Flesh and Blood Review - Armory Deck Origins: Hala (Upgraded)

In the last few weeks, a new Flesh and Blood hero was released through an Armory Deck Origins: Hala, Bladesaint of the Vow. This character is not exactly new for those who have been keeping up with the lore, as she is Dorinthea, Ironsong's mentor. She previously popped up in the game as Hala Goldenhelm, but now she is the main star of a new precon deck!

But is she worth it?

The Origins line is supposed to be a better version of traditional Armory Decks. It's a preconstructed list that is ready to go as soon as you take it out of the box, as usual, but it includes better cards (more majestics and even a legendary).

Furthermore, this Hala Armory Deck also only features new cards, so it is the most exclusive sealed product there is.

Like any other warrior list, this deck doesn't play attack actions. Instead, it plays mostly non-attack actions and attack reactions, so it was definitely built around the new weapon, Zenith Blade.

The Game Plan

Both Hala and Zenith Blade interact with a new mechanic: sharpen. When you sharpen your weapon, you'll put a +1 counter on it, but, at the end of the turn, that same weapon loses all its counters. Many other cards also feature this ability, and using it every turn is critical because your sword will gain go again this way.

Another important piece in this puzzle is the new token, Flurry. You have to do more than just give your sword go again so that you don't waste that extra action point. Flurry lets you attack with your weapon again and get more out of sharpen, so here is the main game plan:

1 - Set up a Flurry.

2 - Sharpen your weapon.

3 - Attack twice with your sword.

You won't necessarily be able to do all of this every turn. Nonetheless, you might win anyway if you play all your cards and attack with your weapon for 9, for instance.

Now, let's see how this deck makes this plan work.

Unlike other warrior heroes that focus on buffing their weapon, Hala centers around sharpening your weapon, so you'll see many actions in this list that will let you do this and have another relevant ability. Let's see the ones that stand out and a few more situational ones.

Without a question, the most important action in this deck is Edict of Steel (1). It does everything this deck wants: it lets you sharpen your weapon and also creates a Flurry token so you can attack twice in the same turn. Unsurprisingly, this deck plays 9 copies of it (3 copies of each color), and it is essential in every turn.

Sharp Incline (1) and Indefensibly Honed (3) are other ways to sharpen your weapon, but their effects are slightly different. While Sharp Incline (1) is identical to a 0-cost attack with 4 power and go again (which is excellent if you don't have many cards in hand), Indefensibly Honed (3) is more flexible because it is blue (so it activates Hala's ability) and can deal damage to the opponent's life if they're being too defensive.

Brimming Blade (1) seems weird because it only gives your weapon +2, but, with a Flurry, it is quite useful, particularly when you attack twice. In that same sense, Visit the Dawnsmith (3) is a bit simpler, as you can only use its effect in the following turn. Nonetheless, it lets you sharpen your weapon when you have to be more defensive.

Swordmaster's Path (1) doesn't work well by itself, but, with the other sharpen cards, it can help you set up incredibly strong turns, even more when you can attack with Zenith Blade twice in the same turn. So, it's precisely the card you want to set up powerful turns. But don't be afraid to use it to block for 3.

Warrior heroes are known for playing many attack reactions, and Hala is no different.

Deadly Display (1) and Gleam of the Blade (1) are excellent setup cards because they both create Flurry. The difference between them is that Deadly Display (1) only creates a token if your weapon deals damage, while Gleam of the Blade (1) does it when you discard it. Nonetheless, you'll find that dealing damage to use Deadly Display (1) won't be difficult because it gives your weapon +3 power, and Gleam also does that, so it's quite flexible when you need to push some damage through.

Most 1-cost warrior attack reactions buff your weapon by +3 power, and Silverdrop Downpour (1) does almost the same (it costs 2 and gives you +4). Yet, you can play it for less resources, which could be quite interesting.

[cardise]{1 Backside of the Blade (3) || 1 Olé (3)}

Backside of the Blade (3) is an incredibly flexible blue card. It both blocks for 3 and lets you attack again with your weapon even if you don't have a Flurry. As for Olé (3), it is a blue card that helps you set up your next turn.

Polished Blade (1) is the best card in this precon. Its effect is useful with many other warrior heroes, not just Hala.

This attack reaction does everything Hala wants and is also incredibly flexible in both weak and strong turns. It will be a staple for this hero and probably will see play in other competitive versions as well.

Toe the Line (1) is nearly identical to Take it on the Chin (1), and this card already sees a lot of play in competitive lists. The only difference is that it gives you a Flurry, not an Agility, which is actually better for Hala. As for Flurry Foot Dance (2), it is valuable because it is a yellow defense reaction that blocks for 4.

We've mentioned how this deck centers around Zenith Blade. The other equipment cards are just as relevant.

The equipment card that most stands out in this list is Paragon Plate, the chest piece. This legendary equipment (something all Origins Armory Decks feature) is truly legendary: it has temper 2 and creates resources for you constantly. All you need to do is remove a counter from your weapon. As this is an attack reaction, you can use it in the chain link or even in Zenith Blade's next attack. This is the best equipment card in this deck.

The other equipment cards (which are also new) support this precon but are not the best cards around. Anticipating Gaze is useful because it has blade break 2. Reverent Rerebrace interacts exclusively with Zenith Blade (so it's less useful in other lists), and Silverstride Dodgers is not useful unless you want to block twice.

Hala is still very new, and most players are still refining their lists with her, but some cards have already proven to be quite good in this strategy.

Compendium of Rathe brought a lot of support for sharpen, but the cards from the last set that most stand out are Swordmaster's Shine (1), Cut N Carve (3), and Display of Craftsmanship (3). Swordmaster's Shine (1) is a reaction with a condition that Hala can easily meet, Cut N Carve (3) gives your attacks dominate, and Display of Craftsmanship (3) allows you to sharpen your weapon.

Blunten (2) is great in a variety of strategies, not just with Hala. It has become a staple for warriors because it is one of the few disruptive cards in this class that buys you some time. Provoke is similar, but it is even better because it is blue and blocks for 3.

Flurry is very obviously critical for Hala, but sometimes you can't get it. So, this list plays Twinning Blade (and Polished Blade (1)). With this card, you'll be able to keep up and attack twice even if you can't get Flurry.

Hala is pretty honest for a warrior hero. She is quite powerful even when the opponent doesn't interact with her, like Dorinthea, Ironsong. Like so, she centers more around value and is excellent for beginners.

If you're more experienced, Hala is both simple (which many players prefer) and plays new cards that have potential in other lists, like Edict of Steel (1) and Polished Blade (1).

What do you think? Tell us your thoughts in our comment section below.

Thank you for reading, and see you next time!