Beginners Should Go To Disney Lorcana Competitions (and here's why)

We attended a Ravensburger event at the Disney Store in London to find out. Alongside a mix of trading card champions and less experienced players, eight of us joined ranks to play competitively against each other. The prizes remained the same as you'll find in local game stores, with a promotional Stitch Card and Game Mat available for the top player, and cards awarded to the top four. As a less experienced player, it marked an opportunity to see if Disney Lorcana could truly bridge the gap. With a borrowed deck to further widen the gap even further, playing against people who play for a living – pleasingly, the answer for beginners, is yes. With events running from April 19th to 28th, if you want to play, check your local game store!

What level do I need to be to play?

You’ll need to know the basics of how to play and be comfortable to play through. If you’ve purchased the starter decks, these are great for learning what to do, and subsequently, you’ll find that small modifications to the deck can have far-reaching wins. You can attend with a starter deck alone, if you’re there for fun, as admittedly, you won’t likely progress too far with the deck. However, you’ll definitely get a few rounds in, and the experience of playing with others will help you learn even further. 

Related Article: Our review of Disney Lorcana

How do you play in a Disney Lorcana Set Championship Competition?

Disney Lorcana competitions works on swiss rules, which is a fancy way of saying “best of three” against your opponent, and then you’re shuffled to other opponents depending on how well you, and they do. You’re bound to play with players of different skillsets, which means you may do better than you think in some, and though others may be far more experienced, you’ll always be learning different ideas and techniques. You’ll play against your opponent for 50 minutes, and if you haven’t reached a winner in that time, you’ll have five rounds from time being declared to reach the win condition of 20 Lore. 
 

Related Article: Just for fun, hidden easter eggs in Disney Lorcana cards!

What rules do I need to know for a Disney Lorcana Set Championship competition?

A full list has been published. Most rules are the same as included in the start guide, but it’s worth remembering a few that you might have dropped in your own games. When you’re playing, you’ll need to announce your Lore gains and total (which is your running score, the goal is to get to 20). You’ll also need to declare the card you’re adding to your inkwell with the name of the card. 

Unsurprisingly, you’re not allowed “electronic devices capable of long term storage” (see: Phones), but more surprisingly, you’ll need to be calling out mandatory effects when they occur, even if they’re from an opponent card. Other TCG’s don't necessarily require this, and it means people can forget to trigger certain actions. This ruling prevents that happening.

Speaking of which, there are currently no requirements around game mats or card sleeves as others dictate, so you’re free to theme however you like. 

Will others help? Is it intimidating?

Possibly, is the answer here, because of course, not every experience will be the same. However, everyone there is there for the fun of it. If you’re not using inexperience to hustle other players, they’ll generally be willing to offer a rules clarification if you ask, or a bit of time or leeway if you need it. The benefit of store run, set specific events, is that there’s not the same level of investment as say, travelling internationally. Ultimately, you’re playing a game for fun, and generally, people taking part want to have fun. It’s never as intimidating as you might think.

Can I win?

If you’re a beginner, probably not your first one. However, if you treat is as fun, and an opportunity to learn, and something to work towards – well, Ravensburger have announced their release schedule for the upcoming sets, and there’ll be a round of local store competitions with each, so you never know, it might not take long to be taking home that exclusive promo card and mat…

Why should I play if I won't win?

Firstly, because the whole experience is total fun. You get to play a really enjoyable game, chat to other like minded players, and build a network of fellow players. The second, is that every game will teach you something new. You might have formed bad habits from other decks, or not realised a perfect combination existed in your deck that you haven’t been utilising. The more you play, the better you get, and the more you know, the more you can edit your deck, and test it against other players. Doing so in a competition means you have less say in who you’re playing against, which is a great way to test out whether your deck can handle it. Plus, a real benefit to Disney Lorcana is that it’s so comparatively new. Players haven’t been playing for more than a year, unlike the likes of Magic or Pokemon, where the competitive scene is long entrenched. So maybe as a beginner, you won’t win – but if you play a few, and practice a bit, it won’t take long for you to become a real contender!

How do I play Disney Lorcana Set Championships?

You'll need to check in with your local game store – Ravensburger have a helpful store locator where you can find the shops that host Disney Lorcana. From there you can get signed up to the event, and begin your journey to greatness!