Legend Story Studios: trading cards for collectors

It was founded in 2012 by James White and Robbie Wen. White, a former professional Magic: The Gathering player, designed the game, which spent roughly seven years in development before its first set, Welcome to Rathe, went on sale on 11 October 2019.

Growth was unusually fast for an independent publisher. Flesh and Blood entered US distribution in early 2020 and was sold in more than 30 countries by 2021 and over 40 by 2023. In 2022 the company topped the Deloitte Fast 50 as New Zealand's fastest-growing business, and ICv2 named the game a top collectible game in 2021. Its organised play runs from local events to Pro Tours and a World Championship, first held in 2022.

For collectors, the company's most important decisions concern print runs. Its early model released each set first as a limited 1st Edition, or Alpha for Welcome to Rathe, carrying cold foils, followed by a market-driven Unlimited Edition without them. That made early cold foils permanently scarce. The publisher later dropped the two-edition model from Uprising in 2022, when it also introduced the Marvel rarity for alternate-art collector versions.

Legend Story Studios continues to shape the market through its rarity ladder, which tops out with a single Fabled card per set, and through premium products such as History Packs, which bring earlier cards back into circulation. Because so much value rests on first-edition status, rarity and foil type, the publisher's own edition guidance remains the most reliable reference for anyone checking an expensive card before buying.