Greetings, Illumineers! What an exciting week we have leading right into the first ever North American Continentals. Whether you're heading in for your LCQs or main event, we've got you covered on how to be prepare for the most prestigious event on this side of the world. We'll also touch base on our predictions on what we can expect as a result from the LCQs leading into the main event on Saturday. It's pretty much an all-Continentals week, and we couldn't be any more excited to cover it. With that being said, let's roll right into it!

How to prepare for a big event, like the North American Continentals

Hopefully by now you may have a Disney Lorcana Challenge or two under your belt. If not, here are some tips on how to make the most out of you trip.

Nourishment

It's 2025 and we're still talking about some of the best ways to stay sharp during an event like Continentals. As you're enjoying a lot of Disney Lorcana in what seems like a small window of opportunity throughout the weekend of the event, it's important that you consume food packed with nutrients and protein. I'm always sure to bring some type of protein, whether is a protein bar, or grilled chicken. This helps stave off hunger a bit while pushing through the rest of the day.

Rest

These events are no joke. By the time I had reached my round 9 opponent in Seattle, I was out of contention for day 2, so I had asked the opposing player if they'd like to split/draw since neither of us were making it in the top cut. However, the opponent wanted to play it out, and thankfully the matches were short because I was completely out of gas. What I'm alluding to is that there's a fine balance between play-testing and rest, and both play a critical role in your run during these events. No amount of practice will make up for the rest needed for these long endurance events, so make sure you rest well leading into the event.

Supplies

Prior to event, you should stock up on your favorite sleeves, dice, and other approved game state indicators, as well as a note pad and plenty of pens. In locals you might be able to use electronic devices to keep track of lore, but that won't be the case here. Notepads are great when you have disputes regarding the score and need to walk through it with a judge for review. All of these should be available at the event, but there could be a limited supply based on the amount of players in attendance as well. So, as Scar would say, be prepared!

Managing expectations

During these events, there's a lot of pressure to perform to make it to the finals. Practice and know-how play a big part in it, but something that you can't control is luck. For the LCQ, you're looking at 32 pods of 32 players who will be fighting for a spot in the main event on Saturday. There are 5 rounds that are best of 3 matches, meaning there's a whole lot of opportunities for variance to swing both ways. Having a 3.125% chance based on the pod alone and affected by pairings, results from the shuffle and cut, and matchups in general tend to play a big factor as well. Ultimately, knowing what you can control versus what you can't are critical for post-game analysis and learning experiences. Don't be too hard on yourself when it's out of your hands.

Have fun!

These events are truly once in a lifetime experiences that you should prepare for, but don't forget some of the benefits of going. In this case, you'll be near DisneyLand which is an experience all on its own. Traveling for the DLCs and exploring cities I would've never been to were very valuable benefits of competing in this year's circuit. Even if you performed less well than you we hoping, the memories you can make with your family, friends, teammates, and more are something you couldn't put any price or prize on. So good luck, and have fun!

That concludes this week's updates for Disney Lorcana. This article was brought to you by CoolStuffInc, the best place for Illumineers to purchase their Disney Lorcana products, singles, and accessories. I've been Stefen, and I'll see you next week for another update in the world of Disney Lorcana!