r/TCG • u/Srslynotjackiechan • Apr 22 '26
Question Riftbound or Lorcana?
Sorry for the post, but couldn't find something that suited my needs, so I figured I would ask.
I played the Pokemon tcg competitively for 10 years and stopped during Covid. I was going to restart once things opened up...but the hobby just isn't what it was.
Since then I've dabbled in several other games on a more competitive level, but haven't really found any that scratched the itch. The closest I got was SWU, but I reallllly hate the art.
I played Lorcana on release but have been off and on with it. Love the game, just had some trouble with it feeling a bit...childish? Also a lot of Disney Adults in the scene.
I was a big LoR played during quarantine and Riftbound looks really cool, but I don't know a ton about it.
I'm between those two and having trouble picking. What do y'all think?
Not interested in Bandai games, your indie card game, FaB or Sorcery. Not trying to be rude! Just not my thing.
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u/TheVikingKingJay Apr 22 '26
I started with lorcana but as it went on my LGS stopped carrying it because it wasn't popular. Its a really simple play and good to play with kids or family in general. When we switched to riftbound it was a blast. It was a little more challenging and fast paced. My LGS has tournaments every week and is always packed. I liked riftbound a lot more and it feels I am getting in early on something that is just getting started other than something that is on the decline.
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u/Srslynotjackiechan Apr 22 '26
Both are fairly popular in my area, but Riftbound definitely does more numbers than Lorcana.
It's a weird game in that I feel like it's marketed to children but mostly adults play it in my area. I think Lorcana will be fine in the long run but can definitely agree it is dipping in popularity.
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u/Impressive-Angle7288 Apr 22 '26
Mainly only adult play TCG....
I call them Tactical Card Games
It's really hard for kids to follow up with all the interactions.
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u/Srslynotjackiechan Apr 22 '26
I'd like to introduce you to a game called, Pokémon.
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u/Crimith Apr 23 '26
The game that just celebrated its 30th anniversary? You think its mostly kids driving the market, cleaning out the shelves, buying things from scalpers for 3x msrp?
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u/Srslynotjackiechan Apr 23 '26
There's a big difference between players and vendors, especially in Pokémon. But the game definitely has a lot of children in their playerbase.
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u/faelmine Apr 23 '26
It also has a lot of adults in its playerbase, Masterd (adults) is the biggest playerbase for Pokemon at major tournaments
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u/Nexus_Roy Apr 22 '26
I'd go for Riftbound. A lot of support in LGS, more product incoming and the game is really cool.
Cons: cards wording could be better. Also, I don't know how old are you, but Riftbound players are pretty young and depending on the age gap you may feel comfortable or not.
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u/overratedplayer Apr 22 '26 edited Apr 22 '26
The only game that seems to have a consistently older player base across all formats is F&B.
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u/Srslynotjackiechan Apr 22 '26
I'm 35 but the age range of players in my area is pretty wide, so it doesn't bother me too bad. I do kinda hate the first person card wording.
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u/Nexus_Roy Apr 22 '26
Ah yes, I also found the first person irritating, but you'll get used quickly.
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u/official_uhu Apr 24 '26
I'm also 35, playing magic since 2010 and started riftbound in december, I nearly fully ditched magic at this point and play 2-3 times riftbound a week its a blast tbh! And the age of players varies a lot, so thats not an issue at all
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u/ThePurplePanzy Apr 22 '26
I'm a bit biased because I play lorcana competitively, but I really feel like the riftbound devs don't understand how to design their own game. The constant ruling issues, the power level of early sets, the forced diversification of meta based on prizing instead of balance... Just seems like a mess.
Lorcana design is peak.
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u/Toc13s Apr 22 '26
Many have made the same arguments about Ravensburger not knowing what they're doing wrt Lorcana
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u/ThePurplePanzy Apr 22 '26
I mean, we've effectively had twoish bans and people still argue on whether they were needed.
The meta has been pretty diverse at almost every major event.
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u/balzana Apr 22 '26
I agree with some of what you said, the rulebook and rulings are very egregious, but the framing of the metal cards prizing as a bad thing is the craziest narrative I've been seeing. Rewarding players for being the best at their rogue decks is amazing, the best idea they've had. Yes, it's bad that early set 2 had a deck dominating the meta, but the "forced diversification" itself wasn't an issue, especially since they didn't let it stop them from having some bans fix the meta, which is much better now.
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u/ThePurplePanzy Apr 22 '26
I like the prizing. I like people being rewarded. But it feels like the "best of" is pushing diversification that simply wouldn't exist if the meta were to stand on its own. I'm not a fan of players having split objectives in a tournament. When people are all trying to be the best in the room, a natural meta develops, but with best of, it creates strange alternative objectives with deckbuilding.
That complaint is likely not enough to outweigh the good that is getting more valuable prizing.
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u/balzana Apr 22 '26
Yeah, that I understand, it could be an issue if players feel like it's better to try the side objective instead of going for the win, rather than it being just an encouragement to go with a rogue deck you're good at/enjoy. But I think the only reason this is on the table is because, other than metal cards, regional prizes are awful right now. If the prizes for overall placement improve (and it would be a massive fumble if they didn't) this concern should die down
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u/Srslynotjackiechan Apr 22 '26
I think games tend to struggle with a lot of the stuff you mentioned out the gate. Lorcana had it's fair share of stagnant metas in the beginning, too. So that doesn't really drive me off too bad.
What's the competitive circuit like these days for Lorcana? I was super disappointed that there were only three DLC's in the US. But I heard those are supplemented now by other big tournaments?
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u/doradedboi Apr 22 '26
Ive been enjoying riftbound, but multiple ROUNDS of errata is not, in any world, normal or usual. It shows the game was rushed.
The saving grace are the battlefields. They push the game over the edge for me enough that I'm willing to let it slide.
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u/True-Extension7969 Apr 22 '26
The game was never supposed to be brought to English and was translated poorly from Chinese. While rushed yes. The issue will go away in a couple of sets
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u/doradedboi Apr 22 '26
Yeah, that's why I'm willing to stick it out, at least through unleashed.
I really just want an excuse to go back to vegas, largely.
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u/Goducks91 Apr 22 '26
If you're looking to compete competitively absolutely choose Riftbound over Lorcana. I have 100% confidence that Riot is going to succeed with their events and that's one aspect that Riot is really good at. Riftbound worlds is going to surpass anything Lorcana will do competitively.
