Note from Kugane
Today’s article is written by former Swiss Nationals Champion Pascal Weiler. I spent a significant amount of time to rewrite the article. I did not cover the equipment section fully, but as far as strategy goes, I’ve rewritten it almost entirely based on Pascal’s information and experience. If there is any section that is unclear, let me know and I’ll look into it. Regardless, be sure to give Pascal a big thank you over on Twitter!
Introduction
I am Pascal from Switzerland, also known as SupperWorm on Twitter/Discord. My Channel is called DReact (https://www.youtube.com/@dreact9569), where I posted some vlogs from my vacation to San Jose and planned to do deep dives into the bravo deck/decks. I am always open to questions, so ask if something bothers you about the list. Maybe I have the answer, or we will discover something new together!
The deck’s blocking and attacking strategies serve as excellent learning tools for mastering all aspects of the game of Flesh and Blood. Although it may seem overwhelming at first, once you get the hang of it, your gameplay experience will greatly improve. The learning curve is steep but rewarding.
But first, the function of all Cards.
The Decklist
You can find the full list here: https://fabrary.net/decks/01GK42JNEGZTYJQX8G1NZCC17F
Card function
Equipment
– Anothos:
Bonk for 4 or 6, mostly 6… make a seismic surge token, and swing for 6… 2 resources to potentially swing for 10 if it is Pummeled. No need to have the card, but the thread of the potential damage might result in overblocking!
Tectonic Plating
Centre Piece of all Equipments. Blocks three and stays after that because it has Battleworn. In Flesh and Blood, you create Seismic Surge tokens by activating Tectonic Plating for one resource. Seismic Surge tokens are then used to discount the cost of your Guardian attacks in the next turn. At the start of your turn, you destroy the Seismic Surge token and your next card costs 1 less to play. This strategic benefit of creating Seismic Surge tokens is a key aspect of the game.
Crater Fists
Nice three blocks. The Ability is not relevant; it is just for blocking.
Ironrot Boots
It blocks 1, which is still the best leg piece for Bravo.
Crown of Providence
Also one of the best pieces of equipment for Bravo or any FAB deck in general. It allows you to filter an arsenaled card. It can even helps to make sure you have enough blues to cast a big crush card or get rid of a Pulverize that is stuck in there.
Nullrune Pieces
Nullrune Boots:
Nullrune piece for Runeblades and Wizards.
– Nullrune Hood / Nullrune Gloves:
Just for any Wizard not to die.
Most important Mainboard cards
Crippling Crush
Almost always forces multiple blocks through Defense Reactions or otherwise. If it deals more than 4 damage the opponent discards 2 random cards. So it mostly is a 1 for 2/3. It is one of the Specialisations that Bravo has to his disposable. It is one of this deck’s best, if not THE best, cards. Three blues allow the Dominate effect on this bad boy— it is the main reason for Seismic Surge tokens to be made reducing its cost to 6.
Spinal Crush
The other “best” card. Cost 5, 9 attack, blocks 3, on Crush all abilities and Cards the hero who got crushed controls lose and can’t gain go-again. So this is an extra-turn generator. In Bravo, we can even dominate it to make it easier to crush. Also cheap to play with a seismic surge. We can cast it with just two blues, and it will even be dominated.
Pummel
My Favourite card in the whole deck. It helps a Crush trigger and strips one card from their hand. With Command and Conquer it’s potentially a 4 for 2 if it’s blocked.
Tear Asunder
It turns Anothos into a mini-Crippling Crush on hit, not even on Crush! Also, it is excellent to pitch and block with.
Buckle
The worse Tear Asunder, but it helps in the Runeblade Matchups and Dromai since Flamescale Furnace can be destroyed if they are blocked once.
Imposing Visage
Best played, turn 1. play it, search for a big crush, swing with a hammer, and after that, you have a big crush in your arsenal. Next, turn five cards to swing. I only play Showtime! in my deck, but think about playing one Stamp Authority.
