We’re only a few weeks, if not days, away from learning more about Ravensburger’s plans for the competitive Disney Lorcana circuit this summer, which means it's time to start asking some tough questions about the state of the game. Lorcana’s first two sets represented an extended grace period as the game found its footing and built its core library of cards, but with the upcoming competitive circuit and the second expansion, Into the Inklands, on the horizon, the state of the meta is starting to become a real concern. As Ruby/Amethyst continues to dominate at events around the world, it feels like a good time to explore the possibility of a ban list in competitive Lorcana: what it is, why it might be needed, and what effect it would have on the game.
A ban list is exactly what it sounds like: a list of cards that are banned from being played in decks at an of🍰ficial tournament. There are several reasons why cards might be banned, but in general you can assume that this list would include cards that are either overpowered on their own or have a synergy with other cards that is so strong its existence in the meta is having an adverse effect on the game.
This can manifest in a few ways. Certain cards may be so powerful in a particular deck that all other strategies are inferior, which flattens the meta to a point where the vast majority of players are all using the same deck. In some𓆉 situations a card may be oppressive to other cards or strategies, making it impossible for certain archetypes to exist in the meta. It’s important that archetypes are kept in check by cards that counter their strategies, but sometimes cards are so powerful that the a🌄rchetype they’re meant to counter just ceases to exist in the meta altogether.
Related:
Lorcana Side Events Are Even Mor🦩e Exciting Th⛦an Tournaments
I can't wait to see how Lorcana's tournament scene evolves, but I'm even more excited to see what kind of side events ari🐠se.
For Lorcana’s most powerful cards, we’re seeing a little of column A and a little of column B. The cards that make the Ruby/Amethyst Control archetype so dominant are things like Be Prepared, Merlin, Goat; Madam Mim, Fox; and Friends on the Other Side. You’ll see a full p🙈layset of all of these cards in every competitive version of the Ruby/Amethyst deck because of the utility and value they provide, and because they’ve become so ubiquitous, the meta has largely warped around the effects of these cards. The same can be said for the Steelsong staple A Whole New World, a card that renders several other seemingly competitive strategies non-viable. These cards are all strong candidates for a ban if the decks they’re in or the strategies they enable are deemed too powerful or unhealthy for the game, which seems to be the case right now.
Determining whether a card is a problem for the game isn’t as straightforward as just looking at the top🤡 decks though. There will almost always be a best or most popular strategy, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the cards that are a part of that strategy shouldn’t be in the game. It’s also important to consider the consequences of banning a card even if it’s causing a problem. Be Prepared is a board wipe that enables Ruby/Amethyst players to take total control of the game as early as turn seven and dictate the pace from that point on, but without it there’d be very little to keep aggro decks and any strategy that relies on a wide board in check - at least right now.
Potential cards for the Lorcana ban list.
It’s also worth pointing out that a ban list can be used inappropriately. It should not be a lever that gets pulled on a whim every time the designers feel like the meta is getting stale and is due for a shake up. Banning cards is not a replacement for well-balanced game design, and bans should be 💧used sparingly, if at all.
Lorcana co-designer Steve Warner has been clear that the studio is not interested in errata - the rebalancing of cards that have already been printed by printing new versions of them - which leaves two options for overpowered cards: they can be banned, or they can be balanced through future card releases. It’s not hard to imagine cards that would counter things like Be Prepared and Merlin, Goat. For example, Tiana, Celebrating Princess offers a way to halt Be Prepared right now, even though it isn’t particularly playable in the meta. A character with an ability that causes the opponent to lose lore whenever a card is returned to their hand could drastically reduce the usefulness of Merlin, Goat and the bounce package. I have hope that Locations willܫ be able to put a dent in Ruby/Amethyst’s dominance too. Each set offers 204 chances to disrupt the current meta. That said, there will inevitably be꧙ cards that become a problem in the meta, and Ravensburger will have to decide if their impact on the competitive environment is severe enough to warrant a ban.
The nice thing about a ban is t🧔hat it doesn’t have to be permanent. If a deck like Ruby/Amethyst is too dominant today, Ravensburger can ban the core problem cards for an event or two andᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚ see what effect it has on the game. If a card is banned now but a new expansion introduces something that helps balance it out, it can be unbanned later. It’s unfortunate that Lorcana cards can’t be rebalanced the way a Hearthstone or Marvel Snap card can be, but just because one ends up on the ban list doesn’t mean it will always be there.
In an ideal world, there would be no need for a ban list. Lorcana would have a perfectly balanced meta with a wiജde range of competitive deck types, and we’d never have to worry about one deck dominating. But the reality is that no matter how much testing Ravensbuger does before a release, there’s always going to be more discovered once the players get their hands on the cards. If competitive Lorcana were a thing today, I’d feel strongly that some aspects of the Ruby/Amethyst deck would need to be banned, which would instantly open up the meta for new decks to be played and new strategies to be used. If there’s a deck this dominant when competitive starts this summer, I hope the ban list is a tool Ravensburger is willing to use.
