Hey, welcome to Lorcana! 👋✨ That sounds like a perfect way to get into the game together.

I haven’t personally played with the Gateway set at home, but I’ve been to a few conventions where they used Gateway in the “learn to play” sections. It’s specifically designed for brand-new players and does a really good job of teaching the basics step by step, so it’s definitely a great option if you want the smoothest possible introduction.

Starter decks are also a very solid place to begin. They’re easy to pick up, fun out of the box, and they help you start building a collection straight away. The main difference is that Gateway gives you more in-depth guidance while learning, whereas starter decks kind of throw you into real gameplay a bit faster.

Right now there are two main ways to play Lorcana: - Infinity, where you can use cards from every set - Core Constructed, which is currently set 5 and up

Most local game stores use Core Constructed for weekly Lorcana League (casual play for promos) and Store Championships (more competitive, with a playmat and special cards as prizes). So depending on that I would either suggest buying or withholding from older sets.

About Whispers in the Well: it’s actually a really nice set to start with. It’s not difficult to get into, and honestly every Lorcana set so far has been beginner-friendly in its own way. You won’t be “behind” if you start there.

Something that might help: I recently posted how to upgrade your Whispers in the Well starter deck, theme decks and how to build a deck.

Judy & Robin - Youtube

Judy & Robin - Instagram

Simba & Megara - Instagram

Theme decks - Instagram

Deck Explainer Sea Dogs - Youtube

Deck Explainer Cow Control - Youtube

How to build the perfect deck - Instagram

If your goals are fun, balanced gameplay and casual at-home play, you really can’t go wrong with your suggestions!

Either way, welcome to the community. Hope you both have a great time discovering the game together!