When Into the Inklands was announced, it came with a massive surprise: an entirely new type of card. Locations bring a new way to gain lore and buff your characters. With that come new deck builds and counter-strategies.
In this article, we’ll cover the basics and common questions, then move to location strategy. You’ll need to know when playing a location is the right choice, and how to deal with your opponent’s locations.
Let us know any questions you have in the comments below and we’ll answer them in an update.
Quick Links
What Are Locations?
Location cards are a new card type for Disney Lorcana. The cards represent iconic places from the Disney lore, such as the Marketplace in Agrabah, The Mirror Chamber from The Queen’s Castle, and the Pride Lands.
Locations are named similarly to characters, with their main title first, then their “version” name underneath. There are also no Floodborn or shifted versions as of Into the Inklands, but it is a possibility.
Locations are printed in “landscape” and played horizontally. They have some different stat icons, and allow you to gain lore passively – without needing to quest. Some also have effects when characters are in the location. They also have very different rules when it comes to challenges, drying ink, and more.
Location Card Diagram + Explanation
Like all other cards, the ink cost to play the card and whether it is inkable or not is in the top left. You can easily draw a location and know these details while holding it upright in your hand with your other cards.
Holding the card sideways, you’ll see three stats. On the left side, the thing that looks like a mix between a location pin icon and an Ink icon 
is the Move Cost. This is how much Ink it costs to move a character to this location.
On the right you’ll see the same Willpower 
stat as Character cards. Locations can be challenged, and when damage on the location equals its Willpower, it is banished. Locations don’t have Strength, so don’t do damage when challenged.
Abilities are in the text box, though not every location has them. On the right of the text box, many (but not all) locations have a slightly different Lore 
icon. At the start of your turn, in the Set part of the Beginning Phase, you gain this much Lore!
They only have the Location classification (so far), come in the six ink colors as normal, and there are Enchanted versions of some locations. The artist’s name, card/set number, rarity, and copyright details are all the same as other cards.
How Do You Play Locations?
To play a location card, you pay the Ink cost as you would with any other card. Locations can only be played in the Main Phase (like other cards), and they come into your side of the board horizontally – aka sideways, so you can read the text. There are two major changes that you’ll need to know
Locations do not need to wait a turn for their Ink to dry. That means you can move characters to them straight away, and their card effects work immediately.
Locations can be challenged immediately as they don’t exert or ready. The horizontal placement is an easy visual way of showing this. That also means they can’t be protected by card effects that ready other cards.
Gaining Lore With Locations
Locations gain their Lore value in the Set part of the Beginning phase. You can brush up on Disney Lorcana’s phases here, but this is how each player must start their turn.
- READY – Ready your exerted cards by turning them upright
- SET – Check for effects that happen at the start of your turn and follow their instructions. This is when you gain Lore from locations.
- DRAW – Draw a card from the top of your deck. The first player skips this step on their first turn
That means locations gain Lore passively, without having to quest. They don’t exert, they stay in landscape position all of the time they are on the board. You play cards in the main phase, so Locations don’t gain Lore on their first turn – only at the start of your next turn.
Not all locations have a Lore value so some don’t gain any Lore. They also can’t quest like Characters so don’t exert or ready. These cards always stay horizontal, even when gaining Lore.
Moving Characters To Locations
During the Main Phase of your turn, you can move your characters on the board to any of your locations. For each character you want to move, you first declare the character is moving to the location. Then, pay the Move Cost shown on the left-hand side of the location, and move the character to it.
There isn’t an official rule on how to show a character is at a location. Most people do this by having them touch or slightly overlap the location. Don’t cover stats/abilities. Make it obvious for you and your opponent’s sake, and make it clear when characters aren’t at a location.
There aren’t limits on how many characters can be in one location, or how many Locations can be on the board. However, each character can only be in one location at a time. Some effects reduce the cost of moving characters to locations.
Locations can be moved to on the first turn they are played. Characters can also move to them as soon as the character is played, aka they don’t need to have dry ink. They can move whether they are exerted or ready.
You can’t move a character to the location they are currently in, without moving them to another first, then back. Characters can only move to a location, and can’t move out of a location on their own. However, you can move a character from one location to another.
When a location is removed by being banished or returned to your hand, the character stays on the board – they just aren’t at the location anymore. They don’t move to another automatically but can be moved again by paying the normal Move cost.
Why Move Characters To Locations?
