I didn't realize that my last post on this blog before the previous one was five years ago.
Despite the game's going out of print in 2010, I've remained relatively active in the Manila VTES games. I competed in the local legs of the Asian Continental Championships: in 2011, in 2014 (Iloilo), and last year. Whenever I could, I would join the local games, first at Starbucks Tomas Morato, then Coco, just off T. Morato, and, then, finally, at a friend's house.
Late last year, though, I had a bit of a breakthrough, as I found two of my co-teachers who were interested in learning the games. This allowed me to introduce new players into the game, and, at the same time, form a gaming group at work (to play after hours, of course). By doing so, I rediscovered the thrill of teaching new players the game that I love.
At the same time, with new cards coming out, I started taking another look at my collection, and started getting ideas for new decks. I've also begun tweaking existing decks, by reconfiguring what they do; I'll probably be posting the deck lists in this blog.
And this blog. With the game coming back into print last year, I've been thinking of writing in the blog again, and at a more regular pace.
Not that I'm an expert at the game, not by a long shot. With the game's complexity, and having seen other players build decks that I wouldn't have imagined, I still have a long way to go in mastering this game. By writing in this blog again, I hope to make my thoughts more concrete, sort of a workbook for my ideas for decks and the game.
Sunday, February 24, 2019
Rising From Torpor
When V:TES went out of print eight years ago, it was a sad day for many of us who had enjoyed the game.
However, happily, players did not take the game's apparent demise sitting down. Despite the game going out of print, players from around the globe kept the game alive, and continued to hold tournaments, such as the Asian Continental Championships (ACC) and the European Championships (EC).
During the game's hiatus, the Vampire Elder Kindred Network (VEKN), the game's governing body, with the help of dedicated players, came out with several PDF card sets, wherein players could download the files, print them out, and, after sleeving them with valid VTES cards, players could use them in tournament play.
Then, during the EC tournament in Berlin in 2017, a 100-card anthology set, made up of popular cards, as well as cards from the PDF sets, was distributed to participants. This was a milestone, since it marked the first time new cards were printed ever since the game went down in 2010. What was even more exciting was that there were leftover anthology sets available, and players such as myself snapped them up.
Thanks to the efforts of Hugh Angseeing and others, the game came back in a big way last year with the formation of Black Chantry Productions, which now oversees the publication of the game. To start of the game's resurrection, the company came out with several reprint sets of the most recent expansions, Keepers of Tradition and Heirs to the Blood, followed by a new set for the bloodlines, Lost Kindred.
Then, late last year, it announced that it would be coming out with preconstructed decks, focusing on four clans of the Sabbat:
Still, the major difference between the Black Chantry decks and previous "starter" decks is that the new decks are more playable out of the box. Unlike the older starter decks, which needed several (to many) cards to be added for them to be competitive, the new decks appear to have been designed to stand up and hold their own in standard play.
With the release of the new decks this month, and with the promise of deck designs for new players in the making from Black Chantry, it's an exciting time to come back to, or get into, Vampire: the Eternal Struggle.
However, happily, players did not take the game's apparent demise sitting down. Despite the game going out of print, players from around the globe kept the game alive, and continued to hold tournaments, such as the Asian Continental Championships (ACC) and the European Championships (EC).
During the game's hiatus, the Vampire Elder Kindred Network (VEKN), the game's governing body, with the help of dedicated players, came out with several PDF card sets, wherein players could download the files, print them out, and, after sleeving them with valid VTES cards, players could use them in tournament play.
Then, during the EC tournament in Berlin in 2017, a 100-card anthology set, made up of popular cards, as well as cards from the PDF sets, was distributed to participants. This was a milestone, since it marked the first time new cards were printed ever since the game went down in 2010. What was even more exciting was that there were leftover anthology sets available, and players such as myself snapped them up.
Thanks to the efforts of Hugh Angseeing and others, the game came back in a big way last year with the formation of Black Chantry Productions, which now oversees the publication of the game. To start of the game's resurrection, the company came out with several reprint sets of the most recent expansions, Keepers of Tradition and Heirs to the Blood, followed by a new set for the bloodlines, Lost Kindred.
Then, late last year, it announced that it would be coming out with preconstructed decks, focusing on four clans of the Sabbat:
- Parliament of Shadows, featuring the Lasombra;
- Den of Fiends, featuring the Tzimisce;
- Libertine Ball, featuring the Toreador antitribu (!Tor), and
- Pact with the Nephandi, featuring the Tremere antitribu (!Tre).
Still, the major difference between the Black Chantry decks and previous "starter" decks is that the new decks are more playable out of the box. Unlike the older starter decks, which needed several (to many) cards to be added for them to be competitive, the new decks appear to have been designed to stand up and hold their own in standard play.
With the release of the new decks this month, and with the promise of deck designs for new players in the making from Black Chantry, it's an exciting time to come back to, or get into, Vampire: the Eternal Struggle.
Friday, September 26, 2014
My ACC 2014 Report
Methuselahs from Manila, Japan, and Taiwan escaped the fury of rains brought on by typhoon "Mario", and descended on Iloilo last weekend for the 2014 Asian Continental VtES Championship (ACC). Held at the Iloilo Midtown Hotel, the ACC brought together 22 players to vie for the championship title.
I was afraid I was going to miss it, since my family's flight the day before was cancelled due to the storm. We were able to re-book an early morning flight, and we arrived in Iloilo at close to seven in the morning on the day of the tournament. After a quick refresher at my wife's family home, I was on my way to the hotel, and the ACC.
The ACC had three rounds and a final. Here are my recollections about the three tables I was on. I left the first two tables after being ousted, so I'm not too sure of the final results in each of them.
