Gilded version of: Sirocco is a force of nature – a blistering Mediterranean wind and an idea that a journey’s hardships make the prize that much sweeter. We’ve teamed up with author, illustrator, and brand designer Nathan Oser, who spent six months off the grid drawing inspiration from his own slice of coastal life, to create for you a deck that’s built on a dream and that started with a few burning questions: Why make a deck? To inspire. Inspire who? Anyone on a journey. Imagine celebrities and movie stars at their European vacation villas. It seems like they’ve got it all. What deck of playing cards might a person like that bring to entertain guests on lakeside sojourns, to show off at sailing competitions, or to pass time on private cruises along the sun-kissed coast? And how did those stars get to where they are? Well, sometimes the wind blows in your favour, sometimes it blows against, but either way it forces you to react in a way the can propel you toward, and even beyond, your goals. This idea was the Start/Finish Line for Sirocco.

The “Weathered” Edition is far more than just a color change. All the artwork has been completely redrawn with an innovative new method of digital texturing that promises to produce the most realistic wear and tear out there. Speaking of which, you’ve never seen a box with stock quite like this. The “color ravine” paper is durable and highly textured to give it an impasto effect that brings to mind the stucco and stone views of enduring Greek, French, and Italian shorelines. This requires us to employ highly accurate printing techniques to perfectly lay down the ink in those sunny Amalfi colors, also a staple of some of Riffle Shuffle’s most popular decks. The art of this edition is also unique, most prominently on the back, where the four gods of the ordinal winds (NW, NE, SW, SE) respectively push, challenge, guide, and welcome your seafaring vessel. Because, for “weathering” the storm, you deserve a little extra!