The essence of TGB is to use the master to achieve unblockable actions. It is usually played with the Triple-A crypt (Anson, Anneke and Alexandra).

The first thing to note, to dispel any doubt, is that we can choose the same vampire ‘trash’ to cover it and get another vampire also benefits from the second / third TGB. It is a good time to point out that nothing prevents lifting the ‘garbage can’ with Alexandra’s ability if we need it). Nor do we lose the TGB bonus if the ‘trash can’ is destroyed.

During the initial phase of the game, you have to try to survive, because the vampires we want to take out are expensive. We can abuse the Villein, Parity Shift and VoterCap to get it. Once we have the three Aces we will change to destruction mode by launching unblocking policies and using, if we can, the bleeds of our vampires.

In general, we can defend ourselves well against bleeds (Telepathic), we will have enough votes not to be easily destroyed to policies and generally we will choose majesty + charismatic aura to defend ourselves against combat (using magnums does not have to be ashamed either). Mention to obedience.

The true power of the deck lies in the special abilities of the three Aces:
· Anson gives an extra master phase
· Anneke can try to block any action
· Alexandra can lift another bullfighter once per minion phase (own)

The best way to end this deck is to deny the initial pool gain: canceling those parity or minion taps / villein is the best way to kill the deck. It is a good idea to agree with the other players to get the TGB between all.

I leave here a list of TGB that I like:

Crypt: (12 cards, Min: 20, Max: 44, Avg: 8,33)
 4  Alexandra                          dom ANI AUS CEL PRE11 Toreador
   2  Anneke                             dom AUS CEL PRE10 Toreador
   3  Anson                              aus dom CEL PRE8  Toreador
   1  Dieter Kleist                      aus            2  Toreador
   1  Isabel de Leon                     AUS            3  Toreador
   1  Tatiana Romanov                    cel pre AUS    7  Toreador
 Library: (90 cards)
 Master (18 cards)
   1  Art Museum
   1  Giant's Blood
   1  Information Highway
   1  Papillon
   1  Pentex(TM) Subversion
   1  Secure Haven
   5  Toreador Grand Ball
   6  Villein
   1  Wider View
 Action (6 cards)
   3  Enchant Kindred
   3  Entrancement
 Action Modifier (16 cards)
   2  Aire of Elation
   2  Awe
   2  Bewitching Oration
   4  Perfect Paragon
   6  Voter Captivation
 Political Action (11 cards)
   1  Banishment
   1  Conservative Agitation
   3  Kine Resources Contested
   4  Parity Shift
   1  Political Stranglehold
   1  Reins of Power
 Reaction (20 cards)
   7  Eyes of Argus
   3  My Enemy's Enemy
   1  On the Qui Vive
   3  Second Tradition: Domain
   6  Telepathic Misdirection
 Combat (12 cards)
   4  Charismatic Aura
   8  Majesty
 Equipment (2 cards)
   1  Heart of Nizchetus
   1  Sniper Rifle
 Event (1 cards)
   1  Scourge of the Enochians
 Combo (4 cards)
   4  Resist Earth's Grasp

The Weenie Auspex archetype has many variations, but it usually comes down to bringing in vampires of low ability who have Auspex’s discipline, preferably the superior.

El mazo is all about stopping actions. The best strategy for playing this kind of decks is to defend yourself and try to get it into the three-player phase beforehand. You have to dedicate the early phase of the game to getting ready to control the table without pending a few turns later. The use of permanent cards gives this deck a lot ofrobustness (bowl, radios, rack / Montreal, some sniper and some camera phone).

It is easy for us to give ourselves the chance to stop everything that moves around our surroundings (this would be a novice error). Remember: we have to stop the actions of our predator and prey and solo if we are quite Ok and some prey’s vampire can be shot, we stop to punish him/her hard.

The main cards that can be seen in these are quite obvious: Eyes of Argus, Eagle Sight, Enhanced Senses, Onthequis and Forced Awakening. Telepathic Misdirection, My Enemy’s and some delaying us to help surviving.

The key in this deck resides in how we survived the fight. I believe that here there are the same options as valid (its decanting by the first, but I have shown that the second is equal to effective). Heidelberg is a very good card if we decided to decant ourselves for the combat option.

The first option we have to decide about wich of the following fighting styles we will like: .44magnum, sniper rifle, walking stick, target vitals, Saturday with dragon breath… any combination of these cards. The second option is to be mindful of combat and be aware that we will have to devote several of our actions to dropping / rescuing us from torpor. Akin to what we have been losing, and that gives us a good song of free slotes for other things in our deck.

Here I have an auspex weenie that works well for me:

Crypt: (12 cards, Min: 10, Max: 20, Avg: 3,66)
 1  Colonel                            cel dem obf AUS5  Malkavian Antitribu
   1  Elizabeth Westcott                 ani cel vic AUS5  Tzimisce
   1  Franciscus                         aus            1  Caitiff
   1  Gengis                             aus cel pot    3  Brujah
   1  Gengis (ADV)                       aus cel pot    3  Brujah
   1  Isabel de Leon                     AUS            3  Toreador
   1  Kisha Bhimji                       cel obf pot AUS5  Osebo
   1  Martin Franckel                    tha AUS        3  Tremere
   1  Mercy                              cel dom pre AUS5  Toreador Antitribu
   1  Victoria                           cel obf AUS    5  Malkavian
   1  Yvette                             aus cel        3  Toreador
   1  Zoe                                cel obf AUS    3  Malkavian
 Library: (80 cards)
 Master (18 cards)
   1  Channel 10
   2  Fame
   1  Heidelberg Castle, Germany
   1  KRCG News Radio
   2  Millicent Smith, Puritan Vampire Hunter
   2  Pentex(TM) Subversion
   1  Powerbase: Montreal
   1  Rack, The
   2  Smiling Jack, The Anarch
   4  Vessel
   1  WMRH Talk Radio
 Action (1 cards)
   1  Aranthebes, The Immortal
 Reaction (37 cards)
   2  Delaying Tactics
   7  Eagle's Sight
   10 Eyes of Argus
   4  Forced Awakening
   5  My Enemy's Enemy
   3  On the Qui Vive
   3  Precognition
   3  Telepathic Misdirection
 Combat (12 cards)
   4  Concealed Weapon
   8  Target Vitals
 Ally (3 cards)
   1  Carlton Van Wyk
   1  Neighborhood Watch Commander
   1  Ossian
 Retainer (1 cards)
   1  Tasha Morgan
 Equipment (7 cards)
   1  .44 Magnum
   1  Bowl of Convergence
   2  Camera Phone
   3  Sniper Rifle
 Event (1 cards)
   1  NRA PAC

