Taipei Challenge Recap

On February 14 and 15, 365 Illumineers from across the globe gathered for the Disney Lorcana Challenge Taipei, ready to put their gameplay skills to the ultimate test. Live streaming coverage on both Saturday and Sunday brought the event to screens around the world, while those on site could enjoy artist signings and a variety of side events.

I was also in attendance, competing for the glittering prize cards and the coveted trophy, and it was a magical experience to meet so many talented Illumineers from the region. And as highlighted on the Disney Lorcana Asia Instagram, cosplayers lit up the event with dazzling costumes and heartfelt love for the realm of Disney Lorcana.

In the end, after nine intense rounds of Core Constructed play and a thrilling Top 32 single-elimination showdown, Edmond Chiu emerged victorious with a finely tuned Emerald/Sapphire deck, becoming a two-time DLC Champion! To recap the event, this article provides a winner’s interview, an overview of the metagame, and a look at the Top 8 decklists.

4 Develop Your Brain

4 Sail The Azurite Sea

4 Tipo – Growing Son

2 Ink Geyser

4 Clarabelle – Clumsy Guest

4 Donald Duck – Perfect Gentleman

4 John Silver – Alien Pirate

2 Basil – Undercover Detective

4 Clarabelle – Light on Her Hooves

4 Under The Sea

4 Vision of the Future

4 Cinderella – Dream Come True

4 Malicious, Mean, and Scary

4 Prince Phillip – Royal Explorer

4 Prince Phillip – Vanquisher of Foes

4 You're Welcome

Edmond Chiu already was one of Disney Lorcana Trading Card Game’s most accomplished players, with victories at DLC Fort Worth 2024 and the 2025 North American Championship, alongside an impressive runner-up finish at the 2025 Disney Lorcana World Championship. Now, he has added yet another title to his growing collection, along with a coveted invitation to the 2026 Disney Lorcana World Championship.

I had the opportunity to catch up with Ed to learn more about his deck, his experience over the weekend, and what goes on in the mind of a true champion.

Frank: Congratulations on your victory! You've consistently brought Emerald/Sapphire to the last few Disney Lorcana Challenges you've competed in. What is it about this deck that you love so much?

Ed: My favorite card in the previous set was Sisu. Prince Phillip is very similar in that it can banish your opponent’s cards as well as leave a large body for your opponent to deal with. The control strategy has always been my strong suit and favored deck to play and currently, that is the most controlling deck.

Your card choices have noticeably changed over the past few events. At DLC Melbourne, you finished 9th with a list featuring four Strike A Good Match, two Under the Sea, and two Ink Geyser. How did you start with that build?

I’ve iterated a bunch through the decks, and each deck tells a different story. I played a bunch of Emerald/Sapphire in Whispers in the Well, but didn’t see any new cards that really stuck out to me.

Strike A Good Match seemed to be a reasonable card to play to filter out the bad cards in certain matchups like Ink Geyser vs Dogs or Under the Sea vs Amethyst/Steel. I got some inspiration from Autumn Burchett’s Hong Kong build with the two Under the Sea and two Ink Geyser for the different matchups (Under the Sea vs aggressive strategies and Ink Geyser vs control strategies). I ended up first in Swiss but lost to Dogs in Top 16.

Then for DLC Ghent, you cut Strike a Good Match, added two Distract, and increased Under the Sea to four copies.

In Ghent, I respected Dogs more, as that was the dominating deck of the format and all I wanted to do was play Under the Sea. I bumped up the numbers of Under the Sea and experimented with playing Distract in order for Under the Sea to be more effective against decks with 3 strength like Amethyst/Steel. I cut the Strike A Good Match as I wouldn’t mind casting Under the Sea in every matchup and also Ink Geyser to finish the match. I lost to Dogs again in Top 32 and realized that all that mattered was getting Singer 8 and digging as hard as possible to find Under the Sea.

And finally in Taipei, you cut two Distract and two Basil – Undercover Detective while adding four Develop Your Brain. How did you arrive at that final build?