Show Time!
Same reason as “Imposing Visage.”
Rouse The Ancients
It is a blue that costs 3, potentially turning your turn into a 7 Go Again into a four-cost Crush turn if you can get it off to swing for 7.
Macho Grande
Mainly used for pitching and blocking, but it can easily be used to swing with two blues and one seismic surge token and finish off the last few damage through the built-in Dominate.
Most Important Sideboard Cards
Command and Conquer
This card needs no further introduction; it is by far the best card in the game. It is always at least a 2 for 1, if not more. And not even D-Reacts can be played.
Sink Below
A defense reaction that helps to prevent on-hits in one card. So you can easily block a Snatch or a Mask Trigger to use the rest to swing back. Also great for hand fixing if you have too many reds or blues. An auto-include in most Decks.
Staunch Response
Block for Guardian and Brute Matchups.
Chokeslam
It is good into Runeblades and Ninja, to prevent the big pumped turns from going completely crazy. Mostly an Attack for 8 that is easily dominated.
Sideboarding
Now that you know the function of every card in the deck, lets talk about the Sideboarding and gameplan in different matchups. We start with a 48-card mainboard and add 12 cards per matchup. I will tell you my plan and cards in every matchup.
Mirror (Bravo)
Equipment: Ordinary
Cards:
- 3x Command and Conquer
- 3x Sink Below
- 2x Staunch Response red
- 2x Pulverize
- 1x Pummel yellow
- 1x Chokeslam
This matchup can be grindy. You’ll want to block with two cards each turn and create a Seismic Surge to discount your own attack in the next turn. Arsenal any defense reactions you have to prevent your opponent’s attacks from overwhelming you. If you can set up a big Crush effect, go for it. But if not, pitch-stack any high-cost Crush cards alongside three blue cards and as finishers to draw into in the late game. Remember to be patient and wait for the right opportunities.
Oldhim
Equipment: Ordinary
Cards:
- 3x Chokeslam
- 3x Sink Below
- 3x Righteous Cleansing
- 2x Pulverize
- 1x Pummel Yellow
When facing this matchup, I tend to adopt an aggressive approach. The general gameplan remains unchanged, which involves blocking with two cards, using Seismic Surge to discount an attack, and following up with the Hammer for 6 damage. However, you’ll want to prioritize dominating your Crush effects during the first cycle, as Oldhim tends to reach their second cycle faster than you do. Dominating Crush effects will make it more challenging for Oldhim to defend against your attacks. Additionally, make sure to pitch Defense Reactions to block Oldhim’s second cycle, in case they manage to get there.
Iyslander
Equipment: 3x Nullrune, Tectonic Plating
Cards:
- 3x Righteous Cleansing
- 3x Chokeslam
- 3x Command and Conquer
- 2x Oasis Respite
- 1x Pummel yellow
Facing Iyslander is a tough matchup. They will try to go for the OTK if you don’t pressure them, or chip away at your health if you do. Your plan should be to set up a big attack and then play Pummel in the reaction step, after they have declared the cards they will block with. This will force them to discard a card, and if it happens to be their last card, they won’t be able to Arsenal a card. The idea is to get rid of their whole hand in your turn, so they can not afford Arsenal. If you can do that, you mostly win. If not, it gets close.
Righteous Cleansing can also be helpful in eliminating the OTK plan and manipulating their next hand. Command and Conquer is a powerful attack that, if it hits, destroys the Arsenal card and stops the opponent from playing Defense Reactions from Arsenal. When combined with Pummel, it becomes even more potent. For example, if you attack with Command and Conquer for 6 and the opponent blocks with 2 cards that each block 3, you can play red Pummel in the reaction step, giving Command and Conquer +4 attack and the “If this hits, the opponent discards a card” effect. This effectively turns the attack into a 10 damage attack with a discard on hit and arsenal destruction on hit. On top of that, Command and Conquer prevents the opponent from playing Defense Reactions to it, so you are almost guaranteed to get some damage through.