Remember the first I have pointed about this archetype, there are some variations that work to the smallest extent (anarchic version, malkavian version with NRA and madness network, midcap version with pipas and celerity, version of princes…)

Tomorrow I’ll talk about the Toreador Grand Ball deck.

The typical Kiasyds deck is the Stealth & bleed deck that I will talk about today. There are usually few variations beyond personal variations (bonding, gremlins, etc.).

Be careful because it is worth mentioning that not always that you see a kiasyd it will be a B&S deck, there is some marginal version of combat or blocker.

The deck of Kiasyd Stealth & Bleed is effective for combining several aspects of perfection:

· Clan disciplines oriented to bleed (DOM) and stealth (OBT and MITH).

· Crypt of relatively low cost that allows to act fast.

· Defends relatively well against attacks in combat.

The five aliens that combine perfectly are Arcadian, Isanwayen, Dame Holerton, Omme and Roderick. The last two are, in my opinion, the two worst in the crypt.

For the library there are many options but more than 70 cards are usually played. The most significant letters are the following:

· Song of Pan: +1 bleed to each kiasyd is quite strong. Watch out for the second part of the card text.

· Govern / Gremlins + Conditioning / Bonding module.

· Nocturn: an ephemeral ally that acts as a bleed of a small defense against a rush.

· Very powerful clan cards: Great Symposium and Fae Contortion (cancel grapples!)

If you are going to play Kyasid’s deck, your strategy is to get the biggest minion and use it to use Govern the Unaligned to superior and get more cheap minions. Use the nocturnal to defend yourself when necessary or to bleed as required. When you have 3 minions make your prey fly away.

The best way to stop that deck is to try to stop the initial Governs, torporize their vampires or try to deflect their bleeds, nothing you can not guess.

Here my version of the deck (which they admitted to the Amaranth quickstart deck list):

Library: (70 cards)
 Master (11 cards)
   1  Anarch Troublemaker
   3  Dreams of the Sphinx
   1  Giant's Blood
   1  Great Symposium
   1  Perfectionist
   1  Secure Haven
   3  Wash
 Action (11 cards)
   8  Govern the Unaligned
   3  Song of Pan
 Action Modifier (26 cards)
   2  Blanket of Night
   4  Command of the Beast
   6  Conditioning
   1  Foreshadowing Destruction
   4  Shadow Play
   3  Shroud of Absence
   2  Shroud of Night
   3  Stone Travel
   1  Tenebrous Form
 Reaction (3 cards)
   3  Deflection
 Combat (4 cards)
   2  Arms of the Abyss
   2  Oubliette
 Ally (7 cards)
   1  Carlton Van Wyk
   6  Nocturn
 Event (1 cards)
   1  Bitter and Sweet Story, The
 Combo (7 cards)
   3  Aura Absorption
   4  Fae Contortion

Tomorrow I will talk about a pain in the ass: The weenie of auspex.

The Ventrue Lawfirm is a deck that evolved from its primitive version with ‘midcaps’ of groups 1-2 (Sir Walter, Emerson, Timothy, etc …) to other variants such as Arika and company or group version 4-5 ( with Lodin, Victor P, Victor D, etc …).

The basic operation of the deck has three phases:
· First abuse the extra influence that gives us the Government, Enchant and Scouting (usually accompanied by zilla’s and villeins)

· Second build up your strategy taking out vampires with votes to push the multi-action / bleed policies of the final phase.ed de la fase final.

· Third, end up sweeping whoever is at the table repeating to the bleed / politca, freak drive, politics / bleed taste.

The deck is based on a large number of strong cards:
Govern the unaligned, Enchant Kindred, Scouting Mission.
Parity Shift, KRC, Awe, Bewitching Oration, Voter Captivation.
Deflection, Second Tradition, Murmur of the False Will.
Some based on the clan: Ventrue HQ and Yiaros Island.
And finally they move between Majesty, Obedience and the prevention of strength.

The best way to win a deck of this style is to take advantage of the start of the game wisely, trying to block the initial actions of gaining blood in an uncontrolled area. If the Ventrue manages to build up it’s strategy it will be difficult to resist his bleed or beat him in votes.

I leave my Arika Ventrue Lawfirm list:

Crypt: (12 cards, Min: 35, Max: 43, Avg: 9,83)
3 Arika aus cel DOM FOR OBF PRE11 Ventrue
3 Lucinde obf pot tha DOM FOR PRE10 Ventrue
3 Marcus Vitel DOM FOR OBF OBT PRE10 Ventrue
2 Queen Anne aus obf DOM FOR PRE10 Ventrue
1 Catherine du Bois for obf pre DOM5 Ventrue

Library: (90 cards)
Master (14 cards)
1 Giant’s Blood
1 Information Highway
1 Monastery of Shadows
1 Pentex(TM) Subversion
1 Secure Haven
1 Ventrue Headquarters
6 Villein
2 Wash

Action (10 cards)
3 Enchant Kindred
4 Govern the Unaligned
3 Scouting Mission

Action Modifier (30 cards)
1 Awe
1 Bewitching Oration
3 Conditioning
1 Elder Impersonation
1 Faceless Night
2 Forgotten Labyrinth
8 Freak Drive
3 Lost in Crowds
3 Perfect Paragon
1 Spying Mission
6 Voter Captivation

Political Action (10 cards)
1 Banishment
1 Conservative Agitation
3 Kine Resources Contested
3 Parity Shift
1 Political Stranglehold
1 Reins of Power Reaction (13 cards)
4 Deflection
5 Obedience
1 On the Qui Vive
3 Second Tradition: Domain

Combat (8 cards)
8 Majesty

Event (1 cards)
1 Scourge of the Enochians

Combo (4 cards)
4 Murmur of the False Will

Tomorrow we will continue with the Kiasyd deck of Stealth & Bleed.