Moving characters to a location isn’t always needed. There are “vanilla” locations with high Willpower but no effects like McDuck Manor – Scrooge’s Mansion. They are good for forcing your opponent to deal with them.
There are also locations like The Queen’s Castle – Mirror Chamber and Pride Lands – Pride Rock that have powerful benefits. Other cards like Magic Broom – The Big Sweeper and Shenzi – Hyena Pack Leader get buffs just for being in a location.
Other cards like Peter Pan – Lost Boy Leader and HeiHei – Accidental Explorer get benefits from the act of moving to a location. You can even use I’ve Got A Dream for an unexpected win. Keep an eye out for different interactions opponents might not expect.
Moving Between Locations
Characters can Move from one of your locations to another as often as you’d like. You just have to pay the Move cost each time as normal. Once a character is in a location, you can only move it out by moving it to another or removing that location entirely.
Some abilities give bonuses for moving to locations. Some are limited to once per turn, but Cubby – Mighty Lost Boy is an example where it can be used over and over, gaining him +3 
for each move.
Characters in locations aren’t protected or shielded by locations in any way. This is a very common question, probably because similar types of cards in other games can protect characters. In Disney Lorcana, this isn’t the case.
Challenging Locations
Locations can be challenged and banished like Character cards. They can be challenged on the first turn they are played, as they don’t exert or need to be exerted. They also don’t have Strength, so they don’t do any damage in return.
To challenge a location, the active player declares the character they will challenge with, and the target. In this case, it’s a location. Then, they do damage as normal based on the character’s current strength.
Damage is done, and damage tokens (or however you prefer to show damage) are used if needed. When the damage reaches the total Willpower of that location, it is banished and the card is put in the Discard pile.
You can choose to challenge a location, or a character at a location separately. Locations are great because they generally have quite high Willpower, forcing opponents to choose to deal with them over your characters.
Challenging Characters At Locations
Characters at locations can be challenged as normal. They aren’t shielded by a location unless a card rule says otherwise like with Tiana’s Palace – Jazz Restaurant or Fang – River City. The same rules for only challenging exerted characters still apply.
Location Abilities & Effects
Locations have all sorts of abilities and effects. However, they are generally triggered (happen when another thing happens) or static (always active), but not activated (require a cost to be paid). As locations can’t be exerted, there are none that need to be exerted to activate.
Some have immediate benefits. Because you can move characters to locations on the same turn either are played, you can use those effects straight away. For instance, this instant 6-ink combo: –
- Play Jolly Roger – Hook’s Ship and Captain Hook – Master Swordsman in one turn
- Jolly Roger’s ALL HANDS ON DECK! ability allows Hook to move there for free because he is a Pirate
- He gains Rush because he is a Pirate at the location from the LOOK ALIVE, YOU SWABS! ability
- He can immediately challenge a character
- If he banishes another character in the challenge, he gets readied because of his NEMESIS ability
- He can repeat this for as many characters as he can challenge and banish, while not being banished himself
Not all locations have abilities, so there isn’t necessarily a good reason to move characters to them unless you have a plan.
Can Locations Get Keywords?
There are various keywords in Lorcana – which are common abilities that are bolded. There are currently no locations with keyword abilities. Previously, the wording for most keywords specified “character”.
However, Vault Door is a card that can give locations (and characters at them) Resist +1. So it looks like at least Resist will be able to be used on locations. Some locations give keywords to characters, and some characters only get keywords when they are at locations.
Locations Keyword Mini FAQ
Locations can’t challenge, sing, or quest. Getting Rush, Challenger, Reckless, Singer, or Support somehow wouldn’t allow them to do those things either.
A character with Reckless must challenge a location if it is a valid target. Rush characters can target locations on their first turn. Bodyguard does not stop locations from being challenged (the rules specify characters).
Characters with Challenger can use the strength bonus when challenging locations. The rules text just states they get +x while challenging, not what/who they’re challenging.
Resist on a location reduces damage to the location, not characters at the location as well. Maui’s Place of Exile – Hidden Island is a separate and specific effect that gives characters there Resist +1.
