Beginner guide
How to Start Playing Disney Lorcana
Disney Lorcana is a card game where you race to collect lore. This guide explains the basics in plain words, so you can sit down and play your first game.
What Lorcana is and how you win
Disney Lorcana is a strategy card game. Each player builds their own deck, and the decks are never mixed together. You play as an Illumineer, using ink to summon Disney characters and items, which the rules call glimmers.
You win by being the first player to gain 20 or more lore. The most common way to gain lore is to play characters and send them on quests.
What a deck is
The official quick start rules give three simple deck rules. Your deck must have at least 60 cards. It cannot contain more than four copies of any single card. And it can only use cards from one or two inks.
Different versions of a character count as different cards, so four copies of one version do not stop you from adding another version of the same character.
You do not have to build from scratch. You can play a ready-to-play starter deck as it comes, or swap a few cards in it.
Card types and the six inks
- Characters go on quests and into challenges. They have strength, willpower and a lore value.
- Items stay in play and give you special abilities.
- Actions give a one-time effect, then are discarded. Songs are a kind of action that some characters can sing for you.
Ink is shown by a symbol and a coloured band behind the card name. The six inks are Amber, Amethyst, Emerald, Ruby, Sapphire and Steel. Cost, the ink needed to play a card, is in the upper left corner.
What a turn looks like
A turn has two parts, and you take all of it before the next player starts.
- Beginning phase: ready your sideways cards by turning them upright, check start-of-turn effects, then draw a card. The first player skips that draw on their first turn.
- Main phase: once per turn you may put a card from your hand face down into your inkwell as ink. You can also play cards, use abilities, quest, or challenge an opponent's exerted character, in any order.
Characters you just played must wait until your next turn before they can quest or challenge. Everyone starts with a seven-card hand.
What to buy first
Start with a ready-to-play starter product made for new players. The publisher offers starter sets for two players and for building a collection. Check its site for what is on sale today.
Starter decks come with the damage counters and lore tracker you need. Booster packs hold random cards, and they are best added later, once you know which inks you like.
Skip hunting for single rare cards at the beginning. A complete starter deck teaches you the game faster than a pile of loose cards.
Rarities and finding a card
The official quick start rules list five rarities: common, uncommon, rare, super rare and legendary. Each card carries a rarity marker, and rarity is only one factor in what a card is worth.
To identify a card, read its name and version name, and note its ink. The publisher also runs an online Card Gallery where you can look cards up. The free U.C.M app can recognise a card from a photo, which is faster than searching by hand.
Formats
The publisher describes two formats for organised play. Core Constructed uses recent cards, and older sets rotate out of it over time. Infinity Constructed is a newer format where rotated cards remain playable.
The publisher says players can use their full collections in either format. Which sets are legal changes, so check the official site before you build for an event.
For learning, none of this matters yet. Casual games with a starter deck follow the quick start rules.
Where to learn, free
The quick start rules suggest having a friend teach you, which they call the best and most fun way. You can also ask about events at a game store near you.
The publisher's website has free how-to-play videos that cover setting up, turning cards, playing ink, your turn, characters and abilities. It also offers the quick start rules as a free download in English, French, German, Italian and Spanish.
Older quick start rules mention a companion app with an interactive tutorial. Check the publisher's site to see what is available now.
Cards you already own
If you were given cards, sort them by ink first. Then check which are characters, actions and items, so you know what could go in a deck.
The free U.C.M app can scan each card, identify the exact version and show price information, so you know what you have. See card variants explained for why two copies of one card can differ.
Protect the cards you play with sleeves, and keep the rest in a binder or box away from water and sunlight.
The fast way: scan it
Open U.C.M, point your phone at a card or a sealed product and it looks for the exact print and shows the official picture and today's market price. It is free to download, and the free plan includes 3 scans per week.
Questions
How do you win Disney Lorcana?
You win by being the first player to gain 20 or more lore. The most common way to gain lore is to play characters and send them on quests. You also lose if your deck runs out of cards and you have to draw.
How many cards do I need in a Lorcana deck?
The official quick start rules say a deck needs at least 60 cards, with no more than four copies of any single card. Your deck can only use cards from one or two inks. A ready-to-play starter deck already follows these rules.
What are the inks in Lorcana?
There are six inks: Amber, Amethyst, Emerald, Ruby, Sapphire and Steel. Each card shows its ink with a symbol and a coloured band behind the name. Your deck can use one or two of them.
Is there a free way to learn Lorcana?
Yes. The publisher offers free how-to-play videos and free quick start rules to download in five languages. Asking a friend or visiting a game store event also works. A starter deck is the easiest way to begin playing.
What does the U.C.M app do for Lorcana cards?
U.C.M is a free app that scans a card with your phone camera, identifies it and shows price information for that version. It helps you organise cards you own and decide what to keep, play or trade.
Official sources and further reading
We checked this guide against the publisher's own pages. Rules and products change, so always confirm the details there.
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Card names and images belong to their owners. U.C.M is an independent app and is not affiliated with any card game publisher or grading company. General information, not financial advice.