A Familiar Find

In 2015, Critical Role Productions LLC was founded on the core values of believing in the positive impact of storytelling, sharing the love of games with others, staying curious and always learning, and leaving the world better than we found it. Critical Role began as a group of friendly voice actors sharing stories and fun moments around a table. The group quickly made a name for themselves and garnered a cult like following through their Thursday night tabletop entertainment. Some can even argue that Critical Role has been a leading cause in the continued rise in popularity of Dungeons and Dragons in recent years. They have made DnD cool.

With their strong passion and experience in tabletop gaming and roleplaying, launching Darrington Press as a subsidiary in 2020 was a natural next step. Darrington Press is a publishing company that provides ways for people worldwide to create shared experiences through storytelling, while shaping their own adventures and making invaluable memories along the way. Darrington Press features games and products created and enjoyed by the team at Critical Role, and looks to solidify a long-lasting positive impact on the gaming community and industry as a whole. Some of their previous products include the board games Solar Gardens and Queen by Midnight, the DnD 5th edition sourcebook Tal’Dorei Campaign Setting Reborn, the investigative horror TTRPG Candella Obscura, and of course…Daggerheart. And now they have announced A Familiar Find, a new charming and fast-paced strategic card game fun for the whole family set in Critical Role’s storytelling world of Exandria™.

Learn more about Darrington Press LLC and their products by checking out their website.

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In A Familiar Find, players take on the role of loyal animal companions on a critical mission. Across the corners of Exandria, powerful spellcasters are searching for rare magical ingredients—and it’s up to you, their familiar, to be the first to gather them. Players race through ever-shifting magical locations, collect key components, and outwit rival familiars attempting to sabotage their plans.

Bluffs will be called, traps will be set, and strategies will be evaded; A Familiar Find challenges players to think sharply and act fast but decisively. Featuring quick turns, easy-to-learn rules, and a deck full of surprises, every game delivers a fresh and delightfully magical experience. This lighthearted adventure will transport you into the paws, claws, wings, and abilities of a loyal animal companion racing to gather rare spell ingredients for the most powerful spellcasters in the world. Fans will be thrilled to play as iconic familiars from Critical Role Campaigns 1–3, including: Trinket the Bear, Mister, Pâté de Rolo, and more.

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A Familiar Find will be available April 7, 2026, through Darrington Press Guild stores, Critical Role shops (US, CA, UK, EU, AU), and friendly local game stores at a market price of $29.99. The game can be played with 2-4 players over a course of 30-40 minutes and is intended for ages 12+. The game offers a diverse experience with 10 unique Familiar Character Boards, each featuring distinct abilities and playstyles for players to choose from. The gameplay is kept dynamic and ever-evolving by the inclusion of 84 Arcane Cards and 13 Location Cards.

Plus, Darrington Press Guild stores will have 5 unique Promo Location Cards that add even more variance and replayability! Go to https://darringtonpress.com/explore to find a Darrington Press Guild store near you.

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We would like to give a special Thank You to our friends at Critical Role and Darrington Press for allowing us the opportunity to share this exciting news.

The Ink Table Podcast Episode 22: "As the Snow Thaws"

The Last Days of Winter

The sweet scent of hot chocolate still lingers in the chilling air. Children warmly bundled, laugh and play in the streets. A flurry of snowballs passes between them. The entire scene shines and glistens, as the sun breaks through puffy grey clouds.
Beneath their feet, a wet slush splashes. Winter has yet to pass, but things are heating up. Little do they know that their ammunition is fleeting. Each snowball could be their last…as the snow thaws.

Welcome to The Ink Table, where we are recapping our Disney Lorcana Winterspell prerelease weekend, our pack opening experience, and some critical feedback we believe will improve the game for all Illumineers.

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Notable Pulls

Disney Lorcana’s 11th set Winterspell released at local game stores on February 20, 2026. The team was excited to get their hands on some of the new products and have made it a point to share their pack opening experience with all of those who have pulled up a seat. Probably the most notable pull was the Iconic Moana - Curious Explorer pulled by Preston. Check out the provided short to see the team’s reaction to this card.

We also once again took the time to meet-up and record a few unboxing videos. We have a dedicated playlist on our YouTube channel where these videos will be rolling out. Be sure to check them out (and give them a like) to see everything we pulled in what was the best case we have ever opened.

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Pre-Release FUN

Out of the 11 previous pre-release events we have participated in, this by far was the most fun. Our experience compared to that of other Illumineers probably looked a bit different. We are extremely thankful to have been given the opportunity to represent our home LGS in a special Winterspell themed decorating contest that their distributor was hosting, that ultimately turned into a wonderful Winter themed celebration. Snowflakes hung from the ceiling, snow globes showcased cards from the newest set, oversized cards adorned tables, original film posters related to some of the games newest franchises hung on the walls, and the sweet scent of hot chocolate filled the room with warmth and love. We actually constructed an entire hot chocolate stand where any passers-by or LGS attendees could grab a cup for free.

Sealed MVPs

Each set, after attending sealed events at both our home LGS and their sister location, we always take the time to discuss some cards that stood out to us while playing the limited format. We enjoy doing this, as it may give the spotlight to certain cards that may not see the same level of play in traditional Core Constructed or Infinity matches.

The first card we would like to spotlight is 4 cost Amber card Sarabi - Protecting the Pride. This is the first Sarabi card we have seen in Disney Lorcana. She only quests for 1 and her 4 strength/4 willpower is a pretty basic stat line for her cost. But the thing that makes this card interesting is its ability Fearsome Snarl. This ability allows you to exert Sarabi in order to reduce the strength of an opposing character by 4 until the start of your next turn. This strength reduction opened up multiple gameplay avenues. By reducing this strength, you are able to freely challenge that opposing character without fear of your own being banished and maintaining a board presence. And in scenarios where you are more concerned about questing over challenging, the strength reduction opens up opportunities to freely quest without fear of the opposing character banishing yours on their turn.

The second spotlighted card is Rapunzel - Ethereal Protector. This is an uninkable 3 cost Steel card, and happens to be a Whisper type glimmer. This special glimmer type was first introduced in set 10, Whispers in the Well, and continue to appear in the latest set. Each one of them have a special Boost ability that sees you taking the top card of your deck and placing it under the Whisper in order to get special benefits. It cost 2 ink to “Boost” Rapunzel. When a card is under her you can activate her ability CLONK!. This makes it to where a chosen opposing character can’t challenge until the start of your next turn, when a “Boosted” Rapunzel quests. Similar to Sarabi, we found this to be a great way to protect your characters while allowing you to freely quest.

The final pick is a card we believe actually will appear in some more competitive trending decks, and that is Lilo - Bundled Up. While only having 1 strength and 2 willpower, the fact that she quests for 2 combined with her ability makes it a great card. Her ability Extra Layers makes it that your opponent must deal damage to her twice, essentially wasting time and slowing them down, as the first time she would take damage, she takes none instead.

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Unfortunate Miscuts and Misprints

After the excitement of opening boxes of new product comes the tedious job of sorting cards. And unfortunately, while sorting our cards we came across many that were damaged. This is a recent trend that has popping up everywhere online. A multitude of Illumineers have noticed strange instances of cards coming out of new packs damaged or completely miscut. The images provided are cards directly belonging to the team, that have suffered the same fate.

Many of the cards impacted include foils, Legendaries, Epics, and even an Echanted, in which the majority of have higher market values than the packs they were pulled from. We share our thoughts on this subject in the podcast clip that can be found below. But the important information we want to provide is that Ravensburger does offer a replacement policy (https://brand.ravensburger-group.com/d/e1vhRSQ7WeNy).

Its important to note that only cards Rare or higher rarity are eligible to be replaced. Damaged or missing cards in packs purchased on Amazon and those received through participation or prizing in Organized Play are also not valid to be replaced. In order to open a replacement investigation, you must have a photo of the damaged cards (with a handwritten note that includes your name and the date), a photograph of the receipt that includes the store name where you purchased the product, and the batch ID found on the back of the product’s packaging. But you only have up to 7 days after the purchase is made to file a report.

For the time being, we encourage all Illumineers to hold on to their receipts and product packaging until they thoroughly look over their cards. And if you have also fell victim to laxed quality control, don’t be afraid to use the replacement policy. It can be used to trace back factory errors and hopefully provide feedback that prevents instances like this from happening as often.

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Let’s Talk Lore

Our YouTube channel is filled with a plethora of Disney Lorcana content. We already have our regular Podcast episodes, unboxing videos, and even some IRL coverage from places like our LGS to Gen Con. As our channel and community continues to grow, we want to find even more ways to provide unique and creative content. One way in which we are doing that is through our latest video series titled Let’s Talk Lore.

This series, hosted by me, is our way of showcasing our love and excitement for the overarching story and lore told from set to set throughout the Realm of Lorcana. The Ravenburger Narrative and Art teams do a fantastic job of taking original Disney characters and franchises and twisting them into Dreamborn and Floodborn versions, that beautifully pay ohmage to the original while telling their own unique story. This is done through art, ability names, and flavor text. Many Illumineers take all of this for granted or don’t even know that a story is being told. That’s what this series is all about. We want to cover key story moments in real time as the sets are being released.

The video below is the first in this series. It covers the unique way that Ravensburger is retelling the familiar story of Frozen to explain what has caused the Realm of Lorcana to be blanketed in a magical snow during Winterspell.

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New Rarities

During the Disney Lorcana themed activities at the EPCOT International Festival of the Arts, an announcement was sneakily placed within Collection Guidebooks used by parkgoers during the event. There was a special page dedicated to showing off the different rarities that can be found. And there was a section covering “special edition cards” that have unique promo symbols on them. Many of these we have seen before. The regular promo logo has been around since The First Chapter. The Magical Places logo can be found on cards that were distributed within the Disney Parks. The Film symbol was first seen on promos given out during opening weekend screenings of Zootopia 2. And even the Cruises logo made a brief appearance (and could return in the future) on specific Disney Cruise voyages.

With that being said, there are two new symbols that we have yet to see. The first is the Puzzles logo. We have received Lorcana themed puzzles in the past. We have even received some that came with promos in the past. But these promos had the traditional Promo symbol on them, not the Puzzles symbol. And the last new rarity is Publishing. Only recently has Ravensburger been releasing products such as the Official Collector’s Guides. And currently it seems there will be other books published by the official Narrative Team in the future. It is very likely that some of these future products will be where we first see these new Publishing Promos.

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thanks for pulling up a seat at…

the ink table

Cinderedge - Solo Survival TTRPG

QuasiReal Publishing, founded by Grant Mielke, combines over 60 years of expertise in game design, development, and marketing. The company is dedicated to creating innovative tabletop experiences that push the boundaries of traditional gaming narratives. In the past they have done so through projects such as MythCraft RPG, Veil of the Eternal Night, and Bria’s Mythical Menagerie. Now they push that boundary to the limit with their newest project, Cinderedge.

Die alone in a burning forest. Firewatch meets Disco Elysium in this haunting solo journaling tabletop RPG where you play a forgotten Ward Keeper maintaining a magical barrier against apocalyptic flames. Using just cards, dice, and a journal, document your final days through 150+ evolving prompts over the course of 3 distinct chapters. Balance your Ward’s supplies, sanity, and stability. Sacrifice memories to survive and create something beautiful from inevitable loss. Inspired by many of our favorite games, Cinderedge transforms tabletop gaming into an intimate meditation on duty, isolation, and what we sacrifice to protect others.

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While the PDF version of Cinderedge may already be purchased for $14.99 on DriveThruRPG, QuasiReal Publishing has recently started a Kickstarter campaign (that is already fully backed at time of writing) that will introduce other variations of the RPG along with premium Cinderedge themed physical components for use while playing. This campaign will allow players to purchase this game in PDF, Zine, Hardcover, or even a limited Collector’s Edition. The Hardcover Collector’s Edition may be purchased on its own for $59. But there are also two main pledge bundles that offer even more. All Kickstarter contents are estimated to be delivered June of 2026.

Hardcover Collector’s Edition

Ward Keeper’s Stash

The Ward Keeper’s Stash ($69): Includes the Cinderedge Zine, Ward Keeper's Log Journal, the Collector's Playing Card Deck, and the Official Dice Set. All in a high-quality, magnetic close, rigid box. Also includes free PDF and OST Digital Downloads.

Unmarked Grave

Unmarked Grave ($129): includes the Hardcover Collector's Edition book, Ward Keeper's Log Journal, the Collector's Playing Card Deck, and the Official Dice Set. All in a handcrafted acacia wood box with burnt lettering and soft felt liner. Also includes free PDF and OST Digital Downloads. This will be a Limited-Edition Kickstarter Exclusive.

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As a gift, QuasiReal Publishing passed along a PDF copy of the rulebook to allow for a review to go along with this article. Spoiler Alert! There is no happy ending, there is only the record you leave behind. An overwhelming ominous sensation is felt while playing knowing that at the end of it, there was nothing you can do. Ultimately, death comes for us all. I have run through 2 playthroughs so far and can gladly say that both were unique and saw different prompts.

For those who have never played a solo journaling TTRPG, the biggest gameplay mechanic is your own imagination. Typically you are given a setting for the story to take place; Cinderedge happens to take place during the mid-17th century in a magical high-fantasy world called Ancerra. Then you draw from a deck of everyday playing cards, with each card representing a different prompt to roleplay. By journaling how your character plays out these prompts, a story is formed.