1st Round
Me (Auspex Weenies) -bleeding- Ferdie Paredes (Malgorzata) -bleeding- Hidetoshi Hayakawa (Stanlislava) -bleeding- Taka'aki Ayukata (Al-Muntaquim) -bleeding- Aurelio Icasiano (Lasombra)
While I was able to bring out about four vamps, including Michael Luther, it was, as Aurelio observed, a rather strange table. One of the early highlights was Al-Muntaquim torporing Moncada. Then, Taki sent in Nedal the Careless to diablerize Moncada; Nedal immediately burned afterwards, with both Hayakawa and Aurelio throwing out vote cards to make it happen. Aurelio then brought out Polonia to compensate, but, with Stanislava out, he found it difficult to maneuver politically. Taki was the first one out, courtesy of a big bleed by Hayakawa. I followed soon after, as I lacked the intercept to block a 3-stealth KRC from Aurelio; I realized too late that Eyes of Argus is only used for (D) actions.
2nd Round
Me - Raf (stealth bleeder) - Don (Imbued) - Johann (Gerald Windham toolbox)
I had gotten an Anarch Revolt out, which was bad news for Don, whose Imbued could not neither go anarch to escape the pings nor could they call off the revolt, since they were not vampires. Hammered by Raf's big bleeds and pinged by the Revolt, Don was quickly off the table. Johann, who, as he has pointed out, did not bleed me at all, took me out by bouncing all of Raf's bleeds to me. My intercept was not coming out as consistently as I liked, and I soon followed Don off the table. Looking at the results, I guess Johann eventually managed to oust Raf for the table win.
3rd Round
Me - Ace (!Ventrue grinder) - Zandro (!Gangrel) - Haig (potence weenie with Beast and Theo)
It was a lucky thing for me Haig decided to pound on Zandro, since that left me to set up. Zandro was caught in a hammer-and-anvil of Ace's bleeds and Haig's pounding, and was soon off the table. Ace then manged to oust Haig, although the effort left Ace's minions either low on blood or torpored. By then, my minions were armed and ready. While Ace blocked, I was able to maneuver and shoot, sending his minions into torpor. I managed to be the last man standing, and gained two victory points.
The finals table was a veterans' table, with only Ace as the new player. The other players were Johann, Charlie, Faust, and Carding, who had just come out of torpor this year. I had to leave after playing one more friendly game (although I learned that it is not proper form to play From a Sinking Ship), and learned over the social media that Carding, using a classic EuroBrujah deck, had managed to win the championship. Congratulations to Richard Barnett, the new ACC champ!
All in all, it was an enjoyable day of VtES, and the ACC demonstrated that, while the game is technically out-of-print, the players remain passionate and dedicated enough to keep it going.
I was afraid I was going to miss it, since my family's flight the day before was cancelled due to the storm. We were able to re-book an early morning flight, and we arrived in Iloilo at close to seven in the morning on the day of the tournament. After a quick refresher at my wife's family home, I was on my way to the hotel, and the ACC.
The ACC had three rounds and a final. Here are my recollections about the three tables I was on. I left the first two tables after being ousted, so I'm not too sure of the final results in each of them.
1st Round
Me (Auspex Weenies) -bleeding- Ferdie Paredes (Malgorzata) -bleeding- Hidetoshi Hayakawa (Stanlislava) -bleeding- Taka'aki Ayukata (Al-Muntaquim) -bleeding- Aurelio Icasiano (Lasombra)
While I was able to bring out about four vamps, including Michael Luther, it was, as Aurelio observed, a rather strange table. One of the early highlights was Al-Muntaquim torporing Moncada. Then, Taki sent in Nedal the Careless to diablerize Moncada; Nedal immediately burned afterwards, with both Hayakawa and Aurelio throwing out vote cards to make it happen. Aurelio then brought out Polonia to compensate, but, with Stanislava out, he found it difficult to maneuver politically. Taki was the first one out, courtesy of a big bleed by Hayakawa. I followed soon after, as I lacked the intercept to block a 3-stealth KRC from Aurelio; I realized too late that Eyes of Argus is only used for (D) actions.
2nd Round
Me - Raf (stealth bleeder) - Don (Imbued) - Johann (Gerald Windham toolbox)
I had gotten an Anarch Revolt out, which was bad news for Don, whose Imbued could not neither go anarch to escape the pings nor could they call off the revolt, since they were not vampires. Hammered by Raf's big bleeds and pinged by the Revolt, Don was quickly off the table. Johann, who, as he has pointed out, did not bleed me at all, took me out by bouncing all of Raf's bleeds to me. My intercept was not coming out as consistently as I liked, and I soon followed Don off the table. Looking at the results, I guess Johann eventually managed to oust Raf for the table win.
3rd Round
Me - Ace (!Ventrue grinder) - Zandro (!Gangrel) - Haig (potence weenie with Beast and Theo)
It was a lucky thing for me Haig decided to pound on Zandro, since that left me to set up. Zandro was caught in a hammer-and-anvil of Ace's bleeds and Haig's pounding, and was soon off the table. Ace then manged to oust Haig, although the effort left Ace's minions either low on blood or torpored. By then, my minions were armed and ready. While Ace blocked, I was able to maneuver and shoot, sending his minions into torpor. I managed to be the last man standing, and gained two victory points.
The finals table was a veterans' table, with only Ace as the new player. The other players were Johann, Charlie, Faust, and Carding, who had just come out of torpor this year. I had to leave after playing one more friendly game (although I learned that it is not proper form to play From a Sinking Ship), and learned over the social media that Carding, using a classic EuroBrujah deck, had managed to win the championship. Congratulations to Richard Barnett, the new ACC champ!
All in all, it was an enjoyable day of VtES, and the ACC demonstrated that, while the game is technically out-of-print, the players remain passionate and dedicated enough to keep it going.
