Before I begin, let me apologize for the long delay. My actual real life job is CRAZY in August and September so I just haven't had the time or energy. I'm a school teacher and this year they added some Fall coaching responsibilities to my plate as well so the start of school takes a lot of my recreational time.

What I want to chat about with you for the last month or two is a kinda new format that is creeping up in Lorcana. While it feels early in the life of Lorcana to be developing offshoots of the core game it does make sense when you hear what the new format is. The format still has multiple names but the one I prefer is "Poorcana". The idea is you follow the same rules as Lorcana except you have a 50 card minimum and all of your cards must be Common or Uncommon.

While the name sounds cool to me it can be a bit deceptive. Lorcana> isn't that expensive of a game in comparison to some TCGs. There are many viable and fun to play decks out there to the casual player for very low cost. In fact you can build a reasonably enjoyable deck for less than the cost of a dinner and movie with more hours of enjoyment. The reason I like Poorcana as a concept isn't the almighty dollar. I like it for two major reasons; card availability and creativity.

I know many of you live in areas that have had access to singles and trades for as long as Lorcana has been out. If you live in a rural environment like mine however, you didn't even see a card in real life until Inklands. The shipping and supplying issues the launch of Lorcana was not good for people who live on the ground that most just "fly over". As a "support your local store" kind of guy it is hard to build a solid deck or even get "4 of's" when it comes to certain cards. So many players can't build a full deck without resorting to substitutes or card ordering from the internet. (BTW if you order your cards the coolest ink comes from coolstuffinc.com).

While ordering from the internet has been a savior to midwest deck-builders I feel the internet has been a bane to creativity. I may sound like a bit of a hypocrite but the availability of already built decklists has greatly reduced the amount of fresh and new ideas generated. I know I make decklists but I hope you all realize my number one goal is to encourage you to build differently and enjoy your own creations. While I am sure that people have posted some decks out there, I have never seen anything that would serve as a definitive list of viable decks in Poorcana.

If you find yourself liking or needing either of these scenarios or if you just want to save a buck or two then I would suggest playing with a Poorcana environment. My local and very small playgroup shows no interest, unfortunately. I admit it is hard to not sleeve up my Diablo's and Rapunzels (the $ versions) but it is still fun and worth it. I just need to realize that not everyone has the privilege of writing for a cool website and if limiting my collection generates equality and a better playgroup it is an acceptable sacrifice.

I really would like to see what a couple of guys would come up with if the pocket book wasn't in play. I'm not calling these players poor, it's just they spend most of their recreational budget on more expensive games like Magic. When I see some of the crazy cool mixes they make in MTG Commander I think it would be amazing if they could have 4 of's and only a 50 minimum. Which leads to another cool point about Poorcana. Combo becomes more playable since you increase your chances of drawing the vital pieces, and I do love a good combo.

For this article I am not going to shoot you my favorite decklist. Remember the creativity aspect that I love? Instead I am just going to highlight what I feel are some of the best Poorcana cards in each color and maybe give a nugget or two for deck ideas.

Amber

The noticeable themes in Amber are healing, guarding, and singing. While not as powerful as their less common siblings these themes have occurred in some powerful decks.

Poorcana Amber | Dan Eckstein

• Characters (16)
• 1 Alan-a-Dale - Rockin' Rooster
• 1 Cinderella - Gentle and Kind
• 1 Daisy Duck - Musketeer Spy
• 1 Donald Duck - Musketeer Soldier
• 1 Fix-It Felix, Jr. - Delighted Sightseer
• 1 Gazelle - Pop Star
• 1 Julieta Madrigal - Excellent Cook
• 1 Minnie Mouse - Compassionate Friend
• 1 Pluto - Friendly Pooch
• 1 Prince Eric - Seafaring Prince
• 1 Rapunzel - Sunshine
• 1 Simba - Protective Cub
• 1 Sven - Reindeer Steed
• 1 Timon - Grub Rustler
• 1 Tinker Bell - Generous Fairy
• 1 Ursula - Vanessa

• Actions (1)
• 1 Invited to the Ball

• Locations (2)
• 1 Never Land - Mermaid Lagoon
• 1 Tiana's Palace - Jazz Restaurant

Amethyst

In Amethyst we have a great support color. While not a holistic deck theme each of the characteristics support other stuff. Drawing cards, Manipulating the Play Zone, and playing on the Evasive level all work well with a good sister color.

