Chapman Sim is well-known within the Singapore community as the owner of Mox & Lotus, with a long history in TCGs and professional play. We're excited to welcome him as a guest writer, breaking down some of the things you need to know ahead of the Calling: Singapore, and introducing you to the community.
Flesh and Blood has become one of the most intense competitive environments in South East Asia over the past couple of years. Due to lockdowns, Singapore was the only country in the world that had their National Championships cancelled, so we're delighted to be able to host the Calling there on August 20-21.
We are looking forward to an action-packed weekend with over 250 players registered thus far. The Singapore Changi Airport is a destination in itself, boasting the HSBC Rain Vortex as the world's tallest indoor waterfall. This architectural marvel has been a centre of attention for many since Jewel opened doors. Marina Bay Sands and Gardens by the Bay offer Instagram-worthy creations to bring home, but before you do so, fill up those bellies of yours!
In 2020, UNESCO added Singapore's hawker culture to its Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. There are more than 100 open-air food courts around the city, all offering a wide variety of cuisines reflective of the multiethnic makeup of the city. A favorite among locals, Bedok 85 Fengshan Market is close to Singapore Expo, the tournament venue.
Inevitably, the community is buzzing with excitement, and players are preparing enthusiastically for the event, which features both Uprising Booster Draft and Classic Constructed, putting players to the test on two fronts. There is a general consensus that the Classic Constructed metagame is wide open, and all three classes in Uprising are viable in Booster Draft. With Dromai, Fai, and Iyslander joining the fray, it could be anyone’s game.
The Calling: Singapore is truly a celebration of what the Asia Pacific has to offer. In addition to Livia Prima, the artists in attendance at The Calling: Singapore (Wisnu Tan and Immanuela Crovius) all hail from Indonesia, and not to be missed is also the event’s exclusive playmat, featuring artwork from the card, “Thaw” by Hoáng Láp of Vietnam. Flesh and Blood creator James White will also be in attendance, as will be the most esteemed players from Australia and New Zealand, a convenient layover on their journey to Pro Tour Lille. Top-ranked players from Taiwan, including Pei-Tung Liao and his teammates Luo Sheng-Xun, Hsu Wei-Chung will also be in attendance.
Hayden Dale, the reigning Australian National Champion, who came in Top 16 at Pro Tour New Jersey, shared his opinions with us.
"Booster Draft is one of my favorite formats, and I think Uprising is a good one overall. Uprising has also been a great expansion for the Classic metagame from a power level perspective. My opinion of the meta is that it is pretty open and overall, I'm feeling positive!”
Dale mentioned that we should also expect some very familiar Sydney names such as Nick Butcher and John from Fluke and Box and there is also no question that the community is keeping tabs on New Zealand National Champion and Calling Champion, Matt Rogers. However, Rogers also points out that some serious competition will also be in attendance from around the region.
"The Road to Nationals season has seen Edward Kim make multiple finals appearances in New Zealand. Nick Butcher from Australia is heading over, as well as Mani Gardwell and James Gilcrest. Several others as well! Not everyone is attending the Pro Tour though, but Nick and I certainly will be, and Cayle McCreath (third player in the entire world to ever cross 4000 Lifetime XP) plans on making a strong showing for New Zealand."
With Prism, Sculptor of Arc Light hovering at 998 Living Legend Points, The Calling: Singapore may well be the one of the last tournaments where she is legal for Classic Constructed play.
Naturally, she was the talk of the town and we had artist Livia Prima weigh in on her thoughts about being the proud illustrator of both adult and young Prisms, as well as her trusty weapon, Luminaris.
“I feel deeply honored to get a chance to design and illustrate such a strong hero with Legend Story Studios. I think probably some of the players would miss her, too, wouldn't they? Haha! With that said, I feel that it's refreshing to have new heroes an opportunity to rise to the top.”
But how will the local community hold up against a swath of visitors eyeing the Champion trophy? One thing is for sure, there is no lack of talent holding the fort.
Among the local competitive scene's most consistent players, Gordon Koh stands out. He has competed in eight ProQuest events, four Road to Nationals events, and two Skirmish events to date. Even though that might not seem like much to swoon over, perhaps mentioning that he has made Top 8 in ALL the events above might change your mind. Besides winning four ProQuest tournaments, he also participated in the inaugural New Jersey Pro Tour.
He remains modest, however, and credits close friend and rival Yuen Kai Yang with teaching him the game in the first place. At the end of last week, Yuen ranked first on both the Singaporean Elo Rating (Constructed) and Elo Rating (Limited) Leaderboards.
Eugene Phua remains the lone Gold Foil earner in Singapore, having reached 1000 Lifetime XP quicker than any other Singaporean, but that will soon change. With a graded Gold Foil Crown of Providence (and eight other Gold Foils) being awarded this weekend, we’re certain that several more Singaporeans will now be wielders of these coveted Gold Foils.
“It’s definitely a pleasure being the first, and yup, it’s a Carrion Husk. I’m very excited to see how the metagame unfolds. A lot of heroes are playable but Prism will likely still have a significant presence. She’ll need to win at least one of the next ten events before the next expansion, Dynasty, is released, so there is still a slim chance she may not become a Living Legend.”
In addition, Fayble (the tournament organiser and distributor) has put together a series of side events that feed the 1st Edition Arcane Rising booster draft. With any luck, we could also see a Cold Foil Eye of Ophelia see the light of day this weekend. A total of six Pro Tour Invites will also be awarded across the main event, as well as the Battle Hardened event.
The Calling: Singapore has the world's attention this weekend, and we’re excited to see how things unfold.
Here we go again!
Chapman Sim is an author of content relating to events. The opinions expressed in the above article are his own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Legend Story Studios.