Metagame Minute: Skirmish Season 11, Week 1

Welcome to Metagame Minute, where we tuck into the latest tournament results and discuss tasty trends, saucy highlights, and spicy decklists - all wrapped up in a bite-sized read!

There are few better feelings than heading down to your local shop to jam some great games of Flesh and Blood with the community. But joining the Skirmish, raising the stakes, and gripping the chance to claim some killer prizes? Oh yeah, now we're gaming! For Skirmish season 11, we asked players to take up arms as their favorite Blitz hero or embody heroes of past and present in Living Legend.

In Blitz, a healthy spread makes up our metagame, stretching across 23 different heroes who managed to put some Living Legend points under their belt. Of the week one wins, 6 different classes make up our top eight most winning heroes, with Brute and Wizard traveling in pairs on their way to the top. In keeping with the Classic Constructed meta trends, Aurora claims the throne for most wins, but Verdance and Kayo are hot on her Starlight Striders. My self-created award for most likely to strike terror into your heart goes to Blaze, Firemind for her ability to do all the things Kano wishes he could be doing right now. RIP.

On the side of Living Legend, we find ourselves in some very unfamiliar territory. Scroll down a bit and check the graphic, I'll wait.

STARVO HAS BEEN DETHRONED.

The hero that has all but vowed to maintain grip of the Living Legend metagame has been knocked down four pegs and a fan favorite set release could be to credit. Most notably, Rosetta offered up a delicious dose of Runeblade tools that allowed Chane to take his power level to new heights. Are the days of Starvo ruling the Living Legend metagame those of the past or will he come back next week with new tricks up his sleeves? Knowing the Star of the Show, my bets are on the latter.

Today, let's take a look at a hero from each format who managed to land themselves at the middle of the pack. Each begging for another chance to climb the ranks next week now that they know what to prepare for.

Terra-sunder

The only talent-based Guardian currently legal in Blitz has made quite the name for himself, despite receiving little to no direct card support since his debut. The great thing about a powerhouse hero like Terra is that he can draw inspiration from a vast pool of existing cards, making that lack of support almost irrelevant. With the recent unbanning of Crown of Seeds, it’s no surprise to see Terra leaning further into a defensive playstyle. As hyper-aggressive heroes look to drain your life total in just a few turns, this stout woodsman stands firm, reminding you that there's still time on the clock.

When this deck isn’t hunkering down on defense or efficiently reclaiming lost life, it’s all about strategizing the next devastating strike. One of Terra's most deceptive strengths is your perception of him. While it may seem like he’s merely enduring the onslaught, he’s actually baiting you into a false sense of security. What I love about this deck is that with just one well-planned setup turn, Tear Asunder can Thanos snap your opponents cards out of existence or Spinal Crush shatter their hopes of a go-wide turn. And when all else fails, this deck has all the tools you need to fatigue your opponent. You gotta love multiple win conditions!

Thread the Needle

The king of chill vibes and meditation has found his way to the top tables in every format available to him. While Zen isn't an official member of the prestigious LL Club as of the time of this writing, it's safe to say he'll have no problem fitting in when he inevitably gets there. With plenty of blue pitch to navigate Arcane-driven metagames and enough aggro to go toe-to-toe with the fastest of them, Zen is a smart pick for future Living Legend format events. Having access to absolute debauchery like Stubby Hammerers and Zephyr Needle means Zen is likely to give many Chane players more than they can handle.

With the new tools featured in The Hunted, it wasn't long before one of the Ninjas crunched the numbers on the most optimal way to be disgusting in the Living Legend format. This list takes full advantage of the Retrieve mechanic found on Pick Up the Point and Up Sticks and Run allowing you to reclaim your busted weapons if your opponent finally decides they've had enough. Aside from the familiar spread of Transcend cards in the list, we're rocking plenty of Crouching Tiger generators and card draw tools because nothing says "I'm doing broken things" like cracking Stubbies on a double Art of War turn.

The first week of Skirmish season is always a crazy time because people are eagerly coming out of their beat laboratories with their latest concoctions. I say let's keep the weird times rolling and play what makes you happy. With a metagame as diverse as Blitz and freeing as Living Legend, there are simply no wrong answers. Think you have what it takes to make your mark on week 2 of Skirmish season? Get out there and prove it!