Disney Lorcana is very similar to other trading card games in a lot of ways, but there are also a lot of differences. One major thing that sets Lorcana apart from its contemporaries like Magic: The Gathering or Pokemon is the Inkwell, the way it handles card costs. The Inkwell can be a little bit confusing to understand at first, but it's vital that players know how it works in order to play the game properly. Knowing the best ways to manipulate it is also key to coming out with a victory.
Ink in Disney Lorcana is akin to mana or energy, as it is used to pay the cost of playing a card or activating certain abilities. Ink itself won't let the player win (Lore is needed for that), but it is a means to an end. All players will need to be constantly adding cards to the Inkwell and Exerting them to play cards if they want to stay competitive throughout the match.
What is the Inkwell?
The Inkwell represents how much Ink players have each turn to spend on playing cards and activating abilities and effects. Each card in the Inkwell is worth just one Ink, and players are able to Exert (turn sideways) as many cards in the Inkwell as necessary to pay Ink costs. Both players start with an empty Inkwell at the start of the game and must add cards to it in order to play anything.
How to Add Cards to the Inkwell
During the Main Phase of a player's turn in Lorcana, players are able to add one card to their Inkwell. It can be any card so long as it has the golden circle shown above around its Ink Cost. It's important to add a lot of Ink Cards when building a Lorcana deck for this reason. Players should show the card to their opponent and place the card facedown in the Inkwell in the Ready position, it can now be used as Ink immediately. There are other abilities that allow players to add additional cards to the Inkwell such as Belle, Strange But Special's "Read a Book" ability, or Mickey Mouse, Detective's "Get a Clue" effect.
How to Use and Regain Ink
During a turn, Lorcana players can Exert any number of cards in the Inkwell by turning them sideways. Each card turned sideways represents one Ink the player can use for playing a card or for activating abilities and effects. At the start of every turn, all Exerted cards (including those in the Inkwell), are turned Readied (turned upright) to allow them to be used again.
How Often Should Cards Be Added to the Inkwell?
While strategies will differ for different Lorcana decks, it's generally a good idea to try and add one card to the Inkwell every turn. Players that stall behind on adding cards to their Inkwell won't be able to do much when their opponent starts playing cards that cost eight or nine Ink and have powerful stats and abilities. This isn't always achievable of course, but it's a good thing to aim for.
Disney Lorcana releases on August 18th.