A lot has changed in Flesh and Blood over the past year, and the 2025 National Championship season is proof of how wide the field has become. Three full weeks of competitive events across the world revealed a metagame where powerful new strategies, returning favorites, and technical mastery have all found their moment to shine. From aggressive Assassins, to explosive Wizards, to grindy Necromancers, here are the ten Heroes that made the biggest mark on the FaB Nationals 2025 season, and what we can expect moving forward.
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Kano, Dracai of Aether: High Risk, High Reward – FaB Nationals 2025

The current iterations of Kano are still the ultimate reward-for-risk Hero. Piloting him requires nerves of steel, game knowledge, and some serious gamble tolerance. But when it all comes together, he explodes onto the board and melts unprepared opponents with Arcane damage they simply can’t handle. The real question is: can you do all of this under the pressure of high-level competition?
Angelos Maxilaris – Kano, Dracai of Aether – Greece National Championship
Oscilio, Constella Intelligence: The Glass Cannon – FaB Nationals 2025

Oscilio feels like Kano’s wild younger cousin. This Elemental Wizard plays by his own rules, with the ability to end games as early as turn three just by playing Sigils, bouncing Gone in a Flash, and finishing off with a huge Volzar-powered Shock. Damage numbers can easily soar past the 30s, and the opponent is usually stuck helpless as they try using all of their cards to block all of the incoming damage. But the downside is just as extreme. With minimal defenses, Oscilio can fall apart just as fast, especially against aggressive decks like Cindra or Slippy. Still, when he goes off, it’s such an unforgettable high.
Steffen Bergo Jenssen – Oscilio, Constella Intelligence – Norway National Championship
Arakni, Marionette: Deadly Guessing Games – FaB Nationals 2025

With Nuu now in Living Legend, Mario steps up as the Assassin class’s top pick for disruption-heavy, punishing gameplay. His dagger-based builds shine through precise damage bursts and brutal guessing games that lead to heavy disruption. While he struggles against a few top decks like Verdance and Gravy Bones, he punishes slower lists and forces mistakes in even the tightest matches.
Dash I/O: Powerful and Complicated – FaB Nationals 2025

Dash remains one of the game’s most versatile and explosive Heroes. She has strong matchups against both Gravy Bones and Cindra, and still boasts some of the highest damage turns in the game. But the tradeoff is complexity. With multiple moving parts, decision-heavy turns, and non-block items that open her to pressure, she’s not easy to master. For those willing to study the playbook, though, she rewards you with wins.
창건 곽 – Dash I/O – South Korea National Championship
Azalea, Ace in the Hole: No Room to Breathe – FaB Nationals 2025

Azalea has carved out a strong role as a tempo disruptor. Dominated Red In The Ledger, combined with on-hit effects like Inertia and Frailty, makes it hard for opponents to play their game. When Azalea is on the front foot, she’s oppressive. When she’s behind, it’s tough to catch up. But with some tight play and a few good arrows, she can get back into dictating the game easily.
Joniel Ibasco – Azalea, Ace in the Hole – Philippines National Championship
Verdance, Thorn of the Rose: The Safe Bet – FaB Nationals 2025

Verdance appeals to players who love the Wizard archetype but are not necessarily a fans of Kano and Oscilio’s volatile style of play. She may not blow people up like the other two, but her consistency is her real strength. She packs all the best offensive Earth cards in Plow Under, Felling of the Crown, and Cadaverous Tilling, solid defenses in Rootbound Carapace, lots of healing, and just like her fellow Arcane-wielders, also packs a combo-kill package that she can set up against the slower decks.
Oh Oh – Verdance, Thorn of the Rose – Taiwan National Championship
Prism, Awakener of Sol: Life Is Just Another Resource – FaB Nationals 2025

Prism continues to prove that life totals don’t mean much when Heralds start connecting, and she starts drawing way more cards than what this game allows. She’s the illusionist who lets you turn a 30-life deficit into a win with just one window of advantage. It’s not easy—there are matchups where her attacks get blocked off or get continuously popped, and she struggles to get momentum—but when things align, Prism can take over the game and secure the win, unlike any other Hero.
Raphael Barrese – Prism, Awakener of Sol – Brazil National Championship
Gravy Bones, Shipwrecked Looter: Best Deck In The Format (?) – FaB Nationals 2025

Gravy Bones was the talk of the Nationals. He’s strong, flexible, and full of potential. But the deck is also incredibly intricate. It demands tight sequencing, a deep understanding of the card pool, and the ability to pivot strategies mid-game. A lot of players picked him up, but only those who really knew the ins and outs found success. Even now, builds are evolving. He’s one to watch heading into the next competitive cycle.
Arthur Trehet – Gravy Bones, Shipwrecked Looter – France National Championship
Arakni, 5L!p3d 7hRu 7h3 cR4X: Mixup Monster – FaB Nationals 2025

Slippy (the nickname for this Arakni variant) has become a fan favorite for good reason. He pairs solid damage with reliable disruption, creating new layers of mind games with every stealth attack. What sets him apart is an added layer of guessing games for his opponents —his first attack always has Go Again, forcing them to constantly guess where the real threat lies. Easy to play with no real weaknesses other than a couple or so slightly unfavorable matchups against some Heroes, we can expect him to surge in popularity moving forward.
Osmar Bravo – Arakni, 5L!p3d 7hRu 7h3 cR4X – Mexico National Championship
Cindra, Dracai of Retribution: Straightforward and Scary – FaB Nationals 2025

Now that Aurora is out of the picture, Cindra has fully stepped into the spotlight. She’s fast, she’s brutal, and her synergy with weapons, buffs, and Flick Knives is terrifying. Most of her success comes from a clear and simple game plan that forces opponents to deal with nonstop pressure. Some say she’s overrated due to how many people play her, but her presence in Top 8s says otherwise. The best Cindra players know when to hold back and when to explode—and those decisions win games.
Pudding Tam – Cindra, Dracai of Retribution – Hong Kong National Championship
Who’s Next?
As we shift gears into the next major event—Pro Tour Singapore—the question on everyone’s mind is what the meta will look like. Based on the Nationals alone, here’s a snapshot of what we’re likely to see:
- Most Popular Deck: Slippy. His matchup spread and aggressive play style will appeal to a lot of players.
- Most Skilled Pick: Gravy Bones. In the hands of a top-tier player, he can dominate. But one wrong step and the deck falls apart.
- Dark Horse: Katsu. Thanks to the new Ira Armory deck, Ninja players are realizing that Katsu might actually benefit more from the latest upgrades than Ira herself. This is because of his ability to tutor combo pieces more easily.
If we had to bet? Katsu will take the win in Singapore!



For our next Nationals article, we’ll talk about the lore surrounding the Top 8 players this year!
Read More:
One Year Later: Looking Back at the Philippine FaB Nationals 2024, And Into 2025 – VRSUS
Flesh and Blood TCG’s Battle Hardened Returns to Manila This September – VRSUS