Disney
Archazia’s Island, Disney’s New Lorcana expansion revolutionizes the game with Dual-Ink
Ravensburger’s card game is starting to gain significant depth with its seventh expansion.
Lorcana continues to expand its universe with a new expansion that not only brings new films and characters to the forefront, but also introduces some truly interesting gameplay changes. We’re talking about ‘Archazia’s Island,’ a new set of cards that introduces The Aristocats, Lady and the Tramp, and Bolt for the first time, but also features Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin as the main characters of its starter decks. This time, the pack comes, as always, with two decks that, as you can see, use Dual-Ink, a most enticing addition about which there’s much to be said.
Without a doubt, the most exciting aspect of this expansion’s release isn’t just the continued growth of our card count featuring Disney’s favorite characters, but also the continued exploration of a card game that continues to grow to match any current TCG game. While ‘Prelude’ was focused on new players, this new expansion focuses much more on the company’s traditional animation and its mascots. Cards like Thomas O’Malley from ‘The Aristocats,’ Bolt, and Lady from ‘Lady and the Tramp’ will be some of the must-haves.
And yes, there’s lore, of course. This time, the Illuminati and Glimmers who set sail across the Azurite Sea have arrived on an island where the summoner Archazia will teach them new techniques, such as double-ink. That’s why the starter decks now come with two captains combining two colors. If we choose the Aladdin deck, we’ll play with the fusion of amethyst and sapphire ink, while the Beauty and the Beast deck combines ruby and sapphire ink. And the point of this new feature? It allows for more powerful effects and synergies between the different ink types. Furthermore, double-ink cards can only be used in decks with the two corresponding ink colors.
On a narrative level, the arrival on the island of Archazia isn’t the only new feature. This set has implemented story fragments on the backs of cards to create Legend Cards. While they don’t affect the number of playable cards in booster packs, they will include 20 per booster pack. With all the cards, we can read a story and build two illustrations. Archazia acts as a kind of training ground where the cards are supposed to acquire greater power.
In addition to the two starter decks, which are perfect for getting started with double-sided printing and priced at $16.99, ‘Archazias Island’ also includes some additional accessories such as the new Lilo box ($29.99), featuring a new alternate Lilo - Escape Artist illustration, five booster packs for sets 2-6, and a 250-card capacity. Cinderella and Ursula are added with new designs to the deck boxes and sleeves ($5.99), and Big Hero and Tigger appear on the mats for $16.99. Of course, you can also get the Ilumineer’s Trove, the set’s special box, for $49.99, which includes one storage box, seven card dividers, eight booster packs with 12 additional cards, six damage counter dice, and one legend point counter.
Is the Archazia’s Island expansion worth it?
Ravensburger is moving at a fairly frantic pace when it comes to expanding Lorcana, and it’s no wonder considering the vast number of card game options on the market. However, there’s one clear trend: the brand doesn’t want to leave anyone behind. We previously mentioned ‘Prelude’ as a way to get started in the game (because it’s the first pack in Spanish), but that doesn’t mean ‘Archazia’s Island’ is a bad entry point. It’s true that the synergies are already starting to reach a little more depth than what we’ve seen so far, but the expansion is just as suitable for those looking to get into Lorcana for the first time as it is for those who’ve been playing since the first expansion (we’re already on the seventh).
The truth is that the pace here isn’t slowing down, and we already know that the game’s roadmap for the coming months is to maintain the same pace as it is now. Reign of Jafar has already been announced for the second half of the year, and everything indicates it will be a powerful arrival. However, Archazias Island is a transitional moment in the game, where pets have a special role to play, providing support for what’s to come.
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