Oh, boy! Hello there, Disney fans and trading card game enthusiasts! We've got something magical to share with you! Get ready to jump into the world of Disney like never before, because Ravensburger is coming out with a brand-new trading card game, and it's called Disney Lorcana! We're so excited, and we just can't hide it! So put on your oversized mouse ears and let's explore what we know so far about Disney Lorcana!

What Is Disney Lorcana?

Disney Lorcana is the newest trading card game (TCG) developed in collaboration between Disney and Ravensburger, a tabletop games publisher. Similar to other popular TCGs like Magic: The Gathering and Pokemon TCG, players can collect booster packs and create their own decks with the goal of defeating their opponents. Ravensburger, known for their board games like Dingbats, Escape, Labyrinth, and El Dorado, is responsible for developing and publishing this new TCG. It marks their first foray into the trading card game genre, building on their prior success working with Disney on the Villainous series of tabletop games.

What Are Disney Lorcana’s Inks?

Lorcana cards are categorized into six different colours, referred to as Ink. This colour system is comparable to Magic: The Gathering's colour system, or Pokemon's types, where each ink represents a unique playstyle. While the specifics of each ink's gameplay are yet to be revealed, it's confirmed that players can include up to two different inks in their decks, allowing for strategic customization.

The inks are:

Ruby (red)

Sapphire (blue)

Emerald (green)

Amber (yellow)

Amethyst (purple)

Steel (grey)

When Does Disney Lorcana Launch?

Disney Lorcana will be released in stages, with the first launch in local game stores across the United States on August 18, 2023. On September 1, 2023, it will become available internationally in Germany, France, the United Kingdom, and Canada, with English, French, and German versions of the cards. Although additional regions have not been confirmed, they will not be included in the initial roll-out for Lorcana. The full gameplay reveal is scheduled for Spring 2023, where the mechanics, inks, and characters will be fully explained, revealing the intricacies of the game.

What Products Is Disney Lorcana Launching With?

Lorcana has an extensive launch line-up in store, going beyond just booster packs starting from August 18. The primary means of acquiring Lorcana will be through booster packs, each containing 12 cards, available both individually and in booster boxes of 24.

In addition, Lorcana will debut with three Starter decks: the Amber/Amethyst Moana and Mickey deck, the Emerald/Ruby Cruella De Vil and Aladdin deck, and the Sapphire/Steel Aurora and Simba deck. Each deck features a 60-card deck and an extra booster pack.

Similar to Pokemon's Elite Trainer Boxes or Magic's bundles, The Illumineer's Trove is a Lorcana product that comprises eight booster packs, two deck boxes, and a handbook on gameplay.

The Gift Set is the latest addition to the Lorcana product line-up, and the only one to feature promo cards such as Mulan, Imperial Soldier, and Hades, King of Olympus. This set includes four booster packs, two promo cards, jumbo-sized promos, and two "tracker tokens," although their purpose is yet to be disclosed.

What Post-Launch Support Will There Be For Disney Lorcana?

Ravensburger has confirmed that Disney Lorcana will adhere to a release schedule similar to Magic and Pokemon, with four expansion sets per year. This means that from its launch in August until Autumn 2024, we can expect The First Chapter, as well as at least three more expansions. One distributor even suggests that the game's first expansion could arrive as early as December 2023.

Each Lorcana expansion is set to be a part of an ongoing story that will be told through multiple releases. The details of this story have yet to be announced, and it is unclear how the story will be presented. It remains to be seen if the story will be conveyed solely through the cards or if it will be supplemented with written stories, ebooks, or even cartoons.

It is unclear if the four expansions will be the only releases in a given year, or if they will be complemented with additional products between sets.

Does Disney Lorcana Include Characters From Pixar, Marvel or Star Wars?

In its first set, Lorcana will solely feature traditional Disney characters such as Elsa, Mickey Mouse, and Robin Hood. While characters from Pixar, Star Wars, and Marvel may appear in subsequent sets, no information regarding their inclusion has been released yet. It is likely that any news about these characters will not be disclosed until after The First Chapter has been released.

What Mechanics Have Been Confirmed For Disney Lorcana?

Since we have only seen a few Lorcana cards so far, we are unsure of how the game will play. Nonetheless, a few keywords have been unveiled that provide insight into the game's mechanics:

Challenge refers to Lorcana's combat mechanic.

Challenger is an ability that modifies a character's stats when it challenges or is challenged.

Evasive denotes that only characters with Evasive can challenge a particular character.

Shift enables players to play characters on top of each other by paying an alternate cost.

Exert appears to be comparable to Magic: The Gathering's tapping, where cards are rotated 90 degrees to indicate that they are "spent."

Banished refers to sending a card to a graveyard or discard pile.

Ward denotes that a character cannot be chosen by an opponent, such as when using a character's ability or action card.

Rush allows characters to challenge the same turn they are played, akin to Hearthstone's Rush or Magic: The Gathering's Haste. This implies the existence of summoning sickness, which prohibits characters from challenging the turn they enter play.

What Are Disney Lorcana’s Action Cards?

Action cards in Lorcana are different from character cards, as they have a one-time effect that can be played by paying their cost. We are not yet aware of the timing restrictions for actions, whether they can only be played on the player's turn (at "sorcery speed," in Magic terms) or if they can also be used to interact with opponents on their turn (at "instant speed").

Although they are similar to Magic: The Gathering's instant and sorcery spells, as well as Pokémon's trainer cards, only one action card has been disclosed so far: Dragon Fire, which banishes a selected character. This effect is the same as the one found on Maleficent, Monstrous Dragon, implying that more characters' abilities may be transformed into their own action cards as additional aspects of the game are unveiled.

What Are Item Cards in Disney Lorcana?

The recently revealed Lorcana cards have mostly been character and spell cards, but the game will also include Item cards that allow players to utilize the many unique gadgets, MacGuffins, and other trinkets found within the Disney universe.

Item cards appear to function similarly to Magic: The Gathering's artifact cards. They remain in play once played and are likely unable to be challenged in combat like creatures, but still possess abilities that players can use to gain an advantage. For instance, Magic Mirror is an Item card that lets you draw a card by tapping it and paying a particular amount of resources. White Rabbit's Watch, on the other hand, can grant a character Rush, allowing it to challenge the same turn it's played.

We're unsure if Items will simply be extra components for players' decks or if there will be more support for them, similar to Magic's artifact-centric decks.

Will Disney Lorcana Have Organised Play?

Ravensburger has announced plans for a comprehensive organized play program for Lorcana, which will include tournaments and in-store events. However, specific details of this program have not yet been disclosed and are expected to be revealed closer to the game's release date.

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