Fai
- head: Crown of Providence
- Chest: Tectonic Plating
- Arm: Crater Fists
- Leg: Ironrot Legs
Sideboard:
- 3x Command and Conquer
- 3x Chokeslam
- 3x Sink Below
- 2x Erase Face
- 1x Pummel
The Crushes are a good option. Chokeslam can prevent high-damage turns caused by pump spells. Crippling Crush is effective because it forces the opponent to discard cards, reducing the damage that comes through. Spinal Crush can even buy you an extra turn if it hits. In addition to the Crushes, Command and Conquer (CnC), Crippling Crush, and Emerging Dominance (EF) can also help you get around Fai’s strategy.
CnC peels two ore more cards off the opponent’s hand, and if you Pummel it, you can force them to discard another card and still lose their Arsenal. This weakens their turn significantly. Erase Face is not as reliable since they can play around the loss of the Draconic keyword somewhat, but it can be Pummeled and still make things difficult for them. Tear Asunder is like a mini-Crippling Crush, taking away two cards from their hand. Pummel can be added to any attack action card, such as Command and Conquer, to strip up to four cards from their turn. However, it’s important to note that you shouldn’t Pummel an attack that is already disrupting Fai enough. Even a single card loss means they cannot fully combo.
There are two main versions of Fai: Emberblade and Kodachi. The Emberblade version is easier to deal with, since they value each card more. On the other hand, the Kodachi variant is more difficult to counter, with a win rate of less than 30%. It can present a Mask of Momentum trigger twice that you’d need to stop, or more times in a combo turn. This forces you to block more than you would want to and making it hard to have cards to pay for things like Crippling Crush.
Phoenix Flame is like a third Kodachi, and triggers Mask of Momentum if it is the third hit in a row. Chokeslam can disable it. Art of War turns are dangerous, but can be stopped by any of the Crushes or CnC. Salt the Wound is a combo finisher, but is fully stopped by Chokeslam and is useless after a Spinal Crush, and weakened by Crippling Crush. Lava Burst is a weaker version of Salt the Wound, and can’t go over the top if they don’t have the chainlinks to support it.
Fai’s equipment can block one big Crush with Flamescale Furnace, Tiger Striped Shuko, and the mask. However, most Crushes will still hit anyways, and they won’t use these until the end of the game. If they use Tunic, they may even run defense reactions.
To summarize, don’t just block Fai’s attacks – use Crush abilities to tax them instead. If you can find the right disruption early enough, you’ll win. You’ll have more time against Emberblade Fai, but less time against Kodachi Fai.
Briar
Equipment: Nullrune Boots, Tectonic Plating, Crown of Providence, Crater Fists
Cards:
- 3x Command and Conquer
- 3x Chokeslam
- 3x Sink Below
- 2x Pulverize
- 1x Pummel
Briar is a hero that specializes in dealing high-value damage to their opponents. With their Channel Mount Heroic (CMH) card, every card on the board gains an additional +3 attack, making Briar a formidable opponent to face. Once the CMH is in play, it’s likely that Briar is gearing up for a big combo turn.
To counter Briar, it’s best to employ similar tactics used against a Fai deck and focus on taxing them to reduce their available resources. However, this is especially important when Briar has just played a CMH. It’s often best to take the damage for that particular turn since they usually have just one follow-up attack after they play it. Then, you can disrupt their hand and arsenal with cards like Pummel.
If you’re facing Briar, it’s a good idea to arsenal a Pummel for when the CMH lands on the field. This way, you can tax them straight away and limit their options for their next turn. Keep in mind that Briar’s strength lies in their ability to deal a constant barrage of high-value damage, so it’s important to keep disrupting their strategy and prevent them from gaining too much momentum.
