Sentinels - Playing Cards by theory11

• 4

This deck has one of the most creative designs I have ever seen, but they don't fan that well. However, these cards spring amazingly. A great deck.

• 4

Had these cards about a week. I usually handle them quite a bit throughout the day. By now, they have lost their slickness, which was immense. When I first got them out of the box, the amount of slickness caused me to drop the whole deck on the ground. As of now, they're back to normal and are broken in which is a personal preference. They're beginning to stick together and in the near future I can see this being a problem for fans. However, they still spring, riffle, dribble and cut absolutely fine. The design is great. The faces are quite minimalistic, but this is good. The egyptian influence is excellent and suits the deck well. Very nice court cards and the ace of spades is definitely not overdone and also suits the deck very well - the same goes for the jokers. The inclusion of a double backed card was good too. Glad to have this deck.

• 5

The design, the box, the cards, everything looks amazing. Go for it!

• 4

I got these cards and have used them quite alot in the past few week and they have stood the test. After alot of use the fans don't turn out quite as well as some other decks, but I think that over all they are a very nice addition to my collection. This case is unmatched, I love it.

• 5

Incredibly designed cards. They feel good, and every bit about them is very polished feeling. Really seems like every aspect of the cards was considered.

• 5

This deck is absouloutly amazing! The court cards are my faviroute and the box is great as well! The best design I have ever seen in a deck of cards!

• 4

BEST CARD BOX/STORAGE EVER! The designs are incredible and the style is unique, though I can't clarify that it is the best deck yet, but in honest opinion the best deck theory11 has to offer!

The negativity is that I feel the texture of each cards not soft enough for me to even practice magic or any other flourishes. But apart from that this is the one and only deck I will treasure forever.

• 5

The art design is superb, with subtle 'old world magic' design referencing symbols of earth, water, fire, air, sun, moon, etc., even Egyptian glyphs. Each court card is unique and the backs with the"all seeing eye" pyramid are a nice touch. High quality printing and finish.

Other than for stage flourish, these are great for thematic, non-traditional games that use an ordinary pack of playing cards to determine order and effects (instead of dice or dominoes for example).

• 5

These are quite honestly the best deck ever!

The design is original, fantastic, and the back design looks great during the W.E.R.M or a fan.

The finish is absolutely impeccable! You cannot find a finish as good as this anywhere else!

One of a kind, AMAZING cards. Buy them, or you will regret it forever!

• 5

I recently bought a pack of Sentinels and they are AMAZING! The BEST deck ever!

• 3

Overall this deck is WONDERFUL. The only downside is that I've experienced clumping after a lot of handling. After that, I can only use them for flourishing :/

• 4

Very cool deck!

• 5

Simply... Absolutely Magnificent!

• 5

The Sentinels are absolutely breathtaking. The box will have you stunned as to the detail that theory11 put into the production of these cards. Though my clumsy fanning can't fully utilize these cards, it seems like they would flourish well.

The decks look and feel like super-limited edition prints but are available in big quantities - so buy a bunch, because if you only have one or two you won't want to use them in fear of never being able to buy more.

• 5

I can safely say that this is my favourite deck and you WON'T be disappointed!

• 5

It's the best deck I have ever seen. From the faces to the backs, every detail makes me breathless.
I even think I can do every magic trick with it in my hands.

• 5

There are only 2 words i can use to describe this deck. "BREATH TAKING".

The backs look amazing, and the faces are so unique.

Buy this deck. You will not be disappointed.

These work for all kinds of uses like Magic, Texas Hold'em, Poker, even Snap!

• 5

These are the best put together deck ever released by theory11. Once you use Sentinels you can never go back.

• 5

Awesome design, awesome card, pure awesome!

• 5

They are just perfect. So far my favorite deck of playing cards!

• 5

I bought 3 to begin with. I got them last week and I opened one and started doing tricks for about 15 minutes, then I immediately marched over to my computer and purchased 12 more. They were that good.

Very stylish design, but the only thing I have gripes about is the box. 40% thicker paper? Sure doesn't feel like it. Maybe I'm just spoiled from the D1 case?

Overall an A from me!

• 5

I have never had a deck that straight from the box feels natural. As soon as I got these cards I was amazed that theory11 really stepped it up for this deck.

