If you've spent any time at your local game store lately, you've probably noticed a funny pattern: the Lorcana tables are full of players who already own Magic decks, Pokemon binders, or both. For a lot of us, Lorcana isn't our first trading card game. It's our latest one.

When you put that many longtime card gamers into a brand-new system, comparisons are inevitable. And while Magic and Pokemon absolutely still do plenty of things better, there are some areas where Disney Lorcana quietly (and sometimes not-so-quietly) comes out ahead. That's the lens I'm writing from here.

Let's talk about what Lorcana actually does better - not by tearing other games down, but by looking at where this shiny new game really shines.

1. Easier to Teach Without Feeling "Kiddie"

Most of us have tried to teach Magic to a new player and watched their eyes glaze over somewhere between "the stack" and "priority." Pokemon is more straightforward, but once you get into evolution timing, Abilities, and odd niche rulings, it stops being truly simple too.

Lorcana manages a really nice middle ground:

• The core loop is crystal clear:
• Play characters: Quest for lore: First to 20 wins.
• Zones are intuitive: inkwell, play area, and discard, nothing wild.
• Timing is gentler: no stack, no instant-speed "gotchas" every other second.
• Cards mostly do what they look like they do, which keeps teaching smooth.

You can sit down with a brand-new player, hand them a deck, and after a couple of turns they're making real decisions instead of just following instructions. At the same time, it doesn't feel like a "baby game" to experienced TCG players. There are still sequencing puzzles, combat math, and tempo swings to respect.

That "easy to learn but not condescending" balance is something Lorcana pulls off better than either Magic or Pokemon for many mixed-experience groups.

2. The Ink System Fixes a Lot of Resource Feel-Bads

If you've played Magic for any meaningful amount of time, you know the pain:

• Mana screwed - too few lands.
• Mana flooded - way too many lands.
• Or the classic: "Sure, I drew lands... just not the right colors."

Pokemon has its own version with Energy: you need to see enough of it, but not too much of it, and sometimes you lose because your deck just didn't line up in the right order.

Lorcana's ink system doesn't completely eliminate variance, but it does smooth it out in a way that feels much fairer:

• Most cards can be turned into ink, so almost any draw can help you play the game.
• You choose what to ink, which adds decision-making instead of pure luck.
• You rarely lose because you simply "never drew resources."

You still have deck-building tension with uninkable cards and curve considerations, but you're playing more Lorcana and fewer non-games. And when both players feel like they actually got to do their thing, that's a win for the game design.

3. The Lore Race Makes Every Turn Matter

One of Lorcana's biggest strengths is how visible progress is.

In Magic, especially in slower formats, you can spend several turns in a weird limbo where neither player is clearly winning yet. In Pokemon, prize cards provide a scoreboard, but it's largely tied to knocking out specific targets and can snowball hard.

In Lorcana, the lore track is always there, staring both players in the face:

• Every quest matters because it directly pushes you toward 20.
• You can tell at a glance who's ahead and by how much.
• Aggressive and control decks alike still need to engage with lore.

That creates a really strong sense of tension. Do you swing with your character and risk them getting banished, or keep them safe and try to set up bigger lore bursts later? Do you prioritize removing their evasive quester, or race them with your own?

The result: fewer stalled games and more "we were both one turn away" endings. That's something Lorcana does especially well compared to both Magic and Pokémon.

4. Natural Multiplayer & Family Play

Magic is legendary for Commander, but that format took decades and a community movement to become what it is. Pokemon multiplayer exists, but it's not really the default experience.

Lorcana, on the other hand, slips into casual multiplayer play with almost no effort:

• The lore race works perfectly in 3-4 player games.
• Table politics ("don't quest with that 4-lore character or we're all doomed") emerge naturally.
• You don't need special product or a custom format to make it work.

For families, this is huge. You can sit down with two kids and a parent, shuffle up starter decks, and play a game that feels designed for everyone at the table. The rules don't break just because there are more than two players, and the pace stays quick enough that no one is waiting forever for their turn.

If you're looking for a TCG that works great at the kitchen table and at locals, Lorcana has a very real edge.