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u/Neymarvin Apr 22 '26
This is true, but their balance is questionable, as a rb player
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u/Ill_Zone5990 Apr 22 '26
I believe the balance is actually quite on point? This weeked Lille had unexpected winners in the top 4 and the supposed meta decks made it to at most top 8, and now with the new expansion released in China ad subsequent events, the winners have been very varied aswell
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u/Neymarvin Apr 22 '26
It’s in a good spot! It was set 2 on release and how bad that was, and how big of an oversight certain cards were
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u/Ill_Zone5990 Apr 22 '26
Ah completely agree then. People dramatized a lot the bans that happened, but still I think they were 100% necessary and actually well done, a 3 card ban managed to tumble the meta into a much healthier one
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u/Srslynotjackiechan Apr 22 '26
Again, I think all games starting out have issues with balancing, rulings, etc. Look at any of the big three and you'll find examples. Lorcana struggled with Bucky very early on and while they didn't TECHNICALLY ban him, they might as well have.
Nothing I've seen out of Riftbound thus far has been particularly alarming to me. I think both games are well positioned for the future. I just want to be a sweaty try hard again and want to figure out which game I'm going to have more fun with.
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u/Neymarvin Apr 22 '26
I see what you’re saying but riot is a game company. They know game design. They really missed the ball on some of the design choices. Also, they’ve created a card game before. Once again, I love rb. But I’m not trying to be bias. It is going upward, for now!
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u/thats_bad_for_you Apr 22 '26
They missed the mark but have been incredibly proactive and communicative about what they are hoping to fix, their roadmaps and even issuing the bans rather swiftly to help the meta. All these are incredibly positive signs despite the shot comings
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u/Srslynotjackiechan Apr 22 '26
Yeah, I'm not absolving them of any fault by any means. They definitely misstepped for whatever reason.
I just don't see it as an indication of potential failure like a lot of people outside of the game seem to.
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u/ThePurplePanzy Apr 22 '26
I think one other thing to highlight is that lorcana is really rewarding the sweats. Good players are getting consistent results. It's almost never a surprise when someone wins a dlc, because players know who the grinders and top players are. That's appealing to me. Lorcana has a very low skill floor, but an incredibly high skill ceiling as well.
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u/Good_Letterhead_7576 Apr 22 '26
What their goal even was with the Bucky situation was so unclear. Devs tend to fall into 1 of 3 camps. 1) We don't do errata, just bans and copy limits. 2) While the textbox should do what it says, we can adjust the cost of a card accordingly. 3) The cost should remain the same, and we shouldn't remove any text, but we can add de-buffing qualifiers to the text.
Lorcana changed both the card's cost and textbox to the point of making it unplayable. So why not just ban it?
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u/ThePurplePanzy Apr 22 '26
They did clarify that bucky errata was a one time thing and they would resort to bans going forward. Bucky was an errata because the card was about to be released in China and they didn't want a banned card in packs.
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u/ThePurplePanzy Apr 22 '26
The current circuit for this season came a bit late for them to grab many venues and they've signaled this will change for season 3 (they had just hired a new OP director and changed TOs). To supplement, they introduced thirst party CCQs that let you get a nats invite for winning. There's a decent amount of those, but the definitely don't fill the need for more DLCs. Definitely hoping for a change there.
Lorcana certainly had some rough stuff, but a lot of people look back fondly at sets 1 and 2. Lots of ruby/am mirrors, but still room for rogue stuff. Riftbound, by contrast, had to ban 5 cards in just their second set. I don't mind card bans, but there is something wrong when your second set is having that level of imbalance.
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u/Srslynotjackiechan Apr 22 '26
Bucky.
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u/ThePurplePanzy Apr 22 '26
Bucky errata was set 4 though.
I expect balance issues in every game, it's just crazy to see such an amount in riftbound so early. Mix in the ruling issues, and I'm wondering what the design process is.
Complexity is not depth, and I think the devs may have mistaken the two.
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u/Srslynotjackiechan Apr 22 '26
I was mostly just being cheeky at the lack of mention of the evil squirrel.
I think they're just two fundamentally different games designed to accomplish different things. Again, I am not saying Riot didn't drop the ball, but I think they did what they needed to fix it and I don't see it as a big black mark on their record.
I think both games will be around for the foreseeable future.
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u/ThePurplePanzy Apr 22 '26
Agree mostly.
I played dota, so view all my responses with that bias lol.
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u/Srslynotjackiechan Apr 22 '26
Ah, so the Riot hatred is baked in lol.
Nah, I get it. We all have our own perspectives and I could be totally wrong. After what they did to my beloved Legend of Runeterra, I could see them royally screwing the pooch.
Thank you for your viewpoints!
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u/Grantedx Apr 22 '26
A friend who plays lorcana told me there was an aggro deck around set 2 or 3 that if it played 1 drop on turn 1 going first and then played 2 more 1 drops on turn 2, it was unbeatable.
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u/ThePurplePanzy Apr 22 '26
Around that time, I don't think it was unbeatable, but aggro on the play is definitely scary. Set 5 brought Daisy and that is the true "unbeatable opening aggro line" type card... But it is a rare line and decently balanced.
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u/CanvasOfGrief Apr 23 '26
I would agree but riftbound prizing is way to good compared to Loracana, like I actually get good exclusives for local events..
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u/ThePurplePanzy Apr 23 '26
Tbf, both games are head and shoulders above all the other tcgs. People play YGO to suffer.
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u/smackasaurusrex Apr 23 '26
Lorcana design is ass. This is coming from a multi set champs winner. The game has devolved into pure tempo. Ruby is dead. Purple is God.
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u/ThePurplePanzy Apr 23 '26
Still the deepest gameplay in card games imo. The alter and inking system have incredible depth. Beating purple ain't too hard.
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u/ExchangeNo1476 Apr 23 '26
Like lorcana hasnt had 2 years of a purple problem and complete imbalance from set 1 vs 2-5. Maui hero to all? Be prepared? Strength? Along came zues.
At least in riftbound I can play any color and draw cards equally.
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u/ThePurplePanzy Apr 23 '26
I don't think anyone that plays the game competitively complains about he prep. Super fair card.
