Flesh and Blood (card game) explained

Subject Name:Flesh and Blood
Cardback:File:Flesh and Blood CCG card back.png
Designer:James White[1]
Publisher:Legend Story Studios
Date:10/11/2019
Type:Collectible card game
Players:2 or more
Playing Time:< 50 minutes
Random Chance:Low
Ages:16+
Website:https://fabtcg.com/

Flesh and Blood is a trading card game published by Legend Story Studios (LSS), an independent design studio based in Auckland, New Zealand. It was designed by James White, who had previously played professionally.[2] The game is based on elements of fantasy and, to some extent, science fiction.[3] The name of the game is derived from the phrase "flesh and blood", meaning that the game was designed to be played in person instead of as an online game.[4]

Gameplay

The game involves two or more players who assume the control of a hero, a character with equipment, abilities and set of cards. There are seven different card types, such as hero, equipment, weapon, action, reaction (attack and defense) and instant. Hero, weapon and equipment cards are in play at the start of the game. Most cards are discarded into a "graveyard" after play. Each hero has intellect and life points, and is in one of eleven classes: Assassin, Brute, Guardian, Illusionist, Mechanologist, Merchant, Ninja, Ranger, Runeblade, Warrior, or Wizard.[5] Players draw cards equal to the hero's intellect. If a hero's life points reaches zero, the player controlling the hero loses the game.[6]

Players build a deck of 60 cards, with no more than three copies of cards having the same name in one deck.[7]

The two constructed game formats, Blitz and Classic Constructed, have a different version of each Hero card.[5] The young version of each card is used in the Blitz format, which has a faster pace of play.[5]

Tournaments

In October 2019, Legend Story Studios established an organised play programme dubbed "The Calling" for competitive sealed-deck play, with a prize pool of $10,000 per tournament.[8] Temporarily suspended as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the programme resumed in 2021.[9] By November 2023, over 2000 game stores worldwide hosted such events. In October 2023, the company established Social Play game store events for casual players.

In November 2022, the company organised the first Flesh and Blood World Championships in San Jose, California, with a prize pool of $300,000.[10]

For 2024, the company is organizing a "Pro Play 2024" circuit, with a prize pool of $1,500,000.[11]

A Hero that wins a tournament accrues "Living Legend" points, which, upon reaching a certain amount, results in that hero's card being retired from official tournament play.

Sets

Each Flesh and Blood set used to be published in two editions. The initial set release was the collector-focused First Edition published using cold foil printing in a limited print run.[12] This was followed by the Unlimited Edition, which was published based on market demand. This technique is common in the early stages of many trading card games as it allows collectors to secure value in First Edition cards while players still have accesses to affordable versions of important cards.

After the "FAB 2.0" update LSS did away with the 1st/Unlimited model and replaced it with a single box model.[13]

!rowspan="2"

SetSet codeRelease dateSize
Total CardsTokenCommonRareSuper RareMajesticLegendaryFabled
1Welcome to RatheWTROctober 11, 20192261513248151051[14]
2Arcane RisingARCMarch 27, 20202191412648151051[15]
3Crucible of WarCRUAugust 28, 202019801035603621[16]
4MonarchMONMay 7, 2021307181727903161[17]
5Tales of AriaELESeptember 24, 2021238141365402761[18]
6EverfestEVRFebruary 4, 20221980886104531[19]
N/AHistory Pack 11HPMay 6, 2022427023811806290[20]
7UprisingUPRJune 24, 2022226161255102761[21]
8DynastyDYNNovember 11, 202224701098105151[22] [23]
N/AHistory Pack 22HPFebruary 24, 20235360301140078143[24]
9OutsidersOUTMarch 24, 2023236201285103151[25]
10Dusk till DawnDTDJuly 14, 20232360947705681[26]
11Bright LightsEVOOctober 6, 2023251121295604671[27]
12Heavy HittersHVYFebruary 2, 2024256151286704051[28]
13Part the MistveilMSTMay 31, 2024239121235404361[29]
14RosettaROSSeptember 20, 2024254141285704951[30]

Reception

Drew Cordell of SUPERJUMP magazine wrote favorably of the game.

