01 What Disney Lorcana actually is
Disney Lorcana is a two-player TCG where you build a 60-card deck from up to two of the six inks and try to be the first to reach a set lore total (commonly 20). Cards are characters, items, locations, songs, and actions — all themed around Disney characters across eras (Walt-era classics through modern Pixar).
Two things make Disney Lorcana feel different from other TCGs: every card can be inked (turned face-down to act as resource), and you usually win by sending characters to quest for lore rather than by dealing damage.
02 The six inks
Each card belongs to one of six inks, and most decks pair two of them:
- Amber — supportive, healing, going wide with small characters.
- Amethyst — magic, bounce effects, drawing cards.
- Emerald — disruption, evasive characters, tempo.
- Ruby — aggressive, big bodies, direct damage.
- Sapphire — ramp, items, drawing/searching.
- Steel — combat-focused, removal, board control.
You don't have to memorize every interaction — pick two inks whose vibe you like and start there. The Deck Lab picks legal two-ink combos and builds a sample deck for you.
03 How a turn works (at a glance)
- Ready your exerted cards.
- Draw a card (the first player skips their first draw).
- Ink one card from hand into your inkwell (optional, once per turn, on an inkable card).
- Main phase: spend ink to play characters/items/songs/actions, quest with characters to gain lore, or challenge opposing characters.
- End your turn — opponent goes.
Newly-played characters generally can't act the turn they arrive (they have "drying" / summoning sickness) unless they have Rush. Read your cards — Disney Lorcana's rules text is plain English and most keywords are self-explanatory.
04 Winning on lore
When a character quests, they exert and you gain lore equal to the lore icon on the card. Reach the target total first and you win. That's it. The whole game flows from one question: "do I quest, challenge, or build?"
05 What to buy first
You don't need a $400 collection to start. The cheapest legitimate on-ramp is usually:
- A starter / "Illumineer's Trove" / Gift Set — comes with a pre-built deck or two and some packs.
- A booster box of a current set — opening cards is half the fun, and you'll pull enough to build something fun.
- Sleeves + a deck box — protect everything from turn one. Card savers/top loaders if you pull a chase.
Browse our curated Shop for sealed product and accessories, and check the Market dashboard for daily prices before you commit. If you want to test a deck list before buying singles, the Deck Lab generates one for any ink pair and the Pack Lab simulates pack openings.
06 Where to play
Most local game stores that carry Magic or Pokémon also run Disney Lorcana nights. Ravensburger sanctions casual and competitive events through stores; check the official Disney Lorcana site for the current event finder. Locals are the fastest way to learn — bring a starter deck, lose a few games, ask questions.
07 Next steps
Once you've got the basics:
- Read our rarities guide so you know what to keep vs trade.
- Skim the set list & rotation page to learn which sets are current.
- Track prices on the Market dashboard.