Over the next two weekends, the first Set Championships will be taking place around the world. These mark the first toe dip into the waters of competitive play for Disney Lorcana. Be prepared with our neat little guide.
Many Lorcana players are brand new to the world of TCGs, and the set champs might be a first foray into higher-stakes events. We’ll run you through what to expect, what you need to do before the event, and some tips that might help you walk away with some very cool prizes!
This information is based on the latest official sources. Leave a comment or contact us on social media if you find updates.
What Are Set Championships?
Set Championships are a more competitive new way to play Disney Lorcana at local game stores. The Into the Inklands Set Championship is a one-day event that can be held from Friday, April 19th through to Sunday, April 28th. Most will be held over the two weekends.
The format is Core (Constructed), so players bring and play with their own pre-made, 60-card deck – more below. Stores that are already part of the Hobby Store Program can host an event if they meet certain criteria.
You can win unique promo cards or play mats, and some stores will add more prizes like booster packs. The event is not linked to Lorcana League, a more casual weekly event with prizing based more on regular attendance and fun challenges.
This is the first of its kind but from the name, it seems like there will be a new Set Championship for each new set – though that’s not confirmed. The competitive circuit, Challenge events, and World Championships are also not linked (as far as we know) to this event or your placement.
Set Championships Prizes – Cards + Playmat
The top four players will win official promotional prizes provided by Ravensburger. These must be given out as below. Stores are encouraged – but not required – to provide additional prizes. Cash prizes are explicitly not allowed.
- 1st Place – Stitch – Rock Star – Championship Promo card + Playmat with Champion text
- 2nd Place – Stitch – Rock Star – Championship Promo card + Playmat without text
- 3rd Place – Stitch – Rock Star – Championship Promo card
- 4th Place – Stitch – Rock Star – Championship Promo card
The promo card is a new alternate art version of the Stitch – Rock Star from The First Chapter. It is the first card to have both the Enchanted and Promo symbols. The new art from fan-favorite Nicholas Kole is amazing and looks even better in person.
1st and 2nd place get essentially the same playmat, but 1st gets their Champion placement emblazoned across the top in bold white text. The top four get one of the same Stitch cards each.
Where Can I Play?
Contact your friendly local game store and ask them if they are running the event, or check their social media. You can search the melee.gg tournament page (with the looking glass icon, not the “Filter by” field) for your local or the term “Into the Inklands Set Championship”.
Every event is meant to have a corresponding event on melee.gg, to track attendance and results. The team created a map that shows every store with “Into the Inklands Set Championship” in the title, so it may miss some.
View Into The Inklands Set Championships Store Map
If they don’t know about the event but are already signed up for the HSP or run Lorcana League events – it’s too late for this set champs. Using melee to track attendance will help them for the next event.
How Do I Sign Up?
Most stores will charge for the event, and you should make sure you have paid if they require payment beforehand. Prices may vary depending on what extra prizes they might give out or how many people may attend.
What To Expect
If this is your first time at a card game tournament – welcome! Disney Lorcana as a community is generally a very welcoming, friendly, and fun group. This is more competitive than Lorcana League events, so there will likely be a more focused set of players.
If you haven’t played in a store before, we do recommend attending a few Lorcana League events first. You’ll get used to some of the social aspects and jargon and probably meet players going to Set Champs.
Have Fun!
Remember this is probably going to be the first competitive event for a tonne of players. Disney Lorcana has an amazing community and player base with a friendlier and more welcoming feel than some traditional TCGs.
While this is a competition with stakes and prizes, try to make an effort to make sure everyone has fun. It’s a game and games are meant to be fun. New players having fun means they’ll come back again, which means more players in your local scene.
Personally, everyone gets one small takeback when I’m playing them (way more in casual). Every game is a good game, and every loss is an opportunity to learn and figure out where I can improve my plays and get some feedback.
Tournament Format – Bo3, Swiss, Top Cut
The format is best of three games, with a 50-minute time limit on “Swiss” rounds. Top Cut games have no time limit. Swiss is the system of matchups where players after round 1 are matched according to their previous results.
You won’t play every other player but should get fairly even matches. This is all calculated using the melee.gg software, which you’ll need to have registered with. The judge from the store should tell you your matchups.
The top players from the Swiss rounds then face off in Top Cut, the rest finish their tournament here. Top Cut is played in simple brackets where the winner stays on until there is one top player.