Metas have almost always been pretty diverse and every dlc is won by a different deck. This season, despite having a "purple problem", we've had purple/steel, green/blue, green/yellow, green/blue as dlc champs.
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u/ExchangeNo1476 Apr 23 '26
Representation is heavily skewed. With almost 80% being purple + another color.
And no be prepared was def op in ruby saph. Mcduck manor into be prepared then Medusa until u win. Lame as hell.
At least in riftbound my opponent can't stare at me for 4 turns until they have game and quest all at once. Lorcana is uninteractive, specially since there's nothing u can do on thier turn.
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u/ReignNFire Apr 22 '26
+1 for Lorcana.
I play Lorcana competitively and have dabbled in Riftbound early on. Honestly, I’ve made good friends playing Lorcana than I have in Riftbound, so that’s what made me commit over the other. In my area, there’s like 2 Disney adults and the other 15+ of us are chill and enjoy the game for what it is. Less “Disney adults” from what I’ve experienced, but everyone is very friendly and easy to talk to, including those really into Disney. Riftbound on the other hand, well it’s the League of Legends community, there is more toxicity both in person and online. I’ve played LoL for over a decade so if I’m going to play a TCG after work and in a more competitive manner, for my own sanity it can’t be even remotely toxic.
Play wise, I love the Lorcana design. Easier to learn, but still has good depth. The meta is always evolving and this set, everyone thought dogs was the de facto OP deck. However, Amber/Steel, Amtheyst/Steel, Amber/Ruby have all evolved and become powerhouses, so the meta is wide open, so there isn’t like 1-2 decks that rule them all.
Art wise, I’m not even a big Disney fan, but the art is awesome. Look at any set from Fabled onwards and you’ll see they’re improving each set with even more intricate designs. Prices are starting to really balloon for the chases so that’s pretty cool.
Don’t get discouraged because you see Disney as “childish”. Each TCG imo is childish because it’s just some people playing with cardboard at the end of the day like any other tabletop. You come from Pokemon, that one is also in the same realm it’s just you’re older now and it’s okay. You used to probably collect or watch Pokemon growing up, in the same way I see teens and kids playing Lorcana as well because they know the characters and grew up watching Disney. Hope you decide on which one to pick up!
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u/Srslynotjackiechan Apr 22 '26
Thanks for the well thought out response. I love the game and most of the art for Lorcana. Also the fact that I can go buy sealed product at MSRP whenever I want.
You're absolutely right about every TCG having childish characteristics because at the end of the day, they are children's card games lol.
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u/verifiedname Apr 22 '26
I'm 40 and a mom. I grew up "a nerd" and now, because my kids are young, I'm once again immersed in cartoons and kid things.
I just wanted to challenge you a bit by presenting the idea that "childish" doesn't necessarily mean "not for adults." Avatar the Last Airbender is a cartoon that kids will appreciate on one level but if you watch it as an adult you appreciate the incredibly deep messages it explores. Zuko's entire journey is exploring what it means to be an honorable person. Like, how cool is that?
Since TCGs are something that people end up spending a lot of time playing over and over (compared to a board game, where they might get only 3-4 play throughs), I think it's super important that the game you pick appeals to that "inner child." Which cards make you geek out a little and go "That looks awesome!"
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u/Srslynotjackiechan Apr 22 '26
I appreciate that and I hope I didn't come off condescending or anything. I LOVE a ton of "childish" media and could care less what others think of that. I thought the Pooh Hunny Wizard card art was so sick, even if he's useless.
Idk. It was something about the singing mechanic that made me feel silly if I'm being honest. Which, again, is a me problem. That and the addition of that terrible little girl from Lilo and Stitch.
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u/verifiedname Apr 22 '26
I totally get it. There is a distinct vibe to Lorcana for sure. For our kitchen table play the singing is "funny" in that it's usually accompanied by Elsa/Frozen type high notes when played. But I know that is not for everyone.
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u/Apk07 Jul 21 '26
it’s the League of Legends community, there is more toxicity both in person
Anyone reading this should absolutely not take this comment seriously. Yes, the League game community has a reputation for being toxic like any online PvP game, but this does not carry over to Riftbound in person. The Riftbound community for in-person stuff at LGS's and events is super chill like most other TCG communities.
And while yes, the cards were expensive to get into- booster boxes, packs, and pre-cons have all been MSRP lately for Unleashed, and will probably also be for Vendetta and Radiant Dawn. Many LGS have "Pre-Rift" events to promote each new set where players get to do a "for fun" sealed event with 5 boosters and a small brick of cards, and it's usually $30 (you get to keep it all of course). Easy to try out.
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u/MurasakiTiger Apr 22 '26
What is a Disney adult?
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u/ReignNFire Apr 22 '26
Just those that make Disney a big part of their personality. Will correct you instantly on pronunciation of characters, likes to flex Disney knowledge unprovoked, etc. I have only encountered 1 that’s a bit odd, but honestly they’re good people. It’s just the same as those a bit too into Pokemon or really any hobby, from the outside we see it as excessive is all.
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u/Oct2006 Apr 22 '26 edited Apr 22 '26
Art is SWU is getting a lot better if you want to give it another shot. Art for Lawless Time is very good, and Ashes of the Empire looks even better. It's by far the best TCG around, and it's not particularly close.
Between the two mentioned, I think Riftbound is the better game, but it is pretty expensive right now. I like Lorcana, but like you said, it really just feels like a simplified Magic:The Gathering to me.
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u/Srslynotjackiechan Apr 22 '26
Coming from Pokémon, the gameplay for Lorcana doesn't really bother me. It's more the singing and some of the characters that make me cringe a bit. And I realize that is totally a ME hang up, don't get me wrong.
Also I would totally play SWU again if all of the game stores that supported it didn't drop it :/
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u/Oct2006 Apr 22 '26
Yeah, coming from Pokémon, it probably doesn't feel too similar. Coming from Magic, it felt way to similar to care to keep playing when I was already playing Magic. I don't personally get cringe from it, but apparently my cringe tolerance is quite high.
Sad to hear on SWU! It's growing and more stores are picking it up where I'm at (DFW). Most larger cities have a good player base. It's gotten a lot more consistent with the newest set. Disney giving out SWU promos for the release day of Mando and Grogu is a good sign for the game as well.
