Disney Lorcana is a fantastic TCG to cut your teeth on and can be a great game for casual play. If you’re looking for more than that, we’ve got you sorted with the top four meta decks in the competitive Lorcana scene.
The game has exploded onto the TCG scene and has been picking up steam at an astonishing rate. In part due to its fast-paced release schedule but there’s also the nostalgic allure of a massive range of beloved IP.
Of course, for some players, all that matters is Disney Lorcana’s tight gameplay and interesting mechanics. Most players will start their Lorcana journey with a starter deck but if you want to stay up to date with the competition, you’ll need to build your own.
This guide will go over the top four meta decks used in competitive Lorcana so you can figure out what to aim for. We’ll have a full deck list for each of the best meta decks in Disney Lorcana as well as some info on how they play.
Disney Lorcana meta decks: Emerald/Steel Discard
The dreaded Emerald/Steel Discard deck is considered by many of Disney Lorcana’s top players to be the strongest meta deck in the game right now. It’s been seen placing in a ton of unofficial tournaments and even took the top spot at the Disney Lorcana Challenge (DLC) in Chicago.
The deck we have here is from DLC Chicago winner Brian Courtade, known in the community as ‘Th3RaT’. This deck can feel very oppressive to play against thanks to its centerpiece Bucky – Squirrel Squeak Tutor.
Bucky forces your opponent to discard every time you play a Floodborn character and his Ward makes him troublesome to remove. It’s why you’ll see so many in this deck. Diablo – Devoted Herald functions as a fantastic draw engine, even if they’re only available briefly. They Trigger Bucky’s discard and opponents are forced to answer them.
Aladdin – Brave Rescuer can disrupt opponents who rely on items while Robin Hood – Champion of Sherwood helps remove threats and gains Lore for doing so. Each time you play one of these cards, your opponent is losing tools as you gain them meaning they’re forced to rely on luck.
Flynn Rider – His own Biggest fan can quest for a hefty four Lore as a closer, provided your opponent’s hand is empty, which it usually is. Tech options like Ursula – Deceiver allow you to see your opponent’s hand and remove threatening Songs while Hidden Cove – Tranquil Haven safeguards your weaker cards from various removal tools.
The deck is relatively easy to pilot thanks to the near-automatic synergy of many pieces but there is still an element of knowing what to play against who. In our own experience, there are few easier ways to pick up a win than by playing this Disney Lorcana meta deck.
Update: Starting from August 9, 2024, Bucky – Squirrel Squeak Tutor has become the first Disney Lorcana card to receive an errata. He’s been subject to a massive nerf that has increased his Ink cost, removed his Ward keyword, and altered his ability so that players must Shift Floodborn characters to trigger his discard.
The change has drastically altered Bucky’s competitive viability and it’s very likely he will not be included in Emerald/Steel Discard decks from this point on. As such, the shape of the entire deck will change as Floodborn characters become less important to its makeup.
Emerald/Steel Discard did have a previous iteration that found a place in the Into the Inklands meta for Disney Lorcana but it remains to be seen if it will return. Once more data is available from competitive events in the Shimmering Skies era, we’ll be sure to update this list.
Disney Lorcana meta decks: Ruby/Amethyst Bounce Control
A staple since the very first set of Disney Lorcana, Ruby/Amethyst Bounce Control (though it’s sliding towards mid-range) has consistently evolved with each iteration of the game. It places consistently in the top eight of the major DLCs and even took the crown at DLC Bochum.
The decklist we have here belongs to DLC Bochum winner Théotime Buchot who played in a mirror match against another Ruby/Amethyst deck in the finals. Hopefully, that’s an indicator of just how strong this color combo is.
As with most Amethyst decks, we see the Merlin/Mim bounce package which offers a range of situational tools along with the ever-present threat of a Fox rush. This will see you through the earlier part of the game as you build out your Inkwell.
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At the tail end you have hard removal threats like Lady Tremaine – Imperious Ruler, Madam Medusa – The Boss, and Maui – Hero to All. What differentiates Buchot’s deck is the inclusion of Ji Hawkins – Space Farer.
The Queen’s Castle Location card has become a core part of the Ruby/Amethyst strategy but playing it can feel like a struggle at four ink when you have options like Merlin’s Goat or Rabbit form. Fortunately, Jim Hawkins allows you to play it for free and move him there. This frees up your inkwell to move other characters there giving you a massive card draw advantage and two Lore a turn.
This Disney Lorcana meta deck does require some focus and situational awareness to pilot. If you know what you’re doing and play the correct lines, it’s hard to beat.
Disney Lorcana meta decks: Ruby/Sapphire Control
Remember when we said that many of the top Lorcana players consider Emerald/Steel Discard to be the strongest competitive deck? Well, the rest of them think it’s Ruby/Sapphire Control.
Ideally, you’ll want to aggressively mulligan to fill your hand with low-cost items and the numerous ramp tools on offer. When playing this deck, it’s not unusual to see no characters on your board until your fourth turn. Depending on how your luck pans out, however, you could have 7 or more ink by that point.
Items like Pawpsicle replace themselves early on while Iceblock softens targets for certain removal plays. Both give fuel to Hiram Flaversham – Toymaker who can banish items on play and Questing which allows you to draw two cards. Ideally, many of the cards you draw will be Songs like One Jump Ahead and How Far I’ll Go to give you a massive Inkwell.
With all that Ink, you can easily play Ruby’s suite of hard removal options including the infamous Be Prepared or Sisu – Empowered Sibling to annihilate your opponent’s board. If you can flood your own board with cheap items in the late game, Tamatoa – So Shiny becomes a Lore machine, particularly when paired with Lucky Dime.
If you feel like getting your opponent’s hopes up and then winning the game in two or three turns, this Disney Lorcana meta deck is for you.
Disney Lorcana meta decks: Sapphire/Steel Item Ramp
Very similar to our previous deck, Sapphire/Steel Item ramp has a slightly slower early game before producing 10 Lore a turn. It is often found among the top-cut of organised play events though we have yet to see it take the crown.
The strategy is very similar to Ruby/Sapphire Control including Hiram’s draw engine via Pawpsicle and Fortisphere. It has the same ramp package with One Jump Ahead, How Far I’ll Go, and Fishbone Quill. Even Tamatoa makes an appearance as a potential closer with Lucky Dime.
Where this deck differs is in a wider suite of Characters. Fielding more characters like Robin Hood – Champion of Sherwood early allows you to slow down aggro decks with favorable Challenges. Cogsworth – Grandfather Clock also adds some survivability to your key pieces.
Rather than the hard removal of Ruby, you get Steel’s direct damage which can play a similar role. The Tinkerbell – Giant Fairy with Grab Your Sword combo is basically a Be Prepared. Along Came Zeus and Rise of the Titans allow tech for Locations that have made a bit of a comeback.
As an alternative game ender, we see Belle – Strange But Special who quests for five Lore if you have 10 ink or more (you will). Pair her with Lucky Dime and it’s game over.
Those are Disney Lorcana’s Top 4 meta decks. Known colloquially as the Big Four. Of course, every player has their own variations and different tech options which will vary depending on their local meta. We’ve also seen various off-meta dark horses clinch major tournaments as well.
Still, they’re a great place to start when building for competitive play. If you’re looking for more tips for your early Lorcana journey, check out our guide on the six Ink Colors and their possible combos, or how to upgrade one of Ursula’s Return’s Starter Decks into a potential meta contender.