Ser Boltyn, Breaker of Dawn — Classic Constructed Strategy Guide

Archetype Overview

Ser Boltyn, Breaker of Dawn is a soul-charging aggro deck that turns cards into a resource bank and spends that bank on go again. This build won Calling: Kyoto 2026, piloted by Ryosuke Urase. Underneath that result is a list with a clear identity: nearly every card either puts something into your soul or cashes soul cards in for extra damage and extra actions.

What the Deck Is

Two features of the list explain how it plays.

• No blues. The deck runs 25 reds and 45 yellows.
• Almost everything is free. Nearly every card costs 0. The exceptions are V of the Vanguard at 1 and Soul Shield at 2, plus the resource-cost activations on Warband of Bellona and Ironsong Versus.

Because so little costs resources, a single yellow pitch funds most turns. The yellow density also does real work. Several cards care specifically about charging a yellow card:

• Helm of Halo's Grace and Warband of Bellona draw a card.
• Warpath of Winged Grace makes a Quicken token.
• Beaming Bravado gets +1 power.
• Light the Way gets go again on hit.

With 45 yellows, those conditions are the normal case, not the lucky one.

The Plan

Every turn runs the same loop: charge, then convert.

Charging switches on the deck. Once you've charged, three things change:

• Raydn, Duskbane goes from 0 power to 3, still for a 0-cost activation.
• Your hero gives your attacks +1 power while an attack action card defends them, which punishes opponents who block with their own attacks.
• Soulbond Resolve starts preventing damage.

You have many ways to charge. Bolt of Courage, Beaming Bravado, Express Lightning, Light the Way and V of the Vanguard all offer it as an additional cost. Your Helm, Soulbond and Warpath charge when they defend, so blocking builds toward your next turn. Saving Grace charges on the defensive side too.

Converting turns the soul into damage and tempo. The hero's attack reaction banishes a soul card to give go again to any attack whose power is above its base. A charged Raydn qualifies, and so does anything pumped by Lumina Ascension or Beacon of Victory. Other cards spend the soul directly:

• Beacon of Victory banishes X for +X power. If you've charged, it also tutors an action card of cost X or less, which lets you dig for whatever piece is missing.
• Celestial Cataclysm turns three soul cards into a 7-power attack with go again.
• Battlefield Beacon gains a token mode for each card banished from your soul this chain.

Lumina Ascension is the centerpiece. On a turn you've charged, it does three things:

• Gives your weapons +1 power.
• Lets you attack with Raydn an additional time.
• Gives Raydn an on-hit that reveals the top card and puts Light cards into your soul with 1 life.

Spirit of Eirina lets you play Lumina as an instant, so it can come down when the opponent can least answer it.

Other cards refill the soul as you spend it. Illuminate goes there on hit. Solforge Gauntlet and Soul Shield go there after defending. The three Blessings put themselves there at the start of your turn. Because each Blessing is yellow, that also enables Duty Bound Blitz before you've spent a card. Blessing of Bellona and Blessing of Aegis add a Courage token or 1 life every time a card enters your soul.

Why the Plan Is Strong

• Your weapon threat costs no cards. A charged Raydn is a 3-power attack every turn for zero resources. Lumina adds a second swing on top of whatever your hand does, so even a weak hand still presents real damage.
• Defending feeds your offense. With 40 life on the hero card and three equipment pieces that charge on block, trading life and equipment for soul cards is often correct. The damage you absorb converts into go again on your turn.
• Turns are hard to block correctly. Once you've charged, defending with attack actions gives your attacks +1 power. Saving Grace, Sink Below, Soul Shield and Blunten give you defensive reactions of your own.
• It has answers for weapon-based opponents. Kabuto of Imperial Authority stops weapon attacks for the turn it defends. Blunten strips a card when it blocks a weapon. Blessing of Themis turns a named card face-down in banished zones, which is a quiet answer to strategies that work from banishment.
• Consistency is built in. The yellow-charge draws, the Beacon tutors and the Sink Below cycling mean you find your engine pieces more often than the raw list suggests.

Who Should Pick It Up

This deck suits you if:

• You like proactive pressure but would rather out-sequence an opponent than race them blindly.
• You can track several resources at once: soul count, whether you've charged this turn, which attacks sit above base power, and when to fire attack reactions.
• You're comfortable spending a yellow as a charge instead of a pitch. That decision comes up constantly.
• You're willing to block with equipment on purpose.

It is not a deck for autopilot. With a 4-card intellect, mostly 0-cost cards and soul cards to spend, your options multiply fast. The ceiling rewards players who plan two turns ahead. If you want a hero whose good turns come from decisions rather than draws, this is a strong pick.

Core Strategy & Game Plan

Ser Boltyn wins by turning cards into soul and then spending that soul to give go again to attacks that are already above their printed power. Every piece of the list either fills the soul, rewards you for having charged this turn, or converts banished soul cards into extra attacks and power. You are the proactive deck. You build soul on defense, then cash it in on a turn where you string multiple attacks from a mostly zero-cost hand.

The Three Pillars

• Charging. The phrase "if you've charged this turn" switches on your best text. Raydn, Duskbane gets +3 power. The hero's first line gives your attacks +1 power while defended by an attack action card. Bolt of Courage draws on hit. Beacon of Victory tutors. Lumina Ascension grants extra weapon attacks. Saving Grace shrinks an attack. Charge early in the turn, before the cards that check for it.
• Soul as fuel. The hero's Attack Reaction banishes a soul card to give go again to an attack whose power is above its base. Celestial Cataclysm banishes three. Beacon of Victory banishes X. Battlefield Beacon gets one mode for each soul card you banished this combat chain. Soul is a resource bank you spend alongside your pitch.
• Yellow density. The deck is mostly yellow cards, and several pieces reward charging a yellow:
  • Helm of Halo's Grace and Warband of Bellona draw a card.
  • Warpath of Winged Grace makes a Quicken token.
  • Both colors of Beaming Bravado get +1 power.
  • Light the Way gains go again on hit.
  • Duty Bound Blitz becomes playable.
  Pitch reds to pay costs. Charge yellows.

How the Engine Links Up

The key interaction is Raydn, Duskbane plus the hero's Attack Reaction. Raydn's base power is 0. Once you've charged, it swings for at least 3, which is always "greater than its base." That means a charged Raydn can always be given go again for one soul card.

Lumina Ascension multiplies this. If you've charged when it resolves, Raydn can attack an additional time this turn, and each swing gets +1 power. Each Raydn hit reveals the top card of your deck. If it's a Light card, it goes into your soul and you gain 1 life. This partially refunds the soul you spent on go again.