ACC 2014 Deck List: Auspex Weenies
Here's the deck I decided to use in last weekend's Asian Continental Championship (ACC).
Deck Name : Auspex Weenies, ACC 2014 ed
Author : Frederick Tomas
Description :
Crypt [13 vampires] Capacity min: 1 max: 4 average: 2.84615
------------------------------------------------------------
1x Idalia, Prophet of 4 AUS dem !Malkavian:2
1x Maldavis 4 AUS for pre Caitiff:3
1x Michael Luther 4 aus pre Toreador:3
1x Remilliard, Devout 4 AUS pre !Toreador:2
1x Richard Tauber, Ay 4 AUS tha !Tremere:2
1x Isabel de Leon 3 AUS Toreador:2
1x Martin Franckel 3 AUS tha Tremere:3
1x Zöe 3 AUS cel obf Malkavian:2
1x Almiro Suarez 2 aus Tremere:3
1x Nicholas Chang 2 aus !Toreador:3
1x Piotr Andreikov 2 aus Tzimisce:3
1x Feo Ramos 1 aus Pander:3
1x Franciscus 1 aus Caitiff:2
Library [80 cards]
------------------------------------------------------------
Action [1]
1x Constant Revolution
Combat [4]
4x Concealed Weapon
Equipment [17]
3x .44 Magnum
1x Bowl of Convergence
2x Cooler
3x Leather Jacket
5x Saturday-Night Special
1x Sniper Rifle
2x Sport Bike
Master [23]
2x Anarch Revolt
1x Archon Investigation
2x Auspex
1x Direct Intervention
1x Golconda: Inner Peace
1x KRCG News Radio
1x Millicent Smith, Puritan Vampire Hunter
1x Parthenon, The
1x Powerbase: Montreal
1x Rack, The
2x Smiling Jack, The Anarch
1x Sudden Reversal
1x Vast Wealth
5x Vessel
1x WMRH Talk Radio
1x Wash
Reaction [34]
2x Eagle's Sight
4x Eyes of Argus
8x Forced Awakening
2x My Enemy's Enemy
2x On the Qui Vive
4x Precognition
4x Spirit's Touch
8x Telepathic Misdirection
Retainer [1]
1x Mr. Winthrop
Assessment: While the deck did well as a blocker, the cards I needed for forward movement (Jack, Revolt, Constant Revolution) did not consistently come out, and, when they did, they were immediately blocked or Reversed.
The next time I'm in a tournament, I'll probably consider a more pro-active deck rather than a reactive one.
Deck Name : Auspex Weenies, ACC 2014 ed
Author : Frederick Tomas
Description :
Crypt [13 vampires] Capacity min: 1 max: 4 average: 2.84615
------------------------------------------------------------
1x Idalia, Prophet of 4 AUS dem !Malkavian:2
1x Maldavis 4 AUS for pre Caitiff:3
1x Michael Luther 4 aus pre Toreador:3
1x Remilliard, Devout 4 AUS pre !Toreador:2
1x Richard Tauber, Ay 4 AUS tha !Tremere:2
1x Isabel de Leon 3 AUS Toreador:2
1x Martin Franckel 3 AUS tha Tremere:3
1x Zöe 3 AUS cel obf Malkavian:2
1x Almiro Suarez 2 aus Tremere:3
1x Nicholas Chang 2 aus !Toreador:3
1x Piotr Andreikov 2 aus Tzimisce:3
1x Feo Ramos 1 aus Pander:3
1x Franciscus 1 aus Caitiff:2
Library [80 cards]
------------------------------------------------------------
Action [1]
1x Constant Revolution
Combat [4]
4x Concealed Weapon
Equipment [17]
3x .44 Magnum
1x Bowl of Convergence
2x Cooler
3x Leather Jacket
5x Saturday-Night Special
1x Sniper Rifle
2x Sport Bike
Master [23]
2x Anarch Revolt
1x Archon Investigation
2x Auspex
1x Direct Intervention
1x Golconda: Inner Peace
1x KRCG News Radio
1x Millicent Smith, Puritan Vampire Hunter
1x Parthenon, The
1x Powerbase: Montreal
1x Rack, The
2x Smiling Jack, The Anarch
1x Sudden Reversal
1x Vast Wealth
5x Vessel
1x WMRH Talk Radio
1x Wash
Reaction [34]
2x Eagle's Sight
4x Eyes of Argus
8x Forced Awakening
2x My Enemy's Enemy
2x On the Qui Vive
4x Precognition
4x Spirit's Touch
8x Telepathic Misdirection
Retainer [1]
1x Mr. Winthrop
Assessment: While the deck did well as a blocker, the cards I needed for forward movement (Jack, Revolt, Constant Revolution) did not consistently come out, and, when they did, they were immediately blocked or Reversed.
The next time I'm in a tournament, I'll probably consider a more pro-active deck rather than a reactive one.
Sunday, August 05, 2012
2012 Asian Qualifiers: Deck List
Rose out of torpor to play in the Asian Qualifiers. I didn't have to, really, since, being one of the finalists last year, I was already assured of a slot in the Championships. The other thing is that, since the Asian Championships will be held in Japan this year, there is no way that I'd be able to go, anyway. Still, not having played since last year, I was eager to sit at the table and do some damage.
Since I wasn't playing for anything, I decided to have some fun, and play my disciplineless weenie deck, The Ewoks. Pretty mindless: get out as many minions as possible and swarm the table. At least, that's how it's supposed to work, in theory.
In practice, a weenie deck attracts too much table hate, as it'll put out too many minions for other players to handle. As it is, I didn't get a single victory point in any of the games I played, but I'd like to think that the other players were a little nervous, especially if the deck ran smoothly.
Here's the deck list for The Ewoks:
Crypt [18 vampires] Capacity min: 1 max: 2 average: 1.83333
------------------------------------------------------------
1x Almiro Suarez 2 aus Tremere:3
1x Arnold Simpson 2 pot Brujah:3
1x Boy Toy 2 dem !Malkavian:2
1x Carter 2 cel !Toreador:2
1x Doris McMillon 2 val !Salubri:2
1x Gillian Krader 2 ani dem Pander:2
1x Jesus Alcala 2 cel !Gangrel:3
1x Kanya Akhtar 2 cel Assamite:2
1x Krid 2 obf Nosferatu:3
1x Magdelena Schaefer 2 THA Caitiff:2
1x Piotr Andreikov 2 aus Tzimisce:3
1x Samson 2 dom !Ventrue:2
1x Sarah Raines 2 for Gangrel:3
1x Sasha Miklos 2 chi Ravnos:2
1x Zip 2 ani Ravnos:3
1x Huang, Blood Culti 1 pro Pander:2
1x March Halcyon 1 for Pander:2
1x Sandra White 1 Caitiff:3
Library [90 cards]
------------------------------------------------------------
Action [14]
4x Ambush
9x Computer Hacking
1x Fiendish Tongue
Combat [36]
9x Concealed Weapon
6x Dodge
6x Fake Out
3x Glancing Blow
12x Lucky Blow
Equipment [19]
4x .44 Magnum
1x Deer Rifle
4x Flash Grenade
1x Leather Jacket
9x Wooden Stake
Master [19]
1x Direct Intervention
7x Effective Management
2x Fame
4x Haven Uncovered
2x Information Highway
1x London Evening Star, Tabloid Newspaper
2x Tribute to the Master
Political Action [2]
2x Autarkis Persecution
Crafted with : Anarch Revolt Deck Builder. [Sun Aug 05 17:50:23 2012]
Since I wasn't playing for anything, I decided to have some fun, and play my disciplineless weenie deck, The Ewoks. Pretty mindless: get out as many minions as possible and swarm the table. At least, that's how it's supposed to work, in theory.
In practice, a weenie deck attracts too much table hate, as it'll put out too many minions for other players to handle. As it is, I didn't get a single victory point in any of the games I played, but I'd like to think that the other players were a little nervous, especially if the deck ran smoothly.
Here's the deck list for The Ewoks:
Crypt [18 vampires] Capacity min: 1 max: 2 average: 1.83333
------------------------------------------------------------
1x Almiro Suarez 2 aus Tremere:3
1x Arnold Simpson 2 pot Brujah:3
1x Boy Toy 2 dem !Malkavian:2
1x Carter 2 cel !Toreador:2
1x Doris McMillon 2 val !Salubri:2
1x Gillian Krader 2 ani dem Pander:2
1x Jesus Alcala 2 cel !Gangrel:3
1x Kanya Akhtar 2 cel Assamite:2
1x Krid 2 obf Nosferatu:3
1x Magdelena Schaefer 2 THA Caitiff:2
1x Piotr Andreikov 2 aus Tzimisce:3
1x Samson 2 dom !Ventrue:2
1x Sarah Raines 2 for Gangrel:3
1x Sasha Miklos 2 chi Ravnos:2
1x Zip 2 ani Ravnos:3
1x Huang, Blood Culti 1 pro Pander:2
1x March Halcyon 1 for Pander:2
1x Sandra White 1 Caitiff:3
Library [90 cards]
------------------------------------------------------------
Action [14]
4x Ambush
9x Computer Hacking
1x Fiendish Tongue
Combat [36]
9x Concealed Weapon
6x Dodge
6x Fake Out
3x Glancing Blow
12x Lucky Blow
Equipment [19]
4x .44 Magnum
1x Deer Rifle
4x Flash Grenade
1x Leather Jacket
9x Wooden Stake
Master [19]
1x Direct Intervention
7x Effective Management
2x Fame
4x Haven Uncovered
2x Information Highway
1x London Evening Star, Tabloid Newspaper
2x Tribute to the Master
Political Action [2]
2x Autarkis Persecution
Crafted with : Anarch Revolt Deck Builder. [Sun Aug 05 17:50:23 2012]
Monday, January 02, 2012
MCM 2011: Auspex Weenies
Deck Name : Auspex Weenies
Author : Eric Tomas
Description : Played this deck at Merry Christmas Methuselahs 2011, and got 4 VPs in two rounds; I couldn't stay for the final rounds. The deck basically works like the Cock Robin deck, but this time, AUS weenies protect the Smiling Jack, using the guns to fend off attackers. It'll probably not stand up to a dedicated combat deck, but, then again, aside from Haig, few of us are that dedicated to combat. :D
Crypt [13 vampires] Capacity min: 1 max: 4 average: 2.84615
------------------------------------------------------------
1x Idalia, Prophet of 4 AUS dem !Malkavian:2
1x Maldavis 4 AUS for pre Caitiff:3
1x Michael Luther 4 aus pre Toreador:3
1x Remilliard, Devout 4 AUS pre !Toreador:2
1x Richard Tauber, Ay 4 AUS tha !Tremere:2
1x Isabel de Leon 3 AUS Toreador:2
1x Martin Franckel 3 AUS tha Tremere:3
1x Zoe 3 AUS cel obf Malkavian:2
1x Almiro Suarez 2 aus Tremere:3
1x Nicholas Chang 2 aus !Toreador:3
1x Piotr Andreikov 2 aus Tzimisce:3
1x Feo Ramos 1 aus Pander:3
1x Franciscus 1 aus Caitiff:2
Library [90 cards]
------------------------------------------------------------
Action [2]
1x Anima Gathering
1x Revelations
Combat [10]
4x Concealed Weapon
6x Read Intentions
Equipment [15]
3x .44 Magnum
1x Bowl of Convergence
1x Cooler
3x Leather Jacket
5x Saturday-Night Special
2x Sport Bike
Master [18]
2x Auspex
1x Direct Intervention
1x Golconda: Inner Peace
1x KRCG News Radio
1x Powerbase: Montreal
1x Rack, The
1x Rumor Mill, Tabloid Newspaper, The
3x Smiling Jack, The Anarch
1x Sudden Reversal
5x Vessel
1x WMRH Talk Radio
Reaction [44]
3x Eagle's Sight
4x Enhanced Senses
4x Eyes of Argus
12x Forced Awakening
2x My Enemy's Enemy
6x Precognition
4x Spirit's Touch
9x Telepathic Misdirection
Retainer [1]
1x Mr. Winthrop
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
My 2011 ACC Deck: Cock Robin Wall
Here's the deck I used in the 2011 ACC. In retrospect, I should have made adjustments for more forward movement.
