Which Into the Inklands Starter Deck is Best?
Which Into the Inklands starter deck is right for you?
You’ve done a critical analysis of both the Amber/Emerald starter deck and the Ruby/Sapphire deck, and answered a few important questions about which is the better deck.
Of course, trading card games are much more subjective than many would give them credit for. Which one you choose will largely be up to you.
What that being said, it’s important to have a few pointers before making up your mind.
Into the Inklands starter decks compared
Key takeaways:
If you’re looking for a deck with a strategy you can use directly out of the box, and one that doesn’t require a ton of work to upgrade, Ruby/Sapphire is your best bet.
On the other hand, if you plan on building your own deck and strategy and just want some solid cards you can use in it, go with Amber/Emerald.
Ruby & Sapphire Starter Deck
Amber & Emerald Starter Deck
One thing you have to give to the Lorcana designers – they like to keep things fresh. Just as there was very little the same about the last two starter decks in Rise of the Floodborn, so too is there very little the same here.
Indeed, these two decks are quite a bit different, and possess their own strengths and weaknesses that make them ideal for very different sorts of Lorcana players.
Let’s get into several core categories and see how the two decks compare. v
Many Lorcana players will be looking to choose the best deck possible when they head into their starter deck tournaments. Still, many more players are going to want to know which deck has the best cards in it to build strong decks for themselves.
Which deck strategy is better?
After careful analysis, we’ve reached a verdict: Ruby/Sapphire is the decisive winner. Although there is only so much consistency these starter decks can muster (given they run the gamut in regards to cards included), Ruby/Sapphire has a surprising amount going for it. Complete with strong challenging characters, and a more cohesive strategy you can get behind, Ruby/Sapphire doesn’t need a massive upgrade in order to be pretty competitive.
Amber/Emerald, however, only has a smattering of cards in it, and a far less cohesive strategy.
Winner: Ruby/Sapphire
Which deck has the stronger standalone cards?
Although many players are looking for a deck that’s close to ready-made, others are buying these decks solely with the aim in mind of harvesting them for their best cards. If all you were looking for is a deck to get a collection of strong cards from, then Amber/Emerald is your better deck.
Amber/Emerald has some pretty impressive cards in it, like the new Tinker Bell – Generous Fairy card that will undoubtedly see much play. It also has an incredibly strong six-cost Robin Hood which can quest for four lore, and an incredibly helpful Kit Cloudkicker card. If that weren’t enough, you can also take advantage of a powerful Peter Pan card that gains lore for you whenever it moves to a location.
Ruby/Sapphire also has some strong cards, most notably Simba – Scrappy Cub and Motunui. However, it functions more as a strong deck when combined, not thanks to a few standout cards.
Winner: Amber/Emerald.
Which Into the Inklands starter deck has the better theme?
Neither deck is fully themed, and both have a collection of various themes included in them. For example, Amber/Emerald has plenty of Dalmation Puppies in it, but several other cards, too, while Ruby/Sapphire leans into the Ducktails IP as well as Moana.
Neither is particularly more themed than the other, though. So this one is a tie.
Winner: Tie
Which deck has better card search/draw support?
Both decks feature solid draw support, and perhaps some of the best draw support and card search we’ve yet seen included in starter decks. Amber/Emerald has a host of cards that allow you to search for characters off the top of the deck, along with six draw actions.
While Ruby/Sapphire has plenty of draw support in the form of the Talisman and the Huey, Dewey and Louie, those effects are more situational and less likely to benefit you.
Winner: Amber/Emerald
Which Into the Inklands starter deck is easier to play?
What is the playability like for both decks? While some people really enjoy a complex deck, there are even skilled and experienced card game players that prefer simple strategies as they can also be more consistent.
When it comes to which of the two decks is more difficult to play, the winner is Ruby/Sapphire hands down. There are way more combos to deal with in that deck, and also location cards play a far more important role in its strategy.
Amber/Emerald, on the other hand, doesn’t require particular combos in order to be used effectively, as most cards work well on their own. Although we’re giving the winer here to this deck, saying a deck is easier to play isn’t always a win. Some people really like complex decks.
Winner: Amber/Emerald
Which deck is more location focused?
Last but not least, while this may seem like an oddly specific question, we figure it’s worth asking. Location cards have been hotly anticipated and many players are going to want to build decks around these new cards to give them a try. If you are really interested in Location cards, then Ruby/Sapphire is the deck you’re going to want to get.
While Amber/Emerald has location cards, its strategy isn’t based on it. Meanwhile, Ruby/Sapphire could be a really good launching point for your own location focused deck.
Winner: Ruby/Sapphire
Which into the Inklands starter deck is best?
While overall Amber/Emerald wins on more of these categories and could be considered the best Into the Inklands starter deck, we would still give the edge to Ruby/Sapphire and it’s quite likely that it will be remembered for being the deck with the best staples in it, similar to the Amethyst/Steel deck before it. Despite Amber/Emerald’s impressive range of cards, the other Into the Inklands starter deck has many things going for it that Amber/Emerald doesn’t, including a more cohesive strategy and a healthy reliance on location cards.
Competitively speaking, the only thing Amber/Emerald has going for it that Ruby/Sapphire doesn’t are more plentiful draw cards. And in a game like Lorcana, that could really could mean the difference between victory and defeat.
No matter which deck you choose, however, you’re sure to get plenty of strong cards that can help you out in building your own Lorcana custom deck. For more info on how to do that, checkout our Disney Lorcana deck building guide.
