For a lot of reasons, most of which are personal, I’ve made the difficult decision to take a step back from playing the Flesh and Blood TCG competitively. While this brings me great sadness, one of the big reasons I’m “retiring” is both joyous and miraculous.
Back in 2021,
In competitive
#FABTCG
events, I’ve missed the top cut or didn’t finish “in the money” at 6 Pro Quests, 3 Road to Nationals, 2 National Championships, 2 Pro Tours, and 1 World Championship. I’ve lost 3 “win and in” games at major events. I’ve also refused to play a hero or deck I
16 years ago today, the
@teamcovenant
website went live for the first time. Miraculously, a few brave people placed an order that day.
Here’s a major lesson (or two) I learned from each year building a company:
The holy grail has been acquired!!! Was absolutely losing my mind when I opened this. It's probably about as close as I'll get to the feeling I had as a kid when I finally opened Charizard.
#FABTCG
Been getting a ton of requests for my Viserai list from The Calling this weekend. I totally forgot I took a pic of my list before submitting it at the event. I’m on a very delayed flight home right now and a bit delirious, so… it’s AMA (ask me anything) time!!!
#FABTCG
We celebrated the Wolf Pack’s performance across the Pro Tour 3 weekend with a team dinner last night. It’s never been about winning, but it’s awesome to share this experience with such great people.
I’m 7-1 in the Calling with Viserai. I have five more rounds of Swiss, and I
I woke up this morning and started scrolling through my pictures from the weekend. A lot of the team had to leave to catch flights, so they aren’t in this final picture. At the end of it all though,
@CardsWithM
did us all extremely proud and took home the third
#FABTCG
Pro Tour!
The last time I won prize money for a card game, it was for The Spoils TCG. I never received that prize money, and not long after the game went under. Awesome to see a publisher (
@fabtcg
) making big promises to players and delivering on them. 👌
#FABTCG
It’s an unbelievable privilege to be on a team with so many incredible people who also happen to be quite good at
@fabtcg
.
Day 1 of the US National Championship starts today! Updates to follow for the day in reply to this post.
#FABTCG
The run has come to an end in the top 4 against a Lexi. Still can’t believe it. What a ride!
Massive shout out to my team for all the practice, my wife for putting up with my insane testing schedule, to all my opponents for being fantastic this weekend, and to
@fabtcg
/ Legend
Just boarded my flight to Barcelona for the
@fabtcg
World Championship! Not sure how it’s already time for Worlds again, but excited to spend the week testing with my incredible team and competing with some of the my favorite people in the world. Good luck and safe travels to all
Fifteen years ago today, I (very nervously) hit publish on the
@teamcovenant
website for the first time. Within a couple of hours, we had our first few orders. The next day, I walked into the post office to ship those orders to players across the country.
Cards are meant to… be used exactly how you want them to be used, and for me they are meant to be played. Thanks to the people who voted in my poll and commented for giving me the confidence to finally do with my cold gold Skullcap what I wanted!
#FABTCG
If you’re playing a
#FABTCG
net deck in an upcoming Pro Quest, I want you to know that there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that! Not everyone can test for hours a day and I’m glad to have you as part of this wonderful community.
I have mad respect for people who only play the
#FABTCG
heroes they love and commit to mastering them. I'm starting to think my love of Briar/Viserai has been restricting my growth as a player though. I’m thinking it’s finally time to expand my horizons.
Well, this thread got out of control! I thought it would be 16~ tweets, but I guess I had a lot to say. If you made it this far, I hope you have a remarkable 2023 and that this was helpful. Massive thanks to our players and partners, and my team and wife for, well, everything.
I took down my final ProQuest of the season and squeaked into a Pro Tour
#1
invite. Amazing opponents all weekend. Massive props to all my
#FABTCG
teammates. Definitely wouldn’t have been able to get the dubb without all the reps over the past month. Can’t wait for Jersey!
Hot take: FAB was healthier with Chane / Starvo.
LSS was successful at creating a low variance game. While that’s good for the upper echelon of players, it creates an extremely punishing experience for newer players.
