Disney Lorcana: a guide for absolute beginners

Disney Lorcana, the brand-new trading card game by Ravensburger, is meant to be enjoyed by everyone — from hardcore collectors to absolute newbies. The game is based on the TCG tradition, established by such games as Magic the GatheringYou can also read about the Pokémon Trading Card Game. This guide will get you as up-to-speed as we can on the rules of these games. We’ll cover the rules of Lorcana, how to get into collecting, and — most importantly — how to play the game with your local community of fans. Let’s get started.

Where can I purchase Disney Lorcana?

Disney LorcanaTrading card games, or TCGs as they are also called, is an online game. In its most basic mode of play it’s a two-player dueling game where the best of three rounds wins. Every round is an race for 20 points called LoreThe goal is to get the total number of points before your opponent.

It is available in either a 60 card or a 30-card format. starter decksAs a 12-card Booster packs. To begin your journey you’ll want a starter deck, which you can find for sale at your friendly local game store, Best Buy, or the Shop Disney website for $16.99.

Preconstructed starter decks contain cards that work in harmony and help to develop a common strategy. Booster Packs are assembled at random, based on the more than 200 cards included in the initial launch of the game. Boosters are a great way to find new cards so you can upgrade or alter a given deck, but they’re not necessary if you’re just getting started.

Why are tokens used? How do I keep score?

Inside every starter deck for Disney LorcanaThe insert is made of cardboard and has a number of tokens, each marked with the numbers -1 to -3. You’ll need those each time you play to record damage done to your characters. You can also swap them out for glass beads, six-sided dice, or bottle caps — whatever you have to hand, really, works just fine.

The larger token is used to keep track of your score. With the help of the paper playmat you can easily track your points from zero to twenty. A free download is available. Disney LorcanaAppreciate the appreciation ofAvailable for iOS and Android. This app has a useful tool to track your score. I find it much more convenient than using a card token.

What do I need? Card sleeves, deckboxes, and gaming mats.

You’re going to be doing aLottery TicketsYou will be shuffling a lot in this game. This can cause your cards to wear out quickly. You can ruffle the cards and then bridge them like a dealer. Sure, go right ahead. But you’re likely to damage those cards over time. What’s the solution? The solution?

Card sleeves can feel bulky at first, but in a way that’s kind of the point. When you’re drawing cards, the sleeves help guide your fingertips so that you’re less likely to pull multiple cards by accident. The sleeves will help you shuffle cards easier, as they allow you to slide the two halves together instead of having them glued. You’ll likely tear a few sleeves while learning to shuffle in this way, but again, that’s the point. Sleeves will protect the cards and they’ll give up their sleeves to do so. If you tear one, replace it, then move on.

Deck boxes help transport your decks safely from A to B. It doesn’t matter what box you use, as long as it is sturdy. Disney LorcanaSome are designed to go with the decks you may be using. They may be stiff at first and difficult to break open but will eventually become more flexible. They’re also water resistant, so they’ll keep your cards safe if someone spills a whole drink at the table.

I consider neoprene mats to be more of an accessory. Because they have a bit of give, it is much easier to grab cards off them than from a flat surface. However, they are a little more flexible than if the table was flat. LorcanaIt’s a game that involves sliding cards about, so the mats with the official licenses sometimes make it difficult to play. Card sleeves will protect you against most hazards that come with playing on kitchen tables or benches at local games shops.

How do I play?

Rules for Disney LorcanaYou can find a printed copy in the starter deck box. Download the rules on the Disney LorcanaThe website is also available here at Polygon. You can also play the game using the app mentioned above.

You’ll start with a hand of seven cards. You can mulligan — that is, swap out any number of cards — completely free the first round. You can only make one exchange. Pick however many cards you’d like to swap, place them back in the deck and shuffle it, and then draw new cards from the top.

Image: Ravensburger/Disney

First player to turn begins the game by placing one card into their opponent’s hand. Inkwell — It is simply the area on your table that you use to place your The ink, the resource you’ll use to play other cards in the game. Converting cards to ink in this way removes them from the game — they can’t be played for the remainder of that hand. You can turn any card into ink by showing it to the opponent, then placing it on your table face-down. The first player can finish their turn as normal from there, either by playing a character, item, action, or song or taking some other available action — or no action at all. The play then passes on to the second person.

In the very first round of play, it will be first for the second player to draw a new card. For each subsequent round, the player who draws a card first will be the one to do so. From there on, each player will generate ink to play cards, take other actions and pass the turn over to the next player.

