In just a couple of weeks, the third chapter of Disney Lorcana TCG will arrive in the form of Into the Inklands. Considering how successful the first two chapters have been and continue to be, it’s hard to believe we’re already up to a third — with even more on the way! But, rather than slow down, Ravensburger is giving fans more of what they want with this expansion.
Please note: Ravensburger provided me with both starter decks for the purposes of review. The opinions are my own.
First as previously announced, Into the Inklands sees some Disney Afternoon favorites joining the world of Lorcana as characters from DuckTales and Tale Spin are now a part of the game. In fact, Scrooge McDuck is prominently featured on one of the two starter decks being released for this chapter. Also making their Lorcana debuts are Treasure Planet and Atlantis: The Lost Empire.
Speaking of starter decks, this time around, there are two configurations available: Amber/Emerald and Ruby/Sapphire. Like past releases, these starter deck options include 60 cards (including two foils) as well as 1 booster pack. However, if some of the cards featured in these starter decks look familiar, it’s probably because both packages include a few previously-released cards from The First Chapter and Rise of the Floodborn. In the Amber/Emerald set, these include Horace – No Good Scoundrel, Jasper – Common Crook, Hypnotize, and Improvise. As for Ruby/Sapphire, Minnie Mouse – Always Classy, Dragon Fire, Cogsworth – Talking Clock, Duke Weaselton – Small Time Crook, and Flounder – Voice of Reason are repeats. I’m sure there’s a reason for this and the cards they’ve chosen are pretty cool looking, but this still might be a slight disappointment for avid collectors. Of course, for such players, I might recommend Illumineer’s Trove instead. Or just buying booster packs.
Despite that mild retread, there’s still plenty more that’s new in Into the Inklands. At the top of the list is the introduction of Locations. These cards stick out for a couple of reasons — starting with the fact that they’re oriented horizontally (in landscape, if you will) rather than vertically. These cards will add a new strategy to the game but also bring some great art for locations such as Motunui from Moana, Agrabah from Aladdin, and more.
One fun twist in this particular chapter that I happened to notice is the set of Dalmatian Puppy – Tail Wagger cards. While these five cards have the same name, power, and text, they all have different art and are labeled as 4a-e/204 (actually, I suppose there could be even more variants, but only five are included in the starter deck). You can even have up to 99 copies of the card in your deck, which is pretty hysterical.
The Ruby/Sapphire Into the Inklands Starter Deck
As much as I love cards from both of the Into the Inklands start decks, this is the first time where I have a clear preference between the options (at least in terms of art). For me, the Ruby/Sapphire deck was filled with bangers — mostly thanks to my Moana and DuckTales fandoms. Both of those properties are heavily featured in this deck, including the two foil cards, which are depicted on the box art. That said, as our Pua card reveal showed, characters from these stories will still show up elsewhere.
The Amber/Emerald Into the Inklands Starter Deck
Some of my favorite cards between the two Into the Inklands starter decks include:
- Moana – Born Leader (Art by Grace Tran)
- Scrooge McDuck – Uncle Moneybags (Art by Stefano Zanchi)
- Maid Marian – Delightful Dreamer (Art by Jenna Gray)
- Dewey – Showy Nephew (Art by Federico M. Cugliari)
- Webby Vanderquack – Enthusiastic Duck (Art by Louis Jones)
- Karamora – Menacing Sailor (Art by Brian Kesinger)
- Strike a Good Match (Art by Maxine Vee)
- Kit Cloudkicker – Tough Guy (Art by Jake Parker)
- Neverland – Mermaid Lagoon (Art by Cecile Carre)
- Kida – Atlantean (Art by Nicoletta Baldari)
Overall, Disney Locana: Into the Inklands seems to be another successful expansion. Not only does it bring in stories and characters fans have been waiting for but also introduces new elements that will complicate gameplay in a fun way. On that note, however, I appreciate that Ravensburger is keeping its product line simple rather than rolling out pricey packs with overpowered exclusive cards. That’s great news for all types of collectors — including those who actually play the TCG.
Whether you’re a TCG fan looking forward to the new play elements that this expansion brings or someone in for the art like I am, Disney Lorcana: Into the Inklands is another winner.
Disney Lorcana: Into the Inklands will be available at local game stores on February 23rd (pro tip: use Ravensburger’s store locator to find your local shop) and will be available at mass retailers on March 8th.