I decided to put the Develop your Brains back into the deck, as it is the only card that can look at two cards for the price of 1 ink. Theoretically, with 7 ink, you could play three Vision of the Future and one Develop to look for 17 cards to find Under the Sea. This was really appealing to me, so I decided to add those back in and removed two copies of Basil as they were somewhat hard to cast against Dogs and if I needed them, I could Ink Geyser and find them.

The metagame in Taipei was dominated by Amethyst/Sapphire, Amber/Emerald, and Amethyst/Steel. How do you feel your deck lines up against those strategies?

Against Amethyst/Sapphire, it’s quite play-draw dependent, and it requires your opponent to stumble on the play in order to win. Fortunately for me, my opponent missed ramp in the finals of Game 3 and that was my opening to take advantage of the deck. It is a low-resource game, and if you are able to wipe the board and Ink Geyser, you have a good shot at winning the game.

Against Amber/Emerald Dogs, it’s a matter of finding Under the Sea in a timely matter with Singer 8 on board. I think this is where deck building is the most important part of this matchup to optimize finding Under the Sea. If you build your deck in a way that fulfills these conditions, you will be in good shape.

Against Amethyst/Steel, depending on how aggressive the deck is, for example, against Christopher Robin – Joining the Fun, the Under the Sea can also wipe the board and finish the game. Usually, however, if you are able to stick a Prince Phillip – Royal Explorer on board, Amethyst Steel has no way to deal with that and a wipe in addition to playing some John Silver – Alien Pirate and Basil – Undercover Detective to finish the game is a recipe for success.

The deciding Game 3 of the finals against Pasapon Tantisiriwat was one of the most memorable games of Disney Lorcana yet. Momentum swung back and forth, with clutch topdecks and your opponent reaching 19 lore. What were the most critical moments in that game that helped you earn the win?

In the finals of game 3, it came down to who could topdeck the removal. The turn that I was able to Under the Sea and You’re Welcome to completely clear my opponents board into another Under the Sea the following turn locked the game up. It was a matter of finding the removal cards and using them on the correct characters in a timely manner.

Your competitive Disney Lorcana journey has been incredible. Alongside your triumph in Taipei, you previously won DLC Fort Worth 2024 and the 2025 North American Championship, and you finished second at the first-ever Disney Lorcana World Championship. What do you think is the secret to your success, and what advice would you give to players hoping to follow in your footsteps?

I believe there is no secret to success. Just like everything else in life, you need to work hard to figure out the lines of your deck and how it lines up against your opponents. Everything in my previous answer was something that took a long time to figure out by sitting down, mapping out the turns, and playing the game.

You've now secured an invitation to the Season 2 World Championship. What does that invitation mean to you?

The invitation was all I was looking for this season. I fell short of the World Championship last year, and my goal this year was to try again. I had a rough season so far, but I was very fortunate to have some good matchups and a solid plan against my opponents. I wasn’t expecting to win a DLC as there are so many good players that you need to go through and the most viable plan was to qualify to Worlds via Continentals. Someone had to win, and I just happened to stumble upon it.

Who is your favorite Disney character, and what is your favorite Disney movie?

My favorite character is Maui and my favorite movie is Moana. He embodies everything that I want to be in life: Unwavering in the face of adversity.

How did you celebrate your victory on Sunday evening, and is there anyone you'd like to thank?

After the tournament, my team and local friends all went out to the night markets to enjoy all of Taiwan’s delicious street food and sang karaoke to finish the night. I would like to thank my girlfriend Emily and my team, who are always there to support me. Until next time!

The Metagame in Taipei

Following Melbourne and Ghent, Taipei marked the third Disney Lorcana Challenge event in the Winterspell Core Constructed format, featuring cards from Shimmering Skies, Azurite Sea, Archazia’s Island, Reign of Jafar, Fabled, Whispers in the Well, and Winterspell. With such a rich card pool, the stage was set for a dynamically evolving metagame. Based on the submitted decklists, here is how the field took shape.

While the three most-played decks at DLC Taipei remained the same as the preceding weekend in DLC Ghent, their relative positions shifted. Amethyst/Steel had been the most popular ink pairing in Ghent, but after a somewhat underwhelming performance there, it fell to third place in Taipei. Instead, Sapphire/Amethyst and Amber/Emerald rose to the top, and together these three deck archetypes made up over half of the field in Taipei.

