As Flesh and Blood continues to grow on a global scale, it becomes increasingly difficult to get into the game due to the ever-expanding card pool. This conundrum is alleviated by preconstructed decks, which lower the barrier to entry and aim to get new players sat down at their friendly local game store tables to participate in in-person games. The newest newbie-friendly product comes in the form of 1st Strike, which features new, albeit simpler, heroes to teach fledgling players the ropes of the game.

The product features two Blitz decks, both with Elemental heroes — take up the mantle of the Elemental Runeblade Aurora, or the Elemental Guardian Terra, who can channel Lightning and Earth powers, respectively.

These decks also serve as a lead-up to Flesh and Blood‘s latest expansion Rosetta, which comes out this September!

Admittedly, Aurora and Terra feel like toned down versions of previous meta bogeymen like Lexi, Briar, and Oldhim, which means their power levels will be a little bit lower. But that’s fine — we’ll be taking these decks into directions which can maximize their strengths while keeping costs low.

Aurora

Aurora uses both efficient Lightning attacks and Runechant tokens to deal a barrage of direct damage to the opponents. She likewise has the ability to generate more action points, which could further push the tempo of the game into our favor. Playstyle-wise, she will feel like Cheerios Briar, Viserai, or even Fai — chaining out multiple attacks per turn to overwhelm the opponent.

Let’s look at the decklist first:

The Aurora deck sports a hefty arsenal of efficient attacks such as Crackling, Heaven's Claws, and Lightning Surge.

She can also close out games with options like Sizzle, Static Shock, and Harness Lightning.

Upgrading Aurora

We’ll build up on the deck’s main strengths, reach and efficiency, with our upgrades.

Our first major gameplay shift is Rosetta Thorn, a divisive card many love to hate. Essentially, we want to play one non-attack action and one attack action per turn, then end with a weapon hit. The arcane damage pings add up little by little; the weapon is met by groans across the table for a reason!

Electrify, Arcanic Shockwave red and blue, and Arcanic Crackle all provide some much-needed reach, which becomes annoying for the opponent to prevent.

Entwine Lightning and Vela Flash adds some action economy to our turns — squeezing out more cards through converting non-attack actions to instants, and providing more action points.

We’re making some color swaps with Lightning Press and Lightning Surge to further optimize the deck.

Finally, Snatch and Scar for a Scar are just efficient attacks for a low-to-the-ground deck.

Rites of Lightning could definitely be squeezed in here somewhere, perhaps replacing Heaven's Claws. Though the pitch values get a bit wonky, so your mileage may vary.

We’ll also upgrade our equipment suite with Aether Ironweave, Crown of Dichotomy, Mark of Lightning, and Snapdragon Scalers.

Sigil of Suffering, Nullrune Boots, and Nullrune Gloves are other defensive options we can keep in the sideboard.

Here’s what the deck looks like after the upgrades:

Aurora Further Upgrades

To further bolster Aurora’s power, we can lean more heavily into either a Runeblade or Lightning approach.

Consider Sonata Arcanix and Swarming Gloomveil for the former, or Channel Lightning Valley and Channel Thunder Steppe for the latter.

Enlightened Strike and Art of War are just efficient aggressive cards for redline-type decks.

Upgrading the equipment suite should be the final steps in the deck, beside the generic attack majestics. Dyadic Carapace and Grasp of the Arknight are Runeblade mainstays, while Shock Charmers doubles down on our reach.

Crown of Providence is always a safe pick for the helm, but many a Runeblade player runs the Crown of Dominion + Cash In combo.

Terra

Terra is an Elemental Guardian which follows in Oldhim‘s footsteps — admittedly a tough act to follow. Despite that, he carves his own niche in the game as a more aggressive Guardian who can use Earth cards.

We aim to stack up several Might tokens, then multiply these with other effects to present a tall attack which shifts the game’s momentum.

Let’s look at the decklist first:

In all, Terra’s deck looks much more solid, with a clearer game plan, as he needs to balance fewer mechanics than the Lightning counterpart.

We just need to build a huge amount of Might tokens through Seeds of Strength, Bracken Rap, and Terra’s ability, then amplify these with effects such as Thrive.

We can then use the buff with attacks such as Concuss, which demands a block — if they can even fully block it.

Upgrading Terra

Since Terra’s list looks a bit more refined, we don’t need to make a lot of swaps. We’re just zeroing in more on the Might token buff interaction with Thump, Mulch, and Command Respect.

And of course, no Guardian deck is complete without Pummel — never leave home without it.

Sink Below and Fate Foreseen are standout defensive options. New players should always have a playset of these cards on hand, as they are pretty much universal slot-ins in the world of Flesh and Blood.

Guardians usually use the old reliable Anothos as the main hand option, though we can also pick up Titan’s Fist and Steelbraid Buckler if we need more defenses.

Helm of Isen’s Peak is just a great budget helm, while Arcane Lantern allow us to economize on other gear slots when faced with an arcane damage matchup.

Here’s what the deck looks like after the upgrades:

Terra Further Upgrades

We can eventually pivot into a more blue-heavy decklist, though it requires a decent density of these higher-end cards to function. So we can slowly build up our card pool and eventually make the swap once we reach a critical mass of these upgrades.

Spinal Crush, Cranial Crush, and Tear Asunder are quintessential disruptive Guardian attacks.

Thunder Quake allows us to set up and bank some resources for the following turn, perhaps for a Macho Grande or Glacial Footsteps finish.

Rouse the Ancients is backbreaking when pulled off, and is the main reason we’re holding off on making the swap until we reach a high density of high-power blue cards.

Gear-wise, the cheaper gear does the trick, but there are some upgrades that can be done to further increase our defenses. Tectonic Plating and Earthlore Bounty are decent chest pieces, while Crater Fist is just three more life; the more expensive option would be Gauntlets of Iron Will.

Civic Steps is still rather pricey, but may be considered when we get the budget.

Crown of Providence once again is just a standout pick for most classes.

This wraps up our 1st Strike review and Precon Progression deep dive. These two decks will receive further support from the upcoming Rosetta set, so the future holds bright for them! Next installment, we’re looking into the Rosetta Precon decks — two at a time. Till then, happy shuffling!

Further Reading:

The Power of Equipment in Blitz

How to Win When You’re Behind

Don’t Let Break-Even Decisions Break You in Flesh and Blood