Disney Lorcana · Set 5 Starter Deck
Shimmering Skies Amethyst & Ruby: Upgrade Guide
Elsa and Wreck-It Ralph lead a tempo deck that exerts opposing characters, clears them with Rush, and quests with Evasive characters.
At a glance
Amethyst & Ruby · Exert and quest
How it plays out of the box
Exerted characters can be challenged and can't stop your questers, so this deck exerts as many as it can. Anna and Elsa tap the opposing board, Rush characters attack it the same turn, and Olaf arrives cheap afterward.
It's one of the strongest starters. Big turns like Anna into Olaf can swing a game, and you need to sequence them, which is why it isn't the easiest.
The cards on the box
Elsa - The Fifth Spirit
Shimmering Skies #48
Rush and Evasive, and exerts an opposing character when played.
Wreck-It Ralph - Demolition Dude
Shimmering Skies #104
Gains 1 lore per damage on him whenever he readies.
Other cards to know
The rating: power 4, difficulty 3
Big exert turns that swing games, with enough sequencing to reward practice.
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 without Rush, Evasive or an exert effect. Everything else in the deck works off those three.
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: Evasive tempo
Amethyst and Ruby added more Rush and Evasive characters in later sets, including a card that gives your whole team Evasive.
Peter Pan & Tinker Bell - Fast Friends
Attack of the Vine! #60
A dual-ink Amethyst and Ruby character: all your characters gain Evasive.
Sven - Leaping Reindeer
Winterspell #60
Rush, Evasive and Challenger +3.
Dash Parr - Lava Runner
Wilds Unknown #61
Rush, and can quest the turn he's played.
Dash Parr - Super Fast
Attack of the Vine! #109
Shift 3, Evasive, and may play the top card of your deck when he quests.
Upgrade direction 2: Lore pressure
Ruby can make opponents lose lore, which shortens games the deck is already winning on board.
Scrooge McDuck - Ebenezer Scrooge
Winterspell #124
Each opponent loses 1 lore when he quests, and you draw for each lore lost.
Olaf - Snowman of Action
Winterspell #122
Cheaper for each action in your discard; opponents lose 2 lore when he's played.
Pocahontas - Following the Wind
Winterspell #42
Quests for another exerted character's lore.
Dragon Fire
Whispers in the Well #133
Banish chosen character.
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 Amethyst & Ruby deck → The link goes through our TCGplayer affiliate link; see our affiliate disclosure.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Elsa starter deck one of the best?
We rate it among the strongest starters, at power 4. Exerting the opposing board and then attacking it is a strong plan even without upgrades.
What does exerting a character do?
An exerted character is turned sideways. It can't quest or challenge until it readies at the start of its owner's turn, and exerted characters are the only ones that can be challenged.
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.
Create Free AccountDisney Lorcana card names and images are the property of Disney and Ravensburger and their respective owners. ©Disney. TurnZero HQ is not affiliated with, sponsored, or endorsed by Disney or Ravensburger. Card data and prices come from Lorcast, which republishes TCGplayer market prices.