A duel to the death between Scrooge McDuck and 101 Dalmatians

Disney Lorcana seems to have come through a painful childhood illness. Now that the cards are finally flowing into players' hands in quantities large enough to repel speculators, the fun can really begin. The next set, Into the Inklands, will be released on February 23 at local retailers, and Polygon got an early look at its two new starter decks. If you can only pick up one of these $16.99 decks, the choice is clear: Drop a lucky crown on Scrooge McDuck and friends.

Into The Inklands offers two pre-constructed starter decks: an Amber and Emerald deck featuring the gangs of 101 Dalmatians and Peter Pan, and a Ruby and Sapphire deck featuring Moana and Scrooge McDuck. While the first deck will likely appeal to collectors and fans of stunt decks, it's Inklands' Ruby and Sapphire that brings the best power out of the box. It all has to do with the game's resource system, which stands out in contrast to systems in competitors like Magic: The Gathering and the Pokémon Trading Card Game.

One of the most common frustrations I've had with Lorcana starter decks is that I tend to burn through my hand of cards pretty quickly. The problem is that I tend to generate ink (the game's version of mana) every turn, which burns a card from my hand right off the top. Not having enough resources to deliver more powerful cards late in the game is a risk in any TCG, but here it has been particularly challenging. Even if I have enough ink, I sometimes run out of cards to play, making some decks look strong out of the gate only to taper off near the end game. Even if enough cards show up, getting a bad draw late can mean it's pretty easy for my opponent to catch up, land a haymaker or two, and then stroll off to finish their algebra homework.