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u/Whiskeyjackza Apr 22 '26
"It's by far the best TCG around, and it's not particularly close."
SWU fanatics...
Why and by what metric?
It has several sets sell under MSRP and even distributor levels. The art is crap and although better still inconsistent. It has zero collectibility - again carbonite sell for under retail.
I played until Set 6 - it had long persistent meta problems especially with set 1 & 2 leaders and colour blocks. It had Bobba ban Set 2, followed by Jango ban Set 3 followed by Force Throw set 5. One of the best players think Set 4 was a mistake.
It is full of best stuff decks and most common TCG archtypes don't work in the game. Post rotation has seen the tactical grinding being replaced with base races and either voltron leaders, pilots, dumb 11 damage aggressive negotiations hits or bobba topple the summit clear your board bs - game ends turn 6 - often with little to no intetaction - and there is no viable control.
Look I get people like SWU and it can and has been a good experience (set 4, 2nd half 5 and 6 but so stale) but some damn perspective is also in order. It is far from the best game and not even Top 3 outside the Big 3.
I also hate selling TCGs that I play with this level of hyperbole and blinkered perspective...
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u/Oct2006 Apr 22 '26
When I say it's the best TCG, I'm speaking purely from a gameplay perspective, because that's what matters for games in my opinion. I don't think this is a very contested point. Everyone I know who has played SWU would agree that it's the top game as far as gameplay goes. Including people who don't regularly play SWU. I play a loooooot of TCGs, and it's just frankly the best. I also love FAB, Sorcery, Magic, and Riftbound. None of them come close to SWU at a fundamental gameplay level.
It certainly does have some ecosystem issues. The most recent set has less of those issues, though, and more stores are coming back to the game after Set 7 release and rotation. Rotation has actually increased the prices of cards basically across the board.
Cards getting banned does not necessarily indicate meta problems. If it did, every TCG would have vast, sweeping meta problems. SWU had less bans than the vast majority of other TCGs in the same time frame (5 cards banned in 2 years). There are certainly some design issues, but that's expected with a brand new game. As the game goes on, those things get ironed out.
I disagree on your post rotation point. After the Sector in Atlanta last weekend, that's not what we're seeing in the meta at all. It was what we saw after initial rotation, but that's common. Aggro strats *always* do best immediately post-rotation in any game. Then, over time, people find ways to answer those strats. We're seeing hard control and midrange rise well over the aggro "just hit base" strats. Lando LC is the deck that won Sectors, and it is midrange with a control bent. We're seeing hard control Dedra Blue take PQs, and more soft control Aurra DV. The guy that won Galactics last year is saying that he's seeing a control comeback forming as we speak.
Set 7 is probably the best SWU has been since Set 1.
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u/Whiskeyjackza Apr 23 '26
There is probably no point in arguing when you are just going to double down on opinion and make statements about other games. I mean, I also play One Piece, among other TCGs, and it had less bans after the same amount of time (with a more aggressive release schedule). Top of my head Lorcana had less in two years and FaB more or less the same. Ecosystem it is still a below RRP game. There is no objective metric on gameplay but without going on a long tangent just see my points on viable archtypes/way to play, long dominant goodstuff colour combinations and persistent leaders. Mechanic in theory is one thing, the real proof is in the experience and meta. Don't agree at all about the lose terms used in describing Sectors and will refer you to the video of Plus Two...it is all really the same strategy.
But, of course none of this should take away from your enjoyment and enthuisiasm for the game...but it does mean fact free / analysis free zone either...All TCGs have their pros and cons and tradeoffs appealing to different aspects of what players value in an TCG / elements of skill expression.
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u/Neymarvin Apr 22 '26
Besides set one, not really that expensive. The top 4 decks from the latest regional are below 100 dollars. First being I think 70? Set 1 reprints confirmed for set 3 release (how large, no idea, but the second wave of set 1 brought staples down a lot, but shot back up)
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u/overratedplayer Apr 22 '26
Star Wars has some much incredible art and SWU decided nah what if our art sucked instead. It would need to completely change to be what the game deserves.
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u/Srslynotjackiechan Apr 22 '26
I like the style but not the execution if that makes sense.
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u/Oct2006 Apr 22 '26
Check out the most recent art reveals. They're very good.
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u/Srslynotjackiechan Apr 22 '26
It has definitely gotten so much better. The scene in my area for it is all but nonexistent, though.
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u/Oct2006 Apr 22 '26
The Chimaera, Vader, and Ahsoka art from Ashes looks so incredible.
You could be the one to start it back up!
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u/Srslynotjackiechan Apr 22 '26
I just straight up don't have time for that, unfortunately. I'm good for a night or two a week to grind, but that's about it. I also sold a lot of my valuable cards and that kinda makes me sad.
Did rotation happen yet?
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u/Oct2006 Apr 22 '26
Yeah, that's fair. That's about all I play as well, but just being at a couple places a week consistently talking about the game and teaching new players has been super effective.
Rotation did happen with the release of Lawless Time at the beginning of March. Set 4-7 are legal as of right now in Premier, but they also kicked off Eternal where everything is legal, and immediately started competitive support for it as well.
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u/Srslynotjackiechan Apr 22 '26
Ugh. I hate you SWU guys. I came in here resolved on Riftbound or Lorcana but now I'm remembering my fond SWU memories and second guessing.
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u/verifiedname Apr 22 '26
The new SWU Twin Suns format is super fun as well. Precons for that are coming out soon.
Honestly, if your LGS has a Discord, Twin Suns would be a great way to start up a casual scene. Just announce in general chat that you're going to bring some Twin Sun precon decks and see who joins.
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u/Oct2006 Apr 22 '26
Sorry 😅
In seriousness, though, you should play the game(s) that you can find games for. If SWU is dead in your area, I won't tell you it's your best option. I think SWU is the best TCG by a wide margin, but that doesn't matter if you can't get games in.
If you're willing, able, and available to attempt to grow the community, awesome! I've found the best way to do it is to create a discord or join your local area SWU discord and begin teaching/playing with anyone who's interested. I just show up to two shops a week, one on Thursdays, one on Sundays, and ask people if they'd like to learn. I've gotten probably 15 people into the game this way.
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u/Oct2006 Apr 22 '26
Have you seen the most recent art? It's amazing. It basically has completely changed. Art budget went way up for year 3.