Viserai
Equipment: Nullrune Boots, Tectonic Plating, Crown of Providence, Crater Fists
Cards:
- 3x Command and Conquer
- 3x Chokeslam
- 3x Sink Below
- 2x Erase Face
- 1x Pummel
Viserai is a Runeblade hero who focuses on creating and utilizing Runechants to deal damage. Their hero ability allows them to generate Runechants whenever they play a Runeblade card after they already played a Non-Attack Action. There are also other cards in their deck that help create additional Runechants, which can then be used to fuel powerful combos.
As you might have guesed, the best way to counter such strategies is to hit them where it hurts: force discards, limit their action points. Bravo style.
Dromai
Equipment: Nullrune Boots, Nullrune Gloves, Crown of Providence, Tectonic Plating
Cards:
- 3x Chokeslam
- 3x Enlightened Strike
- 3x Command and Conquer
- 2x Pulverize
- 1x Pummel
To effectively combat Dromai, it’s crucial to keep in mind their dragons and the Phantasm keyword. Bravo’s high damage attacks trigger Phantasm almost all the time, so it’s important to pop the dragons whenever possible. If a dragon cannot be popped due to an effect that removes the Phantasm keyword, it needs to be attacked to be removed from the board. Blocking a lot is also important in this matchup.
To increase your chances of success against Dromai, you should arsenal a “go again” card like Enlightened Strike. However, don’t forget to swing the hero from time to time to leak damage. If Dromai is playing lots of non-phantasm attacks, it’s best to just block. Otherwise, you can switch to a midrange plan and attack with an occasional crush.
While this matchup isn’t usually the most challenging, you shouldn’t let dragons live and should prioritize attacking Miragai and the aura. Overall, a mix of attacking, blocking, and popping dragons is key to success against Dromai.
Rhinar
Equipment: Classic
Cards:
- 3x Sink Below
- 2x Staunch Response red
- 1x Pummel
- 3x Command and Conquer
- 3x Chokeslam
Since he can easily exile 2-3 Cards from your hand, it is crucial to arsenal a Defense Reaction, so you can at least block a bit. Also, hit him with dominated attacks; Chokeslam is really good at disabling his big turns, and so is Crippling Crush. Spinal isn’t as good as in many other matchups since he gets action points instead of Go Again. It usually isn’t too difficult to optimize your plays since he leads you to do whatever you can to preserve hit points. It is not one of the easiest matchups, but also not the hardest. I’d rank it in a 50/50 matchup. His most dangerous cards are Bloodrush Bellow and his Go Again attacks.
Lexi
Equipment: Classic
Sideboard:
- 3x Command and Conquer
- 3x Sink below
- 2x Staunch Response
- 2x Oasis Respite
- 2x Enlightened Strike
Facing Lexi is usually an easy matchup for Bravo. The key to success is to focus on blocking her attacks and then swinging with Hammer on your turn. During her off-turns, you can try to sneak in a Command and Conquer or a big Crush to hurt her. You can also use Enlightened Strike to deal damage, but since she will take damage from Anothos it’s usually best to save E-Strike for blocking purposes. Overall, if you don’t get too greedy and stick to the basics of blocking and attacking, this matchup shouldn’t be too difficult. Command and Conquer is a particularly valuable card in this matchup as it threatens to destroy two of Lexi’s arsenal slots. If you can Pummel a blocked Command, you can eliminate up to 5 cards and disrupt Lexi’s next turn.
Azalea
Equipment: Classic
Sideboard:
- 3x Command and Conquer
- 3x Sink Below
- 2x Staunch Response
- 2x Oasis Respite
- 2x Chokeslam
Similar to Lexi, focus on blocking out Azalea’s attacks and swinging with the Hammer. Arsenal your DRs to defend against their Dreadbore. On their off turns, look for opportunities to sneak in a Command and Conquer or a big Crush that hurts them. E-Strike can be used to push for more damage or to block if needed. Remember to be patient and not get too greedy. Command and Conquer is a valuable card in this matchup as it threatens to destroy their arsenal. If you Pummel a blocked Command, it can eliminate up to 4 cards and disrupt their next turn.
