Changes to this Article - July 13, 2023
- The restriction on casual play Armory events has been changed from two to any number of Armory events.
Casual play is a fantastic part of the Flesh and Blood community, and over the last few years we have steadily expanded the range of ways to play Flesh and Blood to include formats such as Ultimate Pit Fight, Commoner, and Shapeshifter Sealed.
Recently we've been looking at how we can provide more official Organised Play support to casual players. We've heard from a number of stores that they wish to support their growing communities, and also offer something different to players in cities where a number of stores are already offering competitive Armory Events. We also wanted to provide some alternate pathways for players to win a Cold Foil Armory promo, particularly in communities that have a highly competitive playerbase.
That's why we're announcing that from today, stores now have the option of offering Casual Play events as part of their monthly Armory Event schedule. Below we have our revised guidance for options to use Armory Kits to support casual play, as well as a breakdown of official casual formats that are now able to be run at Armory level.
Our goal is always to bring people together through the common language of great games, so we hope this will provide some clear guidelines for official casual events that will help grow your local Flesh and Blood community.
Armory Kit Guidance
We have revised our advice for how stores can use their Armory Kits in order to better support casual play alongside competitive play.
- From now on, stores may run any number of Armory Events per month as Casual Play events, awarding the Cold Foil promo card as a random prize draw, rather than for first place.
- Please clearly advertise the format and prize structure for your Armory Events to ensure players know whether to expect casual or competitive prize allocation.
- In addition to the main Flesh and Blood formats, these Casual Play Armory Events can be run using any of the following formats: Ultimate Pit Fight, Commoner, Blitz Pre-Constructed, and Shapeshifter Sealed.
- Stores may also use leftover Organized Play kit materials to support on-demand and Welcome Deck events at their discretion. This includes leftover promos from previous Armory Kits, as well as other events like Pre-Release or Skirmish.
People’s Champion playmats are to be given as a prize to a player or ambassador who represents positive community spirit. They may also be given out as a random prize draw with entry based on Armory Event attendance during the month. People’s Champion playmats must not be used as prizes based on performance.
Ultimate Pit Fight
Ultimate Pit Fight is the multiplayer format, full of bargaining and backstabbing. The social dynamic takes the forefront, allowing the table to discuss with great passion how things should play out.
Quickstart:
- 3+ player pods (recommended 4 per pod)
- Blitz format decks (1 young hero, 40 card main deck, 11 card inventory, up to 2 copies of each unique card)
- Every official Flesh and Blood card is legal, including special-use promos
- Players can only attack/target to their left/right
- 50 minute rounds, best of 1 matches
In this format, players use Blitz format decks, but every official Flesh and Blood card is fair game, with the exception of Yorick, Weaver of Tales (please check Rules & Policy for more details on card legality in Ultimate Pit Fight).
During a game of Ultimate Pit Fight, players may only target heroes to their immediate left or right with attacks or with effects that say ‘target’. Combat chains can only target a single hero, so a player must close the current combat chain before attacking a different player. A player wins if their hero is the last one standing.
Ultimate Pit Fight events should be run in GEM using the player list only feature as they do not have a traditional pairings and round structure.
It is recommended to use a participation based prize structure to give a more casual, new player friendly experience.
Please note that Ultimate Pit Fight events do not award XP.
Commoner
Commoner is affordable and highly accessible to new players. Games are quick, straightforward, and often very down to the wire, giving that authentic back-and-forth Flesh and Blood experience.
Quickstart:
- Blitz format decks (1 young hero, 40 card main deck, 11 card inventory, up to 2 copies of each unique card)
- Main deck can only consist of common or token rarity cards
- Hero and Inventory can only consist of common, rare, or token rarity cards
- 30 minute rounds, best of 1 matches
In this format, players are limited to just common cards in their main deck, and common or rare cards for their hero and inventory. A card is considered common if it has ever been printed with the ‘common’ or ‘token’ rarity. A card is considered rare if it has ever been printed with the ‘rare’ rarity and is not a common.
Commoner games are often action-packed and fast-paced, but also simplified and linear, and are a great option for players on a budget. For more details on card legality in Commoner, please check Rules & Policy.
Commoner events should be run in GEM (just search for the Commoner format event type).
It is recommended to use a participation based prize structure to give a more casual, new player friendly experience.
Shapeshifter Sealed
Shapeshifter Sealed is a wild way to experience the game with far less restrictions, allowing for some fun and unique card combos. It’s great for experimentation, and closes the gap between newer and older players as everyone shares boundless opportunities.
Quickstart:
- Each player opens boosters from various sets
- Players build a 30-card minimum deck using any token hero and weapon
- Players can use any Class/Talent cards they open
- 30 minute rounds, best of 1 matches
In this format, things work similarly to regular Sealed, except all packs must be from different sets, and there is no restriction on what Class or Talent cards you can play in your deck. Players can choose any token hero and token weapon(s) to play, and must present at least 30 cards in their main deck. Players cannot use Specialization cards from a hero that they are not playing.
It is recommended that a player be allowed to use proxies for their token hero and token weapon(s) if the store is unable to provide these.
To run a Shapeshifter Sealed event, use the "Sealed Deck" format event type in GEM, and use the event description to clearly advertise to players that it is Shapeshifter Sealed format.
It is recommended to use a participation based prize structure to give a more casual, new player friendly experience.
Blitz Pre-Constructed
Blitz Pre-Constructed is the next stepping stone for players who have learned through the Welcome Deck, and lets them try out new things before they commit to a higher level of play.
Quickstart:
- Each player uses a Pre-Constructed Blitz deck from the same set
- Recommended decks to use are History Pack 1 Blitz Decks or Outsiders Blitz Decks
- 30 minute rounds, best of 1 matches
This format lets players experience new heroes and mechanics in a casual environment, without the need to build their own competitive level deck from scratch. It’s a great way for players who have learned the game through the Welcome Deck to advance to the next stages of Flesh and Blood without having to commit to the higher competitive formats straight away.
We suggest using Pre-Constructed Blitz decks from History Pack 1 or Outsiders for this, as the heroes in these products have been designed to play against each other.
Blitz Pre-Constructed events should be run in GEM (just search for the Blitz Pre-Constructed format event type).
It is recommended to use a participation based prize structure to give a more casual, new player friendly experience.
Other Casual Formats
We highly encourage talking to your local community to explore more casual options, even just for on-demand play. There are several formats you can run to engage with new players, and these can be supported with leftover Organised Play kit materials.
Team Sealed is an exciting and collaborative way to experience Flesh and Blood with friends. Players in teams of 3 build their decks from the same limited card-pool of 8 packs, and face off against other teams, with the first to win 2/3 matches winning the round.
Team Constructed is a great way to play with the support and guidance of your teammates. Typically using Blitz or Classic Constructed decks, teams of 3 will compete against other teams , with the first to win 2/3 matches winning the round.
Welcome Deck is the perfect introduction to the world of Flesh and Blood for starting players, using the Welcome Decks featuring Ira, Crimson Haze. Welcome Deck events should be run in GEM using either the Welcome Deck event type, or on-demand.
Please note that Team Sealed, Team Constructed, and Welcome Deck events cannot be run as Armory Events.
We look forward to seeing your local communities thrive and hope that this extra guidance will help you expand your events to include all levels of play.
Thank you for your continued support of Flesh and Blood!