Sunday - Calling Top 8
Justin Cu is your Calling Taipei champion!
Demonstrating masterful control over Azalea, Ace in the Hole's arsenal of arrows, Justin dominated over Nick Bucther’s Dromai, Ash Artist in a nail-biting finals. The game had the audience on the edge of their seats, culminating in a joyful, emotional end to the tournament for Justin.
While Justin only started playing the game in April, he is now a Calling champion, making Azalea fans around the world proud.
After 12 rounds of play we have our top 8. There are 6 different heroes with players from all across the world - United States, Australia, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Philippines and Singapore!
The single elimination rounds are filled with many interesting matchups, including a classic Dromai vs Lexi matchup of titans.
While Lexi, Livewire had the biggest share of the metagame both days as well as being one the highest day 2 conversion rate, Lexi did not make it to the finals. Instead, Justin Cu's Azalea, Ace in the Hole will face off against Nick Butcher's Dromai, Ash Artist.
Brodie Spurlock and Nick Butcher are names many are familiar with and both made the cut with 10 wins each. Also on 10 wins are Allen Lau, Nova Chan, Justin Cu, Huang Bo Wei. Zhang Yong Zhao and Chia Yong Teck with 9 wins rounds off the top 8.
Sunday - Battle Hardened Top 8
Lee Ji Timm is your Battle Hardened Taipei Champion!
Carefully navigating a draft full of Teklovossen, Timm chose to harness the power of Maxx Nitro, overpowering his opponents on the way to the top prize.
The top 8 features competitors from all across the region - Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia.
At the conclusion of the draft, almost half of the competition decided to go with Maxx Nitro, while Teklovossen rounds off the rest of the top 8's draft decks.
As players boosted and scrapped their way through the tournament, the top 8 was all Teklovossen as Evo equipments overpowers the rest of the field in the swiss rounds.
Sunday - Commoner Gold Cold Foil
In the end, Bun Ar blazed away with Fai's trusty Phoenix Flames into the winner position winning a Gold Foil, congratulations!
The wonderful thing about a Calling weekend is how besides the Battle Hardened, attendees have more other events and different ways to play with. If there is a format you can think of, there’s probably an event for you here in Taipei!
Commoner is a format where you can only use common or certain rare cards, which makes it a popular format for players looking for games with a lower barrier of entry and a higher focus on social play. Today, fans of the format are in for a special treat, as a Gold Cold Foil is up for grabs.
Sunday - Battle Hardened
87 players signed up for the Bright Lights Sealed Battle Hardened this Sunday morning here in Taipei.
But before the battle could begin, the competitors have to go through the sealed deck registration procedure, setting aside the tokens or the Expansion Slot.
Teklovossen is the top choice today with 52% of the field decided to take advantage of the shiny new Evo equipments. Maxx Nitro’s Hyper Drivers is sure to be the driving factor for 39% of the players. Meanwhile, Dash, Database's easy access to items rounds off the rest of the field with 9%.
With 7 rounds to play, $2,000 USD, Gold Foil Legendary and PTI in contention, it’s going to be a great day of many great games of Mechanalogist battles!
Sunday - Classic Constructed Calling Day 2 Metagame
After 7 rounds of swiss, 64 players made the cut into the Calling day 2.
Lexi, Livewire, Dromai, Ash Artist and Dash, Inventor Extraordinaire together made up about half of the day 1 metagame here in Taipei. Since then, each hero had a very different day 2 conversion rate. 40% of Lexi players made it while Dromai is at 22% and Dash at 8% respectively.
Looking at the rest of the metagame, Uzuri, Switchblade and Ser Boltyn, Breaker of Dawn players stood out with a day 2 conversion rate with Lexi at 40%, with others not too far behind. With 14 different heroes represented in day 2, it’s still a tournament that could be any hero's for the taking.
Saturday - Cosplay Contest
A staple in every Calling, the event celebrates passionate fans who bring heroes and characters from Rathe to our reality. The winner might bring home a Taylor card, but everyone in the contest will go home with an exclusive prize and an unforgettable memory.
The judges had a hard time deciding on the top finishers. In the end, Joanacris Marie Ballesta’s Levia, Redeemed with the elaborate and regal performance blew everyone away, winning the title of the Calling Taipei Cosplay Contest Winner.
Looking the part was important, but the contestants really took it to the next level as they walked, strutted or even dashed across the walk-through.
From how the characters carried themselves, to the elaborate glowing props, the audience was truly captivated. They gasped and cheered as each cosplayers shined during their time in the spotlight, and couldn't stop taking pictures and videos.
Calling Taipei Cosplay Contest Gallery
Saturday - 3 Pack Sealed
With Bright Lights, a new way to enjoy the game was introduced: Crack, Shuffle, Play. Take 3 packs, crack them, remove Tokens and Equipment cards, shuffle them up and you’re ready to play!
The fast, simple setup infused with the thrill of cracking packs attracted 38 players signed up to play this afternoon. Looking at how popular the event is, we're expecting many more to be enjoying this format before the weekend is done.
Saturday - Artist Alley
Thanks to the brilliant work and countless hours artists have put into their craft, players all over the world have been pulled into the captivating world of Rathe brought to life through the art.
When the doors opened here on Friday, one of the first places attendees swarmed to was the Artists’ Alley, eager to snag the wares on offer before they ran out.
In attendance this weekend in Taipei, in no particular order, Wisnu Tan (Levia, Rhinar), Lius Lasahido (Dorinthea), Isuardi Therianto (Arakni, Nazareth), Federico Musetti (Chane, Lexi), Kevin Sidharta (Dig up Dinner, Seek and Destroy), Arif Wijaya (Reckless Swing, Scar for a Scar), Yolanda Felicia (Red in the Ledger, Tome of Aetherwind), Nathaniel Himawan (Awakening, Flick Knives).
Saturday - Calling Taipei Main Event
283 competitive players woke up bright and early to shuffle up for the Calling Taipei main event! The festival atmosphere is still evident with smiles all around, thrilled for an opportunity to be a part of a special weekend for the region.
One the line: a share of the $10,000 USD prize pool. Also up for grabs are Gold Foil Legendaries, including a Gold Foil Extended Art Crown of Providence for the winner! Last but not least, PTIs that can be used to gain an invite to any Professional level event.
The format? Classic Constructed. And here you can see the metagame breakdowns for the Calling Taipei main event! Lexi, Livewire makes 22% up the field followed by Dromai, Ash Artist at 16% while Dash, Inventor Extraordinaire is not too far behind at 10%. 18 other heroes are also in attendance, enabling a diverse possibilities of matchups in this tournament.
It’s going to be an exciting time for fans watching the live stream!
Friday - Triple Super Armory
To wrap up the evening on Friday here in Taipei are three Super Armories!
An Armory tournament kit is normally used to host tournaments for a full month. In this event, multiple kits are used for a single event!
To no one’s surprise, Bright Lights sealed remains the most popular with the biggest attendance with 53 players. Constructed fans are also in attendance, with 23 shuffling up for Blitz while 14 Classic Constructed stalwarts duke it out on that end.
Numerous visitors from outside of the region have been telling the coverage team how everyone here seem to be so happy to be here. There definitely is an atmosphere of a Flesh and Blood festival this weekend, and in a casual focused event like an Armory, it really does shine through.
If this gets you excited to play in an Armory, find one right now to play at a local game store near you at https://fabtcg.com/events!
Friday - Venue Tour
Breeze Mega Studio is where all the action is happening this weekend! Located at the 9th floor of a shopping mall in the heart of Taipei, the venue was once a cinema before it was renovated into an event space. For some, it is a welcoming oasis respite away from the heat and humidity of Taipei’s warm autumn.
Right as you enter the venue, diligent staff are ready to assist players with registering for their events, answering questions about the weekend, and offer any form of assistance any visitors might need.
As you step deeper into the venue, the artist alley awaits. A total of 8 illustrators are in attendance this weekend! This is a real treat for the fans who made the trip to Taipei this weekend. Playmats, artist proofs, card signing, sketches and art commissions - there’s a myriad of ways to show your appreciation.
Vendors booths are full of wares and trinkets any avid collectors might be coveting for themselves, or even get their cards graded!
And last but not least, not too far away is the Prize Wall where players can turn in their hard-earned prize tickets into one of the many treasures on offer - oversized cards, difficult-to-acquire playmats, exclusive Cold Foils promo cards and of course, booster packs of a variety of sets and types.
Friday - Fate ForSealed Bounty Event
As the event hall doors opened, many players made a beeline to the registration desk, eager to register for the event or to make sure that they were properly enrolled in the event.
As the dust settled, 398 players joined us this Friday afternoon to play some Bright Lights sealed. “Oohs" and "aaahs” can be heard all over the hall as players crack their boosters, show off their brand newly acquired highly desirable cards like Teklovossen, the Mechropotent to their neighbors and sleeved up their Fate Foreseen participation promo.
Some players who sat for round 1 have an extra surprise waiting for them however:
Elliot Tan from One Two Juice, along with Nick Butcher, Calling Singapore 2023 winner, Hayden Dale from Arsenal Pass, Sam O’Bryne from Three Floating and Newsun Zeng from Legend Story Studio are in the event today as bounties! If a player manages to overcome the challenge that is defeating one of these bounties - a highly coveted cold foil hero is the reward.
Friday - Welcome to Taipei!
Much like how Metrix is a shining beacon for all those searching for a brighter future, the modern and vibrant city of Taipei is attracting Flesh and Blood fans from across Asia and beyond!
Hundreds of excited players have gathered here at Breeze Mega Studio chasing fame, glory, or simply coming to have a great time all weekend long. Walking down the venue hall you can hear Mandarin, Cantonese, Japanese, Tagalog and of course, English in a true melting-pot gathering of passionate Flesh and Blood players.
Welcome to Calling Taipei!
One of the most highly anticipated featured events at Calling Taipei this weekend is the Fate ForSealed Bounty event, featuring the unique promo card Fate Foreseen //【命運預視】.
This card is not only special for the region by being the first and only Traditional Chinese card, but also features a culturally unique artwork that resonates to many within the region. In the art you can see a person holding a pair of apparatus used in some Chinese temples. These items are commonly used by devotees to ask questions to the powers beyond. Some might describe it as an attempt to foresee their fate…
With such a stunning combination of the card’s mechanical ability that matches flavor resonance in the artwork so perfectly, on top of being culturally significant to the people of Chinese descent in Taiwan and much of Asia, it’s of little wonder that the Fate Foreseen promo card is such an exciting and popular card for many players to get their hands on.
Welcome to the Calling: Taipei Mini Live Blog!
Stay tuned for exciting snapshots across the whole weekend...
