Disney Lorcana Issues First-Ever Card Bans – Hiram Flaversham & Fortisphere Out

In a significant development for the Disney Lorcana Trading Card Game, Ravensburger announced yesterday, April 8th, its first-ever card bannings for the Core Constructed format. This move targets a powerful card-drawing combination that had begun to warp the competitive environment.

The two cards hit by the ban hammer are:

• Hiram Flaversham, Toymaker
• Fortisphere

Why the Ban?

According to the official announcement, these two cards, particularly when used together in Steel and Sapphire ink decks, created an overwhelming card advantage engine. Players could draw an excessive number of cards very early in the game, often before opponents had a realistic chance to counter them. This led to:

• Lopsided Matches: The advantage gained was often described as “more or less unstoppable.”
• Higher Win Rates: Decks utilizing this combination saw significantly higher success rates, impacting metagame diversity.

To promote better game balance and a healthier competitive scene, both Hiram Flaversham, Toymaker and Fortisphere are now banned from play in the Core Constructed format. It’s important to note that these cards remain perfectly legal for casual games outside of official constructed tournaments.

A First for Lorcana, But Not the First Problem Card

This marks a milestone moment for Disney Lorcana, which launched back in August 2023. While it’s the first time cards have been outright banned, it’s the second instance of Ravensburger intervening to address a problematic card interaction.

Previously, the card “Bucky, Squirrel Squeak Tutor” caused issues. However, that situation was resolved via an errata – a change to the card’s official rules text – rather than a ban.

Pawpsicle Spared… For Now

Interestingly, Lead Game Designer Steve Warner revealed another card was considered during ban discussions: Pawpsicle.

“We did also discuss and consider banning Pawpsicle,” Warner stated in the announcement. “We believe that Pawpsicle without Hiram Flaversham, Toymaker still provides value to decks attempting a more item-based strategy.”

Essentially, the design team felt that Pawpsicle, while strong, wasn’t the core problem once its synergy with the now-banned Hiram Flaversham was removed.

Will This Shake Up the Meta?

These bans come at a time when Disney Lorcana had reportedly seen a slight dip in popularity on TCGplayer market charts. Removing a dominant and potentially frustrating strategy could be exactly what the game needs to reinvigorate competitive interest and potentially reverse that trend.

Players will now need to adapt their Steel and Sapphire decks, and the overall metagame is likely to shift as players explore strategies no longer overshadowed by the Hiram/Fortisphere engine. It will be exciting to see what new decks rise to the top in the coming weeks!