The next chapter begins…
The Disney Lorcana Trading Card Game by Ravensburger turns the final page in its fairy tale ‘First Chapter’, reinvigorating the game with its most recent and ambitious release, ‘Fabled.’ Fabled is the title of the 9th set of Disney Lorcana, but Fabled is much more than just another set of some 200+ new cards. Grab your magic feather and let’s adventure into the story!
The 9th set of Disney Lorcana contains 204 cards (242 when you include all of the alternate art variants like Epic, Enchanted, and Iconic). But Lorcana now enters into its first ‘rotation,’ where older cards are removed from use in competitive play. With the introduction of Fabled, the first 4 sets of Lorcana have been rotated out. That’s a whopping 884 cards of the existing almost 1800 active cards that are now ineligible for official standard play. Yet some of these cards have been given the Disney ‘true love’s kiss’ and have revived back into play!
171 of the 204 regular cards in Fabled are reprinted cards, meaning these are cards that were originally printed somewhere in sets 1-4 but are still eligible in competitive play since they are now also part of set 9 Fabled. These 171 reprinted, or ‘graduated’ cards, are cards that game developers say ‘bolster the ink identity’ and will ‘stabilize the ink colors going forward.’ In standard Disney Lorcana play, you can only use cards from two of the six ink colors in your deck of cards. So, choosing your two inks lets you pick and play the game in a style that you enjoy using cards with the traits and characteristics of those two specific inks.
That leaves us with only 33 completely new cards from this set…well, kind of. There are 33 mechanically new cards, meaning that they are brand new to the game, and we have never had a card with that name or exact ability/statistics in any previous set. But remember when I said there are actually 242 cards in Fabled; the card rarities of Epic and Enchanted, which have alternate art and/or card design, include 17 new productions of graduated cards. Six of this set’s Enchanted cards are cards from previous sets, and eleven of the new Epic rarity are also graduated cards that get an Epic glow up in this rarity level with a borderless card art area and a rainbow holofoil.
Something Old and Something New
That Enchanted Winnie the Pooh – Hunny Wizard is incredible; no one is going to complain about that. But some players are still mourning the loss of the cards that have been essential to their decks for almost two years now; many of the game’s most influential and powerful cards have now been rotated out. Trading Card Games live in an ever-evolving environment with game play strategy and patterns changing on a monthly and sometimes even a weekly basis. This is called the metagame, or ‘meta’ for short. It’s the game within the game. Card Rotation is a means for game developers, in this case the fine folks at Ravensburger, the opportunity to recalibrate the gameplay and metagame for both short term and long term goals. So Au Revoir ‘Rapunzel – Gifted with Healing,’ So long ‘Sisu – Empowered Sibling,’ See ya Later ‘Let The Storm Rage On,’ and Peace out ‘Prince John – Greediest of All.’ Some players are very happy to see these cards gone while other are still dealing with their grief, but as Rafiki said, “It doesn’t matter. It’s in the past!“
Fabled is already shaping up to be a whole new world (which I know is a card that is also being rotated out, but forgive me, that pun was undeniable). Game play is now slower and not as dynamic with the big swing cards removed from the core format. This leaves me actually…excited!
While I did, and still do, love the big gameplay punches we could get in pre-rotation matches, I am quite curious and eager to engage in Lorcana in an environment where character and deck synergy, tempo play, and prudent piloting of your deck gain more importance. And there is no better time for new players to get in on the fun and start playing Lorcana. The reprinted cards allow you to easily acquire cards that are staples in ink colors, like the Steel ‘Strength of a Raging Fire’ and Emerald ‘Cursed Merfolk.’ And the new cards are tapping into both new and old Disney classics.
Fabled debuts two major Disney properties into the Lorcana TCG: Dumbo and A Goofy Movie. Whether you’re a traditional fan who loves Timothy Q. Mouse and or if you’re a millennial who just wants to be seen I2I, Disney Lorcana is delivering that to you with a fabled.
Fabled also levels up, one more time introducing the rarest cards ever regularly printed for Disney Lorcana. The new Iconic Rarity only has two cards, and the Ravensburger art design team brings us these absolutely stunning renditions of Mickey and Minnie Mouse.
Actual numbers aren’t yet known, but these iconic cards are going to be the most difficult to find, and according to a Ravensburger spokesperson, they are ‘much more rare’ than Enchanted cards. One Enchanted card is found approximately once every 100 booster packs, or every 1,200 cards. So these Iconic cards will truly be a chase for collectors and are quite the prize.
Fabled on sale!
Fabled pre-releases at local game stores and at Disney Stores and Parks on August 29th and releases worldwide on September 5th! Available now for pre-order now and purchase will be the Booster box, Illumineer’s Trove, Ruby Emerald Single Player Deck, Amber Sapphire Single Player Deck, deck boxes, card art sleeves, playmats, the Elsa Gift Box, the Collector’s Starter Set, and a Princess-themed card portfolio.
A Puzzling Addition
Ravenburger is also releasing puzzles featuring original art from Lorcana! There are six puzzles, one for each ink color. Amber, Emerald, Ruby, and a sapphire will be available everywhere, but Amethyst and a steel will be exclusively sold at Disney Stores. These puzzles will also be released on August 29th. We’ll be having an exclusive look at these puzzles at Destination D23 this weekend, so check back for our review!
Lorcana Spreads Its Wings
Disney Lorcana is also engaging the community in a more social, less competitive way with Disney Lorcana: Collection Quest! In this ‘Quest’, you have the task of completing your quest of acquiring six specific cards from one Disney franchise. You get one booster pack of Lorcana cards and a list of the six cards you need to find. Your pack will most likely only have one or two of the cards you need, but have no fear, you’re not alone in this quest! You will be in a group of people who are all trying to complete their own quest and will need different cards than you do. So this is your opportunity to talk, trade, and flex those social butterfly skills to find and acquire the cards you need to complete your quest. And you also get to help others with their quests along the way.
The first Lorcana Collection Quest debuted to rave reviews one month ago at GenCon, the world’s largest tabletop gaming convention. And the second Collection Quest comes to The Disneyland Resort, specifically Disney’s California Adventure, on August 29th! The event will be hosted inside the Animation Academy, and Ravensburger staff will be on hand to oversee the event. Upon completion of the event, participants will receive a Magical Places promo card of Belle – Accomplished Mystic. The event will run until supplies last. A valid Disney’s California Adventure park ticket and reservation are required to enter, but there is no additional cost for participation in the event.
Let’s hear from you!
Are you ready for Fabled? Do the new ideas of more card rarities and collectors events get you excited for more Lorcana? And what do you think of Disney Lorcana events inside Disney Parks? We want to hear your opinion, let us know in the comments below! Until next time, good game, and happy questing!
