Building Your First Lorcana Deck: Tips for New Collectors
Brand new to trading-card games, or just dipping a toe into Disney Lorcana? This guide is for you! Learn how to build a clean functional first-deck - what cards you need, how much ink to run (what ink is too!) and how to find simple combos that feel fun from the get-go. A solid beginner deck keeps games close, teaches you the rules, and makes every pack you open feel like a win.
Deck Composition Basics
Minimum Deck Size & Card Limits
Your deck must have at least 60 cards, and you can't play more than four copies of any single card. Keeping right at 60 helps you draw your best cards more often, any more and you can dilute your strategy.
Overview of Card Types (Character, Items, Events, Glitter)
- Characters: Your main players, they block, attack and score Lore.
- Items: Give one-time boosts or effects - think of them as surprise helpers
- Events: Sometimes called actions, they are single-use spells, extra card draw, direct Lore gain or removal.
- Glitter (Songs): These cards stay in play and change game rules or buff your team.
Why Balance Matters
Too many spells and you run out of bodies to attack or defend. Too many characters and you lack answers to threats. A good mix - typically around 30-35 characters, 18-20 ink cards, and the rest split between items events and glitter keeps your deck smooth and versatile.
Choosing Your Ink Colours
The Five Ink Colours and Their Playstyles
- Blue (Classic): Solid Balanced cards
- Green (Nature): Big characters and healing
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Red (Valor): Aggro rush and damage
- Yellow (Light): Control tricks and buffing
- Purple (Shadow): Disruption and deck-manipulation
Mono-Colour Vs Two-Colour Splashes
| Mono-Colour | Two-Colour Splash |
| Mono-colour decks are more consistent and easier to pilot than their counterpart. Better for beginners. | Two-Colour decks unlock fun synergies, but need more careful planning. Beginners often start mono-colour, then add a small splash of a second colour once they're comfortable. |
Tips for a Consistent Mana Curve
Match your early, mid and late Ink costs. Aim for about 20% low-cost (1-2 ink), 50% mid-cost (3-5 ink), and 30% high-cost (6+ ink) cards. That way you'll have plays every turn without clogging up on expensive cards you can't afford early.
Selecting Core Characters
Importance of Icons & Keywords
Some characters share keywords like "Teamwork" or "Rise Up", which trigger bonus effects when other cards match they're keyword. Picking a few that sync together can double-up your power without extra effort.
Synergy: Picking Characters That Work Together
If you include a few "Finding Nemo" cards, add Dory and Marlin to get swarm boosts. Building a single story world makes your deck more than just random Disney snapshots.
Starter-Friendly Character Picks
Look for cards with simple stats and clear effects such as:
- Mickey Mouse (Classic): Low cost, solid power
- Simba (Nature): Grows stronger with big creatures.
- Olaf (Light): Draws cards when you play moments of joy.
Adding Items and Events
When to Include Items for Value
Items like "Magic Lamp" or "Pixie Dust" can turn a close fight your way. Slot in 4-6 items that boost your key characters or disrupt opponents at the right moment.
Timing Your Events for Maximum Impact
Events can steal Lore or clear blockers. Dont overload - 2-4 well-timed spells can surprise an opponent without weakening your board presence.
How Many Spell-Effects is too Many?
If spells make up over 25% of your deck, you might run short on characters. Aim for roughly 10-12 events and songs combined ina 60-card deck unless you're building a control-heavy strategy.
Building Your Ink Curve
What the Ink Curve is & Why it's Crucial
Your "Ink curve" is the distribution of Ink costs across your cards. A mooth curve means you'll have plays each turn - no dead draws in the early or late game.
Sample Curves for New Decks
- Mono-Blue Sample
- 10x 1-Ink
- 20x 2-4 Ink
- 10x 5 Ink
- 4x 6+ Ink
- Red Splash Sample
- 8x 1 Ink Red
- 4x 1 Ink Yellow
- 18x 2-4 Ink
- 12x 5-6 Ink
Adjusting Curve after Playtests
Track which turns you felt stuck and why, If you often missed early plays, swap a high-cost card for a 1-2 Ink drop. Conversely, if late-game fizzles, add a big finisher or two. The fun part about making your own decks is seeing your idea come to life! So don't feel disheartened if it isn't working straight away.
Creating Early Synergy & Themes
Thematic Archetypes
- Hero Rush: Fast, low-cost creatures that swarm early - no need for high Ink cards, just overwhelm your opponent!
- Control Splash: Slower, tech-heavy with removal spells and a splash of a second colour for finishers.
Simple Combos to Learn First
Pair "Teamwork" cards with others of the same keyword, or use a song that buffs all "Pirates" alongside cost-efficient pirate characters for an easy combo and synergy boost.
Avoiding Mismatched Cards
Resist the urge to jam every cool card you own. Stick to one or two themes, so your cards lift each other up instead of working against you.
Next Steps: Upgrading Your Deck
Identifying Weak spots
After 10-20 games, you'll spot gaps. Maybe you have too few answers to big threats or no late-game Punch. Trade or buy those specific cards first.
Evolving into Competitive Builds
Start watching tournament or player decklists online. Borrow ideas and tweak them to suit your style and collection.
Transitioning From Casual to Tournament Play
Build a sideboard for common matchups, learn timing rules, and practice best-of-three etiquette. Small upgrades and focused practice unlock big gains. Though remember, if casual is more your speed there is nothing wrong in sticking with that! The main goal of Lorcana is to have fun, not become the best there ever was!
Tools & Resources for Deck Builders
You can join our discord to get some help from our players, look into Lorcana youtube channels or look up decklists online to get a grasp of what veterans are doing with their decks!
We hope this blog was a great help - and if you want do some further reading on Lorcana checkout the blogs below: