The Ultimate Disney Lorcana Terms Glossary

We’re huge fans of collectibles and TCGs like Lorcana, and we’re cooking up a special project that is inspired by our love of collectibles.

Confused by some of the unique words and phrases you hear fellow Illumineers tossing around? In this final post of our Lorcana series, we’ll break down all the essential terms in a handy glossary - and if you need a refresher on how these terms apply to gameplay, see our Common Mistakes New Lorcana Players Make for practical examples.

• Illumineer

  The official term for a Disney Lorcana player. As an Illumineer, you harness the power of inks to summon characters.

• Lore

  The points you collect to win. Typically, you need 20 Lore to claim victory.

• Inkwell

  The area where you place cards face-down as ink resources, letting you pay costs for new characters or actions.

• Summoning Sickness (unofficial community term)

  A borrowed phrase from TCG communities to indicate that newly played characters must wait until the next turn before they can quest or challenge. Official Lorcana texts might not use “sickness,” but players may sometimes do so - oftentimes, this is referred to in the Lorcana community as a character's ink still drying.

• Quest

  The act of exerting (turning sideways) a ready character to collect lore. Main way to progress toward 20 Lore.

• Challenge

  The Lorcana equivalent of “attacking” an opposing exerted character. Each character simultaneously deals damage equal to its Strength. If damage equals or exceeds a character’s Willpower, that character is banished.

• Banish

  When a character’s accumulated damage meets or exceeds its Willpower, it’s removed from play (sent to the discard pile). Some actions or abilities can banish characters directly without requiring a challenge.

• Exert

  Turning a card sideways to signify it has been used this turn (e.g., questing, challenging, using an activated ability).

• Ready

  Turning a sideways (exerted) card upright at the start of your turn, making it eligible to quest, challenge, or do other actions again.

• Actions

  Single-use effects that often help with card advantage, synergy, or banishing. Once resolved, they’re placed in the discard pile.

• Songs

  Special type of action that can be “sung” by a character meeting specific cost requirements, letting you play them for free or at a reduced cost. Adds thematic flavor tied to Disney’s musical heritage.

• Ink

  The resource system powering Lorcana. Cards with an ink droplet symbol can be placed face-down in your inkwell, generating 1 resource each turn when exerted.

• No-Ink Symbol

  Cards lacking the ink icon cannot be used as a resource, requiring you to hold them if you want to play them. Usually these cards boast higher impact or synergy.

• Two-Ink Limit

  Lorcana rules state you can only combine up to two ink colors in a 60-card deck, forcing strategic color pair choices (e.g., Amber + Amethyst).

• Curve

  The distribution of your deck’s costs. Lorcana players discuss having a “smooth curve” so you can play cards at each stage of the game rather than being stuck with only high-cost or synergy-dependent draws.

• Ramp

  Slang for quickly building up your inkwell resources, enabling more expensive characters or combos sooner than expected.

• Common (C)

  The most abundant rarity. Typically simpler effects or stable support characters.

• Uncommon (U)

  A step up, slightly more intriguing or synergy-driven. Still relatively easy to collect.

• Rare (R)

  Often features well-known Disney characters or pivotal mechanics. Packs typically include two “Rare+” cards (which can be Rare, Super Rare, or Legendary).

• Super Rare (SR)

  Scarcer than standard Rares, commonly sought after for strong abilities or iconic flavor.

• Legendary (L)

  Highly coveted for even greater scarcity or star-power. Some Legendaries anchor competitive strategies.

• Enchanted (E)

  The ultra-chase tier. Often includes alternate frames or shimmering foils. Extremely rare to pull, possibly 1 in 50–100 packs.

• Foil Slot

  Each booster has one guaranteed foil card (which may be any rarity, including Enchanted). The foil slot is a major draw for collectors, as it’s the main gateway to premium variants.

• Flooding

  Unofficial term for overfilling your inkwell. Some players say “I’m flooding” if they keep top-decking too many inkable cards but lack synergy or mid-game presence.

• Bricking

  Community slang for drawing unplayable or no-ink cards early on, causing a stall in your resource ramp.

• Duds

  Cards that are generally considered underpowered or situational, often used as placeholders for ink in a pinch.

• Meta

  Short for “metagame,” referencing the prevailing deck archetypes or strategies in a local or global scene.

• Power Creep

  A debated concept where newer sets introduce increasingly powerful cards, overshadowing older ones. Some fans watch expansions carefully to see if Lorcana experiences this phenomenon.

• Proxy

  A placeholder card used in casual testing (non-official play) to represent a card you don’t own yet. Some communities allow proxy usage for deck experimentation but not in formal events.

• Bodyguard
  A character with Bodyguard can intercept or redirect challenges targeting other allies, protecting glass-cannon questers.

• Evasive
  Characters with Evasive can only be challenged by other Evasive characters, making them prime questers if your opponent lacks enough Evasive counters.

• Shift
  Allows you to play an upgraded version of a character at a reduced ink cost if you already have a related version in play. Especially potent in synergy decks looking to accelerate big moves.

• Singer
  Some songs require a “Singer” – a character with cost X or higher that can exert to sing the card for free. This mechanic ties thematically to Disney musicals, letting you bypass normal costs.

• Traits (e.g., Princess, Villain, King, Pirate)
  Some synergy or actions specifically reference these traits. For example, an action might read “Give all Princess characters +2 Willpower until end of turn,” fueling theme-based decks.

In Lorcana, Disney characters appear under different classifications that can impact synergy:

• Storyborn

  Represents characters in their classic, familiar form - typically following established Disney canon. These often have abilities reflecting their core personality or movie role.

• Floodborn

  Depict characters overwhelmed by a magical “flood” of ink or transformed scenario, giving them alternate abilities or unusual stat lines. Floodborn versions can sometimes Shift into existence, bridging synergy between standard and altered forms.

• Dreamborn

  Reflect surreal, imaginative takes on Disney icons, sometimes with whimsical or dreamlike traits. Dreamborn versions frequently boast more experimental or creative effects, introducing fresh angles to familiar characters.

• “We’re In Topdeck Mode”

  Indicates both players have exhausted most of their hands, relying on whatever card they draw each turn to make a move.

• “Line of Play”

  The planned sequence of actions across multiple turns. Lorcana relies on carefully orchestrating quests, challenges, and synergy triggers, so you might hear advanced players talk about “line of play” a lot.

• “One-Of, Two-Of”

  Refers to how many copies of a given card you run in a deck. For instance, “I’m running Mickey Mouse - Wayward Sorcerer as a two-of” means you have exactly two copies.

• “Staple”

  A widely accepted must-run card for certain deck archetypes or in general (like a powerful Legendary that defines an entire color combination).

• “Net-Decking”

  Downloading or copying a decklist from the internet rather than constructing your own from scratch. Some love it for efficiency, while others prefer personal creativity.

Below is a YouTube video that gives an overview of the basics of Lorcana, for anyone still dipping their feet in the game:

• “How To Play Disney Lorcana | A beginner's guide” – This video is a comprehensive tutorial designed to help new players learn the basics of the Disney Lorcana TCG. Watch it here:

Mastering Lorcana isn’t just about learning rules - it’s also about understanding the language the community uses to discuss everything from synergy to card rarities. By familiarizing yourself with these terms, you’ll not only communicate more effectively but also accelerate your ability to build decks, trade confidently, and catch on to the latest strategies.

As you embrace Lorcana’s growing vocabulary, remember:

Keep this glossary handy for reference as you watch new expansions roll out. The better you know Lorcana’s language, the smoother your journey as an Illumineer!

And don’t forget to sign up for early access at the top or bottom of this post if you want exclusive Antsy Labs updates on new TCG innovations designed with Lorcana enthusiasts like you in mind!

Getting into Lorcana doesn’t require a ton of gear, but a few essentials will make your experience much better. Here’s a curated list of items to start with (we’ve included links for easy reference).

If you're in the market to purchase individual cards, as well as sealed Lorcana Booster Boxes, Lorcana Troves, and more, we recommend checking out TCGPlayer.com:

• Disney Lorcana Starter Deck –The best entry point is an official starter deck. Each starter deck comes with a ready-to-play 60-card deck plus a booster pack and rulebook. For example:
  • From the Archazia's Island chapter, you could grab the “Amethyst & Steel Starter Deck” or “Ruby & Sapphire Starter Deck” 
  • From the Azurite Seas chapter, you could grab the "Emerald & Sapphire Starter Deck" or "Amber & Ruby Starter Deck" 
  • From the Shimmering Skies chapter, you could grab the "Emerald & Steel Starter Deck" or "Amethyst & Ruby Starter Deck" 
  • From the Ursula's Return chapter, you could grab the "Amber & Amethyst Starter Deck" or "Sapphire & Steel Starter Deck" 

These are just from the 4 most recent Lorcana chapter releases, and each of these contain balanced card sets themed around certain characters and inks. Starter decks let you learn the game without worrying about deck construction, and you can always customize them later.

• Booster Packs – Once you have a starter, you’ll likely want to expand your collection with booster packs. Booster packs contain 12 random cards (with a guaranteed mix of common, uncommon, and at least one rare or higher - with the final card of the pack being a foil). Opening boosters is a fun part of the hobby – you never know if you’ll pull a powerful Legendary card or even an Enchanted! You can buy single packs or a whole booster box (24 packs) if you’re feeling lucky.
  • Archazia's Island - Single Booster Pack (12 cards) - Disney Lorcana
  • Ursula's Return - Single Booster Pack (12 cards) - Disney Lorcana
  • Archazia's Island - Booster Box (24 Packs with 12 Cards each) - Disney Lorcana
  • Ursula's Return - Booster Box (24 Packs with 12 Cards each) - Disney Lorcana
  • Azurite Sea - Booster Box (24 Packs with 12 Cards each) - Disney Lorcana
  • Into The Inklands - Booster Box (24 Packs with 12 Cards each) - Disney Lorcana

• Card Sleeves – Protect your cards! Lorcana cards are collectible and can be valuable, so you don’t want them getting scuffed or bent from shuffling and play. Invest in standard size card sleeves (the same size used for Magic/Pokémon cards). Sleeves are transparent plastic covers for each card. There are many brands – Dragon Shield, Ultra Pro, TitanShield, etc. – all will do the job. You might choose clear sleeves or ones with cool colors or Disney-themed backings. Our personal favorites are:
  • TitanShield Premium Clear Card Sleeves (Dual Texture)
  • TitanShield Perfect Fit Inner Card Sleeves (For Double Sleeving)
  • Ultra Pro Top Loader Card Holder

• Playmat –While not strictly required, a playmat greatly enhances your playing surface. It’s basically a large mousepad-like mat that lays on the table and has a nice fabric surface to protect your cards. Lorcana has official playmats featuring Disney art (like a Mickey Mouse or Elsa design), or you can use any generic TCG playmat. It helps define your space (deck here, inkwell there, etc.) and prevents cards from sliding around on a slick table.
  • Moana & Te Fiti Playmat - Disney Lorcana
  • Tigger Playmat - Disney Lorcana
  • Elsa (Frozen) Playmat - Disney Lorcana
  • Mirabel (Encanto) Playmat - Disney Lorcana

• Dice or Counters – You’ll need some way to track damage on characters and possibly lore or other counters. Many players use small six-sided dice for this purpose. For example, if a character has taken 2 damage, you can place a die showing “2” on that card. You can also use glass beads, tokens, or the punch-out counters that come with some starter sets. A couple of standard d6 diceor a set of dedicated TCG counter dice (often sold in packs) is inexpensive and very useful.
  • Counter for TCG and tabletop games
  • d6 Dice Set (For counting damage)
  • d20 Dice Set (For counting Lore)

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