Spirit of Eirina lets you play Lumina as an instant. You can then cast it mid-chain once your charge is done, instead of committing it up front. Anything that would put Spirit into your soul puts it into the arena instead, so a charge can't lose it to the soul.

Your attack actions also exceed their base power after charging, which keeps the chain going:

• A Beaming Bravado that charged a yellow.
• Any attack pumped by Beacon of Victory or V of the Vanguard.
• Any attack defended by an attack action card on a turn you charged, thanks to the hero's +1.

Snapdragon Scalers is a one-shot backup. Nearly every attack in the deck costs 0 or 1, so it can give go again to almost any of them when your soul runs dry.

Posture: Build on Defense, Spend on Offense

Your opponent's turn is when you load up.

• Helm of Halo's Grace, Soulbond Resolve and Warpath of Winged Grace each let you charge when they defend.
• Saving Grace charges as part of its cost.
• Soul Shield blocks for 6, then enters your soul when the chain closes.
• Solforge Gauntlet does the same after defending.
• Illuminate puts itself into your soul on hit.

A charge made on your opponent's turn does not count as "charged this turn" on your turn. Defensive charging fills the bank. You still need an on-turn charge to switch on Raydn and Lumina.

The Blessings bridge the two turns. Blessing of Bellona, Blessing of Aegis and Blessing of Themis each have go again, so they cost you no tempo. At the start of your next turn, each one moves into your soul. Because they're yellow, that move satisfies Duty Bound Blitz immediately. With Bellona or Aegis out, every card entering your soul also makes a Courage token or gains you life, and that includes the Blessings themselves.

The Ideal Game, Turn by Turn

1. Opening turns. Develop at low risk.
   • Land a Blessing with go again.
   • Follow with a charging attack such as Bolt of Courage or Beaming Bravado, charging a yellow.
   • Close with a charged Raydn, Duskbane swing.
   Don't spend soul yet unless the go again buys real damage.
2. Your opponent's turns. Block with your charging equipment and defense reactions. Prioritize yellow charges for the Helm of Halo's Grace draw and the Warpath of Winged Grace Quicken. Aim to enter your turn with soul to spend.
3. Middle turns. Run medium chains.
   • Use Warband of Bellona or a charging attack first.
   • Then play Duty Bound Blitz or Edict of Steel, both of which have go again.
   • Then Raydn, given go again by a single soul banish.
   Ironsong Versus adds go again and a Courage-on-hit to your next sword attack for one resource.
4. The payoff turn. Run the full sequence.
   • Charge first.
   • Play Lumina Ascension.
   • Swing Raydn multiple times, paying a soul card for each go again.
   • Finish with Celestial Cataclysm (7 power, go again) or a Beacon of Victory pump.
   If you've charged, Beacon also tutors an action card with cost X or less to continue the chain.

Managing the Bank

The main tension in every game is soul spent versus soul kept. Spend aggressively when it does one of three things:

• Turns a hit into a lethal threat.
• Chains into a Raydn swing that refills the bank through Lumina Ascension.
• Lets Beacon of Victory find your next attack.

Hold soul when your next defensive turn can't refill it, or when you're one turn short of a Celestial Cataclysm turn.

Against weapon-reliant opponents, Kabuto of Imperial Authority and Blunten let you defend while taxing their offense. Against decks that rely on banished cards, Blessing of Themis can name a key card so copies of it get turned face-down in banished zones.

Card Choices & Breakdown

The registered pool is 70 deck cards plus 10 arena cards, exactly the 80-card Classic Constructed card-pool limit (source: fabtcg.com Classic Constructed format page, accessed 2026-10-19). Three copies is the legal maximum per name and colour, so any count below 3 is a deliberate cut. Every deck card pitches 1 or 2, and there are no blues. That works because almost everything costs 0, and yellow is the colour your charge riders want.

The Engine: Weapon, Hero, Lumina

• Raydn, Duskbane has 0 base power and gets +3 once you've charged this turn. Charging is the switch that turns your weapon on. Your first charge each turn matters more than any single card.
• Ser Boltyn, Breaker of Dawn can banish a soul card to give go again to any attack above its base power. A charged Raydn, Duskbane always qualifies, so your soul works as a bank of extra weapon swings.
• 3x Lumina Ascension gives weapons +1 power and, if you've charged, an additional attack with each weapon. On hit it can put revealed Light cards into your soul. This is your biggest turn, so it runs a full playset.
• 1x Spirit of Eirina is Legendary, so one copy is the cap. It lets you play Lumina Ascension as an instant. If it would go to your soul, it goes into the arena instead, so charging it still sets it up.
• 3x Edict of Steel sharpens your sword, has go again, and makes a Flurry token if the sword already has a +1 power counter. It's non-Light, so it adds nothing to V of the Vanguard.

Chargers

These attacks let you charge as an additional cost. You want to open turns with them.

• Bolt of Courage (3 red, 3 yellow) draws on hit if you've charged at any point this turn, not only through itself. That makes it a fine second attack after another charge.
• Beaming Bravado (3 red, 3 yellow) gets +1 power when you charge a yellow card. That also puts it above base, so Ser Boltyn, Breaker of Dawn can give it go again.
• 3x Light the Way gains go again on hit if you charged a yellow with it. It rewards you for keeping yellows rather than pitching them.
• 2x Express Lightning is 4 power with a charge and no other rider. It's the least flexible charger, which is why it's the one cut to two.
• 3x V of the Vanguard is the only 1-cost attack. You can charge any number of times, and every Light card charged gives your attacks +1 power for the rest of the chain. It's your all-in button. The non-Light cards here (Edict of Steel, Sink Below, Blunten) don't count toward it.

Soul Payoffs

• Duty Bound Blitz (3 red, 3 yellow) hits for 5 and 4 with go again, but only after a yellow card has gone into your soul this turn. Six copies tells you the deck expects to meet that condition almost every turn.
• 3x Beacon of Victory banishes X soul cards for +X power. If you've charged, it searches for an action card costing X or less. It's both a power pump and a tutor for your missing piece, usually Lumina Ascension.
• 2x Celestial Cataclysm is 7 power with go again for three soul cards. Two copies, because you rarely have a soul deep enough to fire it twice.
• 2x Battlefield Beacon only does more than a 3-power attack after you've banished from your soul this chain. It's strong late in a chain and blank on a fresh turn, which keeps it at two.
• 3x Illuminate is 4 power that puts itself into your soul on hit. It's a red that refuels the engine.

Blessings

Blessing of Aegis, Blessing of Bellona and Blessing of Themis are go-again auras that put themselves into your soul at the start of your turn. They're yellow, so each one switches on Duty Bound Blitz for that turn without spending a card from hand.

• Blessing of Aegis gains you life for every card entering your soul.
• Blessing of Bellona makes a Courage token for every card entering your soul.
• Blessing of Themis stays at two because it is matchup tech. It turns named cards in banished zones face-down, which is aimed at opponents whose plan runs on banished cards.

3x Blessing of Suraya rounds out the package as more yellow charge and pitch fodder.

Defense

• 3x Saving Grace charges on your opponent's turn and gives -2 power if you've charged. It defends and builds your soul at the same time.
• 2x Soul Shield blocks for 6 and goes into your soul when the chain closes. It costs 2 in a deck with no blues, so you can't run three.
• 3x Blunten makes the attacking hero discard when it blocks a weapon attack. It's a direct answer to weapon-heavy opponents.
• 2x Sink Below is a 4-defense red that cycles a dead card from your hand.

3x Bravery of the Blade and 3x Banneret of Swordsmanship are full playsets in pitch-1 and pitch-2 slots, so treat them as core. Bravery of the Blade at three, along with three Beacon of Victory, three Lumina Ascension, three Saving Grace and one Spirit of Eirina, appears in all three Ser Boltyn lists in the window (source: fabtcg.com decklists, 2026-09-20 to 2026-10-19).

Equipment by Slot

• Head:
  • Helm of Halo's Grace charges on block and draws on a yellow.
  • Warband of Bellona (2 resources, destroy it) charges on your next attack, draws on a yellow, and has go again.
  • Kabuto of Imperial Authority stops opposing weapon attacks for the turn when it blocks.
• Chest:
  • Soulbond Resolve charges on block and prevents 1 damage once you've charged.
  • Fyendal's Spring Tunic banks energy counters you can remove for a resource, which helps when you have no blues.
• Arms:
  • Ironsong Versus gives your next sword attack a Courage token on hit, plus go again.
  • Solforge Gauntlet has Arcane Barrier 1 and goes into your soul after it defends.
• Legs:
  • Warpath of Winged Grace charges on block and makes a Quicken token on a yellow.
  • Snapdragon Scalers gives go again to an attack action card costing 1 or less, which covers every attack in the deck.

The Decklist

The list registers ten arena cards and seventy deck cards, an 80-card card-pool. Classic Constructed caps the pool at 80 cards, counting weapons and equipment, and requires a deck of at least 60 (source: fabtcg.com Classic Constructed format page, accessed 2026-10-19). There are no blues: every card pitches for 1 or 2. Most cards cost 0, so yellows usually cover a turn's resources. The exceptions are V of the Vanguard, Soul Shield, Warband of Bellona and Ironsong Versus. You also have spare equipment in three slots: three heads, two chests, two arms and two legs. You wear one per slot and choose your loadout before each game.

Hero / Weapon / Equipment

Pitch 1 (red), 25 cards

Pitch 2 (yellow), 45 cards

The core holds steady across the three published Ser Boltyn lists from the window (source: fabtcg.com decklist API, 2026-09-20 to 2026-10-19). All three play Raydn, Duskbane, Warband of Bellona, Helm of Halo's Grace and Snapdragon Scalers. All three also play three copies each of Beacon of Victory, Bravery of the Blade, Lumina Ascension and Saving Grace, plus one Spirit of Eirina. Treat all of those as locked.

The real flex sits in the two-ofs: Express Lightning, Sink Below, Battlefield Beacon, Blessing of Themis, Celestial Cataclysm and Soul Shield. Two of the three published lists in that window ran Roaring Beam (yellow), and this one doesn't, so that is the most obvious alternative for one of those slots.

Hand Planning & Pitching

Ser Boltyn plans hands differently from most Classic Constructed heroes. Almost every card in this list costs 0, so resources are rarely what limits you. Two things do: cards you can afford to charge and go again. Raydn's +3 and Lumina's extra weapon attacks only turn on if you charge during your own turn, and charging puts a card from your hand into your soul. Treat it like a second pitch zone.

When You Actually Pitch

You have no blues, so every pitch is either 1 (red) or 2 (yellow). Only five things in the list cost resources:

• Warband of Bellona: 2. Pitch exactly one yellow.
• Soul Shield: 2. If you want it live on defense, set aside a yellow on your own turn so you can pay for it.
• V of the Vanguard: 1. Pitch a red.
• Ironsong Versus: 1. Pitch a red. One yellow pays for both V and Ironsong in the same turn with nothing wasted.
• Fyendal's Spring Tunic: covers 1 of these costs once it reaches 3 counters. Let it fill up instead of pitching a card you would rather charge.

On many turns you pitch nothing at all. If you find yourself pitching a yellow to pay for nothing, you have thrown away a charge.

Give Every Card a Job

Sort your four cards into these roles before you act:

1. Fodder: the card you charge. It should be yellow whenever possible. A yellow charge draws a card off Helm of Halo's Grace or Warband of Bellona, creates a Quicken token off Warpath of Winged Grace, adds +1 power to Beaming Bravado, gives Light the Way go again on hit, and turns on Duty Bound Blitz. A red charge gets none of these bonuses.
2. Opener: a card that both charges and keeps your turn going. Charging Beaming Bravado with a yellow lifts it above its base power, so Ser Boltyn, Breaker of Dawn can banish a soul card to give it go again. V of the Vanguard does the same for each Light card you charge. Bolt of Courage and Express Lightning charge but gain no power from it, so they end your turn unless Snapdragon Scalers gives them go again.
3. Payoff: Raydn, Duskbane after a charge, Lumina Ascension, Celestial Cataclysm once your soul holds 3 cards.
4. Hold: a defense reaction or block card you keep for the opponent's turn or put in arsenal.

A hand with an opener and a yellow fodder card is a working turn. A hand with neither should usually defend and use the equipment charges described below. Don't charge reds just to force a turn.

Spirit of Eirina note: if it would go into your soul, it goes into the arena instead. That means it never counts as the yellow card Duty Bound Blitz needs. Charge a different yellow when you plan on Blitz.

Planning the Defensive Turn

Helm of Halo's Grace, Soulbond Resolve and Warpath of Winged Grace each let you charge when they defend. Keep a yellow in hand going into the opponent's turn:

• Helm turns that yellow into a soul card plus a fresh draw.
• Warpath banks a Quicken token.
• Any charge that turn also activates Soulbond's 1-point damage prevention.
• Saving Grace charges as part of its cost and then gives the attack -2. It works as both fodder and a defense reaction.

Other defensive tools:

• Sink Below is your best card to block with when your hand is clunky, because it can bottom your worst card and draw a replacement.
• Keep Blunten for weapon attacks.
• Kabuto of Imperial Authority stops follow-up weapon swings for the turn.

