Wondering what Lorcana starter deck you should buy?

Lucky for you, Lorcana has been out long enough to have plenty of starter decks on offer, giving you a variety of decks, strategies and Ink combinations to choose from.

In this guide, we’ll be looking at every single Lorcana starter deck released to date, and ranking them from worst to best.

#13 Amber/Amethyst – Ursula’s Return

Despite having a nice theme centered on Encanto, this deck lacks any discernable synergy that can help you in a battle, or even one from which to build your own Lorcana deck.

For that reason, it is the weakest entry to the Lorcana starter deck roster to date. While there are interesting cards in this deck and also interesting mechanics, none of these cards and mechanics work together well, and in some ways they even work against each other. If you really want some of the bits and pieces from this deck to build another deck, or if you really want an Encanto deck and plan on using this starter deck as the basis for it, then it could be a good choice.

Otherwise, you’re probably better off picking a different starter deck from this list.

#12 Ruby & Sapphire – Into the Inklands Starter Deck

When I inititally saw the Ruby/Sapphire deck side-by-side with the other deck that came out in Into the Inklands, I strongly preferred this strategy. It had way more synergy than did the Amber/Emerald starter deck with the puppies.

That being said, overtime I have come to prefer the other starter deck.

This deck, despite having some strong synergy, actually felt very clunky to use, and to date is one of my least favorite starter decks.

That being said, there is undeniably a strong theme to this deck, and if you are interested in a deck with strategy built in from the start rather than a deck with good bits and pieces, then this could be the deck for you.

Items, locations, and characters are all woven into a consistent strategy that’s all about getting characters to Locations, questing, and drawing cards. Despite being a bit clunky, it’s a solid deck that shows us just how powerful Location cards are when used with the right strategy.

#11 Sapphire/Steel – Ursula’s Return

Despite being the stronger of the two starter decks released in Ursula’s Return, Sapphire/Steel is not the greatest of all time. The thing that makes it a weaker entry is the fact that (unlike many of the other decks on this list) it doesn’t actually contain many competitively viable cards.

Indeed, only a few competitive staples are included here, meaning you will have to combine it with staples you already have to make it more competitively viable (more on that in my upgrade guide).

That being said, the deck works surprisingly well on its own with plenty of synergy built in. It’s one of those decks you buy because you want to play the strategy included in it and upgrade it based on that strategy.

Here, the strategy is based on heroes, with card effects and abilities bolstering characters with the hero attribute. It was a really cool idea that panned out to be less fun than I had anticipated.

#10 Shimmering Skies Ruby/Amethyst

This one is on the bottom half of this list simply because its synergy isn’t as good as I had hoped. When I was looking forward to the two Shimmering Skies starter decks, Ruby/Amethyst was the one I was more excited about. Not only is Ruby/Amethyst a staple Ink combination in Lorcana, this deck includes one of the strongest cards in Shimmering Skies right out of the box: Elsa – The Fifth Spirit.

That being said, as a deck itself, it’s not nearly as good as the Emerald/Steel deck that came out this set. However, you could feasibly upgrade this deck into something that’s much stronger as there are some really strong pieces here. It gets high marks as an upgradeable deck but low marks for what it is right out of the box.

Namely Elsa – The Fifth Spirit and the powerful new Library Location card which this deck has three of. It’s worth picking this up for those cards alone.

#9 Amber & Emerald – Into the Inklands Starter Deck

Despite being arguably the greatest set released to date, Into the Inklands doesn’t have the greatest starter decks. Of the two, however, Amber/Emerald is undeniably the more fun. While there’s not a ton of strategy here, there’s plenty to work with as you quest your way and go wide for 20 lore.

This deck works pretty well right out of the box by just giving you a ton of characters to work with, relying less on complicated combos that are unlikely to work in a starter deck format, anyways.

It’s got an incredible number of draw support and card search cards for a starter deck and has some incredibly strong cards. It’s only issue, really, is a lacking of an overarching strategy that makes this deck feel more like a greatest hits album and less like a cohesive strategy.