• 4

I am docking the deck one star because the back is f'ing grey! I'm tired of grey decks. Every new deck that comes out, it seems, is grey, and there are not enough exceptions to that to not irritate me. The back design, however, is great. I love that it is a interesting, inspired design that is still subtle. It has an interesting look with out being a LOOK AT ME I'M INTERESTING type back design (i.e. arcane, blades, gargoyles, all the Karnival decks).

What I love the most about this deck is the redesigned of the faces. The new designs for the pips on the number cards are super classy and elegant. The completely redesigned court cards are my favorite part of the deck. I get tired of all these new decks that flaunt their back designs but have the same old boring standard USPC faces. The new court cards have new character; I feel like I could frame the court cards and hang them on my wall.

The deck, like all decks, feels about the same after a couple of riffle shuffles. That is about what I have come to expect from every deck of cards I pay less than twenty dollars for.

I would give the standard rider back bikes a 3.5, so this deck gets 4 stars for the design. would get 4.5 if the back were something other than grey.

• 4

I've bought D&D's Mirrors Deck, Centurions, as well as Bicycle's 125th Anniversary deck from theory11. But I must say, as a street magician, performing with the Sentinels deck truly gives me a stylish and professional flow. Lovin' the look. A+ for an original concept!

• 5

Amazing. All that has to be said, has been said.

• 4

I love the art and the feel. The box is beautiful and the court cards are my favorite yet. My only problem is maybe after 4-5 shuffles and some light flourishes/tricks they bent at a slightly uncomfortable angle. I just got them today and they are bent already. They also feel flimsy compared to the tally ho fan backs I also ordered and the various other Bicycle decks I have.

That is maybe my only one (or two) complaints about this deck.

This is definitely a deck worth getting. But if you do order two so you can break one in over time and immediately use one just a little bit rough.

8/10 for me!

• 5

These cards are absolutely amazing I must say! They flow well and I like how each and every court cards is a different design. The box also protects the cards well I must add. I would definitely recommend these cards for every day use. For poker or magic these cards are spectacular.

• 5

I ordered 2 decks, hope they arrive in the next days. But alone the trailer is just AWESOME.

• 5

My favorite deck on the market today. The attention to detail is beyond anything I've seen. These will be replacing my trusty Bicycles in day-to-day use.

• 5

B-E-A-utiful. Faro perfectly, mockingbird great. I hope these never, EVER run out of stock! So I can buy more!

• 5

These look really awesome. When I saw Andrei in the video with those cards, I knew it was a must have. When I got it, I was really impressed in the beauty and elegant design. The design looks great, the box looks killer and the cards are indescribable. There was a little problem which with the cards being slightly warped upon arrival, though none-the-less greatest card I have ever held! Thanks theory11 for making such cards!

• 5

I love these cards, all there is to it.

• 5

These are my favorite playing cards. Each card is a piece of art because of the beautiful pyramid back design and the unique court cards and pips. I've had a deck I've been using for months now and they still handle great. The feel is something I've never come across before, because they are plastic coated I believe.

The downside is though, they tend to get sticky. While that is great for cuts and aerials, it's not as good for fanning as they once were, but then again, alot of decks over time lose their fanning ability (but then again, I do have pretty oily hands...). I love these cards so much I've recently bought another deck. And you should too. ;)

• 4

I absolutely love the way these cards look on the faces, the court cards in particular. So much so that I have commissioned a giant custom picture frame so that I can display them in my living room... they are that breathtaking.

The reason that i only give four stars is because I'm not as crazy about the back design, not that it isn't beautiful. In terms of handling, they handle great, however, I have spent a lot of time with Split Spades and nothing ever will surpass them.

• 5

These cards are incredible. I've had them for 2 months now, and they are basically just as when I first got them. They faro perfectly, and have a great finish and spread great. I recommend these cards to anyone who is serious about cards and magic.

• 5

I got my first deck of Sentinels in the mail today. After opening them I promptly went to the computer and ordered two more decks. I have for a while now been collecting playing cards and the Sentinels are wonderful. Unique and interesting design is mandatory for card backs, but when you see it on card fronts as well it is a reminder of what can be accomplished when the end goal is to create art. Thank you for making my new favorite deck.