Andrew Smith from the website Board Game Quest compared it to, but noted that Flesh and Blood was easier to learn.[31]

In 2021, ICv2 rated it as a "top collectible game".[32] [33]

Legend Story Studio was on the Deloitte Fast 50.[34]

In November 2023, Legend Story Studios won the Excellence in Brand Storytelling Award at the New Zealand International Business Awards for their work on Flesh and Blood.[35]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Introducing Flesh and Blood. Team Covenant. 30 June 2020 . 6 November 2021.
  2. Web site: Golovchuk . Stan . 2023-06-30 . Flesh and Blood, MTG's most dynamic competitor, brings back its first Living Legend . 2023-11-10 . Polygon . en-US.
  3. Web site: Flesh and Blood's Bright Lights expansion adds a mech suit built for breaking faces. Golovchuk. Stan. Polygon. 24 September 2023. 10 November 2023.
  4. News: The inside story of Flesh and Blood, the NZ game taking the world by storm. Puschmann. Karl. The New Zealand Herald. 26 June 2021. 10 November 2023.
  5. Web site: Every Hero in Flesh and Blood TCG. Johnson. Xavier. Dot Esports. 30 November 2021. 10 November 2023.
  6. Web site: TCGplayer Infinite . 2023-11-10 . TCGplayer Infinite . en.
  7. Web site: Longo . Chris . 2020-12-18 . Why Flesh and Blood Is A Must-Play Trading Card Game . 2022-12-07 . Den of Geek . en-US.
  8. Web site: 'Flesh and Blood' TCG to launch $10,000 'The Calling' tournament circuit. Dohm-Sanchez. Jeffrey. ICv2. 15 October 2019. 10 November 2023.
  9. Web site: 'Flesh and Blood TCG' logs its 1000,000th armory event. Dohm-Sanchez. Jeffrey. ICv2. 2 November 2023. 10 November 2023.
  10. Web site: Legend Story Studios announces inaugural 'Flesh and Blood TCG' World Championships. Dohm-Sanchez. Jeffrey. ICv2. 17 August 2022. 10 November 2023.
  11. Web site: Limited . Legend Story Studios . Organised Play . 2024-02-01 . fabtcg.com . en-us.
  12. Web site: Flesh and Blood TCG is your new card game addiction. Cordell. Drew. SuperJump. 17 April 2021. 7 December 2022.
  13. Web site: Limited . Legend Story Studios . FAB 2.0 . 2024-02-01 . fabtcg.com . en-us.
  14. Web site: Limited . Legend Story Studios . Welcome to Rathe . 2024-07-12 . fabtcg.com . en-us.
  15. Web site: Limited . Legend Story Studios . Arcane Rising . 2024-07-12 . fabtcg.com . en-us.
  16. Web site: Limited . Legend Story Studios . Crucible of War . 2024-07-12 . fabtcg.com . en-us.
  17. Web site: Limited . Legend Story Studios . Monarch . 2024-07-12 . fabtcg.com . en-us.
  18. Web site: Limited . Legend Story Studios . Tales of Aria . 2024-07-12 . fabtcg.com . en-us.
  19. Web site: Limited . Legend Story Studios . Everfest . 2024-07-12 . fabtcg.com . en-us.
  20. Web site: Limited . Legend Story Studios . History Pack 1 (EN) . 2024-07-12 . fabtcg.com . en-us.
  21. Web site: 2022-04-26 . Uprising . 2024-07-12 . fabtcg.com . en-us.
  22. Web site: Limited . Legend Story Studios . Dynasty . 2024-07-12 . fabtcg.com . en-us.
  23. Web site: 2022-10-17 . Dynasty . 2024-07-12 . fabtcg.com.
  24. Web site: History Pack 2 . 2024-07-12 . fabtcg.com.
  25. Web site: Outsiders . 2024-07-12 . fabtcg.com.
  26. Web site: Dusk till Dawn . 2024-07-12 . fabtcg.com.
  27. Web site: Bright Lights . 2024-07-12 . fabtcg.com.
  28. Web site: 2023-11-16 . Heavy Hitters . 2024-07-12 . fabtcg.com.
  29. Web site: Part the Mistveil . 2024-07-12 . fabtcg.com.
  30. Web site: 2024-06-16 . Rosetta . 2024-07-12 . fabtcg.com.
  31. Web site: Andrew Smith . 2021-07-09 . Flesh and Blood Review . 2022-12-07 . Board Game Quest . en-US.
  32. Web site: Top Collectible Games – Spring 2021 . 2022-12-07 . icv2.com . en.
  33. Web site: Top Collectible Games – Fall 2021 . 2022-12-07 . icv2.com . en.
  34. Web site: Hall . Charlie . 2022-11-11 . Flesh and Blood, MTG's upstart competitor, has found strength in community . 2023-11-10 . Polygon . en-US.
  35. Web site: Winners of the New Zealand International Business Awards 2023 . 2024-07-13 . nzte.govt.nz.