Dear Methuselah!

I’m gonna start a new serie of posts in which will talk about one different archetypes every time.

The tupdogs deck is one of the most feared in the game wherever it goes, because its huge destructive hability. It is a short-term deck, that means that you will live fast, die young and leave many bodies along the way (beautiful or not).

The first thing to talk about is the tupdog itself, vampire of capacity one with unique characteristics. It burns at the end of the minion phase, so it will only last one turn. He is a slave of the Tremere Antitribu, Visceratika’s cards cost him one less blood, and finally, he can enter combat with a minion as a D action.

This turns the tupdog into a very offensive vampire, has a practically unstoppable combat block and on the other hand, as he will die at the end of the turn, we don’t care (almost!) whatever happens to him.

The usual combat cards are:

Torn signpost – Strenght of 3
Brick by brick – Set the range (short). Alternatively, maneuver and 2R
Raking talons – Aggravated hand
Immortal grapple – To avoid combat ends
Lead Fist – Strike: hand +2 (with possible press)
Stonestrengh and Rockheart – Prevention / Press

As you can see, with three of the cards you can already do a lot of damage to almost anyone. The prevention can be used to continue pressing without going to torpor or to play an As the crow and continue acting (bleed or dive bomb for example).

Another card that is not negligible is the Voices of the castle, which gives +1 intercep or reduces a bleed by 2.

Finally, a great new addition is the Unleash de hounds, from +1 to bleed.

Tips for playing with Tupdogs:
The real difficulty lies in being aware that you are going to play between 10 … 12 … 15 actions and then you are dead. Playing with tupdogs is a very wild time trial and you cannot afford to let others set the pace of the game.

Tips for playing against Tupdogs:
Have the Tupdog divert his attention to another side of the table. Let his predator put pressure on him and then rescue him. There is one thing that is usually true … The Tupdog cannot usually fight against the entire table at the same time. Another option is to take several vampires at once (if it can be at the same time as other players better). Talk to your allies. Use time in your favor and you will see how the Tupdog dies alone.

• An example of a Tupdog deck:
  Deck Name: Tupdog
  Author:
  Description: Rush
  Crypt (30 cards; Capacity min=1 max=4 avg=3.)
  1x Ember Wright 3 aus dom Tremere antitribu:3
  1x Janine 4 aus dom tha Tremere antitribu:4
  2x Keith Moody 3 DOM Tremere antitribu:4
  1x Mosfair 4 cel dom tha Tremere antitribu:4
  1x Saiz 3 aus dom Tremere antitribu:3
  24x Tupdog 1 POT VIS Gargoyle:3
  Library: 90 cards
  Master (11 cards)
  1x Effective Management
  3x Fame
  1x Infernal Pact
  1x Information Highway
  1x Secure Haven
  1x University Hunting Ground
  1x Yawp Court
  2x Dreams of the Sphinx
  Action (9 cards)
  3x Govern the Unaligned
  3x Graverobbing
  3x Dive Bomb
  Action Modifier (9 cards)
  5x As the Crow
  1x Skin of the Chameleon
  2x Unleash the Hounds
  1x Conditioning
  Combat (52 cards)
  9x Immortal Grapple
  6x Lead Fist
  11x Raking Talons
  4x Rockheart
  7x Stonestrength
  7x Torn Signpost
  8x Brick by Brick
  Equipment (1 cards)
  1x Codex of the Edenic Groundskeepers
  Reaction (7 cards)
  4x Voices of the Castle
  2x Deflection
  1x Delaying Tactics
  Event (1 cards)
  1x Uncoiling, The
  

Tomorrow I will talk you about another archetype: The Ventrue Lawfirm!

Today I’m sharing with you a couple of my most braindead combos … And believe me when I say that i have more combos of that style. These two in particular are based on stealing the vampire of another metuselah.

Spirit Diamond

It’s based in steal a vampire with spirit marionnete during the turn of another player, (Saulot or Nahum Enosh with Enkil Cog). At the end of the hunting or bleed action, when you have to return the stolen vampire to its rightful owner, you have to play a diamond thunderbold and check the faces of the other players at the table.

Diamond Tunderbolt, The

Master: out-of-turn. Only when control of a vampire you control is about to change or when a vampire control is about to enter combat. Control of that vampire does not change, and that vampire gains 1 blood.

Lorenzo’s Illusions

This was one of my obsessions in 2016. It’s about blocking a vampire (it does not work if you’re acting), play a illusions of the kindred and get luck on Lorenzo Detuono coming out, who will kindly send torpor to the vampire we’ve locked (burning wrath, or whatever). At that time we use Lorenzo’s special ability to steal the enemy vampire forever (we can amaranth to win blood and pay for the ability, the vampire acting will still be stolen).

Illusions of the Kindred

(chi) Combat ends. Move the bottom card of your crypt to your ready region. He or she does not answer any other minions or titles in play. The vampire has an amount of blood equal to half of his or her capacity (round down). Combat begins between the vampire and the opposing minion. Remove the crypt card from the game at the end of combat. (CHI) As above, but the vampire has an amount of blood equal to his or her capacity.

Lorenzo Detuono

aus dem DOM NEC POT Giovanni Capacity: 9 Group: 5 Independent. Red List: If Lorenzo is ready at the end of combat and the opposing minion is not, Lorenzo may burn 5 blood to move the opposing minion to your ready region (with 1 life for an ally with no life) instead.