The good news is, if you are looking for a deck to upgrade, this deck has plenty of fine pieces to help you build a stronger, more competitive Amber/Emerald deck.

#8 Sapphire/Emerald Inventor Starter Deck – Azurite Sea

If this Inventor-themed starter deck has been released in a different set, it might have fared a little better in comparison. Unfotunately, it was released alongside the phenomenal and fun pirate-themed Amber/Ruby starter deck. It’s a far-cry from the fun and synergy of that deck, but it’s not a bad deck by any means. If you are really interested in Big Hero 6 and want to find the basic pieces you need to build a deck around that theme, go ahead and pick this starter deck up.

Otherwise, you might find its counterpart – the pirate-themed starter deck – to be a bit more fun to upgrade and play

#7 Amber & Amethyst – The First Chapter Starter Deck

On the Amethyst side of things, this deck has a lot going for it. Olaf, Pascal, Friends on the Other Side, and Maleficent are all still used in top tier Lorcana decks today. However, it’s definitely lacking on the Amber side of things, with really only Be Our Guest standing out as a competitively viable card, as well as Hades – Lord of the Underworld.

Meanwhile, Friends on the Other Side is a really powerful song card, enabling you to draw extra cards. Because it is a song card, you can play it for free by exerting one of your characters, adding to its strategic value.

Friends on the Other Side

Shop on TCGplayer

In this deck you will find a lot of great staples in this deck directly out of the box that you can then use towards building your own hyper-powerful Amber/Amethyst deck list, or any Amethyst deck for that matter.

#6 Emerald & Ruby – The First Chapter Starter Deck

When I first wrote this list of best Lorcana starter decks way back when the set launched, I had put Ruby/Emerald at the bottom. Today, it’s closer to the top as it’s aged quite well in my memory. To be real, Ruby/Emerald was not only the first starter deck I ever got, it was one of my favorites. The strategy was fun, aggressive, and straightforward.

To make things even better, it included some crazy powerful cards for the time like Dragon’s Fire and Alladdin, Heroic Outlaw – a card that was used in every Ruby deck back then (and is still strong in my opinion).

The only issue with this deck is that it doesn’t have a ton of cards that are still competitively viable today (with a few notable exceptions like Lefou Instigator and Shield of Virtue).

That being said, it stands out as one of the most fun Lorcana starter decks to play directly out of the box.

Mad Hatter – Gracious Host

Shop on TCGplayer

My single favorite card from this starter deck is Mad Hatter – Gracious Host. For only the cost of five, you can play Mad Hatter and use him to quest for three lore. Additionally, he grants you an extra card whenever he is challenged by an opponent. And with four will power, he’s a relatively beefy character given his utility. Last but not least, he’s Inkable, meaning you don’t need to use up valuable uninkable spots for him in your deck.

#5 Amber & Sapphire – Rise of the Floodborn Starter Deck

If you are new to the world of Lorcana, this is starter deck is a great option to pick up. Online you can get it for really cheap right now, and it comes chock-full of strong cards. The only downside to this particular deck is that it’s hard to upgrade it into a really competitive one as Amber/Sapphire is not a particularly strong ink combination right now. That being said, there are great bones here and it’s a really fun deck, while many of the cards included here like Hiram Flaversham or The Queen can be used to power up your other decks.

The Queen – Commanding Presence is this deck’s strongest card

The Queen – Commanding Presence is a pretty phenomenal card. She can shift for two-cost, quest for two lore, and has a fantastic ability with a lot of potential. While she doesn’t cost a lot online, I’d reccomend just picking up this deck and using it for the basis of other deck building. It has fantastic cards, comes with a booster pack, and is available at a great price.

#4 Shimering Skies Starter Deck – Emerald/Steel

I don’t know what it is about Steel starter decks but it’s hard for Lorcana to get them wrong. The Emerald/Steel deck from Shimmering Skies, however, stands out from other decks in the way it uniquely draws on the cards revealed in the fifth set to help build up your board presence and damage characters.