Best of Three
All matches are best of three games, which is explained in the latest tournament rules document. The newer “2-Game Round” format isn’t being used here, just at the Challenge events.
- Agree how to randomly decide who plays first in the first game – Most use a dice roll or coin flip
- The winner of this roll/flip gets to choose who goes first
- For each game after, the loser of the last game chooses who goes first in the next round
- If a player reaches two wins before time is called, they win the round
- If the match runs out of time and extra turns and only one person has a game win, they win the round
- If the match runs out of time and extra turns and either no one has a game win, or each player has one game each – the match is a tie
Matches in Swiss have a 50-minute time limit to play all of the three games, which can be hit pretty often with certain decks. Try to play fast by planning moves ahead of time. If time runs out, use the guide below and keep a verbal track of turns.
Overtime / Timer Rules
- At 50 minutes, time is called (some stores give a 5-minute warning before this)
- When time is called, no new games can begin
- For games in progress, when the active player finishes their turn, there are five more turns
- Example – Time is called, active player (A) carries on and then passes normally, next player (B) is turn 1, plays and passes as normal, back to player (A) turn 2, player (B) turn 3, player (A) turn 4, player (B) turn 5
- If the game ends normally in these turns, it’s reported as normal, and no new game can start
- If the game ends without a winner or loser, the game isn’t counted as a win or loss. Refer to the guide above
Rounds + Timing
The tournament should have at least three rounds of matches with eight people. It may be up to nine rounds if you make it to the final game and there are 33 or more players. A round is roughly 50 minutes (plus overtime), expect about an hour per round.
If you don’t make top cut won’t have to stay on, but make sure you ask the tournament organizer before you leave. There may still be prizing for lower placements and friendlies to play.
The table below shows rounds and Top Cut from the Tournament document, with our rough timing after. A Top Cut Top 4 would have two rounds of matches, Top 8 would be three rounds.
| Players | Swiss Rounds | Top Cut | Rough Time |
| 8 | 3 | None | ~3 hours |
| 9-16 | 4 | Top 4 | ~4-7 hours |
| 17-32 | 5 | Top 8 | ~5-8 hours |
| 33+ | 6 | Top 8 | ~6-9 hours |
What To Bring
Here’s a quick checklist of things you’ll need to do or bring for the event: –
- Sign up for a melee.gg account
- Confirm a spot in the event from the store – you may need to pay in advance
- Bring a sleeved, legal, core constructed deck of 60 cards – more below
- Turn up early, before the event starts
- Make sure you check how and when to sign in when you arrive
- Bring any accessories you might need: damage tokens or dice, lore counter, playmat (not required), and spare sleeves
- Fill out a Deck Registration Sheet – see below – or know your decklist to fill one out on arrival
- Make sure your personal hygiene is acceptable
Your Deck – Core Constructed
This tournament is a Core (Constructed) event, meaning you’ll need a pre-constructed deck with:
- 60 cards minimum (no maximum but you must be able to shuffle in a timely manner)
- Up to two different ink colors
- No more than four of a single card (using it’s full name and version)
- All currently released cards are legal – The First Chapter, Rise of the Floodborn, Into the Inklands, promos
Deck Registration
You will need to write down the cards and amounts in your deck using a deck registration sheet. You can download it here and fill it out beforehand, but stores should have some to hand. The deck you play must match this sheet 100%, and there may be deck checks.
Sleeve Your Deck!
Players use card sleeves as it protects cards from damage and prevents you recognising upcoming cards from marks. In competitive play, sleeves are almost always required. Using brand new sleeves is the norm for big events.
Even the best sleeves wear quite fast, and tiny marks or differences can make it easy to spot which cards are coming up. If a deck check reveals marks, you’ll be asked to resleeve straight away. It can lead to a game loss if the Judge decides so.
We strongly recommend buying a new pack of sleeves and re-sleeving your deck for the set champs. Support the store and buy them locally!
Sleeves should have fully opaque backs – aka not see-through at all, and all the same color/brand/size. You don’t have to double-sleeve, but if you do, all cards must be double-sleeved in the exact same way.
As this is the first competitive event for a generally friendlier game, some stores won’t be strict with younger or newer players. You might be ok with see-through sleeves if your cards are in very good condition, it depends on the store.