Poorcana Amethyst| Dan Eckstein

• Characters (18)
• 1 Archimedes - Exasperated Owl
• 1 Bruni - Fire Salamander
• 1 Camilo Madrigal - Prankster
• 1 Chernabog's Followers - Creatures of Evil
• 1 Dolores Madrigal - Easy Listener
• 1 Gale - Wind Spirit
• 1 HeiHei - Persistent Presence
• 1 Hydros - Ice Titan
• 1 Madam Mim - Snake
• 1 Magic Carpet - Flying Rug
• 1 Maleficent - Sorceress
• 1 Maleficent - Vengeful Sorceress
• 1 Maleficent - Vexed Partygoer
• 1 Mama Odie - Voice of Wisdom
• 1 Merlin - Goat
• 1 Pascal - Rapuzel's Companion
• 1 Pinocchio - Talkative Puppet
• 1 Ursula - Mad Sea Witch

• Actions (3)
• 1 Befuddle
• 1 Finders Keepers
• 1 Gathering Knowledge and Wisdom

• Songs (1)
• 1 Friends on the Other Side

• Items (1)
• 1 Amethyst Chromicon

Emerald

While Emerald does still have some draw/discard effects most of the best cards in those skills are in the higher rarities. The true star by far in Emerald is Evasive and when you look at the number of choices we have to fill a 50 card deck it's a strong design idea.

Poorcana Emerald | Dan Eckstein

• Characters (24)
• 1 Cheshire Cat - Not All There
• 1 Clarabelle - Contented Wallflower
• 1 Daisy Duck - Secret Agent
• 1 Don Karnage - Prince of Pirates
• 1 Donald Duck - Perfect Gentleman
• 1 Ed - Hysterical Partygoer
• 1 Ed - Laughing Hyena
• 1 Enchantress - Unexpected Judge
• 1 Flynn Rider - Charming Rogue
• 1 HeiHei - Bumbling Rooster
• 1 Kit Cloudkicker - Tough Guy
• 1 Mad Hatter - Gracious Host
• 1 Pegasus - Cloud Racer
• 1 Pegasus - Gift for Hercules
• 1 Peter Pan - Never Landing
• 1 Prince John - Phony King
• 1 Queen of Hearts - Quick-Tempered
• 1 Ratigan - Criminal Mastermind
• 1 Ray - Easygoing Firefly
• 1 Robin Hood - Sneaky Sleuth
• 1 Shenzi - Scar's Accomplice
• 1 Sir Hiss - Aggravating Asp
• 1 Tinker Bell - Most Helpful
• 1 Zazu - Advisor to Mufasa

• Songs (3)
• 1 Strike a Good Match
• 1 Sudden Chill
• 1 You're Welcome

• Items (1)
• 1 Vision Slab

• Locations (1)
• 1 Hidden Cove- Tranquil Haven

Ruby

Ruby is Ruby. The usual arsenal of more strength at a drawback board removal and a bit of location tricks. The part that intrigues me that may only be viable in Poorcana is the Lore denial. Like life gain in MTG it seems perpetually stuck in the fringes just waiting for some pivotal piece of the puzzle.

Poorcana Ruby |Dan Eckstein

• Characters (25)
• 1 Aladdin - Street Rat
• 1 Arthur - Novice Sparrow
• 1 Beast - Wounded
• 1 Daisy Duck - Spotless Food-Fighter
• 1 Donald Duck - Daisy's Date
• 1 Goofy - Daredevil
• 1 HeiHei - Accidental Explorer
• 1 Lady Tremaine - Overbearing Matriarch
• 1 Mickey Mouse - Enthusiastic Dancer
• 1 Minnie Mouse - Dazzling Dancer
• 1 Minnie Mouse - Stylish Surfer
• 1 Moana - Undeterred Voyager
• 1 Mother Gothel - Withered and Wicked
• 1 Mulan - Injured Soldier
• 1 Peter Pan - Never Land Hero
• 1 Pongo - Ol' Rascal
• 1 Queen of Hearts - Sensing Weakness
• 1 Rapunzel - Letting Down Her Hair
• 1 Simba - Adventurous Successor
• 1 Sisu - Daring Visitor
• 1 Slightly - Lost Boy
• 1 Taffyta Muttonfudge - Crowd Favorite
• 1 Taffyta Muttonfudge - Ruthless Rival
• 1 Taffyta Muttonfudge - Sour Speedster
• 1 Tigger - Wonderful Thing