These defensive charges do not count toward "if you've charged this turn" on your next turn. They build soul for Beacon of Victory, Celestial Cataclysm and Boltyn's go-again ability, but you still need a fresh charge on your own turn.

Arsenal Priorities

• Lumina Ascension: your big-turn card. With Spirit of Eirina in the arena you can play it at instant speed, so it never sits dead in arsenal.
• Beacon of Victory: an attack reaction that goes on any turn your soul is stocked. If you've charged, it can search for Lumina Ascension or Duty Bound Blitz with X=1, which fixes a hand missing its payoff.
• Duty Bound Blitz: arsenal it when a Blessing is set to move into your soul at the start of your next turn, since that guarantees Blitz is playable.
• A defense reaction when you are behind on life or facing an aggro opponent.

Going First vs. Going Second

Going first, your soul starts empty. Beacon of Victory and Celestial Cataclysm are dead, and Boltyn's ability has nothing to banish until you charge. Your first turn has to fund itself, so prioritize an opener plus a yellow to charge. Any spare card should be a Blessing (Blessing of Bellona, Blessing of Aegis, Blessing of Themis). They cost 0 and have go again, and each one moves itself into your soul at the start of your next turn, which sets up Duty Bound Blitz without spending a card on a charge.

Going second, you defend first. Block with charging equipment and feed it yellows. You start your first turn with soul cards to spend, possibly a Quicken token, and possibly an extra card from Helm. That makes it worth defending harder on the opponent's opening turn than you normally would.

Sequencing & Key Lines

Charge Before Anything Else

Raydn, Duskbane has 0 power, and both its +3 and the extra swing from Lumina Ascension check whether you've charged this turn. Lumina checks when it resolves, so charge before you cast it. On a typical turn, your first card should be a charging attack action with a yellow card charged.

Which charging attack you open with matters. Bolt of Courage and Express Lightning attack at base power and have no go again, so leading with either can end your action phase. Beaming Bravado gets +1 power when you charge a yellow. That puts it above its base power, so Ser Boltyn, Breaker of Dawn can banish the card you just charged to give it go again. It needs no soul from an earlier turn, which makes it the best opener when you are going first and your soul is empty. Light the Way only gets go again on a hit, so keep it for when Snapdragon Scalers is still available to cover it.

The Standard Turn

1. Beaming Bravado (red), charging a yellow: it attacks for 4. Banish a soul card with your hero ability for go again.
2. Optional: Duty Bound Blitz. The yellow you just charged meets its condition, and it has go again.
3. Edict of Steel or Ironsong Versus if you have them. Both have go again and both care about your sword, so they go before the swing.
4. Lumina Ascension. You've charged, so Raydn will attack twice.
5. Raydn, Duskbane at 4 (0 +3 +1). Banish a soul card for go again, then swing a second time.

Count your soul before you start. This line spends two soul cards on go again (steps 1 and 5), and the second Raydn swing doesn't need one unless you have more to play. Lumina's on-hit can put Light cards back into your soul, so a turn where Raydn connects usually pays for the next one.

Beacon of Victory: Pump, Tutor, Enabler

Banishing a single card to Beacon of Victory does three jobs. It gives +1 power. If you've charged, it searches your deck for a cost-0 action, which is usually Lumina Ascension, sometimes Celestial Cataclysm or Duty Bound Blitz. And it pushes the target above base power, so your hero ability can now give go again to a flat Bolt of Courage or Express Lightning. If your hand has a charge but no Lumina, Beacon on your opener finds it while the turn is still going.

V of the Vanguard Turns

V of the Vanguard gives +1 to every attack this combat chain for each Light card charged into it. Play it early in the chain, because attacks that have already resolved gain nothing. Pitch for its 1 cost, charge your Light cards, then banish one of them to give V go again (it is now above its base 3). Then play Lumina and swing Raydn twice, and both swings carry the V bonus. This is your burst turn. Plan it for a turn when your hand has spare Light cards to charge.

Spirit of Eirina

If you charge Spirit of Eirina, it goes into the arena instead of your soul. From then on, Lumina can be played at instant speed. You can swing Raydn first, see how they block, then add Lumina for +1 power and the extra swing. You no longer need an action point for Lumina. The card text doesn't make clear that sending Spirit to the arena counts as charging for "charged this turn" or for yellow-card bonuses. Don't let it be your only charge on a turn that needs either.

Defensive Turns Feed Attack Turns

The "charged this turn" bonuses on your own turn don't carry over from blocking. The soul you build while blocking does: it pays for go again, Beacon and Celestial Cataclysm on your next turn.

• When Helm of Halo's Grace, Warpath of Winged Grace or Soulbond Resolve block, charge a yellow. Helm draws you a card, Warpath makes a Quicken token, and the charge turns on Soulbond's 1 damage prevention for that turn.
• Saving Grace only gets its -2 if you've charged that turn, so pay the charge as its cost unless you already charged earlier in their turn.
• Against weapon heroes, block their first swing with Kabuto of Imperial Authority. It shuts off their weapon attacks for the rest of that turn. Blunten also makes the attacking hero discard a card.
• Blessings go into your soul at the start of your turn. They are yellow, so that turns on Duty Bound Blitz, but it isn't a charge. Raydn still needs a real charge.

Playing Around Defense Reactions

Expect defense reactions. Sink Below appeared in 15 of 32 published lists (source: fabtcg.com decklist API, 2026-09-20 to 2026-10-19). All of Raydn's power comes from bonuses you stack in a single turn, so a well-timed defense reaction costs you more than it costs a deck with high-power cards. Two habits help:

• Turn on go again first, pump last. Go again from your hero ability works whether or not the attack hits, so activate it right away. Hold Beacon until they've had their chance to react. If they play a defense reaction, you get priority back to answer it.
• Let your openers take the blocks. If they block a charged attack with an attack action card, your hero gives that attack +1 power. Make them spend those blocks on Beaming Bravado or V, and save Celestial Cataclysm and the Raydn swings for the end of the chain, when their hand is smaller.

Matchup Matrix

The field this list has to beat comes straight from the Round 1 pairings. Jarl led the 100th Calling: Atlanta with 71 of 600 entries (source: 100th Calling: Atlanta Round 1 pairings, 2026-10-03/04). Fang led Kyoto with 32 of 342 entries and took no Top 8 slot (source: Calling: Kyoto Round 1 pairings and final standings, 2026-10-17/18). Levia SA, Cindra and Jarl finished top five in entries at both Callings (source: Atlanta and Kyoto Round 1 pairings, 2026-10-03/04 and 2026-10-17/18).