I hope you have enjoyed this two evil combos and let me know if you want more crazy braindead combos!

It’s been a long time since I brought you anything new, but here I am with a series of new articles that hopely will help us think about the game more effectively.

Sometimes we have the conception of if such or what discipline is used to do X thing … potence grants combat, the auspex is for intercept, the obfuscate stealth and chimerstry is totally disgusting.

Here it is a recount of the cards that provide stealth, subtract intercept, deny the block, cause failure after blocking or are strike combat ends and continue the action. There are also some comments about their efficiency.

By disciplines: 

 

In addition to these 82 cards, there are 16 more, each with the following requirements: ANI AUS, ani pro, aus chi, AUS DEM, black hand, CEL FOR, cel pro, dom obt,, flight, istarri, OBF POT, OBF PRE, sabbat, seraph, gun and imbued. You could always get to have one if it suits us.

I hope that this list of the cards that have been evaluated with some important notes we come well to all to have a clear idea of the secrecy we have in this game.

 

Nombre de la carta	Tipo	Coste	Disciplina	Sigilo	Notas
Predator’s Transformation	AM	0	abo	1
Devil Channel Throat	AM	1	abo	block fail	against ally or younger
Mind of the Wilds	AM	0	ANI AUS	1
Beast Meld	AM	2	ani pro	1
Heart’s Desire	AM	1	aus chi	block fail	+bleed and only against youngers and ally
Random Patterns	Combo	0	AUS DEM	-1 int
Circumspect revelation	AM	0	black hand	block fail	only against sabbat vamps
Alacrity	AM	2	cel	1
Resist Earth’s Grasp	AM	1	CEL	1
Siren’s Lure	AM	0	cel	1	burn 2 blood
Torrent	Combat	2	CEL	action continues
Forced March	AM	0	CEL FOR	1
Instantaneous Transformation	AM	0	cel pro	1
False Resonance	AM	1	CHI	1
Fata Morgana	AM	1	chi	1
Mirror’s Visage	AM	1	CHI	2/1	undirected/directed
Occlusion	Combo	0	CHI	1
Smoke and Mirrors	AM	0	chi	1
Mirror Image	AM	1	chi/CHI	1/action continues	/not for bleed
Will-o’-the-whisp	AM	X	chi/CHI	-1int/block fail	X younger or allies
Psychomachia	AM	1	dai	block fail	younger
I am Legion	AM	1	dai	1
Confusion	AM	0	DEM	1	bleed
Deny	Combo	0	DEM	1
Mind Tricks	AM	1	dem	1
Bonding	AM	0	DOM	1	bleed
Seduction	AM	0	dom	block deny
Command	AM	0	dom	block fail	only against ally
Shroud of Absence	AM	0	dom obt	1
Soar	AM	0	flight	1	undirected
Safe passage	AM	0	for	-1int	only against ally
Uncontrolled Impulse	AM	1	Ishtarri	2	first turn action
Phantom Speaker	AM	0	mel	block fail	only against younger
Virtuosa	AM	3	mel	1	+2 bleed
Toreador’s Bane	Combat	0	mel	action continues	only against younger or ally or toreador or !toreador
Missing Voice, The	AM	0	mel/MEL	-1int/1	younger/
Aura Absorption	Combo	0	MYTH	1
Fae Contortion	Combo	0	MYTH	1
Stone Travel	AM	0	myth	1
Breath of Thanatos	Combo	1	nec	2	recruit wraith
Spectral Divination	Combo	1	nec	1
Call of the hungry dead	AM	0	nec/NEC	-1 int/block fail	younger/burn one blood
Gift of Sleep	AM	0	OBE	1
Repulsion	AM	0	obe/OBE	1	/permanent
Cloak the Gathering	AM	0	obf	1
Domain of Evernight	AM	0	obf	1
Faceless Night	AM	0	obf	1
Gift of Sleep	AM	0	obf	1
Hag’s Wrinkles	AM	0	obf	2	equip
Masca	AM	1	obf	1
Mask of a Thousand Faces	AM	0	OBF	1	two minions
Memory Rift	AM	0	obf	1	anarch
Smoke and Mirrors	AM	0	obf	2	no bleed or political
Spying Mission	AM	0	obf	1
Swallowed by the Night	Combo	0	obf	1
Under My Skin	AM	1	obf	1
Veil the Legions	AM	0	obf	1	two minions
Shadow boxing	Combat	0	OBF POT	action continues	too many requisites
True love’s face	AM	0	OBF PRE	block fail	canceled by paying one pool
Elder Impersonation	AM	1	obf/OBF	1/block fail
Forgotten Labyrinth	AM	1	obf/OBF	2/3	no bleed
Into Thin Air	AM	0	obf/OBF	1/2	burn one blood to get extra +1 against younger or ally
Lost in Crowds	AM	0	obf/OBF	1/2
Marked Path	AM	0	obf/OBF	1/2	after a (D) action, usable against same metuselah
Blanket of Night	AM	1	obt	1/ block fail	/2 minions
Pocket Out of Time	AM	0	obt	1	burn one blood
Nightshades	AM	0	obt	-1 int	only against younger or ally
Stone Travel	AM	0	obt	1	burn one blood
Tenebrous Form	AM	1	obt	1
Shadow Body	Combat	1	OBT	action continues	not for bleed or political
Shadow Play	AM	1	obt/OBT	1/2
Shroud of Night	AM	0	obt/OBT	1/1	no bleed/
Perfect Paragon	AM	1	PRE	-1int	only against younger or ally
Power of One	AM	1	pre	1	bleed. Anarch
Virtuosa	AM	3	pre	1
Rapid Change	Combo	1	pro	1
Form of mist	Combat	0	PRO	action continues	+1 stealth,burn one blood, once per action
Earth Control	AM	1	pro/PRO	1 / 2
Blood Awakening	Combo	1	QUI	block fail	younger
Stealth Ritus	AM	1	sabbat	1	burn one blood
Shell Game	AM	0	san	X	tap X blood brothers
Form of the Serpent	AM	1	ser	1
Council of the seraphim	AM	0	seraph	-1int or block fail	block fail only against sabbat
Swiftness of the Stag	Combo	0	SPI	1
Chameleon’s Colors	Combat	1	SPI	action continues	only long range. Not for bleed
Mole’s Tunneling	AM	1	spi/SPI	1/2	/burn one additional blood
Masca	AM	1	STRI	2
Pocket Out of Time	AM	0	tem	1
Hag’s Wrinkles	AM	0	THAN	1	equip
Under My Skin	AM	1	than/THAN	1/2	also +1 stealth later
Mirror Walk	AM	1	THAU	1
Morphean Blow	Combat	1	VAL	action continues	not for bleed
Changeling	AM	0	VIC	1
Plasmic Form	Combo	1	vic	1
Flow within the mountain	Combat	1	VIS	action continues
Skin of the Chameleon	AM	1	vis/VIS	1/2
Suppressing fire	AM	0		-1 int	ready untapped minion with a gun
Foresee	Power	0		action continues	imbued

