Every Disney Lorcana Starter Deck ranked: Strengths, weaknesses & value
Disney/RavensburgerThe Disney Lorcana TCG is steadily growing in both popularity and availability so you might be wondering how best to jump in. Here is a list of every Disney Lorcana Starter deck ranked from worst to best.
Disney Lorcana is currently in the midst of its fifth set now that Shimmering Skies has finally landed. The TCG has been growing steadily since its initial release and following the meta-shifting introductions of Rise of the Floodborn and Into the Inklands, there’s a healthy variety of competitive deck options.
Of course, Lorcana is relatively new as far as TCGs go, and the enticing power of a Disney IP has many folks new to the hobby looking to pick it up. The best place to kick off any card game journey is with an aptly named Starter Deck and as of recently, there are 11 to pick from.
To help you decide which one is best for you, we’ve compiled a list of every available Lorcana Starter Deck and ranked them from worst to best. There were a number of variables to consider and we’ve explained those below.
Ranking the Disney Lorcana Starter Decks
Deciding what makes a particular Lorcana Starter Deck better than another isn’t as straightforward as it sounds at first. More than power needs to be considered when beginning in a TCG.
Of course, how each of these decks stacks up with one another on the tabletop is a factor in this particular ranking but there are other parameters we’ve used to judge them.
Some Lorcana Starter Decks have valuable cards that will help you construct better decks down the line. This can save you money as you work towards more competitive play.
There are also matters of taste, particularly in a game made for Disney fans who might like a more flavorful style of play. With all that considered, here is every Disney Lorcana Starter Deck ranked.
11. Into the Inklands Ruby/Sapphire – Plenty of Pluck
Disney/RavensburgerSorry to any Ducktales fans out there but the Plenty of Pluck Starter Deck is our pick for the bottom of the barrel. While the Ruby/Sapphire Ink combination crept into the Set 3 competitive formats meta and looks to be one of Set 4’s strongest contenders, not many of the cards in this deck saw play.
Coupled with that, it’s also comparably weak against other Starter Decks in more limited settings. Comprised primarily of characters from Ducktales and Moana respectively, this Lorcana Deck often struggles to find its feet.
If you manage to combine your Montunui Island Paradise Location with Reckless Questers like Maui Soaring Demigod, you can ramp your Inkwell, but there are few top-end threats to capitalize with. It also suffers from an unreliable primary card-draw engine that requires having Huey, Dewey, and Louie in play. Drawing all three and keeping them on the board takes insane luck.
There are a few notable guaranteed pickups that don’t make this Lorcana Deck completely useless, however. Two copies of Dragon Fire from a dwindling Set 1 are a bonus and Maui’s Fish Hook is seeing inclusion in early drafts for Set 4 Ruby/Amethyst decks.
Unfortunately, that’s about all this one has going for it. Better options for each Ink Color exist in other Starter Decks and they also have the added bonus of being more fun to play.
10. Ursula’s Return Amber/Amethyst – Madrigal Magic
Disney/RavensburgerWe desperately wanted to place this Lorcana Starter Deck higher on the list. There are some potentially useful cards in here for adding to existing decks but if you’re just starting out, you’ll want to build those first.
Ariel Singing Mermaid comes to mind thanks to her Singer 7 ability allowing her to sing high-cost Songs and contribute a large chunk of the new Sing Together mechanic. Unfortunately, there’s only one of her. Julietta Madrigal also seems like it has some potential as a cheaper draw option than Rapunzel Gifted with Healing.
Unfortunately, those are where the benefits of the Madrigal Magic Starter Deck end. Despite being in a well-known aggro color combo, it doesn’t offer the same speed and pressure that other Amber/Amethyst decks do, including the Set 1 Starter.
It focuses on synergistic play between the Madrigal family but fails to include some of the best cards from the tribe. The absence of Bruno Madrigal Undetected Uncle and Alma Madrigal Family Matriarch is understandable but it hurts the deck on the tabletop. You could upgrade it of course but the Madrigals don’t look to threaten more reliable meta archetypes.
