mythical weapon was emitting the wit and wisdom of Athena.

Compared to the box design, the backs of the cards take your breath away by their complexity. On a pitch-black background shines a stunning symmetrical design full of sharp angles, pops of colours and bold overlaps. The Silver & Purple will be printed with the Metallic Ink to bring out the boldness and glory that fits the theme of Athena, representing toughness and bravery in every angle. The entire back design seems to look like a shield, adorned with complicated mechanical patterns, with the top and the bottom featuring the name of the deck – ‘Shield’ – written in silver letters.

The highly saturated coloured lines outline the image of Athena’s Shield, and the light grey lines add contrast and richness to the pattern. The complex strokes of purple lines emits the mechanical feel, as if a modern legend. 

Upon placing multiple cards together by their shorter edges, the image connects into a coherent line. The lines are almost serving a reminder to always be on the right path for truth and wisdom. 

  ?️ WATCH SHIELD IN ACTION ?️

Following the dark theme, the rest of the cards are also dipped in black to the edges. The number cards are refreshingly sombre, only having a faint dark grey frame in the background, and the geometric rendition of the suit symbol in metallic silver for spades and clubs, and metallic purple for hearts and diamonds. The numbers on the two ends of the cards are printed in a rounded font, contrasting the sharpness of the rest of the design well.

The court cards are the most epic sensations of the entire deck. This time, we redesigned all the twelve court cards and transformed them into the twelve Olympian Gods. They are presented with exquisite line drawings in purple, with shocking details including fierce weapons and eyes that shine in silver. 

The Olympian gods are made to look like fearless titans – gigantic powerful creatures that look right out of the cards ruthlessly, ready to engage in battle. Each of the cards infuses the god/goddess’s name in silver letterings. Each of the gods/goddesses are wielding its rightful weapons. The court cards offer a plethora of details for you to discover and learn more about each of the Olympian legends.

The Aces from the Shield are particularly worth mentioning, as each of them features a hand-illustraded artwork, symbolizing the goddess Athena. The Ace of Spades – the most prominent of aces shows a wonderfully ornate shield incorporated into the image of a spade. The bottom of the card says ‘Shield’ in bold silver letters, showing the toughness of the Goddess of Wisdom. The design is centred around the symbol, while dark grey lines beam out of the centre like sun rays. 

That is the case for the rest of the aces as well, namely the Ace of Diamonds with its owl – the symbol of wisdom, the Ace of Hearts with a sturdy Greek helmet, and the Ace of Clubs with a cunning snake ready to strike. Each of the cards has the name of its suit written on the bottom with silver letters.

The two Jokers are a sight to behold and to fear. They are depicted as a battle ready Athena with full gear, sturdy helmets and dangerous-looking spears. One of the depictions is holding a round shield with the image of what we might assume to be the goddess Athena herself. The tops of the cards feature the words ‘The Joker’, as well as a small diamond shape with the name of the deck inside of it.

Both Shield Deluxe & Classic Edition will be manufactured by the United States Playing Card Co with Bee Casino Stock & Air Cushion finish. The Deluxe Tuck Case will be printed on 330gsm Premium Matte Finish Paper with imported White, Black and Purple foil all the way from Germany. And the final product will be assembled by experienced craftsmen in China. 

For US Backers, your rewards will be shipped directly from Gambler Warehouse from USA, one of the most trusted fulfillment centres. For International Backers, your rewards will be shipped from our warehouse in Shanghai, China with reliable and well known shipping carriers like UPS, FedEx, EMS or TNT. 

The shipping price has already been discounted for our backers. The weight of Deluxe edition is much heavier than the standard deck. Also, since the box contains magnets, there is an extra fee for magnet detection when it ships with express service. In many cases, the actual shipping costs are higher than the price we are charging, and we aim to provide our backers with the Lowest discounted price possible.

We will use durable bubble wrap to cover the deck and handle with extra care, so the deck will arrive in the your doorstep in Perfect Condition. The Estimated Shipping date for Shield playing cards will be around late April to Early May 2021.