Table of Contents
Introduction
Welcome to Lorcana.gg's weekly meta report! Each week we analyze the state of the meta using data from the previous week of tournament play. Our tier list is updated with the latest data, while this meta report will go over what it all means, as well as highlighting some particularly strong and interesting decks in each archetype.
The tier list is separated into three tiers. Tier 1 has the strongest decks, usually with multiple top 8 performances in major tournaments. Tier 2 and Tier 3 decks are a notch below the top tier, with these decks usually having one or two weaknesses keeping them from dominating the meta.
Meta Overview
After a quiet week in Lorcana last week, this week has been very eventful. We had DLC Bochum over the weekend as well as a handful of Set Championships. And then, of course, we got the big news yesterday that is sure to shake up the meta in the coming weeks: Bucky has been nerfed.
As mentioned in our news post, this will surely change things as Bucky Discard has been the best deck in the format for a month now, with most other decks teched to beat the squirrel and his cohort of Floodborns. With this deck being essentially removed from the meta, how will the rest of the decks respond? Which decks will rise with Bucky gone and which will fall? Time will tell.
For now, the top tier remains mostly unchanged. There is a clear delineation between the tier 1 decks and the rest of the meta. If you really want to have a chance at a top 8 spot in a major tournament over the next few weeks, you really should be taking one of these 4 decks.
In tier 2, you have decks that can potentially steal a top spot with some favorable matchups and smart play, but will struggle a lot of the time. These decks are ones to keep an eye on though, as once the Bucky errata goes into effect, any of these decks could vault into the top tier.
And lastly, in tier 3 we have the decks that are real long shots due to being hard countered by too many other decks or just being too new and unrefined. These decks probably won't be rising much, even without Bucky in the picture, but you never know..
Anyway, onto the tier list!
Tier List
Tier 1
Emerald/Steel Bucky Discard
RIP Bucky Discard 2023-2024. To be fair, this was probably deserved. The combination of cheap Floodborns and Bucky having Ward made it so you could reliably trigger Bucky multiple times before your opponent had a chance to respond. And, by then, they may not even have a hand any more. The deck itself, although probably the best in the format, was overall not that far ahead of the rest of the meta. But Bucky was just too good for his cost and was enabling some unfun play patterns, so I think Ravensburger did the right thing here.
For those Bucky enjoyers, you still have a few weeks to play this deck, so take advantage while you can. Here is a Bucky list that was 1st place at the Friday DLC event in Bochum. This deck, piloted by Ravenmask, includes the Hidden Cove - Tranquil Haven tech that has become popular to help keep your Buckys and Diablos alive.
Amethyst/Ruby Bounce Control
Amethyst/Ruby Bounce Control had a fantastic Bochum, ending the event with the second most decks in the top 32 and top 16. And it ended with an Amethyst/Ruby mirror match in the final. The deck is arguably as good or better than Bucky Discard right now and certainly stands to claim the top spot on the tier list once Bucky's errata goes into effect.
Here is the winning Bochum list from Théotime Buchot. It's actually nearly identical to the runner-up Rubén Gutiérrez's list, except Théotime runs 2 copies of Peter Pan - Shadow Finder while Rubén runs 2 Lady Tremaine - Imperious Queen's instead. Fair to say, this overall build is completely refined.
Sapphire/Steel Ramp Wheel
Sapphire/Steel moves up a spot on the tier list after it had the third best showing at Bochum. The top two decks were the runaway best decks, making up almost 85% of the top 32. But Sapphire/Steel Ramp Wheel was the best of the remaining decks at the tournament.
This deck from Justin Morales made it to the semi-finals, ultimately finishing in 4th at DLC Bochum. With two copies each of 003-196 and 001-197, as well as 3 Grab Your Swords, the deck has multiple ways of dealing with the troublesome duo of Bucky and Diablo.
Ruby/Sapphire Sisu on Ice
It's been a rough fall for Ruby/Sapphire Sisu on Ice, once the top deck on the tier list. But the archetype has definitely struggled of late. We saw only one Sisu deck make it to the top 32 at Bochum with none getting into the top 8. It's possible that the deck could regain its former glory once Bucky leaves the meta though, so there is hope for the deck in the future.
