Every Disney Lorcana starter deck, ranked

Disney Lorcana has attracted many new players to the TCG genre by bringing iconic Disney characters and worlds to tabletops across the globe. While many of the older siblings in the genre have decades of mechanics, formats, and rules that new players are expected to learn, Lorcana has kept its gameplay much easier to digest.

Most beginners will look at purchasing a starter deck so that they can immediately jump into a game and learn through action. Each starter deck contains:

• 60 predetermined cards
• The two characters shown on the front of the package are foil cards
• 11 game tokens
• 1 rulebook
• 1 booster pack containing 12 randomized cards from the respective set

We’ve assembled a list of all of the current Lorcana starter decks and ranked them based on which are the best choices for beginners. These rankings are based on simplicity, how well they demonstrate the core of the game, and their upgradeability.

9. Tactical Teamwork (Amber/Sapphire)

This Amber and Sapphire deck has a straightforward win condition: Play items and banish them in various ways to trigger effects. The theme is simple and on paper, the deck should be easy for beginners to play.

What makes this deck fall short is how punishing it can be if you fail to draw the right cards in the right order. Playing characters without items in play means their abilities go to waste. Without many sources of card draw, this deck suffers and can make newer players wonder what they’re doing wrong.

8. Daring and Deception (Emerald/Ruby)

Daring and Deception brings a fun strategy that isn’t usually found within starter decks of TCGs. Interfering with your opponent’s lore and board sounds exciting, and playstyles like this tend to be very competitive in other games. However, this deck is more complex than it is powerful.

It can be tough for beginners to understand what the win conditions of the build are. To make matters worse, Lorcana doesn’t quite have the card library to properly accommodate this strategy yet.

7. A Steadfast Strategy (Sapphire/Steel)

A Steadfast Strategy is filled with some of the biggest characters from the first set of Disney Lorcana. This deck has a rather straightforward goal, and can be satisfying to play if given the right conditions. It contains “tall” cards and the means to maintain board advantage once it has been acquired.

The tricky part of this deck is getting the ball rolling. Most of the strength within the deck lies in high-cost cards that require a stable foundation to be played upon. Beginners will find it tough to understand how to create the ideal conditions for the cards to shine.

6. Madrigal Magic (Amber/Amethyst)

The entire Madrigal family has been added to Lorcana with the Ursula’s Return set. This is a fun deck to play or even to purchase as a gift for any Encanto fans. As a starter deck, it packs a ton of synergy between the family members and each turn feels satisfying to play.

The abilities of the Madrigals cover all sorts of areas, which could be overwhelming to new players at first. This is an excellent deck if you aren’t planning to invest too much into upgrades, since it does a good enough job on its own.

5. Dogged and Dynamic (Amber/Emerald)

Dogged and Dynamic contains a ton of valuable cards and while it doesn’t feel as strong as it should, it can easily be upgraded to a competitive level. Pongo can quickly create a card and board advantage over your opponent, making things sway in your favor due to overwhelming numbers.

However, it feels as though Ravensburger didn’t want to include too many menacing characters for Pongo to cycle into your hand each turn. The deck is still viable as far as starter decks go, but it’s much better as a foundation for a future deck once you’ve put the cards into action and seen how the gears turn.

4. Might and Magic (Amethyst/Steel)

If you’re looking to make your way into competitive Lorcana (or any TCG for that matter), then the Might and Magic starter deck is the perfect introduction to a popular mechanic found in every TCG out there. The deck revolves around the “bounce” mechanic, which returns a character from play back to your hand. While this doesn’t immediately sound useful, the inclusion of characters with “enters play” and “exits play” abilities means you can multiply the uses you get out of each card.

3. Stand Together (Sapphire/Steel)

The Stand Together deck is built around Heroes, and contains many effects that could be considered “plot armor.” The strategy of the deck is straightforward, as new players can simply play whatever cards come into their hand and manage to find success.

The focus on Hero characters means that players are set on to a path and directed where to go. For new players, this is exactly what they need to learn Lorcana with minimal complexity.

2. The Heart of Magic (Amber/Amethyst)

This starter deck was once considered the best, but has lost its throne due to the introduction of increasingly more powerful mechanics each release. The Heart of Magic is a powerfully simple deck that is a fantastic purchase for new players. This deck represents what The First Chapter did best: Showcase the iconic characters of Disney and give the players an engaging TCG.

The Heart of Magic can be played without a grand strategy in mind. You’re able to play menacing characters such as Flotsam and Jetsam, and then bring them back to your hand after being banished with Dr. Facilier – Agent Provocateur. Cinderella and the other Princess cards also bring game-changing synergies to the deck and can lead games on their own.

1. Plenty of Pluck (Ruby/Sapphire)

The Plenty of Pluck starter deck from Into the Inklands is the best entry for players new to Lorcana or TCGs in general. An ideal first deck would contain a majority of the mechanics that Lorcana has to offer while containing many different strategies to explore; Plenty of Pluck checks off both of these boxes.

The deck sports many keywords such as Reckless, Evasive, and Resist. The broad range of abilities included means you have many different options for defeating your opponent. When it comes to the competitive environment, this deck can be the foundation for many different playstyles.