If you’re a big fan of Encanto and you like the idea of running a flavourful deck for casual play, it could be for you. Unfortunately, it won’t compete well against other Lorcana Starter Decks, let alone anything that has been improved.
9. Rise of the Floodborn Amber/Sapphire – Tactical Teamwork
Disney/RavensburgerThis Lorcana Starter Deck has a fun theme that focuses on the synergistic play of Seven Dwarves characters. You get at least one of each and can play them up you ink curve, buffing each one of your others as they come into play.
Against other Starter Decks, it can suffer with card draw and you may find yourself top decking if you’re unable to get its limited draw engine up and running. The centerpiece of this is your single copy of Hiram Flaversham Toymaker and two Judy Hops Optimistic Officers.
Hiram can destroy an item on play and while questing to draw two cards, Judy does a similar thing on play but only draws one card. If you fail to find those two, you’re at the mercy of luck and can falter against other players who have more resources in hand.
It is a very useful deck for players looking to play Sapphire in their deck, however. Hiram Flaversham is a staple in most decks and you’ll get three Pawpsicles which is almost a complete playset. On the Amber side, The Queen Regal Monarch is a valuable one-cost shift target for getting the five-cost The Queen Commanding Presence down on turn two and you’ll get both in this deck.
Wins aren’t impossible with this particular Starter Deck and there is definite value here for players looking to play any combination of Sapphire deck. If a Song-focused Amber/Steel deck is more your speed, there are some possible additions here as well.
8. The First Chapter Sapphire/Steel – A Steadfast Strategy
Disney/RavensburgerWhile Set 2’s Tactical Teamwork Starter Deck offers a portion of Sapphire’s draw engine, this one offers the cards you’ll need to ramp your Inkwell. It also happens to be a core part of its strategy.
The First Chapter’s Sapphire/Steel Starter Deck is about boosting the amount of Ink you have in order to play imposing threats well before your opponent. Characters like Gramma Tala Storyteller and Mickey Mouse Detective net you some extra Ink early on so you can drop big hitters like Maui Demigod and Simba Fighting Prince.
This deck includes some core cards for both Sapphire and Steel decks with removal options like Smash and Grab Your Swords, as well as One Jump Ahead and the previously mentioned cards for ramping. Even Hercules True Hero may become more valuable with a new archetype creeping into the Set 4 meta.
The big drawback when playing this deck is its inconsistency. If you fail to draw your early-game ramp cards, you tend to suffer a pretty slow defeat. It’s often remarked that you can tell whether or not you’ll win the moment you see your opening hand.
When everything goes right, playing this deck can be a tonne of fun but it’s unreliable at best and the worst performing of the Set 1 Starter Decks. Its real value is in some choice staples and your ability to build upon them.
7. Shimmering Skies Ruby/Amethyst – Ready to Let Loose
Disney/RavensburgerShimmering Skies’ Ruby/Amethyst Starter Deck leverages one of the most powerful Ink combinations in the game. The color pair has topped numerous major tournaments so you’d think this one might sit higher on the list.
Unfortunately, it just doesn’t seem to know what type of strategy it wants to commit to. It has some control elements, Lore removal, and a Location-oriented style but it doesn’t focus on a single one meaning you end up with some confused hands that contain pieces of all three.
Of these strategies, the Locations would be the most interesting if not for one glaring fault; there’s only one Location in the deck. The Library – A Gift for Belle is a fantastic Location to be fair. Its inclusion in the deck makes it worth grabbing as a potential alternative to Queen’s Castle.
It makes for a reliable draw engine thanks to its effect, meaning Characters at The Library draw you a card if they’re banished. Doubly so if you’re willing to throw your Characters into the proverbial meat grinder.
Outside of this, a card like Finders Keepers with its staggering three-card draw may find a place in some competitive decks. Glimmer vs Glimmer could also worm its way into Ruby’s removal suite.
This Disney Lorcana Starter Deck can certainly pick up a win against the others but not as easily as those higher on the list. The potential meta movers will also be relatively cheap to get ahold of outside of it.
