GEM Packs & Armory 2.0 - This is HUGE! | Flesh and Blood TCG | Go Again! Ep604

[@HaoticSystem]

First Strike Decks, terrific Armory Decks, adult Ira and other simple heroes...and now GEM packs. LSS is very new player friendly. Woo-Hoo!

[@Salsaprime]

As a new player myself, LSS can still improve things. Terra really should have been a CC hero as well since that's the most played format. Having to buy 2 or even 3 of the same product for a full playset of cards is ridiculous - I.E Sizzle, Bittering Thorns, Mauling Qi, Glistening Steel. Also on that note, LSS really needs to make more reprints of stuff, cause the secondary market is insane. For a game toted as competitive, you're really knee capped by how big your budget is. With most other TCG's average deck prices being ~$250-$350, FaB's being ~$1200 is nuts.

[@HaoticSystem]

@@Salsaprime I agree. I don't like buying boxes. My luck is terrible, so I buy singles. And singles are way too expensive. I've stated before how important it is to know your opponent's hero in this game and singles' prices make it difficult for someone to learn all the heroes in the game. Too many heroes at too high a price. Sure, someone can say, "Play Talishar to learn other heroes", but I don't like playing card games online. It's not for me. Lately I've cut way back on spending. And, trying to play more casual games with friends. However, I like the way things are headed and what LSS is doing. New players and casual players are getting some recognition.

[@tcgmetaslayer4202]

You know what will grow this game? Multiplayer. New UPF rules. PvE coop. More variety of leader deck builds with thematic mechanics and one-trick ponies. 💪🏻💯

[@FabulssFriends]

We love Dice Commando videos! You do a fantastic job giving insight to the community and even LSS with your videos. I personally love the constructive criticism and praise on things going on in the space and looking at it from all povs. Videos like this are what help LSS get insight from the players and content creators themselves to help better the game we all love. Keep it up and thank you!

[@DiceCommando]

I really appreciate your kind words. It means a lot to me that you find these videos helpful!

[@dracoparadox]

I do agree with giving the cold foil to a random player. Because giving it to the winner forces meta chasing in a sense and that just feels bad. Our LGS also give packs based on placement so it always felt bad that the same player/s were getting 8,10,12 packs as well as the cold foil, and you were paying in week after week and getting nothing. Once we started giving it away randomly it definitely felt better, we also now do a pick a pack for just entering the armory.

[@Mezha07]

That's honestly the best model it always felt bad that the few who has meta decks and keeps winning always either gets first pick from snake draft or gets the cold foils and best prizes outright, but not giving incentive to be the best would also cause burn out so a balancing act is needed gem packs is definitely one step at the right direction

[@roecker54]

Looking forward to seeing what is in the packs. I think this will be a good change in the long run.

[@BrianSmith-lp2fv]

I love that we are going to gem packs, to mention your ideas of what they may include, Star Wars unlimited with their participation packs does exactly what you mentioned. The starter decks have exclusive cards but they also came in an extended art version in their participation packs, as well as alt art versions of cards readily available in their participation packs standard set. What I do hope is that LSS figure out a way to get more playmats out to LGS on a participation level.

[@sakidickerson]

I think you're right about the risk of them running out I've already heard some people planning on going to multiple armories in the area during the week that they don't normally go to hopefully LSS has thought about this

[@jordanlego]

I love the idea! I just think the box break down is weird. It averages to 6 packs per armory for the 2 months. Our armories average 8 players per event. So it puts us in a weird spot where we don’t really have the numbers to demand a 2nd box, but also have the numbers to where someone will not get a pack every event.

