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Home » Disney Lorcana FAQ – 50 Most Asked Questions Answered

Disney Lorcana FAQ – 50 Most Asked Questions Answered

Disney Lorcana Ultimate Play Guide

Welcome to the ultimate Disney Lorcana TCG resource. Whether you are a new Illumineer just starting your journey in the Great Illuminary or a seasoned veteran looking to clarify complex interactions, understanding the rules is key to victory. This guide breaks down the core mechanics of the game, from the basics of questing for lore to the technical nuances and character states.

Below, we have compiled and answered the 50 most frequently asked questions based on the latest comprehensive rules to help you play with confidence and precision.

1️⃣ Winning & Game Basics

  1. How do I win the game? You win immediately upon reaching 20 lore.
  2. Can I win by running my opponent out of cards? Yes; if an opponent has no cards left in their deck at the end of their turn, they lose.
  3. What are the three phases of a turn? The Start-of-Turn Phase, the Main Phase, and the End-of-Turn Phase.
  4. What happens during the “Ready” step? You turn all your exerted cards upright to the “Ready” position.
  5. What happens during the “Set” step? You check for effects that happen at the start of the turn and gain lore from any locations you have in play.
  6. When do I draw a card? You draw one card from your deck during the Draw step, which is the final step of the Start-of-Turn Phase.
  7. Does the first player draw on Turn 1? No, the player who goes first skips their draw step on the very first turn of the game.
  8. What is the “Golden Rule” of Lorcana? If the text on a card contradicts the rulebook, the card text takes priority.
  9. What if a card says I “can’t” do something? If an effect prevents an action, it always overrides effects that would allow that action.
  10. Can I look at my opponent’s discard pile? Yes, the discard pile is open information and can be reviewed by any player at any time.

2️⃣ Characters & “Drying”

  1. What is “Drying Ink”? This refers to a character that was played this turn; it cannot be used for certain actions until your next turn.
  2. Can a “drying” character quest? No, a character must be “dry” to quest.
  3. Can a “drying” character challenge? No, a character cannot challenge the same turn it is played.
  4. Can I use abilities on a character while it is drying? You can use abilities that do not require the exertion ($ \text{\small\exert} $) symbol. If it requires exertion, the character must be dry.
  5. Does “Shift” bypass drying? Yes; if you shift a character onto a “dry” character, the new character is also dry and can act immediately.
  6. When does a character become “dry”? A character is dry once it has been in play since the very beginning of your turn.
  7. Can I challenge my own characters? No, you can only challenge an opponent’s exerted characters.
  8. Can I challenge a character that is “Ready”? Generally no, unless a card effect specifically allows you to challenge ready characters.
  9. What is “Banishment”? A character is banished (sent to the discard pile) if its damage equals or exceeds its Willpower.
  10. Is damage permanent? Yes, damage stays on a character across turns unless a card effect heals it.

3️⃣ The Inkwell

  1. How do I put a card in the Inkwell? During your Main Phase, you may reveal a card with the $ \text{\small\swirl} $ symbol and place it facedown in your inkwell.
  2. How much ink is each card worth? Each card in the inkwell counts as exactly 1 ink.
  3. Can I put more than one card in my inkwell per turn? Normally, you are limited to one card per turn unless a card effect says otherwise.
  4. Can I look at the facedown cards in my inkwell? No, you cannot look at cards once they are in the inkwell.
  5. Can my opponent look at my inkwell? No, the identity of the cards in the inkwell is hidden from both players.
  6. What cards can’t be inked? Cards without the $ \text{\small\swirl} $ symbol around their cost cannot be put into the inkwell.
  7. Do I have to show my opponent the card I’m inking? Yes, you must show them the card to prove it has the inkwell symbol before placing it facedown.
  8. Does ink “Ready” every turn? Yes, all ink in your inkwell is readied during your Start-of-Turn Phase.
  9. Can I remove cards from my inkwell? No, cards placed in the inkwell remain there for the rest of the game unless a card effect specifically moves them.
  10. Is there a maximum size for the inkwell? No, there is no limit to how many cards you can have in your inkwell.

4️⃣ Actions, Items & Locations

  1. What are “Songs”? Songs are Action cards that can be played for free by exerting a character of a certain cost or higher.
  2. Can a drying character sing a Song? No, a character must be dry to sing a song because singing requires the character to exert.
  3. Do Items stay in play? Yes, Item cards remain on the table until they are banished by an effect.
  4. Can I use an Item the turn I play it? Yes, Items do not have a “drying” period and can be used immediately if you can pay the cost.
  5. What are Locations? These are cards that stay in play and provide lore or special effects to characters “at” them.
  6. How do I gain lore from a Location? You gain the lore amount listed on the Location card during your Set step each turn.
  7. How do I move a character to a Location? You must pay the “Move Cost” indicated on the Location card.
  8. Can multiple characters be at the same Location? Yes, there is no limit to how many characters can be at a single location.
  9. Can Locations be challenged? Yes, locations can be challenged by characters just like exerted characters.
  10. Do Locations have “Willpower”? Locations have “Defense” (the shield icon), which acts like willpower for taking damage.

5️⃣ Advanced Interactions

  1. What is “the Bag”? It is a metaphorical zone where triggered abilities wait to be resolved.
  2. Who chooses the order of abilities in the bag? If multiple abilities trigger at once on your turn, you choose the order in which they resolve.
  3. What is “Bodyguard”? A character with Bodyguard can enter play exerted. While exerted, opponents must challenge the Bodyguard before any other character.
  4. What is “Ward”? Opponents cannot choose a character with Ward except to challenge it.
  5. What is “Evasive”? Only characters with Evasive can challenge other Evasive characters.
  6. What is “Challenger”? This keyword gives a character extra Strength only while they are performing a challenge.
  7. What is “Singer”? Characters with Singer count as having a higher cost specifically for the purpose of singing Songs.
  8. Can I have more than 4 of the same card in a deck? No, you are limited to 4 copies of any card with the exact same name.
  9. What is the minimum deck size? Your deck must contain at least 60 cards.
  10. How many inks (colors) can I use in a deck? A deck can contain cards from up to two different inks.