Hopefully we get LL replacements or an eternal format soon!
While my own Pro Tour 2 performance wasn’t great, the Wolf Pack had a crazy showing:
3 x Top 16
1 x Top 32
1 x Battle Hardened Champion
The team put in the work and I’m super proud. Privileged to be surrounded by so many exceptional players and truly wonderful people!
#FABTCG
It’s been nearly a month since the first
#FABTCG
World Championship. I went from testing 25+ hours a week to almost none. I was near burn out. At the point now where I’m excited about events in 2023 and ready to get back to the table. Breaks are healthy. Breaks are good.
Had an amazing weekend playing
#FABTCG
in Orlando! Major shout out to all my play testing teammates for the countless reps that led to me taking home a ProQuest Championship. Full recap on the FABulous Tuesday stream this week!
I've always been a big fan of when art from cards connects to form a larger painting. I gotta admit, this is pretty ridiculously incredible.
#MTG
#LOTR
Today,
@fabtcg
turns 4! At the time it released, "my" game was Star Wars Destiny. I had no idea the Flesh and Blood TCG existed.
When FFG announced Destiny would be ending in early 2020, I thought the World Championship that year might be my last competitive event ever. I'd been
Opening some boxes of
@UnlimitedFFG
this weekend to feel out the game a bit before tomorrow’s stream. We’ll be live at 1pm central on the
@teamcovenant
YouTube channel to discuss
@FFGames
latest card game and play some sealed!
Success is sweeter and failure much more bearable when you've got a team to share it with. Last weekend was one of the worst tournament performances of my life, but was still a phenomenal weekend thanks in large part to the Wolf Pack. Looking forward to a shot at redemption in
About to play in a 900+ player
@fabtcg
sealed event in Barcelona. Unreal.
This weekend was a major dubb for LSS and FAB. What a time to be alive!
#FABTCG
10 years ago today, we opened the doors at Covenant Tulsa, our local store, for the first time. We learned a lot in those early years, and there’s no way we would be around today without the incredible people who showed up that day and in the many days that would follow.
The first day of
#FABTCG
Pro Tour
#1
has arrived! I’ll be posting my results each round in response to this tweet and in the Covenant discord channel. Let’s goooooo! 🌙 🐺
#4life
A few years ago, a friend was staying at our house while visiting Tulsa. During his stay, he showed us these incredible sketches from his notebook. They were early concepts for a story he wanted to tell about an optimistic and hopeful future. The story would be the thematic
Day 1 of
#FABTCG
Pro Tour 4 has arrived! I’ll be sharing updates throughout the day in response to this post.
First update… I locked Viserai for PT4 last year. Win or lose, I’ve never regretted playing my favorite hero. Best of luck to everyone this weekend!
If you’re like me, taking breaks or time off does not come naturally. Over the past few years though, I’ve found that I enjoy the process a lot more and consequently am way more productive when I force myself to slow down and take breaks.
So, my primary
#FABTCG
goal this year
Headed to a
#FABTCG
PQ today and this card was involved, so I had to trade with
@TimBunn
so I could upgrade to this stunning marvel before the event. Updates throughout the day to follow in reply to this tweet!
Unreal to see 900+ people playing in the Tales of Aria World Premiere today at The Calling Las Vegas. There seems to be a bright future ahead for
@fabtcg
and I couldn’t be happier about it!
#FABTCG
Story time about one of the best people I know,
@MatthewKohls1
(who also happened to top 8 US Nats this year).
After round 6 yesterday, we are sitting at a table and both with records of 4-2. He brings up the topic of whether or not either of us should drop to play the Calling
It’s a massive privilege to start my day playing
#FABTCG
with great friends and a fresh cup of coffee while the sun is rising. Win, lose, or draw at all upcoming events I’m attending, I love this process and feel lucky to have such a great game to be playing.
I took a two-month break from *basically* all FAB in November and December. One week from today, Pro Quest season 3 begins and I'm happy to be genuinely excited to be "in season" again. One of my goals for this year is not to reach burn out by worlds.
