The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Disney Lorcana
Welcome to the Great Illuminary! Disney Lorcana is a trading card game (TCG) where you take on the role of an “Illumineer.” You use magical ink to summon “glimmers” of Disney characters to help you quest for Lore. The first player to reach 20 Lore wins!
1. What You Need to Play
To start a game, each player needs a deck of 60 cards. These decks can only contain up to two ink colors (for example, a Ruby/Sapphire deck).
- The Best Start: Buy a Starter Deck. These are ready-to-play right out of the box and include a rulebook, lore tracker, and damage counters. You can find our guide on the best starter decks for beginners.
- Gateway: If you are brand new to TCGs, look for the Disney Lorcana: Gateway box. It is a special tutorial version of the game that teaches you the rules step-by-step.
You can also learn Lorcana deck building rules and get some better ideas on professional deck builds and limitations.
2. Understanding the Six Ink Colors
Each ink color and playstyle has a different “personality” or Traits. Choosing the right pair is the first step to building your deck.
| Ink Color | Playstyle | Key Traits |
| Amber | Support | Healing and bringing characters back from the discard pile. |
| Amethyst | Trickery | Drawing extra cards and using magical effects. |
| Emerald | Cunning | Disrupting the opponent and being hard to catch. |
| Ruby | Aggression | High strength and banishing opposing characters. |
| Sapphire | Strategy | Building up your Inkwell quickly and using Items. |
| Steel | Strength | Heavy defense and dealing direct damage. |
3. How a Turn Works (Ready, Set, Draw)
Every turn follows the same three steps in the “Beginning Phase”:
- Ready: Turn all your sideways cards upright.
- Set: Check for any “start of turn” effects on your cards.
- Draw: Pick up the top card of your deck. (The first player skips this on the very first turn).
The Main Phase Actions
During your main phase, you can do any of these in any order:
- Add to Inkwell: Once per turn, take a card from your hand with a gold circle around the cost and put it face-down. This is your “money” to pay for other cards.
- Play a Card: Pay the ink cost to put a Character, Item, or Location onto the field.
- Quest: Turn a character sideways (exert them) to gain Lore.
- Challenge: Turn a character sideways to attack an opponent’s sideways character.
4. Key Rules to Remember
- Ink Must Dry: A character cannot Quest or Challenge on the same turn it is played. You have to wait one turn for their “ink to dry.”
- Damage Stays: Unlike some other games, damage does not go away at the end of the turn. Use dice or counters to keep track of it!
- Songs: Some Action cards are “Songs.” You can pay their cost with ink, OR you can have a character sideways to “sing” the song for free.
Summary for New Players
| Step | Action |
| Goal | Be the first to reach 20 Lore. |
| Resource | Put one card face-down in your Inkwell per turn. |
| Combat | Characters deal damage to each other equal to their Strength. |
| Banish | If damage meets or exceeds a character’s Willpower, they are discarded. |
Final Tips for Beginners
Don’t worry about building a “pro” deck right away. Start with a theme or characters you love, whether it’s Stitch, Elsa, or Mickey Mouse, and learn the flow of the game. Most of all, have fun!
If you are ready to start playing for real you can check our guide on how to find local Lorcana events and play with the pros.