One of the most notable developments was the rise of Amber/Steel. After Diego Saz showed the power of Angel – Siren Singer, Akood et Emuti, and Angel – Experiment 624 with his Top 4 finish in Ghent, “Steelsong” strategies began to gain real momentum, with one such deck ultimately reaching the Top 8.

To better understand how these ink pairings performed, it’s insightful to consider the conversion rates to Day 2—all competitors with a record of 4-2-1 or better advanced—and further into the Top 32. Here, four archetypes clearly stood out, each posting strong results:

• Sapphire/Amethyst comprised 21% of the Day 1 field, rising to 28% on Day 2, 25% in the Top 32, and an impressive 50% of the Top 8.

• Amber/Emerald made up 19% of the initial field, improving slightly to 20% on Day 2, then climbing to 25% in the Top 32 and maintaining that share in the Top 8.

• Sapphire/Emerald began at 10% on Day 1, but grew to 13% on Day 2, 22% in the Top 32, and 13% of the Top 8.

• Amber/Steel started at 12%, increased to 16% on Day 2, and secured 13% shares in both the Top 32 and the Top 8.

Meanwhile, Amethyst/Steel struggled to keep pace. Despite starting as 14% of the field on Day 1, it slipped to 13% on Day 2, 9% in the Top 32, and failed to place a single copy into the Top 8. Other, less-played ink combinations faced similarly disappointing outcomes.

Taken together, these numbers paint a picture of a format in constant motion, where each weekend brings new adaptations and innovations. This evolution was particularly evident in the card choices of the most successful Illumineers, who fine-tuned their lists in response to the dominance of Amber/Emerald Dogs in Ghent. Edmond Chiu’s continual refinements, carefully aimed at improving the Dogs matchup, is a clear example of that process in action.

Similarly, many successful Sapphire/Amethyst players adjusted their builds by incorporating additional copies of cards like Tigger – Bouncing All the Way, Isis Vanderchill – Ice Queen of St. Canard, and Wasabi – Methodical Engineer. Even the top-performing Dogs lists, while still similar to Zan Syed’s winning configuration from DLC Ghent, reinforced with Lady – Family Dog and Ursula – Deceiver to gain an edge in the mirror match. Every tweak matters.

That said, with four Sapphire decks advancing to the Top 4, it’s clear that choosing Sapphire deck was the right call in Taipei.

The Top 8 Decklists

Below, you can find the decklists of the Top 8 finishers in final standing order.

