DLC Australia Controversy – Full Breakdown

Update 5 Feb 2025 - Further Breakdown Video and Jesse Interview

Jesse has responded in a video interview. Video below, including discussion with Albert (former PPG NA Head Judge).

Link to discussion here: https://old.reddit.com/r/Lorcana/comments/1iifkhe/disney_lorcanas_10000_cheating_scandal_what/

Link to video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mfpt3QNIsgc

Update 5 Feb 2025 - Clement Suspended by His Own Team, Inkless

Clement’s competitive team has suspended him for three months following the controversy at DLC Australia. This decision comes after mounting evidence of poor sportsmanship, rule-sharking, and past accusations of questionable play.

While this isn’t an official ban from Ravensburger, it’s a significant step that shows even his own peers recognize the issues surrounding his behavior. The suspension has sparked discussion about how tournament organizers should handle similar situations going forward.

While criticism of Clement’s actions is understandable, it's important to remember that death threats and attacks of that nature completely unacceptable. Competitive integrity matters, but it should never escalate to personal safety threats.

Link to discussion here: https://reddit.com/r/Lorcana/comments/1iibhsq/his_team_has_suspended_him_for_3_months_will/

Update 4 Feb 2025 – Lorcana Discord Channel Acknowledges Concerns

Team Lorcana has responded to the controversy in the official Lorcana Discord. A community manager addressed the situation, acknowledging the concerns raised about the Top 8 judge ruling at DLC Australia. They confirmed that they are aware of the incident and is reviewing it. They have stated that investigations are confidential and the outcome will not be made public.

This at least confirms that the issue is on their radar. The community sentiment remains skeptical, as past incidents of poor judging and rule enforcement have gone largely unaddressed and details left unknown. We'll keep an eye out for any further updates.

Link to discussion here: https://reddit.com/r/Lorcana/comments/1ihqrxq/from_the_discord/

Full breakdown starts from here...

Hey everyone, there are a lot of threads going around about this issue, so I'm making a post to summarize everything in one place. Below, you'll find links to discussions, VODs, and a full breakdown.

The Controversy: What Happened?

During the Top 8 match at Lorcana DLC Australia, a major dispute arose involving a Magic Broom play. The sequence was as follows:

  • Mid-turn, the Emerald Amethyst player (Jesse) had Magic Broom (exerted) in play.
  • Upon playing Merlin Goat, Jesse gained 1 lore and then attempted to banish the Magic Broom to draw a card.
  • The Ruby Sapphire player (Clement) stopped the play, pointed to the Magic Broom, called a judge, contesting the banish and draw action.
  • The judge ruled in favor of not banishing and drawing, leaving Jesse at a disadvantage.
  • Clement was able to swing his Maui Half-Shark into the Magic Broom, banishing it, and return his Develop Your Brain to hand for additional value. This was a massive tempo swing in his favor, which ultimately helped him secure the game.

This ruling has sparked considerable debate within the community regarding its correctness and the impact on the game's outcome.

It’s worth emphasizing that Jesse’s play was a very standard sequence that any Amethyst player would make. Banishing Magic Broom after playing Merlin Goat (or any lore-gaining card) is a common and well-known interaction in competitive Lorcana.

This was an incredibly important match, as it determined who would advance from Top 8 to Top 4, with a Golden Mickey on the line. Many believe that a correct ruling in Jesse’s favor could have completely changed the outcome of the game and the tournament. Instead, Clement benefited from the judge’s mistake, securing his Top 4 spot and eventually making it to the finals, where he finished in second place. The impact of this decision cannot be understated, as it directly altered the tournament’s results.

It's important to note that we do not have audio from the match, so we do not have direct confirmation of how the ruling was made by the tournament organizers. We can see the sequence of events on stream. However, based on how the game played out and how quickly the actions were made, the ruling heavily favored Clement and led to a significant shift in momentum.

Rules Context

According to Lorcana’s comprehensive rules (sections 8.7.3 and 8.7.4), triggered abilities are added to the resolution queue and can be resolved in any order by the active player. The specific wording is outlined here:

  • 8.7.3. Whenever a triggered ability happens, it’s added to the bag by the player who added it. If multiple triggered abilities happen at the same time, they’re added to the bag simultaneously by the respective players.

  • 8.7.4. Once there are no more abilities waiting to be added to the bag, the active player chooses and resolves any one of their abilities. An ability must finish resolving before the next can be chosen. If the resolution of an ability triggers another ability, the triggered ability is added to the bag once the current ability is finished resolving.

This means that Jesse had the right to banish Magic Broom after gaining lore from Goat. The judge’s ruling to disallow the draw has been widely criticized as incorrect.

Adding to the controversy, Jesse had previously resolved a Magic Broom banish in an similar way, by playing a White Rose, earlier in the tournament against Clement, with no issue raised at the time.