Cinderedge takes that key mechanic of using the imagination and slowly twists it, homing to works by Lovecraft and Robert Howard. As the game and story progress your character, who you know is on a collision path with death, slowly goes insane as you are asked to sacrifice memories in order to survive. Imagine you are carrying a sentimental photo of a loved one in your wallet. Now imagine if the face in that photo began to blur, have its mouth sowed shut, or even grew horns. These are the types of mental obstacles your Ward will face; and you as the player are sickly asked to be the one that drives your character down that dark path. Words alone cannot describe this experience. There are genuine emotional stakes as players literally forget pieces of their character's identity to survive another day.

The Ink Table Podcast Episode 21: "Winter Festivities"

Fun in the Snow

Atop a frozen hill stands a man made of snow. The chilling arctic air and harsh icy cold, have crafted his uncomfortable home of solidarity and isolation. He is stuck here, frozen, slowly awaiting the first rays of Spring…

But at the base of this hill, a different story is unfolding. Folks have begun gathering under the Winter lights that adorn their town.  And as they gather in the streets, there is a powerful sense of Community, Respect, and Hope. Together, the warm smiles act as a cavalcade of torches, their magical flame burning through the snow and ice. 

Welcome to The Ink Table, where the team is busily bringing in the new year with multiple Winter Festivities and tons of Disney Lorcana fun.

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Home Sweet Home

January 2026 was an extremely busy time for The Ink Table team. Each member set off on their own Disney/Disney Lorcana themed adventures. From January 9-11th, Preston attended the 2nd North American DLC of Disney Lorcana’s second competitive season in Richmond, Virginia. John got to enjoy a break from the cold, as he embarked on his first Disney cruise. And Dylan was fortunate to attend the 2026 EPCOT International Festival of the Arts, where special Disney Lorcana events were taking place. This episode is the first time that the entire team has come together since these trips, and the first time they have shared their thoughts on these experiences. Listen to the podcast episode to hear these thoughts; and check out the content bellow to get a peek into what the gang got into.

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Winterspell Reveals

Picks From the Crew

Below you can find a few cards from this set that the team wanted to highlight for various reasons. The first is Mulan - Resourceful Recruit. This Mulan glimmer has the potential to be a new meta staple and is definitely a card you could build an entire deck around. Her ability, Rigorous Training, allows her to gain lore equal to her strength (up to a maximum of 6) when she quests. As written, her strength is only 1. But pieced into an Amber/Emerald or Emerald/Sapphire deck using cards with the Support keyword, she could easily reach the limit to quest for that maximum of 6 lore. This card could also be slotted into Emerald/Ruby action focused decks to produce similar results.

Let’s Get Dangerous is an inkable 4-cost Steel song based on, Darkwing Duck, a new franchise being introduced in Winterspell. This is simply a fun card that acts as a big gamble, with the payoff of playing a character for free…but so can your opponent. Hince the danger. While this card may not see much play, the Enchanted version does an excellent job showcasing the franchise it is based on. In truth, although not a character card, this is the piece of art we would recommend to Collectors and Darkwing fans who have patiently awaited his arrival.

Stegmutt - Clumsy Dinosaur is a beefy character at 7 Strength and 7 Willpower. This is another character from the Darkwing Duck franchise. There are two things of interest we would like to point out with this card. The first is his ability, Wake of Destruction. Stegmutt is a costly character, typically needing 8 ink to play him. But his ability allows the glimmer to be played for less based on how many items you have in your discard. This type of cost reduction ability is one we have seen before, but it hasn’t been seen since set 5, Shimmering Skies. The second thing to point out on this card is his classifications. While the Storyborn and Ally tags are fairly common, this is the first character with the Dinosaur tag. Just as we’ve saw the Ghost tag added to a singular character in Whispers in the Well, just to be expanded on in Winterspell, the same thing seems to be happening here. Stegmutt seems to be stomping the path forward for character like Rex from Toy Story, the characters from The Good Dinosaur, and even Tiny from Meet the Robinsons.

The final card we want to spotlight is Heihei - Persistent Presence. Originally released in Rise of the Floodborn, this card is a reprint making its way back with alternative art. The biggest thing to point out here is what could be considered an errata to his ability, He’s Back! This ability is gives the same effect that many other cards gain. When this character is banished in a challenge, it returns to your hand. The new version of this card expands the wording of this ability and clarifies that when the card is returned to your hand, it does so from your discard. In truth, this has always been the case. But sometimes gameplay speed sees players skipping steps that don’t seem necessary. The character is banished, goes to your discard, then returns to your hand. This clarification is meant to remind players of that middle step, as there are many new cards that gain benefits from cards leaving a player’s discard. One particular instance of this is a new Floodborn Anna that gains Shift 0 when a card leaves your discard. Therefore, Heihei could be used as a pawn to shift this Anna for free.

Cards that Look Different

Some cards being introduced in Winterspell may look different when it comes to their art and mechanics. Don’t freak out if you pull a foil card missing a piece of its border! Special cards with connected art will be returning within those foil slots. Some locations will be gaining abilities we have never seen before. One gains the Boost ability only previously found on Whisper Glimmers, and another even finds a way to gain the Evasive keyword. And you will be able to find 1 card in each ink color with the new Underdog ability. This new ability allows characters to be played for 1 less if it is your first turn and you are playing on the draw. In a way this ability has the potential to eliminate the advantages typically associated with playing first, which has been one of the game’s biggest complaints from its inception. Check out the podcast clip below to learn even more about these cards and mechanics.

Winterspell Promos

The podcast clip above speaks on the different promo cards in the newest set, the change in their appearance, and how to receive them.

New Iconics

Disney Lorcana’s highest rarity, Iconic, gains two more cards to the club in Winterspell. Both glimmers gaining the Iconic treatment this time happen to be Princesses. The first is Pocahontas - Peacekeeper, which celebrates the Pocahontas franchise appearing in the Realm of Lorcana for the first time. The second card is Moana - Curious Explorer. This beautiful card marks the first time that Moana has received a rarity higher than Rare, as even the standard version of this card is Legendary. Below you can find a podcast clip where the team shares their thoughts on these valuable cards.

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Wilds Unknown

First Look at Pixar Characters

It was previously announced that Disney Lorcana’s 12th set, Wilds Unknown, will see the introduction of Pixar characters making their way to the realm of Lorcana. As far as we previously knew, this only included characters from the Toy Story franchise (as seen in the key art above). But it seems Ravensburger will be pushing a quick introduction of Pixar franchises as both The Incredibles and Brave will also be introduced in this Q2 set, on May 8th.

2-Player Starter Set

One good way to get your hands on some of these new Pixar cards is through the 2-Player Starter Set that will MSRP at $29.99. Interestingly, starting in Winterspell, Ravensburger will move on from selling Single Player Decks. This approach is a decision made based on the recorded purchasing habits of Illumineers to this point. This is believed to be a family-focused product, as the majority of households purchasing Disney Lorcana product has more than one person playing the game. This also creates a “gateway” product that can be sold each set, thus ensuring that there is always an open pipeline for new players.

Prerelease Packs

When Wilds Unknown releases on May 8, 2026, prerelease events at your local game store will look a little different. We previously discussed the details of these new Prerelease Packs in our previous episode (“Making Spirits Bright”) and will likely discuss it again in the future once the Promo Cards and Postcards included have finally been revealed. We bring this product up again now, because it adds to the Pixar discussion. Previously some of the art on the included Booster Packs was hidden. We now know that our prediction, that this would be art of a brand-new franchise, has been proven correct. But we would have never guessed that this would be our first look at the Pixar princess Merida from Brave.

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Attack of the Vine

The rollout of Pixar franchises does not look to be slowing down anytime soon. Disney Lorcana’s 13th set, Attack of the Vine!, will continue the overarching story that sees the struggle against a wild and magically growing vine. It will also see the introduction, as seen in the key art, of at least 2 new Pixar franchises, Monsters Inc. and Up. These franchises along with a prior announcement that Turning Red will also appear in this set, makes 3 overall.

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Q4 Set

The last piece of news we have is a sneak peek at an unnamed Q4 set. There is no name or date for this set yet. But we do get a look at some characters from Coco that will be making an appearance.

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Thanks for pulling up a seat at…

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Winter Burrow Review

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Release Date: November 12, 2025

Publisher/Developer: Pine Creek Games, Noodlecake Studios

Platform: Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X|S, Steam (reviewed)

Price: $19.99

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Denmark studio Pine Creek Games explains that they “… are inspired by nature, art and fairytales which [they] interpret into games with curiosity and love”.

Cozy woodland survival game, Winter Burrow, captures this philosophy by having the player brave the elements on a journey to collect vital resources used to bring warmth and life to their new home, while reflecting on the complex themes of loss and isolation.

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Story

A mouse, so small and soft-footed, carries a brave and beating heart as it scurries through a world far larger than itself. This unnamed tiny rodent is controlled by you. As a child your family left their quiet home in the woods, chasing the glitter and ambition of the city. But quickly, you gain a heavy awareness to the harsh reality of constant struggle unfolding in plain sight. Ambition transforms to desperation as those around you, including your parents, fight sickness while overworking themselves in the most taxing and underpaid jobs. They can only carry on like this for so long. Then the most unfortunate and devastating event occurs, as both of your parents are tragically taken.

This is where the game opens. Already, an emotional bond is forged with the young mouse. So, it is even more heartbreaking when they return to their childhood burrow and see that it is broken-down and in shambles. And to make matters worse, your Aunt, who was supposed to be looking after your home, has gone missing. Now it is up to you to brave the elements of the frozen wilderness on both a daring rescue mission, and a journey of survival.

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Characters

While exploring the frozen forest, you will randomly stumble upon the game’s other characters. And in truth, I feel the true story of Winter Burrow lies with them. Bufo the toad, Gnawtusk the squirrel, and the moles Willow and Moss all play a role in making sure the player character is equipped with gear and upgrades that make exploration less challenging. But these characters are more than just simple quest givers, as their individual stories make this anthropomorphic world feel more human while driving home the overall theme of isolation.

It’s important to note that each of these characters are found in their own unique sections of the game map. Meaning that, before the young mouse discovers them, each one is segregated in the eerie cold woods alone. And through dialog interactions, we learn that this isolation does not stop at just their physical location. Bufo feels that he ran his son off, and now his only family doesn’t visit him. Willow who due to age, struggles with vision and memory has lost many important items, with nobody to help her find them. Moss struggles with grief and some denial, while struggling to continue on with life after the passing of her significant other. And lastly is the senile Gnawtusk. This character seems to be afflicted with some sort of dementia, maybe even Alzheimer’s. Even his pack, has left the sickly squirrel to fend for himself.

Ultimately a beautiful relationship between player, characters, and environment is formed. The young mouse braves the storm and desperately tries to stay warm. Yet in the end, it is the tiniest of creatures bringing warmth back into the lives of those around him.

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Survival

Gameplay at its core though a narrative adventure, is centered around the central concept of survival. Health, hunger, and stamina must all be balanced in order to survive. This juggling act combined with the tiny stature of your character, exaggerates even more so the harsh nature of the environment.

By completing quests and speaking to the previously mentioned characters, you unlock special recipes. These crafting recipes can be used in combination with the plethora of resources you pick up while adventuring, to upgrade your equipment. Tools like your axe, shovel, and pick become stronger and can be used on tougher materials. Your wardrobe can be upgraded so that you inccur less penalties when facing the cold.

But foraging and recipes don't stop there. At the end of each day, it is your cozy burrow that that provides solace from the environment. Not only is it a safe haven in which you rest your head, but it acts as the one area in the game you can make your own. Decorations, gardens, and furniture can all be used to adorn your home making it feel all the more personal.

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Overall

Maybe it was the solitude of the winter weather. Maybe it was my own recent dealings with loss and grief. Nonetheless, playing through Winter Burrow evoked some form of somber therapeutic emotion. The only other time I have felt this emotion so strongly is while watching the Autumn classic Over the Garden Wall. Its hard to put into words, as there is not an English term or phrase to describe it. The closest thing would be the Welsh term Hiraeth - an unexplained nostalgic homesickness tinged with grief and sadness over the departed.

Pros:

• Deep themes

• Super Cozy art style and setting

• Side quests that further push the story

• Balanced inventory and crafting system

Cons:

• Map hard to navigate

• Lack of personalization options

• No long-term reason to continue the survival loop

• Small variety in enemies and they don’t scale

• No way to view recopies while in the wild

Ball x Pit Review

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Release Date: October 15,2025

Publisher/Developer: Kenny Sun, Devolver Digital

Platform: Steam, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, PS5 (reviewed)

Price: $14.99

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Vampire Survivors meets arcade classic Breakout, this survival rougelite / city builder is the most fun you’ll ever have playing with balls.

Armed with magical projectiles in the form of bouncing balls, face off against armies of barbaric creatures within a meteoric pit on your way to rebuilding the once great city of Ball-bylon.

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The Pit

One giant space ball is all it took. After an unexpected cataclysmic meteor shower annihilated the once great city of Ballblyon, the only thing that remains is a giant ominous pit. Within the depths of this pit lies Ballblyon’s lost and scattered riches. Now it is up to you the player, and whichever hero you choose to command, to plummet into darkness in order to find the resources to rebuild the fallen city.

