As we build towards the first Inkbound Invitational Qualifier, we are sitting down with some of the players, personalities and rising stars who make the Disney Lorcana community what it is.
We are kicking things off with one of the most accomplished competitive card game players in the UK: Pro Tour winner, back to back National Champion and now professional Lorcana player, Autumn Burchett.
For anyone who has somehow not come across you before, tell us a little about yourself and your journey through competitive card games.
Sure thing, I’m Autumn Burchett! I’m a professional Lorcana player and, honestly, I have been playing TCGs for as long as I can remember.
I loved Pokémon and Yu Gi Oh as a teenager, before really making a name for myself playing Magic: The Gathering. During my time competing in Magic, I won a Pro Tour, became a back to back National Champion and competed at the World Championship multiple times.
I have just always loved card games. There is the strategy, constantly having something new and interesting to learn, and the creativity involved in building and tuning decks. Then you get to sit down opposite someone and see how the deck you have put together actually performs. That is always a blast.
What first pulled you towards Disney Lorcana, and what has kept you playing?
I had been losing interest in Magic for a while when a couple of different friends suggested that I try Lorcana.
I have always enjoyed Disney animation, and the inking system really appealed to me. It offers a way to reduce variance and shape your game plan as you play, so I was very happy to give it a try.
I immediately fell in love with the gameplay and the amazing artwork. Within a couple of weeks, I had put together my first deck and taken it to a few Reign of Jafar Set Championships.
There has been no turning back since. I am excited to keep going deeper down the Lorcana rabbit hole!
What advice would you give to someone entering their first competitive event, or hoping to take Lorcana more seriously?
The biggest piece of advice I can give is to find people you can learn from.
Look for players who are better than you and ask them questions, watch how they play and get as many games against them as you can. The tougher your opposition, the more quickly you are likely to improve.
The Lorcana community is incredibly friendly, so it never hurts to ask someone what they thought of a particular play, what you could have done differently or why they made the decision they did. Most people will be more than happy to talk it through with you.
How do you feel about the competitive Lorcana community, particularly here in the UK as we enter Season 3?
First of all, the competitive Lorcana community is simply such a nice community to be part of. There are so many people who are genuinely lovely to play against or just sit down and chat with.
Beyond that, it feels as though the competitive community keeps getting stronger. Players continue to improve, and here in the UK we have an incredibly talented pool of competitors.
Our Challenge Championship Qualifiers are always massive, and there is a growing group of players consistently putting up great results at Disney Lorcana Challenges. I cannot wait to see what happens next.
We saw plenty of UK players break through last season. Who do you think could really establish themselves among the best in the UK and Europe this year?
There are obviously a lot of great players here in the UK.
Personally, I am really excited to see what comes next for Fia. Her CCQ victory was fantastic to see, and I am looking forward to following her results this season.
I also want to give a shout out to a local player called Jimmy, who is one of the best players in my city. I think he has a great chance of reaching the Top 8 at one of the Inkbound Invitational Qualifiers. He could even claim the Junior invitation if he puts together a couple of strong results across the events.
What are you hoping to achieve during Season 3?
My first goal is simply to attend many more events than I managed during Season 2.
Last season felt like an opportunity to try the game, learn how everything worked and find my footing. Now that I have done that, I cannot wait to dive in properly and attend every event I can.
I am determined to win a Golden Hades and collect those Continental Championship invitations. More importantly, though, I want to know that I took every opportunity available to me. I do not want to reach the end of the year regretting the chances I did not take.
Finally, we have heard a little rumour about a new UK competitive team being announced soon. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you?
Oh, that is an interesting rumour. I would love to know more about it...
It must be a real birds of a feather situation.
More to Come
A huge thank you to Autumn for taking the time to speak with us. We cannot wait to see what she achieves during Season 3 and whether there might be any truth behind that mysterious team rumour.
The Inkbound Invitational Series has been created to give players across the UK more opportunities to compete, improve and earn their place at our season finale.
Qualification is not only about reaching the Top 8 at a single event. Eight additional Invitational places will be awarded based on total match points earned across all three Qualifiers and our best Womens+ and Junior will be joining us at the Invitational in late 2027.
Play to the end. Every point matters. This is the JTC Standard.
Luke Franks
Tournament Manager
JTC Events