Flesh and Blood is all about the physical experience of coming together with other like-minded players and pitching your favourite hero against one of the many fascinating and wildly different foes. Each character has their own story, their own place in the mythology of Flesh and Blood – a world and lore that is continually evolving as new sets are added to the game. The heroes are all so different, each which different strengths, weaknesses, and roads to victory (or defeat!) that even as a relatively new game, with a manageable number of characters, there is so much to learn to be able to perform well. Knowing your own character inside out is essential, but it isn’t enough. You have to know your opponent, how they are most likely to attack and how they can most effectively be deflected and defeated. Flesh and Blood is an investment, not just financially in the cards (although this can be significant), but in learning how to get the best out of them.
With this in mind, I knew when I started playing that I would very soon want to attend local events, to challenge myself by playing against others, especially those who had been playing longer and from whom I could learn both the basics and more advanced strategies. Thankfully, as well as stocking the cards, EH Gaming is also an active part of the global Flesh and Blood community, committed to hosting local events that introduce new players to the game and then provide regular Armoury events to play against more experienced and advanced players. Shortly after first talking to Ross about the game, I had signed up for my first challenge, a Welcome and Learn to Play event.
It was clear that Flesh and Blood was either very popular or that Ross had done a great job promoting the event (or probably both!) as that first session was a sell-out. Half a dozen eager challengers, keen to get their hands on their first Flesh and Blood decks and head off into battle. As with most of these Welcome events, each player had the same deck to start with – Ira, Crimson Haze. This deck has been developed specifically to introduce players to the game, with a manageable learning curve that introduces you to the main structure and mechanics of the game. The format of the event was Blitz, a shorter, more frenzied format of the game compared to the longer and more strategic Classic Constructed form. Despite losing each of my three games at the event (although not by much!), it was still an incredibly enjoyable experience and one that I was eager to repeat. As a reward for attending the event, each player was given the opportunity to take away a couple of prebuilt Blitz decks to practice with at home. My Bravo and Dorinthea decks from that event are still ones I enjoy playing, although Prism was soon to become my go to hero…
Cracked Bauble 