Arakni M, Fai, Oscilio CI, Kassai and Dash I/O were all listed as Living Legends on 2026-10-19 (source: Card Legality Policy, 2026-10-19), so they leave official CC and don't get rows here. Cindra sat at 966 points against the 1000-point threshold (source: Living Legend leaderboard, 2026-10-19). Check her status before each event.

Summary

Jarl — Unfavored

Treat Jarl as the grind matchup. Every Atlanta list registers Sledge of Anvilheim and a deep earth-and-ice package. You will not out-last a deck built to defend, so win on volume.

• Your big turn is a charge into Lumina Ascension. That gives Raydn, Duskbane two swings at +3 and +1 power each.
• Activate Ironsong Versus before a Raydn swing, so even a partial hit adds a Courage token.
• Your hero gives your attacks +1 power when an attack action card defends them, as long as you've charged. Make them choose between losing attack cards and taking damage.
• Save Kabuto of Imperial Authority and Blunten for turns when the hammer is coming.
• Don't spend soul on go-again for 3-power attacks. Keep banishes for Beacon of Victory, which can tutor once you've charged, or for Celestial Cataclysm.

Levia SA — Even

This matchup comes down to a few heavy attacks.

• Saving Grace pays its own charge as an additional cost, so its -2 power always applies.
• Stack it with Soul Shield. Shield also refuels your soul when the chain closes.
• Soulbond Resolve prevents 1 damage on any turn you've charged, including theirs.
• If you know which card their banished-zone plan keys on, name it with Blessing of Themis to turn every copy face-down.
• On offense, race. Long games give them more chances to land a single huge hit.

Cindra — Even

This is a straight race.

• Defend with Helm of Halo's Grace and Warpath of Winged Grace early. A yellow charge draws you a card or makes a Quicken token, so blocking doesn't cost you your next turn.
• Blessing of Aegis gains you 1 life every time a card enters your soul. Land it early and every charge buys back damage.
• Your best counter-punches are the cheap go-again attacks: Duty Bound Blitz after a yellow charge, and Light the Way on a hit.

Fang — Favored

The aggro plan meets your densest defensive tools.

• When Fang's turn routes through weapon attacks, Kabuto of Imperial Authority shuts them off for the turn.
• Blunten on a weapon attack forces a discard.
• Saving Grace and Sink Below cover the rest, and every equipment block charges your soul.
• Don't over-defend. Take small hits, keep your attack hand intact, and let Soulbond Resolve trim damage.

Ser Boltyn mirror — Even

Both decks want the same turn: a charge, Lumina Ascension, then double Raydn, Duskbane.

• Hold Kabuto of Imperial Authority for the turn they commit to it. It blanks both swings.
• Blunten on a Raydn attack makes them discard.
• Saving Grace cancels most of Raydn's +3.
• Keep at least one card in soul so your hero's attack reaction can give go again to a pumped attack.

Other aggro — Favored

The same logic as Fang applies to other aggro decks. Your defense reactions and soul-charging equipment turn blocks into fuel. Lifegain from Blessing of Aegis keeps your 40 life out of reach.

Arcane damage — Even

Your only arcane protection is Solforge Gauntlet's Arcane Barrier 1. You have no answers beyond that, so speed up.

• Pitch defense reactions you can't use against arcane.
• Use Edict of Steel on Raydn for extra damage.
• Close the game before their damage stacks up.

Card Pool & Matchup Configuration

How the Pool Works Here

Classic Constructed uses an 80-card pool that includes weapons, equipment and deck cards. Your deck must start with at least 60 cards. Matches are best of 1. Before each game you choose your arena cards, then your deck cards, from the registered pool. At Callings you register online before the event and can't change that registration during the tournament (source: fabtcg.com CC format page and Event Structure page, accessed 2026-10-19). The pre-game trial announced 2026-09-17 sets the order: heroes are revealed at the same time, then arena cards at the same time, then decks are presented.

That order shapes your choices. You pick equipment after you see the opposing hero. You pick your deck after you see their arena cards.

This pool is exactly 80 cards: 10 arena cards and 70 deck cards. Every game you can therefore cut up to ten deck cards and choose one piece per equipment slot.

Arena Configuration

Head. Warband of Bellona is your attacking head. It costs 2 resources and destroys itself, but it charges on your next attack, draws off a yellow, and has go again.

Helm of Halo's Grace gives you the same charge-and-draw, but only when it defends. Choose it when the opponent will force blocks anyway.

Kabuto of Imperial Authority has a narrow job. When it defends, opponents can't attack with weapons that turn. Bring it only when the hero reveal tells you their weapon is how they win.

Chest. Fyendal's Spring Tunic pays off over a long game, giving you a resource every few turns. Soulbond Resolve charges when it defends. Once you've charged that turn, it also prevents 1 damage, which makes it the pick against decks that hit you every turn.

Arms. Ironsong Versus turns a Raydn, Duskbane hit into a Courage token, and its go again keeps the chain alive. Solforge Gauntlet has two jobs:

• It gives you Arcane Barrier 1 against arcane damage.
• It puts itself into your soul after it defends. That triggers Blessing of Aegis and Blessing of Bellona, and it adds a soul card for Beacon of Victory to banish.

Legs. Snapdragon Scalers is a one-time go again for an attack costing 1 or less, which covers almost every attack in this list. Warpath of Winged Grace charges when it defends and makes a Quicken token off a yellow, so you get tempo back from a block.

Deck Configuration: Protect the Yellow Count

The list runs no blues, so every cut changes both your pitch and your charge fuel. Several cards depend on yellows in hand or in your soul:

• Duty Bound Blitz can only be played after a yellow card has gone into your soul this turn.
• Helm of Halo's Grace, Warband of Bellona and Warpath of Winged Grace only draw or make tokens off a yellow.
• Beaming Bravado only gets its +1 power off a yellow charge.

Make cuts from the yellows you can most afford to lose. Never cut the engine.

Never cut:

• Lumina Ascension
• Beacon of Victory
• Spirit of Eirina
• V of the Vanguard
• Duty Bound Blitz
• Bolt of Courage
• Light the Way
• Bravery of the Blade

The first four are the Boltyn-specific payoff and search package. The rest are the cheap chargers and go again attacks that feed it.