#FABTCG
I’ve been quiet here on the
#FABTCG
front lately, mainly because I’ve been putting in more work than ever for Pro Tour
#2
. Very excited to see how the Wolf Pack performs at the event. Feeling good!
🌙 🐺
#4life
My day 2 first round opponent was a kindred spirit. Round 1 into Starvo, got the game. 1-0 today, 6-2 total. 🚀 Great opponent. Super tight game.
Will be posting updates today in reply to this thread.
#FABTCG
Day 1 of the
@fabtcg
Dallas Calling, let’s go!!! Updates to follow throughout the day in reply to this tweet.
Pictured are the members of the Wolf Pack competing this weekend. I’m grateful to have such a great game with an incredible OP program that gives these lovely people a
Playing in my first Road to Nationals of the season today (Viserai, of course). Paired into… Viserai round one. 😂
Close game against a really nice opponent. Had the goods in the end, so I’m 1-0. Four more rounds to go, cut to top 8. Top 4 to qualify for nationals is the goal.
Day 1 of the
#FABTCG
Pro Tour 3 begins today! I’ll be posting updates for today in response to this tweet.
Win, lose, or draw, so excited for the incredible weekend ahead with great friends. Grateful to have the opportunity to play such a remarkable game with this team. This
Last round. Table 3. Against fellow Runeblade Nathan Crawford… and we got there. 11-2, and I believe locked for the Calling Baltimore top 8!
Can’t believe it.
My year in
#fabtcg
:
- Achieved the two primary goals I set as a FAB player this year
- First, I reached the end of the year without being burnt out (unlike 2022)
- Second, I top 4’d a tier 3 event (a 900+ person Calling) with my favorite hero, Viserai, when he was widely
I’ve been getting cards signed by my favorite
#StarWars
characters since my first
@SW_Celebration
back in 2015 at Anaheim. After three Celebrations, Ewan Mcgregor was at the top of my list and I honestly never expected it to happen. Needless to say, it’s been an unreal weekend!
Highlights from day 1 in Barcelona!
We went to a lovely tapas place last night and sat outside. I was exhausted (hadn’t slept) and forgot to take pictures. Beautiful city and the people are very friendly. Looking forward to the week ahead.
Meanwhile, feeling great about CC
As I prepare to go to my first
#FABTCG
event this year, I’ve been reflecting on the 2021 competitive season. I want to take a minute to talk about one of the most important and least talked about elements of competing successfully at tabletop games - failure.
As I’m watching the
#FABTCG
Pro Tour
#1
Top 8 coverage, there’s a part of me that’s disappointed I didn’t make it. But, I can’t help but be overwhelmed with gratitude for everything that happened this week.
Our connecting flight to Tulsa was cancelled and we’ve been stuck in the Charlotte airport for seven hours… So,
@vandyck_e
agreed to help me correct the cosmic imbalance created by me playing 19 rounds of CC this weekend and playing against ZERO Dromai’s (as Viserai).
#FABTCG
Back on the “court” this weekend at my first Pro Quest of season 2. Looking to get a dub at one of three PQ’s this season to qualify for France. On Briar, of course.
#FABTCG
Our marketing team has been working on our new web stack for over two years. I’m extremely proud of the work they’ve done and can’t wait for the site to go live tomorrow. To everyone who supported us along the way, thank you! It’s a dream to have a fully custom web platform.
The Oklahoma contingent of the Wolf Pack has arrived in Edmond for our first Pro Quest of the season. I’m playing Briar, of course. Ride or die, baby!
Will post updates throughout the day as replies to this tweet.
#FABTCG
Feeling good heading into day two of the Indy
#FABTCG
Calling. Need to go 5-0 today against some of the best players in the world to advance to top 8. Not any harder than a Battled Hardened… right? Right?!
Highlights from day 2 in Barcelona!
Started the day with a stop at a local bakery, then a tour of Sagrada (absolutely unreal), followed by a 12-hour day of draft testing, and somewhere in there was a delightful dinner.