5. Theme and Art That Are Instantly Welcoming

Let's be real: Magic's worlds are fantastic, but they're not always the easiest sell for someone who doesn't already like fantasy. Pokemon is iconic, but also very "Pokemon-specific" - if you don't care about the creatures, the cards don't do much for you.

Lorcana starts with one big advantage: Disney.

• Everyone at the table recognizes the characters.
• Parents and kids connect to the same cards for different reasons.
• The art direction is cohesive, bright, and readable.

But it's not just about the IP. The mechanics often reinforce the theme in a way that feels clean and clever:

• Songs that you can "sing" by exerting characters.
• Story moments represented as Actions or Locations.
• Multiple versions of the same character reflecting different parts of their story.

That mix of familiarity and mechanical flavor makes the game incredibly welcoming, especially for folks who might feel intimidated sitting down with a pile of demons, goblins, or complex keyword soup.

6. Organized Play That Rewards Just Showing Up

Magic and Pokemon both have deep, competitive OP structures. Grand Prix, Regionals, Worlds - the whole ladder is tuned for serious grinders. They each have casual play, too, but it often feels like an add-on to a very competitive-focused system.

Lorcana league play is built from the ground up with a different priority:

• You get points for playing games, not just winning them.
• Fun achievements like trying specific card types, inks, or themes can earn rewards.
• Prizes often spread across the group instead of only going to X-0 decks.

That structure encourages experimentation. You're not punished for showing up with a janky brew or teaching a new player during league. You can absolutely try to spike the event if you want to, but the system still respects the players who are there just to play cards, collect promos, and hang out.

In that sense, Lorcana's OP feels more inclusive by design - and that's something it currently does better than its older cousins.

7. Starters and Deck-building Are More Accessible

If someone asks, "What should I buy to start Magic?" the honest answer is often... complicated. Commander decks? Draft? Precons? Which year? What power level? Pokemon has good starter product, but competitive lists can drift pretty far away from those boxes.

Lorcana's approach has been friendlier for brand-new players:

• The ink system simplifies "color identity" - you're picking 2 inks, not 3-5 colors or a whole type chart.
• Set sizes and card counts are more manageable to understand when you're first diving in.

From a new player's perspective, it's easier to go from "I bought a couple of decks and some packs" to "I have a real deck I'm proud of" without getting overwhelmed by decades of backlog or complex format rules.

8. Honest Note: Where Magic & Pokémon Still Lead

Just to keep this grounded: Lorcana isn't beating Magic and Pokemon at everything.

• Magic still has unmatched depth and card pool. Thirty years of design gives it layers Lorcana can't replicate yet.
• Pokemon has an incredibly strong competitive and collectible identity, with a massive global infrastructure and branding.
• Both games have proven they can evolve through countless formats, rotations, and rule changes.

That's okay. Lorcana doesn't need to replace them to be great. It just needs to offer a different experience - one that's easier to teach, smoother to play, and more welcoming for a wide range of players.

Looking Ahead: Why This Matters for Lorcana's Future

The real reason these strengths matter is simple: they give Lorcana room to grow in its own lane.

• A welcoming theme brings in families and lapsed TCG players.
• A fair-feeling resource system keeps locals fun instead of frustrating.
• A clean ruleset makes it easier to expand the game without collapsing under complexity.
• Casual-friendly OP keeps people coming back week after week.

If Ravensburger and Disney keep leaning into those strengths while slowly building out deeper formats and long-term support, Lorcana can coexist with Magic and Pokemon instead of competing for the exact same slice of the pie.

We don't have to choose just one game forever. Many of us will keep jamming Commander on one night, Pokemon events on another, and Lorcana league in between. But when someone asks, "What does Lorcana actually do better than the others?" - we've got some real answers.

So I'll throw the question to you:

What does Lorcana do better for you personally - and has it changed how often you play Magic or Pokemon?

Thanks for reading and being part of the Lorcana community. If you want more decklists, unique takes, and event coverage, you can always find me on Twitter @_EmeraldWeapon_.