Boltyn
Equipment: Classic
Sideboard:
- 3x Command and Conquer
- 3x Sink Below
- 2x Pulverize
- 3x Enlightened Strike
- 1x Pummel
Playing against Boltyn can be tricky, as their deck revolves around setting up and executing a powerful combo turn. The key to success is to try to disrupt their game plan by applying early pressure and eliminating the cards they need to perform their combo. Dominate your big crushes to disrupt and push as much damage as possible. If they don’t find the right combination of cards in time, you may be able to take them down before they can execute their plan. However, if Boltyn does manage to pull off their combo rather consistently (34.4% chance they have their combo by turn 3, 51.2% by turn 4), be prepared to take a significant amount of damage. So, it’s essential to maintain a balance between attacking and blocking to stay alive and not let them gain the upper hand.
Levia
Equipment: Classic
Sideboard:
- 3x Command and Conquer
- 3x Sink Below
- 2x Staunch Response
- 1x Pummel
- 3x Chokeslam
Levia is a high-rolly matchup, but you can use a similar strategy to Rhinar. Play carefully and wait for them to brick, which happens frequently. Once they do, it’s your time to strike back. In my experience, it’s best to focus on blocking and surviving until you can set up a big turn with dominated attacks like Chokeslam and Crippling Crush. It’s also important to be aware of their potential for massive damage and try to avoid leaving yourself vulnerable. While I don’t have a lot of experience with this matchup, patience and careful play should help you come out on top.
Kano
Equipment: All 3 Nullrune pieces and Plating
Sideboard:
- 3x Command and Conquer
- 3x Chokeslam
- 3x Enlightened Strike
- 2x Oasis Respite
- 1x Pummel
Kano is a tough opponent because he deals Arcane damage that cannot be blocked unless you pay resources. To counter his One Turn Kill strategy you want to disrupt him as much as possible. It’s important to bring 3 Arcane Barrier on your Equipment. This will allow you to pay 3 resources to prevent 3 damage from coming in. It doesn’t stop the combo, but if you dominate your impactful Crushes like Crippling Crush you may be able to gain enough tempo to keep them blocking the entire game. I’ll update this strategy as I gain more experience with the matchup.
Katsu
Equipment: Classic
Sideboard:
- 3x Command and Conquer
- 3x Chokeslam
- 2x Pulverize
- 1x Pummel
- 3x Sink Below
This matchup can be difficult, similar to Kodachi Fai. Your main goal should be to prevent Katsu from triggering Mask of Momentum, which allows them to draw a card. Block with at least two cards, create a Seismic Surge in your turn and attack with the Hammer if possible. Dominating your Spinal Crush can also help deal significant damage, but be prepared to take some hits in return. Currently, Katsu is not seen as frequently, but this may change after the Outsiders release.
Dorinthea
Sideboard:
- 3x Command and Conquer
- 2x Pulverize
- 1x Pummel
- 3x Sink Below
- 2x Staunch Response
- 1x Oasis Respite
Dorinthea is interesting because her Dawnblade will keep getting stronger. On top of that, because most of her damage presentation happens in the reaction step, it leaves you as a player guessing what might come next. Luckily Bravo has plenty of defense reactions that can help mitigate or even reset a Dawnblade, so it is best to Arsenal one when you can, block with two or three cards, just treat every card in their hand as a +3, costs 1, having the DR ready if they somehow go beyond that value (they can!)
Also, our Crippling Crushes and Command and Conquers help to filter cards from her hand. An easy to predict Dorinthea is a Dorinthea without many cards. Two card hand? One card is needed to pitch, the other is probably a +3 or +4. So disrupt early to give yourself an easier time.
Need more help?
Pascal is doing a video series on his Youtube channel covering match-ups and gameplay: