Disney Lorcana Prerelease Survival Guide

A prerelease is the party at the start of every set. Stores open the new cards about a week before they reach big retailers, and everyone plays with them for the first time together. It is one of the best events for a new player, because nobody has an advantage from a big collection. Everybody starts from the same sealed product.

The official rules list prereleases as an example of an entry-level event: relaxed rules, fun first, and organizers responsible for welcoming newer players.

The next one: Into the Inkdark

The next set is Into the Inkdark, the first set of 2027. Prerelease events start February 5, 2027, and the set arrives everywhere on February 12, 2027. It also brings Collector Boosters, the only place to find a new rarity, Illustrious. Those are for collectors and do not change how a prerelease plays.

Find a prerelease near you on the Ravensburger Play Hub and sign up early. They fill up.

What is in the box?

Prereleases use special Prerelease Boxes, which stores order for the event. The official site promises exclusive keepsakes inside, and the Hyperia City store kit says the event’s promo card comes in the box. For Sealed, that kit recommends six booster packs per player, which is also the minimum.

Sealed or Pack Rush?

Stores choose between two formats for prerelease.

Sealed is the longer, more structured option. You open six packs and build a deck from what you open:

• At least 40 cards, not 60.
• Any number of inks. The two-ink limit does not apply.
• Any number of copies. Open five of the same card and you may play all five.
• Otherwise, the normal rules: race to 20 lore.

Pack Rush is the faster, beginner-friendly option. You use two packs, shuffled together without looking, as a 24-card deck. The marketing cards go into your inkwell as 2 ready ink, you draw 5 cards instead of 7, the first to 15 lore wins, and if your deck runs out you shuffle your discard into a new one. For Hyperia City, stores were told to run two rounds of Pack Rush, one game each.

Building a Sealed deck in under half an hour

You will have a deck-building window. Here is a simple method.

1. Sort by ink. Lay your cards out in six piles, one per ink. Dual-ink cards go between their two piles.

2. Pick two inks. You may use more, but two inks usually give the steadiest deck. Pick the two deepest piles, with a lean toward the pile holding your strongest cards.

3. Count your characters. Characters quest, and questing wins. Most sealed decks want a lot of them.

4. Check your ink. Make sure most of your cards have the inkwell swirl. A sealed deck with too many uninkable cards stalls.

5. Spread your costs. Aim for several plays at 1 and 2 ink, a good number at 3 and 4, and only a few at 6 or more.

6. Keep your answers. Any card that banishes, deals damage, or wins challenges goes in.

7. Trim to 40 or a little over. Extra cards make your best ones show up less often.

Some Hyperia City cards also give you ink drops, a temporary ink. If your pool has several cards that make or use them, they can let you play big cards a turn early.

During the games

• Rounds are usually best of one or best of three, set by the store. Ask at the start.
• Read your opponent’s new cards. Nobody knows the set yet, so asking “what does that do?” is normal.
• Track damage with dice or counters. Bring your own in case the box has none.
• Say your lore total out loud as it climbs. Twenty comes faster than you expect.

What to bring

• A way to track lore: a tracker, pen and paper, or the Companion app.
• Sleeves if you want them; you can sleeve your deck after you build it.
• Something to carry your cards home. The packs are yours, so everything you open goes home with you.

After the prerelease

Your sealed pool is the start of a collection. Keep your favorite cards from the new set together; many will be playable in Core for years. Then take what you learned back to the upgrades lesson and start shopping for the singles your weekly deck needs.

If drafting appeals to you, our explainer on card drafting covers how pick-and-pass works. Lorcana’s Draft format builds a deck the same way.