We're even starting to see some players cutting the deck's namesakes, 004-125 and 004-168. This list from Ricemaster does just that and managed to take a top 8 spot at the DLC Bochum qualifying tournament on Friday.
Tier 2
Amber/Steel Steelsong
Steelsong didn't have a great week, but I still think it's the best of the tier 2 decks, at the moment. It is certainly the most popular. Outside of the tier 1 decks, Steelsong was the most represented deck at Bochum. Will it regain tier 1 status with the Bucky nerf? Hard to say, but it certainly looks like players are going to give it a try.
This Steelsong deck took home an Ursula playmat at a 48-player Set Championship tournament. The list comes from WoahChuck and has a very surprising inclusion: 004-011. Previously considered one of the worst cards from set 4, maybe it's not as bad as we all thought?
Amber/Ruby Red Mufasa
Mufasa chugs along in tier 2, maintaining its reputation as a solid but not spectacular deck list. The archetype managed one top 8 at a larger Set Championship this week, which is better than some of its tier 2 counterparts.
Here is that deck, piloted by Victor, which came in the top 8 at a 61-player Set Championship this past week. It's always great to see 001-115 make a list these days. It's an iconic card, but unfortunately not nearly good enough to see consistent competitive play any more.
Amethyst/Emerald Tempo
Another tier 2 deck with no notable top 8 performances, but it did have a solid showing at the DLC this past weekend. We saw one Amethyst/Emerald Tempo deck make it to the top 32 at Bochum; the only archetype outside of the top 4 tier 1 decks to make it that far. I also feel the deck could be poised to breakout in a big way once Bucky is removed from the equation.
Here is that top 32 Amethyst/Emerald list from MTM-Naloan. Once Bucky is gone, I think people are going to want to find other decks to utilize their 004-070s and this build looks like it may be the best option.
Amber/Emerald Discard
Amber/Emerald Discard was very underrepresented at Bochum, with even less players bringing it than the tier 3 Amber/Amethyst Hyper Aggro deck. But that is possibly due to it being still a relatively new archetype. It's almost certainly a better deck than Hyper Aggro and could soon become the premier discard deck in the meta.
Our deck highlight for the week is this list from TaTan, which came in 2nd place in a Set Championship tournament. Record Player is a nice inclusion in this list. Giving an opponent's character -2 Strength synergizes nicely with 004-090, allowing them to bounce characters with a base Strength up to 4.
Amethyst/Steel Tempo
Amethyst/Steel Tempo makes the jump up from tier 3 this week. We saw quite a few players bringing Amethyst/Steel to Bochum and it had one deck make it into the top 64. It deserves to be in the conversation with the other tier 2 decks.
Here is an Amethyst/Steel list, from Noah Lehman, that was in the top 8 in a 56-player Set Championship. 002-036 looks set to take the mantle of best "Floodborn matters" character very soon.
Tier 3
Amber/Ruby Locations
Amber/Ruby Locations hasn't really gotten a foothold in the meta after its surprise appearance a few weeks ago. But it could become something with some more attention from players. The deck has a solid foundation, but needs refining.
This list from Nachomod3 came in the top 4 of a 33-player Set Championship in the UK. 003-033 is a decent location for this deck, allowing you to ramp out more characters if you can stick a 003-121 there.
Amber/Amethyst Hyper Aggro
Amber/Amethyst Hyper Aggro closes out our tier list this week. We saw some players bringing this build to Bochum, but the results were not great. You really need lucky draws and favorable matchups to make it far with this deck.
Here was the best performing Hyper Aggro deck I could find for this week. This list from Jaryn T. finished in the top 4 at a 42-player Set Championship in the US. 004-031 is a way for the deck to gain some instant lore, similar to 002-068 which has been run in the past, but a lot cheaper.
And that's it for the meta report this week. An eventful week with lots of developments to report and there is surely more meta shakeups to come. We have more Set Championships on the docket this week and DLC Fort Worth right around the corner. And, of course, the Bucky errata goes into effect at the start of next month.
For now, Bucky Discard will reign supreme, but the other tier 1 decks are still very good options for your upcoming Set Champs and DLC events. Tier 2 decks will require a bit more luck and picture perfect piloting to get you in the money, but if you enjoy playing any of those decks, I'd say give it a shot.
Until next week, good luck and have fun!
