Best Picks: Deck Boxes for Disney Lorcana Card Game

One of the best thing of getting into Disney Lorcana, the Trading Card Game is the thrill that comes from opening your booster packs without knowing which cards you will get. Any new card you pull will help slowly building your collection and, then, there is the exciting process to build a Deck to test your skills against other Lorcana players. Playing with a Deck you created is a great and rewarding experience but you want to ensure that your cards will not be damaged and that your deck will be kept safe and sound till it is time to bring it to the table.

Caring about your Disney Lorcana cards is a substantial part of this hobby and requires a bit of understanding of all Disney Lorcana card game accessories and which one will fit better your needs. However there are so many different products available on the market that finding the right product can be sometime a challenging task in particular for any player making their first steps into Disney Lorcana. With this in mind, we though of putting together a brief guide on potential Lorcana deck box options to help everyone finding the best product for them. We hope you will find the guide enjoyable and if you have any question or comments please let us know!

Anatomy of a Deck Box

Almost every TCG player considers Deck boxes as a must-have as they provide a solution to both storing and transporting your deck safely. Together with their key role in keeping your cards tidy and secured, the boxes can also be very attractive and represent an opportunity to immerse even more in the whimsical world of Disney Lorcana. Basing on this, there are a few factors to consider when deciding which deck works better for you.

The first, and most important factor to consider, is the durability of the Deck Box. There are very different products on the market ranging from cardboard boxes, to rigid plastic of various thickness. Although cardboard boxes may look nice, they are very prone to be damaged by continuous use and by any weather condition, in particular humidity. The plastic boxes are obviously much more durable than the cardboard ones and they offer a better protection. In addition, those made by acid-free, non-PVC materials are also much more resistant to different weather conditions and they are among the more popular options.  

The second aspect you want to consider is the size of the box and its capacity. Disney Lorcana cards have a “Standard” format of 63 x 88 mm that. Being of the same size of the cards of other well know TCGs like Magic and Pokemon means you have a very large number of options but you should always check that the box mentions the card size or suitability for any of the above mentioned games. Most of the decks will also detail how many cards they can hold in their specifications to help making an informed decision. However, it is important to read if this number refers to sleeved or non-sleeved cards.

As a rule of thumb, your Lorcana Deck of 60 single-sleeved cards will fit easily in any deck box with a 80+ capacity while a double-sleeved one of the same size will need a 100+ deck box. Of course nothing prevents you to go for the larger 100+ anyway, in particular if you want to have the flexibility to create larger decks in the future or to have some spare cards to alter your deck in between games. Personally, I prefer a bit more space so I can store in my box any new cards I pull from participation Booster packs opened on the day.

There are also some larger options available that allow the player to store up to 800 cards. We will review a few of them in the next session but it is worth noting that these option are more suited to store a collection of cards or a number of decks at the same time. Considering the size, these options are usually not the best ones to take round but they are amazingly useful to organize your collection or all your decks at home.  

Last but not least, you should always consider the artwork and any additional functionality you want for your box. I will not even start discussing how important is to pick a deck box you like as I am a sucker for all the ones with Disney Lorcana artwork on them. I also love a number of the ones for Magic: The Gathering and the Dragon artwork from the Dragon Shield products. Everyone has their own taste so make sure you pick one you like (and remember that some of them can be improved with stickers etc...).

Among the functionalities you want to consider for your box I strongly recommend those with a mobile drawer. A drawer is the perfect solution to store all the damage counter dice and the lore trackers you need to play Disney Lorcana avoiding the risk of misplacing or losing them. Magnetic closures and double wall boxes are not a must have but they can make a big difference if you are planning to play a lot with your deck.

Deck Box types and shopping list

Basing on the factors mentioned above, I think there are essentially three main group of boxes you can consider depending on your budget and needs.

1. Budget boxes (best for budget; great for storing your deck at home)

Budget boxes are usually very handy to store your decks at home. Considering they are very cheap and stackable, you can use a few of them to hold all your different decks so you can quickly identify them and grab them to play. This category includes the very cheap Ultra-Pro Plain boxes as well as the Branded Disney Lorcana boxes. The first ones are a better budget option in particular on Magic Madhouse where their price is always around £2-£2.5. The second ones have the added value of a nice artwork for a very reasonably price of £5-£6 but they offer the same level of protection of the first ones.

A third very good option in this category are the Mana boxes designed for Magic: The Gathering as they offer a larger storage space (100+ cards) and they come with two card dividers for just below £4. These decks also have a simple artwork depicting the Mana symbols of MTG cards that looks cool even if it is is not properly linked to Lorcana. If you are looking for a budget option to bring your decks around these are quite good options as it is unlikely you will mix-up your (formally) MTG deck with other players at a Lorcana event. You will also have the advantage exploit the larger space to store your dice and lore counter in the same box unless.  

At the very end of the price range for this category, there are also deck boxes like the Boulder case manufactured by Ultimate guard. Although they are slightly more pricey than other boxes, they are sturdier and offer a more refined design.

2. Value added boxes (better boxes; great for playing)

Together with protecting your Deck, some boxes also provide additional features that can make them more valuable to the players. One example are the Dragon Shield Nest Boxes that are composed by two halves that can interlock together. The external one is very sturdy and protects the box while the internal one offers a nice velvet finish. A magnetic lock in the walls of the box helps in keeping the box closed in a very safe way. Some of these decks also come with a drawer to store dice and trackers. Although the price of these deck boxes is higher than the budget version, it is still very affordable making these boxes a preferred option for players. I personally used a few budget boxes to store all my decks at home and then I use one of these Nest boxes to carry the one I choose for the day with me.

The Ultimate Guard Flip'N'Tray are similar to the Nest Boxes although they have the drawer on top of the deck and a magnetic flap to close the box itself. I personally prefer the Nest Boxes as you can fit one half into the other and keep the box on the table easily but I saw a lot of players using the Flip'N'Tray and they are as good as the other brand. Only minor remark here is to keep an eye on the size of the box as the Ultimate Guard ones are suited for 80 cards while the Nest box can hold 100 cards.

3. Larger boxes (a box for boxes; great for storing of for larger events)

If you are an avid Disney Lorcana player you may consider to attend large event such as at UKGE or any of the Lorcana Challenges. For these events, you may need to have multiple decks in order to play the different formats in the side events thus you may need to look for larger boxes that can store multiple decks.

The Ultimate Guard Twin Flip'N'Tray represents a very good portable option for this type of events. Similar to its smaller brother, the Twin has a magnetic flap to close the box and can hold various dice and accessories in a nice drawer. As its name suggests, it can also hold two separate 100-cards decks to allow flexibility during the events.

When even more flexibility is needed, you can also consider the Arkhive 800+ from Ultimate Guard that allows to store a large collection of cards of multiple small deck boxes. For example, you can use the Arkhive to store all your budget boxes and to bring them around in a very safe way. The price of this solution is quite substantial as a single Arkhive is usually around £40 but it can provide you a lot of flexibility and make the budget boxes much more appealing. To make the best out of these large boxes and to help deciding if the Arkhive is best for you, Magic Madhouse provides very clear details on how different models can fit inside this huge one so you can plan your purchases appropriately.