I'm Baaa-aack! (I Hope)

I was told by a friend that this blog was noted by The Lasombra, even though I haven't updated it in quite a while. So, here's to trying to restart this blog.

In the past two years, I've managed to tinker and create several decks which have been enjoyable to use.

1. The Ewoks

This is a simple, straightforward deck made up of disciplineless weenies, armed to the teeth with guns and wooden stakes. With the introduction of the Twilight Rebellion set, I may add the baseball bats as well.

2. Auspex weenies

Yeah, I'm partial to the smaller caps in a big way. Several of my decks revolve around one discipline. As a result, they tend to dominate if key cards come out early, and sputter when they don't.

With the Auspex weenies, the main ousting element is the Smiling Jack, with Revolts and Awakenings to support it. The powering element is a Cooler/Blood Doll combination that helps me keep my pool a little while longer. I might add Constant Revolution to this deck, but it may make it too much of a target.

3. Setites

With Lords of the Night, I've managed to cobble together a Setite deck, although it's still in the experimental stage. I think it would be better for me to add more stealth to it; a number of times, I've been blocked without any stealth in hand. It's still a basic stealth-bleed, with the Temptations increasing the number of my bleeders.

And, so far, that's what I've been up to in the game. I'll try to post my deck lists here, or else post them in the newsgroups for better exposure.

Until then.

Rising from Torpor

Yeah, it's been a while. Been too busy to play or write up something for the blog.

V:TES 3rd Edition is coming out in a few weeks, and, already, I'm wondering how I'm going to be able to order it. I'll have to order it in the U.S., and wait for somebody to bring the boxes over here.

There's a lot of goodies in the set, more so than the Legacies of Blood, whose collation is a little scattered between the Laibon and the bloodlines, or Nights of Reckoning, which I didn't even bother to get (too much tech to get used to). There are new vampires to mix in with my current crypts, and some new cards, like Helicopter, and Forger's Hammer, which figure to make some impact on my decks.

It's been a while, but I'm back in business (I hope).

Trading Galore

With the advent of the new year, I've engaged in various trades, both here and abroad.

Pending with David:

To me:
Tatiana Stepanova Alastor
Don Michael Antonio Giovanni
Tumnimos
Dead Hand
3 Computer Hacking
2 Change of Target
2 Projectile
Fish
Troglodytia

To David:
Aranthebes the Immortal
Brunhilde
Smiling Jack, the Anarch (Jyhad edition)

Pending with Jerome Vauxel from France:

To me:
Free Fight

Adaptability x2

Abomination
Claiming the Body x2

Redistribution x2

Shell Game
Hermana Hambrienta Mayor (LoB)

To Jerome:

Direct Intervention

The Eldest Are Kholo

Foundation Exhibit

Cristos Mantigo

Kahina the Sorceress

Tegyrius, Vizier (Adv)

Typhonic Beast x2

Bima x2

To Giuseppi Marchetti from Italy:

To Giuseppi:
1x nephandus mage

1x soul gem of etrius

1x virolax facility

1x brinksmanship

1x bleeding the wine

To me:

2x body flare

1x j.s simmons esq

2x mask of thousand faces

2x change of target

6x animal magnetism

4x beretta 9mm

4x walk of caine

1x lucita

1x anarch secession

This just in from Tomek Kowalewski, from Poland:

To me:
path of death and the soul

brujah justicar

fee stake: Perth

jimmy dunn

To Tomek:

Brinksmanship

lazarene inquizitor

toreador grand ball

zhenga

And, finally, one from Chris Shorb, from the U.S.:

To Chris:
Earl (CE) [Vampire]
Edith Blount (CE) [Vampire]
Ellison Humboldt (CE) [Vampire]
Ilyana Ravidovich (CE) [Vampire]
Lana Butcher (CE) [Vampire]
Madame Guil (CE) [Vampire]
Virstania, The Great Mother (CE) [Vampire]
Antonio Veradas
Kurt Densch
Evan Klein
Petra Resonance

To me:
Jan Pieterzoon
Max Lowell
Kendrick
Celine Chevalier
Jalal Sayad
Aisha
Dedefra
Khalil Anvari
Kalinda
Lalitha
Mario Giovanni
Mitchell, the Headhunter
Aisling Sturbridge
Ghivran Dalaal, the Dead God
Gillespi Giovanni
Paul DiCarlo, the Alpha
Sarrasine
Samat Ramal-Ra
Sir Marriot D'Urban
Vedel Esbreno
Victoria Ash
Zahir, Hand of the Silsila
Yong-Sun, Harmonist (basic)
Larry
Ezekiel

Apparently, people were just waiting for the end of the Christmas season to trade. Almost as soon as December was over, the offers came in. I'm going to have to put all of the cards together, and send them out.

