The Lost Caverns of Ixalan – Dinosaur Tribal?

I’ve done it now two sets in a row for Magic the Gathering. And that doesn’t even include the new stuff with Lord of the Rings that has come out, but I’ve gotten a collectors box and I’ve opened it. And it’s interesting for me to do that because I haven’t done that much deck building recently. Instead, what I’m trying to do is look for the subsets of cards that really interest me. Is that a great plan, probably not, easier to just buy those cards later.

But as I went through The Lost Caverns of Ixalan, I did of course, need to ask myself the question, do I want to play dinosaur tribal. Is there a way that I could make that interesting. I didn’t play too many massive creature tribal decks when I played before. I rocked an Ooze deck that had some higher cost cards in it. And I had a green deck that wasn’t really tribal wurm but did lean into wurms some because they are massive creatures that really aren’t the easiest to build around.

So I like that aspect of Magic the Gathering. I don’t know that dinosaurs are going to be the best cards to play out there. I suspect that they are generally going to be higher cost and therefore need some help ramping into it. But I’m always up for a challenge. The question, right now, that I’m asking myself, is do I just want to open some packs, play the game a little bit and not get into the deck building aspect. Or is the idea of dinosaur tribal enough to get me to build a deck again.

Upcoming Streams

Let’s run through the stream structure like I normally do. You might already know the schedule but in case you don’t. Wednesday at 8 PM Central I stream either a campaign game, or with this time of year it’s my Top 100 Games (of all time) 2023 Edition. This upcoming Wednesday I will not be streaming. It’s the day before Thanksgiving, so I’ll be busy getting ready for Thanksgiving and getting Christmas tree up and ready for when when we come back down. But I’ll be back to my Top 100 Games (of all time) 2023 Edition the following week for 30 through 21.

Then on Monday I stream at 9 PM Central time. It’s generally a solo game. Though I’ll also do pack openings for things But normally it’s a solo game and a one off for the game like a roll and write, or sometimes a game like Under Falling Skies or For Northwood, which was on the list today.

But the best way, if you want to know when I go live or a new video goes up (it’s basically always live), please consider subscribing. You can do that here. And click that notification bell on the channel and you’ll always know when I go live.

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How To Play Disney Lorcana

Disney Lorcana is a multiplayer, though probably mainly two player, card game. In it you are trying to get to 20 lore before your opponent does. The first player to twenty lore wins the game, it’s as simple as that.

On your turn you do a few different things. Firstly, you draw a card and get the option to ink a card. This is to take a card from your hand with the cost circled on it, and put it face down in your inkwell. These ink cards then are turned and used to play out the other cards in your hand. And finally you can challenge your opponent or go questing for lore.

When you challenge your opponent in Lorcana, they each deal each other damage based off of their strength and can knock the other out if it matches or exceeds their willpower (defense). If they don’t, the damage persists on them until someone challenges them again. You only challenge if the opponents character quested or challenged last round. You also quest in the game. That uses a separate stat. You use that to move up on the lore track.

On your opponents turn you watch what they do and repeat the process. There is not reaction system that is used. It is just the first to twenty lore who wins.

Initial Rollout

So, I think the important part to talk about is the initial rollout of the game which we are in the midst of. Right now the game is out and it’s out to local game stores. The downside is that the amount of product released is low. So low that booster boxes are being sold either by stores or online at twice the value.

The nice thing is when you local game store isn’t marked up it isn’t a bad. And often stores use limits on how much you buy to keep the prices down. The issue is that speculatory buyers pick up product and then sell it on eBay or other locations are a much higher.

This is making the game hard to find and hard for those who want to be able to play the game to actually be able to play the game. All the product is gone from stores, and now it is a matter of waiting for the general retail release which will sell fast.

The Game Play

The game play is a lot of fun. But my experience is that I got starter decks. And the starter decks for Lorcana are not without their flaws. It is mainly a lot of common cards in the decks and it is not built for combinations to be pulled off. It is meant to be basic to give you an idea of how to play. For that reason, it is hard to give it a full review.

But what I like about the game is the simplicity of it all. I worry about my turn and less about your turn. I spend the ink I want and don’t need to spend any on your turn. It makes the game simpler which makes it accessible.

And the game play is very fast. I got through two games during a lunch at work, maybe twenty minutes per game. So if you want a game in that trading card space that is easy and fast to play, Lorcana is very good for that.

What I Want to See More Of

Better Distribution

Firstly, I want to see more cards. September 1st it is getting a wider release and I hope to grab some cards. But if not, they’ll continue stocking cards at that point. This rollout plan while solid for the local game stores to get people in and sell cards, has created a weird scarcity and early collectability issue with the game.

Deck Construction

I also want to deck build. That is an element of the game that I think sounds interesting. It is simple in that you take any of the two colors and put them together. And you decide the ratio of cards. So you play with a sixty card deck and as long as you have a card of a color, you can build it with two colors. Each color seems to, but isn’t super well defined, in what they do better than other colors.