The pit acts as a level hub, as you hop aboard a mechanical platform and descend down to multiple floors. Each of these floors offers a special region to explore with its own unique set of hazards. The biggest hazard being hordes of enemies, cleverly designed as bricks, that continuously come at you in waves. As you venture deeper into the pit, these enemies (and bosses) become increasingly more challenging.

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The Balls

Fixed Shooters or “Shoot ‘em Ups” have existed since the time of Galaga and Space Invaders. But none before have combined the classic gameplay style with brick-breaker elements. Swapping traditional projectiles with chaotic bouncing and ricocheting balls adds a layer of strategy that, on its own, feels genre redefining. But Kenny Sun and Devolver Digital did not stop there.

Now take that Fixed Shooter Brick-Breaking structure and throw in everyone’s favorite video game additive, Rougelike Elements (more Rougelite in this case, but more on that later). Each run in “The Pit” sees you stumble upon an assortment of 60 randomized balls, each with their own ability, that can be equipped to better take on enemies. And after leveling balls up they can be fused together to unlock unexpected synergies and overpowered combinations, making each run feel refreshing by encouraging experimentation. The above photo shows a Vertical Laser Ball and Horizontal Laser Ball being fused to create a powerful evolution, Holy Laser, that on a hit deals massive damage to all of the enemies in the same row and column.

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New Ballbylon

Similar to previous Devolver title Cult of the Lamb, Ball x Pit adds a City-Builder section that acts as your base of operations. This is also where those aforementioned Rouglite Elements begin to further present themselves further. Throughout each dungeon run you will gather resources such as gold, stone, wheat, and wood. These resources can be used to expand and grow the community of New Ballbylon with over 70 unique buildings.

Each building unlocks new power-ups, passive bonuses to stats, and even new characters to play as. It is through the growth of this tiny city, that progression is most felt. As tiles are filled and buildings are upgraded, Ballbylon rises from the ashes. And in that moment, an unspoken partnership is realized. Through the viewing of the city’s physical growth, your Heroes own innate abilities flourish and prosper, giving a swelling sense of broadening power.

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overall

The polyamorous marriage between a Discordian cacophony of gaming genres is a match made in chaos, birthing an overflowing cornucopia of righteously intoxicating… balls.

Cons:

• Tutorials could break information down better

• Some menus felt slow and glitchy

• You won’t accomplish anything other than play this game

Pros:

• Fantastic Sound Design

• Marriage of game mechanics that work well together

• Addictive gameplay loop that doesn’t stale

• Good design in regard to Accessibility

• Experimental evolution leading to replayability

The Ink Table Podcast Episode 20: "Making Spirits Bright"

Winter is Coming

A full moon hangs high in the night sky; its pale light illuminating our path forward. Beneath our feet the forgotten leaves of Autumn crunch and shatter. Each grounded leaf, just as delicate as the gentle snowflakes that have begun to fall. Its perplexing…the warmth of Fall has tuned to cold and solace. Yet, the warmth of distant Winter lights beckons us home. It is in this moment, that we forget all about spooky spirits, and turn towards… “Making Spirits Bright”.

Welcome to The Ink Table, where the team is getting into the holiday spirit while also looking ahead at what Disney Lorcana fun awaits in the new year.

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new disney lorcana products

More Lorcana Puzzles

Way before Disney Lorcana was a thing, its parent company, Ravensburger, had already made a name for itself in the world of jigsaw puzzles. Previously, we were already fortunate enough to have received six 1000-piece Disney Lorcana puzzles, each representing a specific ink color.

And in the near future, it would seem that we will be getting even more Lorcana themed puzzles. Prices and release dates of these particular puzzles have yet to be revealed. But we do know that they will be exclusive to online Ravensburger stores in the US, UK, France, and Germany.

These smaller 300-piece puzzles will showcase art of Moana - of Montinui, Winnie the Pooh - Hunny Wizard, and Elsa - the Fifth Spirit.

2-player set

MSRP: $29.99

Release Date: May 8th, 2026

While no image has been revealed for this product, we do have some information. It will include 2 decks. One will be an Amber-Emerald deck advertised as having cards that “play nice” together. The other will be an Amethyst-Ruby deck marketed as more Heroic and Daring. This product will also include 2 lore trackers and 13 paper damage tokens.

From the information provided, it sounds like (and we are hopeful that) this will act as a revamped version of Gateway. Disney Lorcana Gateway is an introductory product that also included 2 decks and is used as a tool to learn to play the game. This is something we have always encouraged folks wanting to get into Disney Lorcana to check out. But…Gateway has some flaws. There are a few game mechanics that it doesn’t cover. These include locations, Sing Togther, dual-ink cards, illusions, and now Whispers. So this new 2-player Set may very well be a much-needed updated version of Gateway.

collection starter set - stitch edition

MSRP: $29.99

Release Date: March 13, 2026

Shortly after the launch of Winterspell in February, a few new Disney Lorcana products will be coming out. The first will be this new Collection Set. This is a fantastic product for both collectors and new players alike. It will include 4 packs of Winterspell, a Glimmer Foil promo of Stitch - Carefree Snowboarder, a collector’s guide, and a binder that holds 80 cards featuring art of the Set Championship version of Stitch - Rock Star.

Scrooge mcduck gift box

MSRP: $29.99

Release Date: March 13, 2026

The second product being released shortly after Winterspell is the newest Gift Box. Previously we have recieved an Amber themed Gift Box featuring Lilo - Escape Artist and an Amythest themed Gift Box featuring Elsa - the Fifth Spirit. This version will be an Emerald one. It will feature alternative art for Scrooge McDuck - S.H.U.S.H Agent, and will include a glimmer foil promo card with the same alternative art. The Gift Box will also include 5 random previously released Disney Lorcana booster packs.

disney lorcana notebook

MSRP: $14.99

Release Date: February 1, 2026 

A surprise product that nobody could have guessed is this Disney Lorcana Notebook. The color, art, and gold foiling is very reminiscent to the D23 Collector Boxes we have seen in the past.

The notebook will contain 32 pages of illustrations from the Disney Lorcana Universe, with all other pages (amount currently unknown) will be versatile blank pages. This notebook could be used for keeping score during large events, as an autograph book, aa a scrapbook, or a way to collect Disney Lorcana and your favorite Content Creators stickers.

Disney lorcana collector’s guides sets

MSRP: $19.99 (Each)

Release Date: February 1, 2026

The last product we will discuss are the new Disney Lorcana Collector’s Guides Sets. Since diving into the Realm of Lorcana for the first time, myself along with many other Illumineers have clamored for a product similar to this. It has been stated many times in previous podcast episodes that the team would love to see some form of comic, graphic novel, or something adjacent to help record and keep track of Lorcana’s overarching story. And these Collector’s Guides will do just that.

Each Collector’s Guide will cover multiple sets. The first will cover sets 1-4 and the second will cover sets 5-8. There will be a card catalog for all the sets covered in each book, to help keep track of your collection. But even more important, each book will include the definitive story of the Disney Lorcana Universe told through exciting Easter Eggs, old and never before seen art, and fantastic short stories written by the Official Narrative team.

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a magical beginning to the year

January 2026 looks to be an extremely busy time for The Ink Table team. Each member will be stepping onto their own path and taking part in unique Disney/Disney Lorcana adventures…

Richmond DLC

The 2nd North American DLC of Disney Lorcana’s competitive circuit will be taking place in Richmond, Virginia January 9-11th. Preston, just as he was for DLC Milwaukee, will be there in person. While he has goals to see improvement in his performance from the first DLC to this one, he is more excited to see how the teams from Ravensburger and Pastimes have improved the overall experience. If you see Preston there, be sure to stop him to get your hands on a The Ink Table sticker. And if you won’t be attending the DLC, you can still follow along with his coverage on our social stories or be a part of the conversations happening on our Discord.

Disney wish

Making like a bird and heading south for winter, John will be boarding the Disney Wish. This will be the first cruise for the man who captains our ship. And while he won’t be “firing any cannons”, he will get to celebrate his love for all things Pirate while at sea. John will also be running his own Giveaway of sorts. So, if you happen to be cruising on the Wish this January, be on the lookout for some “booty” from your friends at The Ink Table.

EPCOT Festival of the Arts

Running January 16th-February 23rd, Walt Disney World will be hosting the EPCOT Festival of the Arts. For the first time, Disney Lorcana will be present throughout the park in honor of the festival. And Dylan is extremely excited to be able to attend the festivities and take part in the events.

Starting at 9AM each day of the festival, park attendees can pick up a Questbook. These Questbooks will guide Illuminners through two different events. The first titled “Ink and Find” is a scavenger hunt that sees participants searching for oversized Disney Lorcana cards throughout the park. The second event will be a Collection Quest taking place in “The Illumineer’s Lounge” in the Morocco Pavillion of the World Showcase section of EPCOT. This event will have Illumineer’s ripping packs and trading cards in order to complete the unique collection found in their Questbooks. By completing each event, participants can earn a special Disney Lorcana Magical Places promo card. There is also one of these promotional cards being given away with a purchase at the festival.

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The Ink Table Podcast Episode 19: "All Coming Together"

Deciding Fate

Rivers and Roads weave and flow through the mountain lined valley, forming strands that connect one place and time to another. While these roads may dictate where we are headed, it is our own actions that ultimately decide fate.

On October 21st, 2023 two guys new to TCGs sat across from each other for the first time. And sure, they could have played, shaken hands, and moved on… But then we wouldn't be here.

Welcome to The Ink Table, where a group of friends and fellow Illumineers are gathered in celebration. You, dear reader/listener, are also invited. So, pull up a seat, as we celebrate the 1-year anniversary of The Ink Table Podcast.

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but first…

Thank You!!

This episode, and all of our previous episodes, wouldn’t be possible without all of you. Our journey begins at our home local game store where Preston, John, and I first met. It is well documented that it was John, with years of podcasting experience under his belt, that pushed The Ink Table Podcast into existence. He truly enjoyed the positive and informative discussions taking place surrounding both Lorcana and Disney in general. While the initial intention was to jokingly and selfishly have a Disney Lorcana podcast all for himself to listen too, there was clearly an audience who also enjoyed our conversations. This gave us confidence and sparked a drive to continue sharing our “Table Talk” with all of you. And over the past year, we have continued to grow our small, friendly, inclusive, globe spanning community. So to all of you…our wives, families, LGS, local players, fellow content creators, Ravensburger team, and Disney Lorcana community as a whole…THANK YOU.

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MERCH?!

Ever since the team was first seen wearing matching custom shirts back at Gen Con 2025, there has been a repeated call for some The Ink Table Podcast merch. Well, you’re in luck. Powered by Fourthwall, we recently launched our very own online store. It's here that you can FINALLY get your hands on hats, hoodies, sweaters, and classic Tees to show the world that you have “Claimed your seat” and they can too.

• Check out the Classic Collection for designs similar to what you saw the team wear at Gen Con.

•  The Rep Your Ink Collection is perfect for Illumineers looking to represent their favorite Ink type or further color match with their deck when they show up to League or DLCs.

• Our Kiddie Table Collection has the perfect gifts for your Young Illuminneers this holiday

• And make sure to stay warm this season by checking out Winter Collection

Know that 100% of your purchase goes towards supporting and growing The Ink Table Podcast brand as all revenue made from the merch shop will be funneled back into creating unique content, helping keep the podcasts and website running, and creating more opportunities for us to give back to all of you.

Visit the Merch Shop at: theinktable-shop.fourthwall.com

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Pre-release “packs”

One of our favorite parts of Disney Lorcana, is pre-release weekends. While every local game store handles pre-release events differently, our home store has continued to offer Sealed events. These events are special as they create an entirely new format outside the typical Core Constructed and Infinity. You excitingly open 6 packs of the newest set, then build a 40 card minimum deck with no ink restrictions. Ripping into packs as a group, seeing cards for the first time, and learning how they work together make this format fantastic for casual or community driven players too.

But starting with the pre-release of Wilds Unknown, pre-release events will look a little different. Ravensburger will be introducing a new product in the form of Pre-release Packs (interestingly not called kits). These “packs” will have a MSRP of $39.99. Each one will contain the standard 6 packs of the newest set used in sealed/draft events; but will also contain a deck box, 4 dice with the Disney Lorcana logo, 1 of 3 possible postcards, a rules sheet, and 1 of 6 promo cards. There will be 6 promo cards all together, each representing a different Ink color.

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new ip coming in winterspell

Thanks to @illumineertales on Instagram for sharing this photo

Before we get to Wilds Unknown, we must first brace the cold of Winterspell. And it seems we will have some new faces waiting our arrival. The above photo is an upscaled rendering of an Illuminner’s Trove for set 11, originally revealed by Ravensburger. While these cards have not been officially revealed, they are plastered to the side of product media that HAS been officially revealed.

These card images may be blurry, but we can pretty accurately decipher some details. In the middle is an uninkable Amythest Pocahontas card. Pocahontas has already been announced to be coming in Winterspell; so seeing her comes to no surprise. But the fact that she is an Amythest card rather than Amber is a slight shock. It is also strange that a character so defined by nature and themes of Autumn is being introduced in a set where the world of Lorcana is completely covered in snow.

