(Banneret of Courage | Art by Jessada Sutthi)

It Was a Very Good Year

2023 is coming to a close, and that means it’s time for us to do a “Best Of” list. We asked our writers what their best or favorite Flesh and Blood cards of the year were, and here’s what they had to say.

Ethan – Levia, Redeemed

Apart from reinvigorating the hero that I know and love, this card challenged our understanding of the limits of FAB card design. A Demi Hero? Summoned from your inventory?Players across the spectrum of their FAB journey can appreciate how badass this card is for its flavor, complexity, and of course, TWO pieces of incredible art.

Mari – Dash I/O / Dash, Database

My favorite card of the year likely has to be Dash I/O / Dash, Database. As someone who ended up without a proper main for the first half of the year, trying to figure out anything I wanted to play and enjoy was very difficult. With a small affinity for Mech already and a tendency to play aggro, Dash I/O’s uniquely intricate and aggressive playstyle was something I quickly fell in love with and have spent most of my time brewing around.

Jo – Banneret of Courage

I’ve been on and off of brewing Boltyn, and the majestic Banneret cycle has helped immensely to offset the clunkiness of charging. This particular one is nice because a Courage token always makes value for Boltyn.

Kenny – Twin Drive

A simple card on first read, Twin Drive single-handedly revitalized an already competitive class and archetype. This card pushed the design space on boost in a different axis, all while giving love to old cards that already synergized with it. It’s a design direction I thoroughly enjoy.

Daniel – Bittering Thorns

My favorite card for 2023 is red Bittering Thorns, because it’s such an unlikely card to revisit and gives hope for many of the cards from preconstructed decks that only come in one color.

Rhys – Codex of Frailty

Looking past the impact Voltaire, Strike Twice had on the card at first; LSS designed a fun, high-impact card for a fledgling Assassin, as well as an underserved Ranger. Fixing hands that couldn’t attack, re-buying critical pieces of interaction, and clearing the way against blocking cards in hand, this card really does it all.

Jose – Isolate

Isolate allows for mind games with which card is to be switched in, pitch stack potential with other reds for powerful evasive disruption in the late game, as well as skill expression by knowing when to pitch it for CNC to play around defense reactions.

Valera – Uzuri, Switchblade

Outsiders brought a lot of amazing cards, but it also brought my new go-to CC hero = Uzuri. I tried piloting Arakni, Huntsman when he first came out and it just didn’t sit with me. This girl on the other hand is amazing! Her stealth effect is something LSS just did pretty well, as the thought of trap cards is a very cool concept.

Jonah – Scowling Flesh Bag

I love how elegantly designed it is. Intimidate as a keyword is often maligned, because it provides little agency for either player and it can be difficult to get value from unless your opponent is on their last points of life. But Scowling Flesh Bag is skill-testing for both players and provides a ton of value: one block with it usually mitigates anywhere between six and ten points of damage – if you can time it correctly.

Donnie – Be Like Water

This card is great on multiple levels as it always presents your opponent with an opportunity to make a decision, and therefore, an opportunity to make a mistake! That’s what Katsu is all about! It will almost always be blocked, but even when it is, it’s done its job by removing a card from your opponent’s hand. It’s a zero-for-three Ninja attack card with go again, so it’s already on rate and makes a great target for Katsu’s attack reactions.

Looking Forward to 2024

What’s your favorite card of the year? Tell us in the comments below. And thank you for reading! We here at FABREC are looking forward to all the new sets coming for Flesh and Blood next year, and to giving you more awesome content. Cheers!

Andy Zupke