1. Edmond Chiu – Emerald/Sapphire

4 Develop Your Brain

4 Sail The Azurite Sea

4 Tipo – Growing Son

2 Ink Geyser

4 Clarabelle – Clumsy Guest

4 Donald Duck – Perfect Gentleman

4 John Silver – Alien Pirate

2 Basil – Undercover Detective

4 Clarabelle – Light on Her Hooves

4 Under The Sea

4 Vision of the Future

4 Cinderella – Dream Come True

4 Malicious, Mean, and Scary

4 Prince Phillip – Royal Explorer

4 Prince Phillip – Vanquisher of Foes

4 You're Welcome

2. Pasapon Tantisiriwat – Amethyst/Sapphire

4 Hades – Infernal Schemer

4 Demona – Scourge of the Wyvern Clan

4 Elsa – The Fifth Spirit

2 Belle – Accomplished Mystic

2 Let It Go

4 Genie – Wish Fulfilled

4 Dumbo – Ninth Wonder of the Universe

4 Demona – Betrayer of the Clan

2 Iago – Giant Spectral Parrot

4 Cheshire Cat – Inexplicable

4 Into the Unknown

4 Junior Woodchuck Guidebook

4 Sail the Azurite Sea

4 Tipo – Growing Son

4 Royal Guard

4 Basil – Practiced Detective

2 Swordplay

3. Luca Rinaldi – Amethyst/Sapphire

4 Basil – Practiced Detective

4 Royal Guard – Octopus Soldier

4 Tipo – Growing Son

3 Cheshire Cat – Inexplicable

4 Tigger – Bouncing All the Way

4 Genie – Wish Fulfilled

4 Dumbo – Ninth Wonder of the Universe

3 Iago – Giant Spectral Parrot

4 Hades – Looking for a Deal

4 Hades – Infernal Schemer

4 Sail The Azurite Sea

4 Junior Woodchuck Guidebook

4 Let it Go

2 Into the Unknown

4 Demona – Scourge of the Wyvern Clan

4 Elsa – The Fifth Spirit

4. Robin Low – Amethyst/Sapphire

4 Hades – Infernal Schemer

4 Basil – Practiced Detective

4 Tipo – Growing Son

4 Sail the Azurite Sea

3 Into the Unknown

3 Let It Go

4 Rafiki – Mystical Fighter

4 Elsa – the Fifth Spirit

4 Iago – Giant Spectral Parrot

4 Dumbo – Ninth Wonder of the Universe

4 Demona – Scourge of the Wyvern Clan

3 Hades – Looking for a Deal

4 Junior Woodchuck Guidebook

4 Cheshire Cat – Inexplicable

2 Hypnotic Strength

2 Tigger – Bouncing All the Way

3 Isis Vanderchill – Ice Queen of St. Canard

5. Thiago Santana – Amber/Emerald

4 Rhino – One-Sixteenth Wolf

4 Grandmother Willow – Ancient Advisor

4 Lilo – Escape Artist

2 Mowgli – Man Cub

3 Lady – Family Dog

4 Nani – Stage Manager

4 Lady – Decisive Dog

4 Lady – Miss Park Avenue

4 Tramp – Street-Smart Dog

1 Finnick – Tiny Terror

4 Lady – Elegant Spaniel

4 Tramp – Enterprising Dog

4 Ursula – Deceiver

3 Under The Sea

3 Emerald Chromicon

4 Della's Moon Lullaby

4 Bobby Zimuruski – Spray Cheese Kid

6. Sung Tai Law – Amber/Steel

2 Mowgli – Man Cub

3 Lilo – Escape Artist

4 Angel – Siren Singer

4 Nani – Stage Manager

4 Ariel – Ethereal Voice

3 Chief Powhatan – Protective Leader

4 Stitch – Carefree Surfer

4 Akood et Emuti

4 Mulan – Disguised Soldier

4 Doc – Bold Knight

4 Angel – Experiment 624

4 Strength of a Raging Fire

4 He Hurled His Thunderbolt

2 Beyond the Horizon

4 Grandmother Willow – Ancient Advisor

4 The Troubadour – Musical Narrator

2 Bambi – Ethereal Fawn

7. Justice Barnett – Amber/Emerald

4 Rhino – One-Sixteenth Wolf

4 Grandmother Willow – Ancient Advisor

4 Lilo – Escape Artist

2 Mowgli – Man Cub

3 Lady – Family Dog

4 Nani – Stage Manager

4 Lady – Decisive Dog

4 Lady – Miss Park Avenue

4 Tramp – Street-Smart Dog

1 Finnick – Tiny Terror

4 Lady – Elegant Spaniel

4 Tramp – Enterprising Dog

4 Ursula – Deceiver

3 Under The Sea

3 Emerald Chromicon

4 Della's Moon Lullaby

4 Bobby Zimuruski – Spray Cheese Kid

8. Aaron Wallach – Amethyst/Sapphire

4 Basil – Practiced Detective

4 Royal Guard – Octopus Soldier

2 Hypnotic Strength

4 Junior Woodchuck Guidebook

4 Sail The Azurite Sea

4 Tipo – Growing Son

3 Cheshire Cat – Inexplicable

3 Into the Unknown

4 Dumbo – Ninth Wonder of the Universe

3 Genie – Wish Fulfilled

3 Isis Vanderchill – Ice Queen of St. Canard

2 Wasabi – Methodical Engineer

4 Hades – Looking for a Deal

3 Let it Go

4 Demona – Scourge of the Wyvern Clan

4 Hades – Infernal Schemer

1 Rafiki – Mystical Fighter

4 Elsa – The Fifth Spirit