On the left is an inkable Emerald card. This seems to be the first appearance and hint that The Fox and the Hound is coming to Lorcana, as a glimmer of Todd playfully jumps in the snow. On the right appears to be an inkable Ruby card showcasing art from Mulan. It looks like Li Shang can be seen shouting to some warriors carrying poles. This could possibly be a song card depicting a verse from I’ll Make a Man Out of You.

Only so much can be gleamed from the blurry photos. It’s only a matter of time before we are deep among the Winterspell reveal season, and these cards are officially revealed. But until then, we can only speculate and anticipate what these cards will truly have in store.

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The Ink Table Podcast Episode 18: "On the Case"

Honorary Detectives

A cold chill races down your spine, sending goosebumps cascading up your arm. These tunnels are dark and damp, and your footsteps echo with each step you take. Your eyes play tricks as shadows twist and form into apparitions of spooky-scary…skeletons. All the while distant, Whispers, pull you along. There is a mystery to be solved, but do not fear, for there are some Illumineers…On the Case.

Welcome to The Ink Table, where we have gathered in hopes of putting the pieces together that may awnser the question of what Whispers in the Well has in store, and how it may affect the future of Lorcana.

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Preston is Missing???

For the first time ever, there was an empty seat at The Ink Table during a podcast, as one host was missing. The first North American DLC of the Disney Lorcana competitive circuit took place the weekend of October 24-26th in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. And Preston got to attend! You can check out the official Disney Lorcana website to get a recap, learn more about the winner, see a meta breakdown, and get a look at some of the top decklists. Preston will also be back to share more about his overall experience in the next podcast episode. But until then, you can check out the clip below where Preston joins John and Dylan on the most recent episode live from the DLC.

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Q3 2026

While there is very little information at the moment, it has been announced that the Disney/Pixar IP Turning Red will be coming to the world of Lorcana in unnamed 13th set next Summer. This set will release between July and September. Our best educated guess has it coming out in August…but more on that later.

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Wilds Unknown

But Turning Red will not be the only Pixar franchise to make its way to Disney Lorcana. As first announced during the Disney Lorcana 2nd Anniversary Panel back at Gen Con, Toy Story will be making its way to the realm of Lorcana next Spring during Q2 of 2026.

In the photo above we get a good look at both a Buzz Lightyear and Woody glimmer, as they navigate an overgrown jungle that has wildly sprung to life and taken over the realm of Lorcana. These glimmers seem to be Dreamborn variations, as their outfits and appearance are different than that we are used to seeing in their respective films that their Storyborn versions would have. Buzz looks like a Jungle Commando decked out in painted tiger stripes and tactical vest. Woody has leaned into the toy element by resourcefully fashioning a makeshift machete out of a broken pair of safety scissors and rope or lasso out of a broken AUX cable.

Not just showing off the introduction of Toy Story, this poster art also does a great job showing off the overall theming and possible story elements for Wilds Unknown. This set will tell a story about overcoming odds and returning home. “Brave glimmers of all shapes and plastics must traverse together through treacherous terrains to get back home.” The biggest questions that remain, what has caused this unnatural overgrowth of nature and why does a serpent like vine that entangles the world have a vice grip on The Great Illuminary?

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Winterspell

Another set originally shown off at the Disney Lorcana 2nd Anniversary Panel is Winterspell. The 11th set of Disney Lorcana will have its pre-release on February 13, 2026 at local game stores and Disney locations before releasing everywhere else 1 week later on February 20, 2026. At the time of recording this podcast episode we were aware that this set would introduce glimmers from Darkwing Duck, Lilo and Stitch the Series, and Pocahontas.

There are currently no answers as to what has caused a seemingly magical winter storm that has blanketed Lorcana in snow. But we have gotten our first look at some of the cards and products we have to look forward to. Below you can get a look at these cards yourself and learn more about those products.

New Cards

Products

Booster Box - will contain 24 individual Booster Packs, with 12 cards per pack

Packs contain art Darkwing Duck - Dashing Gadgateer, Angel, and Tinker Bell (with attire resembling what she wears in Secret of the Wings)

Illumineer’s Trove - while unlisted these products typically contain 8 Booster Packs, a Lore Counter, a special set of dice, and dividers to help organize cards

Great for Collectors but also players just starting their collection

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Whispers in the Well

Right around the corner is the release Disney Lorcana’s 10th set, Whispers in the Well. It will have prereleases on November 7, 2026 before its main release on November 14, 2016. In some ways it is weird that this set will not be releasing in October, in time for Halloween. Whispers in the Well sees some of the darkest themes, art, and characters the game has ever seen. Absolutely perfect for Spooky Season!

Below you can see some glimmers from those “spooky” franchises and some neat mechanics being introduced.

Ink Champions

The Black Cauldron

Gargoyles

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

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The Story Going Forward

This section could probably live as its own standalone article, but I’ll try to keep it brief. Many know that there is an overarching story being told in Disney Lorcana; few known how to find it. Hidden in plain sight through art, flavor text, and names this story is born. The story so far has followed the journey of three Illuminners (people like the player who were summoned to Lorcana and The Great Illuminary thinks to our strong imaginations) Martin, Shanzay, and Venturo. We have followed this troop of heroes from The First Chapter, as we were introduced to the world alongside them, to the most recent battle in Reign of Jafar, in which they saved Archazia’s Island.

Fabled was the first set to add NOTHING to this overarching story. Sets 1-4 acted as the first arch, 5-8 the second, and the next arch (skipping over Fabled) beginning now in set 11. While it may seem Whispers in the Well has a lot going on, it is actually pretty slow. This is the page of the next chapter and, while it may tell its own short story, it is used to set the foundation for bigger things to come.

Hana

As it turns out, while we were following the story of the three “main” Ilumineers, another Illumineer has been exploring Lorcana and the Inklands on her own. All of this is information shared by the Disney Lorcana Narrative Team and gathered from cards appearing in Whispers in the Well.

Hana found herself in Lorcana shortly after the main protagonists. Ever since arriving, she has found a fascination in the local flora. This is very ironic as the Japanese word for Hana means flower. We’ll have to wait to see if her ethnicity has any coorelation to this, as we have yet to see the new Illuminner. She takes the role of resident herbologist and records all of her findings in a book: Hana’s Herborium. This work, according to the flavor text in certain cards, is known by some glimmers.

Wild Vines

The Black Caudron, introduced to Lorcana in Whispers in the Well, contains an interesting character. This is Hen Wen, a magical pig that can see prophecies of the future. In the card Hen Wen’s Visions we can see both snowflakes (likely referring to Winterspell) and the same impending vine seen in the Wilds Unknown key art. Maybe this crazy overgrowth in flora will somehow involve Lorcana’s newest Illumineer.

The next big bad

Each “chapter” of Lorcana’s story has thus far culminated into a large battle with certain Disney villains, who threaten the realm for their own unique gain. The first was a battle with Ursula in Ursula’s Return. The next was the aforementioned battle with Jafar in Reign of Jafar. It is inevitable that another villain will threaten Lorcana in the future. But who will it be?

One fan theory has the next “big bad” being Hades. This popular villain has been in the background plotting and making plans for some time. And his newest card, Hades- Looking for a Deal, could hold secrets in its flavor text. Although it contains a direct quote spoken by the character, “I’m kind of on a schedule here - I got plans for August.”, this could hint at his plans taking place withing a set physically released in the month of August. Potentially the unnamed 13th set, planned for Q3 2026. Who is it this Hades glimmer is looking to make a deal with?

Another possible “big bad” is Magica de Spell. While not as popular as Hades, there is an argument to be made for her to have a larger impact on Lorcana. Firstly, is the “coincidence” of 30+ DuckTales cards coming in Whispers in the Well. One of which is Magica de Spell - Shadowy and Sinister whose flavor text reads, “My power is still not enough. I need something more. Something…shadowy.”. For some time now, Magica has been collecting magical objects to increase her power. One such object was Triton’s Trident after the defeat of Ursula. And now she is consulting a book in a library to find her next target. Could this book be the one that Emily Quackfaster - Level-Headed Librarian believes has been checked out of the library (Hana’s Herborium)?

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Nature - Digital Release Date Announcement

In 2014, NorthStar Games released the award-winning strategy board game Evolution. The premise was simple, use traits to adapt to an ever-changing ecosystem where you and your opponent vie for scarce resources. But after multiple expansions, promo packs with new traits, and standalone sequels that original concept became muddled for new players stuck behind a barrier on entry. For this reason, NorthStar Games has decided to reboot through their newest board game Nature. Nature is meant to be a redesigned and streamlined version of Evolution that is more forgiving and seamlessly expandable through a modular design allowing expansions to be added and combined, creating a fresh ecosystem every time you play. Nature reinvents the beloved series' mechanics, offering faster gameplay, balanced strategy, and virtually endless variety. The physical version of Nature released in August of 2025; it along with 2 of the 5 planned modules can be purchased now. Check out the video above for a better look at what Nature has to offer.

Learn more about NorthStar Games and their products by checking out their website.

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Digital Release

In what is marketed as an industry first, the digital board game will release right after its cardboard counterpart. On October 9th NorthStar Digital Games announced that the digital adaptation of Nature, “the most anticipated board game of the year”, will launch fully featured on November 5, 2025. The core game can be purchased on Steam for $12.99, or for $24.99 you can purchase the Core Game + Flight & Jurassic Modules. The Digital version of Nature offers a full campaign, custom challenges, online matchmaking, and local multiplayer. You can also learn to play with an interactive tutorial on the free-to-try Nature app (iOS, Android, and Steam). Progress from the full game can be connected to an account, so you can pick up right where you left off on mobile.

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At Gen Con 2025 I had the pleasure of spending time with President of NorthStar Games, Scott Rencher, who walked me through the digital version of Nature and later provided us with the opportunity to test the game out early on Steam. “We're thrilled to bring the dynamic, vibrant world of Nature alive in Steam,” he excitedly shared. “This is our Grail Project.  Our team has poured our Evolution experience and four years of relentless testing and tweaking into this adaptation, and we can't wait for players to feel the thrill of trying to keep their species alive in this ever-changing ecosystem.”

For transparency, it is important to note that my time spent with Nature included the two modules that will be present for purchase at launch, Flight and Jurassic. These extra modules expand the game by adding many more levels, traits, and hours of gameplay.

In Flight, you find freedom and safety by taking to the skies.

In Jurassic, ferocious predators and colossal dinosaurs roam the land, making for much more of a carnivorous experience.

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The core principle of adapt to survive is easy to understand as each round sees you growing your population and attempting to consume more resources than your opponent. Yet, strategy and complexity are added over time as you begin to add traits that evolve your species, while maintaining a balance of your own population size in relation to the overall resource pool. These traits can combine and synergize to create truly unique combinations and strategies that can be enjoyed by the most advanced of players.

If these complex strategies aren’t enough to satisfy these players, then maybe an advanced game mode can. Nature is intended for players 10+. While it is simple enough for all players that age to enjoy it does offer a Hard mode and online matchmaking centered around an ELO system, catered towards the more hardcore audience.

As someone who considers themselves a completionist, overall level design gets me excited. After completing each level, you can earn a rating (1 -3 Stars) that keeps me replaying them until I’ve achieved the highest score and checked off all goals. The digital map housing all of these levels is a treat visually, being reminiscent to educational computer games of the 90’s and early-2000s. Which brings up a thought that kept nagging at me the entire time I played this game.

Although not directly marketed too or targeted, Nature is the perfect game to be used as a tool to gamify a classroom, especially that of Biology and other Natural Sciences. According to Scott Rencher, the game was made with direct consulting from actual Biologists and Professors. Once high scores on levels are reached, you are rewarded with photos of different species that also contain insightful facts about each of them. Ultimately, Nature stays true to its name and showcases that it can be both scary and beautiful.

The Ink Table Podcast Episode 17: "Going the Distance"

The Thrill of Competition

We stand on the shores of Destiny. Salt fills the air, and a commotion can be heard from across the seas. Whispers slowly grow louder, until audible cheers and excitement can be made out. Illumineers from all over the globe have converged.  A friendly contest between heroes has begun, and only one question remains. Who will go the distance?

Welcome to The Ink Table, where the team has been keeping a diligent eye on the first DLC of Lorcana’s 2nd competitive season. So pull up a seat and join the conversation as we dissect what happened in Bologna, and what Illumineers have to look forward to in the near future.

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But First…

Community Clash

Recently Dylan was invited to represent The Ink Table in a Lorcana creator tournament hosted by Lorcana Heat. This tournament is titled Prince Ali’s Thrilla in Vanilla. Fittingly, all decks will be themed around vanilla cards who do not offer anything other than their stat line.

Random ink pairings were given to each participant before sending them off to build a deck. A minimum of 30 characters must be used, and all must be vanilla. There are no restrictions on any other location, action, song, or item cards played outside of that they must meet your ink requirements. Dylan’s random ink pairing will be Amythest / Emerald.

The Thrilla in Vanilla tournament couldn’t have come at a better time, as the recent release of Fabled brought in Lorcana’s very first set rotation. Although many cards are now unplayable in the normal Core Constructed, fun and engaging community driven events such as this give players the chance to still “Play with their cards”.

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Announcement!!

On November 16th at 1pm EST, The Ink Table Podcast will be recording LIVE across YouTube and Twitch to celebrate the 1 Year Anniversary of the show. We hope you pull up a seat and join the celebration as we reflect back on our first year, discuss the latest Whispers in the Well news, and give back to the community that has supported us thus far.