For me, this is very interesting because the starter decks, like I said, aren’t great. And I think it’ll raise my experience with the game to a higher level because it is more interactive in what you do. I don’t mean between players, I mean between the cards that you have.

Is It Played?

This one seems pretty obvious, but how does it grow? Is Lorcana a game that will be played? Right now it is a concern for me if it is a game that will be played. I am happy to see that local game stores are having events. I want to know how many people attend those events or not.

Lorcana is a collectable card game right now more than an actual game. This is not due to Lorcana not being a fun game, it is due to the rollout of it and it being Disney. It is bought more by collectors than it is people who want to play, at least that is my feeling. And if it is not played, it’ll stop being collectable and stop being a game.

Final Thoughts on Lorcana

Lorcana is, like I said, a fun game. I think it has the potential to be a better game as more comes out. But Ravensburger is smart with how they have put out the game in terms of complexity. Disney is a very accessible theme. And that means that as a game it should be one that anyone can play. And I think Lorcana is that, once it is available that is.

Right now I give Lorcana a 7 out of 10, a C+ to B- range in my normal grading system. It is a fun game, but it doesn’t standout to me. I think it could work into a B+ range with better decks. And I like deck construction in my TCG’s so, that is an element I want to play around with. I really think it is going to be a better game for me because of that.

How you been able to find and play Lorcana? Let me know your initial thoughts on it.

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Upcoming Gen Con Coverage

But before we get to all of that, let’s get to what my coverage is going to look like this year. Both leading up to Gen Con and post Gen Con. I did a video, two actually, of all the Board Game Geek listed games for sale and demo. I plan on doing two videos on that again this year. Those can be fairly long so likely will take the place of campaign games the next two weeks.

Beyond that, I like to put up my Top 10 games to demo and my Top 10 games to buy. The other look is more about everything, this is specifically what I’m most excited for. Slightly different, also fairly similar.

Finally, when I come back from Gen Con, I like to list off what I’ve played and talk about those. Write a “Point of Order” for the new games that I got. And then highlight some of the best experiences at Gen Con in another article. So expect that for the coverage leading up to and around Gen Con.

My 2023 Gen Con Events

7. Beacon Patrol

Beacon Patrol is a small tile tableau building game from Pandasaurus Games. I like that style of game with Carcassonne and I am curious to see what this one offers. It’s a shorter event and a cooperative game, so I want to know how this game comes together. And how as a cooperative game it is building in meaningful decisions for the players.

6. Splintered Lands

I like to find games that are in playtesting if I can. Something that is new or still in the works that I can sit down and get a look at first. Splintered Lands is one of those games. A deck building game in a post-apocalyptic world. Two things that I like there. I want to see how that works in a card battler game of building defense and attacking. It could be great, it could feel like what’s been done before. I am just curious and need to know.

5. Burncycle

One thing that I like about some events at Gen Con is sitting down and playing a game that I own. If I already own it, why do I need to play it there? Because I have yet to play it at home. Burncycle is maybe the only purchase from Gen Con 2022 that I need to play still. The rest I’ve played, and Burncyle is the biggest and most intimidating. So might as well learn the game at Gen Con and be able to take it back home, the knowledge, and play easier at home.

4. The Dice Tower 2023 Awards

First of two event ones here back to back. I enjoy the Dice Tower and while I really liked their Top 5 last year, this year they are doing an awards show. I haven’t watched their awards shows in the past two years. But I figure that it will be a fun time. And it’s part of an evening that should be a very good time with some laughs and hear about some games that I might have missed over the past year or what people are touting as the best.

3. Floodgate Games Celebration

The other event with Floodgate Games Celebration. I missed it last year, I think I maybe had an event scheduled over it. I just know that they had an ambitious event for their legacy game which they took down. Then this event replaced it. But because it came up later on the schedule in 2022, I missed it. This year, on the look out for it. A chance to learn about new Floodgate project, I’m excited for that and to just celebrate the games that they have put out already.

2. Lost Ruins of Arnak: The Missing Expedition

If it weren’t for a late added event this would have been #1. I really like Lost Ruins of Arnak. The system works well, the adventure, for being a worker placement game, is there. And there’s enough going on with buying cards to add to your deck, exploring, and fighting monsters to keep me entertaining.

The Missing Expedition expansion is going to make the game cooperative. That to me is weird and I need to know more. Also it is for a game that I love, so I want more. I already pre-ordered for Gen Con pickup the expansion. So that will b great to be picking that up. But like Burncyle, while I am at it, why not learn the game. So I signed up, on the first day, for a slot to get to play the game.

1. Star Wars: Unlimited

But my #1 event is a trading card game. Danger Will Robinson for that. I got pulled back into TCG’s with Magic the Gathering’s set for Lord of the Rings. Now there is a Star Wars set and I like Star Wars. This is a game that won’t even come out for a year, I would guess. But they are demoing it here. And if you demo it, you get some exclusive cards, Vader and Luke Skywalker. Don’t worry, they will be in the set as well, these are just special versions.