Deck Name : Cock Robin's Wall
Author : Eric Tomas
Description :
Finalist deck at the 2011 ACC
Crypt [13 vampires] Capacity min: 5 max: 10 average: 7.46154
------------------------------------------------------------
4x Cock Robin 10 ANI OBF POT aus for justicar Nosferatu:3
2x Nikolaus Vermeulen 7 POT ani for obf prince Nosferatu:2
2x Teresita, The Godm 7 ANI OBF POT for !Nosferatu:3
2x Calebros, The Mart 5 ANI obf pot prince Nosferatu:2
1x Ferox, The Rock Lo 7 FOR POT VIS ani Gargoyle:2
1x Gerard Rafin 6 OBF POT ani for Nosferatu:3
1x Sundown 6 ANI POT obf pre Nosferatu:3
Library [90 cards]
------------------------------------------------------------
Action [2]
2x Army of Rats
Ally [2]
2x Procurer
Combat [49]
6x Carrion Crows
2x Disarm
2x Drawing Out the Beast
5x Immortal Grapple
6x Rolling with the Punches
4x Skin of Rock
2x Soak
4x Street Cred
3x Superior Mettle
6x Taste of Vitae
2x Thrown Sewer Lid
7x Torn Signpost
Master [17]
3x Fortitude
1x Golconda: Inner Peace
1x Powerbase: Montreal
1x Rack, The
1x Slum Hunting Ground
3x Smiling Jack, The Anarch
1x Sudden Reversal
6x Vessel
Reaction [14]
4x Forced Awakening
2x On the Qui Vive
8x Second Tradition: Domain
Retainer [6]
6x Raven Spy
Crafted with : Anarch Revolt Deck Builder. [Mon Oct 10 09:18:42 2011]
Deck Name : Cock Robin's Wall
Author : Eric Tomas
Description :
Finalist deck at the 2011 ACC
Crypt [13 vampires] Capacity min: 5 max: 10 average: 7.46154
------------------------------------------------------------
4x Cock Robin 10 ANI OBF POT aus for justicar Nosferatu:3
2x Nikolaus Vermeulen 7 POT ani for obf prince Nosferatu:2
2x Teresita, The Godm 7 ANI OBF POT for !Nosferatu:3
2x Calebros, The Mart 5 ANI obf pot prince Nosferatu:2
1x Ferox, The Rock Lo 7 FOR POT VIS ani Gargoyle:2
1x Gerard Rafin 6 OBF POT ani for Nosferatu:3
1x Sundown 6 ANI POT obf pre Nosferatu:3
Library [90 cards]
------------------------------------------------------------
Action [2]
2x Army of Rats
Ally [2]
2x Procurer
Combat [49]
6x Carrion Crows
2x Disarm
2x Drawing Out the Beast
5x Immortal Grapple
6x Rolling with the Punches
4x Skin of Rock
2x Soak
4x Street Cred
3x Superior Mettle
6x Taste of Vitae
2x Thrown Sewer Lid
7x Torn Signpost
Master [17]
3x Fortitude
1x Golconda: Inner Peace
1x Powerbase: Montreal
1x Rack, The
1x Slum Hunting Ground
3x Smiling Jack, The Anarch
1x Sudden Reversal
6x Vessel
Reaction [14]
4x Forced Awakening
2x On the Qui Vive
8x Second Tradition: Domain
Retainer [6]
6x Raven Spy
Crafted with : Anarch Revolt Deck Builder. [Mon Oct 10 09:18:42 2011]
2011 ACC
I didn't realize it's been three years since I've written anything in this blog. I didn't even write anything about White Wolf ending production on the game last year.
At any rate, the game itself remains alive, as dedicated players continue to gather and play.
Last Sunday, for instance, I managed to play in the Asian Continental Championships (ACC), held at Schizo Cafe along Katipunan Ave. in Quezon City.
Since I knew that parking in that area was a premium, I decided to go early, only to find out that the cafe was still closed; it would open near 9 am.
When it opened, the players arrived in trickles, and, soon, it was time to game.
I used a version of the deck I played in the qualifier tournament, a intercepting deck with Cock Robin the Nosferatu justicar as the central vampire.
In the first round, I managed to get a game win (GW) and 3 victory points (VP), even though Cock Robin didn't come out. In that table, I managed to hold the line with Teresita, Nikolaus Vermeulen, Calebros the Martyr, and Sundown, as my Smiling Jack did the work.
In the second round, I got two more VPs, and was the last man standing, as Singaporean Le Fei took out the other three Meths using her Samedi deck.
The third round went pretty quickly, as Gee Hwan (did I get the spelling right?) brought a stealth dom bleeder, and took out the table early enough for us to rest up for the finals. I managed to bring out the Smiling Jack, but it wasn't able to put a dent into the speed of the bleeding Gee brought to the table.
