As the landmark TCG finally releases in Australia, we’re here with a handy guide on how to play Lorcana!
How to Win Lorcana
The easiest, most straightforward path to victory is getting to 20 Lore. Each player starts at 0, and uses their cards to either get lore, and stop their opponent from getting it.
You’ll be taking on the role of an Illumineer, using magical ink to summon Glimmers. Glimmers are famous Disney characters, locations, and even songs–all with the goal of getting you lore.
SETTING UP
Like every TCG, you’ll need a deck, whether it’s a starter deck or one you made yourself. If you’ve made your own, make sure it only has up to two types of Ink Colours and no more! Learn about the different types on our ink colours article!
Shuffle your deck and draw 7 cards for your hand. Then, determine which player goes first. It’s up to you how, but I suggest rolling dice.
(Psst! Looking to make your own deck already? We have booster boxes perfect for brewing your first Lorcana deck!)
BEGINNING YOUR TURN
Every turn of Lorcana almost begins the same way with a little phrase “Ready, set, draw.” You don’t have to say it out loud, but it’s a great way to remember the start.
Ready
Put cards that have exerted (more on that later) back in the upright position.
SET
Resolve any effects that are supposed to happen at the start of your turn.
DRAW
…a card from your deck! Take note, if you’re taking the very first turn of the game, you don’t draw a card just yet. Instead, you go ahead and play the cards in your hand.
MAIN PHASE
After “Ready, Set, Draw” you’ll reach your Main Phase, where the bulk of the action happens. Here’s what you can do:
ADD TO YOUR INKWELL
All things start and end with ink–the main resource of Lorcana. To get ink, you need to discard one of the cards in your hand and put it in the inkwell area facedown. Only cards with a golden circle on the top left corner can go in the inkwell.
You won’t get to use these cards anymore, so I recommend tossing cards that are too expensive to play or not going to help you anytime soon. This way, there’s no hard feeling about using them as a resource.
PLAY A CARD
Let’s use that ink to play some cards!
Every card in Lorcana has an ink cost. To pay for it, just turn the amount of ink cards you need sideways (this is called Exerting!) and then you can play the card you want.
If you’ve got a 2-cost card like Aladdin, Cornered Swordsman in your hand, you need to Exert 2 ink cards in your inkwell (turn them sideways). You can then put Aladdin on your side of the field.
USE ABILITIES AND EXERT
Abilities are the text written on the lower half of a Lorcana card. These can range from drawing a card or banishing an opponent’s character, so they’re pretty handy.
If you’ve got cards that can use their abilities already, now is the time. Activate any songs, items, or locations you want to use to help you get ahead!
Some abilities require the character to be Exerted, usually with a symbol with a curved arrow followed by an ability. Like Exerting the ink cards, you turn these cards sideways to activate them. My favourite ones involve stopping other cards from exerting!
Watch out! Characters that entered play this turn can’t exert yet. This is called Ink Drying. Just imagine that your Lorcana characters are made of ink, and need a turn to get themselves sorted.
Curious about these different types of cards? Or what the different symbols mean? Read our Lorcana card parts article!
GO ON A QUEST
Now let’s get to work on winning. Going on a Quest means exerting your character specifically to get some Lore (the goal of the game). Characters have a diamond-like symbol on the right hand side, which shows how much lore they can get when they go on a Quest.
CHALLENGE!
Your opponent doesn’t have to sit idly by as you Quest. An opponent can Challenge a character that’s been exerted with one of their own cards that are ready.
This is one of the most important parts of the game–choosing who to exert and when. Leave characters to challenge or risk going all out for Lore?
END THE TURN
Once you’ve done all you can, you end your turn and pass it to your opponent. Keep going back and forth until one of you reaches 20 Lore and wins the game!
Have FUN!
Whether you’re new to TCGs or just new to Lorcana, learning something new takes time. I say take your first turns slow and talk about what you’re trying to do with your fellow players and learn together.
There’s plenty more to uncover about how to play Lorcana as it comes to Australia but for now, stay tuned to our channels to hear more about the game!
And of course, don’t forget to order your Lorcana cards right here!
