I’m a sucker for a good trading card game (TCG). There’s something about building a deck of cards and going head-to-head against an opponent in a battle of wits. So when PAX Aus rolled around once again, my TCG desire reached its peak. The tabletop area was filled with various TCGs, new and old, for anyone to pick up and play. Some I’ve played before, others not, but I was drawn in by pretty cards and the thrill of competition. After the TCG trials, I’ve returned with a list of games you must check out!
I first tried Cardfight!! Vanguard at PAX Aus 2022. I had heard good things about the game and was intrigued by its new approach to the TCG format and the unique creature designs. I had a blast, and every year since I’ve made it one of my goals to buy some cards and play a game or two. Vanguard is about attacking your opponent until they have six cards in their damage zone and win the game. You do this by summoning various units, using spells, and trigger cards to cause damage to your opponent.
The part that makes Vanguard stand out amongst other similar games is the ride mechanic. This is a separate zone on the board where you stack cards (known as the vanguard zone) to allow you to summon stronger units. You start with a unit zero card and work your way up to unit three. You can’t play a unit with a higher number than your vanguard, which also helps stop players from getting steamrolled in the first turn. This means that every game of Vanguard is exciting until the end, which is rare for TCGs nowadays. There’s a hell of a lot more to the game (which is why I find it so engaging), so if you want to learn more, check out the official rules website or watch the anime to get the gist of things.
Disney is the biggest media company on the planet, so it was only a matter of time before the House the Mouse built would find its way into the TCG scene. And that’s exactly what’s happened with Lorcana. Leading up to PAX Aus, nearly every press release mentioned Lorcana in some form or another. With the constant barrage of media coverage, how could I not check out the free demo session? My biggest fear with these types of demos, though, is that nine times out of ten, they’re confusing to learn, and you end up more lost than before you started. That wasn’t the case with Lorcana, and I picked it up pretty quickly. Think of it like an easy version of Magic: The Gathering, but instead of attacking each other, you’re racing to 20 points. It was very easy to just jump in and get a feel for the game, and I would highly recommend it to any Disney and/or TCG fans.
Speaking of Magic: The Gathering, they also had a pretty big presence at PAX Aus this year. They had multiple tables filled with people learning the game or just playing with friends. I’ve never dabbled in Magic before as I’ve always been preoccupied with other card games such as Yu-Gi-Oh! and, more recently, Vanguard. But, when I saw that they released a collaboration set with Assassin’s Creed, I finally caved. I picked up the Assassin’s Creed starter set and immediately cracked it open to get my first taste of the game. After looking at all the beautiful cards, I found a table and took a crash course on how to play the game. It was a fun time, if not a little overwhelming, with all the dice, tokens, and abilities, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. I don’t know if my bank account can deal with me getting into another TCG, but if they bring out another collab set I’m interested in, I may not have a choice.
The last TCG I gave a shot was Star Wars: Unlimited. It’s a game I’ve seen on the show floor for the past couple of years but never given a shot because it’s normally overcrowded. But this year, during the media hour, I thought, why not give it a try? As a fan of TCGs and Star Wars, I was confident I could easily pick this game up, but I was wrong. This was undoubtedly the most complex TCG I tried at PAX Aus this year, but that’s not a bad thing.
For starters, the aim of the game is to reduce your opponent’s base card HP to zero, which sounds simple enough. But then it starts to get crazy with the inclusion of leader cards (mine for the demo was Luke Skywalker), ground and space units that have their separate play areas, resource management, and something called the initiative token, which decides which player goes first. It was a lot for me to take in early on Friday morning, but by the end of the demo, I think I grasped the basics. I definitely need to put some more time into learning the ins and outs, and hopefully, when the next PAX rolls around, I won’t embarrass myself.
These were TCGs I played at PAX Aus 2024 that you should be checking out. Even if you aren’t a big TCG fan, I’m sure you’ll enjoy one of these games. There were a lot of TCGs on the show floor this year, so it was tough narrowing this list down to these few. Games like Aethermon, Altered, Gundam Card Game, and many more are just waiting for you to try them out, so get to playing!
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Have you tried any of these games? Have you played TCGs before? What is your favourite TCG? Let us know in the comments, and we can talk about how much money these pieces of cardboard cost.