• 5

The design is amazing! I love to just pick these up and stare at them. The court cards are soooo cool.

• 5

I love these cards. I got mine about a month ago and I'm very pleased. When I first saw the trailer I wasn't all to impressed by the back design I was more interested in how awesome the trailer looked but also how awesome the box looked.

And then when I actually got mine and started using them a bunch I got more fond of the back design and now I pretty much love it! haha. Sentinels.... DON'T BUY IT!! BECAUSE I WANT THEM ALL!

• 5

I LOVE this deck of cards! No matter how many more versions they might produce, Sentinels are the ones for me! They simply capture the essence of a magician. You won't be disappointed.

• 5

Thats the best deck i've ever seen up to now!!! The design and the handling is so great!!!

• 5

I actually expected these cards to be $20. Great price for such a maneuverable (and not to mention sexy) deck of cards.

• 5

The best cards I have ever touched! All the cards have unique beauty, especially the court cards. I literally sleep holding them in my hands! And is a dream to handle them which comes true every time I use them, which is ALL THE TIME! I won't be buying other cards in the future - only Sentinels! Great job t11!

• 5

When I first saw these for sale I was a little skeptical about the claims of how amazing these cards are. Then once i received my first deck I was astounded at how elegant the card case was since I had never seen anything come close to the quality of the card case alone. Then once I took out the cards and did my new deck ritual of fanning, dribbling and other various card flourishes, I just couldn't believe how well the cards held up after 15 minutes of card flourishes after card flourishes.

Another aspect of the Sentinels that I found absolutely stunning was the new and unique design for all of the cards. The new design for each of the court cards are absolutely beautiful in a retro sort of way. After spending an entire evening using just one of the new decks I had opened to use to practice both my strolling magic routine and my table magic routine, these cards withstood the abuse and handled like they were brand new, even after hours of playing with them.

I highly recommend anyone who loves to practice and perform card magic to purchase one or more of these cards and you will be absolutely astounded at how well these cards work under stress testing conditions. They will also immediately grab the attention of anyone who will see you performing with these cards, you certainly will not regret purchasing these cards. The only time you'll ever feel regret is when you don't pick up a couple of these amazing theory11 Sentinel cards.

• 5

Pretty much the best deck of cards I've ever held. They feel great. They look great. And even the box looks great. They even come with a double back card with every deck. Top notch deck at an affordable price!

• 5

This deck is awesome. very thin, with a nice smooth texture. The box is awesome and metallic-looking, and is kind of 3-dimensional (the texture on the words isn't printed like it sticks out). The back design is amazing also. I don't really like the court cards though, but everything else is great! Thanks theory11, I wish I bought more than one!

• 5

Best cards ever in my opinion. The box is the coolest box ever. The Ace of Spades is only surpassed by Smoke & Mirrors, maybe. But they feel amazing and the backs are freaking awesome! If you look closely, the middle pip of each card is kind of traced over, which makes the whole deck really unique.

• 5

These cards look great, feel great, and are worth every penny. I believe these look better in person as opposed to on a screen, although they still look great on a screen! Anyway, go out and buy these great cards!

• 5

These are awesome - I got three dozen and I can't get them out of my hands!

• 5

In my "Best Cards Ever" ranking, these are right up there with Ghosts and Guardians. Top notch art, unusual but beautiful, the stock is quite thin but not flimsy at all. Definitely not a disappointment and definitely recommended.

• 5

Great cards - just got mine. Very unique. A lot of imagery in the face cards. Great cards - will order more soon.

• 5

Just got these card by the post. Awesome box and cards.

• 5

The very modern and clean design and feel of these cards make them one of the best theory11 has ever produced in my opinion. Hats off for the obvious effort spent on this deck.

• 5

Best deck I ever had.

• 5

Look great and are amazing. A sure buy that won't disappoint.

• 5

These cards are incredible! If you're in a search for a quality deck of cards then this one should fit your needs in both it's performance and design. I highly recommend buying these.

• 4

I've had mine for a few days and I love them. They feel amazing. The design is so simple and great, and the finish is amazing.

• 5

Look and feel great. I haven't been able to put them down since I bought them and I'm glad I bought 5 decks.