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A Whisper of News

We hope you are as excited as we are about this one. On October 14th at TWITCH.TV/DISNEYLORCANA Ravensburger will be holding a special Whispers in the Well themed Lorecast. We can’t wait to learn more about the next set and dive back into the overarching story, while checking out Glimmers and characters from Ips being added for the first time…like Gargoyles and The Black Cauldron.

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DLC #1: Bologna

Wrought with controversy, Season 2 of Lorcana is now underway. To this point, the community has remained divided as constant setbacks have continued to appear. This second season, while providing DLCs to more countries, cut back how many DLCs would take place in Europe and The United States. Not only are there less but also bunched within a smaller area making them less accessible to many Illumineers. Then there were issues with ticket sales and hotel blocks.

But… We can now get a definitive answer on whether the hype and suffering were worth the wait. What happened at Bologna and was it full of Disney Magic?

Firstly, we would like to congratulate all of the hosts and commentators who brought the heart and passion over the course on the event and acted as the bridge between Illuminners at home and the event itself.

As always, our friend Rebekah Quests and her co-host Baker did a fantastic job facilitating and entertaining the masses. Kawa and “Speci” Joe Curley were very informative and showcased an understanding of the game that made it easy for viewers to follow along with matches. Erica being from Italy, the location this event was taking place, brought insight on many of the EU players we otherwise may not have had. And the charismatic Kim was a shining star as her genuine excitement and joy was contagious.

Above you can see the Meta-Breakdown of Ink pairings brought to Bologna. We at The Ink Table like to refer to this as our current State of the Inks. We don’t necessarily cover the individual decklists, but we do attempt to analyze and give feedback on ink itself.

Zero Emerald/Ruby

Out of all the possible ink combinations that exist, there was only one that not a single player brought to this DLC. In a way, this is comedically ironic. Releasing alongside Fabled was a new Single Player Deck honoring this ink pairing. This entry level deck also included some featured cards including Powerline and Max Goof along with many more of the game’s first A Goofy Movie cards. Fabled released with 171 reprinted cards and very few mechanically new cards. The lack of Emerald/Ruby decks at this event shows that these new cards, though from a popular Ip, have made little impact to the game overall,

Ruby/Sapphire

Arguably the most prominent deck throughout Season 1, only one Illumineer brought this ink combination. Popularized by DKP, the reigning World Champion, this combination dominated past events. Ravensburger has made it a goal to flip the meta. Seeing this deck at the bottom of the list, it is safe to say that they have accomplished what they set out to do.

Amethyst

One ink color stood high above the rest. Just as Sapphire reigned supreme during Season 1, making up almost 70% of the competition at one point, Amethyst now commands the meta. About 53% of the deck brought included Amethyst, and 3 of the top 4 decks included it. This may be because of the focus on containing pure card drawn as a mechanic solely to this ink type.

Amethyst/Sapphire

To Preston’s delight, it was ultimately Blurple that won the entire competition. Although an astonishing 683 people brought this ink combo (about 36% of the overall field), only one of these decks made the top 8 before going to win.

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DLC Milwaukee

The next DLC of the circuit will take place in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on the weekend of October 24-26th. And Surprise, Surprise!!

Just as we did for Gen Con, we will be bringing you direct coverage from the event as Preston will be attending. So follow the socials to keep up with the stories as this event takes place. And join the Discord, where Illumineers from all over the world gather to take part in the “table talk” and discussions as these events occur.

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The Ink Table Podcast Episode 16: "Whispers of Tomorrow"

A Fleeting Moment Frozen in Time

On this starry night, a clock tower stretches high above the city. Its face reads, 11:59 and 59 seconds. The second hand, frozen in place as time stands still. The world is alive. Streets are filled with parades, and ballrooms continue dancing. 

Together, we gleefully celebrate in silent anticipation. We all know the truth. Eventually, the clock will strike midnight. And with it will arrive a Whisper of darkness. For tomorrow brings an ominous age of battle and discovery…Welcome to Fabled.

Welcome back to The Ink Table. We are 3 weeks removed from the pre-release of Lorcana’s 9th set. So pull up a seat and join the crew as they discuss their Fabled journeys thus far, and how they feel it would change.

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The Pack Ripping Experience

When it was announced that there would be 171 reprints introduced in Fabled, many players and collectors took a stance that they would be purchasing less product if any at all. And while this seemed to be the majority sentiment of the wider audience, in many ways it has proven false as this stance has quickly shifted. Now it is difficult to find Fabled product at both Local Game Stores and big box retailers alike. This is possibly due to the beautiful Enchanteds, the brand-new Epics, and the extremely rare Iconic cards that would make up for all the reprints if you are fortunate enough to pull one. This is the first set that has a true chase card, and the hopeful idea of obtaining one will keep Fabled selling on its own.

*Check out the video below that showcases our first Fabled unboxing

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State of the Inks

Thanks to The Forbidden Mountain for sharing this data on the breakdown of Ink Combinations represented at the first CCQ.

Recently PPG hosted the first Lorcana CCQ. With the lack of DLCs in the Season 2 competitive circuit, Ravensburger is partnering with other hosts to add both prizes and continental qualification for certain events. The 15k event that took place in Denver was the first to this.
While season 1 was dominated by Ruby/Sapphire decks, there was none to be seen in this event. And Emerald, which was arguably the weakest Ink color in the past, has found its way into many deck lists. While it is still way too early to tell and will surely shift as other sets are released, this data proves that Ravensburger has succeeded in shifting the meta.

And for those who are curious, Amber/Steel Aggro ended up winning the entire event.

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The New Steelsong

Although Amber/Steel won this event, it did so using a newer aggro variations that began appearing around the time of the first Lorcana World Championship. In the past, this ink combination was famous for implanting an archetype that used characters with the Singer keyword and powerful Steel removal cards to keep opponents in check while balancing ink expenditure by having characters sing songs. This powerful deck archetype always found its way in top placings at local championships and major events.

But with set rotation happening, many of the singers and removal songs were rotated out of Core Constructed. Fabled gave us a “nice” surprise though, as that Singer keyword now belongs to Ruby characters for the first time. So that begs the question, are we watching a shift occur as Ruby/Steel now becomes the new Steelsong?

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Whispers in the Distance

Now that Fabled has officially released, we (and Ravensburger) are already looking ahead at the next set, Whispers in the Well. The 11th set will take place both within The Great Illuminary, and within a “Well” hidden within The Illuminary. Will this be the in-game reality/personification of “the inkwell” typically referred to when addressing gameplay mechanics?

Whispers in the Well will have a darker tone releasing in the middle of Autumn and “Spooky Season”. Some new glimmers from Gargoyles and The Black Cauldron will debut here. Below, you can check out a few more of the products that have recently been revealed to release alongside this set.

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BOOST?

Thanks to illumineertales on Instagram for sharing this clearer version of the single-player deck packaging

We know that a new glimmer type known as “Whispers” will be appearing in Lorcana’s 10th set. These are said to be ghastly incomplete versions of glimmers formed from ripped or torn pages of Lorebooks. And while we had an idea of how these characters would thematically play a role, we now have a clearer vision of how they will work mechanically.

As seen in the image above, it appears that these Whispers will have a new keyword called Boost. For a specific ink price (3 ink as it pertains to the showcased Simba), you can put the top card of your deck facedown under the Whisper. Each Whisper will seemingly have a unique ability that triggers once you perform the boost and place that card under them.

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The Ink Table Podcast Episode 15: "So Shiny"

Collect Together

The funny thing about Quests, we each have one. Warriors, training to be the strongest. Scholars, spreading knowledge and wisdom. Jesters, bringing smiles to every face. Or even a lonely Vagabond, searching for their place in the world.

Though our goals may differ, fate somehow finds a way for our paths to intersect. This is one of those moments, as a myriad of travelers stand at the crossroads of tomorrow. A moment where company gathers to share tales of their own adventures. And a moment where fishermen cast their lines, not into the waters, but towards an endless sea of twinkling stars above, in hopes of one day holding treasures made from glitter and gold.

Welcome back and thank you for pulling up a seat at The Ink Table. For only the 2nd time since the founding of this podcast, the crew were fortunate enough to have a special guest join them. This time it was friend of the podcast Mike, AKA DisneyDadCanada (check him out on Instagram). We hope you enjoy this comedic cast, and their conversation on Disney Lorcana’s collecting market as the new set, Fabled, looms in the distant future.

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Why DisneyDadCanada?

We first came across Mike as a member of the Lorcana community as he was one of the first people to begin following our socials and our own journey. Although Dylan and Preston began playing Lorcana during The First Chapter, Mike is newer to the game. Ironically though, The Ink Table Podcast began recording and uploading podcast episodes right around the same time Mike started playing. So in a way, our journeys have run parallel. During that time, the team and Mike have become seemingly close and take part in daily conversations, along with the rest of our community, within The Ink Table Podcast Discord.

As we have spoken about in the past, with Fabled comes the introduction of 171 reprints. This is another reason we believe Mike is a great addition to this episode. While Dylan and Preston have been collecting cards since Lorcana was first released, Mike is still on the hunt for many of these cards. So instead of having a one-sided conversation from players who may already own 70-80% of the cards releasing in this set; we will also have the opinion of a newer player, who Fabled is focused towards. DisneyDadCanada also primarily focuses on the collecting of Lorcana, while our team attempts to stay diverse within the medium. And most importantly, Mike is an amazing wholesome and hilarious individual who we wanted to share with a wider audience.

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New Rarities

Epics, the first of the new rarities is a strange subject. While they are rarer than Legendaries, they still aren’t as rare as Enchanted cards. They are shiny borderless cards that hold their value between $10 - $19 depending on the character, with Princesses being the most valuable. But what will we do with these cards?

As the group discusses, they have found 3 routes to take when it comes to Epics…

1. Throw them in a sleeve or binder to admire from afar

2. Enjoy the shiny cardboard and “bling” out your decks

3. Trade/sell them to people who want to “bling” their decks and go after other cards you don’t have or just want.

Iconics, are now the rarest and most valuable cards to collect in the entire game. There are only two in Fabled to collect, being Mickey Mouse - Brave Little Prince and Minnie Mouse - Sweetheart Princess, in comparison to the 18 Enchanteds. Immediately after release, these cards were being re-sold for about $3,000 each. We predicted that this price would come down to somewhere between $750 -$1,000. But only time will tell.

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Check for the Security Foiling

Just a PSA to all players and collectors…

We have spoken about it in previous episodes, but when Fabled releases Legendary, Epic, Enchanted, and Iconic cards will now have a new security foiling placed over the rarity icons. In a world where these cards can become very pricy, it is important for Illumineers to have ways to ensure they are getting their money’s worth when purchasing or trading for these cards. In the past, they were easier to produces fakes. So any protections being implemented, is a good thing for the player base as a whole.

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Our Picks of What to Collect

Some of the more expensive cards we continue keep our eyes on (knowing we can’t afford them) are The First Chapter Enchanted Elsa - Spirit of Winter and the Gen Con exclusive cards that came out when the Lorcana was first released. The exclusive version of Captain Hook - Forceful Duelist sets around $1,400.

Other interesting cards to potentially get your hands on, are the prize cards from the first competitive season. As we approach the first DLCs and CCQs we are closer to Illumineers being rewarded brand new prize cards from Season 2. When this happens, the prices of these original cards will surely go up in value.

On the more affordable end, players should turn towards the Enchanted cards given out for placing top 8 (previously top 4) in local store championships. The most expensive of these being the first store championship promo Stitch - Rock Star that sets around $300. All other store level promos are much cheaper. Then there are other promos given out at different conventions and events that are even more affordable.

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The Ink Table Podcast Episode 14: "Prologue"

Waiting for the Next Chapter

Silence and peace, follow the chaotic battle for the crown. Archazia’s Island has been saved. The sand has retreated and the illusion that once had ahold of this place has been vanished. Yet…Our story is not over. The “Next Chapter” of our tale begins at the break of dawn. But for now, we are frozen in strange times. A time where whispers of what was - and what might be - rustle through the trees like secrets carried by the wind. Welcome, to the “Prologue”.

Welcome back and thank you for pulling up a seat at The Ink Table. The first chapter or arc of Disney Lorcana has recently come to an end. Now we wait for what comes next. Join us as we discuss the future of Lorcana and check out all the information that just came out.

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Disney Lorcana 2nd Anniversary Panel

If you have been following our journey, then you know that we just returned from Gen Con 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana. Check out our previous episode to hear all about that experience. But one topic from the trip we will cover in this episode is, the Lorcana 2nd Anniversary Panel. Most to all the information that will be discussed below came directly from this event. During this event, the entirety of The Ink Table team was present and part of that 200-person crowd as announcements were being made. And you too, can feel apart of that experience by checking the panel out for yourself.

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Fabled

The 9th set of Lorcana is a very special one. It will be the introduction of “The Next Chapter”, as we face the game’s first set-rotation. With it will come a plethora of fan favorite cards being reprinted. There will be 171 returning cards to be exact. The community is divided by this fact as many “OG” players will already have many of these cards, and new players may be able to get their hands on them for the first time.

But its not all bad news; as some new Ips will be making their debut.

