Disney Lorcana · Set 10 Starter Deck
Whispers in the Well Sapphire & Steel: Upgrade Guide
Judy Hopps and Robin Hood lead a Detective deck that finds its own pieces, ramps its inkwell and picks off characters with Robin Hood's arrows.
At a glance
Sapphire & Steel · Detective tribal
How it plays out of the box
Nearly everything is a Detective, so Judy - Uncovering Clues reliably finds more, and Mickey ramps you ahead on ink. Robin Hood chips away at the opposing board every time he quests.
It's consistent and easy to play: play Detectives, quest, and let them find each other. It's among the strongest starters and fully Core-legal.
The cards on the box
Judy Hopps - Uncovering Clues
Whispers in the Well #156
Looks at the top 3 for a Detective when played and whenever she quests.
Robin Hood - Ephemeral Archer
Whispers in the Well #171
Boost 1. With a card under him, deals 1 damage to up to 2 characters when he quests.
Other cards to know
Mickey Mouse - Detective
Whispers in the Well #160
Puts the top card of your deck into your inkwell when played.
Judy Hopps - On the Case
Whispers in the Well #137
With another Detective, puts an item into its owner's inkwell.
Pluto - Clever Cluefinder
Whispers in the Well #157
Returns an item from your discard with a Detective in play.
The rating: power 4, difficulty 2
Consistent, easy to pilot and fully Core-legal, with built-in ramp and repeatable damage.
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 the few non-Detective characters first, since Judy can't find them.
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: Detective payoffs
Whispers in the Well printed more Detective payoffs than the box holds. Add them.
Judy Hopps - Lead Detective
Whispers in the Well #150
Shift 4. Your Detectives gain Alert and Resist +2 on your turn.
Nick Wilde - Persistent Investigator
Whispers in the Well #187
Shift 3. Draw whenever a Detective banishes in a challenge.
Angela - Night Warrior
Winterspell #187
Challenger +2 and Resist +2 for a character.
Darkwing Duck & Launchpad - St. Canard's Finest
Attack of the Vine! #165
Ward, and 2 lore per character it banishes in a challenge.
Upgrade direction 2: Add control
Sapphire and Steel removal handles the threats Detectives can't challenge profitably.
Let It Go
Winterspell #163
Puts any character into its owner's inkwell.
Strength of a Raging Fire
Fabled #201
Damage equal to your character count.
Windstorm
Attack of the Vine! #203
Clears small and Evasive characters.
Belle - Snowfield Strategist
Winterspell #158
Ramps off your banished characters.
Core or Infinity
As of October 2026, this deck is legal in Core Constructed, which uses sets 9 (Fabled) onward. It is also legal in Infinity Constructed, which allows every set. Core rotates once a year, so check a card's page before you buy into a list.
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 Sapphire & Steel deck → The link goes through our TCGplayer affiliate link; see our affiliate disclosure.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Detective starter deck good for beginners?
Yes. It's among the strongest starters and one of the easiest to play, and it's Core-legal as of October 2026.
What does Alert do?
A character with Alert can challenge as if it had Evasive, so it can challenge Evasive characters.
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.