[@pmotaviano1650]

I'll quote myself on the answer I did on your post on twitter "But here is a point. What aboutt smalll cities that have only 1 armory and have less than the 8 frequent players. Will that LGS receive this kit as well to try revitalize their armorys? Thats my concern, giving every lgs a chance to revitalize"

[@corywalker9446]

I do think Gem packs will help with attendance. I have seen too where if the CF/RF&EA weren't something people were interested in; there was less incentive to come. The hope, dream, and chase of 'pulling the nuts' I think make every week exciting; like a pre-release but everyone opening their gem packs at the same time. Mixed on the lost of monthly playmats. On one hand; I have a pile (both "won" and purchased) and I am the type of player that wants thematic playmat to the hero I am playing. On the other with playmats going from two to one per armory kit over the last few months; we have seen the secondary market for those mats spike price wise. I expect to see a continued spike if new popular heroes playmats are locked behind Callings/BH/Prize Wall or RTN/PQ win/raffles. That part of it sucks; but first world problem though.

[@NolanPiper-t9o]

RF extended art Thunk, lets go!

[@Greg-f8x6q]

This is a HUGE upgrade from the previous prize system. Glad they're catering more towards casual players than the sweaty players that get all the good prizes all the time.

[@DrScrambles]

Gongaii feels like the best place to play as a new player around town. The 2 packs with entrance, cold foil, and playmat raffle make it feel worth it as a new player. All the other shops just feel like I'm paying $10 to go learn the game and lose every game because I don't know anyone who plays. The only downside is flipping formats weekly. I no longer have a blitz deck, and not enough cards to build another deck, so it's going to be a month before I can play there again, which sucks. I'm excited to see how the GEM packs playout, especially for somebody like me who is new and has no chance of winning anything from top 8, and just wants to learn and have fun.

[@DrScrambles]

I'm gonna miss the playmat, I thought that was a cool thing that other games only do for big events, but maybe they will start doing them for bigger events.

[@jeremysmith5730]

I'll second Gongaii as a great place to play, new player or not. I'd also like to shout out Cardboard Diamonds where I played for the first time this week. I've been playing off and on for two years so not a new player but new to the store. The staff and the community were very welcoming. I did know a couple people there but the new people I met were also great. One guy was playing, I believe, his first armory with the Jarl armory deck. He had a great attitude and from what I could see was enjoying the experience. Regarding a deck, I'm not sure if you're in any of the local discords, PDX flesh and blood probably being the main one, Gongaii has one as well, but if you're looking for cards, or even a deck to borrow for an event people are usually pretty good about lending stuff out for the evening. No guarantees of course but you might be surprised what you get if you make a request.

[@DrScrambles]

@@jeremysmith5730 Cardboard diamonds is a pretty cool shop. I didn't know they had any FaB events going on. I used to stop by a couple years back to play Legacy MTG, and it was a good community there. I'll have to ask around in the discord if somebody has an extra deck. Since I live right by Gongaii, I was thinking about dropping by and hanging out for a bit before the armory, and if someone has an extra deck they'd be willing to lend out, then even better!

[@6seph9]

I expect the cards to be commons and rares just like the old kit, if we get majestics thats a huge plus. Also believe the most usual distribution of packs will be around 1 to the winner plus 5 to random players, that will match the 50 packs/2months pool

[@thai33oz]

They did have a lot of mats for sell at the Rosetta world premiere in Tampa. I bought snuff, sigil of aether, alt art lightning press, alt art fyendal fighting spirit, Earth runechant, and i thinking i might be missing 1 or 2 more. World at Osaka had the anime art nuu, dori, and vis, along with the 5th anniversary. I didn't see what mats were being sold at Portland, but i did see the 50th calling mat. I'm a big mat collector. I'm currently sitting on close to 200 mats. It sucks that i won't be able to get mats for cheap ($20-40) anymore since they're being sold for at least $50 at these calling events. That leads me to the question if it's even worth to collect playmats now that LSS is selling mats instead of giving them as prize support. Pokemon and MTG mats are dirt cheap and are not collectible bc they're abundantly available. LSS didn't want to sell playmats in the beginning bc they wanted them to be collectable. But i guess they see a revenue avenue to be made at the bigger events, selling playmats and merchandise.

[@Bleezers-fm8ue]

They should keep the playmats in. Everyone loves playmats

[@casediedwell5094]

Yes, but they should be 'raffle' prizes, and not just 'Winners' prize.

