Winterspell Pre-release Guide

Winterspell arrives in local game stores on February 13, 2026, blanketing the tables in a flurry of snowball skirmishes and crystalline wonder. To celebrate the launch, prerelease events from February 13–15 let you be among the first to explore the set ahead of its wider global release on February 20. These gatherings combine the joy of opening fresh booster packs with strategic play.

In this article, I’ll explore why the Winterspell prerelease is perfect for both newcomers and longtime Illumineers, and I’ll share practical advice to help you build a 40-card Sealed Deck with confidence.

What is a Prerelease? 

Prereleases are all about fun and discovery! These welcoming, low-pressure events offer an early opportunity to enjoy the newest expansion of the Disney Lorcana Trading Card Game while meeting fellow Illumineers. Hosted in game stores around the world, they’re the perfect way to share laughs, make new friends, and experience the excitement together. While supplies last, prerelease participants also receive a promo version of Timon – Snowball Sniper!

Formats and details may vary from store to store. Some locations offer Pack Rush, a fast-paced mode where you shuffle two booster packs together, start with two ink, and race to 15 lore. Most Prerelease events, however, feature a Sealed Deck tournament. In Sealed, each player receives six Winterspell booster packs, totaling 72 cards, to build a 40-card-minimum deck using any number of different inks.

Here’s why the Winterspell prerelease is an event you absolutely won’t want to miss:

• Collector’s delight. Winterspell sparkles across every rarity. Besides 18 frameless Epic cards and 18 coveted Enchanted cards, the set features two incredibly rare Iconic cards that shine with a lore star foil pattern and 3D hot stamp effects. Expect cheers and applause when someone pulls an Enchanted card and a collective gasp when an Iconic card emerges from a pack!

• Early, immediate play. Prerelease players get their first chance to open Winterspell packs and sleeve up new cards right away. Beloved characters from Disney’s Darkwing Duck, Lilo & Stitch, The Fox and the Hound, Pocahontas, and Mickey’s Christmas Carol make their debut, ready to leap from booster packs to the table. Moreover, Winterspell was designed with Sealed play in mind. And with every Sealed pool being unique, no two decks or games will feel the same. 

• Fun, beginner-friendly vibe. Prereleases are welcoming and social experiences. Don’t worry about seasoned players outshining you at a prerelease. They’re here for the same reason you are: To have fun and discover the magic of brand-new cards! Moreover, everyone is on equal footing because the set is all fresh. Don’t be shy about asking questions either. Fellow players are usually eager to help, and you may walk away not only with new cards, but with a few enchanting insights as well.

• Elegant fundamentals. Many Sealed decks lean on Common “vanilla” characters—those without special abilities—allowing the game to shine in its purest form. Success depends on managing your resources, choosing which card to ink each turn, balancing questing versus challenging, and adapting your role on the play or draw. Without the layers of synergy and consistency that define Constructed, Sealed is one of the purest ways to sharpen your fundamental gameplay skills. 

• No preparation needed. Unlike Constructed tournaments, you don’t need to come prepared with a finely tuned deck or detailed metagame knowledge. Simply show up, open your packs, build a deck with your favorite Disney characters, and battle against other Sealed players! That low barrier makes prereleases the perfect entry point for new or returning Illumineers eager to (re)discover the magic of Disney Lorcana. 

Building A Sealed Deck with an Ink Curve

If your Prerelease uses the Sealed Deck format, each player receives six Winterspell booster packs, and you have complete freedom to use all cards you open. Unlike Constructed, there is no two-ink restriction. If crafting a 40-card deck feels a little daunting, like stepping onto thin ice without knowing where it will crack, don’t worry—we’ll navigate this snowy landscape step by step.

One of the most important parts of building a Sealed Deck is a healthy ink curve: a smooth distribution of costs that lets you spend all your ink efficiently in the early turns of the game. Most successful Winterspell Sealed decks will follow a curve like this, usually with 34 inkable cards and six uninkable cards:

• 1-cost characters: 2–4 cards

• 2-cost characters: 7–9 cards 

• 3-cost characters: 7–9 cards 

• 4-cost characters: 6–8 cards 

• 5-cost characters: 5–7 cards 

• 6-cost characters: 4–6 cards 

• Actions, items, and locations: 2–4 cards 

As you open your packs, you can sort your cards into piles by ink cost, then choose the best options to fill each slot. For example, you’ll usually want to keep your 7–9 strongest characters with an ink cost of 3 and put the rest aside. Characters with the Underdogs ability—a new mechanic that lets you play characters on turn one when you are going second—can be treated as one-cost characters for curve purposes.

