The Calling Auckland 2023 in New Zealand was a highly-anticipated Flesh and Blood TCG event that took place from February 24th to February 26th. The event saw some of the best players in New Zealand, including well-known players Matt Rogers and Cayle McCreath, who played with Guardian Decks. However, the event was marred by a controversial judge call that had a significant impact on the final outcome.
The Judge Call Incident
During the event, Matt Rogers, who was playing with Oldhim, was involved in a judge call against Hayden Dale, who was playing Iyslander. The judge call was made when Hayden Dale forgot to pitch enough cards due to the card "Channel Lake Frigid." While the judge was reviewing the incident, it became apparent that Matt Rogers played "Art of War" to draw two cards but forgot to banish a card. This led to accusations of cheating by some players, but it was later determined that it was a honest mistake (by both players).
The Consequences of the Judge Call
The judge call resulted in both players receiving an IP 2 penalty, which ultimately benefited Matt Rogers, who made it into the top 8. However, both players weren't happy with the outcome of the judge call, and it sparked a heated debate in the Flesh and Blood community.
Although it's not a pleasant to have a judge call especially at the feature table, some players in the community had a good laugh with some memes about it:
Out Hustle
The NZ Art of War
The Event Winner and Top Decks
Despite the controversy, we'd like to extend our congratulations to the event winner, Sam Sutherland, who played with his Dash Deck. Sam's victory was well-deserved, and his skill and strategy were evident throughout the tournament.
You can find his and the other's deck lists here:
The top 4 most played Heroes on Day 2 were Oldhim, Iyslander, Fai, and Briar, indicating the popularity of these decks among players. Dash was also represented by around 10% of the players on Day 2, which shows that this deck might be more viable than most initially thought.
Conclusion
The Auckland Event in New Zealand was an exciting and memorable event for Flesh and Blood players, but the controversial judge call has left a lasting impression on the community. The judge call incident has sparked a conversation about the importance of fair play and good sportsmanship in the TCG world. For those who missed the event, you can re-watch it on twitch.tv/sushiknightgaming. We hope this article provided you with useful insights and analysis of the event.