A Goofy Movie

Dumbo

Iconics

Another addition coming in Fabled is two new rarities. The first is known as Epics, and will fall right under our standard Enchanted cards. Iconics on the other hand, will now act as the rarest cards you can obtain. The first ever Iconics will be versions of Minnie Mouse - Sweetheart Princess and Mickey Mouse - Brave Little Prince.

*Update* Since the original episode was recorded, we were fortunate enough to check out one of these Iconics in person as one was pulled at our local game store. Check out the short to see our first reactions and get a better look at one up close.

Security Foiling

With such a large focus on collecting and the creation of the new rarities, Ravensburger took a giant leap forward improving their TCG by adding a new security foiling. Starting in Fabled and moving forward Legendaries, Epics, Enchanteds, and Iconics will include this extra layer of security.

This foil stamp within the rarity icons on each of these cards, is fantastic news. Many cards at these rarities can be really expensive (especially those new Iconics). Therefore, it should be easy to understand why security of these cards would be so important. Not only do they look good, but now there is a buyer protection to help collectors and players from being scammed with fake/alternative cards.

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Collection Quests and Disney Experiences

Starting alongside the release of Fabled, a special Collection Quest will be taking place at Disney California Adventure and Disneyland. This is one of the first Lorcana experiences to take place within the Disney parks. It will take place in Beast’s Castle at the Animation Courtyard. Upon completing this quest, you will be rewarded a special Magical Places promo of Belle - Accomplished Mystic.

Disney is not only supporting Lorcana in the parks, but on the cruise ships as well. Although Ravensburger has yet to say anything about this one, there are some other exclusive promos that can be collected.
Recently Ryan Miller, co-founder of the game, was seen on the Disney Treasure bringing this exclusive Collection Quest to life. There are 5 promos to be precise, each representing the “Fab 5”. Mickey Mouse - Pirate Captain, Goofy - Expert Shipwright, Donal Duck - Buccaneer, Daisy Duck - Pirate Captain, and Minnie Mouse - Pirate Lookout. All of which, in case you couldn’t tell, are all Pirate themed. Disney and Lorcana have went all out with the thematics, as the entire event is centered around the set, Azurite Sea.

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Whispers in the Well

Pre-releasing at LGSs and Disney locations on November 7th is Lorcana’s 10th set, Whispers in the Well. Get ready to “Light Your Path”, as Illumineers dive deep into the mysteries lying at the heart of the Well, located within The Great Illuminary. This set fittingly seems to have a darker tone, as it will be released just in time for Spooky Season. Some new Ips will be appearing in the form of Gargoyles and The Black Cauldron.

Mysterious new ghastly Glimmers, known as Whispers, will also appear for the first time. These new whispers seem to play a major role in both gameplay and lore within this set. What are these “broken” Glimmers, and who is out there destroying pages within lore books? “It will take a team with a cunning mind, an observant eye, and a playful attitude to solve the mysteries that await you below.” And thankfully we have a few familiar Detectives on the case.

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Winterspell

There isn’t much to say about this set…for now. Coming in the first quarter of 2026, will be set 11 Winterspell. From the key art, we can see that the story seems to be taking place outside of The Great Illuminary and further into the Inklands. Some of the know characters/Ip we know that will be making their debut in this set are Angel, Lilo and Stitch the Series, Pocahontas, and Darkwing Duck.

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SEt 12

An unnamed set 12 is planned to release in Q2 of 2026. Even less is known about this set than the previously discussed Winterspell. The biggest and most important of the little information we have, is the fact that Glimmers from Pixar movies will be making their debut here. And the first to do so (as seen in the picture) will be Buzz Lightyear and Woody from Toy Story.

We see that the snow seen in Winterspell has disappeared. And now a curling river of ink stretches towards The Great Illuminary like a giant inky tentacle.

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The Ink Table Podcast Episode 13: "Side Quests"

The Moment the World Stood Still

In a world where time flows ever-forward like a river, three travelers begin a quest, chasing something larger than themselves. Each bore a compass, not of brass and needle, but of stars and dreams. Across deserts of doubt and through storms of silence, they walked - not always together, not always whole - but always toward a single point in the horizon. And then…it happened. A moment when time itself seemed to pause, as if the universe were holding its breath.

Welcome back and thank you for pulling up a seat at The Ink Table. Consider this our returning episode, as it is the first time we have gathered together since our trip to Gen Con in Indianapolis, Indiana. Join us as we share memorable stories and experiences from the trip.

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What is Gen Con?

Founded in 1968 by Gary Gygax (creator of Dungeons and Dragons), has become the largest tabletop game convention in North America. While once dedicated to tabletop role-playing games, the convention now also showcases board games, miniature wargames, and card games. The addition of major tournaments and interactive events has made Gen Con a central hub for the gaming community. So, it should come to no surprise that this is the location that Ravensburger chose to introduce our favorite card game, Lorcana, to the world two years ago. That it is why The Ink Table team was extremely grateful to have received Press Badges to attend alongside the other 72,000 attendees.

*Check out the Vlog below to follow our entire journey

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Lorcana at Gen Con

Gen Con was massive. During the 4 days, over 72,000 people crowded into The Indianapolis Convention Center, Lucas Oil Stadium, and many of the surrounding hotel. Nearly 30,000 events took place. And out of those, there was no shortage in Lorcana themed events and sparks of Disney Magic. Some of the events that you could participate in were

• Triple Deck Constructed

• Collection Quest

• The Lorcana 2nd Anniversary Panel

• Core Constructed

• Sealed / Draft

• Pack Rush

• Starter Deck Chaos

Triple Deck Constructed, while the team did not participate in any of these events, it was interesting to see there. This format sees Illumineers ringing 3 decks with no ink color being used in a deck more than once. The first and only other time we saw this format used in a Ravensburger official event was at the Disney Lorcana World Championship.

Collection Quest, is a brand-new event type introduced at Gen Con that is pushed towards more casual players and collectors. Check out our dedicated Collection Quest video for a better look. Many of these events took place at Gen Con, with each one focused on a different Lorcana set. Participants would receive 3 packs from that set, and a piece of paper showing off glimmers from particular Ips that acted as a BINGO card. After opening your packs, you would try to gather all the cards on your list. And if you didn’t pull all of the ones you needed, you would then have to trade cards with other Illumineers to help each other complete the quests.

Lorcana 2nd Anniversary Panel was a major experience to be in the crowd for. There were only about 200 tickets given out for this event; and the entire team was lucky enough to be in the room where it happened. This saw the fine folks at Ravensburger speaking on how the game has grown over its first 2 years, and a look ahead at the future of the game.

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Prizing & promos

When making a purchase (at a $20 minimum) from the Ravensburger booth, you would receive a promo of Goofy - Emerald Champion, a card set to release in Whispers in the Well. For any Lorcana event that you participated in at Gen Con, you would receive a promo copy of Pluto - Tried and True. For breaking the ice and completing a Collection Quest you would receive a very fitting promo Anna - Ice Breaker. If you were able to win at least 2 rounds during some of the more competitive events, you would be rewarded a promo Rapunzel - Gifted Artist. And if you were able to go undefeated in an event, you could win a special Gen Con exclusive Lorcana playmat.

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Friendly Faces

Being just 3 guys from rural West Virginia, we never would have imagined that we would end up in this position. The Ink Table Podcast started as an outlet for us to share our table talk and shared passion for all things Lorcana and Disney with the world. In less than a year, our small brand has grown into a strong community made up of Illumineers from multiple countries. Even with that being the case, you can never really shake the sense of imposter syndrome. Our subscriber count and following is nowhere near the likes of other content creators. Ravensburger did not invite us to represent the game and has never directly worked with us in the past.

But we couldn’t help but feel, that’s exactly where we were supposed to be. Thank You to all the other creators and Illumineers that we spoke with, had nothing but respect and kind words, and welcomed us with open arms.

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Robots at Midnight Review

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Release Date: June 19, 2025 (August 28, 2025 on PS5)

Publisher/Developer: Finish Line Games/Snail Games USA

Platform: Xbox Series X|S, Steam, PS5 (reviewed)

Price: $19.99

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Imagine if the humans had returned to Earth, but the army of Wall-E robots they left behind had turned evil and formed gangs.

Robots at Midnight sees players thrust into the shoes of the scrappy Zoe, in this retro-futuristic action-RPG, as she searches for answers about her past on the ruined luxury planet of Yob while bashing through the robots that once served it.

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Story

After 20 years of cryo-sleep, Zoe has awakened on a strange and unfamiliar world. We learn of an intense cataclysmic event known as “The Blackout”, that once hit the Planet of Yob. This “blackout” had an effect on many of the machines and robots that once helped run things. As you explore the world, relics and scenes of the past can still be seen. Yob was a luxury planet where many valuable resources were mined but also a flourishing tourist destination with popular locations such as its own “arcade”, campgrounds, monorail, and many more. But now, both nature and machine have worked together to claim these areas for their own.

The planet of Yob holds many secrets that can be discovered through pure exploration. And there will be plenty of time to explore, as Zoe quickly gains a personal mission that will draw her further and further into the world. Her missing father is somewhere out there. Just as it felt like the primary goal would be survival, the game sends players into a full-on rescue mission. Just make sure you are indoors before midnight.

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Characters

For a lifeless and uninhabited planet, Yob is surprisingly full of life. Truthfully the cold and heartless machines show more emotion than the human protagonist. If done by design, then this genius. Most NPCs, to no surprise, are robots. Some like the mysterious Doug (seen in the picture above), act as central characters that share information on the planet and “The Blackout” while providing helpful upgrades and services.

Phlite, a witty AI companion droid, acts as emotional support. There is a new role appearing in many video games. We see this in the form of small companions given to player characters to make vast open worlds, especially more barren ones, feel less lonely. Phlite succeeds in this role, while also acting as connection to Zoe’s past prior to her cryo-freeze.

The last interesting group of characters to speak on are the enemies. Each level/area sees the player facing off with different groups of machines with their own design and combat style. Throughout the world you can see a cacophony of graffiti and tags marking the scenery that cuts through the sea of greenery, stone, and metal with bursts of color. The enemy bots have formed gangs, each with their own goals in mind as they also fight to survive.

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Gameplay

While advertised as an action-RPG, Robots at Midnight plays more like a beginner friendly Soulslike. Each movement and action must be balanced with a draining stamina bar, and “campfires” litter the map acting as healing checkpoints and fast travel locations. There are two difficulties. Hero Mode focuses on story and exploration, making it great for players new to those Soulslike mechanics, while Master Mode presents a true test of strategy and reflexes. Defeating enemies will cause them to drop resources, that can also be found in chests, used to upgrade weapons, armor, and stats at workbenches.

The most unique gameplay element though, is the M.I.T.T. (Mobile. Impulse. Traversal. Technology). This powerful gauntlet is a key mechanic to both traversal and combat. It acts as an all-purpose Swiss army knife. While it is fun to swing around barbaric oversized swords made out of scarps, the M.I.T.T adds layers of flavor. It can be used to produce super-powered punches, pistol-like laser beams, electromagnetic shockwaves, and added propulsion that is great for dodging and reaching out of the way areas.

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Overall

Cons:

-Player character shows little emotion

-Felt too short with a rushed ending (beat in 7 hours)

- Obstacles such as ladders were hard to interact with

-Small resources would easily get lost in scenery

- Movement felt robotic and clunky until late game

Pros:

-Story that keeps driving the player forward

- Fantastic detail in world building through dialogue and scenery

- Unique game mechanics that work well together

-Great soundtrack that adds to the atmosphere and art style

Elden Ring: the Board Game Rot & Sorcery Gamefound Launch

On February 25, 2022 the world was introduced to the Soulslike lovechild of FromSoftware Director Hidetaka Miyazaki and writer George R.R. Martin. Elden Ring would become one of the most polarizing videogames of the past generation and would even go on to win Game of the Year at the 2022 Game Awards. Critics and players were swept away by the massive world and naturally integrated storytelling. Yet, once the Elden Beast was slain and the credits rolled, fans were left with a yearning sensation and wanted to explore the masterfully crafted world even more. Then enters Steamforged Games.

Learn more about Steam Forged Games and their products by checking out their website.

Founded in 2014, Steamforged Games saw a humble beginning in the corner of a Manchester, UK hobby store. Today, they are one of the most recognizable and respected teams in the board game space. Their most notable work being tabletop adaptations of triple - AAA video games such as Monster Hunter World, Horizon Zero Dawn, Dark Souls, Resident Evil, Gears of War, and most recently Elden Ring.

Elden Ring the Board Game found its way to stores on March 31, 2025. Its original campaign launched in 2022 raising over £3.3 million (~4.4 million USD) with more the 130,000 backers. Now Steamforged looks to build on that success with a new, accessible entry point that expands the tabletop Lands Between.

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Just as they have done previously, Steamforged will return to crowdfunding as they introduce two all-new core boxes —Machinations of the Witch and Dominion of Rot— set in eerie fog of Liurnia and the corruption of Caelid. While these boxes are compatible with the contents of the first campaign (Realm of the Grafted King, Weeping Peninsula, and Stormveil Castle), they also act as standalone entries with previous contents not needed to fully play and enjoy the self-contained experience.

In the Lakes of Liurnia, sorceries lay dormant, secrets dwell deep, and the Machinations of the Witch ensnare even the most cunning. In the Dominion of Rot, players must survive theaffliction gripping Caelid, traversing ravaged lands to face grotesque enemies, including thefan-favourite Starscourge.

