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TCG. Total Cardboard Gluttony? Table Covering Game? It’s okay, I looked it up – it’s Trading Card Game! But of course you all knew that!
In contrast, that initialism has bypassed me despite being a hobby gamer for a number of years. How, I am not quite sure. I guess I saw it alongside CCG (Colourful Cardboard Games??) and LCG (Lovely Card Game??) (okay, I have been reliably informed these refer to Collectible Card Games and Living Card Games) systems. Something seriously hardcore gamers did. Magic the Gathering for grown-ups. Pokemon for kids. Not anything I envisaged us really getting into. But then Ravensburger and Disney collaborated to bring out DISNEY LORCANA GATEWAY and suddenly we were immersed in this wild world of booster pack, card collecting, and of course swapping!
Hello TCG DLG!
So what is DISNEY LORCANA GATEWAY (aka DLG – I couldn’t resist!)? It looks like a board game. It unboxes like a board game. It has components like a board game. But it is in fact a rather marvellous entry point into the Disney Lorcana Trading Card Game system for 2 players age 8+
What’s in the box? : Basically everything you need to get cracking with Lorcana!
· 2 starter decks of 30 cards – Ruby Saphire and Amber Amethyst;
· 4 Reward Packs – new cards to unlock campaign, legacy style;
· 30 damage counters;
· Elsa/Mickey Mouse and Maleficent/Snitch Standees;
· Guidebook, Rule Book and Tips; and
· Board
And how do you play? Well, I would be taking the Disney magic away if I went into the Lorcana system in detail here. And in truth, there is absolutely zero need, as Ravensburger have done a brilliant job welcoming noobs like us into the sweetly, salty system of Disney Characters vying for total domination over Lore (VPs) in the TGC world Lorcana
Final Thoughts!
The contents of the Lorcana Gateway box has been gently holding our hand as we begin our adventure into this unknown and yet thematically familiar territory. The (half normal sized) decks are pre-sorted (no shuffling….yet!) so that the first several characters seen and turns played are basic actions and effects. This is really helpful as it enables new players like us to get the most out of our plays without being too lost or overwhelmed.
The Guidebook is also a nice touch – it focuses on checklists, and the goal based learning model works well. Every page feels like a mini-achievement and gets us closer to opening those Reward Packs!
But the basic cards give a great flavour of what is to come and what can be built upon. They demonstrate how a little bit of the strategy and tactics possible can work to gain you “Lore”. And they reassure us as we (hopefully) go deeper into the system and add more variety and powers! Luckily, using this Gateway set-up, we haven’t had to wait to do that or invest in more packs ourselves yet. Why? Well, having hit goals on the checklists, the Reward Packs have been unlocking and have changed up our decks. And now we have each built a full 60 card deck with new characters and powers!
The decks in Lorcana Gateway will be familiar to regular players – there are no unique cards for collectors to covet. But to be fair, this is isn’t a product designed for those who have been playing for a long time (although as a teaching aid for veterans to entice newbies, it rocks). For us, however, each one has been an exciting and interesting discovery. Not to mention the additional possibilities around making use of “ink wells” and the ability to “sing” on our turns if we want! (well, this is Disney!!)
Card art is Disney-delightful including characters we oldies know well as well as those newer ones our son LOVES! Seeing Winnie the Pooh destroy Cinderella is a bit strange I grant you. But the various character combinations become exciting!
Being completely new to TCGs and the Lorcana game system, DLG feels fresh and unlike anything we regularly play. In truth, we have probably veered away from TCGs as the established groups and passion for battling card games is in a way very intimidating. Everyone just seems to know what to do and cracks on. Floundering as a newbie isn’t fun for an experienced opponent. But, like the chicken and/or the egg….you’ve got to start somewhere. And I think the answer could well be DLG.
Before we opened the box, we thought maybe it was too late for us to get into that world now. But here we are, feeling like we have had the best introduction to Lorcana’s potential and TCG language. We know how to play and how to start to build a deck thanks to DLG. And the Guidebook tips continue to be super helpful. As TCG newbies, it has whetted our appetite to explore strategies to compete for “Lore”. We can build on what we have in this box to become truly competitive Lorcana players!
