Understanding Vanish in Disney Lorcana: A Quick Guide

Disney Lorcana offers some great keywords, and leveraging card synergy well can help you create a strong deck. On the other hand, poor synergy can result in a deck that struggles. For instance, the Bodyguard keyword is crucial for attracting attention and safeguarding your other cards.

That said, some keywords can complicate things. Cards with the Reckless keyword are required to challenge whenever possible, and they cannot quest. Similarly, Vanish can be difficult to navigate. If you’re curious about what it entails and how it functions, you’re in luck—this guide will clarify everything!

Understanding Vanish

The latest expansion, Archazia’s Island, introduces a new keyword to Disney Lorcana: Vanish. This effect means that when an opponent targets this character with an action, the card is banished.

When the Vanish cards were first unveiled, they raised some questions because some players incorrectly assumed these cards would banish their opponent’s cards instead. A clearer explanation could have prevented this mix-up.

Now, let’s clarify how Vanish works: if an opponent selects a card that has the Vanish keyword, that specific Vanish card is sent to the discard pile. Essentially, it gets removed from play.

This turns Vanish into more of a drawback. Yet, that doesn’t mean Vanish cards lack value. To date, this keyword appears solely on cards labeled under the Illusion tag, which thematically aligns—as strong illusions tend to fade away when influenced by external forces.

Examples of Vanish Keywords

Another confusing part of Vanish is the wording “when an opponent chooses this character for an action.” First, it’s important to note that Vanish activates once the action effect has resolved. If the character moves to another zone before the ability is activated, Vanish will not trigger. Let’s illustrate this with examples:

The card Rajah, Ghostly Tiger possesses Vanish. If it receives three damage (its Willpower), it would ordinarily be discarded. But with Vanish, even a single point of damage from an opponent’s card will cause it to be banished right away.

The Vanish ability activates any time the card is picked for an action, not just during an attack. For example, if your opponent plays Good Job!, which boosts the Lore of the selected character by one and chooses your Rajah, it will be banished.

However, the character must be a valid target for the action to trigger the Vanish effect. For instance, if Ring the Bell targets a damaged character for banishment, and if Rajah is undamaged, he cannot be selected, so Vanish won’t be activated.

If an action moves a Vanish card to a different area before Vanish resolves, the effect won’t take place. For instance, if Mother Knows Best is used to return a target character to its owner’s hand, and Rajah is that target, Vanish won’t trigger because the card is no longer in play.

In summary, while Vanish cards often boast strong stats and abilities, the keyword itself presents a significant downside. Be sure to think carefully before incorporating them into your deck!