6. The First Chapter Emerald/Ruby – Daring and Deception
Disney/RavensburgerFrom one Lorcana Set 1 Starter Deck into another. The Ruby/Emerald deck made it this high because of how effective it can be in formats limited to Starter Decks. While it’s one of the most difficult to play, it’s also the most rewarding.
It relies on a lot of trickery to frustrate your opponent. Emerald cards like the Mad Hatter Gracious Host Quest for three lore and need to be dealt with but if your opponent Challenges him, you get to draw a card. Jasper Common Crook and Iago Loud-Mouthed Parrot stop your opponent from Questing themselves.
It also features Ruby cards that specialize in removing lore from your opponents taking them further away from victory. Both colours give you Evasive characters like Pongo Ol’ Rascal and Peter Pan Never Landing which can only be Challenged by other Evasive characters which many Starter Decks lack. One or two of these on the board can win you the game.
Where this deck can go against you is the inclusion of a lot of high-cost, uninkable cards that can sit in your hand for ages and slow you down. There’s nothing more frustrating than getting stuck at four Ink and having your options dwindle.
It also doesn’t have too many staple cards for either color. At best, you have Actions like Mother Knows Best and Dragon Fire but those don’t always see play. Neither does the top-end threat Aladdin Heroic Outlaw now that other options have come along.
This deck is fun to play and can clinch victories against other Starter Decks which is a great feeling when starting out. Just be prepared to hunt for the cards you really want when you start building your own deck.
5. Shimmering Skies Emerald/Steel – A Roaring Guest List
Disney/RavensburgerUnlike its Ruby/Amethyst counterpart, this Shimmering Skies Starter Deck knows exactly what it wants to do. It’s laser-focused on dealing damage to opposing characters and giving you a number of benefits for doing so.
For that reason, it fares far better in Starter Deck match-ups and its easy synergies do a lot to push it up the list. Actions like Tug of War and Food Fight help you get damage counters onto opponents and many of the deck’s Characters then take advantage.
Scar – Vengeful Lion allows you to draw a card every time one of your Characters challenges a damaged Character and Ward keeps him protected long enough to generate a lot of value. Robin Hood – Sneaky Sleuth and Shenzi – Head Hyena serve to gain plenty of Lore for similar reasons.
To top that off the deck has a number of Evaisive options that are always useful in Disney Lorcana’s Starter Deck play. Unfortunately, the deck’s archetype doesn’t look like it will make a good starting point for truly competitive play.
You do get a near-full playset of Pete- Games Referee who we’ve tipped to be a monster in the tournament scene thanks to his ability to neutralize things like Be Prepared and Grab Your Sword. He is an Uncommon so you may save on booster packs if you just grab this off the shelves.
Overall, Shimmering Skies’ Emerald/Steel Starter Deck is great for early games and learning to play, if you are looking to get more serious about Lorcana though, something higher on this list might be better.
4. Ursula’s Return Sapphire/Steel – Stand Together
Disney/RavensburgerWe’re in the perilous position of potentially placing this Lorcana Starter Deck too low, and too high in this ranking. The reason it’s come in as high as it has is because of the potential it has. The reason it’s not much higher is because that potential is unproven.
As far as playing the deck, it can be a little unwieldy. It has some fantastic synergies designed to take advantage of all the Hero cards in the deck. Philoctetes No-Nonsense Instructor gives you one lore for every hero you play as well as Challenger +1. Ling Imperial Soldier gives each of your Heroes an extra point of Strength.
With a number of Heroes peppered throughout the deck, many of which have their own synergies, everyone benefits. The problem is, the only card draw comes from an eight-cost, uninkable song that will leave multiple characters vulnerable thanks to the new Sing Together mechanic.
Outside of its shoddy play, the incredible base this gives you to build a Sapphire/Steel heroes deck is incredible. Our own playtesting via playing Lorcana Online has proven it to be a potent combination thanks to the lore engine of both Anna Braving the Storm and Anna True-Hearted.
