Lorcana Meta Report – Shimmering Skies Week 2
Now that Shimmering Skies has been out for well over a week, we can take our first glimpse at the competitive landscape and meta game, broken down by percentages. This info is gathered from our friends over at Inkdecks where they keep track of actual tournament records and deck lists.
Lorcana Ink Combos by Play Share
Lorcana metagame analysis breakdown
So that’s some interesting data, but what insights can we infer from the current Lorcana meta? Well, actually quite a bit! The meta has shifted greatly since Shimmering Skies (as expected) and the playing field seems greatly varied from where it was just weeks ago.
Amber steel has become massively popular
I highlighted Amber/Steel as the best Lorcana deck but perhaps most popular would be a more accurate moniker. Clearly Amber/Steel fans have missed playing this deadly combo during the several months Emerald/Steel edged it out of competitive play.
Sapphire/Amethyst is the preferred control deck
Outside of the still wildly popular Ruby/Sapphire control deck, Sapphire/Amethyst is slightly edging out Ruby/Amethyst as the preferred Amethyst control deck. I don’t know if that will remain the case, but likely what is driving that right now is the fact that there are a ton of new strategies supporting this strategy. Meanwhile, Ruby/Amethyst control has remained largely unchanged since the last set.
This could change if Ruby/Amethyst takes more high profile wins in the weeks to come. However, there appears to be a diehard Blurple fandom willing to give this Ink combo credence.
Hyper Aggro has gained popularity just as people thought
I saw a post on X where someone insinuated that the hype around aggro turned out to be all bluster. However, that doesn’t seem to be the case. Indeed, for the first time in a longtime, hyper aggro is one of the most popular Lorcana decks in the meta.
Emerald/Steel discard has largely fallen out of the game
Whether it was simply the Bucky nerf that did it or just players not wanting to sport the deck after its utter dominance last season, truth-be-told Emerald/Steel discard is taking up a miniscule amount of the play share right now in comparison to its former popularity. Right now it is hovering around 4%. I expect that number to increase overtime, however, people realize that Emerald/Steel Discard is still a decent strategy even without Bucky.
Why isn’t Sapphire/Steel more popular?
Given Amber/Steel’s popularity in the meta, it’s surprising to me that Sapphire/Steel isn’t more dominant. Doesn’t Sapphire/Steel have a strong edge over its counterpart given Cogsworth’s Resist ability?
I would expect Sapphire/Steel to gain ground in the meta overtime as people get tired of Amber/Steel running the show. Then again, Ruby/Sapphire has a favorable matchup against Amber/Steel (although recent cards like Pete – Referee have narrowed that gap) so maybe players are just opting for Ruby/Sapphire instead, hence the high meta share for that deck?
Actionable takeaways from this Lorcana meta analysis
Now that we’ve broken the current state of the Lorcana metagame down, what actionable takeaways can you get from this info?
For starters, I would say you really don’t need to worry about discard for the most part. Unless your local scene loves running discard cards, that strategy isn’t nearly the powerhouse it was last set. That means cards like Magica De Spell – Cruel Sorceress aren’t necessary right now to stop that strategy.
Secondly, I would think long and hard about how to deal with Steelsong. That deck is running the show right now and it’s not nearly impervious. How are you going to deal with things like early game singing from Cinderella – Ballroom Sensation? What can you do to shut off songs to the best of your ability? Can you counter with your own Pete if you are running Steel or can you run Ursula – Sea Witch Queen if you are playing Amethyst?
Although Amber/Steel might be dominant right now, overall the meta is quite mixed and healthy, and shaping up to be a lot more fun than it has been in a while!
