If you're a fan of collectible cards and a love of the Disney universe, Disney Lorcana represents the perfect blend of these two worlds. This new TCG from Ravensburger has won the hearts of thousands of players around the world, offering a unique gaming experience that combines the magic of the Disney universe with innovative and engaging mechanics.
In this comprehensive introductory guide , you'll discover everything you need to know to start playing. From the fundamental rules to the secrets of building the perfect deck, we'll lead you step by step into the world of Lorcana, where you can play with your favorite Disney characters and experience extraordinary adventures. This guide will provide you with all the information you need to fully immerse yourself in this fascinating card game.
Table of Contents
- What is Disney Lorcana?
- How to start playing Disney Lorcana?
- What types of cards are available?
- Parts of a card
- How do inks work in the game system?
- Match preparation
- Game progress
- Advanced game mechanics
- Using skills
- Legend and Victory Points
- Multiplayer games
- Where can I find organized gaming communities and tournaments?
- Why is Disney Lorcana perfect for new players?
- Key Points to Remember
What is Disney Lorcana and why should you play this trading card game?
Lorcana is based on the iconic worlds and characters of Disney, developed by Ravensburger. This game revolutionized the world of trading card games, introducing innovative mechanics that allow players to experience extraordinary adventures and create unique strategies using their favorite Disney characters in the magical kingdom of Lorcana.
This new collectible card game stands out from the crowd for its accessibility and the enchanting atmosphere it creates. As you play, you'll discover that Lorcana is incredibly intuitive, allowing anyone to quickly learn the basic mechanics. The magic of the Disney universe blends seamlessly with a strategic and balanced gameplay system, creating an experience that captivates collectors and competitive players alike.
Ravensburger's Disney Lorcana represents a true innovation in the world of card games, offering a completely new experience that respects Disney tradition while introducing fresh and engaging gameplay elements. The game invites players to immerse themselves in Lorcana's kingdom, where they can collect and play cards representing characters, objects, and actions from across the Disney universe.
How to start playing Disney Lorcana for new players?
To start playing Disney Lorcana, each player needs a deck of exactly 60 cards . The easiest way to get started is to purchase one of the ready-made starter decks , which contain all the cards needed to play right away. These decks are perfectly balanced and designed specifically for players who want to learn the basic rules of the game.
Once you've built your first deck, you can expand it by purchasing booster packs, each containing additional cards that will allow you to customize your game strategy. Each pack contains a mix of cards of varying rarities, from common characters to legendary items. The rarity symbol on each card will help you identify its value and power.
The first step to playing is understanding the basic game terms and familiarizing yourself with the playing field. Disney Lorcana TCG uses an intuitive system that allows even beginners to start playing after just a few minutes of explanation. The introductory rules are designed to be easy to understand, while the strategic depth gradually unfolds with play experience.
What types of cards are available?
In the Lorcana TCG there are four main types of cards, each with specific characteristics and functions: characters , actions , objects and locations .
Personages
Character cards represent the protagonists of the Disney universe and are the heart of the game. Each player can send their characters on adventures or to launch challenges. Some characters have special abilities. These characters remain in play once summoned and can be used for various strategic actions, including the ability to go on adventures to earn Legend Points.
Characters enter play in a ready position, but you can't use them to do anything until your next turn. You have to wait for the ink to dry !
Actions
Actions provide an immediate advantage and are then discarded. Action cards provide immediate and powerful effects that resolve as soon as they are played. While action cards don't stay in play after being used, their impact can be decisive in changing the course of a game.
When you play an action card, do what's indicated on the card, then place it in your discard pile. Always place cards in the discard pile faceup, so everyone can see them.
Songs
Songs are a special type of action, offering a variety of ways to play them—without spending ink! Each song states, "(A character with a cost of X or more may {E} to sing this song for free.)" If you own a character with the indicated cost or higher, you can commit that character to play the song card without having to commit cards to your inkwell!
This still counts as playing the card. Of course, the rules for when you can commit a character still apply, so characters can't sing songs on the same turn they enter play.
Objects
Item glimmers remain in play after being played and grant special abilities throughout the game. Like characters, item cards remain in play once played and can provide ongoing or activated benefits. Unlike characters, items can be used immediately. These elements are essential for developing card synergies and building winning strategies.
Places
Location glimmers stay in play when you play them. Some grant special abilities during play, and other cards can interact with them in surprising ways. Locations are new to the Into the Inklands set.
Gaining Legend with Locations: At the start of your turn, gain Legend equal to the Legend value {L} of each location you have in play. Note that this doesn't count as adventuring, which is a character privilege.
Parts of a card
On all cards:
- Cost : How much ink {I} the card costs to play
- Inkwell Icon : Cards with the icon around their cost hex can be placed in your inkwell to be used as ink.
- Name : Characters also have a name of their version, written under the character's name
- Ink : This symbol and the colored band behind the paper name indicate the type of ink in the paper.