This one really interests me though because I like Star Wars. And I like a few things about what they said for the game. Firstly that you are battling on two fronts to take down your enemy. Both with land and space, so you can lean into one or the other. A balanced approach might mean you can get damage through on both, but if you lean heavily land or space, you might be able to overwhelm with more force. Of course, leaving yourself then vulnerable as well.

Final Thoughts

I often have a weird combination of events. And sometimes I don’t even make it to all the events. I was intentional about what I signed up for this year, a bit more than last year and less than the first year. Also shorter events.

It’s easy to overwhelm a schedule y signing up for a ton of things. And then you find that you don’t want to play them all. You want to spend time on the floor and demoing more games. On the flip side, it’s easy to just play a little bit and find yourself done every day when the dealer hall closes. Or find that you don’t sit down at tables and play. I play with random people all the time at Gen Con, that is part of the fun. But I get why it is hard for some people.

Overall, I like the events that I signed up for. There are definitely some less interesting ones to me on the list, mainly the bottom two. However, they are still interesting and I want to explore and experience them to see if they are a game that I will just fall in love with. There is certainly the chance so I got to try and take that and see what happens with them. Because one thing I love about Gen Con is trying new games.

What event sounds more interesting to you? And if you’re going, what event are you most excited to attend on your list?

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Then as people changed jobs and all of us went to new places and had kids, that made it harder to play. It came down to drafting new sets and maybe once a year days of playing commander. Now it is something that I don’t do anymore and I sold my decks and cards for the most part. But I do miss it, so what are the things I miss about the Magic The Gathering and what don’t I?

Deck Building

This is definitely an area that I miss about Magic. I love planning out decks, even if I didn’t use all the greatest cards in them, or create the greatest combos. In fact, I would pretty often figure out ways to create decks around specific cards or mechanics that weren’t that great just to see how they’d work.

In particular, I remember a very expensive card that I built a deck figuring out how to put it in play. My co-worker basically called it a countdown deck. You had a certain amount of time to beat it, and if it built up just enough, it went from great health to you dead in a turn. Or a coin flip deck was another fun one. Did it work? Not that well, but it is fun to create a deck around an absurd mechanic like that to get it as good as possible.

Blind Buying

This is something that I like and don’t like about Magic. And it’ll actually tie into the next one as well. But I like it because there is something about grabbing a pack and opening it up to see what you got in it. See if you got a crazy card that you can build a new deck around, or a staple that allows you to make an existing deck better.

On the flip side, you get a lot of trash in there as well. It is smarter and better to buy cards one off than blind. But the experience of splitting a booster box three ways or two ways and just having an evening of sitting around and opening packs, that is great. Especially because we weren’t trying to maximize our money off of it.

Common Cards

However, with blind buying does come one issue, and that is that you just get a ton of cards out of it. I think I had several thousand common and uncommon cards that were worth a penny each. So that is annoying. Either you sell them online as a lot, trade them to a local game store, or just store them. And I stored them for a long time and that takes up a lot of room. Less than you might think, but also more because you open up a few boxes or buy a booster pack when you walk past the rack at Target, you add up fast.

That is the huge downside to buying blind. I want to get that feeling of opening up something great, but because you get so many cards, you mainly get junk. And now you need to do something with those junk commons, which can be making a pauper deck.

Magic The Gathering Events

This one is also a mixed bag because most of the time it is fun. But also, most of the time I would prefer to do it with my friends not an official one. Why, because at an official one there are always some people who take it way to seriously.

With friends you crack open some packs, draft some cards and have a good time with it. In fact, we’d normally instate the rule of you keep the rare card from your pack at the end of the day. That doesn’t happen in an official event that is drafted, so if there is a great card and it doesn’t work for your deck you take it because it’s worth money. That isn’t fun, but that is how it works.

Final Thoughts on Magic The Gathering

I miss playing Magic The Gathering, I miss having that group that we could sit down at lunch and play. Or get together on a Friday after work, have some pizza and knock out some games. But I also don’t miss it in some ways.

And what I know about Magic’s process now, I am glad, in some ways I got out when I did. When I left Magic the Modern Masters set was a new thing. A chance to get those awesome older cards that if you came in later, like I did, you didn’t get from a random blind pack as you weren’t buying them then. But it was expensive, and they have just added more expensive sets since then. And they aren’t a one off thing they are more and more common.

I still do own a few decks though, not that many cards in it, but some fun ones. I debate from time to time if it is worth keeping them. That said, I haven’t played in years, but some of the EDH/Commander decks that I like, I kind of want to keep. And maybe, someday, I’ll play them again.

Do you play Magic The Gathering? What is your favorite way to play? Or what colors did you normally play, I was a Simic or Izzet player pretty often.

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