My GW and 5 VPs got me onto the table, along with Karl, Troy, Gee Hwan, and defending champion Stephen. As luck would have it, the seating placed squarely in front of Gee Hwan, which basically ended any chance for me to get started. Sure enough, while I got Teresita out, Gee had gotten me down to 5 pool in 5 minutes.
Unfortunately for him, the sheer brutality of the bleed spurred the other Meths to act, as both Stephen and Troy attacked Gee's minions after what happened to me. It was enough to weaken Gee for Karl's bleeding, making Gee the first player off the table. Since I was too weakened to do anything, Gee's exit was quickly followed by mine. Stephen managed to hold off Karl in the end game in order to defend his title.
All in all, it was a good day for playing V:TES. My deck worked fairly well, and I got a whole load of prizes for making it to the finals table. I also made a number of new friends among the Singaporeans and Japanese who came over, which is, for me, one of the key reasons for playing.
The Ateneo was well-represented in the ACC finals, since all of the Filipinos in the finals (Karl, a college history professor, myself, a teacher, and Troy, an alumnus) were connected one way or the other to the school.
Even though V:TES is no longer being produced, I'm hoping that the ACC helped revitalize the game here in the Philippines, at least among those of us who do play. I'm looking forward to the next tournament.
At any rate, the game itself remains alive, as dedicated players continue to gather and play.
Last Sunday, for instance, I managed to play in the Asian Continental Championships (ACC), held at Schizo Cafe along Katipunan Ave. in Quezon City.
Since I knew that parking in that area was a premium, I decided to go early, only to find out that the cafe was still closed; it would open near 9 am.
When it opened, the players arrived in trickles, and, soon, it was time to game.
I used a version of the deck I played in the qualifier tournament, a intercepting deck with Cock Robin the Nosferatu justicar as the central vampire.
In the first round, I managed to get a game win (GW) and 3 victory points (VP), even though Cock Robin didn't come out. In that table, I managed to hold the line with Teresita, Nikolaus Vermeulen, Calebros the Martyr, and Sundown, as my Smiling Jack did the work.
In the second round, I got two more VPs, and was the last man standing, as Singaporean Le Fei took out the other three Meths using her Samedi deck.
The third round went pretty quickly, as Gee Hwan (did I get the spelling right?) brought a stealth dom bleeder, and took out the table early enough for us to rest up for the finals. I managed to bring out the Smiling Jack, but it wasn't able to put a dent into the speed of the bleeding Gee brought to the table.
My GW and 5 VPs got me onto the table, along with Karl, Troy, Gee Hwan, and defending champion Stephen. As luck would have it, the seating placed squarely in front of Gee Hwan, which basically ended any chance for me to get started. Sure enough, while I got Teresita out, Gee had gotten me down to 5 pool in 5 minutes.
Unfortunately for him, the sheer brutality of the bleed spurred the other Meths to act, as both Stephen and Troy attacked Gee's minions after what happened to me. It was enough to weaken Gee for Karl's bleeding, making Gee the first player off the table. Since I was too weakened to do anything, Gee's exit was quickly followed by mine. Stephen managed to hold off Karl in the end game in order to defend his title.
All in all, it was a good day for playing V:TES. My deck worked fairly well, and I got a whole load of prizes for making it to the finals table. I also made a number of new friends among the Singaporeans and Japanese who came over, which is, for me, one of the key reasons for playing.
The Ateneo was well-represented in the ACC finals, since all of the Filipinos in the finals (Karl, a college history professor, myself, a teacher, and Troy, an alumnus) were connected one way or the other to the school.
Even though V:TES is no longer being produced, I'm hoping that the ACC helped revitalize the game here in the Philippines, at least among those of us who do play. I'm looking forward to the next tournament.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
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.
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.
Monday, August 21, 2006
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).
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).
Tuesday, January 03, 2006
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
To Jerome:
To me:
path of death and the soul
To Tomek:
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.
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
Claiming the Body x2
Redistribution x2
Shell Game
Hermana Hambrienta Mayor (LoB)
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
To me:
This just in from Tomek Kowalewski, from Poland: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
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.
Friday, December 16, 2005
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
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
Saturday, December 10, 2005
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.
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.
Wednesday, November 30, 2005
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.
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.
Wednesday, November 23, 2005
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.
I'm looking forward to getting my Legacies cards, but they're still scheduled to arrive in late December. Dang.
Tuesday, November 08, 2005
Friday at Gloria Jean's Greenhills
I was able to playtest two decks last Friday, when the Methuselahs descended on Gloria Jean's in Greenhills.
The first was the "Angry Mob" disciplineless deck. While it was fun to play, it was still a little clunky. I'll be removing the Traps (it's not like 1 or 2-caps will come out of it alive anyway), and replace them with Autarkis Persecutions and another Info Highway. One of the other problems is the ratio of Concealed Weapons to weapons, and what sort of weapons I should be using. I've tweaked it, and I think this time, it'll fly.
My prey for the first game was Haig's Wynn deck, which has been retooled to be a light interceptor, but there are only so many minions Wynn can block. He finally decided to concede, because he predicted that it was only a matter of time before he got ousted anyway.
For the second game, we decided to play against the Nergal deck. This time, I used the Presence weenie voters. Apparently, the trick of ganging up on the Nergal deck works; I'm assuming the reason why Nergal is winning in the U.S. is because either someone decides to make a deal with the Nergal player, or the table is curious to see what the Nergal deck is capable of, and don't pressure it early on, to the table's detriment.