• Actions (5)
• 1 Brawl
• 1 Dragon Fire
• 1 Evil Comes Prepared
• 1 Fan the Flames
• 1 Tangle

• Items (1)
• 1 Shield of Virtue

• Locations (1)
• 1 Agrabah - Marketplace

Sapphire

Sapphire of course has Ink ramping but I am not sure how vital that is since most of my favorite Poorcana cards have low ink costs, I guess I am partial to a cheap curve though. The subtle is the lore per ink ratio. While other colors have better Speed Lore when it comes to all cards, Sapphire has the best ratio in the Common/Uncommon slots. Of course support is a primary Sapphire mechanic, Support plus Evasive is very promising.

Poorcana Sapphire| Dan Eckstein

• Characters (20)
• 1 Aurora - Regal Princess
• 1 Basil - Practiced Detective
• 1 Caterpillar - Calm and Collected
• 1 Cruella De Vil - Fashionable Cruiser
• 1 Dewey - Showy Nephew
• 1 Donald Duck - Focused Flatfoot
• 1 Duke Weaselton - Small-Time Crook
• 1 Flintheart Glomgold - Lone Cheater
• 1 Gramma Tala - Keeper of Ancient Stories
• 1 Gramma Tala - Storyteller
• 1 Jasmine - Heir of Agrabah
• 1 Judy Hopps - Optimistic Officer
• 1 Mickey Mouse - Detective
• 1 Olaf - Carrot Enthusiast
• 1 Olaf - Trusting Companion
• 1 Pacha - Emperor's Guide
• 1 Scuttle - Expert on Humans
• 1 Sisu - Wise Friend
• 1 Tipo - Growing Son
• 1 Triton - Young Prince

• Actions (1)
• 1 Develop Your Brain

• Songs (2)
• 1 How Far I'll Go
• 1 One Jump Ahead

• Items (1)
• 1 Merlin's Carpetbag

• Locations (1)
• 1 Motunui- Island Paradise

Steel

Steel of course had the lion's share of direct damage just like it does in full play but many of the best damage actions are lost in the Poorcana Environment. Challenger as a mechanic however thrives here. Of course, I have to include my best buddy Eeyore but maybe Resist isn't your thing.

Poorcana Steel | Dan Eckstein

• Characters (24)
• 1 Aladdin - Cornered Swordsman
• 1 Arges - The Cyclops
• 1 Arthur - Wart
• 1 Beast - Forbidding Recluse
• 1 Beast - Thick-Skinned
• 1 Benja - Guardian of the Dragon Gem
• 1 Captain Hook - Forceful Duelist
• 1 Chi-Fu - Imperial Advisor
• 1 Cinderella - Knight in Training
• 1 Eeyore - Overstuffed Donkey
• 1 Hercules - True Hero
• 1 Jafar - Royal Vizier
• 1 Kida - Royal Warrior
• 1 Kronk - Unlicensed Investigator
• 1 Lawrence - Jealous Manservant
• 1 Lilo - Galactic Hero
• 1 Little John - Robin's Pal
• 1 Mickey Mouse - Food Fight Defender
• 1 Mr. Smee - Bumbling Mate
• 1 Robin Hood - Capable Fighter
• 1 Simba - Future King
• 1 Simba - Lost Prince
• 1 Stitch - Team Underdog
• 1 The Prince - Never Gives Up

• Actions (4)
• 1 Ba-Boom!
• 1 Fire the Cannons!
• 1 Smash
• 1 Triton's Decree

• Songs (1)
• 1 Let the Storm Rage On

• Items (1)
• 1 Fortishere

• Locations (2)
• 1 Seven Dwarf's Mine- Secure Fortress
• 1 The Bayou- Mysterious Swamp

So, that's my summary of what is hopefully a growing format. It's truly a worthwhile extension of an already cool game. As with all my articles, remember to be creative and know that you don't HAVE to spend big cash to have fun. And while it's easier to find these cards in a trading environment, if you need to shop for some the coolest Ink in the game is at coolstuffinc.com