Hi all!

Today we will bring you the winning decks from the Conclave tournament in Palma de Mallorca 2018.

It was a very interesting and hard-fought finale, with very different decks and quite a few votes on the table.

First of all, it was Moisés, winner of the tournament (with 2VP and entering first to the final), with a Palla grande deck with some Auspex to deflect.

Secondly it was Jorge (2VP), with a Tzimische deck, based on Sha-Ennu and Xipe Totec, tending to be a tool box with some politics.

Then we have German (1VP) with a Lutz & Maris Streck political deck con Obedience and Mental Maze, you can see a more accurate analysis by the creator here.

And finally Alberto with a Tzimische wall deck and Pablo with a Theo bell & The Beast.

Without more delay here are the lists.

Moisés – Palla Grande

Deck Name : Toreador Antitribu Palla Grande
Author : Moisés Ferrer

Crypt [12 vampires] Capacity min: 3 max: 7 average: 5.58333

3x Jost Werner 6 AUS PRE ani !Toreador:2
2x Greta Kircher 7 AUS CEL PRE obf !Toreador:2
2x Sheila Mezarin 6 AUS PRE cel for !Toreador:2
1x Jessica 7 AUS CEL OBT PRE bishop !Toreador:2
1x Creamy Jade 5 PRE aus cel vic !Toreador:3
1x Remilliard, Devout 4 AUS pre !Toreador:2
1x Sabrina 4 aus cel pre !Toreador:3
1x Lolita 3 for pre !Toreador:2

Library [75 cards]

Action [30]
8x Art Scam
6x Embrace, The
12x Enchant Kindred
4x Entrancement

Action Modifier [6]
2x Aire of Elation
4x Change of Target

Combat [10]
10x Majesty

Master [12]
2x Anarch Troublemaker
1x Coven, The
1x Dark Influences
2x Dreams of the Sphinx
1x Jake Washington (Hunter)
4x Palla Grande
1x Pentex(TM) Subversion

Reaction [17]
1x Delaying Tactics
4x Eyes of Argus
2x My Enemy’s Enemy
4x On the Qui Vive
6x Telepathic Misdirection

Jorge – Tzimische

Deck Name: Tool Xipe

Author: Chico-light

Crypt (12 cards; Capacity min=7 max=11 avg=9.42)

 1x  Ludmijla Rakoczy     7  ANI AUS VIC              Tzimisce:5

 2x  Righteous Endeavor   8  ANI AUS THA VIC          Tzimisce:5

 4x  Sha-Ennu            11  obf tha ANI AUS CHI VIC  Tzimisce:4

 1x  Terrifisto          10  cel obt ANI AUS FOR VIC  Tzimisce:4

 4x  Xipe Totec           9  ANI AUS PRO VIC          Tzimisce:5

Library (90 cards)

Master (22)

 2x Dreams of the Sphinx

 1x Hungry Coyote, The

 2x Information Highway

 1x Legendary Vampire

 1x Monastery of Shadows

 1x Papillon

 1x Pentex(TM) Subversion

 1x Powerbase: Madrid

 2x Tomb of Rameses III

 6x Villein

 2x Wider View

 2x Zillah’s Valley

Event (1)

 1x Scourge of the Enochians

Action (6)

 2x Abbot

 1x Pulse of the Canaille

 1x Shepherd’s Innocence

 2x Under Siege

Political Action (12)

 1x Ancient Influence

 1x Ancilla Empowerment

 2x Banishment

 6x Kine Resources Contested

 1x Political Stranglehold

 1x Reins of Power

Equipment (3)

 1x Bowl of Convergence

 1x Heart of Nizchetus

 1x Living Manse

Action Modifier (13)

 5x Changeling

 5x Mind of the Wilds

 3x Private Audience

Reaction (18)

 6x Eyes of Argus

 3x On the Qui Vive

 9x Telepathic Misdirection

Combat (11)

 2x Breath of the Dragon

 4x Carrion Crows

 5x Chiropteran Marauder

Combo (4)

 4x Plasmic Form

Germán – Lutz

Deck Name:   Malkavian político 73

Created By:  Posco

 Crypt: (12 cards, Min: 32, Max: 44, Avg: 9,75)

  5  Lutz Von Hohenzollern              pot AUS DEM OBF PRE11 Malkavian

  2  Maris Streck                       ani AUS dem dom OBF9  Malkavian

  2  Quentin King III                   AUS DEM obf pre7  Malkavian

  2  Rachel Brandywine                  ani AUS DEM OBF PRO10 Malkavian

  1  Tryphosa                           AUS DEM DOM OBF POT10 Malkavian

Library: (73 cards)

Master (14 cards)