Read our full guide to card sleeving for Disney Lorcana
Competitive Tournament Rules + Etiquette
- If you are picking up your opponent’s cards for any reason, you should ask first and treat their cards gently
- Let your opponent cut or shuffle your deck before you draw, then once again if you mulligan or have to shuffle during the game
- You can look at both you and your opponent’s discard at any time
- The app is OK at casual tournaments but phones/tablets aren’t permitted in competitive tournaments like this one, so no app for lore tracking
- You can use a lore tracker or paper/pencil to keep a tally of lore. A die might get knocked over
- Writing notes about anything other than lore isn’t allowed. That includes what cards got inked, if you’ve inked, and cards returned to deck
- You can ask the number of cards your opponent has in their hand at any time and they must tell you. It’s a good idea to keep track of this
- You should make your ink totals (readied or exerted) obvious, but can also ask to check totals at any time
- Any bad or rude behavior, bullying, inappropriate images on sleeves/playmats, or colluding should be reported to a judge immediately
Common Mistakes
There are plenty of common mistakes people make playing Disney Lorcana, and they tend to happen more when the pressure is on. Be aware of these and don’t be afraid to admit when something has gone wrong.
Unfortunately in competitive events, it’s also possible that people might cheat or make mistakes that can give them an advantage. Assume the best, but call a judge if ever in doubt.
- Choose who goes first before drawing your starting hands and mulligans
- Make sure you fully show and announce the card you are inking
- Keep your inkwell separate from where you put down your hand, so you don’t mix them up
- Once you’ve played a card, announced a challenge, taken an action, etc. you probably won’t be allowed to take it back
- “Takebacks” are more common in casual play, but your opponent is less likely to accept them in competitive play. You can ask but don’t expect them to agree
- Check each player drew seven cards to start, and each has seven cards on their first turn
- The person going first doesn’t draw a card on their first turn, only the player going second
- Make sure you and your opponent are clear when you ink so you know if you have/haven’t this turn
- Check ink exerted matches the card/ability cost
- Make sure ink is exerted straight away so mistakes aren’t made
- If you or your opponent make any kind of mistake – call it out as soon as possible
- If ever in doubt, call a judge and explain the situation, asking for a check
- If a game state needs to be reversed, it’s best to call a judge to check what to do instead of agreeing yourselves in case you miss something
For Stores + Judges
This article is an unofficial guide for easier reading, you should refer to the official documents for all rulings. The documents below are the ones you should use from the resources page:
- Comprehensive Rules
- Tournament Rules
- Into the Inklands Championship Tournament Rules
- Play Correction Guidelines
- Deck Registration Sheet
- Official Discord Rules channel for helpful advice
A judge is required (though there is no official Disney Lorcana judge program at the moment) and they cannot play in the event. The official app has some card rulings, with some set 1 notes here.
FAQ
Accessibility
Stores are required to have space that complies with all laws and regulations related to accessibility. Some stores with limited space have stairs or limited access to their main play areas, but should make an area available to those with mobility issues to play their games.
If you have mobility needs, prefer a quieter space, or would like reasonable adjustments for sensory issues (wearing noise-cancelling headphones e.t.c), contact your local store to see if these can be arranged.
Can I Only Play With Into the Inklands Cards?
No, you can play with cards from any of the three sets or promo cards released so far.
Will There Be Booster Box Restocks?
Every store that is holding an event has been given the opportunity to purchase more stock of the first three set booster boxes from their supplier. There are limits for each store, but yes that means some stores will have more of The First Chapter available.
This isn’t a reprint, the stock was just what was held back from the most recent prints. It’s a move to reward stores that hold regular in-person events.
My Store Isn’t Running An Event
Not all stores with regular leagues were accepted for the event, though they may be able to apply and host the next set championships.
My Store Says They Don’t Have Promos
Some stores may have been delivered their Set Champs kit a little later than expected. Keep a note of what they said. If players don’t get the promos they won: pass it on to Ravensburger support in your country – US / Canada / UK / Germany.
I Think A Store Is Selling Their Promos
If a store is selling their promos, only allowing employees to play, or has otherwise made it impossible for players to attend and win: contact Ravensburger support in your country – US / Canada / UK / Germany.
Ravensburger have made it clear that stores that don’t follow their guidelines can and will lose their hobby story program access. Stores have already lost access for not holding League events, and the team do keep track of these things.
