The Lorcana Meta Is Already Settling, And I Don't Like It

Aug 11, 2023

Right now, a Control deck is at the top of the Lorcana meta, which the co-designer himself says is not ideal for the game.

Disney Lorcana has been out for just over a week and, unsurprisingly, the meta is already firmly set in stone… sort of. I’ll always say it’s too early to say that the meta has stabilized until a set has been out for at least a month, but given the sheer number of reports of one deck dominating tournament after tournament this past weekend - and the fact that we’ve had the full set list since the end of July - it seems pretty clear that the Ruby/Amethyst ‘Elsa Control’ deck is going to be the dominant, best-in-format deck until the next set releases in November.

The Elsa Control deck is pretty straightforward, it runs early and mid-game control cards like Rafiki, Mysterious Sage, Maui, Hero to All, and Dragon Fire to control the board while it builds up its inkwell, then it drops bombs like Elsa, Spirit of Winter, Maleficent, Monstrous Dragon, and Aladdin, Heroic Outlaw to continue locking down the opponent’s board until they run out of steam. It uses a variety of card draw tools like The Queen, Wicked and Vain, Magic Mirror, Maleficent, Sorceress, and Friends on the Other Side to refill your hand while your opponent’s resources dwindle late into the game, and it almost always runs four copies of Be Prepared for full board wipes as early as turn five with a shifted Aladdin, Heroic Outlaw.

Some versions add Magic Broom to retrieve high-value cards like Be Prepared from your discard, as well as Mickey Mouse, Wayward Sorcerer for the mid-game synergy. Some add Shield of Virtue to help keep Aladdin and Maui on the board longer. Some even run a couple copies of Ursula, Power Hungry, a big body that quests for three lore and removes one from all opponents. But no matter the variation, the one thing all versions of this deck have in common is that they’re incredibly difficult to beat.

Related: The Lorcana Robbery Proves Once Again That Shiny Cardboard Brings Out The Worst In People

At a 39-player, $1K tournament in Tennessee this weekend, three of the top four decks were Ruby/Amethyst control (though one ran four Ursula and no Elsa). Lorcana players across Twitter and Discord reported the deck dominating their local events too. On Pixelborn, the unofficial digital version of Lorcana, the deck is being played in half of the top 100 players’ games.

The secondary market reflects the deck’s popularity too. Sitting at $52.29 currently, Elsa, Spirit of Winter is one of the most expensive cards in the set, and its average price has been steadily increasing throughout the week. Other staples like Be Prepared at Maui are averaging around $10, making them the most expensive rares, other than Kuzco, Temperamental Emperor (more on him later). With so many legendary cards, Elsa Control is not only the best deck, but also the most expensive. Purchasing singles to build this deck would cost a little over $700. You might think that would deter players, especially this soon after release, but it's clear that people are playing this deck, and finding success.

It’s not great news when a control deck is at the top of the meta. This deck style is designed to hold down your opponent and stop them from getting anything to stick on the board, which can be frustrating to play against. Control decks also make games last much longer, extending the misery for your opponents. You don’t have to take my word for it, here’s what Lorcana brand manager and co-designer Ryan Miller says about control decks in the meta during our recent interview:

“Control is a strategy that’s common in a lot of different games. A control deck is one that mucks with your opponent either by mucking with what they have in play or keeping them from playing it all together. And it’s not super fun to play against, it’s not super fun. But it’s kind of an important deck to have out there, you just don’t want it to be the top deck. By having control it keeps other types of decks in check, and that’s where you get a robust environment where lots of types of decks are viable.”

Unfortunately, at least for now, it looks like control is going to be the top deck through The First Chapter. That’s not to say it’s unbeatable. The aforementioned Kuzco is an important anti-control card, thanks to his Ward keyword that lets him dodge Dragon Fire, Elsa, and Maleficent, as well as his No Touchy ability that allows him to trade favorable against almost anything Elsa Control can throw at it. A hyper-aggressive Amber/Emerald deck can outpace the relatively slow Elsa deck, but it relies on near perfect draw to squeak out a quick win before the opponent stabilizes. The best hope we have against the Ruby Amethyst deck is to fight fire with fire by playing another Amethyst deck that can keep up with Elsa Control’s draw power. Of course that means both players will be playing a lot of the same cards, and indeed, the most popular counter to Elsa Control right now is an Elsa Control deck with a few tech cards that make it stronger in the mirror match.

Players are still looking for the answer. There’s a mill-style Steel deck that uses A Whole New World to try to force the opponent to draw their entire deck, which automatically makes them lose, but you can simply add more cards to your deck to avoid this. An Amber/Emerald deck can use actions like You Have Forgotten Me, Flynn Rider, and Sudden Chill to force their opponent to discard, which might get them to drop their Be Prepared or Elsa they’ve been holding for a big swing turn. There might be other strategies just waiting to be discovered too, but it seems unlikely that the deck will fall from the top spot at this point.

As Miller says, a healthy meta is one where lots of types of decks are viable, but a dominant control deck is just too oppressive. No one wants to go to their local game store and see everyone playing a different version of the same deck, especially when that deck needs 12 of the most expensive legendary cards. Whether the second chapter will give us tools to overcome Ruby/Amethyst or just make it stronger remains to be seen, but all I can say is it’s hard out here for a Big Tink lover. Mid-range gang is in shambles right now, and we need some help.

Next: You Really Don't Want To Expose The Lorcana Deck Boxes To Sunlight, Trust Me

Eric Switzer is Features Editor that specializes in Pokemon, VR, and tech coverage. He is also the host of TheGamer Podcast, now entering its second year. Eric loves board games, fan conventions, new technology, and his sweet sweet kitties Bruce and Babs. Favorite games include Destiny 2, Kingdom Hearts, Super Metroid, and Prey...but mostly Prey. His favorite Pokémon is Umbreon.