  1  Dreams of the Sphinx

  1  Giant`s Blood

  1  Monastery of Shadows

  1  Pentex(TM) Subversion

  1  Secure Haven

  1  Wash

  5  Zillah`s Valley

  2  Villein

  1  Dark Influences

Action (3 cards)

  3  Kindred Spirits

Action Modifier (14 cards)

  1  Cloak the Gathering

  2  Elder Impersonation

  1  Enkil Cog

  3  Faceless Night

  2  Forgotten Labyrinth

  2  Lost in Crowds

  3  Spying Mission

Political Action (13 cards)

  1  Anarchist Uprising

  2  Banishment

  5  Kine Resources Contested

  4  Parity Shift

  1  Reins of Power

Reaction (21 cards)

  2  Enhanced Senses

  5  Eyes of Argus

  6  Mental Maze

  1  My Enemy`s Enemy

  3  Second Tradition: Domain, The

  4  Telepathic Misdirection

Combat (2 cards)

  2  No Trace

Equipment (1 cards)

  1  Heart of Nizchetus

Combo (5 cards)

  2  Random Patterns

  3  Swallowed by the Night

 

Alberto – Tzimische Bloquer

Cripta:

-Meshenka                           x2

-The Rose                             x1

-Anton                                   x1

-Kazimi Savostin                   x2

-Dragos                                 x2

-Corin Marcón                     x2

-Caliban                                 x2

Deck:

-The path of Metamorphosis                                           x1

-Guardian Angel                                                                  x1

-Library Hunting ground                                                    x1

-Pentex Subversion                                                           x1

-Rötschreck                                                                         x3

-Spontaneous Power                                                         x1

-Direct Intervention                                                          x1

-Dark Influences                                                                 x1

-Smiling Jack the Anarch                                                   x3

-The erciyes Fragments                                                    x1

-Pawerbase: Montreal                                                      x1

-Vessel                                                                                 x4

-Army Of Rats                                                                     x1

-Blood of Acid                                                                     x2

-Chiropteran Marauder                                                    x10

-Breath of the Dragon                                                       X4

-Kraken’s Kiss                                                                      x6

-War ghoul                                                                          x2

-Corpse Balloon                                                                  x5

-Underbridge Stray                                                            x3

-Bowl of Convergence                                                      x1

-Kevlar Vest                                                                         x1

-Flak Jacket                                                                          x1

-Enhanced Senses                                                              x4

-Precognition                                                                      x4

-Telepathic Misdirection                                                   x2

-My enemy’s Enemy                                                          x2

-Eagle’s Sight                                                                       x6

-Eye of Argus                                                                      x4

-Read the Winds                                                                 x4

-Forced Awakening                                                           x5

-On the Qui Vive                                                                 x4

 

Pablo – Theo Bell& The Beast

CRIPTA
1 x Dre, Leader of the Cold Dawn
1 x Jacob Bragg
1 x Victor Tolliver
2 x Jimmy Dunn
1 x Volker, The Puppet Prince
1 x Brachah
1 x Anvil
2 x Theo Bell
2 x Beast, The Leatherface of Detroit

LIBRERIA

MASTER (14)
2 x Fame
4 x Blood Doll
2 x Haven Uncovered
1 x Tension in the Ranks
1 x Celerity
1 x Warzone Hunting Ground
1 x Pentex Subversion
2 x Archon Investigation

REACCIONES (4)
2 x Wake with Evening’s Freshness
2 x Delaying Tactics
ACCIONES (7)
7 x Bum’s Rush

COMBATE (65)
5 x Flash
6 x Pursuit
5 x Blur
6 x Sideslip
10 x Immortal Grapple
1 x Fists of Death
7 x Torn Signpost
5 x Pushing the Limit
6 x Undead Strength
5 x Disarm
2 x Decapitate
2 x Thrown Sewer Lid
5 x Taste of Vitae

We also have an analysis of that deck by the author.

It’s a very aggressive deck based on celerity and Potence. It needs to take Theo Bell or The Beast out in its place to work well.

Visit as soon as you can to control population on prey and predator, play as many combat cards as you can to cycle the hand and always have what it’s best for every situation. If you can visit before they play the Villein or Minion Tap on the vampire even better, doing it we will prevent them from recovering pool and we will be able to win more blood.

We don’t have to leave any dangerous predating vampires alive.

The deck kills with tension in the ranks and Fame.

The benefits of the deck is that is very destructive against decks with Combat Ends, it works well against decks that don’t do much Bloat (winning blood) and against blockers.

Its weakness are that it doesn’t have much defence against politics or bleeders. It’s quite vulnerable in table with lots of deflections because it tends to be the sink hole. It has some difficulties against decks with fortitude and that prevent strikes and doesn’t make friends easily at the table, but you can always sell some visit.

Thanks a lot to José Maria, Prince of Palma, for provide us with the lists.

 

Organization 101 or how to be a good host and not die trying

Welcome!

Come in! Come in!

Come in to my humble Elyseum and enjoy the party! Everyone is welcome!

Today I will talk about tournament organization, which may seem an easy and trivial task, but that’s why we must distinguish between a tournament and a GOOD tournament.

Tournament are the meeting point of players, they meet other players outside their playgroup, and even for some players it’s their only way to play V:tESm that is why a good organization is key.

First of all you have to choose a date and a place.

More than a few times, someone has placed it’s tournament long ago, just to suddenly find that someone is planning a tournament on the same date. That is totally counterproductive for both tournaments, cause it will split the players, it will create friction between the community and may end up in vendetta, specially for the first organizer, and no one knows what can be lurking around on a cold night when you turn the next corner…

It will help quite a bit to organize with the other princes from neighbourhood cities and distribute the calendar.

Having a good place is also very important. It’s not the same to meet with your playgroup at a bar or someone house’s than to organize there a tournament.

