The Disney Lorcana Challenge in Melbourne, Australia, was a momentous occasion for Disney Lorcana. As Oceania's first major Lorcana tournament, it drew in a passionate crowd of Illumineers from all corners of Australia and New Zealand, all eager to demonstrate their skills and compete for the coveted title of champion. The energy inside Marvel Stadium's Victory Room was nothing less than extraordinary, with players buzzing with anticipation and the air thick with the thrill of competition. Illumineers from across the world joined, but ultimately only one could be crowned the champion. Emerging victorious from this crucible was Dinh Khang Pham, a player with a history in competitive TCGs such as Yu-Gi-Oh!, who expertly wielded a unique Ruby/Sapphire deck to claim his place as the Melbourne Disney Lorcana Challenge Champion.

The Melbourne Disney Lorcana Challenge: A Tournament Overview

The Melbourne Disney Lorcana Challenge, held on February 1st and 2nd, 2025, was organized by TAK Games. The tournament featured a two-day structure: Day 1 consisted of nine Swiss rounds of Core Constructed format, where players engaged in 2-game matches. This format rewarded consistency and strategic prowess, ensuring that only the most skilled players would advance to Day 2. The top 64 players then battled it out in a single-elimination bracket, with best-of-3 matches determining the ultimate victor.

The tournament offered a variety of side events to cater to different play styles and skill levels, fostering a welcoming atmosphere for both casual players and seasoned veterans. Attendees could participate in Pack Rush, Competitive Constructed, Sealed, Chaos Sealed, The First Chapter Sealed, On-Demand Draft, and On-Demand Constructed events. These side events provided a more relaxed environment for players to enjoy the game, experiment with different strategies, and connect with fellow Illumineers.

The prize pool for the Melbourne Challenge was a major draw, with rewards increasing in value as players progressed through the tournament:

These enticing prizes, combined with the glory of becoming the Melbourne Champion, fueled the competitive fire of the event.

Dinh Khang Pham: A TCG Veteran

Dinh Khang Pham, the champion of the Melbourne Disney Lorcana Challenge, has a rich history in the world of competitive TCGs. Pham is mostly known for the Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG, where he honed his skills and achieved notable success. His accomplishments included a 3rd place finish at YCS London 2019. He also achieved a Top 8 finish at YCS Prague 2017 and reached the Top 16 of the Yu-Gi-Oh! Remote Duel Invitational. These experiences undoubtedly provided Pham with a solid foundation in deck-building, resource management, and reading opponents - skills that would prove invaluable in his Lorcana journey.

Pham's Winning Strategy: Ruby/Sapphire Burn

Pham's weapon of choice for the Melbourne Challenge was a Ruby/Sapphire deck, named "Dihn A Little Lore," an archetype known for its aggressive burn strategy and ability to quickly overwhelm opponents. While the exact decklist remains a secret, we can glean insights from various sources to understand the core elements that propelled Pham to victory.

Ruby/Sapphire decks typically combine the strengths of both inks: Ruby focuses on direct damage and efficient character removal, while Sapphire provides card draw, card filtering, and ways to protect key characters. This synergy allows for a balanced approach, disrupting the opponent's strategy while maintaining a consistent flow of resources and threats.

However, Pham's version deviated from the standard Ruby/Sapphire builds in a crucial way. Instead of relying on the typical control-oriented approach with cards like Maleficent - Monstrous Dragon, he opted for a more aggressive burn strategy. This focus on swift and decisive damage, coupled with efficient resource generation and card draw, allowed him to outpace opponents and secure victories before they could establish their own game plans.

