Ever since the very first set, Lorcana has run on exactly one resource: the Inkwell. You can put one card into it per turn—that’s the limit, and there’s no getting around it. Hyperia City introduces a second source alongside it for the first time, and it works completely differently. Here’s a step-by-step explanation of what Ink Drops are, where they come from, and how they change the game.
“Ink drops are counters—much like tokens in other games—that aren’t treated as cards and aren’t included in your deck. You can remove one Ink Drop counter to pay for one ink.”
That’s what it says in Ravensburger’s official reveal. What that means in detail is explained below.
1. Where Ink Drops Come From
Not from the deck, and none of them appear on their own. Ink Drops are created by cards that are placed in front of you. The song “Higitus Figitus” puts three down at once when played. Go Go Tomago gets one as soon as she’s challenged, so it pays off when your opponent attacks. And Mickey Mouse, as an Iconic card, even gives one to everyone at the table at the end of the round—including your opponent.
2. What an Ink Drop Is
An Ink Drop is a token in front of you, not a card. It isn’t in your deck, doesn’t take up one of the 60 slots, and you never draw it. It simply appears as soon as a card creates it and remains there until you play it.
3. What You Pay for with Ink Drops
One Ink Drop covers exactly one ink, and you’re free to mix them as you like. You can play a card for three inks using three inks from the inkwell, three Ink Drops, or two inks and one Ink Drop—whatever works best for you. The Ink Drop is then used up and disappears.
4. Why This Matters So Much
Until now, there has been exactly one source of ink in Lorcana, and it grows by at most one card per round. There was no getting around that. Ink Drops are an additional source, and whatever you don’t spend in your turn will still be there in the next one. This allows you to play a card that would normally be a turn too early, and that’s exactly what shifts the entire pace of the game.
5. Cards React to Ink Drops
Some cards don’t look at the inkwell at all, but rather at your ink drops. Wasabi gains +2 strength as long as at least one ink drop is in front of you, so you don’t even have to play him. Madam Mim lets you draw two cards if you paid an ink drop when playing her. And Baymax can spend two Ink Drops instead of paying his normal Shift cost.
6. Every ink handles it differently
Amber hands them out and tends to pass Ink Drops around to everyone at the table rather than hoarding them. Sapphire collects them, and Shere Khan, as CEO of Khan Industries, thrives on them. Steel uses leftover ink to build up a stockpile—that’s where Arthur and Merlin are sitting. So it’s worth choosing colors based on how they handle Ink Drops.
7. Ink Drops at the Table
The 2-player Starter Set includes real Ink Drop tokens, so you don’t have to make anything yourself or improvise with coins. They’re placed face up so both players can see at any time who has how many.