One of the major focuses of the studio for 2024 was to develop and introduce new tools and products to support the growth of the Flesh and Blood player base and local communities around the world. We've also been out in the community ourselves with our Conventions Program, connecting with thousands of hobbyists and sharing the joy of playing great games in the Flesh and Blood.
These two projects have just come together this past weekend as LSS exhibited at Gen Con for the first time and debuted the brand new 1st Strike Decks. So let's take a look at some ways you can use 1st Strike to develop your store's new player journey into the upcoming Rosetta release...
What is 1st Strike?
1st Strike is not simply a pair of new Blitz Decks, they have been designed and play tested from the ground up to be a fantastic introduction for new players to learn how to play Flesh and Blood and deliver an awesome gameplay experience. These ready-to-play out of the box Blitz Decks feature brand new heroes and exciting yet simple mechanics with two distinct play styles.
Take up the mantle of an Elemental hero, harnessing your connection to the forces of nature in order to unlock powerful abilities! Stand firm with Terra, a Guardian who's unbreakable Earth Bond keeps him alive while he cultivates a late-game smackdown! Feel the Lightning Flow with Aurora, a Runeblade who fries her opponents to a crisp with a barrage of electrifying attacks!
The new player friendly design extends to the cards themselves with the incorporations of new icons so players can easily identify their Lightning or Earth cards, and extra guidance and tips for how auras work and what to avoid when using block cards.
Fry
Canopy Shelter
Might
Lightning Press
The 1st Strike Decks are an extremely valuable tool for stores looking to bring new players and customers into Flesh and Blood, serving as the perfect first purchase after trying the game with our Ira Welcome Decks or Online Tutorial.
Each 1st Strike deck also includes a marketing card to link players back our 1st Strike Learn to Play page, which includes hero tutorials for Aurora and Terra, as well as gameplay featuring the fantastic team from Three Floating.
Creating your new player pathway
Gen Con weekend saw one of the highest numbers of new GEM player registrations we've ever seen, so be sure to capitalise on these new interested players with an easy 5 step pathway from 1st Strike to Rosetta.
- Order 1st Strike
- Schedule and advertise your events
- Host Learn to Play and 1st Strike events August 23 - September 12
- Invite players to your Rosetta Pre-Release event September 13-16
- Get them back in store for Rosetta Release Weekend
Step 1 is very straight forward, make sure you have 1st Strike decks in stock and available to sell to new players. 1st Strike releases on August 23 and is available from all our distributors, so if you don't have your pre-orders in yet be sure to get in touch with your sales rep ASAP!
Step 2: Schedule and advertise your events!
The most important piece of advice we have for all GEM stores is to make sure that you schedule your events in GEM in advance and to share and advertise your events on all of your social media channels and store website. This is the best way to ensure that your local players know what is coming up in-store and also to attract new players to your events as well. We have lots of marketing assets available on our website to make it simple to advertise as well.
Our marketing team also have ongoing social media campaigns running to promote Flesh and Blood and direct players to their local stores, including QR codes built into our convention booth designs which link to our store and event finders. But if you haven't scheduled your events in GEM your store may not show up for these prospective new players so make sure you don't miss out!
Step 3: Host Learn to Play and 1st Strike events
The first step for any new Flesh and Blood player is an Ira Learn to Play, either in-store or using our online tutorial. Ira Welcome Decks are available from your distributor free of charge, so we would encourage you to always have these available in store and teach your team how to run demos using these great free decks.
We would also encourage you to regularly run Learn to Play Events and have your regular players bring along their friends and families to try out the game.
From the release of 1st Strike on August 23 through to Rosetta Pre-Release Weekend on September 13-16 the perfect next step for growing your player base is to host some 1st Strike events in-store.
Simply run these using the Blitz Preconstructed format, with players using either an Aurora or Terra 1st Strike deck. Events using 1st Strike decks will teach players how to attack, defend, pitch, and set up combos and combat chains harnessing the power of Earth and Lightning cards just in time for Rosetta Pre-Release. Aurora is the shining star of the Rosetta booster set, meaning players who learn to play using 1st Strike will have a familiar hero and mechanics when they participate in your Pre-Release event.
Step 4: Host an epic Rosetta Pre-Release and invite your new players!
Make sure to invite your new players from your Learn to Play and 1st Strike events back to your Rosetta Pre-Release event on September 13-16. Pre-Release events are the first chance most players will have to crack packs and try out the new heroes from Rosetta which always means lots of excitement and the opportunity for new players to meet your regulars and join your community.