Matchup-dependent slots:

• Blunten (3). Its discard only triggers when it defends a weapon attack. Against a hero without a meaningful weapon it's a 2-defense block, so it's your first cut.
• Blessing of Themis (2). It turns banished copies of a named card face-down. That makes it real tech against decks that play cards from banish or care about what's there. It still has go again and enters your soul at the start of your turn, which enables Duty Bound Blitz, so it's never fully dead. Against decks that ignore banish, though, Blessing of Aegis and Blessing of Bellona do more.
• Soul Shield (2). It gives 6 defense and goes into your soul, but it costs 2 resources. It's excellent against heavy attackers and clunky against decks that don't pressure your life.
• Battlefield Beacon (2) and Celestial Cataclysm (2). Both spend your soul. Trim them when you expect your soul to go to Beacon of Victory for defense and tutoring instead.

Matchup Packages

Weapon-reliant aggro:

• Arena: Kabuto of Imperial Authority, Soulbond Resolve, Warpath of Winged Grace.
• Deck: keep all three Blunten plus the full defense-reaction suite.
• Cut: 2 Blessing of Themis and 2 Battlefield Beacon.

Non-weapon aggro: Use the same chest and legs, but run Helm of Halo's Grace over Kabuto. Cut 3 Blunten and 2 Blessing of Themis.

Arcane damage: Run Solforge Gauntlet. Cut Blunten unless their arena shows a weapon they'll swing.

Banish-reliant decks: Keep both Blessing of Themis and name their key card. Cut Blunten first.

Slow, defensive or fatigue decks:

• Arena: Warband of Bellona, Fyendal's Spring Tunic, Ironsong Versus, Snapdragon Scalers.
• Cut: 3 Blunten, 2 Blessing of Themis, 2 Soul Shield and up to 3 Blessing of Aegis. Life gain matters less when they aren't racing you.
• The thinner deck shows you Lumina Ascension and Beacon of Victory more often.

Reading the Field

Several heroes from this window's lists now appear on the Living Legend list: Arakni, Marionette; Fai, Rising Rebellion; Kassai; Oscilio, Constella Intelligence; and Dash I/O (source: fabtcg.com Card Legality Policy, as listed 2026-10-19). Don't tune your pool for them going forward.

Fang had the most Round 1 entries at Kyoto and no Top 8 slot (source: Calling Kyoto Round 1 pairings and final standings, 2026-10-17/18). Expect to face Fang anyway.

Cindra sits closest to the Living Legend threshold (source: fabtcg.com Living Legend leaderboard, 2026-10-19). Check her status before you register.

When you're unsure of the field, register the full 70 and decide your cuts at the arena reveal.

Tech Choices & Variations

Your registered card pool is 80 cards: this list runs 10 arena pieces and 70 deck cards. Every tech card you add costs a pool slot, so a tech choice is really a question of which 2-of or spare equipment piece you give up. The flex lives in the 2-ofs and in the duplicate equipment slots. The 3-ofs are the engine.

The Flex Slots at a Glance

Reading Each Swap

Blessing of Themis is the floor, not dead weight. Its hate effect is narrow. It only matters against a deck whose plan depends on one named card in a banished zone. Even when that effect is blank, it is still a yellow go-again aura that puts itself into your soul at the start of your turn. That turns on Duty Bound Blitz that turn, the same way Blessing of Aegis and Blessing of Bellona do. Before you cut it, accept that you are cutting an enabler as well as a tech card. The cleanest replacement is a third Aegis or Bellona effect, but the list already plays three of each, so the real choice is between another role-player and these two slots.

Celestial Cataclysm and Battlefield Beacon compete for the same resource. Both want cards leaving your soul. Beacon of Victory and Boltyn's go-again activation want the same thing. Raising Cataclysm to 3 gives you more burst turns but more hands where you can't pay for it. Raising Battlefield Beacon to 3 makes each banish more valuable, because Beacon of Victory or a hero activation earlier in the chain sets up its modes. If you add either one, take the slot from the other or from Express Lightning, not from your soul sources.

Express Lightning versus Bravery of the Blade density. Express Lightning is your most honest red. It has 4 power, costs 0, and charges if you want it to. It has no go again of its own. Snapdragon Scalers or Boltyn's activation on an attack already above its base power gives it one. Going to 3 makes your first-turn damage more consistent. Going to 1 frees a slot for defense.

Sink Below versus Soul Shield. Sink Below costs nothing and smooths your next hand. Soul Shield blocks harder and feeds your soul, but it taxes 2 resources in a deck with no blue pitch. Against fast aggro, lean toward Sink Below. Against big single swings, lean toward Soul Shield.

No blues is a deliberate choice. Every card pitches 1 or 2. That keeps your yellow density high for Helm of Halo's Grace, Warpath of Winged Grace, Warband of Bellona and Duty Bound Blitz. Adding blue pitch eases the cost of V of the Vanguard, Soul Shield and Warband, but every blue you add is a card that can't fuel your yellow-charge rewards.

Equipment as Tech

The spare head, chest, arms and legs are your cheapest tech, because you choose arena cards each game:

• Kabuto of Imperial Authority is for weapon-reliant decks. When it defends, opponents can't attack with weapons for the rest of that turn. Pair it with Blunten for the same opponents.
• Solforge Gauntlet gives you Arcane Barrier 1 against arcane damage. It also goes into your soul once it has defended.
• Ironsong Versus is for proactive games. It gives Raydn, Duskbane Courage tokens on hit and does it with go again.
• Fyendal's Spring Tunic versus Soulbond Resolve is a choice between banked resources for a long game and a charge on block plus damage prevention against chip damage.

Tuning for Your Local Field

• Aggro-heavy room: go to 3 Sink Below, keep both Soul Shield, and trim Celestial Cataclysm to 1. Blessing of Aegis life gain and Saving Grace already pull their weight here.
• Weapon-centric midrange: keep all three Blunten, plan to wear Kabuto of Imperial Authority, and cut Blessing of Themis if nothing in the room cares about banished cards.
• Slow control or fatigue: go up on Express Lightning or Battlefield Beacon and down on Soul Shield. Your threat count matters more than an expensive block.
• Arcane damage: wear Solforge Gauntlet. The deck slots don't need to change.

Don't Touch

Keep three each of Lumina Ascension, Beacon of Victory, Saving Grace, Edict of Steel and both colors of Duty Bound Blitz. Spirit of Eirina is Legendary, so one copy is the maximum, not a choice. Raydn attacking twice off Lumina is your damage plan, and tuning that away is building a different deck.

Budget Options

The full list runs about $441 (TCGplayer market prices, approximate). Most of that cost sits in the equipment line and a few format-wide staples, not in the Light deck cards that run the engine. Budgeting this deck means deciding which equipment you can live without.

