The following changes to the rules and policy are effective from Friday, September 18, 2026. These changes will be reviewed again with the release of Set 21.
Start-of-Game Procedure
As we venture into Usurp the Shadow Throne season, we are trialing a new way to start a game of Flesh and Blood. Moving forward, players will choose and reveal their arena-cards (e.g. equipment and weapons) before choosing what cards will start in their main deck. The reasons behind this exploration are detailed in the latest Banned and Restricted Announcement.
Simplified, the new start-of-game procedure will be:
Players reveal their hero.
The first-turn player is chosen.
Players select their arena-cards (e.g. equipment and weapons).
Players reveal their arena-cards.
Players select their deck-cards.
Players shuffle then present their deck to be shuffled and/or cut.
Players draw up to their hero’s intellect, and the game begins.
There are some important things to remember about the start-of-game procedure. When you’ve chosen your arena-cards, you may either put them face-down in their respective zones, or you can put them in a single face-down pile. You cannot intentionally mislead an opponent by putting non-arena cards in these zones or in the single pile. For example, you cannot put an extra token in your weapon zone to mislead your opponent into thinking you have selected two (1H) weapons instead of one (2H) weapon.
Once you’ve selected your arena-cards and moved onto the step of revealing them, you cannot change your selection based on what your opponent has revealed. But under this new procedure, you can use this information to inform your selection of deck-cards when assembling your starting-deck (main deck) in the next step.
There are no changes regarding note-taking or slow play for the start-of-game procedure. You may refer to personal notes during the start-of-game procedure, but may not gain or seek advice from spectators. You must still complete the start-of-game procedure within the first 5 minutes of a match or it is considered slow play.
As always, if in doubt, call a judge to help you through the new process.
Choosing Random Cards in the Graveyard
Levia, Shadowborn Abomination has been powered up by new cards from Usurp the Shadow Throne, and we expect a higher representation of her at tournaments, especially at World Tour events. In the interest of exploring quality of life changes to policy, we are allowing the use of randomization aides when selecting cards from the graveyard.