[@joshuaterrazas9076]

I’m hoping to see some reprints for some generic cards like CnC. Things that are competitive and could make it hard for people to build some decks due to price. If they do this I hope they are white border though and even with the gem packs. I don’t want a CnC in every pack though but it being one of the chase cards

[@peytonsimon2552]

As long as your store was doing anything they were getting an armory kit. If they suddenly completely ceased supporting small stores that would be a pretty big L. I just assumed every store would get a single case at a minimum.

[@casediedwell5094]

I feel off Armories because transportation is an issue for me, and it's super hard to justify cab rides and such just to get beat down because, 'mini-Worlds' players is all we got locally.

[@crazyrussianman2128]

I like the off product idea. I had to buy the aroura sleeves to get my playset of sizzle and that was pretty annoying. I main guardian and I refuse to get civic steps at this point

[@brechtvr5528]

I like this a lot, but I have questions, maybe someone here knows the answer: 1. Is the 4 armories/month solved in this new solution? If you do armories every thursday, some months have 5 thursdays. 2. Everyone gets 1 pack. So how do you add a little bit of competition? Winning an armory should feel good.

[@kellymicheal7256]

For the competition part, I think that should be on the tournament organizer. The usual prize structure usually pack system before this.

[@themisvoul1045]

I wish the gem packs are randomly given , there is already too much "the rich becomes richer" in the game

[@devonkillebrew6325]

I like it but i think they have to be veeery careful with what is in these. We dont want the mtg, greed, 17 art treatment bs for cards and introducing too much stuff. Love how they are trying their best to push for new players though. I LOVE THIS GAME.

[@Bleezers-fm8ue]

This is a competitive card game. Theres a reason worlds winners gets tens of thousands of dollars. Theres a reason james ledt wotc and hasboro, and a big part of the reason was mtg didnt even have a pro scene anymore. There needs to be some restraint on the "make everyone happy attitude" because eventually you start alienating your most hardcore supporters.

[@brechtvr5528]

@@Bleezers-fm8ue what should be the entry point for new players to join? How do you want them to keep coming back?

[@Bleezers-fm8ue]

There is a point where you need to kind of get good or just realize you're not that good and play casually most LGS have a once or twice a week just casual no prize pool type play and at your kitchen table. This is really up to the individual.

[@themisvoul1045]

There's already too much "rich becomes richer" in the game and is dangerous for the future. That helps only pros and not the game itself such as the player of the year reward

[@Bleezers-fm8ue]

@themisvoul1045 again if someone is better than you they just are. Competitive games will eventually become very....competitive especially as they age and people figure out metas faster. It's just how it works you kind of can't stop it without massive massive changes to the game that would involve removing the competitive play aspect of it entirely

[@peytonsimon2552]

Restraint? I wasn’t aware that they were going overboard with it? 😅 from my perspective the barrier to entry is already extremely high and caters to experienced and pro players.

[@CaptainSlash33]

Wow. I didn't realize they were doing away with the mats. I personally feel that is a huge miss. The logic of "we can make more event exclusive mats," I personally don't like. Not everyone can afford to travel to big events, but can easily do their local armory every week. Sure, a raffle doesn't guarantee getting the mat, but at least you have a chance. If they release, say a Fang mat, and I really want it, but they only release it at say a tournament in EU, it would be really hard to get said mat without dishing out a ton of money to travel or shilling on the secondary market for one which sucks in its own right. I'm fine with event exclusive mats, etc. existing, but there not being any armory level mats really hurts. I've gotten a few people into the game before by pitching that they can get something like that. Personally, I am not huge on rainbow foils as they curl like most games' foils do, so that has never been a huge sell for me. I really go to just play because I love the game.

[@kitkat4892]

Allegedly the new set and the gem packs will be using a new printing process to make the rainbow foils curl-proof just btw

[@CaptainSlash33]

@@kitkat4892 I'll believe it when I see it.