Where the Money Likely Is

• Generic equipment. Fyendal's Spring Tunic and Snapdragon Scalers fit any hero, so every Classic Constructed player wants them. Fyendal's Spring Tunic appeared in 21 of 32 published lists (source: fabtcg.com decklist API, 2026-09-20 to 2026-10-19). Cards with that kind of cross-hero demand are usually the priciest singletons in a pool.
• Kabuto of Imperial Authority. It is also played outside Boltyn, appearing in 7 of those 32 lists (source: fabtcg.com decklist API, 2026-09-20 to 2026-10-19).
• The hero, Raydn, Duskbane, and Spirit of Eirina. These are singletons you cannot replace. Spirit of Eirina is Legendary, so you can only ever play one.

The Budget Core: Do Not Cut These

Some cards are the deck, so you buy them first. That means Ser Boltyn, Breaker of Dawn and Raydn, Duskbane, because charging turns the 0-power sword into a 3-power attack. Add three Lumina Ascension for the extra weapon attacks, three Beacon of Victory to spend soul for power and tutoring, three Saving Grace, Helm of Halo's Grace and Warband of Bellona.

All three Boltyn lists in the window play every one of those. They also play Snapdragon Scalers, three Bravery of the Blade, two to three Soul Shield and one Spirit of Eirina (source: fabtcg.com decklist API, 2026-09-20 to 2026-10-19). Treat that shared core as non-negotiable and budget around it.

Acceptable Swaps and What You Give Up

The list carries two pieces in every equipment slot except weapons:

• Heads: Helm of Halo's Grace, Kabuto of Imperial Authority, Warband of Bellona
• Chests: Fyendal's Spring Tunic, Soulbond Resolve
• Arms: Ironsong Versus, Solforge Gauntlet
• Legs: Warpath of Winged Grace, Snapdragon Scalers

Because of this, the cheapest budget move is simply leaving out an expensive piece and running the other piece in that slot every game. Each cut frees one card-pool slot. Fill it with a third copy of a two-of already in the list: Express Lightning, Sink Below, Battlefield Beacon or Soul Shield.

Do not trim deck-card three-ofs to save money. The yellow charge cards are how Duty Bound Blitz becomes playable, and how Helm of Halo's Grace and Warband of Bellona draw. Thinning the yellows makes the engine stall far more than any missing equipment piece does.

Upgrade Path

1. Budget shell. Buy the full core above, all deck cards, Soulbond Resolve, Warpath of Winged Grace, Ironsong Versus and Solforge Gauntlet. This build already runs the complete charge, Raydn and Lumina plan, so the engine is intact. You are only light on flexibility.
2. Snapdragon Scalers first. It is the only budget cut that takes damage away from your own turns. One extra go again at the right moment keeps a chain alive into an extra Raydn, Duskbane swing or a Duty Bound Blitz. It is also the piece every published Boltyn list agreed on.
3. Kabuto of Imperial Authority second. Buy it sooner if your local field leans on weapon attacks. If your locals is mostly action-card aggro, it can wait.
4. Fyendal's Spring Tunic last. With a zero-cost curve, the extra resource mostly helps you pay for Warband of Bellona, Ironsong Versus, Soul Shield or V of the Vanguard on the same turn as everything else. That is real value, but it is the smallest marginal gain per dollar in the list.

Event Note

At Callings, you register your deck online before the event and cannot change it during the tournament (source: fabtcg.com Event Structure and Decklist Requirements / Classic Constructed format page, accessed 2026-10-19). Settle your budget equipment choices before registration, and make sure the freed pool slots are filled with real cards. You can't swap pieces in later in the day.

Common Mistakes

1. Swinging Raydn before you've charged

Raydn, Duskbane has 0 base power. Its +3 only applies if you've charged this turn, and it can only attack once per turn. If you swing it first, you spend your weapon attack on a 0-power hit. It also turns off Ser Boltyn, Breaker of Dawn: the go-again ability needs power greater than base, and an uncharged Raydn sits exactly at base.

Fix: Always charge before the sword attacks. You can charge with the additional cost of Bolt of Courage, Beaming Bravado, Express Lightning, Light the Way or V of the Vanguard, or by activating Warband of Bellona. Once you've charged, Raydn is a 3-power swing that qualifies for Boltyn's go again.

2. Holding Duty Bound Blitz with no yellow going into soul

Duty Bound Blitz needs a yellow card put into your soul this turn. Charging a red card doesn't count. Neither does Illuminate going into your soul when it hits, because it's red. Players often sequence a red charge, reach for Blitz, and find it can't be played.

Fix: Use the Blessings. Blessing of Aegis, Blessing of Bellona and Blessing of Themis are yellow, and each one puts itself into your soul at the start of your turn. If a Blessing is on the board from last turn, Blitz is live before you take an action. If no Blessing is set up, find your yellow charge before you commit the rest of the hand.

3. Charging the wrong card

Many payoffs only trigger when the charged card is yellow:

• Beaming Bravado gets +1 power.
• Light the Way gets go again on hit.
• Helm of Halo's Grace and Warband of Bellona draw a card.
• Warpath of Winged Grace makes a Quicken token.

If you charge a red card into any of these, you've paid the card and lost the bonus.

V of the Vanguard works differently. It counts Light cards charged, not yellow ones. Charging Edict of Steel, Sink Below or Blunten into V adds nothing, because none of them is a Light card.

Fix: By default, yellow goes into the soul and red gets attacked with or pitched. Before each charge, check which payoff is live.

4. Spending soul without a budget

Several cards draw on the same soul:

• Celestial Cataclysm needs exactly 3 cards to banish.
• Beacon of Victory banishes X.
• Each use of Boltyn's go-again ability costs 1.

The common error is spending soul on go again early in the chain, then holding a Cataclysm you can't cast.

Battlefield Beacon has the opposite timing trap. Its modes count cards banished from your soul this combat chain. If you lead with it, you get a vanilla 3-power attack.

Fix: Count your soul at the start of the turn and plan where each card goes. Banish for Boltyn or Beacon of Victory earlier in the chain, so that Battlefield Beacon attacks with modes already earned.

5. Firing Beacon of Victory with no charge, or for too much

The tutor half of Beacon of Victory only works if you've charged this turn. If you play it uncharged, you get the power and no card. Players also over-banish for the search. X of 1 already finds V of the Vanguard, Lumina Ascension, Spirit of Eirina and every 0-cost attack in the list.

Fix: Charge first. Then raise X only when the extra power actually changes the damage math.

6. Casting Lumina Ascension uncharged

The extra weapon attack is the reason to play Lumina Ascension, and it requires a charge this turn. Without one, you've spent a card for +1 power and a hit trigger on a single swing.

Fix: Get the charge before you cast it. With Spirit of Eirina in the arena, you can play Lumina as an instant, so it doesn't need to come early in your turn.

