At Rarehunters, we’re usually in it to win it—sleeving up the sweatiest lists for Core and Infinity events. But every now and then, it’s healthy to take a step back and ask the real question: How can I apply that same sweaty mentality to casual events? With Rarehuntershop hosting its quarterly Franchise / Movie Theme Deck Event, this feels like the perfect moment to share my top picks for this unique and surprisingly competitive environment.
Table of contents
Deck Building Rules
There’s no official Franchise Format in Lorcana, but Rarehuntershop uses the following rules for its events:
- Minimum of 60 cards
- Maximum of 2 ink colors
- All sets are legal
- Only cards from one franchise may be used
- e.g., only cards from Hercules
- Additionally, “Disney Lorcana” cards may be included
- These are cards that exist only in Lorcana lore
- Examples: Emerald Chromicon, Winterspell
In short: It is Infinity Constructed with one extra restriction
Fun Edge Cases to Discuss With Your TO
The rules seem simple, but Franchise Format opens the door to some hilarious grey areas. I still don’t have definitive answers to these, but maybe your TO does:
- Which franchise do Mickey, Donald, and friends belong to?
- Is Mickey – Wayward Sorcerer part of the general Mickey franchise or Fantasia?
- Are Duck Tales separate from the Mickey franchise?
- If I play a Wreck-It Ralph deck, can I run all the Disney Princesses because they cameo in the second movie?
- There was an Aladdin / Hercules crossover once—does that make them one franchise now?
To keep this guide clean, I’ll stick to clear-cut cases only.
What Makes a Good Franchise Theme Deck?
Since you’re locked into a single franchise, your card pool is tiny. Therefore true control strategies are nearly impossible. You simply don’t have the tools. That leaves two archetypes:
- Aggro
- Midrange
All three of my top picks lean toward midrange, but I’ll share some aggro notes later.
A strong midrange deck needs three things:
- Efficient characters (good stats for cost)
- Card draw
- Interaction
The good news? All three of my featured decks check those boxes.
Honorable Mentions (More Good Franchise Decks)
Before we get to the top 3, here are some strong franchises that almost made the cut but have notable drawbacks.
Beauty and the Beast
Best Ink Combination: Amethyst / Steel
Advantages
- Excellent card draw: The Library – Gift for Belle, Beast – Tragic Hero
- Solid interaction: Belle – Accomplished Mystic, Grab Your Sword
Disadvantages
- Weak early game
- Slow to reach 20 lore
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Best Ink Combination: Amber / Steel
Advantages
- Fast, aggressive game plan
- Extremely resilient closers: The Prince – Never Gives Up, Snow White – Fairest in the Land
Disadvantages
- Relies heavily on Doc – Bold Knight for card draw
- Limited interaction outside Seven Dwarfs’ Mine – Secure Fortress
Pocahontas
Best Ink Combination: Amber / Amethyst
Advantages
- The fastest franchise deck available
- Very easy to pilot—just turn your characters sideways
Disadvantages
- Zero interaction
- If you fall behind, you’re done
Top 3 Franchise Theme Decks
Lilo & Stitch – The New Kid (and Alien) on the Block
Amber / Steel has recently resurfaced in Core Constructed, and it shines just as brightly in the Franchise Format. This deck floods the board with adorable aliens (and fish) and rewards you for doing so. It is one of the fastest in the franchise theme deck format.
Efficient Characters
- Two-thirds of your deck quests for two or has a fantastic text box
- Your curve is smooth and relentless
Card Draw
This deck’s card draw is absurd:
- Stitch – Carefree Snowboarder (“Austrian Stitch”) and Stitch – Rockstar as payoffs
- Nani – Stage Manager to find more Stitch pieces
- Lilo – Escape Artist and Lilo – Rock Star for recursion and value loops
Interaction
- Angel – Experiment 624 is often all you need
- Lilo – Best Explorer Ever stabilizes against aggro
- Add <strong>Gigi – Best in Snow</strong> if evasive characters worry you
Mulan – Ruby / Steel Has to Be Good Somewhere
Ruby / Steel is a dream many Lorcana players chase in competitive formats. Franchise Deck Format finally makes it real. You get eight removal actions, premium challengers, and lore generation all in one package.
Efficient Characters
- Turns 1–2 are a bit slow, but everything afterward is a threat
- Mulan – Ready for Battle is a standout, especially with ways to cheat her out early
Card Draw
Historically Ruby / Steel’s weakness, but Mulan fixes that:
- Marching Off to Battle
- Medallion Weights
Interaction
- Strength of a Raging Fire and Light the Fuse to clear boards
- Mulan – Charging Ahead, Li Shang – Newly Promoted, and Mulan – Imperial General to combat stale boards
- Add Imperial Bow if evasive decks are common
Aladdin – Illusions and Card Draw
If Core Constructed taught me anything post-rotation, it’s this:
Card draw is king, and Illusion characters are busted when actions are scarce.
Aladdin (or more accurately, Jafar and Genie) brings both to the Franchise Deck Format.
Efficient Characters
- Illusion characters have stats far above rate
- Many characters come stapled to card draw with no tempo loss
Card Draw
Half your deck draws cards, but the highlights are:
- Genie – Supportive Friend
- Genie – Wish Fulfilled
Interaction
- The Lamp draws two cards and bounces a threat—absurd value
- Jafar – Aspiring Ruler and Hypnotic Strength offer combat tricks
- Jafar – Tyrannical Hypnotist buys time against Mulan and other midrange decks
Franchise Theme Decks – Conclusion
Franchise Theme Deck events may look casual on the surface, but the format rewards tight deckbuilding and smart gameplay just as much as any competitive event. With limited card pools and quirky restrictions, the challenge becomes finding the franchises that naturally offer efficiency, card draw, and interaction—the holy trinity of midrange success.
Lilo & Stitch overwhelms with value, Mulan brings discipline and removal, and Aladdin leverages illusions and card advantage to outpace almost anything. Whether you’re here to win or just to flex your favorite movie, these decks give you the best of both worlds.
Sleeve up your favorite franchise and enjoy the flavour!
Tell me about all the cool franchise decks I missed on my socials.
If you want to read more – here are more guides and articles. If you are new to Lorcana or a returning player I can recommend our Ink Identity series:
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