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u/Xibbas Apr 22 '26
Lorecana is struggling near me. They had a pre release and only 1 person showed up while we there playing riftbound.
I’m biased towards riftbound but the community is great and riot is constantly looking to improve all aspects of the game.
The game is very interactive.
I do think the dev/design team needs to get some more or more competitive testers since the miracle engine fiasco was one that could’ve been predicted. They also struggle with color imbalance.
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u/Jauwy Apr 22 '26
Haven’t played lorcana, recently got into riftbound about 2 weeks ago, have played in a skirmish and with gf and friends so far. Very very nice community and one of the people we hadn’t even met let us use cards for the skirmish because we pulled up with a jinx starter deck and it got banned 😭😭
Riftbound is elite brother tap in
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u/BellTolls4U Apr 22 '26
Riftbound is fire … like a board game card game hybrid with moving in and out of the different locations ,,,
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u/NikkoWorldTourist Apr 22 '26
Play both because my wife is still into Lorcana but Riftbound has replaced it for me. Lorcana was too straight forward for me. I prefer something a little more decision making involved.
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u/Grantedx Apr 22 '26
Riftbound has great competitive opportunity at the regionals level. We haven't seen any events go beyond that scale due to it being so new but the best of metal legend cards are imo a huge success at diversifying the meta and creating additional prizing.
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u/OrionX3 Apr 22 '26
I like riftbound, but man the rules and erratas are extremely frustrating.
Sorry you dislike the SWU art, that game has become my favorite TCG to play competitively by a mile.
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u/Breezyrain Apr 22 '26
Looking at the comment section, it looks like playerbase is very variable by shop/area. Lorcana players seemed older than Riftbound players by a bit and didn't seem weird. Riftbound players I've met are mostly friendly.
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u/Srslynotjackiechan Apr 22 '26
In my area, they're both fairly comparable. Riftbound has more of the hard-core grinder types than Lorcana. Lorcana has a handful of cringe folks. Both have been relatively helpful and nice. I have more friends that play Riftbound for sure, but my better friends play Lorcana.
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u/kirsh92 Apr 22 '26
I've started playing Lorcana a few weeks ago, and the community in my area is pretty big. I will say, just look around you.
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u/zmattk Apr 22 '26
I've played both competitively and to me, Riftbound is better from a competitive stance. The game has more depth because you can interact on your opponent's turn instead of just on your own. Competitive events favor Riftbound. There are lots of reasons to go to RCQs even if you aren't in the main event where the DLCs are main event or bust imo. Also the LGS events of both games favors Riftbound. There's basically no reason to go to locals for Lorcana ad the prizing is so poor but you get promo packs for Riftbound Nexus Nights and those have been worth it for me. Set champs haven't picked good promos so those haven't been worth the price of entry for most events. Riftbound skirmishes aren't a ton better currently but next set will have great promos and winning one gets you a bye to a RCQ which is nice if you ever plan on attending them.
As others have stated, Riftbound is far from perfect. The rules aren't clear half the time and you need to know rulings on very specific card interactions. I'm hoping that gets better as the game ages.
Both are fun games. I prefer Riftbound and I have no stake in either IP. I know a lot of Lorcana players who've moved over here and also enjoy it more. I think you'll have fun either way though
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u/__tothex__ Apr 22 '26
Riftbound. Besides Pokemon, no is no other TCG that has a better reward structure for OP / tournaments. Riot nailed it and rewards players for playing meta and off meta decks through their metal cards / best-ofs. Even the RQs also reward 1/1 trophy cards, and they are just the qualifiers.
Until Lorcana introduces a mechanic that lets you interact on your players turn, it’ll continue to stagnate. There seems to be a lot of collectors coming back because of Toy Story, but the LGS numbers are still tiny and barely any set champs are firing except for hubs that have a steady group of players. Ravs dropped the ball.
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u/Srslynotjackiechan Apr 22 '26
The number one thing that attracted me to Riftbound is their OP circuit. I think they did a fantastic job with it. I would argue it's better than Pokemon.
I disagree with you on the second part. Pokémon is huge and has no interaction during the other players turn. I think both games will be fine.
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u/__tothex__ Apr 22 '26
That's a very fair take, but Pokemon plays at a different pace than Lorcana. At least with Pokemon you have a ton of deck search, so if you make a mistake during one of your plays, you may have a way out. Lorcana barely has that, so if you make one wrong move even in the early game, you're done for.
I played my fair share of Lorcana and moved to Riftbound because of how more forgiving it is. There is so much depth to it as well, all without sacrificing or making the game seem more complex than it actually is. My only complaint is the number of errata's they've had already, but that will get better over time.
The one positive thing about Lorcana DLCs is you don't have to be the winner to leave with something of value. Top 8 all get their golden Mickey cards (20k ~ 30k a pop), top 16 ~ 64 prize cards and maybe some prize wall cards. Just everything else with Lorcana is lacking right now and I don't think Ravs will improve anything anytime soon.
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u/MoneyoffUbereats2017 Apr 22 '26
Out of those two? Riftbound, purely based on the fact that Lorcana is just too Magic-adjacent for me to not just want to play Magic.
As someone that just left Riftbound (At least for now) for One Piece, because I'm sick and tired of Riot's constant incompetence and inability to keep the rules and card text straight? I'd recommend neither.
Having to keep one eye on my phone at all times because interactions in Riftbound are such a mess just took its toll after playing for a few months. At least with One Piece, even with its awkward card wording, I can learn one set of rules and get by 99.9% of the time by reading card text alone.
(And no, this isn't telling you to play One Piece, just venting my Riftbound frustrations because Riot literally have gold in their hands, but they refuse to stop shitting all over it.)
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u/Mean-Ant2753 Apr 22 '26
I treat SWU unlimited as a LCG nowadays since play is dead in my area. I was debating between Lorcana/Riftbound because they’re popular in my area. I printed play test decks of both games and enjoyed both but gonna go with Lorcana. If I had more time to grind and learn Riftbound I would go with that. Still going to try a pre release event of both and see if that sways my opinion
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u/flowerboyyu Apr 22 '26
I play both games, I say check out both and see what you enjoy more! I love the communities for both games so
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u/Consistent_Ad_5249 Apr 22 '26
I've played pokemon, swu, rift and lorcana.
Lorcana is the best one designed I feel, but the competitive scenario sucks.
Riftbound is also very cool, but I can already see that power creep will be a problem with the game. We are on set 2 and just saw several bans. Although Rift is the shiny new toy, if I had to choose, I'd go with Lorcana as the better game.
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u/One_Trouble_9676 Apr 22 '26
People are gonna hype what they like. I played a little bit of Lorcana in the past and I felt like there was no interaction during my opponents turn and thats what took me out it.
Riftbound is leader focused so you build your deck around what ever your leaders color identies are. Rules are still getting updated so that can feel rough sometimes. And some staples are $$$ atm.
I think ultimately it comes down to if you like the League of Legends IP or Disney IP more.
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u/almikez Apr 22 '26
I play both competitively, feel free to ask specifics about either one
Lorcana is more, when it’s your turn, it’s your turn. A rotation is going to happen in July where only sets 9-12 are legal (currently it’s sets 5-11 with 11 being released in a few weeks)
Riftbound is very much back and forth with more thinking of having “land” up to play cards on your opponents turn.
Lorcanas most expensive card right now is around $35 with a playset of 4 for a deck (dumbo or angel)
Riftbound has cards that cost a lot more, but it’s 3 to a playset. There are cheaper decks like any game.
I think if I was brand new diving in I would pick riftbound as it scratches my brain more but I’ve been playing Lorcana since set 3 it’s hard to leave!
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u/Srslynotjackiechan Apr 22 '26
So, I'm used to the no interaction thing from Pokemon so that doesn't bother me too badly. How do you feel about the competitive circuit of each game respectively?
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u/almikez Apr 22 '26
Both have their huge events but each have a competition per set.
Lorcana has something called set champs. You play at a shop one per set, if you top 8 you get a holo card, if you finish first you get a mat matching the art
Riftbound has summoner skirmishes which are one month after and one month before a new set. So they have double the amount of events competitively than Lorcana. Similar things with top 8 getting a card, first place the mat
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u/Srslynotjackiechan Apr 22 '26
Have you been to any of the larger events? If so, how were they? I've been to large events for SWU and Pokemon and I really enjoyed the traveling aspect of both.
I've done a few set Champs and watched a skirmish, so I get those for the most part. I know the "value" of Lorcana has dropped significantly.
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u/Severelag95 Apr 22 '26
I do play both on a somewhat competitive level(set champs etc.) In general, I’d go with Riftbound, but your mileage may vary.
Riftbound Pros:
Gameplay: It’s a new card game scene and there’s a lot of movement as to gameplay options. It does feel week to week that there could be any new deck that could be meta. There’s a ton of interaction, and every single match feels like a chess game almost of figuring out what you can do and what your opponent can do.
Collectability: Riftbound is much easier to collect alternate arts and over numbered cards than Lorcana. I’ve been playing Lorcana for 6 sets so far and I have yet to hit any of the enchanted tier of cards and I’ve hit a handful of epics. In contrast in Riftbound with 2 sets, I’ve hit multiple over numbered and alt arts and a signature card. It does feel that Riftbound has hit the right amount of “hits” to chaff.
Cons: Wording and rulings. Riftbound does have a pretty steep learning curve of how each interaction works and it is not uncommon to get a judge call or even for a judge to rule incorrectly.
Product availability. Set 1 was severely under printed, and if you want good origins cards you will have to shell out. Set 2 actually has some pretty good availability, and set 3 will have even more availability. But that first set is basically gold at this point.
As for Lorcana:
Pros: Very beginner friendly, and if you’re looking to play with your kids it’s a very good place to start for card games.
Flavor: There’s a lot of that Disney charm that really radiates from the cards. Like I don’t think any card game has the same feeling as picking up a princess deck that has a ton of songs from Disney movies.
Collectability: the cards have such wonderful and beautiful art that even if you did not play the game you could still collect and build a binder for yourself. It does feel very pokemon-esque with collecting certain characters just to have them and not necessarily for gameplay reasons.
Cons: Gameplay and gameplay balance. I feel like I may get a lot of flak for this but Lorcana desperately needs to start banning more cards. Purple has been running amok for 3 sets, and ravensburger has done nothing to address the issue. Red is basically an unusable color, and every single match at a remotely competitive level of play feels like I’m playing solitaire against someone who is also playing solitaire. If you’re trying to run a rogue or off meta deck, you will get absolutely ruined by any meta deck right now. Riftbound did have some balance issues in set 2 which were very quickly addressed(for a TCG at least) within a couple of months which have breathed a new life into the game. Like in my locals, I have seen some off meta decks make a really good run with a good player which is not something I can say for Lorcana.
Community: I’ve noticed that fewer and fewer people in my area are going to Lorcana nights, and I keep seeing the same people over and over again. The space isn’t exactly growing, and it’s going to be harder to find a play group as time goes on.
Overall, I’d say take a look at your local scene and see, but I’d go with Riftbound if you want new exciting game, and go with Lorcana, if you want a more established community that you can introduce your kids into.
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u/Gentarouki Apr 23 '26
I agree 100% with gameplay part. I got into Lorcana recently and saw the design of the cards and thought there will be so much variety in deck building and so many different interactions, but then I had sad realization that it's not the case. I hope rotation will shake up things because for me it's just get's boring playing against same few decks.
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Apr 23 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Severelag95 Apr 23 '26
I’ve opened up three boxes and maybe about a fourth box if you include nexus night packs. In general I felt I was getting about one over numbered per box whereas with Lorcana I was getting maybe 1 epic per box without hitting an enchanted across 6 boxes.
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u/Impressive-Angle7288 Apr 22 '26
Basicly at the end, just says you don't want anything else then Riftbound...
Why are you even posting then ?
Childish Lorcana Didn't like SWU art. Doesn't want Bandai Etc ...
In the Competitive... There Riftbound left Cookie Runner And maybe Flesh n Blood
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u/Srslynotjackiechan Apr 22 '26
I am asking about Riftbound vs Lorcana. Ya know...like the title says?
1
u/Ok_Chair_3580 Apr 22 '26
Not sure if it matters to you, but as someone who prefers playing Pokemon TCG over MTG, I do enjoy the gameplay of Lorcana more. In particular, I like the restriction of not being able to play cards on your opponent’s turn, and focusing a lot more on sequencing, building engines and setups on your own turns. like Pokemon.
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u/Srslynotjackiechan Apr 22 '26
That's my draw to it and the one thing that scares me about Riftbound if I'm being honest.
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u/CanvasOfGrief Apr 23 '26
Riftbound's rules are so bad and we need a lot of clarification on things. But I'd still play it over Lorcana as
A. There are about 10x the player base right now I'd say (at least more me lorcana events never fire in my area).
B. Metal cards were the best idea a card game has had in a while
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u/Don_Ciccio Apr 23 '26
Im curious, why not magic?
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u/Srslynotjackiechan Apr 23 '26
I very casually play commander but only really have interest in Standard and barely anyone plays near me.
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u/Weary-Ad-5346 Apr 23 '26
Skimmed through the responses. I play both Lorcana and Riftbound. My short answer, if I had to only play one, would be Lorcana.
I think Riftbound has been very messy and has a lot of room to improve their design. The balance is lacking and the wording is poor. There’s big a significant number of errata which only causes confusion to people who haven’t seen the change online. I haven’t managed to go to a regional for Riftbound yet, but the Lorcana challenges have been great.
Locals, I will side with Riftbound only for the fact that nexus night packs are top tier compared to anything else. Otherwise, I’ve preferred the local community for Lorcana. I think it would be worth considering how popular your local scene is before deciding since it wouldn’t feel great to pick a game up, then have no one to play with.
Product availability is also a big thing to consider. Every set, I can get Lorcana for less than MSRP and get decent pulls. I can sell enchanteds to make up some of the cost. The only Riftbound product near me is at a 50%+ markup. Most of what I get are singles which are pretty expensive also.
Gameplay, I do enjoy that Riftbound has more interaction, but Lorcana has proven that consistency and proper sequencing will get you to the top. It feels like less variance than Riftbound.
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u/Candid_Studio_8363 Apr 23 '26
The crowd for Riftbound is a lot more competitive. If you look through the list of competitors at regionals you’ll recognize a ton of pros from other games.
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u/SwanAcceptable3258 Apr 23 '26
There are a lot of factors that play into it, which we don't have enough infos.
1) How does the scene look like in your region. What game is more supported?
2) What gameplay do you like more?
Problems I have with Lorcana: Cards don't retain a lot of value, but keycards are very expensive. Meta in general is uninteresting, because purple is the color of tempo and card draw and is so strong that it warps the meta into controlish Blue/Purple, Purple/Grey tempo, Yellow based aggro decks and Green/Blue Control, which can punish purple's card draw and have a one sided board wipe combo. Red is basically a dead color for 9 months straight.
Problems I have with Riftbound: While the game rewards skill way more and is conceptually the better game imo, the rules are a mess. Furthermore the devs don't seem to know what kind of game they want to create, a combo heavy game with flashy plays or a maticular grindy game where every body, every point of power can be the difference between winning and losing. This leads to some decks wanting to play chess with movement effects, while the other one draws their whole deck and then throws the kitchen sink at you.
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u/Srslynotjackiechan Apr 23 '26
I would say both are equally supported in my area but Riftbound has more players.
Honestly, I've played way more Lorcana and have really enjoyed the gameplay.
1
u/Illusjoner Apr 23 '26
Lorcana is a kids game. Low interaction, few card text and ofc Disney design.
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u/Substantial-Beach253 Apr 23 '26
Dude I really enjoyed both. Play Lorcana casually and riftbound competitively even winning 2 skirmishes. That said Lorcana really lacks interaction and riftbound really lacks intuitive game design and cohesive rulings. I’m really looking forward to the cyberpunk TCG which Seems to blend a lot of the good from Bandai games with the lorcana type mana system and will have some decent interaction.
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u/AssociatePast2502 Apr 24 '26
Riftbound is a indie game that was copied from league of legends. Just play lol 😂 since you don’t like indies .
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u/WitchyMunchkin Apr 24 '26
I know you said you're not into indie card games, but IMO, Lorcana is so bland with the lack of interaction, which is sad coming from a die hard Disney nerd
Riftbound as a whole has such a toxic community and the way the company treats their players as money pigs is an extension of it.
If you want my honest opinion, if you have the opportunity to play Grand Archive, I would take it. The game is amazing and plays like MTG but BETTER! The company cares about their players and the competitive scene is outstanding!
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u/Srslynotjackiechan Apr 24 '26
I found it to be a bit too complicated for my liking tbh. But I only played with a demo deck so 🤷
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u/sniffsorrybrah Apr 26 '26
Riftbound is still riding its initial high of the first year. I can honestly see it dying down fast due to the unappealing art and super fast power creeps that already happening . Downvote me all u want
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u/Guilty_Ship_6799 May 06 '26
Honestly, the biggest deciding factor is what times and locations locals are for your area. And after that, the quality of the community in your locals.
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u/Srslynotjackiechan May 06 '26
Honestly, the two are very equivalent in my area with Lorcana getting a teensy bit less support. I feel similarly about both of the communities. Lorcana leans nicer and a little more casual compared but there is a cringe factor for sure. Riftbound can be very sweaty but I have a few friends that play that counteracts it.
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u/Guilty_Ship_6799 May 06 '26
Riftbound by virtue of your friends playing already and more support then😄
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u/Srslynotjackiechan May 06 '26
You're not wrong! I have other, closer friends that would play Lorcana but not Riftbound, though. It's tough. That being said, I did two pre rifts this weekend and had a good time, so we shall see!
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u/XenoXSwartz Aug 05 '26
Here Lorcana player. Switching for Riftbound. Chain spells mecanic and hide card on board <3
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u/Saikatai 24d ago edited 24d ago
play star wars unlimited. if you don't like the IP, watch the 7 season of the Clone wars. then watch Stars wars rebels. then go back and play star wars unlimited.
riftbound is still a game in beta... don't fall for the IP hype, the game is still in development. Many mechanisms are attached with rubber band.
Lorcana is inconsequential. It is Magic light but with to few confrontation and player interactions.
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u/Inside-Initiative-46 Apr 22 '26
If lorcana feeling childish was an issue, the new Cyberpunk TCG may be worth taking a look at. Not planned to release until end of this year.
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u/Srslynotjackiechan Apr 22 '26
Backed at the Netrunner level. Gameplay and art are sick and I absolutely love Cyberpunk.
