Maleficent is an S-tier Disney villain to be sure- a glamourous ghoul gal that can also go gigantic and with killer fashion sense. Horned headpieces are long due for a comeback and Mal is at the vanguard. She is also well represented in Lorcana with plenty of great cards across every set to choose from so cooking up this Maleficent Madness deck wasn’t too hard to do with the new cards from Shimmering Skies in the mix. It was also pretty easy to settle on an Amethyst/Emerald that focuses on card draw, scrying, and a little touch of discard. However, it is a bummer that the Ruby Enormous Dragon and the Steel Goons are cut from the mix along with the Sapphire Mals including the staple 5 drop variant.
But the larger problem is that I couldn’t see a way around including that absolute meta menace, Diablo – Devoted Herald which based on current prices jacks the price of the deck up by a whopping $120. Even without them, this deck is a little expensive for my “phenomenal cosmic theme, itty bitty price” budget deck concept coming at about $57. It is, however, a 64 card deck so the Diablos could easily be removed- not without noticeable impact, however. And I’m somebody who has exactly zero of these cards, so I’m proxying them for casual play.
On the character front, it’s almost all about Maleficent as it should be. Biding Her Time has been a solid card from the first set on, the aggro-oriented 1 drop with two Lore. Survivability is about one turn, but these cards usually get their value. The vanilla Vengeful Sorceress along with Sorceress (with a card draw), and Vexed Partygoer (an early-mid game bouncer) versions are sure to keep her on the board and Mistress of all Evil has a couple of solid effects that earn her 5 ink value- the mid-to late game card draw from Dark knowledge is important and the Divination effect of moving a damage combos with Make the Potion over in the Actions column. All of the above roll up into the Floodborn Formidable Queen for Listen Well All of You to absolutely wreck the opponent’s board based on the number of Maleficents you have on the table. It only works on 3 cost cards, but it will certainly clean up the table for the end game.
As for her loyal raven Diablo, you’ve got Faithful Pet that gives you a scry upon playing a Mal and Maleficent’s Spy that lets you look at the opponent’s hand. And of course, Devoted Herald is back on its BS shifting on turn 2, Evasive, and giving you an off-turn card draw. This remains an incredibly powerful card that I would not be surprised to see “Bucky’d” at some point.
Now, there’s a lot of card draw in this deck so what are you going to do with it? The answer is Jafar, who tags along as Mal’s side guy in this deck. Lamp Thief is another scry to get your Mals on to the table quickly, Keeper of Secrets becomes an absolute killing machine with a rich hand, and Striking Illusionist wins the game off a Friends On the Other Side or other cheap card draw.
The Action department is pretty light, which may be an issue with Diablo shifting on an action card but the Songs pick up some slack. Vicious Betrayal is rarely played, but since every character in this deck is a Villain (other than Diablo, classed an Ally) it’s a good play to grant a little firepower if you need to challenge something. Make the Potion, as mentioned, combos with moving damage and outright removes any pesky Princess or other hero. Remember Who You Are is a more controlled (and conditional) hand reset than A Whole New World- it’s here as a failsafe in case you find yourself hellbent mid game. Songs are simple- Sudden Chill to remove some cards (useful when Diablo lets you see if it’s a worthwhile play) and the all-time banger Friends on the Other Side. I don’t know if I’ve ever run an Amethyst deck without it.
On the items front, Jafar brought The Lamp for – you guessed it- more card draw and as for the Sorcerer’s Hat, always say “Maleficent” and you should be fine. The scry options can help you fix that draw, too. Signed Contract- draw a card when an opponent sings. All of this should keep you card rich and ready for Jafar to pop up and deal a devastating blow.
Forbidden Mountain kind of sucks but it’s cheap, inkable, and thematic. The Library is a great place to stow Diablo or that wicked 1 drop Mal so that when they get banished, you get a card. The one Lore per turn on both of these inexpensive locations should also help to keep you moving on the Lore curve.
As always, I feel inclined to disclaim that this deck is meant to be a fun-to-play, thematic, and inexpensive option (despite the Diablos). Lorcana is very much a game about stories and I find the most rewarding decks are those that have a strong central story rather than a hodge-podge of Deemed Most Effective cards. You aren’t gonna win the big tournaments with this, but you might upset somebody with a $500 meta deck!
Next time- a look at a couple of DLC-winning decks!
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