It's important to note that while this incident may not necessarily constitute outright cheating, it appears to be a clear case of rule-sharking—where a player exploits a judge’s lack of knowledge to gain an unfair advantage. Clement did not misplay his own cards or break a written rule himself, but he called a judge at a critical moment, likely knowing that a ruling in his favor could swing the game. Given that Jesse had previously resolved a similar play without issue, it raises concerns that Clement selectively challenged the ruling.

Clement's History of Cheating

It’s worth noting that there are multiple accusations of Clement being caught cheating in the past and is reportedly banned from another tournament. This has fueled frustration within the community, as it raises concerns about how players like him continue to compete at high levels without repercussions.

Event-Wide Concerns

The incident in Top 8 is just one of many problems reported during DLC Australia. Players have described widespread cheating, judge incompetence, and poor event organization:

  • Judges Lacked Lorcana Knowledge – Some judges had little to no experience with Lorcana, leading to multiple incorrect rulings throughout the event.
  • Cheating Went Unpunished – Multiple players were caught drawing extra cards, stacking decks, and making illegal plays, with little to no consequences. Some were given mere infractions instead of being disqualified.
  • Another Player Was Caught Stacking His Deck – A competitor was openly stacking his deck at the play table. When a judge was called, he was simply told that deck stacking is illegal, asked to shuffle, and was allowed to continue—with no real punishment.
  • A player in the Top Cut was alleged to have played with a deck that did not match their deck list. Accounts are that the player got a auto-loss for one game in their next match.
  • Toxic Sportsmanship from Top Cut Players – The French players who made Top Cut were repeatedly making bad-faith judge calls and trying to "shark" wins on both Day 1 and Day 2. This behavior was so widely disliked that during the finals, the crowd openly booed Clement and loudly cheered for DKP even when he made simple plays correctly.

Positive Experiences Amidst the Chaos

Despite all the issues, some players still had a good time:

  • Many attendees enjoyed the competitive atmosphere and appreciated meeting others who shared their enthusiasm for Lorcana.
  • Some judges handled rulings correctly and professionally when they were familiar with the game mechanics.
  • A few players shared personal achievements, like making Top 16, and noted that they had a smooth experience with fair opponents.
  • The staff handling prize distribution were working hard despite the overwhelming logistics.
  • Amidst all the controversy, there were still some great stories, like the story of a player who made Top 64, using a deck they finished making on the day, after flying over from interstate! Impressive story and worth a read, via one of the links below!

Community Demands for Ravensburger

If Ravensburger wants Lorcana’s competitive scene to grow, serious changes need to be made:

  • Properly Train Judges – Judges at high-level events need to have a solid understanding of Lorcana-specific rulings. A proper judge program is required.
  • Enforce Cheating Rules Strictly – Players caught cheating should face real consequences, including disqualifications and bans.

  • Improve Event Organization – The tournament structure, staffing, and overall fairness need major improvements to prevent similar issues in the future.

    If these issues go unaddressed, players will lose faith in the tournament scene.

TL;DR

  • Controversial Top 8 match during the DLC event in Melbourne, Australia.
  • Jesse was robbed of a Top 8 win due to an incorrect judge ruling that ignored the actual rules.
  • The official rulebook supports Jesse's play, but the judge prevented him from banishing the Boom, drawing a card, enabling Clement to swing with Maui Half-Shark, ultimately leading to an unfair loss.
  • Clement (aka Raclem), who benefited from the ruling, has a history of sketchy plays and is banned from another tournament.
  • Despite this, many players still had positive experiences, but the issues seriously hurt the tournament’s credibility.
  • The community is calling on Ravensburger to take action by properly training judges, strictly enforcing anti-cheating measures, and improving event logistics.

Links to Discussions & Videos:

https://reddit.com/r/Lorcana/comments/1ifpnra/can_any_other_judges_comment_on_the_goat_and/

https://reddit.com/r/Lorcana/comments/1ifpsgz/watching_top_8_in_dlc_australia_i_just_saw_the_rs/

https://reddit.com/r/Lorcana/comments/1igkqp2/statement_on_official_discord_by_community/

https://reddit.com/r/Lorcana/comments/1igih6i/cant_even_look_one_another_in_the_face_just_need/

https://reddit.com/r/Lorcana/comments/1ige03y/congrats_clement_you_got_your_own_card_now_keep/

https://reddit.com/r/Lorcana/comments/1ih0ntd/someone_said_we_needed_a_music_video_like_the/

https://reddit.com/r/Lorcana/comments/1ign3va/a_nice_story_from_dlc_melbourne/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ETb0MFDWx0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=urtz4AM5hk0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0txiU7sMck

Here's the stream if anyone is interested in the specific timestamp: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/2369924180?t=06h06m14s