Damage ping is a deck strategy that’s long been supported but far less frequently played, so it’s nice to see a starter deck that leans into it.

Competitively speaking, I was impressed with this deck. It was the strongest and felt the smoothest of any of the starter decks since the phenomenal Amethyst/Steel starter deck way back in Rise of the Floodborn.

If you are at all interested in building your own custom damage ping deck, I’d recommended getting started here with this deck.

#3 Sapphire & Steel – The First Chapter Starter Deck

2 Jasmine - Disguised
2 Magic Golden Flower
2 Frying Pan
2 One Jump Ahead
1 Maui - Demigod
3 Aurora - Regal Princess
3 Develop Your Brain
2 Gramma Tala - Storyteller
2 Smash
2 Flounder - Voice of Reason
1 Simba - Returned King
3 Coconut Basket
2 Prince Eric - Dashing and Brave
2 Kristoff - Official Ice Master
2 Hercules - True Hero
1 Aurora - Dreaming Guardian
3 Aurora - Briar Rose
1 Scar - Mastermind
3 Fire the Cannons!
3 Captain Hook - Forceful Duelist
1 Maleficent - Uninvited
2 Beast - Hardheaded
3 Maleficent - Sinister Visitor
2 Goons - Maleficent's Underlings
2 Ransack
2 Mufasa - King of the Pride Lands
3 Mickey Mouse - Detective
1 Grab Your Sword
2 Simba - Rightful Heir

Sapphire/Steel was the ink combination I played for all of The First Chapter, so it will always hold a special place in my heart. As a starter deck, this one is remarkable for many reasons. It’s got a solid collection of cards that makes it really possible to build a competitive deck from, including the phenomenal Grab Your Sword. While this deck is somewhat out of date now that Rise of the Floodborn has come out, it’s still a fantastic option for players looking to build a strong Sapphire/Steel deck on a budget.

Grab Your Sword – Song

Shop on TCGplayer

While there are many strong cards in this deck, arguably the strongest is Grab Your Sword. It is a staple in many competitive decks, and pretty awesome that such a powerful card is included in a starter deck.

Read more about our experience playing this starter deck.

#2 Amber/Ruby Pirate Deck – Azurite Sea

The Amber/Ruby Pirate-themed starter deck is the most fun starter deck of them all. While it only takes second place because it’s not quite as strong as the #1 spot, it’s got a lot going for it. It’s the most cohesive of all the starter decks so far, with only a few spare parts that don’t go along with the core strategy (cards which are easily replaced). The theming actually works for once, and six sets deep we finally have enough pirate cards in the game to build an actual deck around that classification.

Oddly enough, the two characters on the front of this box have very little to do with this deck’s strongest plays. The deck functions as more of a location/evasive/aggro deck and not really one that has the time or privaledge of playing a high-cost character like Jim Hawkins – Honorable pirate.

Meanwhile, some of the characters you get in this deck and the synergies between other cards are down-right fun to play. If your primary aim in buying a starter deck is to have something fun and relatively easy to play, this is your best bet. When the Amber/Ruby starter deck is upgraded, it can also be quite strong, too.

#1 Amethyst & Steel is the Best Lorcana Starter Deck

The Amethyst/Steel starter deck from Rise of the Floodborn is still the best Lorcana starter deck right now. It would be hard to cover all the phenomenal cards this deck has to offer briefly because there are so many. However, suffice it to say that this starter deck introduces one of the strongest mechanics in the game right now – the unofficially coined bounce mechanic.

The strategy here revolves largely around the Madam Mim and Merlin characters, and bouncing those characters back into your hand to gain strategic advantage, additional cards, and lore.

I highly recommend this deck for anyone eager to learn the latest and greatest mechanics to come out of Lorcana, as well as to anyone looking to upgrade Amethyst/Steel into a stronger deck.

Every Disney Lorcana Starter Deck, Ranked