Disney Lorcana · Set 8 Starter Deck
Reign of Jafar Ruby & Steel: Upgrade Guide
Mulan and Stitch lead the most aggressive starter: Mushu gives every new character Rush, and Stitch draws and gains lore off every fight he wins.
At a glance
Ruby & Steel · Aggro
How it plays out of the box
Every character attacks. Mulan can challenge characters that aren't even exerted, Mushu lets anything you play attack the turn it arrives, and Stitch keeps your hand full as he wins fights.
It's simple: challenge whatever you can, quest when nothing's left. That makes it one of the easiest decks to pilot and one of the strongest out of the box.
The cards on the box
Mulan - Charging Ahead
Reign of Jafar #141
Dual-ink. Reckless, Evasive on your turn, and can challenge ready characters.
Stitch - Alien Troublemaker
Reign of Jafar #200
Draw a card and gain 1 lore whenever he banishes a character on your turn.
Other cards to know
Mushu - Your Worst Nightmare
Reign of Jafar #142
Dual-ink Shift 4. Your other characters gain Rush, Reckless and Evasive when played.
Light the Fuse
Reign of Jafar #149
1 damage per exerted character you have.
The Sword of Shan-Yu
Reign of Jafar #152
Ready a character, which can then challenge again.
The rating: power 4, difficulty 2
Fast and easy to play, with challengers that also draw cards.
Both numbers are TurnZero HQ's own editorial read, not an official Ravensburger rating. Power compares the deck out of the box against the other starter decks, not against a tuned tournament list. Difficulty is how much the deck asks of the person playing it.
What to cut first
Cut characters that can't challenge well and anything that costs 6 or more apart from Mushu.
A Lorcana deck needs at least 60 cards, no more than 4 copies of a card with the same full name, and at most two inks, so every card you add means one you take out. The deck building rules →
Upgrade direction 1: More challengers
Ruby and Steel kept getting challenge payoffs, including a legendary pairing in these inks.
Dash Parr & Violet Parr - Super Siblings
Attack of the Vine! #133
A dual-ink Ruby and Steel character with Evasive and Resist +1 that draws off cards under it.
Shere Khan - Menacing Predator
Fabled #104
Gain 1 lore whenever your characters challenge.
Lilo - Best Explorer Ever
Fabled #174
Challenger +2 for your other characters when played.
Pluto - Steel Champion
Whispers in the Well #191
2 lore whenever another Steel character banishes in a challenge.
Upgrade direction 2: Reach and removal
When the board stalls, damage that doesn't need a challenge finishes the job.
Strength of a Raging Fire
Fabled #201
Damage equal to your character count, high in this deck.
He Hurled His Thunderbolt
Whispers in the Well #197
4 damage to a character, free with a cost-4 singer.
Next Stop, Olympus
Whispers in the Well #129
Readies a character for another challenge and a lore.
Angela - Night Warrior
Winterspell #187
Challenger +2 and Resist +2.
Core or Infinity
As of October 2026, this deck is not legal in Core Constructed as sold, because Core uses sets 9 (Fabled) onward. A card counts as Core-legal when any printing with its full name is, so the cards from this box that were reprinted in Fabled or later can still be played there. The whole deck is legal in Infinity Constructed, which allows every set, and at any kitchen table.
Every upgrade pick on this page is from set 9 or later, so all of them are Core-legal. Core Constructed vs. Infinity →
Buying the sealed deck? Search TCGplayer for the Ruby & Steel deck → The link goes through our TCGplayer affiliate link; see our affiliate disclosure.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the strongest Lorcana starter deck?
Out of the box we rate Reign of Jafar Ruby and Steel, Shimmering Skies Amethyst and Ruby, Fabled Emerald and Ruby, and Whispers in the Well Sapphire and Steel at power 4. Ruby and Steel is the easiest of them to pilot.
Can Mulan - Charging Ahead quest?
No. She's Reckless, so she can't quest and must challenge each turn if able. Her lore value is 0.
Build the upgraded deck in TurnZero HQ.
Add the deck to the Deck Lab, make your swaps, and it checks the list against Core Constructed or Infinity as you go. Publish it to share the link. Free to start.
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