We've invited some guest writers to contribute to fabtcg.com for the Skirmish season. Alex Truell is known for his work as an editor at the Rathe Times, and his monthly articles series titled Thoughts and Baubles. We're pleased to bring you the first in his series of articles, discussing how to improve your gameplay and enter the competitive scene.
Are you ready to pivot?
The 4th Skirmish Season is fast approaching, and for those of you who were deep in the Pro Quest mindset and the Classic Constructed format, this represents a major transition. Yes, there are the obvious differences in format: half the life total, a 33% decrease in deck size, and a lack of sideboard. (If you’re unfamiliar with the format, you can read more here.) But the real adjustments are less about details and more about environment.
Before we get into that, let me introduce myself. I’m Alex Truell, and if you’ve heard of me it’s likely through my role as editor at the Rathe Times, where you can read my Thoughts and Baubles editorials each month. I consider myself a ‘casually competitive’ player, meaning that I can rise to whatever competitive level is required, but prefer to have a bit of personality in my play and my builds; I’d happily place 32nd in a major tournament if I got there with an unlikely deck and made a story of it. I’ve been building a Flesh and Blood following in rural Wisconsin, of all places; Alexandria Games in Ripon, WI hosts 6 or more FAB events every month, and our event attendance rivals that of any other game the shop carries. My involvement with this game- as a player, a content creator, and a community member- has been one of the most fulfilling endeavors of my life, and I’m honored to be bringing you coverage and opinions on this Skirmish season throughout April.
Since the release of Everfest, a few heroes have become fixtures of the competitive scene, as defined by Pro Quests happening across the globe. Bravo, Star of the Show made a big impact upon his debut, and his popularity- in tandem with the explosive growth of the competitive event schedule- has rocketed him to the top of the Living Legend Leaderboard. If for no other reason, the Skirmish meta will feel entirely different due to his absence in the Young Hero card pool.
Without Starvo to unite the various elements, Guardian players must choose between the controlling impact of Endless Winter and the incredible power of Crippling Crush. Oldhim and Bravo occupy different ends of the Guardian spectrum, creating a divided field within the class. And while both are capable of taking quite a bit of damage, they need to adopt a more aggressive posture to ensure they walk away with a win and not a draw. Neither can count on explosive turns just falling into place as a natural outcome of the deck’s strategy; they will need to plan game-closing plays while staving off attacks.
Prism’s success in the Pro Quest season has largely been built around an Aura strategy. To properly build the engine that Prism relies on to close the game, she requires time- but with lower life totals, Blitz games can end in a few rounds. For Prism to find success during the Skirmish season, she will need to pivot to other strategies available within the Illusionist card pool.
Similarly, Chane and Viserai are often defined by their late-game inevitability. With the ‘late game’ coming sooner in the Blitz format, they can’t afford to take as many early turns off for the sake of their endgame.
These dynamics make room on the stage for other heroes and strategies to shine.
With Young Bravo still waiting to unlock his Elemental potential and Prism, Chane, and Viserai adjusting for a faster format, the landscape of Skirmish season will be entirely different. Moreover, with Pro Quest coming right on the heels of Everfest, we haven’t even had an opportunity to see what the new Blitz environment might look like.
Since her debut as a Blitz-legal hero in Crucible of War, Ira, Crimson Haze has never lost her competitive edge. Utilizing a simple but reliable strategy of constant pressure across several attacks, Ira has brought many new players up to speed as an introductory deck that’s both viable and ripe for expansion. But with the release of Everfest, Ira now faces competition from her fellow Ninja Benji, the Piercing Wind, whose Spring Tidings specialization may just be the most important card for you to know going into this season. I have to mention Katsu as well; since his power unlocks the full potential of Combo, he may be the best option for a Hundred Winds build. Flic Flak has a proven track record in Blitz, and when you add in Katsu’s exclusive Lord of Wind line, you could be looking at an incredibly durable deck.
Briar’s prospects remain optimistic, as the powerful overlap of physical and arcane damage requires that opponents deviate from their core gameplan to answer her. These days, Briar is heavily invested in Channel Mount Heroic, which serves to amplify the power of her signature strings of attacks. Chane has been looking toward his Runeblade roots to find new combos and opportunities beyond the Banished Zone. Viserai is perhaps the most unpredictable Runeblade; and while decks that store up Runechants for an unstoppable finish continue to see play, we’ve also got Sonata Arcanix builds popping up, along with a new crop of decks built around more aggressive posturing. The faster format gives Briar a leg up on her Runeblade compatriots, but ultimately players will find that one Runeblade aligns with their own preferences more than the others.
Dorinthea holds a gatekeeper role in the game, ensuring that players don’t get too comfortable in their blocking. And while Boltyn is less unpredictable, the burst available via Lumina Ascension is unrivaled- except, perhaps, by Kassai, Cintari Sellsword, who received extensive support in Everfest and may just be the premiere Warrior for the format. Any tournament could be swept by a well-piloted Warrior, especially when players haven’t prepared their deck to face attack reactions.
For a relentless density of high-powered attacks, look no further than Prism. Her Phantasm attacks push damage above the power curve; and thanks to Luminaris, it’s common to throw more than one of these attacks in a turn. The auras are likely to take a back seat during Skirmish, as their low-to-absent defense values make them liabilities against decks that can kill you in a couple turns.
Perhaps no one threatens a first-turn kill as effectively as Kayo, Berserker Runt- though you’ll need your dice rolls to come up for you to do so! Thankfully, Everfest gave Kayo an insurance option in the form of Ready to Roll. In comparison, Rhinar is a reliable and steady Brute, whose skill at stripping a hand of defenses opens paths for massive damage; because of this, he can afford to bide his time with heavy blocking, waiting for the right hands to come up. For the truly daring, Levia offers an ‘all-in’ approach to the standard Brute gameplan, with high risks and even greater rewards. With less turns in a typical game, your odds of staving off your blood debts are much better in Blitz.
Over in Metrix, Dash has been refining her Boost strategy with a host of new cards. Mechanologist is a highly insular class, so every new class card is of high interest to them; Everfest provided some potent new items and powerful attacks that give them more answers to the varied field they’re likely to face. But it’s Data Doll MKII who’s truly reinvented herself. Micro-Processors hint at incredible potential for this unlikely hero; will you be the one to work out the bugs and introduce the world of Rathe to modern technology?
You shouldn’t discount Bravo just because he hasn’t unlocked the elemental powers within. The OG (original Guardian) is still the most durable kid on the block, rivaled only by his icy elder Oldhim. These guys make 20 health feel dense! And then there’s Valda Brightaxe, who literally begins above 20; her ability to discount and dominate a crush attack suggests a Seismic Surge strategy that frees her from the usual requirement of blue deck-building.
Historically, Azalea has been an underdog; but the cards she gained in Everfest have completely reinvigorated this hero, even in the shadow of a well-respected Lexi. Azalea is a master of disruption, with arrows to cripple opposing strategies. Meanwhile, Lexi pushes Frostbite tokens with a relentless consistency that even the fastest heroes can’t keep up with.
We can’t talk about Blitz without giving credit to the Wizard class. Kano is an absolutely lethal threat at all times; if you’ve ever watched an experienced player executing Kano’s finishing combo, you know what an artform it is. But a cold wind has brought a new Wizard to the table; Iyslander shows the range available within the arcane class, relying on consistency and control to push toward a finisher.
I’d be neglecting my responsibilities not to mention the wildcard heroes of the series. While they lack proper class support, these heroes are enchanting for their novelty, and there’s no better claim to fame than being the first to score living legend points with one of them! Kavdaen, Trader of Skins and Genis Wotchuneed are unlikely to form consistent strategies around their hero powers, but do offer access to inherent coin creation for synergies with cards like Cash In and Knick Knack Bric-a-brac. I’m more willing to bet on Shiyana, Diamond Gemini, whose access to all the specializations in the game now includes cards like Spring Tidings and Micro-Processor. We’re approaching a critical mass of powerful, signature cards, and Shiyana exclusively can fold those into one deck.
Which hero will debut strong as Skirmish Season 4 gets underway? Whoever emerges as the early frontrunners, the wide field ensures there should be an answer for them. I’m eager to watch the flow of counterplay and feel the meta shifting as players bring their own personality, preferences, and proficiency to the table each week. If you’re still undecided, you’ll find plenty of inspiration both here and at the Rathe Times. Next time, I’ll have concrete data in hand as we evaluate the week we’ve seen and forecast what’s ahead. Until then, enjoy the game and the community we’ve built around it!
Alex Truell is a competitive Flesh and Blood player and author of content relating to gameplay and strategy. The opinions expressed in the above article are his own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Legend Story Studios.