There's an irony to trading card games like Disney Lorcana: the better you make things for longtime fans, the worse it can be for newcomers. Adding new mechanics is essential to keep your playerbase invested, but this creates an increasingly labyrinthine knot of ideas for beginners to digest.
Magic: The Gathering has had this issue for years, and its countless terms make it borderline incomprehensible unless you're already knee-deep in the meta. That's why Lorcana's Fabled expansion is such a pleasant surprise. Rather than charging onward like its predecessors, it stops, takes a breath, and returns to shallower water.
Although the dev-team's always emphasized accessibility (co-designer Ryan Miller told me that "our goal was to be welcoming" during our interview back in 2023), it's inevitable that introducing fresh ideas will muddy the pool. However, Fabled does a surprisingly good job of stripping all that back. Advertised as a fresh start, the pitch is simple – "welcome to the story." I've been digging through boosters and its two single-player decks over the past few weeks, and I have to admit: it really is the best entry-point for newcomers.
If you'd like to give Lorcana a go with the Fabled expansion, you can currently get the starter decks at Amazon or from Amazon UK. As for building your own deck, it's worth checking out the Fabled Collection Starter Set for $31.95 at Amazon / £22.99 at Amazon UK. This comes with booster packs and a themed folio to keep everything in.
If you've wanted to try the game but life got in the way or you were simply left behind by its release schedule, don't worry; Fabled is your golden ticket. I don't think its starter decks are quite as welcoming as the ones seen in Reign of Jafar (I fell behind in Disney Lorcana after having a kid, but these decks are giving me back my A-game), yet they still provide a great foundation to build on. Princess Power, the Amber/Sapphire combo, is very accommodating for more cautious play as you feel out the game.
It focuses on sifting through your deck to get the cards you need whilst healing or buffing your characters, for example. Meanwhile, Standout Headliners (the Ruby/Emerald mix) continues the trend seen in last set's "Harmonious Team" deck by keeping its attention locked on the 'singing' mechanic that helps Lorcana stand out from its competition. Taken together, they provide an understanding of what this game is all about.
In addition, the expansion as a whole feels tailor-made for introducing greenhorns to the fun. Fabled eschews the usual long-running story in favor of a more general celebration, and it also brings back cards from previous sets – it's a 'greatest hits' compilation.
Yes, Fabled adds its fair share of 'new.' This is the first set to feature the Goofy Movie, for instance, and it introduces new card rarities (Iconic and Epic) as well. Bringing old cards back should also appeal to longtime players because it's a chance to revisit old favorites. But none of that increases the game's overall complexity.
With this in mind, it's solid ground from which to launch into the game proper or take things further by making your own decks. It should give you everything you need to tackle upcoming sets too. Whispers in the Well isn't far away, so there's certainly enough to look forward to (and frankly, you'd need a heart of stone not to be excited by these new Disney Lorcana Gargoyles cards).
In essence? If you've been hankering to try Disney Lorcana but never knew where to start, take this as your sign. Join us: the water's lovely.
- Shop all Disney Lorcana Fabled at Amazon
- Standout Headliners deck: $16.99 at Amazon
- Illumineer's Trove: $49.99 at Amazon
Looking for more tabletop recommendations? Don't miss the best board games, or the best 2-player board games.
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