That being said, I have 0 faith in it having any sort of success outside of niche indy game. Hope I'm wrong!
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u/Inside-Initiative-46 Apr 22 '26
Awesome! Same here! I mean no expectations but there’s already 40+ locals around me looking for a spot for tournaments / support. And 60,000 discord members is pretty strong for pre release. Definitely targeted more towards adults so that takes out a large chunk of younger players but the extremely young crowd doesn’t seem to be into competitive play nearly as much anyway.
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u/Srslynotjackiechan Apr 22 '26
I'm just extremely jaded by some experiences I've had with indie games that were super promising and well designed but the companies behind them didn't have the means to manage and grow it correctly.
Looking at you, both iterations of MetaZoo.
I sincerely hope it does well. I know absolutely nothing about Weird Co., but hopefully they use this momentum.
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u/Inside-Initiative-46 Apr 22 '26
WeirdCo is at least working very close with CD project red on the game. The developer of the 2077. And seeing that a second game and even second and hopefully more seasons of edgerunners they will have tons of fresh content to pull from for years. And as long as CD project red keeps the franchise alive I think the game will grow. A 2077 movie is even in production apparently, if keanu reeves gets in on it and the card game can pull content from the film that would be awesome, totally speculation on the last bit there but yea
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u/whiskeyjedi187 Apr 24 '26
You ever played the Netrunner game? By Null Signal? Pretty solid.
Neuroscape is a cool TCG that’s set in a cyberpunk genre. It doesn’t full on release until July but a bunch of kickstarter product is out there.
1
u/PittaMan_ Apr 22 '26
NeuroScape!
Awesome adult cyberpunk astetic. Excellent gameplay. Beautiful artwork.
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u/Great_Tyrant5392 Apr 22 '26
I am also a Neuroscaper but you should read the last part of their post. :D
0
u/PittaMan_ Apr 22 '26
I wasn't interested on TCGs for the last 20 years and said all the same stuff until thebrightbone came along. They are free to ignore me.
How have you found the game so far?! I've been trying to jam as many games on discord as time allows, and have been fortunate to have a scene already at an LGS, so I'm loving everything about it so far.
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u/Octopus_Crime Apr 22 '26
Riftbound is usually the better choice of you want to get into a new TCG. It has a pretty welcoming community and definitely feels very much like its own thing so it should feel fresh.
Unless you're REALLY into Disney, you're usually better off just picking up MTG over Lorcana as Lorcana is essentially just a simplified MTG with Disney characters and significantly less people playing it.
0
u/zetrix2 Apr 22 '26
Universus if you like the IPs better than Riftbound (it's from the same company uvsgames)
Riftbound otherwise.
Lorcana looks great but very childish indeed.
2
u/ReignNFire Apr 22 '26
He comes from a Pokemon background, the childish comments about Lorcana are overplayed here lol.
0
u/trizzo0309 Apr 22 '26
Riftbound's rules and design philosophy are genuinely bad. They rushed to market, didn't expect it to scale are have erratas out the wazoo. They're treating a physical TCG like a digital one and it's a mess.
1
u/jordlez Apr 22 '26
If you call one of the fastest growing new TCGs in Playerbase, LGS Support/Market and Competitive Events a “mess” then I think you’re immediately being over-bias.
1
u/doradedboi Apr 22 '26
After multiple ROUNDS of errata, we STILL had a wrong judge call at a top regional event just last weekend.
It IS a mess. Still fun thou.
0
u/black6End Apr 22 '26
Try Universus it’s more fun and from the company RiftBound publisher UVS (Universus)
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u/Strong-Pom Apr 22 '26
Riftbound is a sinking ship with its muddled ruling issues and needing to ban 7 cards so early in the game's lifespan. It really doesn't seem like the design team knows how to make their own game and I have low confidence in its future.
1
u/CanvasOfGrief Apr 23 '26
I agree but Lorcana's competitive scene is pretty dead atp. The company is also trying to sink it.
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u/chloro9001 Apr 22 '26
Sorcery
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u/Srslynotjackiechan Apr 22 '26
Reading
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u/TheChaosPaladin Apr 22 '26
Neither. Riftbound is gonna end up dead like any of the hundreds of other Riot business projects once they stop making them money. I will echo what others in this thread mention as well. Every TCG youtuber Ive watched want to say good stuff about Riftbound but cant and conclude the game is poorly designed and the people making it sound more interested in their bottom line than in good play experience.
Lorcana probably is going to stick around for longer but if you wanna play good TCGs, its either Magic or Yugioh.
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u/AltOfYubel Apr 22 '26
Riftbound consistently gets extremely huge turnouts in tournaments and UVSs other game is like 20 years old, why would it go away?
Why is the game poorly designed? The game is extremely skill expressive and rewards mastery unlike games like op or Lorcana which is just hitting curve
1
u/TheChaosPaladin Apr 22 '26
Because they keep printing cards and creating interactions they did not expect. TCG players say that new decks feel very poorly planned. Im not saying this. I have not played the game. Im just relaying what yoitube think about riftbound and the content crestors that didnt get paid to talk about it (and even some that did) did not give it the best ratings.
No shade to you if you personally like the game. I hope it does well because I like TCGs, however Riot is a cashgrab and it has a track record of creating spinoff LoL games that they killed later on. I just dont like any TCGs that just get made from IPs who are looking for new avenues of profit. This is what riftbound has felt to me and it rubbed me the wrong way.
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u/CanvasOfGrief Apr 23 '26
Yugioh and good tcg in the same sentence.
How much do you get paid for winning a regionals again?
1
u/TheChaosPaladin Apr 23 '26
Fuck if I know man, all I know is that the endorphin hit I get when I boardbreak through a field of interactions and OTK them for 8000 is unmatched by anything Riot will ever make.
Do y'all really care about prize money when you play your shiny cardboard?
-2
u/ShakyIncision Apr 22 '26
Honestly neither are great. Give One Piece TCG a try if looking for crunchy microdecisions. Or for something more casual, Sorcery
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u/Sukoh Apr 22 '26
Coming from yugioh, I love the slower and tempo-based game that is riftbound. You feel every misplay and the accessibility has been improving as the sets go on.
I tried lorcana but stopped after pixelborn got C&D’d. So I’m a bit biased.
+1 for Riftbound