In the Disney Lorcana Archazia’s Island set, dual-ink cards took center stage, but a new keyword also emerged—vanish. Characters with this keyword can strike harder, yet they are more susceptible to being banished unless you happen to be a cunning, deceptive vizier.
The Amethyst/Steel Starter Deck from Archazia’s Island showcases Jafar alongside his Illusion minions, unleashing chaos throughout the environment. Harness the power of your illusions to slow down your opponents and edge your way to victory with this deck.
The Amethyst/Steel Starter Deck List
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Disney Lorcana: Archazia’s Island’s Amethyst/Steel Starter Deck |
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Characters |
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Akela, Wolf Pack Elder (x2) |
Arthur, Wart (x2) |
Fa Zhou, War Hero |
Giant Cobra, Ghostly Serpent (x3) |
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Heihei, Rambling Rooster (x3) |
Helga Sinclair, Tough as Nails (x2) |
Iago, Giant Spectral Parrot |
Jafar, Aspiring Ruler (x3) |
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Jafar, Newly Crowned |
Kashekim, Ancient Ruler (x2) |
King Hubert, Phillip’s Father (x2) |
Madam Mim, Cheating Spellcaster |
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Mufasa, Respected King (x3) |
Pain, Impudent Imp (x2) |
Panic, High-Strung Imp (x2) |
Rajah, Ghostly Tiger (x3) |
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Raya, Guidance Seeker |
Razoul, Menacing Guard (x3) |
Royal Guard, Bovine Protector (x2) |
Tanana, Tribal Elder (x2) |
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Te Ka, Lava Monster (x2) |
The Carpenter, Dinner Companion (x2) |
Treasure Guardian, Foreboding Sentry (x2) |
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Items |
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Amethyst Coil (x2) |
Retrosphere (x2) |
Training Dummy (x2) |
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Actions |
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Double Trouble (x2) |
Magical Maneuvers (x2) |
Restoring the Crown |
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Key Cards
Unlike many other Lorcana starter decks, this one doesn’t heavily focus on a single theme. Instead, it functions as a versatile midrange deck that maintains flexibility. That said, certain key cards should be prioritized.
Jafar, Newly Crowned
Jafar epitomizes the strategy this deck employs: summon Illusions, challenge opponents, and return them to your hand. He cleverly uses the vanish keyword to turn a potential weakness into a winning advantage.
Vanish is a keyword introduced in Archazia’s Island. When a character with vanish is targeted by an action, it gets banished. However, if Jafar is in play, you can return it to your hand instead.
Although this deck doesn’t include many Illusions, the ability to repeatedly call them back makes even a few difficult for your opponent to counter as they continuously return.
Giant Cobra, Deadly Serpent
This Illusion is one you’ll want to keep recurring through Jafar. With a 4/4 for three ink, it’s already a solid deal, and it comes with a powerful entry effect that can be a game-changer if unchecked.
Illusions share two common characteristics: they possess vanish, and their stats are generally higher than traditional characters at the same cost. This means they can deal heavy damage in challenges but fall easily to targeted actions.
When Deadly Serpent enters the battlefield, you can discard a card from your hand to gain two lore. While earning lore is beneficial, discarding a card for Retrosphere to recapture later is even more advantageous.
Fa Zhou, War Hero
Fa Zhou fits perfectly into the deck’s challenge-focused theme, addressing a common issue of lore generation. Usually, focusing too much on challenges can leave you behind in lore, but Fa Zhou helps correct that by granting three lore on your second challenge each turn.
This allows you to aggressively challenge and eliminate major threats without worrying about falling behind. While you’ll still need some dedicated lore-generating cards, being able to challenge more freely enhances your ability to maintain control over the game.
Magical Maneuvers
This deck enjoys exerting opposing characters as a control mechanism, and Magical Maneuvers enhances this by allowing you to return one of your characters to your hand.
Much like Jafar, this card allows you to trigger effects from cards like the Giant Cobra. Additionally, it prepares for challenges by rendering your opponent’s key characters vulnerable to attacks. This dual functionality helps bridge the gap within the deck’s strategy.
Restoring the Crown
This deck thrives on a slow, methodical approach, preferring to control the game and secure victories over time. However, as you draw closer to a win, a timely Restoring the Crown can propel you over the finish line.
By exerting all of your opponent’s characters, they become easy targets for challenges. Importantly, for each of your opponents’ characters you banish, you gain two lore points, allowing you to end the game on a high note while also advancing quickly in lore.
At a cost of six ink, it’s crucial to be certain you can win with this card before playing it, but with the high stats of your illusions and a strong lineup of challengers, clearing any obstacles should be quite manageable.
Amethyst/Steel Playstyle
This deck doesn’t concentrate on a singular theme as much as some other starter decks do. Instead, it focuses on winning through challenges while repeatedly utilizing your illusions.
Illusions stand as your main threat, boasting superior stats compared to standard characters, and can be easily reused thanks to Jafar’s abilities. However, if you’re unable to keep your opponent under control and they establish dominance, regaining the upper hand can become quite challenging.
Exerting your opponent’s characters is critical, as it allows you to eliminate their important cards through challenging. Utilize cards like Restoring the Crown and Magical Maneuvers frequently to target major lore generators or other cards that enable your opponents’ strategies before deploying an Illusion to take them down.
If Fa Zhou is in play, aim to achieve at least two challenges per turn to keep pace with any incidental lore your opponent may be accumulating.
Maintaining your challengers in good shape is , so employ challengers such as Te Ka and Helga Sinclair, or utilize Amethyst Coil to redirect damage dealt to your creatures back onto your opponents. If you need a quick way to eliminate a character, Double Trouble provides direct damage to take out two targets simultaneously.
Your Opening Hand and When to Mulligan
This deck contains only two one-drop characters—both Pain and Heihei are basic cards. Therefore, rather than striving for a turn one play, focus on ensuring you have a few Illusions in hand so you can hit the ground running when you play Jafar. While you want to have Rajah, Ghostly Tiger in hand for the earliest plays, keeping a Giant Cobra is also very beneficial.
Besides Illusions, you’ll also need interruption cards. Remember that your strategy involves grinding for the win and destabilizing your opponent, making cards like Double Trouble and The Carpenter essential for buying time to lay out your main win conditions.
Helga Sinclair may not be considered an inkable card, but her worth as a 0/4 who becomes an evasive 3/4 during challenges makes her valuable at just two ink. She complements Training Dummy for a solid defense, effectively becoming a barrier that early-game characters struggle to surpass.
Weaknesses
The reality is simple: this deck is slow. It aims to prolong the game through exerting and reintroducing characters while lacking robust lore generation. Therefore, you are playing the long game, making you vulnerable to aggro decks that can surge ahead before you can establish a solid position.
A further complication is the limited supply of Illusions. The deck contains only seven Illusion cards, while many other cards like Treasure Guardian rely on them. It’s probable that you won’t draw sufficient Illusions for Jafar’s abilities to function effectively, meaning your immediate upgrades should focus on adding more Illusions to replace the many basic characters like Akela and Royal Guard.
Moreover, Jafar’s abilities only activate if the Illusion is banished using its vanish ability. If an Illusion falls in a challenge and you can’t retrieve it with Retrosphere, the already limited Illusions will dwindle further.
