Five Ways To Get The Most Out Of Your Next Big Tournament

High level tournaments such as Battle Hardeneds and Tier 3+ events are an amazing experience for Flesh and Blood players. It’s a community bonding event where you get to meet and see hundreds of people who share the same passion for this game in the Flesh and Blood (pun intended), and is an experience I can’t recommend enough!

Do take care though! Higher level tournaments can also be an intimidating experience, especially if you’ve only been used to your local level of play to this point. The day(s) go long, and the last thing you’d want to have are any harsh feelings about being unprepared. Here are a few tips on how you can best prepare.

1.  Prepare in Advance

Here are some things you will want to remember to do and bring to your first tournament.

• Prepare your decklist: You’ll want to print out your decklist ahead of time as well as a sideboard guide. FaBrary (https://fabrary.net) is great for printing decklists and can also print your sideboard guide. 

• Have pen and paper! Phone use is often discouraged and judges will take the side of the person who takes note of life totals on paper over the person who relied on their phone.

• Bring tokens! If your deck requires certain tokens (cards or otherwise) it is your responsibility to have them with you. Judges will have token cards available for pickup; but to avoid the stress of looking for them, I advise bringing your own.

• Get a fresh pack of deck sleeves: Bring new or healthy sleeves for these tournaments. Even if you don’t mean to, your cards can be considered marked if a judge performs a deck check and notices an inconsistency between one sleeve and another.

• Check key Majestics for fakes. See if your cards are fake! There are accounts of people being banned because they brought fake cards they bought online and didn’t know they were fake. Check out this video on how you can spot fake cards.

• Avoid tournament burnout: Plan to have breaks between rounds and/or days of a tournament. Sometimes it can help to take an hour or two off to grab some food with friends or explore the city. Take advantage of the opportunity Flesh and Blood gives you to explore a new place! 

2.  Bring Your Own Snacks

Snacks are the MVPs for tournaments. Given that hundreds of people often show up to Callings , you can expect to play 7+ rounds at these events. The day will go long, and, while you can probably argue about personal rituals like being focused during a fast, hunger will still sneak up on you. You don’t want to be hungry when you’re playing your “win and in” for the Top 8. Eat, but be strategic. Convention centers will have food stands with a lot of greasy foods like burgers, hot dogs, pretzels, and all that other good stuff. These foods are terrible for keeping your energy levels and focus up. I recommend packing nuts (like almonds), granola bars, and water or Gatorade to stay hydrated. You’ll be doing a lot of walking in between rounds. Take care of your body, and it will certainly reward you throughout the tournament.

3.  In Game Situations

• Sit facing the clock! It is objectively better for you to be the one facing the clock. It helps you address time concerns with an opponent when you can look at the time without turning around. Also, if you turn around you open yourself up to sleights of hand from your opponents.

• Maintain a clean board state: Make sure the board state is clear for both you and your opponent. If an opponent has their equipment cubed up it is perfectly reasonable to ask them to have their equipment in the proper zones so information is clear to you. Though it seems so fractional, even presenting one’s equipment in the wrong order can mess with your understanding of what resources your opponent has available. You might also see opponents putting their arsenal on top of their hero. You have every right to ask them to place their arsenal in the proper zone. 

4.  Learn from every match

While you hope for every match to go successfully, the reality is that this is a card game. You won’t be able to win them all. While luck is still a factor, do not under any circumstances use luck as a scapegoat as the sole reason for losing. Flesh and Blood compared to most other card games has high skill expression, which makes winning and losing more personal. Win or lose, it is important to remain objective after each round. This will both improve your level of play and help keep your head level from a harsh game that came your way. Tackle your ego and ask yourself why you lost. What were your outs? Remember that for your next match and get the win. If you win, ask yourself how you could have lost. Flesh and Blood is a game about producing better value with your cards than your opponent.

After each match, here are the questions you should be asking: 

• At what point(s) in the game did I over- or under block?

• Did I sequence my plays correctly?

• Did I over- or underestimate what my late game was going to be?

• What was my opportunity cost to play my cards?

• Did I play it too safe or too risky?

Each match is different. If you ask yourself the right questions and reflect, you will improve as a player round to round. Isn’t that exciting!

5.  Win or lose, cherish the memories!

Whether you win a Calling or go X-7, don’t forget to cherish the little things. Treat it like a vacation! Go out and eat with the friends you are with or go sightseeing. The most important thing is to enjoy the experience! Don’t let your losses sour what could otherwise be a good time making memories with friends on the trip. After all, isn’t the main mantra of FaB to connect and come together in the Flesh and Blood? Sounds like a win any way you slice it!