(Fatigue Shot | Art by Marco Gonzalez)

Greetings and salutations once again my fabulous FAB folk! Welcome back to another installment in the #FABDad series! Today we’ll be talking about a topic that some people may find taboo or a little uncomfortable for some reason, and something I have struggled with myself recently. What do I mean? The topic we’re going to cover today is burnout.

Living With and Overcoming Burnout

“The number one cause of burnout is doing the same thing over and over again and not seeing results.” ~Steve Kaczmarski

Flesh and Blood is a hard game to play at peak efficiency for very long, and it’s difficult to master in general. In the past, I’ve talked about different strategies to try that can help flatten out the learning curve, but becoming a top-tier player requires time and a large mental investment. Recently I’ve been finding it harder to find the same enthusiasm I used to have for Classic Constructed for various reasons.

Whether it’s brewing up a new list with my favorite hero or even figuring out what content I want to listen to during my commute, it’s been harder for me to find joy in those things. My recent win/loss record has taken a big turn towards the “loss” side too, and that’s also been pretty unhelpful. In a super competitive game like FAB, losing game after game at Armories or online can really take a toll on a person’s willingness to keep up engagement. (I’m a competitive guy. I like winning. I can’t help it. *shrug*)

If you’re struggling in a similar way, the very first piece of advice that I want to offer you is this: don’t give up. When you first learned to play FAB, there was a reason you stuck with it through your first few months. There’s something special about this game that resonated with you and kept you coming back. There are a few strategies that the Flesh and Blood community at large have recommended to help deal with burnout that I want to highlight here. Hopefully one of them can help you rekindle that original spark.

The Game is Great, But Yeah, There Are Moments… What Can We Do About It?

Most of the players in my local area enjoy Classic Constructed more than any other format. I’m not sure if that holds true globally, but that’s the format we play the most around Atlanta. Very, very rarely do we have Armories that are anything but CC (well, until recently). One of the most common potential causes of burnout with Flesh and Blood comes from only playing one format exclusively.

If your local scene only ever plays one format over any other, try talking to the other players in your area about trying something different. Do you only ever play CC? See about giving Blitz a shot for a few Armories. If you only ever play constructed formats, maybe see if there’s interest in a Limited event like Draft, Sealed, or a precon Armory. Maybe you’re tired of being competitive all the time in general? With the release of Round the Table, and Ultimate Pit Fight getting official support, now is a great time to try out casual Armories or Commoner (especially with social play kits also supplementing casual play).

What If My Friends or the Host Aren’t Interested in Changing Formats Though?

Then you can try doing something completely different that is within your control. Change what hero you’re piloting or try a completely different build with your favorite hero. Deliberately make a choice to turn your focus away from finding what’s “optimal,” and embrace something whacky. Try playing Brutes and just roll dice every turn. Find a way to create your own chaos on your side of the arena. So long as you’re not subtracting from the enjoyment of the players around you, do whatever you need to do to find the fun.

With FAB being such a hero-centric game, most players have their hero that they play more than any other, regardless of meta trends. If that hero suddenly loses meta relevance (or attains Living Legend status), it can create a feeling of genuine loss. When I started playing last year, Fai, Rising Rebellion was one of the top three meta-relevant decks in the game and was relatively easy for a new player to pick up and learn.

I played Fai until Belittle was banned and he went from being near the top of the pile to the low middle of the pack (until Lexi, Livewire ascended). After that, I struggled to find a hero that I could connect with in the same way or that I could have decent success with locally. It wasn’t until Outsiders released and breathed new life into Katsu that I found a new connection. (As of writing, Fai is relevant again, but I still prefer Katsu.)

My point is that sometimes what you’re missing may not even exist in the game at the moment, so you may have to muddle through until it does. Experiment with as many options as you’re able to until it comes to you.

That Makes Sense, But I Mainly Play One Deck Due to Budget, or I Just Love My Hero Too Much to Change. What Other Options Do I Have?

If you’re not able to switch your hero/deck up in a significant way, for whatever reason, then I’d suggest you find a different way to engage with the local community entirely. Study the rules, take the online tests, and volunteer to help at your next local event as support staff or as a judge. Not only do judges provide an extremely vital service to the communities they’re a part of, they can also get sweet promos and other swag for doing it. (Seriously, have you ever seen the Judge Pack exclusive cold foil Art of War!? It’s beautiful!!)

Judges in any competitive card game are one of the most valuable resources that TCG players have access to. They are individuals who have such love and passion for the game and their community that they choose to take on an often thankless job for (relatively) little recompense. Becoming a judge in Flesh and Blood is a great way to stay active in your local area, but also to take a break during a competitive season that you don’t enjoy.

If you take nothing else away from this article, go and ask one of your local judges about what it is they do. They’ll probably talk your ear off, but you’ll come away knowing whether or not judging is something you might want to consider for yourself.

Final Thoughts On Burnout

If none of the options above seem like something that would work for you, then perhaps it’s time to step away from Flesh and Blood temporarily and try some other hobby for a while. There’s nothing wrong with taking a break if you think you need it. At the end of the day, you’re the one in charge of your own mental health, and you deserve to be happy. (Trust me.)

“Just because you take breaks doesn’t mean you’re broken.” ~Curtis Tyrone Jones

As for me, I’m trying all the above. My local friends are trying different formats at one of my Armories, including more casual events, I’m switching up heroes and deck builds as I can, and I recently passed the intro test to be a level zero judge. My journey in FAB is far, far from over, and even if I’m feeling some burnout now, I know it won’t last. I love this game and I love being a part of it. Hopefully you’ll be able to say the same again soon, even if you can’t right now.

What was it that attracted you to Flesh and Blood in the first place? Was it the hero-centric game design? The thriving competitive scene? (That’s mine.) The amazing artwork? Whatever it was, seek out that original spark and find a way to chase it.

You can look me up on Discord or Twitter with the handle @Dracohominis87 if you want to chat. If you’d like to listen to me and a couple of friends talk about the latest happenings in the game, check out the podcast we’re doing on YouTube and Spotify.

Further Reading:

Is Flesh and Blood Worth Playing at a Casual Level?

Legends, Stories, and Immersive Gameplay in Flesh and Blood

The Power of Pet Cards in Flesh and Blood

Donnie K.

Donnie is an enthusiastic nerd and family man who grew up playing TCGs, starting when Pokemon cards were the hottest thing on the playground. After playing Yu-gi-oh and then Magic the Gathering for years, he found Flesh and Blood in December of '22, sold all of his other pretty cardboard rectangles, and dived into FAB head first where he discovered a deep love for go-wide strategies involving the use of Ninja cards. Be Like Water is his current favorite card, because he gets to do a terrible Bruce Lee impression every time it's played. (Much to the annoyance of his brother who hears it a lot.) Donnie has been married to his lovely wife since Halloween 2008 and has two beautiful daughters that he couldn't be more proud of.