“With the first core boxes, we built an engine we’re extremely proud of, that pushedthe boundaries of tabletop combat to recreate the challenging fights of the videogame,” said Mat Hart, co-founder and Chief Creative Officer at Steamforged Games.“Now, we’re expanding that foundation with new regions, new stories, and newgameplay, while making sure newcomers and returning players feel equally welcome.Fans can start their journey right here, with Rot & Sorcery, or returnto the beginning.”

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As someone who has never played Elden Ring and finds little enjoyment in Soulslikes, I was fearful of even approaching this board game. But at Gen Con 2025, I was given the opportunity to demo portions of both Machinations of the Witch and Dominion of Rot, guided by the advice and wisdom of Steamforged game designers. Even with a minuscule amount of knowledge of the Elden Ring world, I still had a fantastic time. Gameplay felt similar to participating in a DnD campaign, but without a GM as the game smoothly runs itself. Combat had a degree of difficulty and strategy that matched the Soulslike genre. And that rush of excitement you get after defeating a powerful boss or pulling off some cool combo, is still there. But my favorite part was the level of strategy when deciding the best way to move in combat tiles and the most beneficial way to spend actions each turn. Below you can check out the demos I participated in for yourself.

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Each core box offers a self-contained experience—fully playable without previous content—and includes richly detailed miniatures representing iconic enemies, immersive combat, and flavorful narrative. For returning Tarnished, the new boxes also integrate with those from the first Kickstarter for a grander, interconnected experience. The Gamefound campaign also features expansions and unlockable content that will be revealed while the funding period is live. Some content will be exclusive, making this a key moment for collectors and players alike. The Gamefound campaign is live now for both newcomers and veteran Tarnished. Discover the boxes, explore the expansions, and join the campaign.

©Bandai Namco Entertainment Inc. / ©FromSoftware, Inc

The Ink Table Podcast Episode 12: "Crowning Achievements"

Heavy Weighs the Crown

August 18, 2023….a Disney inspired trading card game was introduced to the world, and a global phenomenon was born. Since then, we have all been on our own paths journeying through the world of Lorcana. Recently, many of us have been taking on Jafar and trying to steal back the Hexwell crown…But for 28 other Illumineers, their path has looked a little different. And they have been battling it out for a crown all their own.

Welcome back and thank you for pulling up a seat at The Ink Table. The world of Lorcana has been abuzz since the first ever World Championship. We, like many of you, have been strapped into the emotional rollercoaster that has proceeded. Join us as we discuss both the highs and lows, and our hope for the future.

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But First…

Thank you to everybody who hung out in the official The Ink Table Podcast Discord over the course of World’s weekend. The Ink Table expands over international borders and includes folks from The United States, Canada, Ireland, and beyond! It would have been extremely difficult to pull off an inclusive watch party with all of you, if it wasn’t for the Discord server. Thanks for making it an awesome experience! And if you haven’t joined yet, you are missing out. It’s the place that the “Table Talk” never stops.

The team is also super excited to announce that we will be attending Gen Con in Indinapolis, Indiana July 31st – August 3rd. We were fortunate enough to receive Press Badges, and plan to create content for you straight from the show floor. We will be attending many events centered around other TCGs and boardgames; but our primary coverage will be on…Lorcana. Some of the Lorcana events we will be participating in include Quest Events, Standard Tournaments, and Sealed Events (that include The First Chapter), and the 2nd Anniversary Celebration Panel. This last event will be an extremely important moment, as it will be the first time we receive further news on Fabled, Whispers in the Well, and other future sets.

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World Championship

The inaugural Disney Lorcana World Championship took place on June 28-29th, at the Walt Disney World Resort. This major event was sadly not open to the public but was livestreamed to the general audience through the official Lorcana Twitch channel. The two day event saw 28 players playing through 7 rounds of Swiss, competing in both Super Sealed and Triple Deck Constructed (two new competitive formats), with the competitors who received 5 wins moving on to day two.

The entire tournament was, in a way, dominated by three guys. Zach Bivens (3rd), Edmond Chiu (2nd), and Dinh Klang Pham (1st) were the odds-on favorites coming into the tournament. And they continued to solidify that, by being the first people to qualify for the second day of play. Ed and DKP respectively both went 3-0 in the Super Sealed portion of competition, that many other contestants seemed to have a hard time with. This showcased their ability to deck build and their understanding of how cards interact with each other, outside of the normal Core Constructed format.

Some of our favorite highlights were Mo Shamblin’s round 7 game to progress to day 2, the appearance of a couple of Emerald/Sapphire item decks that had been talked about in our Discord chats leading to the event, a surprising Aggro Puppy deck, and the unbelievable final match between Ed and DKP. In the end, Dinh Klang Pham was crowned the first ever World Champion and was awarded a 1/1 Golden Mickey Mouse - Brave Little Tailor card. Even after a rare misplay where he played a Fire the Cannons onto a Rhino who had resist +2, he was able to keep his composure and get the job done, with an Amethyst/Steel Brooms deck nontheless.

Overall, the event was a success. The judges were wonderful at officiating and quickly resolved any issues. The broadcasters did a phenomenal job both commentating, interviewing, and hosting all around. It was wonderful to hear one of our favorite Illumineers Rebekha Quests doing some commentating; especially after once stating on our podcast that she understands that isn’t what Ravensburger has brought her on for. Liam, Brandon, Baker, and JDZ also put on a spectacular show. Liam looked phenomenal in his Mickey Disney-bound; and JDZ has planted his flag as “the peoples’ commentator”. The players would also do their part in defining the tone with the respect that they showed each other before, during, and after each match. In the most Disney way possible, it was a magical experience.

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The Looming Shadow

Yet, no matter how well the championship went, it was ultimately overshadowed by a plethora of news that fully ingulfed the community’s attention for better or worst. Throughout the broadcast, Steven Cooper, the Sr. Tournament Operations Manager for Ravensburger and the broadcast team would drip feed long awaited information for the 2nd season of Lorcana competitive play. Majority of the community was left with a sour taste towards the news that was shared.

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The Good

The Prize Wall will once again be making a return to DLCs. Playmats, Non-Foil Promo versions of season 1 and 2 prize cards, hats, and pins can be won by turning in a corresponding number of tickets that will be earned by participating in the main competition and other side events. Foil versions of some cards will be rewarded based on performance. Pegasus - Gift for Hercules, who is now a confirmed reprint for Fabled, will be rewarded for participation. Mulan - Charging Ahead will be reward for obtaining 5 wins, Simba - Pride Protector for reaching the top 64, and Elsa - Ice Maker for the top 32. Golden serialized Brave Little Tailors will return for those who place in the top 8.

More counties will be involved in Season 2. Illumineers from Brazil, Japan, China, and other Asian territories will get the chance to compete and leave their mark on the game. According to the information given thus far, there is set to be 38 competitors at the next worlds. There will be more events in the 2nd season than in the first. But…at what cost?

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The Bad and Ugly

While it will be nice to involve other markets and Illumineers from all over the globe, many within North America and Europe feel left out, and even feel as if something has been stolen from them. There was almost a 7 month drought of information when it comes to DLC news. So many people were starving for info and had high expectations based upon the performance of the first season. So nobody was truly prepared for what they got as it pertains to DLC locations in North America and Europe.

Both North America and Europe would “only” receive 3 DLC events, with the 3rd of each country hosting Infinity Constructed as the main format. Many of the cities that previously held these events, will not be featured in the 2nd run. And not only that, but the new locations seem to be geographically clustered together rather than dispersed across multiple regions and markets. While Richmond and Indianapolis are closer to us than any of the previous challenge events, we do not wholeheartedly agree with the locations that were selected. We feel comfortable enough to speak on the North American market, and believe that at least one of the events would have been better served further westward or southward.

Season 1 NA DLC Locations (Including National and World Championships)

Season 2 NA DLC Locations

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Hope for the future

In truth, the circumstances that Ravensburger has found themselves in recently is unfortunate to both them and the community. But as creators and members of the community that others look towards for information and acceptance, we believe it is more important for us to educate rather than help light torches. The overall situation that is Season 2, sucks! But what has lead to this?

For starters, PPG, the partner that Ravensburger had during the first season that helped put these events on, are no longer partners with them. They have now gone on to create their own circuit of events that focuses strictly on the competitive side of the game and involves large cash prizes. And while we may have waited around 7 months for DLC news, Steven Cooper, the man charged with putting these events together has only been there for around 4 months. So things are quickly shifting and changing. It is safe to say, this is not being produced under the same circumstances of the original season (that had its own problems).

Ravensburger has done a much better job as of recent being vulnerable and transparent. They continue to do the weekly “LoreCasts” and have even accepted the backlash from the community. They encourage the criticism and want to learn what the community believes would make things better. The most important thing they have done, is continued to push the idea that Lorcana as a whole and the DLCs should be a place for the community to come together and celebrate. They want events to be open for many to come and experience and not solely focused on competitive play. We at The Ink Table truly believe that the future for Lorcana is bright, and that with proper time Season 3 will come closer to meeting expectations.

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THANKS FOR JOINING US AT

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The Ink Table Podcast Episode 11: "Heist of the Century

Taking back the Crown

From the moment we stepped foot into the Great Illuminary, our path was laid out. With the casting of our first glimmers we took on the mantle of Illumineers, and were set on a collision course to this very moment. With the help of our mentor, we have mastered our craft; and our training has prepared us for the battle ahead. Together…we will put an end to Jafar’s Reign, we will save Archazia’s Island, and we will…take back the crown. 

Welcome back and thank you for pulling up a seat at The Ink Table. We have officially entered the Reign of Jafar as he has transformed the once beautiful Archazia’s Island into his own mighty palace. His army of Illusions protect the throne. But with the help of the Island’s friendly pets and woodland creatures, the Illumineers may stand a fighting chance. Join us as we discuss our first weekend with the new set, predict where the story goes next, and check out the products releasing alongside Fabled.

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But first…

Not too long ago, the team received their first invitation to appear on a different podcast. Chris from LorcanaChats has a tremendous list of guests that have made appearances in the past, where he conducts interviews and gives Lorcana content creators and players the opportunity to tell their stories.

So thank you to Chris (questing4lore) for giving us a platform to share a little more about ourselves. We are grateful to have our name along side some of the biggest names in this community. We hope that if you are reading this, then you’ll take the opportunity to check him out

We would also like to give a huge thank you to our home LGS, their sister store, and all the amazing people who run them. We once again spent the launch weekend of a new set attending sealed events at both locations and had a blast. The Board Room in South Charleston, WV is where John, Dylan, and Preston first met and the place that our “Table Talk” began. This place is the origin story of our podcast and if it wasn’t for them, we wouldn’t be sharing that “Table Talk” with you.

They don’t sale much online, but if you are ever in the area make sure to check them out.

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Sealed Events

One of our favorite ways to play Lorcana is the sealed format and have made it a ritual to play in these events every time a new set releases. The format is played by opening 6 booster packs and building a 40 card minimum deck with no restrictions in the number of copies of a card or number of ink types you run. This is an exciting way to play, as you never know what you may pull (it could even be an enchanted). There is no competitive advantage to stress about and you don’t have to worry about playing against a $200 dollar deck. Many players are seeing cards for the first time in this format and just learning how they play. It is also a great way to spotlight the art, lore, and mechanics of cards that will see little play outside of this format. Below is a list of some of our favorite cards that we played with this time.

Darling Dear - Beloved Wife is a 5 cost inkable Amber card with 4 strength and 4 willpower. The art depicts her petting and nurturing the family pet, Lady. Being a dog dad, this card is a favorite of our producer John. Maybe because sweetly, it reminds him of his wife. And rumor has it that he may be playing it in a puppy deck in the future. Her ability How Sweet gives chosen character +2 lore when she is played. This card may see some play as a finisher in aggro decks. Ultimately in the sealed format where its not uncommon for games to come down to a race to 20 lore, she helps get that job done quicker.

There are a few rare things in that can be extremely useful in sealed. One of which is removal. And the new 1 cost uninkable Light The Fuse, is probably the best piece of removal in the newest set. This dual ink Ruby/Steel action allows you to deal 1 damage to a chosen character for each exerted character you have in play. Therefore, the more exerted characters you have, the more damage you can deal. The closest card we have to this is another Mulan inspired action. The 3 cost Strength of a Raging Fire is popular in competitive play and deals damage to a chosen character equal to the number of characters you have in play, no exerting required. The latter card may be rotated out when the 9th set arrives. So Light the Fuse could make a good replacement; but its use would be constricted to Ruby/Steel decks.

The 2 cost inkable Jeweled Collar was crafted by the mysterious Owl Illumineer, Archazia. The Emerald/Sapphire item can be seen adorned by a Duchess glimmer. The Welcome Extravagance ability allows you to ramp without having to give up the opportunity to play characters, as you will get to put the top of your deck into your inkwell every time one of your characters is challenged. The downside is that the ramp is dependent on your opponent’s actions. If they choose not to challenge, then you miss out. Personally, I would like to see it combined with cards that give opposing characters reckless, so they have no choice but to challenge. It may not work its way into many decks, but in sealed it made for impressive inkwells. John was even able to play the new 10 cost Mickey Mouse - Giant Mouse that typically cannot be played in this format.