The presence voters were helped a lot by the fact that attention was spent on ousting the Nergal deck, which gave me time to tool and set up. By the time Nergal was ousted, I had about 6-7 minions out, which were hell for Dave's Giovannis and Louie's Brujahs. Louie had sacrificed himself so that we could get Nergal out, and was no match for a weenie horde on his back. We decided to stop after I had ousted Paul, Dave and Louie, so that another game could be set up. Looking back, I kind of wish that I had tried to oust Tonichi's !Nossie wall deck, just to see if I could.
After that, I let others play on the table, as I could feel the painful tendrils of V:TES Head beginning to creep up on me. I did get a bit of a good trade, trading an Absimiliard's Army to Paul for a Ventrue Justicar and about 4 Pack Alphas, and a future possibility, because Louie is looking for Govern the Unaligneds, of which I have a crapload.
I think the next game will be when the Legacies of Blood will come out, and I'll write about that sometime during the week.
The first was the "Angry Mob" disciplineless deck. While it was fun to play, it was still a little clunky. I'll be removing the Traps (it's not like 1 or 2-caps will come out of it alive anyway), and replace them with Autarkis Persecutions and another Info Highway. One of the other problems is the ratio of Concealed Weapons to weapons, and what sort of weapons I should be using. I've tweaked it, and I think this time, it'll fly.
My prey for the first game was Haig's Wynn deck, which has been retooled to be a light interceptor, but there are only so many minions Wynn can block. He finally decided to concede, because he predicted that it was only a matter of time before he got ousted anyway.
For the second game, we decided to play against the Nergal deck. This time, I used the Presence weenie voters. Apparently, the trick of ganging up on the Nergal deck works; I'm assuming the reason why Nergal is winning in the U.S. is because either someone decides to make a deal with the Nergal player, or the table is curious to see what the Nergal deck is capable of, and don't pressure it early on, to the table's detriment.
The presence voters were helped a lot by the fact that attention was spent on ousting the Nergal deck, which gave me time to tool and set up. By the time Nergal was ousted, I had about 6-7 minions out, which were hell for Dave's Giovannis and Louie's Brujahs. Louie had sacrificed himself so that we could get Nergal out, and was no match for a weenie horde on his back. We decided to stop after I had ousted Paul, Dave and Louie, so that another game could be set up. Looking back, I kind of wish that I had tried to oust Tonichi's !Nossie wall deck, just to see if I could.
After that, I let others play on the table, as I could feel the painful tendrils of V:TES Head beginning to creep up on me. I did get a bit of a good trade, trading an Absimiliard's Army to Paul for a Ventrue Justicar and about 4 Pack Alphas, and a future possibility, because Louie is looking for Govern the Unaligneds, of which I have a crapload.
I think the next game will be when the Legacies of Blood will come out, and I'll write about that sometime during the week.
Monday, October 17, 2005
Storyline!
Well, the storyline's come and gone, and the Setites reign supreme in San Juan.
My Gangrel deck went clunky on me, and I couldn't do much damage, to my dismay. Both rounds saw me ousted, without any VPs. Ah, well. C'est la vie.
Karl, who had used an interesting Pander deck to get the finals, chose to use the Nergal deck. And he proceeded to bash Tatel's Ventrue bloat deck for his first target. All this with Tatel telling him, "Karl, let me remind you that I'm not your only prey." No dice. I'm pretty certain Karl was aware of Tatel's style of play, and didn't give him any breathing room to maneuver or bloat.
However, winning the table was not to be for Karl and Nergal. The rest of the players, aware of the threat the Nergal deck was, set aside their differences, and ganged up on it. Tammy's Gangrels delivered the killing blow, and, weakened by the effort, was ousted by Danio's Setites for the clan win.
Even if I didn't get to play in the finals, it was still a good day for me. I got to make a number of trades, and swelled my collection and my needs.
My Gangrel deck went clunky on me, and I couldn't do much damage, to my dismay. Both rounds saw me ousted, without any VPs. Ah, well. C'est la vie.
Karl, who had used an interesting Pander deck to get the finals, chose to use the Nergal deck. And he proceeded to bash Tatel's Ventrue bloat deck for his first target. All this with Tatel telling him, "Karl, let me remind you that I'm not your only prey." No dice. I'm pretty certain Karl was aware of Tatel's style of play, and didn't give him any breathing room to maneuver or bloat.
However, winning the table was not to be for Karl and Nergal. The rest of the players, aware of the threat the Nergal deck was, set aside their differences, and ganged up on it. Tammy's Gangrels delivered the killing blow, and, weakened by the effort, was ousted by Danio's Setites for the clan win.
Even if I didn't get to play in the finals, it was still a good day for me. I got to make a number of trades, and swelled my collection and my needs.
Friday, September 23, 2005
Trades!
Unlike in Magic, which makes a premium on selling rare cards, the major means of trading in V:TES is bartering, which is just fine for me. Instead of shelling out money for single cards, I can trade my rares for a bunch of common/uncommon cards that I need. And as any V:TES player will tell you, more often than not, the common/uncommon cards are what you'll need to build good decks. Although there are some rares which are must-haves, most really just round out the deck and help strengthen any possible weaknesses.
I was able to make two major trades over this month, one with Peter Bakija, my overseas contact, and with the Cheng-Chuas/Ong.