This Lorcana Starter Deck is easily the better of the two Ursula’s Return Starter decks and may prove itself to be one of the better overall picks in the future. If you like Heroes and the possibility of tribal play, this one’s for you.
3. Into the Inklands Amber/Emerald – Dogged and Dynamic
Disney/RavensburgerLorcana’s Dogged and Dynamic Starter Deck distinguishes itself from its Ruby/Sapphire counterpart by having some useful inclusions and being easier to play. While hard removal can be a bit of an issue, there’s a lot of fun to be had in flooding the board with Dalmatian Puppies and turning everything sideways.
The deck is packed with low-cost characters like Kida Atlantean, Wendy Darling Talented Sailor, and of course the Dalmatian Puppy cards. The idea is to overwhelm with board presence early and force your opponent to respond.
It has some fantastic Actions on offer that have seen play in the meta. Draw options like Strike a Good Match and Hypnotize which also forces your opponent to discard are useful for Emerald Decks. You also get two copies of Kit Cloudkicker which has seen some play and a Robin Hood Daydreamer which can be a big closer with his four Lore.
Unfortunately, the Locations in this deck are two of the worst available. It’s a bit of a shame since that was meant to be the big theme of this particular Lorcana set but it’s not a terrible drawback.
Overall, this Lorcana Starter Deck is a fantastic choice for players who are keen on building up an Emerald deck. It also offers a good chance of picking up a win against other Starters.
2. Rise of the Floodborn Amethyst/Steel – Might and Magic
Disney/RavensburgerIt was a tough choice ranking this Lorcana Starter Deck above so many others because it is easily outplayed by nearly all of them. Its saving grace is in the suite of meta-defining cards that it offers to new players.
What is known as the Merlin and Mim Bounce Package is an auto-include for nearly every top-performing Amethyst deck. The various Merlin cards offer advantages when they are played and when they leave play. Madam Mim’s cards require you to send another card to your hand when played.
If you time these correctly, you can get the most benefit from cards like Merlin Goat who grants one free Lore when entering play. Simply send in a Madam Mim Fox which also has Rush to withdraw your Goat and play it again the next turn. The same applies to Merlin Rabbit who allows you to draw a card when he enters and leaves play.
Unfortunately, this deck doesn’t include enough of this bounce package to play with any consistency and that Rabbit is the only draw you have. Tiana Celebrating Princess rewards you for having an empty hand but it doesn’t outweigh the frustration.
It does offer choice removal pieces like Let the Storm Rage On and Benja Guardian of the Dragon Gem which are both staples for Steel decks. These and the Bounce Package for Amethyst more than make up for the losses you’ll likely have to eat in Starter Deck play.
1. The First Chapter Amber/Amethyst – The Heart of Magic
Disney/RavensburgerThis Lorcana Starter Deck has held the top spot since the game came out. The best among The First Chapter starters and every set since thanks to both ease of play and the fantastic cards you get for your collection.
This Starter Deck will steamroll any of the others consistently thanks to its low-cost characters and your ability to go wide by flooding the board with them. The mantra is Quest early, Quest often and it just works.
You get three copies of Friends on the Other Side which is Amethyst’s best draw tool allowing you to snag two cards from the top of your deck. Part of your World and Hades Lord of the Underworld allow you to return characters from your discard pile to your hand. All of this means you’re never out of options.
You can face trouble with so many low-health characters as one Grab Your Swords can eliminate most of your board but it’s uncommon at best. Any cards clipped in a Challenge can be returned to your hand if you manage to get Dr. Facilier Agent Provocateur in play.
Cards like Pascal Rapunzel’s Companion, Stitch New Dog, Maleficent Sorceress, and more all have their place in certain competitive decks. The only mistake you could make by starting your Lorcana Journey with this deck is not buying a second.
Inktable.netThose are the current standings for the Disney Lorcana Starter Deck rankings but the game is a young one and more will come.
We’ll be sure to update these rankings as new starter decks emerge and the meta shifts which could make previously maligned cards a better pickup.