Just like removal, card draw is a rare commodity in sealed events. One card that I found of great use in this department was Everybody’s Got a Weakness. This card is a Swiss army knife that does a couple of different things and can solve multiple problems. The 4 cost inkable Amythest card allows you to move 1 damage counter from each of your characters onto a chosen opposing character; and you get to draw a card for each damage counter moved this way. This within itself acts as a form of removal. The biggest downside is that the moved damage counters can’t be split among multiple characters and must all be moved to a single chosen character. But the pros definitely outweigh the cons with this one. Moving damage counters don’t count as “damaging”, so it would get past the Resist keyword. The counters can be moved onto an Evasive character that may be hard to challenge. And the biggest plus is that the damage counters are moved simultaneously. This means that even if an opposing character only has 1 willpower remaining, you can move as many damage counters onto it as you have damaged characters. For this reason, at one point I used a character with 0 strength to challenge an opponent just to have another damaged character in play. Ultimately a move like that, lead to 1 extra damage counter moved and 1 extra card drawn.

Faline - Playful Fawn is a 4 cost uninkable Ruby character with 2 strength and 4 willpower. More importantly, she is Evasive and can only be challenged by other Evasive characters. Typically in sealed, Evasive characters are in low quantities. So that alone made her good. But her ability Precocious Friend was surprisingly useful. While you have a character in in play with more strength than any of your opponent’s characters, she gains an extra +2 lore. So she would have the opportunity to quest for 3. As previously mentioned, many games turn into a race; so any high questers that can give an advantage are great in sealed.

In a set with where most early game 1 drop and 2 drops had low strength, Thumper - Young Bunny became a menace. The 2 cost inkable Ruby card does not have the greatest stat line with 0 strength and 3 willpower. But his ability is where he really shines. You Can Do It! allows you to exert him in order to give +3 strength to a chosen character. This assisted boost in strength turns evens the weakest glimmers into threats. Characters with high willpower were pretty prevalent during this event, and Thumper was a great counter. He also played well with his Bambi counterpart Faline that we talked about above, as he was able to push characters into meeting the condition that allows her to quest for three.

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our other top sealed picks

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Fabled Products

Disney Lorcana’s 9th set, Fabled, will release at LGSs and the Disney Parks on August 29th. And Ravensburger seems ready for it to be here already. In a way, this next set seems to be overshadowing the current one. For example, the day before Reign of Jafar released, news dropped showing off the packaging of all the new products that will release for Fabled. Players hadn’t even gotten their hands on the most recent products, and the future set was already being highly advertised. Take a look below at everything shown off.

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Playmats

Playmats based on the enchanted Mufasa - Ruler of Pride Rock and Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo

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Deck Boxes & Sleeves

We will be receiving 2 new designs for deck boxes and sleeves. The first is a Ruby themed image of Goofy, Max, and Powerline on stage at a concert. We were aware that The Goofy Movie cards would be coming in Fabled, but this confirms that some will be Ruby. What’s more is the fact that this could be the art of a song such as I2I.

The second new piece of art is of a Sapphire inspired Mulan. We will talk more about her later.

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Binders

A new 3x3 binder showcasing many Princess glimmers.

The Collection Starter Set will include a 2x2 Mickey Mouse - Brave Little Tailor binder, 4 packs of Fabled, and a promo Tinkerbell - Giant Fairy

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Single-player Decks

The Goofy Movie gets more love as an Emerald/Ruby Single-Player Deck busts out some cool Max and Powerline cards. Max will be an Emerald card, and Powerline looks to be a Ruby Floodborn with the Singer ability. This will be the first time that the ability is used by a non-Amber glimmer. And the second Single-Player Deck looks to be an Amer/Sapphire princess deck. We get another look at that new Sapphire Mulan. We also see it will include Ariel - Singing Mermaid which originally came out in set 4; which means this card will be receiving a reprint.

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Booster Box & single packs

On the packs we can see a new Cruella De Vil glimmer checking herself out in a mirror, a Steamboat Willie - Mickey Mouse whistling, and once again see The Goofy Movie art from the deck box and sleeves.

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Illumineer’s Trove

The elegant Trove is adorned with glowing sparkles and brilliant highlights of purple, that have me excited to see the dice in this one. The full list of contents is yet to be revealed, but you can bet we will have you covered when they do.

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Gift Set

Later after Fabled releases, a new gift set will come out on October 3rd featuring a promotional Elsa - The Fifth Spirit. The gift set will also include 5 undisclosed previously released packs. The only priror gift set we have recieved was an Amber themed one featuring Lilo - Escape Artist. We are already beginning to see some patterns, and believe the next gift set will feature an Emerald glimmer.

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Where the story goes next

With the release of Fabled, a “New Chapter” begins. So outside of reprints and new rarities, what do we have in store? In this next section, we will go over some of the educated predictions that the team has put together based on hidden imagery, lore, and flavor text. We could be completely wrong; but this will act as proof, if we are right.

The Next Big Villain

Since set 4, Ursula’s Return, Hades has been up to…something. While Illumineers were busy battling Ursula, and now Jaffar, he has been quietly plotting. His card Hades - Meticulous Plotter alludes to this in his name and flavor text. “This neat little scheme has Ursula’s tentacles all over it. That sneaky sea witch…Wait! I can use this. She can keep those obnoxious Illumineers busy while I roll out my own plan.” He blatantly has spoken about about planning something; and the card art shows him in front of a board with miniatures determining how their locations will best serve this plan. Since this card was released, many other Hades cards have been revealed that could play into the story of how this plan unfolds. This includes one of the newest, Hades - Ruthless Tyrant, whose flavor text reads “Don’t forget - I’m the guy with the leverage here.”.

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Archazia’s Secret Past

There is a mysterious character that we have recently met in Lorcana. Her name is Archazia, and she is an ancient Illumineer who owns the Hidden Inkcaster. After finding a map in The Great Illuminary, Illumineers traveled across the Azurite Sea to find her. She was eventually located on her Island, and took it upon herself to teach the Illumineers how to master dual-ink in preparation for the upcoming battle with Jaffar. But in the process of doing so, we start to see tiny glimpses of Archazia’s past. We learn that she has a history working with other Illumineers, but in the past something went terribly wrong. Maybe this is why Archazia has isolated herself. Either way, we believe that in Fabled some form of time manipulation will come into play. Something will go awry during the Palace Heist, and we will be sent into the stories of an ancient lorebook, that show us more of her past. After all, the tag line for Fabled is “Welcome to the Story”.

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Last Chance Combos in Reign of Jafar

We currently set in a strange void within the world of Lorcana. Mere hours away from the release of set 8, Reign of Jafar, yet something feels off. Ever since “The Next Chapter” livestream, a cloud has sat overhead and drawn our attention to the promised rainbows sure to shine alongside Fabled. Even during a LoreCast recorded earlier today, Ravensburger couldn’t help but show off more details on set 9, before Illumineer’s could even open their first packs of the imminent set 8. This feels like the calm before the storm. And the storm in question is Lorcana’s first Set Rotation. The moment Fabled releases at LGSs on August 29th, the first 4 sets of Disney Lorcana will be removed from Core Constructed. There is a big bold asterisk next to this, as some cards will receive reprints. But at the time of writing, there is no definitive list of what cards will be reprinted. Knowing that many cards will soon lose the ability to be played, we at The Ink Table Podcast had an interesting question. With this possibly being the first and last opportunity, how could cards from sets 1-4 combo/interact with cards from Reign of Jafar? Below is a list of some of those combinations. Make sure to try your favorites before it is too late.

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Mad Dog - Karnage’s First Mate typically cost 4 ink to play. But his ability ARE YOU SURE THIS IS SAFE, CAPTAIN? allows him to be played for one less if you have a character named Don Karnage in play. While a glimmer of Karnage was added this set, the original was released in set 3, Into the Inklands. In truth, this may be a sign pointing towards Prince of Pirates being reprinted. But for now, it should be treated as a Last Chance Combo.

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Mother Gothel - Withered and Wicked was released all the way back in Rise of the Floodborn, while Beast - Wounded and Mulan - Injured Soldier came out during Ursula’s Return. While it may seem strange to use characters that enter play with damage on them, all of these cars were at one point part of a powerhouse Amber/Ruby deck. That particular deck used the damage to its advantage by finding ways to turn it into card draw. Now a new deck archetype has arisen. There is now a risky Emerald/Ruby meta that wants you to maintain damage on your own characters in order to receive extra benefits such as increased strength or additional lore. Queen of Hearts - Haughty Monarch is an excellent example of this. While she typically quests for 3 lore, if there are 5 or more characters with damage in play she would quest for an additional 3. That totals out to one of the highest questing amounts in the game at 6. With a card like this, your opponent may be afraid to exert their characters or even challenge yours if it means putting damage on more characters in play. Using cards like Mother Gothel, Beast, and Mulan take your opponent out of the equation. You no longer have to rely on how your opponent plays or their actions. And there is little reason to be afraid of questing or singing with these damaged characters as cards like Alice - Courageous Keyholder will allow you to ready them back up when she is played.

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Remember back in Into the Inklands when Moving Damage was added to the game? These Amythest/Ruby card combos sure do and may be the best use of it we have seen yet. Madame Medusa - Deceiving Partner and Hades - Ruthless Tyrant both have abilities that allow you to deal 2 damage to one of your own characters to gain a benefit in return. Medusa focuses on board control by sending characters back to their player’s hand, while Hades gives extra card draw. One fantastic combo is to use these cards effects and target the underutilized Hydra - Deadly Serpent. Any time it is dealt damage, you can deal that same amount of damage to chosen character. By choosing Hydra as the target of Medusa or Hades, you will be able to ping damage while still receiving benefits.

But the best combo occurs when Maleficent - Mistress of All Evil enters the fray. While her DARK KNOWLEDGE ability is nice, the DIVINATION ability is terrifying when combined with Hades’ SHORT ON PATIENCE ability. Both when Hades is played and when he quests, you may deal 2 damage to another one of your characters in order to draw 2 cards. DIVINATION allows 1 damage counter to be moved to an opposing character whenever you draw a card. Therefore, if Maleficent is in play and Hades is played or quests you may deal 2 damage to one of your characters, draw 2 cards, and move each of said 2 damage counters to an opponent’s character(s).

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Megara - Part of the Plan gains Challenger +2 while you have a character named Hades in play. There are currently 10 cards named Hades in Lorcana. 6 of those cards were apart of sets 1-4. While this combo can still be pulled off after Set Rotations begin, you will be limited by which inks can pull it off. Starting in Azurite Sea, all Hades cards have been an assortment of Amythest/Ruby. Assuming none of the original 6 get reprinted any time soon, this may be your last chance to try this combo out using ink such as Amber or Saphire.

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Say ‘Hello!’ to the Big Cheese himself, Mickey Mouse - Giant Mouse. This is a powerful card that our entire team has been googly eyeing since it was first revealed. Only 2 cards in all of Lorcana quest for 5 lore outright; this one and Mirabel Madrigal - Family Gatherer. Yet, Mirabel can’t be played unless you already have 5 or more characters in play. Mickey has his own steep hill to climb though, being a 10 cost uninkable. But…. his stat line and abilities in combination with how much he quests for has players scrambling to make this card work. 10 strength and 10 willpower alone is super strong; but Ravensburger had to go and slap on the Bodyguard Keyword and THE BIGGEST STAR EVER ability, to create a monster that even my own custom cards couldn’t rival. Turning this card sideways is a power statement. Quest for 5, sing a sing-together by itself, or just throw it out in Bodyguard. Just about any of your opponent’s characters will be banished trying to get past him; and if they do succeed, there are even more problems to worry about. The moment he is banished, 5 damage is dealt to EACH opposing character. Thats equivalent to hitting all opposing characters with an And Along Came Zeus and gets past Ward. If the idea of playing this card excites you as much as it does us, this may be the set to try.

Being 10 cost, players are scavenging for ways to cheese the Mouse into play. It may take a little luck but Mufasa - Betrayed Leader could do the job. And there is no fear of Mickey entering play exerted. Another method is to use Hades - Double Dealer to banish a cheaper version of Mickey, in order to play Giant Mouse for free. These cards were introduced in Rise of the Floodborn and Ursula’s Return respectively.

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During Rise of the Floodborn a new ability trigger was added. All it takes is simply playing a Floodborn character while any of the cards listed above are in play, and you would receive some form of reward that coincides with its ink’s core values. My personal favorite of the group is Chief Bogo - Respected Officer that allows 1 damage to be dealt to each opposing character every time a Floodborn character is played. This special ability trigger was very fitting for the set it was released, as it helped showcase a mechanic that is unique to Lorcana. But…. they also come with their own issues. (encroaching Buck PTSD)

As the game has grown so has the number of Floodborn cards, and cheap Floodborns at that. We have seen in the past how easily this can become an issue. While the Ward Keyword definitely played a role, the surplus of cheap Floodborn characters allowed the ability of the original Bucky - Squirrel Squeak Tutor to pop very frequently. This ultimately led to Lorcana’s first and only errata. While the other cards listed may not be as meta as Bucky, they still offer something that is specific to Lorcana. So whether it be with the newest Floodborns from Reign of Jafar, or any of your favorites from the past, it is almost a definite that you will not get another chance to try it out.

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