Disney Lorcana is the company's attempt to the ever-popular trading card game market, and it is coming with familiar and new twists to the tabletop genre. This TCG will look to capitalize on the beloved worlds that Disney has created while creating a lighthearted game that can appeal to any age. To accomplish this, Disney is receiving aid from German toy company Ravensburger, best known for their work in other Disney tabletop games.
Currently, Disney Lorcana is set to release its first set in the Fall of 2023, with the second one coming the following Winter. The first set will arrive with the usual booster packs and character deck boxes for those who prefer to get right into the action. However, the big purchase would be the Illumineer's Trove, which will come with two deck boxes, eight booster packs, and all the side materials players need.
How To Play Disney Lorcana
Disney Lorcana blends the usual rules of a TCG with its own fantastical twists to create something that feels unique. Players build decks of 60, made up of character cards, action cards, and item cards. The goal is to beat an opponent by being the first to gather 20 lore points. To do this; players must quest with their character cards. Each character card will have a set amount of lore points they can quest for and can only be used once per turn.
To start, Disney Lorcana uses an energy system called ink to cast cards. To gain ink, players can choose any card with a gold swirl around their ink cost, located in the upper left corner, and add it to their inkwell facedown. Each card will only count for one ink, and only one ink can be added to a player's inkwell per turn. Ink is divided into six types: Amber, Amethyst, Emerald, Ruby, Sapphire, and Steel. As of now, these different ink types seem to be purely for the lore of the game, as they divide cards and characters into gameplay styles.
How cards are used in Disney Lorcana is also relatively simple. After playing a card, the player will turn their ink used to the side; this process is called exerting. If a character card is played, that card must wait one turn before it can do anything, but if it is an item or action card, the effect will trigger. Once a character card can be used, players can quest with them to gain lore or use the card's effect; both of these actions will exert the card.
Turns will begin with the player drawing a card and then putting all their exerted cards back to the standard position; this process is called readying. After that, any card effects that activate at the start of a turn will trigger. Turns will then continue as normal, and players can take as many actions as possible. These actions include playing cards, adding a card to the inkwell, questing for lore, challenging an opponent's character cards, and using card abilities.
Characters are Disney Lorcana's most important asset, making the mastery of them critical. Outside of ink cost, lore counters, and a possible effect, character cards will have strength and willpower, indicated by the two numbers on the middle right of the card. The exciting thing about character cards is how their battle mechanic, known as challenging, works.
Players can only challenge a character card that has been exerted, meaning a card standing at ready is immune. Both cards will subtract the enemy cards' strength from their willpower; if that reduces to zero, then the card is banished to the discard pile. If it would not, the damage is kept on that card for the rest of the game.
How Disney Lorcana Compares to Other TCGs
At first glance Disney Lorcana would seem like a simpler version of Magic The Gathering but with a few twists and more child-friendly. The exertion system is very similar to tapping, along with having an ink cost to cast certain cards. Of course, the same can be said for the Pokémon TCG and how it handles its energy system. Other similarities are more pronounced and have become common in most TCGs, such as the 60-card deck and starting hand of seven cards. Disney Lorcana seems to want to make the game familiar enough for experienced players while making it simple enough for someone new to a TCG.
The differences, even if subtle, are where Disney Lorcana needs to succeed the most to make itself stand out. The lore win condition is interesting in itself, as it is one of the few in the TCG genre that doesn't revolve around battles being the deciding factor. However, the game keeps battles involved more strategically, as players now have to risk exposing their cards to danger to win.
The lack of other types of cards could be the most significant drawback Lorcana has to face. Item and action cards will keep duels feeling fresh, but they may not appeal as much to a hardcore audience. Disney could always choose to add more types of cards down the line, as it would likely not be too complicated. These could be unique to the game, or it could continue to seek inspiration from other TCGs. A great example of the latter would be making field cards that stay active over a long period and affect both sides.
The likelihood of Disney Lorcana rising to the same level as the most popular TCGs is unlikely. However, Disney has a huge fanbase, and the simple and creative approach is interesting enough that it could still pull in a large group. The initial effort is clearly present, but it will be crucial that the effort stays there as more sets are released and possibly expanded upon. Either way, Disney Lorcana is gearing up to be a fantastical new twist on the TCG genre, with rules that both new and old fans can gather behind.