Key cards in this strategy likely included:

• Maui - Half-Shark: A new addition from Azurite Seas, Half-Shark forces your opponent to respect it by either removing it or preventing it from engaging in combat, and even then, the ability to gain lore when actions are played puts you on a clock to seek answers ASAP.
• McDuck Manor - Scrooge's Mansion: As if half-sharks weren't intimidating enough, we have high willpower locations to deal with. McDuck Manor proves that vanilla locations can apply enough pressure. Decks that have two strong vectors of attacks makes it much harder to plan counterplays, and this deck does it quite well.
• A Pirate's Life: A Sing Together song that is entirely solo-able from Half-Shark alone can claw back some serious lore differences or allow you to take an unforgivable lead. Lore removal is a powerful tactic in a control deck like this, and being able to bring it back thanks to Half-Shark makes it that much more devastating.
• Goofy - Super Goof: In order to deal with early aggression, you have Super Goof to swing in for some quick lore gain in the process. No one to challenge? He can sing any of your impactful songs like How Far I'll Go and be part of A Pirate's Life Sing Together. He's a great character all around at 4 cost, and he's inkable to boot.
• Scrying Actions: Cards like "Develop Your Brain" and "Vision of the Future" allow players to filter through their deck and find the cards they need, ensuring a consistent flow of resources and answers to opposing threats.

By combining these powerful cards with strategic resource management and a keen understanding of the metagame, Pham crafted a formidable deck that proved its dominance in the Melbourne Challenge.

Semifinal Controversy

The Melbourne Challenge was not without its share of controversy. A particularly contentious moment occurred during the semifinals match between Jesse Lentini and Clement Fusade. The dispute arose from a complex interaction involving triggered abilities and the timing of their resolution. In a crucial turn, Lentini quested with his Magic Broom - Illuminary Keeper and then played Merlin - Goat, which has an ability that triggers when the player gains lore. Lentini attempted to banish the Magic Broom to draw a card before resolving Merlin's ability, but Fusade challenged the play, arguing that the Magic Broom should have been banished after Merlin's ability was resolved.

The judge ruled in favor of Fusade, leading to a significant tempo swing that ultimately helped him win the match. However, the ruling sparked debate within the Lorcana community, with many arguing that the judge had misinterpreted the rules. According to Lorcana's comprehensive rules, triggered abilities are added to a resolution queue and can be resolved in any order chosen by the active player. This suggests that Lentini's play was legal, and the incorrect ruling may have unfairly impacted the outcome of the match.

This controversy highlighted the need for a more robust and consistent judging system in Lorcana tournaments. As the game grows in popularity and competitive events become more frequent, ensuring fair and accurate rulings is crucial to maintain the integrity of the game and the trust of the players.

Pham's Road to Victory

Dinh Khang Pham's journey to the championship was marked by impressive displays of skill and strategic decision-making. In his match against Clement Fusade, Pham demonstrated his mastery of the Ruby/Sapphire archetype, leveraging the deck's burn potential to secure a decisive victory. He effectively utilized cards like Maui - Half-Shark to disrupt Fusade's board presence and McDuck Manor to generate significant lore, ultimately overwhelming his opponent with a combination of aggressive lore gain and efficient resource management.

Conclusion

Dinh Khang Pham's victory at the Melbourne Disney Lorcana Challenge is a significant achievement, not only for his personal journey in the TCG world but also for the growth of Disney Lorcana in Oceania and beyond. His success highlights the strategic depth and competitive potential of the game.

The tournament itself was a testament to the growing passion for Lorcana in Australia, with a vibrant community of players eager to compete and connect with fellow enthusiasts. However, the judging controversy and logistical challenges surrounding product availability underscore the need for continued development and support from Ravensburger to ensure a thriving competitive scene.

As Lorcana expands into new markets and captures the hearts of players worldwide, events like the Melbourne Challenge will play a crucial role in shaping the game's future. Dinh Khang Pham's victory serves as a beacon of inspiration, demonstrating the rewards of dedication, strategic thinking, and a passion for this enchanting new TCG. His triumph, along with the challenges and triumphs of other players in the tournament, will undoubtedly contribute to the evolution of Lorcana, solidifying its place as a major player in the world of trading card games

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