Be mindful of uninkable cards. They can be powerful, but they require discipline. Aim to include only those that truly justify their spot, ideally limiting yourself to one or two uninkables at any given ink cost. Drawing multiple uninkable cards of the same cost can force you off-curve, slowing your development. So even if you open a wealth of enticing uninkable 4-cost characters, your deck will usually function more smoothly if you cap them at two.

This framework helps your deck hum along, ideally letting you play a powerful character every turn starting from turn two, but it’s not a strict rulebook. For example, while most Limited decks cap out at six ink, there’s nothing wrong with adding powerful 7-cost showstoppers if you open multiples. Just keep in mind that by turn six or seven, your hand will usually be empty if you’ve played a character and ink each turn, so cards costing 8 or more ink tend to be a little too ambitious for most Sealed decks.

Winterspell Highlights: Top Sealed Cards to Prioritize

To illustrate the kinds of cards you’ll want to prioritize when building your prerelease deck, let’s take a closer look at some of the most exciting cards in Winterspell Sealed, broken down by rarity.

Across the Rares, Super Rares, and Legendaries, Ohana Means Family and Bambi – Ethereal Fawn rise to the top for their ability to generate sheer card advantage. Sealed often becomes a war of attrition where players run out of cards quickly, so those extra resources can help take over a game. Meanwhile, Chernabog – Unnatural Force stands out for its valuable ability to remove your opponent’s best character. Opening one of these will feel like finding your own magic lamp.

Evasive characters are perennial all-stars in Sealed: They steadily gain lore, are difficult to challenge, and can even answer opposing evasive threats. White Rabbit – Late Again, Vixey – Forest Friend, and Slushy – Glacial Guster rank among the very best Uncommons you can open, and virtually every vanilla evasive character is worth playing. The White Rabbit glimmer may be the best of the new Underdogs cycle: serviceable on turn two on the play, and amazing on turn one on the draw.

Characters with an ink cost of 6 often dominate Sealed battlefields with their imposing Strength and Willpower, frequently trading for two or more opposing cards. As Winterspell features only three characters with an ink cost of 6 at Common, you’ll usually want to play all of them to support a well-balanced ink curve. The Lumpy – Playful Heffalump card is the strongest thanks to its Evasive ability, but Pumbaa – Winter Warthog and Mickey Mouse – Tiny Tim's Father can also carry you through in longer, grindier games.

Knowing what not to play is just as important as knowing what to include. In Sealed, avoid cards that depend on narrow synergies, that can’t trade for an opposing card, or that interact with actions, items, or locations. Likewise, the ward ability is often less impressive. So, cards like Keep the Ancient Ways, Blue Smoke, or The Cold Never Bothered Me may underperform in Sealed games. While these cards may shine in Constructed or your personal collection, Sealed is more about curving out with straightforward characters that excel at questing or challenging throughout the game.

Winterspell Highlights: Two-Card Combos to Watch

Some of the most delightful moments in Disney Lorcana happen when two cards combine to create something greater than the sum of their parts. These little synergies can turn an ordinary game into something magical. While Sealed decks rely mostly on individual card strength—you won’t assemble combos as consistently as in Constructed—recognizing these interactions can be the deciding factor when filling those last few deck slots. Here are several inspiring combos you might see at your prerelease, each featuring at least one Common card.

Put on Your Snow Boots and Join a Winterspell Prerelease 

Whether you’re chasing a stunning Iconic card, eager to explore brand-new mechanics, or simply excited to crack packs alongside fellow Illumineers, the Winterspell prerelease is one you won’t want to miss. From February 13–15, you’ll be among the very first to uncover the set’s coolest adventures. 

While it’s helpful to bring sleeves, a deck box, and a playmat, all you truly need is yourself, a spark of curiosity, and perhaps a few insights from this article tucked away like a warm scarf. In Sealed Deck, be mindful of your ink curve, prioritize the best stand-alone cards, and embrace two-card combos whenever they appear. 

The Ravensburger Play Hub serves as your one-stop resource to find events and friendly local game stores near you. You can also share your adventures and connect with other Illumineers on Discord, where the community is already buzzing with excitement. May your prerelease weekend be filled with epic pulls, joyful moments, and unforgettable battles!