Locations Summarized
- Locations are paid for or inked like normal cards
- They come onto the board sideways / in landscape
- Same deck/play rules: Four of in a deck, no limit on how many can be in play
- They go on your side of the board, and are for you and your characters only
- They can be challenged, and are banished as normal
- You can move characters to locations for the move cost
- Characters can move between locations, but not out of them
- A character can only be in one location at a time
- There is no limit to the amount of characters in a location
- They gain lore equal to their lore value at the start of each turn in the Set step after readying, just before drawing. Not all locations have lore
- They do this instead of questing, which they can’t do
- Characters at locations can get benefits from a location’s abilities, but not all of them have abilities
Key Differences To Other Card Types
- Locations don’t need to dry – because they can’t challenge or quest
- They also don’t get exerted. Which means…
- Locations can be challenged immediately and don’t need to be exerted
- They gain lore passively at the start of the next turn after they are played
- Characters can only leave locations to move to another OR
- If the location is banished/removed, the character stays on the board and isn’t in the location anymore
Should You Include Locations In Your Deck?
While there are only a few locations to choose from at the moment, they have affected play. Some decks are built around locations, while some use them as another type of character that might need more attention from an opponent.
Simple Location Tactics
Many people include just a few locations that force opponents to deal with them. McDuck Manor – Scrooge’s Mansion costs 4 ink but has 9 Willpower. At turn four/five it would take 2 or 3 challenges to get rid of – which could mean an opponent can’t quest or advance their own plan.
Even cheap locations like Never Land – Mermaid Lagoon or De Vil Manor – Cruella’s Estate at 4 Willpower often need two challenges at that crucial early game point. That can totally throw off their plan.
Keep The Queen’s Castle – Mirror Chamber out for a turn with a character in it and that’s 2 lore and 1 card drawn. Cards like this really force your opponent to switch to offense.
Location Deck Builds
Pride Lands Flood
Using Pride Lands – Pride Rock and low-cost characters, try to flood the board as fast as possible. Overwhelm the opponent by gaining lore before their game plan gets started. Too many characters to remove is the key – but can be countered by Steel removal like Grab Your Sword.
Play a cheap Prince or King character like Simba – Future King turn 1, then Pride Lands – Pride Rock turn 2. Move Simba there on turn 3, and you’ll be able to play a 2-cost card. Simba – Protective Cub can come in to protect Prince Simba, or Stitch – New Dog sets us up for a shift.
Pluto – Friendly Pooch is a good choice to aid the flood, and Cinderella – Ballroom Sensation can come out to sing some damage songs. Ramp to Stitch – Rock Star as fast as possible so you can play a character, exert it, draw another character, play a character…
If you shift the Stitch on turn 4, you might play a character from your hand without paying because of Pride Lands. At this point it’s possible to combo the ability to draw and play enough times that you’ll win on turn 5!
Space Pirates
Another popular deck is the Pirate deck that uses Jim Hawkins – Space Traveler to play and move to RLS Legacy – Solar Galleon for free.
If John Silver – Greedy Treasure Seeker then moves to it (for 2 Ink less) he’d have Evasive, Resist +1, and 2 Lore. Mr. Smee – Loyal First Mate is a great choice here and Captain Hook – Forceful Duelist is a great cheap turn 1 play.
There are plenty of other options, take a look at all location cards and make your own deck!
When To Play Locations
Choosing when to play locations instead of other cards is a huge part of the choices Lorcana presents. As with all of your plays, you should really think about how playing this card gets you further to your win condition.
Before playing a location, first think: is it going to stay around at least one turn. If your opponent has a few high-strength characters already on board – or plays a few Rush cards – you might lose it straight away.
If you have characters on board in the early-mid part of the game, maybe play a location with 2 lore and high Willpower. Your opponent then has to choose which to remove. A location with an ability (even if you aren’t going to use it…) makes them think harder.
How To Deal With Locations
Right now there aren’t many cards that specifically deal with locations well – but you should be aware of them. Rush characters with high strength are a versatile answer. Maui – Hero to All is a very popular card right now for a reason.
Steel – as usual – generally has the best targeted damage. In other inks, look for cards with Support or any general way to add strength. More unexpected plays might mean you throw off their game plan totally.
If this was helpful, but you want to brush up on the rest of the game – read our in-depth guide to Disney Lorcana: How to Play. Take a look at all of our other Disney Lorcana rules articles.
FAQ
Can Locations Be Challenged?
Yes, locations are challenged and banished in the same way as character challenges. Locations don’t have strength and don’t do damage back, so are fairly safe to challenge.
How Many Locations Can You Have In Your Deck / In Play?
Locations have the same rules regarding how many can be in your deck or in play. You can have up to four versions of a card in your deck i.e. 4 x The Queen’s Castle – Mirror Chamber. You can have more than one of the same card in play, and both players can play their own.