Postponed

The second leg of Merry Christmas, Methuselahs was postponed to next year, making it the first Happy New Year, Methuselahs.

It's a good thing for me, because I do have to catch up on my Christmas baking. Since this is the final weekend before Christmas, I will have some work to do.

Till next year, then. :D

Merry Christmas, Methuselahs

Louie and Bart prepared their year-end tournament, Merry Christmas, Methuselahs, and it was a blast. While I didn't win any games, or get any victory points for that matter, the point was to have as much fun as possible. And I did.

In the first game, it was me -> Aurelio (Lasombra) -> Troy (Malkavian bleeder) -> Razi (Harbinger Hordes) -> Louie (EuroBrujahs), with me having the first influence. That wasn't a problem, because I brought my weenie Animalism horde. And first to come out was Lisa Noble. However, Aurelio was able to hold on (he had about 8 pool when I left the table), while Louie's EuroBrujahs battered me into submission. On the other side of the table, Troy and Razi were having their own little battle, with Troy's Malkavian bleeders keeping Razi busy. I got ousted by Louie, who won the table when it timed out, having ousted me and Aurelio.

In the second game it was Louie -> Tatel (some weird Nergal deck; as he said, it was a Paul deck) -> Carding (City Gangrel) -> me -> Johann (Stanislava Purge-Rob). This table was Johann's all the way, using Stanislava to Purge unblocked through Beast Meld, and then Cameron to Graverob the torpored vampires. It didn't help that Louie's EuroBrujahs also had Dominate, which were tempting targets for Johann. Soon, Louie and Tatel were reduced to pool walls, being unable to bring out any new vampires. It was up to me and Carding to try and bleed Johann out. It didn't work. In the end, Mouse, who had Tier of Souls and superior Animalism, was facing Stanislava, Cameron, Raziya Samater (originally mine), Bobby Lemon (also originally mine), Samantha (Carding's), Theo Bell, Constanza Vinti (both Louie's), and Nergal (courtesy of Tatel). It was hopeless. I was the last one bled out, giving Johann the table sweep.

I had to leave after that, but I learned that Johann, Charlie, Karl, Louie and Mark made it to the finals, with Mark's baboy (pig) - bleeder winning the tournament.

All in all, it was fun. In addition, I also got the promo pack, which consisted of Port Authority, Barbaro Luccese, Erciyes Fragments, aaand ... Retribution and Spontaneous Power, which some of us have been searching for. Of course, the pool cost is a bit excessive, but to get whichever Discipline you need most is a tempting thought.

Next Saturday, it won't be a sanctioned tournament, but it promises to be fun, nonetheless. No crypt restriction, which means that Haig might actually try a Wynn-Enkidu deck, although since he doesn't like Enkidu because of its inferior Fortitude, we'll just have to wait and see.

Galleria Saturday

Fourteen Methuselahs descended upon Robinson's Galleria last Saturday, and had a fun afternoon of games and trading.

It was a particularly good gaming day for me, as I was able to test three decks, and engage in a fair bit of trading.

My Blood Brothers deck was able to torpor two of David's minions, but I didn't have enough time to set up against Charlie's deck.

The "Tiny Toons" disciplineless deck ("We're tiny, we're toony, we're all a little loony"...) attempted to swarm Haig's Wynn deck, but, since Haig had already tweaked his deck to allow it to block, (which was something he didn't use to do), it was hard going, although I managed to Fame Vliam Andor, and torpor him.

The Auspex deck, while fun, needs a little more tweaking. The Smiling Jack didn't come out, and it was hard going trying to get past Haig, who was my prey twice today. Roy's Malkie deck behind me got me before I took Haig out.

Okay, so I didn't win any games, but it was still a fun afternoon. I was able to discover what strengths and weaknesses my decks had, and so I can tweak them in time for the next round of bleeding.

It was also a good day for trades, as I made some nice ones with Paul, Jay, Roy and Louie. I completed my Pack Alpha needs, got more Concealed Weapons (love that card), and got some more key vampires for my Celerity deck.

I think the next tournament is Merry Christmas, Methuselahs, and I'm not sure if I'll be able to go. But, I'll continue my tweaking, and be ready for bleeds galore the next time around.

Legacies of Blood

I have the feeling that White Wolf want us players to try out the new clans, as the starter decks contain so many goodies.

I'm looking forward to getting my Legacies cards, but they're still scheduled to arrive in late December. Dang.