Flesh and Blood has one idea that sets it apart from most card games, and it fits on a sticky note. Every card in your hand has three jobs: it can attack, it can block, or it can be spent to pay for something else. You only get to pick one. The whole game is deciding which.
That sounds like homework. It plays more like a good argument with yourself, and it takes about one game to click. Here at Bat City Games & Comics in South Austin, we have one rule: if you do not know how to play, we can teach you. You do not need to go batty over the rulebook.
What is Flesh and Blood?
Flesh and Blood is a hero-based trading card game from Legend Story Studios, an independent studio in Auckland, New Zealand. It first came out in 2019 and is set in the fantasy world of Rathe. You pick a hero, build a deck around that hero, and fight another player who did the same. Its organized play starts in ordinary game stores, so the first step is a table and a person, not a tournament hall.
How does a game of Flesh and Blood work?
- How do I win? Take your opponent's life to zero. Your hero card shows your life and your intellect, which is how many cards you hold in your hand.
- Action points. You get 1 action point on your turn. Spend it to play an attack or an action card. If that card says Go again, you get the point back.
- Pitching. Many cards cost resources, and you pay by pitching other cards from your hand. A red card is worth 1 resource, a yellow card is worth 2, and a blue card is worth 3. Pitching is paying your bills with your own hand, which is exactly as stressful as it sounds.
- Blocking. When your opponent attacks, you can block with cards from your hand and with the armor you are wearing. Cards you block with go to your graveyard, so blocking is never free.
- Drawing back up. At the end of your turn, you draw until you hold as many cards as your hero's intellect, which is usually four. Only the player whose turn it is draws back up, so heavy blocking on your opponent's turn means a thin hand on yours.
What happens on your turn?
- Gain your action point. Your action phase starts with 1. Any point you do not use is gone when the turn ends.
- Pick an attack and pay for it. Check the card's cost, then pitch cards from your hand to cover it. Red cards usually hit hardest and blue cards usually pay best, which leaves yellow with the job of being fine.
- Let your opponent block. Damage is your attack minus their defense, so a 6-power attack against a 3-defense card and a 2-defense piece of armor deals 1 damage. If at least 1 gets through, the attack hits.
- Go again, if you can. Cards with Go again give your action point back, so you can attack again. Weapons attack from your arena without using up a card from your hand.
- Finish the turn. Pitched cards go to the bottom of your deck in the order you choose. You may tuck one card face down in your arsenal to play later. Then draw back up to your hand size.
Blitz or Classic Constructed?
There are two main ways to play, and you can start with either. If you want to get into the game quickly, start with Blitz.
- Blitz. Young heroes, usually with 20 life, and a deck of exactly 40 cards. It is built for short games, around half an hour a round.
- Classic Constructed. Adult heroes, with 40 life as the baseline, and a deck of at least 60 cards. This is the full-size game, with more room to build.
What is the easiest way to start?
- Ira, Crimson Haze Welcome Deck. A 30-card deck that strips the game down to action points, resources and combat. Everyone uses the same deck, so you don't have to build anything. Good for learning the basics fast.
- Classic Battles: Rhinar vs Dorinthea. Two ready-to-play 40-card decks in one box. Good for a first full game with a friend, since nobody has to be the one who brought the better deck.
- A Blitz deck. A ready-to-play deck built around one young hero. Good for kitchen-table play and quick games.
A starter product teaches you the cards. A person across the table teaches you the rest. Ask us what is on the shelf.
What is an Armory Event?
Armory Events are Flesh and Blood's first step into organized play. They are weekly store programs built to give new players an easy first tournament, and they award XP toward the game's leaderboards. Stores can also run them casually, with prizes handed out by random draw instead of for winning. If you have never played a game at a store, a casual Armory is a gentle way to find out whether you like arguing about damage math with strangers.
If the bug bites, there is a ladder above it, all the way to a World Championship. None of that is required, and plenty of people stay at the kitchen table for good.
Where can you learn Flesh and Blood in South Austin?
- Come to our counter. Tell us you are new. We will teach you at an open table, and you can bring a friend.
- Come to Flesh and Blood Night. Every Friday evening, we host our own Flesh and Blood night. Star Wars: Unlimited and Open Seat Board Game Night share the floor, so it is a good night to bring someone who plays something else.
- Ask about an Armory Event. If one is coming up, we will tell you at the counter.
Tips for your first game
- Read your hero card first. It shows your life, your intellect and what your hero can do. That is most of your plan for the evening.
- Do the subtraction out loud. Attack minus defense is the whole damage system. Saying it aloud keeps everyone honest.
- Keep some cards for blocking. The classic first-game mistake is attacking with everything and then having nothing left to block with.
Frequently asked questions
How do you play Flesh and Blood?
Pick a hero and take turns hitting your opponent. Spend your action point on an attack, pay for it by pitching other cards, and block with what you have left. First to zero life loses.
How many cards are in a Flesh and Blood deck?
A Blitz deck has exactly 40 cards. A Classic Constructed deck has at least 60.
How much life do heroes have?
Young heroes in Blitz usually start at 20 life. Adult heroes in Classic Constructed use 40 life as the baseline. Your hero card shows the number.
What is a good starter deck for Flesh and Blood?
The Ira, Crimson Haze Welcome Deck teaches the basics, and Classic Battles: Rhinar vs Dorinthea gives you two full decks to play against each other. Ask us what we have on the shelf.
Where can I play Flesh and Blood in Austin?
Bat City Games & Comics teaches new players at the counter and hosts Flesh and Blood Night every Friday evening at 5001 Highway 290.
Ready to pick a hero?
Visit us at 5001 Highway 290, Austin, Texas 78735. We are open every day, 10 AM to 10 PM. Pick a hero, and we will teach you the rest. Come on a Friday, and you will already be at the right night.
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