All images courtesy of Ravensburger
The first weekend of Disney Lorcana Set Championships for Azurite Sea is in the books.
Following the North American Championships, players are taking the top performing decks from one of Lorcana‘s biggest tournaments and battling it locally. They’re quickly learning that just because decks like Ruby/Sapphire or Ruby/Amethyst do well on the big stage doesn’t translate to local success.
Set Championships are a great event because it’s a balance of local Lorcana in a competitive environment. Many players bring their favorite decks in hopes of doing well rather than picking the best deck in the format. As a result, it can sometimes be tricky to choose a good deck for Set Championships. A lot of tournament decks are designed for tournament environments, which means they can fall victim to some rogue decks that don’t always appear at a Disney Lorcana Challenge.
With that in mind, here are five decks you can bring to your local Set Championship and do well with, even if they’re not viewed as one of the best decks in the game.
Emerald/Amethyst
Despite being the top seed of the Disney Lorcana North American Championship, Emerald/Amethyst didn’t perform to expectations at the tournament. It’s often joked that the overperformance of European players doing well with it inflates the deck’s viability in the meta.
Whether or not that’s true is not for me to say. Having said that, Emerald/Amethyst is an excellent choice for an event like Set Championships. Its deck construction gives it the flexibility to perform against virtually every deck in the room, whether it’s a meta or off-meta deck. Is it stronger than the other decks we’ll discuss? Sure, but also it can easily fall victim to the best decks in the room.
Between early aggression thanks to cards like Cursed Merfolk, the tempo gained by the Amethyst bounce package, and a top end from shift characters like Pegasus – Cloud Racer and Ursula – Sea Witch Queen, Emerald/Amethyst has all the tools needed to win you a Scar – Heartless Hunter promo while still being a blast to play. It’s the perfect choice for those who enjoy winning and playing a fun deck.
Amber/Amethyst Aggro
It seems like with every new set for Disney Lorcana, everyone tries to to make aggro happen. With the recent introduction of Daisy Duck – Donald’s Date and Genie – Wish Fulfiled, aggro has become stronger as an archetype despite still having issues at major events.
Set Championships, however, are the perfect place to take people by surprise who may not be expecting it.
This build from Chris Andersen combines the strengths of the Amethyst package with the aggressive nature of Amber cards like Daisy Duck and Piglet – Pooh Pirate Captain. Finishers like Mufasa – Betrayed Leader and Chernabog – Evildoer can also help you close out games you otherwise couldn’t. I love the inclusion of Baloo – von Bruinwald XIII here, too. It’s so good at protecting your threats while also gaining lore.
Compared to aggro decks, this deck also ensures you get some value out of your one-drops. They may not gain as much lore as something like Maleficent – Biding Her Time, but they can draw you cards or take multiple hits.
Sapphire/Steel
Reports of Sapphire/Steel’s demise may have been exaggerated.
It’s no longer a top-tier deck in Disney Lorcana, but playing powerful cards like Beast – Tragic Hero, Cogsworth – Grandfather Clock, and Robin Hood – Champion of Sherwood is still fun.
The deck has seen a fundamental change in its design philosophy. Previous editions centered around a similar endgame goal as Ruby/Sapphire: ramp into the late game, drop a Lucky Dime, and pick up lore value from Tamatoa – So Shiny or Ariel – Treasure Collector. The problem is that Ruby/Sapphire plays the control shell better thanks to its inclusion of Be Prepared.
Sapphire/Steel has thrown the ramp and Lucky Dime package, instead taking on the role of a midrange deck. New cards such as Baymax – Armored Companion and Alice – Savvy Sailor can quest for two lore while protecting your biggest threats, letting you easily transition to the late game, where Gantu – Captain Crankyhead and McDuck Manor can close out games.
Amber/Ruby Mufasa
Some Disney Lorcana fans always try to make Mufasa work. Their hard work is sometimes rewarded with a victory, especially during the Set Championship season.
This version of Mufasa feels balanced throughout all the stages of the game. There are two plans of action here: use Doc – Leader of the Seven Dwarfs and Gaston – Despicable Dealer to deploy a turn-four Mustafa. Or, thanks to the inclusion of Flynn Rider – Frenemy, you can play the tempo game early to get a lore advantage on your opponent.
Past versions of the deck have tried to either maximize value off your Mufasa triggers or ensure that you can always play your cards throughout the game. This list balances the two: you have plenty to do early game while still able to get maximum value by playing Maleficent – Monstrous Dragon or Chernabog -Evildoer for free.
Jafar Wheel
We regret to inform you that it is Jafar.
Since the debut of Jafar – Striking Illusionist in set three, everyone has tried to make the Jafar/A Whole New World combo work. In short, the deck involves using characters like Jafar, Robin Hood, and Mickey Mouse – Playful Sorcerer to sing Whole New World with Jafar exerted. Ideally, you can chain some together, and since Jafar says you gain one lore when you draw a card, you use this combo to gain 20 lore without questing.
The issue is the deck’s consistency. As a combo deck, you want to answer every threat your opponent plays while setting up your combo. Unfortunately, the Disney Lorcana card pool doesn’t quite allow that without flaws.
Normally, people focus on filling the deck with removal options to help ensure they can get to the combo portion of their deck. The above list, however, does not care what your opponent is doing. You have one goal outside of a handful of removal spells: draw cards and gain lore, even including Gathering Knowledge and Wisdom.
Is this decklist pretty? No. Is it good? Probably not. Is it fun to actually pull off a combo in Lorcana? You bet it is.
Want to see what’s coming up next in Lorcana? Check out our 2025 release schedule to stay on top of all upcoming expansions.