That doesn’t mean that a bar is not a good place, if it’s big enough, has enough tables, you arrange a menu at a reasonable price, and you have a quite space apart without interfering with the regular clients it can be a good option. If someone has a cottage sure it will lure many gangrels to the party!

A shop or a club are the common options, because they already have a suitable space for the activity.

Other good choices are municipal facilities that town halls usually cede to local associations.

What it’s true is that with 4 tables and a few bunch of chairs you can have a tournament, but players will thank you for a good space, quite where they can play without anyone looking at them strangely for playing with children games, etc…

Second point which is vital, are the players. Obiously without them there will be no tournament, and therefore making a good propaganda is very important.

There are several ways, accessible to everyone, we can use. First of all is the calendar at the VEKN website (http://www.vekn.net/event-calendar). That is also mandatory in order to make the tournament official. And while we are at the VEKN website wecan make an announcement at our regional section.

If there is a website or forum dedicated to your community, for example a Spanish Forum, make also a post there.

Depending on how the community flows you can do an event on Facebook, but you will need to have quite a few contacts.

If you have Whatsapp or Telegram groups, eitherway the general for the country or the local groups is very usefull.

If there are local shops that suport the game you can ask them to hang a poster.

And with this you may think we are don’t, note ven close!

First you have to be sure that we have given enough information for the people to come to our tournament. Many times the address is forgotten, or the schedule are not clear or any other relevant information. You should always inform of:

• Date
• Place (exact address and a Google Maps link if you can)
• Schedule
• Incription price
• Prizes

That is the minimal information, you can add more things, we will talk about it forwarr in THE COMPLEMENTS.

In second place, keeping track of the participants, or at least the probable players will help us encourage others and will mark the path of the tournament. How many times have you arrived to a tournament and you were less than 12 so it turn to be a multideck tournament and you weren’t prepared?

Or even worse, only 11 players show up (the cursed number) so someone has to drop or make weird combos with the archon⁽¹⁾?

Once we are done with the preparations at long term, we can start the short term for the specific day.

Having access to a computer will help.

In case of larger tournaments, more than 25 people, a printer is very helpful, cause we will be able to print the rounds so everyone can check it easily. Also a microphone, or a small megaphone (10€), Will be very useful to communicate the rounds to everyone and not having to shout very loud.

If we have kept track of the players, we can have their data (name, vekn number, etc..) already on the archon, so the registration process will be much faster, and from here we jump to the next point, the schedule.

The Schedule is also very important, not just to know at what time you have to be at the tournament, but to estimate at what time it will end and plan the trip back home, furthermore if you come from far away.

It’s important to plan the resgirtration time, and that it doesn’t overlap with the first round. Specially in big tournaments. I will explain myself, for example:

In the EC 2017 in Berlin, the registrations where scheduled until 10:00, and the first round started also at 10:00. obiously at 9:55 there was a long line of people waiting to register and give the deck list, so the tournament start with a 1 hour delay.

The ideal would be:

9:00 – 9:30: Registration

10:00: Round 1

And leave some time for stragglers and unforeseen things. For smaller events with 10 o 15 minutes it will be enough.

It’s also important to be punctual, for the organization and for respect towards the players that have been punctual, the tournament should not be delayed because some players are late for it.

Of course there are always exceptions, maybe a prick of a wheel, but if someone is late and the rest waits for the player, he7she will be late every tournament knowing that he will be able to play and without any penalty.

With the things we have expose, we have a solid base for our tournament, everything that comes from now on are additional things, but that make the tournament even better, what we call the complements.

At organizacional level, small details like having the tables prepared the day before, arriving to the place a bit early than the players, having change for the inscription even if it’s a rounded price (5 or 10€) there will always be people who pay with 20€ or bigger. All of these details help that everything flows better.

External organizational level if we search a good lunch option, or a couple of restaurants nearby, players from outside will thank it.

The same could be said about accommodations in case of big tournaments like Nationals, Grand Prix or EC were many people come from outside, pointing them some good hotels or hostels will be very helpful for them.

Also giving some indications on how to get to the place, or the city from airports or train stations it helps to easy the travel, specially for foreinger people who don’t speak the language.

For local tournaments, indicating viable free parking areas is usefull and will avoid people from losing time searching for a place to park the car.

Having good prizes encourage people to attend, even more if there are prizes that will be sorted among the attendees.

A good way to have them is with patronages, and not everything has to be directly related to V:tES, there are many shops that will give you some products in exchange of having their logo on the poster and get some publicity on social media. T-shirts, some comic, or other things are good complementary prizes.

There are also prizes that are discounts for local shops, like restaurants, or nothing relates at all like little snack bags or beberages.

In the Spanish National Championship 2016 in Reus, the organizers manage to get chocolate smoothie and small snacks of nuts, that they give during the tournament as a mid day snack.

And up to here the class of the day on the basis on how to run a tournament. Anything you will like to add, or any suggestion on how to improve the tournaments is welcome, just leaves us a comment with your idea.

(1)Excel used to organize tournaments. Introducing the players gives us the rounds and the sitting position and the final round.

(http://www.vekn.net/downloads)

 

by Miquel Jorge ‘Gatocion’

What can be said about Richard Garfield that hasn’t been said before? There’s not much we don’t know about him, creator of games like Magic: The gathering, Netrunner and of course Jyhad (aka V:tES), but in 1995 when I discover jihad it was a total stranger to me. And so the games start to pop up around, the CCG (Collectible Card Games).

I remember that what they were, and discover them through the rpg Vampire:The Masquerade. You may wonder how the curiosity about this world of darkness came up? At that time, around 1995, they premiered the movie Interview with the vampire and the world of Anna Rice, and other worlds like the Necromantic Chronicles from Briam Lumley, and so many more titles where the main focus was the vampirism ( Night Hunters, Music of the vampires, the dream of Fevre, The year of Dracula, the stake, Dracula, etc…) so the next logical step was to get to that world I began to discover on those manuals, and the more I read the more interesting and captivating it was, and at least for me unrepeatable.