The King of Hearts is holding the Ace of Hearts so I already used that to force the ace and do the reveal as the king holding the ace. Good Times!

You will not be disappointed, these are my new favorites. I just wish the backs came in one additional color.

• 5

Great stuff! The words on the back are Greek and are about the messenger of the Gods of Olympus! I'm thrilled!

• 5

These cards are great. The first word out of my mouth when I opened them was "Damn...." The tuck case looks awesome. The cards feel and look great. Buy them. You won't be sorry.

• 5

Feel: The deck has (almost) the same feel we've come to know and love from theory11 decks; the finish is smooth, the cards fan well, and they seem fairly durable so far. No noticeable clumps or anything of that sort after an hour of continual use.

Sleights and moves feel the same as most custom decks; nothing noticeably different. Same for cuts, spreads, and fans. Good quality we've come to expect. Aerials are decent, but I'm going to reserve judgement on these until the deck is broken in and doesn't have that slippery feel anymore.

There are a few differences in feel though though at first I thought these cards felt thinner, and had a bit more of a snap to them. And sure enough, after comparing them to a pack of Guardians, the Sentinels are 2 to 3 cards thinner. This is definitely a plus in my book. Also the finish seems to have a slightly different texture. It's a hard thing to explain, but they seem to have more of a grip on them than the Guardians or Centurions. All in all, nothing drastically improved or worsened. The feel doesn't seem to be the selling point though, the design is what caught my eye.

Design: Overall; Wow. These cards look phenomenal. I can see so many opportunities to work the design into my patter and presentation. They have a nice occult look to them. The all seeing eye is a very nice touch to the backs, as well as the lettering underneath.

Court Cards; This is perhaps my favorite part of the pack. I never did like the thin line around face cards, and they've done away with that.Gone as well are the hideous, bright oranges and yellows. The red face cards have tones of a dark red, while the black ones have tones of a dark blue. This makes for a very nice distinction between the two, especially in red black separation effects. The shape and design of all the court cards are redone and it's definitely an improvement. Also each card has many little symbols on it. For example, the King of Hearts has a card up his sleeve, there are cups & balls in front of him, and linking rings off to the side. Each suit also has it's own symbol of fire, air, water, and earth associated with it. These cards seem to borrow a lot of images from tarot cards in addition to magic history.

Spot cards; The dark red (like on all t11 decks) is again very nice. The pips have also been resigned, and I'm on the fence about this. The new, more bulbous looking shape to each one does look good. The size, however, is what gets me. I don't know if it was a clever ploy to save on prices of ink being used and look new at the same time, but they have got to be at least half the size of a regular deck. If the pips were a bit bigger I'd have no reservations about them. One last little change is that all the pips that are in the center strip of spot cards and the pips on the corners of face cards have a small grey outline. It's a nice little touch of variety.

Ace of Spades; Looks nice, but seems sort of lacking in comparison to the court cards color-wise. The swirls and circles in and around the spade remind me of Smoke & Mirrors. The details are smooth as well.

Jokers; Just like the different colored face cards, one Joker has a red theme while on the other all the red is replaced with blue. I'm not of fan of this because in any effects where one Joker needs to be displayed twice to represent both, the observant spectator may catch the color. The design of the joker looks good though. Just like the other cards the small details make it interesting. Some symbolism here as well.

Box; Saved the best for last. This box is definitely a piece of eye candy. No, it doesn't do anything to the cards themselves, but it looks amazing. The metallic accents are done extremely well, enough to look good but they didn't over do it. The embossed artwork looks and feels great as well. The most useful feature is the added thickness. The box doesn't get creased, ripped, or smooshed (for lack of a better word) as easily as other tuck cases. The thicker paper makes it much more durable. This is one quality box.

So here are the ratings:

Feel - 9/10
Design - 9.5/10
Overall - 9.5/10

I would definitely suggest picking some of these up, if the design fits you. The mysterious, Illuminati style to these cards can add some depth to your presentation. The multitude of symbolism can be a great conversation piece as well. They feel great. Just like Guardians or Centurions, but a little better. The only negative is the down-sized pips.

• 5

Loved them - look great and the symbols rock.