Calling: Queenstown Live Blog

Sunday - The Calling Champion

There is only one winner - his name... Darryn Ying.

He only played one hero all weekend - Kassai.

His pathway to victory:

Congratulations Darryn, our Calling Champion for Queenstown 2024. Congratulations also to Khoi Dinh, our Calling Finalist. Both players delivered an amazing performance, and the final was packed with twists-and-turns that could easily have led the game to be decided another way. The skill and commitment that was on display in this match was captivating.

This has been an amazing event, and a fitting end to what has been a terrific experience in Queenstown. We've seen The Celebrational, World Premiere, The Calling, The Cosplay Competition and now The Team Battle Hardened. What an amazing weekend in Queenstown. We look forward to seeing everybody at the next one - either as readers, viewers, or players!

Sunday - The Battle Hardened Champion Team

This Team Battle Hardened took 8 rounds to find the Top 4, and then two drafts to find the finalists. Now they battle to find The Team Battle Hardened Queenstown Champion for 2024.

While they were unable to find success in The Calling, Brodie, Michael, and Dennis were a powerful force throughout the day - hosting many victims at the top tables of the Team Sealed Battle Hardened and finishing first in Swiss rounds. Ultimately, in a game that was tense and went right to the close of the venue - a match that was tied up rested on Sang Wook vs Dhennis Zhang, it was the global threat - Dennis who edged it out for his team, dropping the cheekiest Lunging Press for the win.

This was a great event cementing the importance of working together, making strategic choices, and bringing a strong mental game in a long day of 10 rounds + 2 drafts for the penultimate champions.

Sunday - The Calling Top 8

This is it. We are in the last mile of the main event - The Calling Queenstown has its Top 8. We have seen magical plays; we have seen top-seeds knocked out; we have seen amazing comebacks on the stream and on the tables. This has been a knock-out weekend of Flesh and Blood. Here is the Top 8:

It was likely to be an even split of heroes based on the players' previous hero choices in their Swiss rounds of the competition. We saw the majority carry forward their previous choices, hoping that familiarity will see the play-offs Stacked in their Favour.

Kayo has by far and away been the most popular hero this weekend, being the majority share of Day 1, Day 2, and now equal in the Top 8 draft along with Kassai, who was otherwise the second most popular hero.

Four of the players went with a Hot Streak:

• Eugene, 3x Kassai
• James, 3x Kassai
• Nish, 3x Kayo
• Darryn, 3x Kayo

Then two others found some reason to switch heroes, along their journey towards the trophy, before settling on something they felt could get the work done:

• Dan, started on Kassai -- then 2x Kayo
• Andrew, started on Betsy, then 2x Kayo

The two National Champions, however have continued their trend of switching heroes, however and Edge Ahead through being adaptable:

• Nick, Kassai -- Victor Goldmane -- Betsy
• Khoi, Betsy -- Olympia -- Victor Goldmane

Join us next for a feature interview with the resident artist, Joseph Qiu, who is here all weekend at The Calling Queenstown to sign cards, share their art, and enjoy meeting his many fans!

Sunday - Artist Profile: Joseph Qiu

Introduction

Joseph is a freelance artist and concept illustrator based out of Auckland, New Zealand. His profile on Artstation is filled with Flesh and Blood imagery - showing detailed faces, places, and machines from throughout Rathe. His talent shines through and is evident in the catalogue of artwork produced for the game, with a catalogue of 18 unique pieces to date. Let's see if we can find out how many more are coming, as we sit down with Joseph to talk about life as an artist, and creating for Flesh and Blood.

On Life as an Artist

• What started your art journey?
  • My Mum was supportive... she supported me to do what I liked, and I kept drawing - going on to study Graphic Design at University.
  • I started around 2010 with children's book illustrations, and then gradually moved into commercial illustration.
  • Later on as my skill progressed, I started to get into game and fantasy art. I met Sam Yang and he introduced me to Flesh and Blood.
  • [We paused the interview for a minute while a group of fans came up and started admiring the drawing Joseph had done for them. The "oohs" and "aahs" lasted nearly two minutes]
  • I asked Sam if I could try out for Flesh and Blood and he introduced me to Robbie... I did one card [Ragamuffin's Hat]... and then I started seeing positive comments on the card, saw there was a whole community behind this... then I took I asked for more assignments!

