Every Lorcana Keyword Explained

Keywords are the shorthand abilities printed on Lorcana cards. Learn these and most card text becomes obvious at a glance. Here's the full list in plain English. (You can also keep the searchable glossary handy.)

Bodyguard

This character may enter play exerted, and while it's in play your opponents must challenge a Bodyguard character before any other character you control. It's your wall — it protects your questers and your lore.

Challenger +N

When this character challenges, it gets +N strength for that challenge. Great for trading up into bigger characters or clearing blockers cheaply.

Evasive

This character can only be challenged by other characters with Evasive. Evasive questers are notoriously hard to deal with — your opponent needs their own Evasive bodies or a removal spell.

Reckless

This character can't quest, and must challenge if able. It's pure aggression — useful on cheap beaters whose job is to attack, not collect lore.

Resist +N

Damage dealt to this character is reduced by N. Resist makes your characters survive challenges and damage-based removal far more easily.

Rush

This character can challenge the turn it's played. It ignores the usual "drying ink" summoning sickness — but only for challenging, not for questing.

Shift N

You may play this character on top of one with the same name by paying its Shift cost (N) instead of its full ink cost. The new version keeps any damage and exerted state, and it can act immediately. Shift is a tempo cheat code for expensive legendary characters.

Singer N

This character counts as cost N for the purpose of singing songs, even if its own ink cost is lower. Pair a cheap Singer with an expensive song for huge value.

Support

When this character quests, you may add its strength to another chosen character's strength this turn. Excellent in go-wide decks that gang up in challenges.

Vanish

When an opponent chooses this character (for an effect), it's banished. A newer protective keyword that punishes targeted removal and bounce.

Ward

This character can't be chosen by opponents except to challenge it. Targeted removal, bounce, and "choose a character" effects simply can't touch it.

Knowing the keywords is half of deckbuilding. The other half is curve and ratios — and our draw odds calculator helps you nail those.