It was at my local shop, where I used to buy manuals that they talked me about the card games based on world of darknes.. and so the first boosters and decks felt into my hands… and the surprise on my face cause I couldn’t understand how to combine them, my firsts games, the apprenticeship, the decks impossible to imagine nowadays (just to mention, my first deck was a gangrel-malkavian, with Basilia and the two allies more interesting of both clans, Muddle Vampire Hunter and Renegade Garou).

An so, step by step, I began to discover the game, but more than the rules I got the chance to meet new people and share a common passion.

It’s hard to describe now, the feelings I got when I was discovering new cards, those drawings, that now may seem vintage but that at that moment fit perfectly with the world I have been discovering. And when new collection list came out, wondering what the new cards would do and how would they be. For example it took me quite a long to have a Praxus Seizure, nowadays everyone has some now. At those days it was hard to get information on the cards.

And when you visit the local shop you were the odd one, while everyone was playing Magic.

And the first year at collage went by, when I found what nowadays it Hill be VTES, and the change was not only on the name, it also CAME with new cards, others that did not re-editated and with a new design, but the best was yet to come, and it was the first 2 expansions, Dark Sovereigns and Ancient Hearts, new clans, new disciplines, new vampires for the camarilla clans. I remember wandering around the shops searching for boosters to buy. Buying boxes will come later.

VTES was still my favourite game, the one I share with friends and the one that I teach to others.

And in 1996 it came out a big expansion that leaves all of us with hunger for more, because it showed things that we haven’t seen before… SABBAT.

That feeling hasn’t come back, of having a box of boosters in my hands. The design of the booster, black and red, and the content that had more cards in it that any other game. As said, unrepeatable.

 

 

But not everything could be perfect, the three following expansions had the same problem, the difficulty of creating competitive decks from the new clans: Giovanni, Ravnos, Assamite, Followers of Seth, Lasombra, tzimische, Malkavian antitribe… And the majority of antitribe played only as a suport, almost non was the principal vampire, I recall that Jacko or Richter becoming part of the brujah decks…but at that moment you could only think at the thrill of discovering new things and the new expansions that will complete the clans that had just came out… but then silence came.

V:TES disappeared from the shops, if you were lucky you could find some basic edition or some booster, but I was looking for SABBAT, and it became impossible.

At that point of the story, I was also a collector, so I had the urge to collect apart from improving the decks we made. Time passed by, and my love for V:TES was a constant al along, I find new playgroups and stores, even exchange some card at a rake in Madrid.

And in 1999, two big changes came to my live, I got ADSL at home and a computer that let me install and work, hours and hours on a program that enjoy me… Photoshop, and don’t forget the scanner, that I bought with just one purpose, to scan the original cards and create my own.

We didn’t know if new expansions will come, I start checking manuals searching for new abilities and disciplines and I create my own cards, print them and glue them on top of regular cards. I still keep them, and nostalgia brings back good memories of all the time I spend creating those cards… A total of 87 new cards, everyone with it’s illustration from other games like kult or heresy, cause when I played those games I always imagine it in the WoD universe.

And the things keep going, until 2000, when I consider that the golden age of V:TES started (2000-2010) and the time I was totally involve (2000-2005), not only as player also as Prince, tournament organizer, judge, an active member of the community. I had the luck to meet great players, I played 3 European Championship,3 Conclave, and visiting cities like Salamanca, Valladolid, Bilbao, Barcelona, Palma, Vienna, Paris, Lisbon… and organizing the Iberian Championship 2003.

Not much can be said about all the expansions that came out during that time, only that it turned the game to what it’s today, gave them depth, there is not any part of WoD that it hasn’t been reflected, blood lines, Black Hand, the Red list, African vampires, imbued…. Also the novels came out, and we could control the vamps which we read about.

My live change during that days, you get independent, build up a family… and you don’t have so much time to spend on V:TES, and slowly your friends turn the same way, it gets harder to meet to play, until when you realise that your last game was 1 or 2 years ago.

All that I was as a player and collector….I couldn’t play, but I expected new cards and imagine deck with it, and the cards I will need for everything when I got time to get back to the game.

In 2010 two big things happened, my daughter was born and Heirs to the Blood CAME out, and what it seems to be the end…

It was very hard to get the boosters and starters to build the decks, the rumour that the license was ending spread like wild fire, and that CCP will not make any more reprints, there was only left what was in the market and nothing else.

 

At that point I really went to torpor and all my collection stood in the shelves at home, the only thing left was to watch them from time to time and remember the good moments I had.

But 7 years after, the EC at Berlin popped up, and a reprint was announced! My life had made another twist, I was divorce, and despite being odd, you have free time again, and I didn’t doubt it for a moment, I had to go!

I showed the game to my regular play group in Vigo, where I live since 2008, and even one of them had a Jyhad starter, I could only smile seeing the mix of cards that it had…and the good feelings came back and started to search for the cards I needed…

And then May came up, and I had the luck to met great people, to meeting old friends again, and recovering the feelings from playing the game, quite rusty I have to admit. My decks were full of groups 1,2 and 3 vampires and I kept seeing vampires from 4,5 and 6… cards I had forgot what they do or that I never had the chance to discover, finding a meta-game what I know nothing about, and talking about decks lost in the depths of a web and that are no longer played, summarizing…WONDERFULL.

And now in 2018 we find with the notice that a group of players have had the courage to start a company, that White Wolf take s a brave decision and that V:TES is back on print, and that new cards will come; I see that every day more players came back from torpor and that new tournaments appear. For the second time the game came back to live, and this time from the hand of the players that for so long have kept it alive. My most heart full thanks to them for not letting that this great game went to waste.

I hope that the journey I had explain wasn’t to long for you, from the beginning, from 1995 until today, my life has gone hand to hand with this game, and how 23 years after, with all the twists and plot changes, I still find thrilled, with hunger for collecting moments, memories like the ones that make me so happy in first place.