Battle-Hardened: Manila is the first-ever international event for the Flesh and Blood Trading Card Game (FaB TCG) that will be held in the Philippines. For the better part of last year, local gaming stores, TCG community figureheads, and passionate FaB players have been working hard to grow the game – enough for Legend Story Studios (LSS), the makers of the game, to take notice. Whether you’re curious to know what this historical event is about, or are already registered and preparing for it, here’s our guide to what’s going to happen at Battle Hardened: Manila.
1) This is THE Tournament Arc The Local FaB Community Has Been Waiting For
One of the most exciting things to watch out for in BH: Manila is how the multiple narratives among local and international players will weave and unfold during its three days.
There are a lot of exciting player stories to follow throughout the event. You have some of the best players from across the globe flying in. Former and current champions looking to bag their next big title. Local and international teams looking to dominate the Top 8 and cement their reputation and legacies. Weekly tournament regulars who have been sharpening their skills all month. Former players who are now returning and finding a whole new gaming landscape. Competitors from other TCGs looking for new avenues to expand dominance. The best local players from different regions in the country coming in. And finally, you have up-and-comers who want to prove and make a name for themselves as they set out to compete on their biggest stage yet.
One thing is certain – whoever wins the event will surely have an epic story to tell!
2) THREE Main Tournaments Where Nobody Goes Home Empty-handed
BH: Manila might be the namesake of the event, but it’s made up of three major tournaments: the Super Armory on Friday, Battle Hardened: Manila on Saturday, and the Professional Tournament Invitation (PTI) event on Sunday. Anyone can join in any of these events, and the organizers have made sure that the players attending each of these events get their money’s worth.
The Super Armory will be held on Friday, February 2, 2024, at UNBOX Greenhills located on the 2nd Floor of the Promenade Mall in Greenhills, San Juan. The tournament will be played in the Blitz format, with a more relaxed, casual Rules Enforcement Level (REL).
An Armory is a weekly tournament held by local gaming stores that rewards players with special promo cards from a monthly kit that’s given by LSS. In a SUPER Armory though, that whole month’s worth of cards in the kit are given as prizes just for this one event!
This is the main event that everyone is looking forward to, and will be played on February 3, 2024, at the Ayala Malls Manila Bay Activity Center in Paranaque. It will be played in the Blitz format, has a Competitive REL, and has a prize pool of $2000 (~Php100,000) that’s spread across the Top 8 in addition to other unique prizes.
For starters, all of the Top 8 get an exclusive playmat. The finalists get the lion’s share of $500 (~Php25,000) each as well as a Professional Tournament Invite (which we’ll discuss more below). The champion is awarded the much coveted Black Envelope where inside it is a random Gold-Foil Legendary card that’s usually worth thousands of dollars.
For those who didn’t make the cut – don’t worry! Prize packs are awarded from 9th place below, so even the very last finisher still goes home with something.
Professional Tournament Invitation
Those who weren’t as fortunate at the Battle Hardened can still try their luck at the PTI event, where another Professional Tournament Invition is awarded to the winner in addition to a Black Envelope with a Gold Foil Common or Majestic card inside. This will be held on February 4, 2024, at the same venue in Ayala Malls Manila Bay, and will be played in the Classic Constructed format with a Competitive REL.
PTIs are one of the very few ways to join the biggest, most prestigious invite-only tournaments in FaB such as the Pro Tours and the World Championship. An interesting thing to note is that PTIs are “giftable” or transferrable, and are thus worth something by themselves. It’s not uncommon for PTI holders to receive offers in exchange for their invite and with the game steadily growing by the year, they only increase in value.
PTI events are usually zero-sum, winner-takes-all affairs with only the Champion walking away with the prize while everyone else gets nothing. BH Manila breaks away from tradition by awarding prize packs from the 2nd to the 32nd place.
3) It’s A Great Opportunity to Level Up Your FaB Collection…
Besides the tournaments, one of the things that’s going to happen in Battle Hardened: Manila is that popular stores from overseas such as 1Collectibles, Games Haven, Fyendal Hobby, and Metal FaB Tokens will be setting up booths to sell cards and gaming accessories. In addition to carrying a lot of the popular staple cards, most of them will be bringing a number of their rarer, more exclusive collections and have them available for purchase.
Famous international artists who created some of your favorite art in FaB (and even in other games) will also be setting up shop there. You can have your cards signed, and buy their exclusive merchandise such as playmats, prints, and artist proofs. Some of them might even accept artwork commissions on the spot!
The sheer number of attendees at the event also allows a lot of opportunities to buy or trade for the cards that you need, or to just simply sell stuff from your collection. It’s common for players to bring a binder or two of cards, so feel free to ask and shop around!
4) … And Make Friends Along The Way
Because of all the things that are going to happen in Battle-Hardened: Manila, it’s inevitable that you’ll end up meeting new people and making friends along the way. It’s a great time to interact with players from around the world and get a fresh perspective on the game. Everyone has their unique approach to playing FaB, and talking with other players, exchanging information, and sharing strategies makes for a great learning experience.
It’s also a rare opportunity to meet both local and international community figures that you look up to – whether they’re popular streamers, content creators, or simply masters of your favorite Hero or Class.
While the competition in the venue is sure to have its awesome moments, most of the lasting memories that you’ll make during these times are the ones that happen outside of it. Players coming together just to hang around and talk – whether it’s the game, or life in general, are some of the most fun you’ll have.
So what’s going to happen at Battle-Hardened: Manila? Simply put, Philippine Trading Card Game history. Be part of it.
If you’re looking for other amazing Trading Card Games to try out this year, check out some of our picks:
Read More:
The Five New Trading Card Games You Should Play This Year