• What is your creative process?
  • The brief from Legend Story Studio is very well described, so the first thing I do is visualise something in my head and put some loose scribbles - composition.
  • Then I do some research - for the setting, for the character. I collect movie screenshots to reference for lighting - they do it very well.
  • I start with a sketch, submit it for review, and then slowly add more detail.
  • It is a digital process, and it starts in black and white then I slowly add colour.
• Have you been playing Flesh and Blood?
  • Not yet, Sam Yang has promised to teach me but we are both busy.

On Creating for Flesh and Blood

• Which Flesh and Blood artwork has been your favourite creation?
  • I love the latest one... Olympia, both versions - but especially young Olympia; with the lighting - it has a strong presence.
  • I really enjoyed working on Visit the Floating Dojo - for the last 2 years I worked on a lot of landscape work.
• What other artwork or artists do you admire in Flesh and Blood?
  • I love Sam Yang's Fai, Rising Rebellion - the adult one... also Livia Prima, the Prism artwork, and Federico Musetti... he's like legend.
• What do you most about making artwork for Flesh and Blood?
  • First off it's the creativity, and the story behind the characters.
  • Then it's the community, seeing people enjoy the characters; I love creating something that people love.

• Anything else that you would like to add?
  • I love coming to these events... this is the second event I have come to. It feels very satisfying - meeting new friends, and having players come to me and enjoying my artwork.

On the other side of the event hall, eight lucky individuals are seated to crack open an Alpha print box of Welcome to Rathe, after having been randomly selected from the side events throughout this weekend. What a lucky treat!

The Calling Queenstown is almost at an end - players are still joyfully ripping into packs for the last Ravenous Rabble promotional sealed deck, and the Team Sealed Battle Hardened is wrapping up the final round - shortly we will reveal the Top 4 teams playing off for glory and gold.

Sunday - The Calling Day 2 Pod 1 Breakdown

The Top 48 Draft is well in progress, with players finding themselves in the balance - wavering between progressing forward to Top 8, and staying in the Top 32 to receive a cash prize. Below we look at the hero choices that each of the players at the top of the competition - Pod 1 of the Top 48 draft for Day 2 of The Calling Queenstown.

So we saw the majority of our top table players choosing to stick with the hero that they found 7 wins from on the first day of play, and tragically nobody opted for a Guardian hero.

However, the Vietnamese National Champion Khoi Dinh - opted instead to switch into Olympia from yesterday's performance on Betsy. Meanwhile, Dr. Daniel McKay from Christchurch, New Zealand, has chosen to go from Warrior to Brute. Slightly unfortunate, as whichever way Dan went he was going to be the 4th seat drafting the hero.

Alongside the main event, we have the Team Sealed Battle Hardened underway. This is a thrilling format, where teams get 12 packs between them - and then must build 3 decks using unique heroes. 99 beautiful people entered this event, meaning we have 33 teams contending for the Top 4 slots.

In this format, the excitement is palpable. We hear players discussing strategies and the strengths or weaknesses of their respective decks. Who will hold the power cards that make and break their games? Who will be the punching bag who takes the heavy hits and relies on their team mates to Raise an Army? Which captains will get a Performance Bonus and Lead with Heart.

The teams will have to endure through 8 Swiss rounds using their sealed decks, and then a cut to the Top 4 teams will uncover who will be on the pathway to winning the stunning Battle Hardened playmate, and have a chance at being the team to ultimately win the Gold Cold Foil Legendary envelope - well, all 3 of them!

Next we will bring you the Top 8 of The Calling Queenstown along with their hero choices, and their history from the previous draft.

Sunday - The Calling Day 2 Metagame Update

Of the 48 players still live, and drafting today in The Calling Queenstown Day 2 we have 22 who stayed with the same hero as they played in the Day 1 sealed portion of the event.

• Kayo 19
• Kassai 13
• Betsy 10
• Olympia 3
• Rhinar 2
• Victor Goldmane 1

Day 2 looks very similar to what we saw in Day 1. There is a definite preference for the new heroes, with Kayo, Kassai, and Betsy taking the majority of hero choices, and a handful of support for the less-loved heroes of Olympia, Rhinar, and Victor Goldmane.

Some interesting names have picked up the outlier heros though:

• Pod 1, Khoi Dinh (2nd after Day 1) - Olympia
• Pod 2, Isaac Olssen (13th after Day 1) - Olympia
• Pod 2, Nick Butcher (15th after Day 1) - Victor Goldmane

Between these three individuals, they have 2 National Championships (Khoi - Vietnam; Nick - Australia) and 2 Calling Championships (Nick - Singapore 2023; Isaac - Auckland 2019), so experience might preference these heroes. It will be worth following how they perform over the three rounds.

Up next is an update on the Pod 1 hero choices, and a quick note on the Heavy Hitters Team Sealed Battle Hardened event.

Sunday - Welcome Back to The Calling Queenstown

If yesterday was anything to go by, we are in for another today of epic gladiatorial combat. We have the main event kicking off Day 2 with a Booster Draft of Heavy Hitters - we will be featuring Pod 1 in the Live Stream coverage of The Calling Queenstown Day 2.

Let us introduce you to the Pod 1 players:

• Hayden Dale (Australia), 7 wins, played Day 1 with Kayo
• Khoi Dinh (Vietnam), 7 wins, played Day 1 with Betsy
• Eugene C (Hong Kong), 7 wins, played Day 1 with Kassai
• Dr. Daniel McKay (New Zealand), 7 wins, played Day 1 with Kassai
• Nish Nimmagadda (New Zealand), 7 wins, played Day 1 with Kayo
• Darryn Ying (New Zealand), 7 wins, played Day 1 with Kassai
• James Shirley (New Zealand), 7 wins, played Day 1 with Kassai
• Troy Wilson (Australia), 7 wins, played Day 1 with Kayo

After the draft, the players have selected their heroes and are ready for glorious combat. Let the ale flow; let the wagers be placed, and let the Clash of Might begin. Here are the heroes chosen with seating for Pod 1:

Very shortly we will publish the Day 2 metagame for The Calling Queenstown. Alongside this, we have the Team Sealed Battle Hardened event kicking off - players are furiously cracking packs and planning strategies.

Saturday - The Calling Day 1 Wrap

After a thrilling day of competitive Flesh and Blood, we had a massive 225 players sign-up, demanding more savagery from an evening round of Heavy Hitters sealed deck. They are a Ravenous Rabble, but after a Pack Call they were seated and ready for the Adrenaline Rush of opening more beautiful cards.

Deck-building took second stage for a minute as the Cosplay Competition kicked off. The cosplays on display were magical - so much thought, creativity, and skill had gone into their construction.

It was so much more than a display tonight - it was a performance. We had speeches, we had ceremonies, we had fights - the participants showed so much passion and dedication to their creations, it was a tremendous show and would have been very difficult for the judges to pick between such high quality submissions:

• Dex as Blessing of Savagery
• FabledheroNZ as Taylor
• Jackie as Combustible Courier
• Max Ferocity as Hala Goldenhelm
• Monica White as Shift the Tide of Battle
• Oosh as Bravo, Showstopper
• Touran as Dromai, Ash Artist

This was undeniably one of the best Cosplay Competitions - and with James White in the audience, so many of the characters were ecstatic to be performing and showing off how they had brought the artwork and characters of the game to life.

• 1st Place: Taylor Promo Card, Fabric of Spring Playmat
• 2nd – 4th Place: Fabric of Spring Promo Card, Fabric of Spring Playmat
• 5th – 8th Place: Silversheen Needle Playmat
• All Participants: Silversheen Needle Promo Card

There can, of course, only be one winner - and so Max Ferocity as Hala Goldenhelm was the Cosplay Champion for The Calling Queenstown and received a beautiful Cold Foil Taylor for her efforts. A highlight of her cosplay was that she researched classical Italian plated armour in order to accurately construct the piece.

As finalists, the other excellent entries received a Cold Foil Fabric of Spring each. They were, in no particular order:

• Dex, as Blessing of Savagery
• Jackie, as Combustible Courier
• Oosh, as Bravo, Showstopper

The Calling Queenstown will continue tomorrow, and all the action will be broadcast live on the Flesh and Blood YouTube channel. Join our amazing coverage team for Day 2.

Saturday - The Calling Day 1 Metagame Update

It's been a long day in the Deathmatch Arena, but after 8 Swiss rounds we have Round 8 Standings and our Top 48 competitors - they will be preparing to Double Down tomorrow and rip into 3 packs of Heavy Hitters for 3 rounds of Booster Draft which will determine our Top 8 for the playoff phase of The Calling Queenstown.

Over the course of the eight rounds, we had some excellent matches on the Live Stream - bookmark it and get ready to follow all the Day 2 action on the Flesh and Blood YouTube channel. Here is a recap of the matches that were featured:

There was a huge preference for Kayo, Kassai, and Betsy in the morning deck-building, with only a handful of players opting for the options of Victor Goldmane, Rhinar, and Olympia. But some of the players combined Agility, Might, and Vigor to persevere beyond the statistics - the heroes that were successful in making Day 2 are:

• Brute - Kayo (19/78 - 25% conversion to Day 2)
• Brute - Rhinar (0/9 - 00% conversion to Day 2)
• Guardian - Betsy (5/46 - 11% conversion to Day 2)
• Guardian - Victor Goldmane (1/8 - 13% conversion to Day 2)
• Warrior - Kassai (18/63 - 29% conversion to Day 2)
• Warrior - Olympia (5/10 - 50% conversion to Day 2)

So, the Greek spirit charged Olympia players with the best Day 2 conversion rate of 50%, followed by a reasonable conversion rate for the most popular two heroes of Heavy Hitters Kassai (29%) and Kassai (25%). Meanwhile, Betsy and Victor Goldmane were poor performers, with just 1 out of every 10 fingers (Kayos - don't check the math) converting for the Guardian pair - one proud, and one drunken. What happened to Rhinar - lots of Bad Beats with none of the backers coming up with enough wins to move forward.

Before we wrap for the day, check back in shortly for coverage of The Calling Queenstown Cosplay Contest - there are some excellent costumes getting the finishing touches.

Saturday - Ultimate Pit Fight Draft

Ultimate Pit Fight Draft is a new format that brings together the best of two formats - Ultimate Pit Fight meets Booster Draft in the Deathmatch Arena - with Heavy Hitters especially configured for maximum carnage.

The format starts with a standard 8-person draft pod, which then splits into two 4-person sub-pods where contestants can Bare Fangs, Lay Down the Law, and the winners go on to Face Adversity in a winner-takes-all final match featuring the heroes who win the Pit Fight in each sub-pod, with the then winner being crowned the champion of the arena!

The players have six different heroes to choose from, and more weapons and equipment than any Flesh and Blood set ever before, making the possibilities HUGE in Heavy Hitters Ultimate Pit Fight Draft! Especially popular with the crowd are the new multiplayer-optimised equipments.

With the drafting done the players are smiling and laughing, but they are hiding back their vicious desire to crush, punish, and destroy their opponents. There are no friends in the Deathmatch Arena, and an alliance between Kayo and Rhinar is as stable as a house of cards. Let the mighty clash; let the swords clang!

As Rond 8 of The Calling Queenstown wraps up, we will post the updated metagame breakdown to show which heroes and which players were able to sit atop the pile and conquer the day - Battered Not Broken. Then we will end the day with the Cosplay Contest.

Saturday - Gold Cold Foil Rare Commoner Side Event

The main event has a Rising Energy, which readers can view on the Live Stream all weekend on the Flesh and Blood YouTube. We also have terrific side events running the whole weekend, including the Commoner event today which is bringing legendary energy but without any Legendary cards!

Today we had 13 players, who entered using a range of different heroes - unfortunately they couldn't bring in the Heavy Hitters yet - the new set is released February 2nd.

• Ira - 3
• Bravo - 2
• Iyslander - 2
• Dorinthea - 1
• Dromai - 1
• Fai - 1
• Kassai - 1
• Oldhim - 1
• Rhinar - 1

Following many tough rounds of battle, it was Bravo and Ira that sat atop the pile of exhausted challengers as the finalists who would contest for the beautiful black envelope containing a Gold Cold Foil Rare card.

• Andrew Heintz on Bravo v Kasharn Rao on Ira

After a vicious clash only one was able to limp out victorious - Ira, Crimson Haze - the hero that started it all!

Next up, we have a treat - the brand new format - Ultimate Pit Fight Draft, featuring 32 players contesting for a random draw to the last spot of the Alpha Welcome to Rathe draft and glorious event tickets.

Saturday - The Calling Day 1 Metagame

Heavy Hitters takes us back to the original classes debuted in Welcome to Rathe when Flesh and Blood was released five years ago. Many of the players here today were part of the World Premiere of Flesh and Blood (2019) and are delighted to be back playing a Slap-Happy set. The packs have been cracked, and the decks have been registered. Let's rumble!

Today we have more than 200 players locked in battle, ready to lift the trophy and call themselves Calling Champion for Queenstown, and to do so they've chosen from the six heroes of Heavy Hitters:

• Brute - Kayo (78 / 36%)
• Brute - Rhinar (9 / 4%)
• Guardian - Betsy (46 / 22%)
• Guardian - Victor Goldmane (8 / 4%)
• Warrior - Kassai (63 / 29%)
• Warrior - Olympia (10 / 5%)

There is a clear favourite hero for each class, with Kayo, Kassai, and Betsy taking the leading role, and Olympia, Rhinar, and Victor being relegated to people who opened the relevant specialisation or have unwavering faith.

We will soon see which heroes will rise to the top, and which will be carried out groaning in agony. Keep following - up next we will cover the Gold Cold Foil Rare Commoner event underway.

Saturday - Welcome to The Calling Queenstown

It's Day 1, Flesh and Blood fans - this is the main event. Right now the event hall is the calm before the storm. The players are beating their chests outside the doors, ready to storm the Deathmatch Arena to claim gold and glory.

Today they will be playing 8 Swiss rounds of Heavy Hitters sealed deck, followed by a cut to the Top 48 players OR all players with a 6-2 (at least 6 wins) or better record. The experience yesterday at the Heavy Hitters World Premiere was invaluable; players sit down with strategies of how to dominate today.

In the foyer, players boasted of which hero was the best and why they would win with it. Only a few will make it through today. After the dust settles, drinks are poured, wagers are made, and weapons are drawn - there will be two people sitting at Table 1, and one of them will hammer out a win to be the favourite going into Day 2 of The Calling Queenstown.

A quick reminder that all the action can be viewed on The Calling Queenstown Day 1 live stream hosted by the amazing duo of Craig Krempels and Matt 'Flake' DiMarco, and produced by Ethan 'ManSant' Van Sant. Next up, we will share a breakdown of the meta game for Day 1.

Friday - Enjoying Great Times Together

Flesh and Blood is a trading card game. But, it's also so much more than that. The unique and special thing about events like The Calling Queenstown is how they bring people together. The very first article ever published on this website talks about why Flesh and Blood isn't a digital game - for the sake of community.

When one sits down at a Flesh and Blood event, it's not about what card one opens; it's not about what one's tournament record is; it's not even about whether one plays or watches - it's about enjoying great times together. That's what Flesh and Blood is, and that's one of the reasons James White named it so: the game brings people together in real life; in the Flesh and Blood to spend time... together.

When an event is announced - there is always a buzz in the community. Messages and calls start frantically: "are you going?"; "where should we stay?"; "should we go to the Zoo/Vietnam/Disneyland before or after?"; "is your partner coming too?". All of a sudden flights are being booked, houses are being booked, and great times are being planned... together.

When an event is happening - there is an energy in the air. The planes, trains, hotels, and everything attached to the event are surging in the lead-up to a Flesh and Blood event. There are hugs, handshakes, and happiness as we see familiar faces, and share that moment leading up to enjoying great times... together.

Flesh and Blood is a trading card game - but it's also a community, a feeling, and that brings people together. The Calling Queenstown is the latest event to deliver that - and it's only the first day - join us again tomorrow as we continue the journey... together!

Friday - Play the Game, See the World

For the first time ever, we're offering the chance to turn this into a dream vacation! Buy an event package to The Calling Phuket during the live stream of The Celebrational, Heavy Hitters World Premiere, and The Calling: Queenstown (between January 19th-21st) to enter the draw to win FOUR nights of accommodation in Phuket!

Simply purchase a Marvel, Fabled, or Go Again Package for The Calling Phuket before 3PM NZST on January 21st to go into the draw! The winner will be announced LIVE on stream this Sunday (NZST)!

Friday - Celebrating with Brodie

Congratulations to Brodie Spurlock, winner of The Celebrational for 2024!

Brodie is from Dallas Fort Worth in Texas, USA and has been playing Flesh and Blood since Tales of Aria was released. His favourite set so far has been Outsiders, with Bright Lights boosting in a close second - both sets rating highly for their draft experience, and the challenge of figuring out the heroes. Even before winning The Celebrational, Brodie has established himself as a household name with his competitive results, including most recently winning The Realm Rumble in December 2023.

As his prize, Brodie has designed a card, Silent Auction, that will be printed in the future. It’ll be life changing!

If reading this blog has made one excited for the next Calling, do not fret - The Calling Phuket is coming up very soon - in April this year. Purchase tickets this weekend to enter the draw to win 4 nights free accommodation!

Friday - Venue Tour

This weekend we are based at the Queenstown Events Centre, which is conveniently located near the airport, accommodation, and shopping district of Queenstown. The venue is surrounded by breath taking scenery, shadowed by The Remarkables mountain range and looking out over Lake Wakatipu.

What has really caught the players' eyes though is the Prize Wall, featuring oversized cards, Cold Foils, and the newest addition -- framed 3x3 art prints.

Of course, no Flesh and Blood event would be complete without the marvellous artists that produce the cards we all love and cherish - this weekend we have Joseph Liu, who has a catalogue of 20 (and growing) cards so far.

We have many amazing vendors setup this weekend, here to offer players accessories, Flesh and Blood cards, and anything else they need to battle through the weekend.

Lastly, hidden away behind the majestic art banners we have our amazing Live Coverage team, who will be bringing viewers the action live all weekend via the Flesh and Blood Youtube Channel.

Next we sit down with Brodie Spurlock, who won The Celebrational, to talk about Flesh and Blood, life, and what he's looking forward to at The Calling Queenstown.

Friday - Round 1, Fight

The players are done with deck building and it is time for swords to clash, bones to break, and blood to flow - this is the Deathmatch! Only the strongest can survive. We sat down with Rhinar vs Kayo to see which Brute is the strongest.

At the time we joined, the Rhinar was on 9 health and the Kayo on 4 health. Rhinar held 3 cards and sent a Mighty Windup (yellow) to intimidate once and create a Might token. This was followed by Rising Power  which Kayo blocked with Assault and Battery plus the prevention effect of Sheltered Cove to take zero. Rhinar draws back to 4.

The Kayo cracked Gauntlet of Might to drop a Might token, and then attacked with Mandible Claws for an ordinary 3 - which Rhinar didn't blink about taking, (Rhinar 6 health; Kayo 4 health) and Kayo does get to set an arsenal down.

The Rhinar starts with breaking their Might token, follows up using Lead with Speed to bank an Agility token, and smacks down a Clash of Agility to offer a thumping 8 damage. Kayo quickly moves to fully block with 3 cards, so Rhinar arsenals and play moves on. Both decks are looking thin now. 

Kayo pops their Might token combined with a Wage Agility to retaliate for 6 damage. Rhinar initially offers an Assault and Battery (blue) then switches to a Bone Breaker Bellow to take 3 and block 3 damage (Rhinar 3 health; Kayo 4 health) and Kayo is rewarded with an Agility token. No arsenal. 

Rhinar then drops a Bone Breaker Bellow (yellow) with out beating their chest, followed by Mandible Claw, which soaks up the Agility token for Go Again. While this is easily blocked, the Clash of Might that follows does enough to earn the handshake, meaning Rhinar walks away victorious - the strongest Brute!

What a thrilling end to a brutish match-up. Join us next for a tour of the venue where we check out the prize wall, vendors, and the other attractions that make up the wonder of The Calling weekend!

Friday - The Crowd Cheers

We have nearly 250 participants seated in the Arena, and they are all murmuring with excitement - who will open the Fabled; who will get the Marvel edition of their favourite hero; and who will crack one of the beautiful new Legendaries? Outside of those cherished and rarest cards, there are five cards in Heavy Hitters that players could open and have signed straight away by prolific artist, Joseph Qiu - who is here this weekend as a special guest!

Many lucky players have opened beautiful cards today, and the Marvels look absolutely stunning. The artwork really stands out - these are beautiful pieces; so much more than just a hero card!

On top of the amazing prizes available with the event, players have an additional chance to win a bounty prize of a Heavy Hitters booster pack when they are clashing with Legend Story Studios team members who are here in force to experience the new set and celebrate five years of Flesh and Blood!

We will record a little sample of the gameplay from Round 1 next - so readers can follow along as players clobber each other, clashing with might and fury to determine who is the heaviest hitter!

Friday - The Deathmatch Begins

Welcome everyone to the Friday of The Calling Queenstown, where we are getting ready for the World Premiere of Heavy Hitters - listen out for the sounds of bones crunching as the Deathmatch begins.

Meanwhile, two of the most dedicated players in Flesh and Blood, Kelvin Law and Brodie Spurlock are playing off for the momentous prize of their very own card design. We have the submissions from each player:

From Kelvin, we have a Ninja Attack Action card, which we can see becoming a staple for the likes of Katsu - the Thoughtful Gustwave sits nicely alongside other Ninja attacks like Ride the Tailwind; Hundred Winds; Lord of Wind; and, Winds of Eternity. The judge team are debating how this could work in Shiyana -- does Agile Windup also trigger the Combo ability?!

From Brodie, we have a Generic Action that could very easily become a fixture in so many decks. There is a lot of text on this card - but effectively it gives the opponent a life-wager-based choice between discarding a card, or allowing the player of Silent Auction to search for any card and bring it to their hand; incredibly powerful tutor effect. This card will be a life changer!

Check out all the action on the Flesh and Blood Live Stream. Very soon players will be seated and will be the first in the world to start cracking packs of Heavy Hitters. Check in with us throughout the weekend as we share all the updates from The Calling Queenstown.

Welcome to the Calling: Queenstown Live Blog!

Stay tuned for exciting snapshots across the whole weekend...

The 2024 Celebrational is well underway with competitors taking part in a round robin tournament spread across multiple formats.

The action is taking place in the "Directors Room" from the Skyline in Queenstown, where players get to sling cards overlooking the stunning Lake Wakatipu.

The Games kicked off on Wednesday with 4 rounds of "Underdog Blitz" a Blitz format where hero selection is restricted to heroes with less than 100 Living Legend points.

The staunch defense of Yoji proved to be a dominant strategy seeing Saint Hung and Kelvin Law go 4-0 in the first format of the tournament with the Royal Protector.

The next three rounds consisted of Heavy Hitters Blitz Pre-Constructed, where players got to try out the new Heavy Hitting Heros for the first time. Each round the players were randomly assigned a hero so that they played a different class each round. The results were mixed as the contestants wagered and clashed their way through to the end of Day 1.