Disney Lorcana: Attack of the Vine! Deep Dive
What the Community Thinks About Disney Lorcana: Attack of the Vine!
Reviewers describe Attack of the Vine! as a new set for the Lorcana trading card game, published by Ravensburger. The headline feature is the arrival of Pixar properties, with The Dice Tower noting strong support for Monsters, Inc. and Up. Opinions are warm. The Dice Tower's Z Garcia rated the set an eight out of ten and called it a little punchier and more splashy than the preceding Wilds Unknown set, while Ryan and Bethany Board Game Reviews said it felt familiar at its core but still brought fresh ideas to the system.
The story thread running through the set receives less enthusiasm. Several reviewers admitted they were not following the Lorcana narrative, and Z Garcia said that a set tied to a story arc can leave a newcomer feeling like they are missing something, particularly when the inky vine imagery appears on a large share of the cards in a pack. Even so, the general verdict is that the set works well as a casual entry point and as a fun addition for experienced players.
Core Mechanics That Define Disney Lorcana: Attack of the Vine!
Expanded Shifting
Shifting is the mechanic reviewers return to most often. Ryan and Bethany explained that shifting lets a player play a character on top of one of their own characters for less ink, and that the set adds several variations. Some characters carry a partner that shifts with them, some dual-type cards can be placed on either of two characters, and some can shift onto almost anyone. The Dice Tower highlighted temporary shifts, where a card does its effect and then returns to hand, along with a potato shift that only has real value when it is played on top of a matching item. Ryan and Bethany also flagged the tradeoff at the heart of the system: the character underneath is removed from play, so a player is sacrificing a small character to get a bigger one out faster.
Created by the Vine Tribal Support
The second defining system is tribal synergy built around the vine. Z Garcia explained that the vine copies characters, producing versions labeled "created by the vine" that help one another, and that the Floodborne keyword and a new vineling subtype reward building around these characters. Some of these cards gain lore when they enter play or banish an opponent's character, while others draw a card when one of the player's characters is banished. Z Garcia called the concept "really, really neat," and The Dice Tower's Week in Review described the set as mechanically doing some really interesting things. Ryan and Bethany added that because related characters from a single franchise work together, the set makes deck themes easy to spot.
The Disney Lorcana: Attack of the Vine! Experience
Playful, Bombastic Energy
Z Garcia described the set as bombastic when packs are opened, feeling more energetic than Wilds Unknown and introducing more ideas along the way. Z Garcia said the wacky shifting variants give the set a playful character that Z Garcia enjoys, and noted that dual-colored cards give players extra flexibility when building decks. The experience comes across as lively and unpredictable rather than tightly structured.
Relaxed Family Table Play
Ryan and Bethany framed the set as well suited to casual, family-oriented play. They contrasted the chill, family-friendly atmosphere of Lorcana with the more aggressive competitive scenes they had seen in Pokemon and Magic. They also described a nine-year-old who grabbed cards that worked together, combined a couple of movies, and ended up with a viable deck. Their view is that the set is geared toward families, which makes it approachable for newcomers and less appealing to players who want to puzzle out interactions on their own.
What Makes Disney Lorcana: Attack of the Vine! Stand Out
Pixar Properties Enter the Game
Multiple reviewers singled out the Pixar material as the set's biggest draw. Z Garcia said Monsters, Inc. receives heavy support in this set alongside Up, and counted Toy Story, Up, Brave, and especially The Incredibles among the films that stood out most. Ryan and Bethany highlighted Monsters, Inc. and Turning Red cards in the set's early product, and described Turning Red as one of the new themes in the game. Reviewers consistently treated the Pixar inclusion as a welcome expansion of the franchise pool.
Cohesive Art Across Disney Sources
Ryan and Bethany praised the art, noting that the source films use very different animation styles, from classic hand-drawn work to modern computer animation. They said the art still feels cohesive within the game because all of it is presented in a consistent way. They also called out the full art and holographic rare cards as highlights worth chasing, which fits the collectible appeal of the product.
Potential Drawbacks
A Story Layer That Can Feel Opaque
Z Garcia admitted to not following the Lorcana story, and found the thematic emphasis hard to connect with. When a set is closely tied to an ongoing narrative, a newcomer can feel lost, and the constant presence of the vine imagery can feel overwhelming without that context. Reviewers agreed that the set rewards players who know the story, while casual players may simply be looking for fun cards and clear interactions.
Decks Handed Over Rather Than Discovered
Ryan and Bethany noted that the set builds strategies around named franchises and themes, so players do not have to work hard to find a deck idea. They described this as a positive for families, but cautioned that hardcore card game players who enjoy discovering synergies on their own may find the set less challenging. They also said that the set's deck ideas are given to the player at first glance, although players who want to go off the path can still create unusual combinations.
If You Enjoy Disney Lorcana: Attack of the Vine!
Reviewers pointed to a fairly clear audience. Disney and Pixar fans, casual Lorcana players, and families looking for a welcoming card game with ready-made themes are likely to find the most to enjoy. Z Garcia suggested that players who had stepped away from Lorcana should return for the Pixar content, and that anyone who has never tried the game is in a good position to start now. Ryan and Bethany said the set works as a jumping off point for players coming from other card games who want a relaxed experience. Z Garcia also highlighted the Pack Rush format, whose rules were included with the pre-release, as a quick way to play: two booster packs are shuffled together and played against each other without building a deck.
What Reviewers Are Saying
"I like the wackiness of shifting, you know, temporary shift, potato shift, shifting this dual character onto either one of the other two. I like all that stuff, and it works well for me."
— The Dice Tower
"We were able to create so many different decks with this that we played with each other and I felt like they were all viable, they were fun, there's different paths to victory."
— Ryan and Bethany Board Game Reviews
"Thematically, I don't know what's going on because I'm not following the Lorana story, but mechanically it does some really interesting things."
— The Dice Tower