Lorcana shows what Magic’s Universes Beyond is missing

As a veteran Magic: The Gathering player with more than a quarter-century of experience, I initially had a hard time teaching myself how to play Disney Lorcana. Instead of chipping away at your opponents’ health, you’re working to generate 20 Lore first to win, which requires a total rewiring of how you approach deckbuilding. That said, there are some similar mechanics between the two games: Ward in Lorcana resembles Hexproof, and Evasive functions a lot like Flying in Magic. But as is the case in every trading card game, the real core is in finding the interactions between various abilities that give you a distinct advantage. The most novel mechanic I found in Lorcana is its approach to name-based mechanics.