We're taking a look at three different countries leading up to the 2024 National Championships, talking to players, local game stores, and content creators. Join us as we travel the globe to meet Flesh and Blood fans and hear their stories. This week we land in Canada!
Crystal clear lakes, snowcapped mountains, and breathtaking glaciers - Canada is the place to be if you love the great outdoors.
With a population of more than 38 million, Canada is the second largest country in the world in terms of land mass. It can be blisteringly cold, sometimes reaching temperatures of -63°C. This makes it the perfect location for winter sports such as skiing, snowboarding, and a classic Canadian favourite - ice hockey!
Flesh and Blood officially launched in Canada in late 2020. Since then it has developed a tightknit player base, with Battle Hardened titles hotly contested in Toronto, Vancouver, and most recently, Montréal. Canada has held their own on the competitive circuit, with players like Yuki Lee Bender, Aaron Shantz, and Isaak Krut placing in Top 8 at Pro Tour and the World Championship.
We look forward to visiting Canada again in the near future, but for now, let's hear from some local legends about the upcoming National Championship!
Player: Emily Froese
How did you discover Flesh and Blood?
I heard about it from one of the Discord servers I was in; I had just moved to Calgary and wanted to see if there was anything happening here. A Calgary local in the server reached out and introduced me to the game, and I've been hooked ever since.
Who is your favourite hero?
I learned the game playing Briar, whom I really liked, but my true favourite is Dromai. I started playing Dromai only recently, but I immediately fell in love with her dragons and the style of play that she presents. I was sad to see her reach Living Legend status before I got a big win with her, but every game played as Dromai was a delight.
How are you feeling about the upcoming Canada National Championship?
I'm really pumped up for the National Championship, and I can't wait to see how the new heroes from Part the Mistveil factor into the landscape. I'm putting in lots of practice to be able to compete at my best, and I know it'll be an amazing event! I had a bit of a rough run at last year's National Championship, but I'm determined to do much better this time around!
Who will win the Canada National Championship?
With some luck and skill, hopefully it'll be me! I'd also be really excited to see any of my friends make it; I know they're great at the game and can make it to the top.
What is your favourite thing about playing Flesh and Blood in Canada?
My favourite thing about Flesh and Blood is the community, hands down. I've made so many friends through Flesh and Blood, and the people that I play with here are both amazing at the game and wonderful people. From the judges to the stores and players, it's been a standout experience for me to be a part of it all!
Local Game Store: Board Miniatures
How did you discover Flesh and Blood?
A local Flesh and Blood player tutors piano to Board Miniature's owner's children and every time they were over, they would passionately brag and talk up Flesh and Blood and its great community. When the owner ultimately made the decision to open a new hobby store, he was convinced that Flesh and Blood was a great community to fill the gaming spaces. Before the store opened, it was planned that the store's weekly Armory events would be on Saturdays. The store opened its doors on Saturday January 13, 2024, and Flesh and Blood was actually the store's first sanctioned game played. It was a resounding success and we knew we had lucked out on a wonderful local community and game.
What is the local Flesh and Blood community like?
We have had nothing but outstanding success and positive interactions with our local Flesh and Blood community. A welcoming, sharing, resourceful, giving, connected group. It has been easy to make the decision to invest in Flesh and Blood as the store's #1 priority in TCG product. We make it a point to stock and maintain all available Flesh and Blood products and we have been well received for it. Where other stores at times have scant product, we ensure the community has the most available options and choices.
How are you feeling about the upcoming Canada National Championship?
We are extra excited about the upcoming Canada National Championship! We have more than five players from our regular Armory events who have qualified and are planning to attend, including both a store staff and a judge! It is 100% a guarantee that there will be some Board Miniatures colors displayed at the tables!
What format do players in Canada enjoy most?
Our players express most desire for the Classic Constructed format. The community base here started basically since the game launched and so they've been equipped with all the required cards, and Classic Constructed is the go-to. Although, as a change up to one of our Armory events, we hosted a Shapeshifter Sealed event where players were free to purchase any packs and had no class/hero limitations, and it was very well received.
What has been your favourite Flesh and Blood event in Canada so far?
Our favourite Flesh and Blood event so far has actually been our own internal Flesh and Blood Ladder League. Where players who've signed up receive player tags (we have 14 so far) and they can challenge each other to games. If they win they swap tags and essentially fight their way up to the top of the ladder. It has been really successful in that we have players coming into the store playing ladder league matches almost every day that we are open. Some of the best feedback has been that it offers players a low-pressure way to play while maintaining competitiveness. They also appreciate the ability to choose any play format and win condition they wish (Classic Constructed, Blitz, Best of 3, Commoner, changing their deck between matches, etc). It has been fun to see the active participation.
Content Creator: On the Bauble (Yuki Lee Bender)
How did you discover Flesh and Blood?
I watched games of Flesh and Blood between Hayden Dale and Luis Scott Vargas on YouTube and decided I definitely had to give it a try after watching the exciting back and forth gameplay. As I started playing, Azalea and Kano were the heroes that really caught my attention and made me fall in love with the game, because of how fun they were to play and how resonant their mechanics felt.
Which booster set is your favourite?
Tales of Aria for the heroes (especially Lexi), aesthetic, Draft environment, and gameplay. However, it's looking like Part the Mistveil might surpass it! I'm extremely excited for this set in both Limited and Classic Constructed. Nuu and Enigma have both been very fun to play so far, Draft looks extremely interesting, and the art is absolutely gorgeous.
How are you feeling about the upcoming Canada National Championship?
I am very excited to tackle a brand new metagame! The new heroes from Part the Mistveil all seem quite exciting and I'm looking forward to watching what happens in other National Championships and getting to play Calling: Minneapolis in preparation for our own National Championship. The National Championship is always my favourite event because I get to see and compete with all my fellow Canadian players. This year I'm feeling extremely motivated to practice and put in the reps, it's my dream to one day become a two-time Canadian National Champ.
What has been the most exciting moment of 2024 so far?
The finals of Calling: Tokyo between Michael Feng and Oh Oh with a brand new set was an absolutely incredible match to watch and one of my all-time favourites. In terms of my personal accomplishments, sweeping Battle Hardened: Hartford with Kayo on release weekend was very exciting and rewarding.
What's your message to players competing in the Canada National Championship?
I hope everyone is excited to bring their best and play with all of Canada's top players! We have an incredible country for Flesh and Blood, Canada has so many extremely kind players who also have an incredible number of accomplishments at all levels of play.