Your Rosetta Pre-Release Kits include promos and tokens for all players, up to 16 players per kit, meaning everyone gets something special for their collection along with their 8 Rosetta booster packs and any additional prize support which you wish to offer.
Stores hosting Pre-Release events also have exclusive early access to sell Rosetta Blitz Deck Collections during Pre-Release weekend. This means it's the perfect opportunity for new and casual players to pick up a Blitz Deck collection in-store and receive decks for all 4 new Rosetta heroes, 2 Rosetta Booster packs, a beautiful playmat, and storage box to keep everything in.
Step 5: Get players back for Rosetta Release Weekend!
Rosetta releases on September 20 around the world and we have exclusive extra support for our active event hosting GEM stores to help entice players in and get them purchasing their Rosetta boosters in store:
- Rosetta Release Celebration Promos
- Promos for Play Day Events
Release Celebration Promos
Eligible retailers will receive Release Celebration Promos from their distributor along with their Rosetta release day stock shipments. Stores have been allocated these promos based on their Organised Play activity and these are to be used to support your in-store sales, not online.
These should be provided as one promo card per Rosetta Booster Box or Rosetta Blitz Deck Collection purchased. However, retailers may apply per customer limits at their discretion.
Full details for are available on our Release Celebration Promo FAQ.
Play Day Events September 20-22
Release weekend will feature Play Day Events, intended to be a fun, low-stakes way for casual players to enjoy exploring new cards from Rosetta.
The suggested format for Play Day Events is Blitz Preconstructed, with players ideally using Blitz Decks from the Rosetta Blitz Deck Collection box set. You could also run Play Day events using 1st Strike Decks if you have lots of brand new players. Local game stores who host Armory Events will receive an 8-card Play Day promo pack as part of their September Armory Kit. The promo pack includes two rainbow foil copies of each signature weapon belonging to the four heroes in Rosetta.
Keep momentum with Sealed Deck and Booster Draft Events!
Demand for limited format events like Sealed Deck and Booster Draft is always the highest when a new booster set releases, as players are wanting to crack packs to build their collections, and to learn and practice the new booster draft format. So we would highly recommend using these formats for your Armory Events in the weeks following Rosetta's September 20 street date, and hosting extra On Demand Sealed Deck and Booster Draft events.
Rosetta Booster Draft will also be one of the formats for the upcoming Pro Quest Europe event series running in stores from October 5-27, so your more competitive players will be wanting to get in a lot of practice.
Or fly casual with Blitz and Sealed Deck Leagues
If you're looking for a great way to introduce new and casual players to Rosetta, then you could run either a Blitz Deck or Sealed Deck League in-store after release. We run both of these formats in the LSS office each release and they appeal to players with a wide range of experience and skill.
Simply decide whether you want to run a Blitz Deck or Sealed Deck League in your store and then start each player off with either a Rosetta Blitz Deck or eight Rosetta booster packs to constructed their Sealed Deck. If you're running a Blitz Deck League then simply by opening Rosetta Blitz Deck Collections you immediately have prizing to hand out in the form of the extra booster packs, playmat, and storage box!
Leagues can be designed to offer participation rewards for players who attend each week and you can also drive repeat purchases with them by allowing players to buy a new booster pack to add to the Blitz Deck or Sealed Deck each week, or extra packs if they aren't having the best of luck.
Nurturing a welcoming community
One of the central themes and storylines of Rosetta is the cycle of rebirth, growth and renewal, the changing of the seasons, and this is a perfect metaphor to consider when welcoming new players during the 1st Strike and Rosetta release seasons.
Flesh and Blood at its heart is about bringing people together through the common language of great games, and new set releases are the perfect time to bring new players into your community. So be sure to have plenty of Learn to Play and Casual Play events running to teach and nurture new players, and encourage everyone to have fun exploring the new set.
Consider rewarding your more experienced players for helping bring along or teaching new players and be sure to help new players on their journey by letting them know all about your upcoming events (which you've remembered to schedule in GEM). Let them know via your social media pages and local Flesh and Blood community groups, help them find experienced players to trade with, pick up deck construction tips, or practice with.
The overall goal is for everyone to have fun and feel welcomed into the Flesh and Blood community and anything that your store and your players can do create these great experiences is much appreciated.