The experience so far has been remarkable. Weather is
It’s embarrassing now how underpaid everyone was back then, and being able to offer our team fair wages and a healthy work environment is only possible because a lot of people out there believe enough in what we are doing to continuing buying from us. If that’s you, thank you! 🙏
If you had a rough first PQ3 weekend like me, remember my bro
@TimBunn
went 0-3 drop on Saturday and then used the same deck the next day to go 7-1 and win a PQ!
Keep your chin up, put in the work, and the results will come.
#FABTCG
🐺
#4life
The top 4 game at the Calling Antwerp today featuring
@Pintorpin
vs George was one of the greatest FAB games I've ever witnessed. Kudos to
@OeilOphidia
and
@fabtcg
for the amazing coverage, and thank you to Pablo for showing us all what can happen when you don't give up -
We’re having our annual Covenant retreat and Steven is contemplating how we’re could get to 100k YouTube subscribers without losing our soul (or enabling ads). 🤔
I've been getting a ton of questions about my PT3 weekend and Viserai decklist/sideboard, so we (
@teamcovenant
) are going live at 2:30pm central to recap and celebrate an absolutely legendary weekend! Planning to do a full deck breakdown and answer as many questions as I can.
After organizing my
@SorceryTCG
collection, I was thinking about opening just one more box to get enough cards to attempt to trade into all the cards I’m still missing (including 3 of the cores).
Asked my wife if she’d be interested in opening one more
#SorceryTCG
box and she
Day 1 of the 2023
@fabtcg
World Championship starts today!
Will be posting updates in reply to this tweet. Good luck to everyone playing today!
#FABTCG
🐺
Not pictured from the Wolf Pack at Worlds, Mara and Andrew.
Today, I had a memory pop up with this photo from 7 years ago. I had just played in a local, Star Wars Destiny tournament at Covenant Tulsa. Notably, this was just a random Saturday event, but it was large enough to require 9 rounds!
It's a bitter-sweet memory. I miss playing
Pro Tour 2 Day 1 is about to begin! I’ll be posting updates as replies here throughout the day. 3 rounds of draft followed by four rounds of CC.
#FABTCG
James explaining at the players banquet that Starvo was tier 2 in testing compared to Briar (with Plunder Run), so after development he said “ship him” as is!
#FABTCG
#ProTour
Took me a minute to realize, but Marvel Legendary cards?! Really love how
@fabtcg
is continuing to increase value for players AND collectors without removing value from one or the other. Very clever.
#FABTCG
#Dynasty
We’re making some massive strides right now to make the tabletop gaming industry better that wouldn’t have been possible without my incredible team, our business partners, and everyone who has ever bought anything from us. Thank you. A million times, thank you. ❤️
First update from the new building! We’ll keep everyone updated as we go. Really exciting times for us - huge thanks to all of you.
16 years in. Crazy.
Any
#FABTCG
players/content creators want to join me on our FABulous Tuesday stream tomorrow afternoon (1:30pm~ CST) to talk about the first
@fabtcg
world championship? Send me a DM!
"As the man once said, the harder you work, the luckier you get." -
@TedLasso
To succeed, I've found you have to be very good at what you do, insanely prepared, and a little bit lucky. All the work creates scenarios where a bit of luck can turn into a big success.
It only took two nights sleep, a couple cocktails, and a few showers, but I finally figured out an airtight line for my final turn against
@markovictory
on stream. Ooooooooof! Will be discussing on Tuesday’s stream. Truly, a lesson in lava. 🔥
"As the man once said, the harder you work, the luckier you get." -
@TedLasso
To succeed, I've found you have to be very good at what you do, insanely prepared, and a little bit lucky. All the work creates scenarios where a bit of luck can turn into a big success.
U. S. A. U. S. A. 🇺🇸 🇺🇸 🇺🇸
Super proud of my man
@Hadesblade
for locking up the 8th seed at the first
#FABTCG
World Championship. Mark me. Tomorrow, the Wolf Pack will be home to the first
@fabtcg
World Champion!