As per tradition, with every premiere international Flesh and Blood TCG event, there is a Calling: Manila cosplay competition, and in this article, we’ll discuss why it might be worthwhile to participate (and even win).

The Calling: Manila, a premier international event of the esteemed Flesh and Blood TCG, stands just a step below the Pro Tour and the World Championship in terms of prestige. While most of its impressive $10,000+ prize pool is awarded to the winners of its major tournaments, the Cosplay competition, held as a part of this grand event, also offers unique rewards.

Calling: Manila Cosplay Competition – General Information

For Calling: Manila, the Cosplay Competition will take place on Saturday, August 17, at around 6 PM. Pre-registration is required and should be done before Thursday, August 15, 2024. It is totally free to join in.

During the Calling: Manila Cosplay Competition, contestants are called to walk on stage to showcase their costumes to the panel of Judges – usually a mix of LSS staff, community leaders, and/or past cosplay competition winners. They are also encouraged to act in character and often do short skits to further bring their cosplay to life. The atmosphere of the event is quite festive, and usually, players will stop what they’re doing during that time to watch and show support.

Calling: Manila Cosplay Competition – What Makes It Unique

There are a couple of aspects that make FaB cosplay unique.

First, players usually base their cosplay around something other than known popular characters (well, some still do) but instead around a card. This allows for many choices to cosplay from since there are thousands of cards in FaB. I’ve seen contestants cosplay well-known Heroes, the numerous colorful characters in popular Ability cards, and even their own interpretation of Token cards – and they all did well in the contest.

Second, because cosplay is based on a card, it’s usually a combination of costume and presentation that carries the day. Unless someone shows up with an absolute marvel of a costume that simply floors everyone (which does happen occasionally) even without doing anything, the contest is usually won on the back of a good costume combined with a fantastic performance that sends the venue into roaring applause.

Third, there are the prizes. Now, at first glance, you might think that there’s only little in store for the winners other than the recognition and prestige of winning the competition because there are no cash prizes. However, that couldn’t be further from the truth. You see, even just participating in the cosplay competition awards you a couple of promo cards that cannot be acquired in any other way and are worth something.

If you make the top 8, you’ll receive a limited-edition playmat worth around a hundred dollars. If you make the top 4, you’ll receive an even more unique promo card and playmat.

Win the whole thing, and you get two of the most unique rewards in the entirety of FaB TCG: The Fabric of Spring Playmat, which is worth a couple of hundred dollars or more, and the crown jewel of the whole thing – the Taylor Hero card. Because it is so tough to acquire, this card sells for thousands of dollars, with avid FaB collectors offering as high as $3000 or more for a single copy. If you need a quicker cashout, some vendors might be willing to provide a lower (but still fair) price for it on the spot.

Finally, some rewards go beyond monetary value. Some contestants have found new fans within the FaB community. Others are players who just joined in for fun, found themselves liking cosplay, and pursued the hobby further. Some participants only joined in for a shot at the prizes and didn’t play FaB at all, but little did they know that it was the start of their Trading Card Game journey as they found themselves enamored by the gameplay and the world of Rathe.

With more than a couple of months to go, why not consider entering the Calling: Manila Cosplay Competition? It will be held on August 16-18, 2024, at SPACE at One Ayala Halls C and D. More information about the event can be found on its FaB TCG Event Page, and you can register via the LGD Events website.

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