If there were another Location called (for example) The Queen’s Castle – Royal Courtyard, you’d be allowed four of these too. They’d count as separate card versions even if the first name part were the same as the other.
Do Locations Shield Characters?
No, locations don’t shield or protect characters that are at the location – unless there are specific rules on the cards. Characters can move to a location, but both can still get targeted for a challenge as normal.
When Do Locations Gain Lore?
Locations gain lore in the Beginning phase of that player’s turn. It has three steps, in this order.
First, you ready your cards and ink. Then you set up any effects that happen at the start of your turn – it’s in this phase where you gain lore. Finally, you draw a card.
Try saying ready, set, draw at the start of your turn to remember to do all of these things in the right sequence. Learn more about phases in Disney Lorcana here.
Do Locations Effects Work For All Players?
Locations only gain lore and give effects to the player who played the card, and their characters. In other TCGs, cards similar to locations can give effects to all players. We haven’t seen that with locations yet.
What Happens When A Location Is Banished?
Locations are banished in the same way as characters. When damage on a location equals or exceeds the location’s Willpower, they are banished – and the card is put into the discard pile.
Characters in that location “fall out” of the location, staying on the board. They don’t move to another location by default, even if they moved from one to the one that was just banished. They can move again as part of the normal main phase by paying the ink cost on your turn.
They don’t take any extra damage, but any active effects the card had for being in the location are no longer active.
How Do You Show Characters Are In A Location?
There are no official rules on this, apart from fully declaring the character is moving to the location. We suggest you should put one of the cards slightly over the over, or make them touch. Make it obvious, and if characters aren’t at a location also make that obvious.
How Many Characters Can Be In A Location?
There is no limit to how many characters can be in a location at one time.
Can Characters Be In More Than One Location?
No, a character can only be in one location at a time.
How Many Times Can A Character Move Location?
Characters can move between locations as many times as you can pay the ink for. If you use Map of Treasure Planet, you could move Cubby – Mighty Lost Boy between Nottingham – Prince John’s Castle and De Vil Manor – Cruella’s Estate over and over until his strength is over 9,000.
Should I Move Characters To Locations Without Abilities?
There isn’t any benefit to moving a character to a location if neither has abilities that give them some type of effect. However, it can be used as a bluff to make your opponent think you have a card that will do something to characters at locations.
Can Locations Be Inked?
Yes, you can ink Location cards in the exact same way as you currently do with all other cards. If you have a Location card in your hand and it has Inkwell symbol 
(a golden flourish around the Ink Cost ) then it is Inkable.
Can Card Effects Damage / Banish / Return Locations?
If a card effect specifically says it can damage/banish/”return to hand” a location, or any card type on the field, or just says “do damage”, then yes. Most card effects specifically state what type of cards they can target – so read the exact wording of the effect.
Common damage cards people ask this about are Tinker Bell – Giant Fairy, Smash, and Grab Your Sword among others. These all state “Deal x damage to chosen (opposing) character“. Because they state character, they can’t damage Locations, only Characters.
A similar thing goes for Dragon Fire and Be Prepared which banish characters. Cards like Beast – Hardheaded or Benja – Guardian of the Dragon Gem banish items. None of those will work on Locations.
“Return to hand” cards like Befuddle, Bounce, Mother Knows Best, and the “bounce package” Madam Mims all can’t target Locations either.
There are cards like And Then Along Came Zeus and Ba-Boom! that have “chosen character or Location“. The action Rise of the Titans also works because it specifies “Banish chosen location or item“.
Can Characters At Locations Challenge/Quest Immediately?
The same rules for a character’s ink having to dry also apply when they are at Locations. While you can move a character to a location as soon as either comes into play, that character still can’t quest or challenge on its first turn – as its ink needs to dry.
Are Locations Items?
No, location are their own card type. Effects that target items can’t target them as an item.
Are There Enchanted Locations?
Yes, there are already Enchanted versions of location cards – view all Enchanted locations.
Card FAQ
Does Be Prepared Banish Locations?
No. The card text specifies “banish all characters”. In the same vein, cards like Dragon Fire and Benja – Guardian of the Dragon Gem target characters or items respectively – not locations. Rise of the Titans is currently the only card with a banish effect that can target locations.
The card text must specify “location” to banish, return to hand, return to deck, or any other effect.
