Hello fellow Illumineers!
Thank you for the constant support and feedback—many of you have asked for it, so here it is: my first Meta Deck Review series on the site!
As you know, every Lorcana deck is built with two inks, and with six inks available right now, we have 15 different ink pairings, each offering its own flavour, playstyle, and strategy. Today, we’re diving into one of the strongest and most versatile decks this season: Sapphire Steel.
Sapphire Steel has always been known as a control powerhouse. Sapphire provides the ramp to bring out high-cost threats earlier than expected, while Steel keeps opponents in check with efficient challenges, indirect damage, and strong board control tools. Together, they form a deck that can comfortably handle Rush, Midrange, and even some late-game strategies.
In previous seasons, the archetype relied heavily on the Ally package, but with the latest wave of support, Sapphire Steel no longer needs to lean on Allies to function. It now boasts multiple viable builds—each consistent, flexible, and competitively strong.
Do note that these reviews reflect my own opinions on what the core, optional, and flexible cards are. If you think I missed something or if you’ve had success with different tech choices, feel free to let me know, I would love to hear your experiences!
Core Cards
These are the heart and engine of the deck. Without them, the deck simply does not function the way it’s meant to. These cards form the backbone of the deck. They enable the core strategy and are non-negotiable in competitive builds.
No questions asked, 4 copy of Tippo is needed to ramp up!
Similarly, 4 copies of Sail will be required for your turn 2 ramp.
Once you have 7 ink, this card is very scary, not only does he do the initial 3 damage, he also quest for 3 lore and 8 Willpower is hard to get taken down!
Namaari is perfect, she allows you to draw and discard cards every turn so you can filter till you get the card you want! She also is a Princess and able to Strike very hard as long as your discard is filled with cards!
7 drop and helps you to get rid of a pesky opposing character, what is there not to like about him!
6 drop to deal AOE damage is a great effect and later on can deal 2 damage each time she challenges and banish another character. 2 lore as well.
Your key card in the deck, best to play at turn 3 where she can ramp further and also change 1 card in your hand! Can build up your princesses as well!
This can be played as early as turn 4, can stop rush decks and might even ramp for you too.
This card can be a game changer, simply play him when you have less than 3 cards in hand and every turn you can go ahead and play out your hand because he allows you to draw back to 2! He also controls your opponent’s cards in hand to reduce it down to 2 every turn!
4 damage can hurt a lot of characters, even in the late game, with Cinderella, Namaari and Goliath you can throw this card away if not needed, but can also be sung and deal damage and hopefully banish someone.
Support Cards
These cards enhance the deck’s performance but are not mandatory. These cards provide stability and push the deck’s power further. They’re flexible, and while not essential, they significantly improve overall performance.
In the late game, or sometimes when you missed your turn 2 ramp. Having Vision allows you to search for some key cards for your next play so you don’t fall back or at least maintain the lead!
Kida can help you to ramp some more cards, and she is able to filter cards for you so you know what you are drawing next! Princess as well, so can trigger Cinderella’s effect.
You can pick Mulan as your 1 drop in this deck, with the 2 Strength she can take down some early game cards and the draw and discard effect allows you to get closer to your preferred cards. Princess as well!
Hook is always a safe 1 drop to include, you can pick him over Mulan as he has 2 Willpower and can strike for 3.
A good way to draw cards for your deck, since your characters are high in cost, the Singing part shouldn’t be hard!
I think 2 Aurora wouldn’t hurt, she can give your other characters Ward so any target must go to her! Princess as well.
Similar to Vision, this can be your turn 1 play or mid game to do some searching for key cards!
For some reason if you don’t think you have enough ramp, this is a good card to ramp on turn 2, can be sung by Tippo too to ramp further.
If you prefer searching instead of drawing, Dig a little deeper allows you to search for your key cards, you can sing it out with your high cost characters.
Evasive are still a pain to deal with, Jasmine allows you to get rid of most of them and still survives! She is a Princess too and she can hit really hard if she wanted to.
If you need more removal effect, this is a great card to do so, don’t worry about the extra ink given, removing is more important.
Another good card for late game play, the discarding effect can hurt your opponent, but the indirect damage can hurt them more!
Flex Slots / Tech Choices
These are interchangeable options that let you adjust the deck based on local meta trends or personal preference. They fill similar roles or offer tech answers depending on what you’re expecting to face.
I mean 8 drop is not hard to farm here. Mufasa can put some pressure with the 4 lore and also allows you to play your 6/7 drop characters twice in a turn with enough ink on board! I 1 copy wouldn’t hurt!
I know putting Doc here is so weird, but Sapphire Steel doesn’t really need Doc for the card draw, if you must, I think 2 copies are find in case you are in top decking mode. Otherwise, a few 6/7 cost characters will do the trick.
Arthur is underrated, when you play him, someone can challenge ready characters and the resist and challenger is an icing on the cake. Uninkable so 1 copy is enough that might come in handy!
Pleakley can be your turn 3 ramp if you missed turn 2 ramp.
Dealing 1 damage to all opposing ready characters can really chip them down, so wouldn’t count John Silver out yet. 1 copy will do if you enjoy his effect.
One of the underrated Bodyguard with Ward if you need to protect your characters on board.
If you prefer a Bodyguard that can deal AOE effect, look no further, however, I think 2 copies is enough if you want to include him. You should focus more for your late game.
Another 8 drop character but provides you 4 lore and has Ward so can safely quest in the late game for you. See if you like to close the game early after controlling your opponent.
If you still want to go with the Ally route, not impossible, maybe 2 copies for the extra draw if you prefer, at least she is a Princess.
As much as I think this is a control deck, having 1 or 2 copy of this wouldn’t hurt to slow down some rush deck.
Since you are not going to build up characters, this is not a key card, but can be a way to indirect damage if you are confident to build up the board.
In case you need to fight off Evasive folks.
Conclusion
And that wraps up the overview for this deck! Sapphire Steel continues to prove why it’s a top contender this season—strong early control, powerful late-game threats, and multiple build paths make it a reliable and rewarding archetype for both new and experienced players.
As always, these reviews aim to help you understand the deck’s structure, strengths, and card choices. But Lorcana is a game full of creativity, so don’t be afraid to experiment, adapt to your local meta, and tweak the deck to suit your personal playstyle.
If you enjoyed this breakdown or have suggestions for future deck reviews, feel free to drop a comment or message. More meta decks, tempo, control, aggro and everything in between, are on the way!
Keep exploring, keep learning, and most importantly—keep having fun, because Lorcana is Fun!
Lorcana Is Fun 
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