FloodBorn.Ink Reading a Lorcana Card
A Lorcana character card looks busy at first, but the parts that matter for evaluating it are just a handful of numbers and symbols. Learn to read them and you can judge any card at a glance.
The four numbers that matter
| Stat | Where | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Top-left | Ink to play it (swirl = inkable) |
| Strength | Bottom-left (✦) | Damage it deals in challenges |
| Willpower | Bottom (♥) | Damage it can take before banishing |
| Lore | Bottom-right (◊) | Lore gained when it quests |
A character is banished when the damage on it equals or exceeds its willpower. Strength and willpower together decide how it trades; lore decides how fast it wins.
Judging efficiency
The quick test is value per cost. A 3-cost character that quests for 2 and has a 3/3 body is doing a lot for three ink. The same stats on a 5-cost card would be weak. Always ask: what am I getting for the ink?
Different archetypes weight the numbers differently:
- Aggro prizes lore — it wants to quest, not fight.
- Control prizes willpower and strength — durable bodies that trade up and block.
- Midrange wants a healthy mix, leaning on cards that are good at both.
The corner symbols
- The swirl around the cost means the card is inkable — see inkable vs uninkable.
- Keyword text (Bodyguard, Rush, Ward, and friends) can completely change a card's value. A 2-lore body with Evasive is worth far more than its stat line alone suggests. The full list is in the keyword glossary.
Beyond the numbers
Stats tell you most of the story, but the printed ability can be the whole reason a card exists — a removal trigger, card draw, or a lore swing. When you evaluate a card, read the numbers first to set a baseline, then ask what the text adds on top. A below-rate body with a game-winning ability is still a great card.