7. Defending with equipment and cards you can't cash in

The defending equipment only pays off under specific conditions:

• Charge equipment: Helm of Halo's Grace, Warpath of Winged Grace and Soulbond Resolve let you charge when they defend. That requires a card in hand, and the Helm and Warpath bonuses require a yellow one. Helm and Warpath also have Blade Break, so blocking with them and nothing to charge trades a one-use piece for 2 defense.
• Kabuto of Imperial Authority: It stops weapon attacks only for the rest of that turn. If you block the opponent's last weapon swing with it, the effect is wasted.
• Blunten: It only makes the attacker discard when it defends a weapon attack. Against anything else, it's usually worth more as a pitch.
• Saving Grace: Its -2 needs a charge this turn. On the opponent's turn, its own additional cost is usually your only source. If you decline the charge to keep a card, you've played a plain 3-defense reaction.

Fix: Before you declare blocks, check three things. Do you have a yellow card to charge? Is another weapon attack still coming this turn? Is this attack a weapon at all?

Tournament Prep & Final Notes

Before You Register

This list fills the card-pool exactly: 10 arena cards plus 70 deck cards is the full 80 the format allows, and the deck must start at a minimum of 60 cards (source: fabtcg.com Classic Constructed format page, accessed 2026-10-19). At Callings you register online before the event and can't change that registration during the tournament. Your 80 is locked once you submit, so settle every flex question before the deadline.

Within that pool you still choose your arena-cards and then your deck-cards each game. You hold 70 deck cards against a 60-card floor, so you can trim up to ten cards per opponent. Write those trims down in advance, one line per likely hero. Working them out at the table costs clock you'll need later.

Script Your Equipment Before Round 1

The pre-game trial running this season has players reveal heroes at the same time, then arena cards at the same time, then present decks. You see the hero across from you before you commit equipment, but not their loadout. You carry real choices in every slot:

• Head: Helm of Halo's Grace, Kabuto of Imperial Authority or Warband of Bellona. Kabuto switches off weapon attacks for the turn it defends, so it belongs against heroes who rely on weapons. Helm and Warband both draw off a yellow charge. Helm does it on defense; Warband does it proactively at a 2-resource cost.
• Chest: Fyendal's Spring Tunic for a banked resource over long games, or Soulbond Resolve for a defensive charge plus damage prevention.
• Arms: Ironsong Versus for Courage tokens off Raydn, Duskbane hits, or Solforge Gauntlet for Arcane Barrier and soul fuel.
• Legs: Snapdragon Scalers for a one-shot go again on any attack in the deck, or Warpath of Winged Grace for a defensive charge that can create a Quicken token.

Build a cheat sheet that maps each hero you expect to a default loadout. At Kyoto, the heroes with the most Round 1 entries were Fang (32), Levia SA (29), Arakni M (29), Jarl (27) and Cindra (26) out of 342 entries (source: Calling Kyoto Round 1 pairings, fabtcg.com, accessed 2026-10-19). Arakni M is now listed as a Living Legend, so for your next event, put your prep time into the others.

Rules Interactions to Know Cold

• "If you've charged this turn" is per turn, including your opponent's. A defensive charge from Helm, Soulbond, Warpath or Saving Grace turns on that turn's charged effects. Saving Grace's own optional charge enables its -2 power, and Soulbond's own charge enables its prevention.
• Hero go again needs power above base. Raydn's base power is 0. Once you've charged, its +3 puts it above base, so banishing from soul via Ser Boltyn, Breaker of Dawn gives it go again.
• Your hero's +1 only applies while an attack action card defends. Equipment or reaction blocks don't trigger it.
• Duty Bound Blitz needs a yellow card put into your soul this turn. A Blessing of Aegis, Blessing of Bellona or Blessing of Themis moving into soul at the start of your turn counts. A red Illuminate going into soul on hit does not.
• Soul is a shared budget. Hero go again, Beacon of Victory and Celestial Cataclysm (which banishes three) all spend from soul. Count it before you start a chain.
• Beacon's search caps at cost X, and X can't be 0. X of 1 reaches every action card in the list, including V of the Vanguard. The search only happens if you've charged this turn.
• Spirit of Eirina goes to the arena instead of soul, and from there lets you play Lumina Ascension as an instant.
• Blunten only discards when it defends a weapon attack, so don't hold it against heroes who attack mostly with action cards.

What to Drill

1. Soul counting under pressure. Practice saying your soul count and spend plan out loud before every chain.
2. Charge-first sequencing. Get the charge to land before anything gated on it: Raydn, Lumina, Beacon and Bolt of Courage's draw.
3. The Lumina double-swing turn. Rehearse a weapon-heavy turn: Lumina Ascension, a charged Raydn swing, hero go again, then the second Raydn attack Lumina grants.
4. Loadout and trim decisions on a timer. Take your cheat sheet from hero reveal to presented deck in under a minute.

Clock Management

Matches are best of 1 in 55-minute rounds. If time runs out, the turn player finishes their turn and one more turn is played, and then the game is a draw. That draw is a loss of tempo you can't afford in a single-game match.

This deck stacks optional costs, soul banishes, tokens and reaction windows, and each one is a place to tank. Announce charges and banishes clearly so you don't have to rewind. Track tokens physically rather than from memory. When you're ahead on life late, stop maximizing every soul card and close the game.

Final Assessment

The list won Calling: Kyoto 2026. A Ser Boltyn list also won one of the Pro Quest: London events (source: fabtcg.com Pro Quest: London decklists, 2026-10-10/11). Across the three published Boltyn lists, every one ran Raydn, Warband, Helm, Scalers, three each of Beacon, Lumina and Saving Grace, and one Spirit of Eirina (source: fabtcg.com decklist API, 2026-09-20 to 2026-10-19). That core is settled.

Ser Boltyn sits at 567 Living Legend points against a 1000 threshold (source: fabtcg.com Living Legend leaderboard, 2026-10-19), so retirement isn't imminent.

The strength of the list is that its defensive charges power its offense. Learn the charge gates and the soul budget until they're automatic, and this is a deck you can take into any Classic Constructed room right now.

Metagame Context

Built from Ryosuke Urase's 1st Place list at Calling: Kyoto 2026 (2026-10-19), via fabtcg.com official decklists. Metagame context comes from a research brief dated 2026-10-19 covering 2026-09-20 to 2026-10-19, drawn from fabtcg.com (official Flesh and Blood site). Card text and prices: the-fab-cube card dataset and tcgcsv.com (TCGplayer prices).

Source: tournament results. Decklist and placements as reported by the event organizer.