My trade with Peter (this one, however, includes a combined trade with Tonichi):
To Peter:
1x Life in the City
1x Anarchist Uprising
1x Weighted Walking Stick
1x Unliscenced Taxicab
2x Deflection1x The Coven
1x Elysium, The Arboretum
1x Defender of the Haven
1x Revelations
1x Vox Senis
1x Jayne Jonestown
To us:
1x Mitru the Hunter
1x Enkidu
1x Potchli
2x Anima Gathering
2x Dead Hand
2x Earth Shock
1x Decapitate
1x Elemental Stoicism
1x Pack Alpha
1x Anarch Succession
1x Kingston Penetentiary
1x Tom
1x Jerry
1x Barry
To the Cheng-Chuas/Ong:
1x Blissful Agony
1x Blessing of the Name
1x Engling Fury
1x Art's Traumatic Essence
To me:
1x Pochtli
2x Zillah's Valley
4x Majesty (VtES version)
4x Speak with Spirits
6x Nose of the Hound
2x Revelations
2x Animal Magnetism
1x Iron Glare
These should help shore up my various decks, and give me ideas for building new ones.
I was able to make two major trades over this month, one with Peter Bakija, my overseas contact, and with the Cheng-Chuas/Ong.
My trade with Peter (this one, however, includes a combined trade with Tonichi):
To Peter:
1x Life in the City
1x Anarchist Uprising
1x Weighted Walking Stick
1x Unliscenced Taxicab
2x Deflection1x The Coven
1x Elysium, The Arboretum
1x Defender of the Haven
1x Revelations
1x Vox Senis
1x Jayne Jonestown
To us:
1x Mitru the Hunter
1x Enkidu
1x Potchli
2x Anima Gathering
2x Dead Hand
2x Earth Shock
1x Decapitate
1x Elemental Stoicism
1x Pack Alpha
1x Anarch Succession
1x Kingston Penetentiary
1x Tom
1x Jerry
1x Barry
To the Cheng-Chuas/Ong:
1x Blissful Agony
1x Blessing of the Name
1x Engling Fury
1x Art's Traumatic Essence
To me:
1x Pochtli
2x Zillah's Valley
4x Majesty (VtES version)
4x Speak with Spirits
6x Nose of the Hound
2x Revelations
2x Animal Magnetism
1x Iron Glare
These should help shore up my various decks, and give me ideas for building new ones.
Wednesday, September 14, 2005
Infernal Plague
I'm looking forward to the new storyline event coming up, the Infernal Plague: the Return of Nergal. As usual, I'll probably be using my Gangrels to attempt to be the one to take out the damned Baali. However, I may decide to use either my Brujah antitribu, or the Samedi. Ah, well. We'll see, as the tournament is still a month away. Plenty of time to get ready.
Monday, September 05, 2005
Saturday Gaming
I know posting on the blog has been sporadic, but I'd like to try for a post every week from here on.
Last Saturday was a fun session of gaming, as I got to road-test two decks.
I found my newly-built Presence deck a tad clunky, as it couldn't do much because of the heavy voting on the table. I couldn't vote effectively, and the only reason why I got so far was that Haig, who was my prey, kept on taunting Charlie, my predator, about beating up on her vamps. As a result, she helped me vote him off the table. I then bled out Tatel, whose Mata Hari deck was having some problems, prompting him to scream, "Your deck sucks!!!" at Paul every so often. I think this was a matter of Charlie choosing who would get the VPs, as Vitel and Lucinde pretty much controlled the table.
Paul was using a !Nossie deck built around Black Annis and Aeron, and was pretty effective in pummelling Charlie's voters, but it didn't have enough bleed to get through her pool wall. Also, by the time it was just Paul, Charlie and me, Paul didn't have any library left, which limited his combat options. In effect, we conceded the first game to Charlie, because it looked certain that she would get the table win.
The Auspex deck fared a little better, although I had to leave early. Placing a Blood Doll and a Cooler on Tauber facilitated playing Smiling Jack; I probably would've gotten to 5-6 counters without draining my pool. My favorite point: Remilliard blocked Ruth McGinley's Purge, even after +4 stealth, and then maneuvered away and shot her.
I got the Smiling Jack to three counters before I left.
I'm looking forward to two upcoming things: one, is the Infernal Plague storyline, and the release of the Legacy of Blood. I don't really care about the new clans, but I do care about the Samedi and Blood Brother cards. I wonder what Genina will be like? Definitely superior Obfuscate and maybe Thanatosis, but beyond that, I've a blank.
I only wish that we could find some retailer to stock the cards on a regular basis.
Last Saturday was a fun session of gaming, as I got to road-test two decks.
I found my newly-built Presence deck a tad clunky, as it couldn't do much because of the heavy voting on the table. I couldn't vote effectively, and the only reason why I got so far was that Haig, who was my prey, kept on taunting Charlie, my predator, about beating up on her vamps. As a result, she helped me vote him off the table. I then bled out Tatel, whose Mata Hari deck was having some problems, prompting him to scream, "Your deck sucks!!!" at Paul every so often. I think this was a matter of Charlie choosing who would get the VPs, as Vitel and Lucinde pretty much controlled the table.
Paul was using a !Nossie deck built around Black Annis and Aeron, and was pretty effective in pummelling Charlie's voters, but it didn't have enough bleed to get through her pool wall. Also, by the time it was just Paul, Charlie and me, Paul didn't have any library left, which limited his combat options. In effect, we conceded the first game to Charlie, because it looked certain that she would get the table win.
The Auspex deck fared a little better, although I had to leave early. Placing a Blood Doll and a Cooler on Tauber facilitated playing Smiling Jack; I probably would've gotten to 5-6 counters without draining my pool. My favorite point: Remilliard blocked Ruth McGinley's Purge, even after +4 stealth, and then maneuvered away and shot her.
I got the Smiling Jack to three counters before I left.
I'm looking forward to two upcoming things: one, is the Infernal Plague storyline, and the release of the Legacy of Blood. I don't really care about the new clans, but I do care about the Samedi and Blood Brother cards. I wonder what Genina will be like? Definitely superior Obfuscate and maybe Thanatosis, but beyond that, I've a blank.
I only wish that we could find some retailer to stock the cards on a regular basis.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)