- Classifications : Categories sometimes cited in card rules
- Abilities and Effects : The card's special rules. On actions, they're called effects. On characters and objects, most abilities have names taken from their history.
Only on some cards:
- Strength {S} : How much damage the character deals during a challenge
- Will {W} : How much damage it takes to exile the character or location
- Legend Value {L} : On a character, how many legend points you get when you go on an adventure. On a location, how many legend points you get at the start of your turn.
Specific parts of the places:
- Move Cost : The cost to move your characters to that location.
How do inks work in the game system?
Inks are Lorcana's core resource system, similar to mana in other collectible card games. There are six different types of ink , each associated with specific colors and themes from the Disney universe:
- Amber - Associated with brave and adventurous characters
- Amethyst - Linked to magic and Disney villains
- Emerald - Connected to nature and animals
- Ruby - Represents action and energy
- Sapphire - Symbolizes wisdom and knowledge
- Steel - Related to technology and industry
The Inkwell
Your inkwell is where you store your ink cards, face down. Cards in the inkwell are used to pay costs, such as for cards you play from your hand.
Lorcana's ink system is particularly elegant because all cards can be used as ink cards. During your turn, you can choose to play a card for its effect or turn it facedown to generate ink for use on subsequent turns.
Once per turn , you may add a card from your hand to the inkwell. The card you choose must have the inkwell icon around its {I} cost in the upper left corner. To add a card to your inkwell, show it to your opponents, then put it facedown in your inkwell area , as ink.
Each card in your inkwell represents 1 {I} , no matter what's on the front. Cards you put in your inkwell will stay there for the rest of the game. Once you put a card in the inkwell, nothing on it matters—including its cost and ink color. It's just ink.
Match preparation
Each player needs their own deck. You'll also need damage counters and a way to track your Legend Points. Both are included with the starting deck.
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Preparation steps:
- Determine the first player by tossing a coin, rolling a die, or some other similar means.
- Shuffle your deck
- Set your legend counter to 0
- Draw 7 cards to form your starting hand. You can look at the cards in your hand, but not at the hands of other players!
- If you wish, you can adjust your starting hand (see below). Skip this step if this is your first time playing.
Changing the starting hand
Before the game begins, each player may adjust their starting hand once, starting with the starting player. (A player typically does this if they don't have many cards with the inkwell icon or if they have too many high-cost cards in their hand.)
To do this, place any number of cards from your hand on the bottom of the deck, without revealing them, then draw cards until you have 7 again. Finally, shuffle the deck.
Game progress
A turn is divided into two parts. Each player takes their turn completely before passing it to the next player.
Initial phase
- PREPARATION – Prepare your busy cards by turning them vertically
- START OF TURN – Check the effects that occur at the start of your turn and follow their instructions.
- DRAW – Draw a card from the top of your deck. The first player skips this step on their first turn.
Main phase
Once per turn, you may add a face-down card to your inkwell at any time.
Additionally, you can perform all of the actions listed below, any number of times and in any order:
- Play a card
- Using a character's ability that doesn't require you to commit it
- Use an item's ability
- Using a location's ability
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Perform an action with a character that was in play at the start of the turn:
- Go on an adventure
- To challenge an opponent's busy location or character
- Use an ability that requires you to commit the card
How to play a card
Playing a card means taking it from your hand and placing it faceup on the table. Each card has an ink cost inside a hex in the upper left corner. To play the card, you must commit that many ink cards to your inkwell.
Cards prepared and committed
Some game rules and card effects require you to commit {E} a card in play. To commit a card, turn it sideways.
Once a card is committed, it cannot be committed again until it is readied again by a game rule or card effect. To readied a card, simply flip it upright again. Remember to readied all your committed cards at the start of your turn.
Transformation
You can play an Imbued character using its Transform ability if you have a character in play with the same name. Pay the Transform cost instead of its normal ink cost and cover the card on the table with the new one.
The transformed character has his own rules and abilities, but retains any damage or effects that affected the original character. If the original character was engaged, the transformed character will be engaged as well. If the original character was able to challenge, adventure, or use abilities, the transformed character will also be able to do those things as soon as he enters play!
Advanced game mechanics
Go on an adventure
To adventure with one of your characters, engage it and gain Legend Points equal to the character's Legend Value {L}. Remember, you can't adventure with a character on the same turn you played it.
Each character can adventure once per turn, gaining a number of Legend Points equal to their Lore (wisdom) value. Some characters have higher Lore values, making them particularly valuable for accumulating points. However, sending a character on an adventure exhausts them, preventing them from taking any further actions until their next turn.
Challenge
Adventuring is a game-winning skill, but sometimes you need to slow down your opponents. This is where challenges come in. To challenge, first engage one of your characters to send them into a challenge. Then choose one of your opponent's engaged characters to challenge. You can't challenge a prepared character!