Photo: Charlie Hall/Polygon

Remember these things:

• Check to see if you have the latest version Every turn, place inkIn the first few rounds, it is important to be on top of your game. Getting behind in ink is a surefire way to disadvantage yourself in later rounds, and it’s easy to forget to ink with everything else going on in the game.
• Most characters that are played can’t take any actions on the first turn they get played. Their ink is said to be “You can also find out more about drying.” I’ve found it handy to place characters that are drying to the side of my other cards, and I make it a point to move them over and up to join my other characters at the beginning of each round once they dry.
• Keep in Mind You can also read more about, SetThen, drawTo each other. The round. You can also read more aboutTurn over all cards (including your ink, characters and any others you might have). exertedMove the character(s) that were drying up so they are ready to go. You can now move up characters who are dry to the front of you. You can then check your field to see if there are any special conditions. SetThen, you can begin. Before you begin your turn. draw a card.
• The same as inking on cards. You can easily forget to play a game.. Getting behind on the number of cards in your hand is just as bad — maybe worse, in fact — than getting behind in ink.
• You can Take your actions in order you like during your turn. That means you can do clever things like draw a fresh card from your deck before you place a card in your inkwell, making sure that you don’t remove a useful card from the game if you don’t have to. You can use an item before or after you challenge another character on the table, meaning that you can cast a buff (an increase to a card’s attack or defense) or a heal a character whenever you want during your turn.
• Finally, Keep an eye on your app if you’re using it. At first, the buttons to change your score can be a bit fiddly. When you use the plus/minus buttons to change the score, ensure that it actually does.

Disney Lorcana etiquette

It’s likely that you’ll play your first few games of Disney LorcanaYou can play with friends or family at home. But the traditional experience of playing a TCG can only come from engaging with other people in your community — folks who might have different cards, different decks, and different strategies that you’re not familiar with. It’s a game meant to be shared, and that means going outside your comfort zone to find new people to play with.

It can be daunting to walk into a local store, but launching a brand new game may actually be the perfect time. That’s because virtually everyone you lock horns with will be learning the game right alongside you. You should also be aware of some basic etiquette.

Polygon spoke with Brian “The Professor” Lewis, who has spent more than a decade now advising TCG fans around the world through his YouTube channel, Tolarian Community College, on the rules of the road. What’s the most crucial part of TCG etiquette to remember? You should keep your hands off the table.

Photo: Charlie Hall/Polygon

“Ask before touching something that doesn’t belong to you,” Lewis told Polygon in a recent interview. “It’s understandable that you might see a card that you don’t recognize or [that] you don’t know what it does and you want to read it. But remember, that’s someone else’s thing. […] You should always ask first.”

You should also be considerate of your neighbors while playing. Stop talking with your friend and start greeting your opponent. “It’s important to engage with the other person that you’re playing with,” Lewis said.

What happens if you’re wrong? Lewis said that’s something you should hash out with your opponent before you draw your first card. “It really depends on the player,” Lewis said. “If it’s immediately caught, it’s not unreasonable to ask to redo something. If the game is already in progress, saying “Redo” would be unreasonable. I’m sorry! I don’t want to do that!You can skip this step if you are already aware of the outcome [is a bit of a bummer].”

What if you’re confused about how to play a given card? What if you’re confused about how to play a certain card? If you’re unsure about what just happened at the table, don’t be afraid to call for someone to adjudicate the issue for you. They are known as judges in some TCGs. “Calling for a judge isn’t an accusation or admission of messing up,” Lewis said. “It’s simply asking for a guide to navigate those situations.”

Respect is also important. You should also be respectful.

“Maybe you want to buy a couple of cards,” Lewis added. “If you’ve got a game store that’s really cool and chill and not charging you money just to play at the table — like some do, which is also fair — maybe you want to pay that forward by picking up a reasonably priced pack of cards or some singles.”

SinglesThese are the cards that game stores have found themselves by opening boosters or bought directly from other players. TCG culture is full of buying individual cards to add to your collection. It’s also one of the biggest ways that game stores make their money, so buying some singles is a great way to give back to your host.

“Most game stores live on razor-thin margins and survive on a month-to-month basis,” Lewis said. “Helping them out helps the community out, and helps the community grow.”

Last but not least, don’t be afraid to make mistakes.

“It’s a game,” he said. “You can’t always win. Don’t measure success by winning. Measure success by learning.”