Flesh and Blood is a two-player trading card game from Legend Story Studios in New Zealand. Each player is a hero who starts the game with their weapon and equipment already in play, and you win by bringing the opposing hero’s life down to 0. There is no separate resource or land card: you pay for cards by “pitching” other cards from your hand, so every card is an attack, a defence or a source of resources, depending on how you use it.
Turns are short and tense, and every card decision matters. A preconstructed Silver Age deck gives you a complete, tournament-ready deck for your first game, and UK shops run weekly Armory events where new players are made very welcome.
Find shops near you on our Flesh and Blood page.
What you need to play
Each player brings:
- A hero card. The hero shows your starting life (in the lower right corner) and your intellect (lower left), which is the number of cards you draw up to at the end of each turn.
- Weapons and equipment. These start the game in play. Weapons let you attack, and equipment for your head, chest, arms and legs can block damage and add abilities.
- A deck. Its size depends on the format, as shown below.
Reading a card
- Pitch value (top left): the coloured bar and dots show how many resources the card gives when you pitch it. Red gives 1, yellow gives 2 and blue gives 3.
- Cost (top right): how many resources you pay to play it.
- Power and defence (bottom): how much damage it deals as an attack, and how much damage it blocks when you defend with it.
Many cards come in all three colours. A red version usually hits hardest but pitches for least, while a blue version is weaker in a fight but pays for more.
Setting up a game
- Place your hero and equip your weapons and equipment in their zones.
- Pick a player at random, who chooses who takes the first turn.
- Shuffle, let your opponent shuffle or cut your deck, then draw cards up to your hero’s intellect.
- There is no mulligan, so you play the hand you draw.
How a turn works
Each turn has three phases: the Start Phase, the Action Phase and the End Phase.
The action phase
You start the Action Phase with 1 action point. Playing an action card, such as an attack, or attacking with your weapon uses it. Cards with go again give you a new action point once they resolve, which lets you chain several attacks together in one turn.
To pay for a card, you pitch cards from your hand into your pitch zone until you have enough resources. You only pitch when you need to pay for something.
Attacking and defending
Attacks go on the combat chain. The defending player chooses which cards to block with, using cards from their hand and their equipment, and each card’s defence value reduces the damage. Both players can also play reaction cards before damage is dealt. Any damage that gets through comes off the defending hero’s life.
Defending is a real choice: every card you block with is a card you can’t use on your own turn, so you balance protecting your life total against keeping a strong hand.
The end phase
At the end of your turn you can put one card from your hand face down into your arsenal, ready to use on a later turn. Your pitched cards go to the bottom of your deck, and you draw up to your intellect. Then your opponent takes their turn.
Formats you will meet
The official tournament rules list these formats:
| Format | Hero | Deck | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Silver Age | Young hero | Exactly 40 cards, from a 55-card pool | Common, rare and basic cards only, up to 2 copies of each |
| Classic Constructed | Adult hero | At least 60 cards, from an 80-card pool | Up to 3 copies of each card |
| Blitz | Young hero | Exactly 40 cards, from a 52-card pool | Faster games with smaller decks |
| Living Legend | Adult hero | As Classic Constructed | Opens up heroes that have earned Living Legend status |
Sealed Deck and Booster Draft use cards opened at the event, and Ultimate Pit Fight is a multiplayer format. Silver Age rounds last 35 minutes and are best of one, which makes it the easiest format for a newcomer’s first night.
What to buy first
A Silver Age deck is the simplest start: a ready-to-play deck with its hero, weapon, equipment and inventory, built for tournaments and Armory events straight out of the box. Chapter 3 decks also include a booster pack. If your local shop plays Classic Constructed, an Armory Deck is the matching ready-made option. Prices we found in October 2026:
| Product | What you get | UK price |
|---|---|---|
| Silver Age deck (Chapter 1, Chapter 3 or Usurp the Shadow Throne) | A tournament-ready young hero deck for the Silver Age format | £19.99 RRP, around £15 to £18 in some shops |
| Armory Deck (for example Pleiades or Malice) | A ready-to-play Classic Constructed deck, and some can be adapted for Blitz | £38.99 RRP |
Silver Age Chapter 3, released in June 2026, has five decks: Blaze, Boltyn, Briar, Gravy Bones and Lyath. Pick the hero whose style appeals to you. Most shops on our listings stock these, so ask locally first, and staff can often recommend the decks their regulars play.
Playing in the UK
Weekly Armory events are the heart of local play. They run at Casual rules enforcement, with the focus on learning and enjoyment, and Silver Age is supported there alongside Classic Constructed. Shops also run Skirmish seasons, and the competitive path continues through Pro Quests and larger events.
Before your first event, create a free GEM profile on the official Flesh and Blood website. Every player needs one to take part in tournaments, and the site’s store locator shows shops that run events near you.
Across the Flesh and Blood events we list, most start between 6pm and 7pm, Wednesday and Saturday are the busiest days, and entry where shown is usually £3 to £7. Some good places to look are London, Bristol and Bath and Newcastle, and the London events calendar shows what is on each week. Sealed and Draft events, where you build a deck from freshly opened packs, work much like the events in our prerelease guide.
Your first night checklist
- Play a few practice games with a Silver Age deck at home first.
- Create your GEM profile and check which format the shop is playing.
- Bring your deck with its hero, weapon and equipment, plus sleeves, a deck box and a way to track life, such as a dice or a notepad.
- Arrive a little early and tell the organiser it is your first Armory event.
- Talk through your plays, especially when you pitch, block or use go again.
- Ask your opponent or the organiser whenever you are unsure of a rule. Armory players love teaching new heroes.
If you also enjoy fast-paced card games, our guide on how to play the One Piece Card Game covers another game played at many of the same shops.
Common questions
Is Flesh and Blood hard to learn?
The basics are quick to pick up: you get one action each turn, pay for cards by pitching others, and defend with cards from your hand. The depth comes from deciding which cards to attack with, pitch or keep for defence, and a ready-made Silver Age deck lets you learn that without building a deck first.
How many cards are in a Flesh and Blood deck?
It depends on the format. Classic Constructed decks start the game with at least 60 cards, while Silver Age and Blitz decks start with exactly 40 cards. Your hero, weapons and equipment sit outside the deck.
What does pitch mean in Flesh and Blood?
Pitching means using a card from your hand to pay for other cards. Each card shows a pitch value: red cards give 1 resource, yellow cards give 2 and blue cards give 3.
What is Silver Age in Flesh and Blood?
Silver Age is an official format using young heroes and only common, rare and basic cards, which keeps decks affordable. Decks start with exactly 40 cards, and it is supported at every level from local Armory events to Pro Quest.
What is an Armory event?
Armory events are the weekly Flesh and Blood events at local game shops. They are relaxed, beginner-friendly nights, and preconstructed Silver Age and Armory decks are designed to be ready for them straight out of the box.
Do I need an account to play in Flesh and Blood tournaments?
Yes. Every player needs a free GEM profile, which you create by registering on the official Flesh and Blood website. It gives you a Player ID that shops use to record your results.