In a challenge, both characters deal damage to each other. Look at each character's Strength {S} value and place that many damage counters on the other character.
Damage system
A character is exiled when it has enough damage counters on it to meet or exceed its Willpower {W}. When this happens, put the character into its player's discard pile.
Move the damage
In the Inklands, it introduces the ability to move damage counters from one character or location to another. Moving damage doesn't count as "dealing damage" or "damaging" the character or location receiving the damage counters. Effects that modify the amount of damage dealt don't apply to the damage being moved.
Places and movements
Locations add a whole new strategic dimension to the game.
Place skills
Some locations have abilities that provide benefits, often requiring characters to be present in that location. These abilities can be used on the same turn a location enters play.
Move characters to locations
During your turn, you can move one of your characters to one of your locations by paying that location's move cost . Only your characters can move to one of your locations.
A character can move to a location even on the same turn that he or the location is played. It doesn't matter whether the character being moved is busy or ready. There is no limit to the number of characters that can be in a location at the same time.
Using skills
Many objects and characters have abilities you can use during your turn (and only your turn). These abilities typically affect other cards in play. Cards in a player's deck, discard pile, hand, or inkwell are not considered "in play," so they can't be affected by other cards unless otherwise specified.
If the ability has a cost, it appears before its effect, separated by a hyphen. The cost may include committing the card {E}, paying ink {I}, text explaining what to do, or any combination of the above. You must pay every part of an ability's cost to use it.
Remember, you can't use the abilities of a character that was just played that turn.
Legend and Victory Points
Legend points are the ultimate goal of every game of Disney Lorcana. To win, a player must be the first to collect 20 legend points. The first player to reach 20 legend points is the winner. If your deck runs out, you lose the game the next time you draw a card.
Points are earned primarily by sending your characters on adventures, an action that can only be performed with "ready" characters who have already spent at least one turn in the game. Beyond adventuring, there are other ways to earn legend points through special card effects and locations at the start of the turn.
Multiplayer games
This is a super fun game for two players, but you can play with three or more! The rules are the same, but at the end of a player's turn, the player to their left takes their turn.
When an ability requires multiple players to do something at the same time, start with the player whose turn it is, then proceed to the left until each player involved has taken their action.
Where can I find organized gaming communities and tournaments?
Lorcana's organized play is growing rapidly around the world, offering players of all skill levels opportunities to compete and socialize. Within our store, you can participate in weekly tournaments, launch events for new expansions, and casual evenings where you can learn and practice in a welcoming and supportive environment.
Official tournaments follow standardized formats that ensure fair and engaging competition. From local tournaments to regional and national championships, there's a competitive path for ambitious players who want to test their skills against the best. Participating in organized play is also an excellent opportunity to discover new strategies, meet other enthusiasts, and receive exclusive prizes.
Disney Lorcana's online communities are extremely active and offer valuable resources for players of all levels. Dedicated forums, social media groups, and streaming platforms provide strategic discussions, card spoilers, and coverage of important events. Many content creators produce detailed guides, deck reviews, and tutorials that can significantly accelerate your learning of the game.
Why is Disney Lorcana perfect for new TCG players?
Lorcana excels at welcoming new players to the world of trading card games thanks to its unique combination of accessibility and strategic depth. The universally recognizable Disney theme eliminates the initial barrier of having to learn a completely new mythology, allowing players to focus on the game mechanics rather than the complex lore.
The basic rules are simple enough to learn in minutes, but the strategic depth gradually emerges through gameplay. This "easy to learn, hard to master" approach is ideal for maintaining the interest of both casual and competitive players. The ink system, in particular, solves many common problems that frustrate beginners in other collectible card games.
The premium quality of the cards and the stunning artwork make every game a visually satisfying experience. Players enjoy not only the strategic competition, but also the joy of interacting with iconic characters and objects from the Disney universe in entirely new ways. This combination of nostalgia, artistic beauty, and robust gameplay creates a unique gaming experience that continues to attract new fans every day.
Key Points to Remember
- Objective of the game : Be the first to reach 20 legend points by sending your characters on adventures
- Deck Composition : Exactly 60 cards with up to 4 copies of each specific card
- Ink System : All cards can be used as ink resources, eliminating "dead hands"
- Card Types : Four main categories - characters, items, actions (including songs), and locations, each with specific strategic roles
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Key mechanics :
- Characters must wait a turn before they can act.
- Only committed characters can be challenged
- Locations provide passive lore and character spaces
- Accessibility : Perfect for everyone thanks to intuitive rules and a familiar Disney theme
- Strategic Depth : Simple mechanics hide endless tactical and deckbuilding possibilities
- Active Community : Extensive support through local shops, official tournaments and online communities
- Premium Quality : Outstanding artwork and high-quality materials make each card a pleasure to collect.
- Gameplay Flexibility : Suitable for both casual games between friends and serious competitions
- Constant Evolution : Regular new expansions keep the game environment fresh and dynamic.
