Methuselahs Rising: Barnett's Birthday Basagan ng Bungo (tournament)

 

Vampire: The Eternal Struggle (V:TES) players once more converged at 89 Panay for two purposes: one was to celebrate the birthday of veteran V:TES player Richard "Carding" Barnett, and to participate in the first official post-pandemic V:TES tournament. A total of 17 players came together for a day of V:TES.   

While the tournament was an officially sanctioned tournament, there was an additional mechanic added, in honor of Carding's love for combat decks. Thus, points would be awarded for torporing or burning minions, with the one garnering the most point being named the King of Combat. Hence, the tournament was named "Barnett's Basagan ng Bungo" (Barnett's Skull Smashing), as it was likely that there would be a lot of downed or burned minions at the end of it.

In an official V:TES tournament, the players may use only one deck throughout, with no sideboarding or revising of the deck. Players get a victory point (VP) for ousting their prey, and a game win (GW) for getting the most VPs in a round. There are other ways of gaining VPs, but these are the basics (since this is my regular blog, I won't bore you with the gory details. If you wish, you can visit my V:TES blog for those.).

For this tournament, I decided to use my City Gangrel deck, which focuses on stealth and aggravated damage to get things done. Given the likely combat-heavy metagame, I felt that this strategy would help me gain both VPs and kills. In addition, the City Gangrel have the card Gangrel Conspiracy, which protects the minion from the blood hunt that results from diablerie, that action of burning a vampire in torpor (knocked out; once more, I'll try to keep this relatively understandable). 

I eschewed using a Fortitude-based deck, which would have provided more protection against combat decks, but needed a lot of cards to really get going. I have a number of decks that use FOR, but I wasn't too confident of their current builds, as they relied on the bigger vamps, which could take time for me to set up. With the relative smaller sizes of the City Gangrel, I felt that they would be able to get out and do damage more quickly. 

In the first round, I got stymied by my prey, as Paul Tio, who eventually took our first round table, had built a relatively standard Gangrel deck out of the newer 5th edition starter deck and the accompanying New Blood pack .The Gangrel do have FOR built in, which meant Paul's minions could shrug off my City Gangrel's damage. I couldn't get through, and the Gangrel blazed through the table to give Paul the table win.

In the second round, it seemed like the same, as my prey, Faust, had brought out the Gangrel antitribu Enkidu, the Noah, one of the biggest combat monsters ever. However, since the Noah only had basic FOR, Faust had to rely on using the damage prevention provided by the Noah's main Discipline, Protean (PRO), and found himself immediately torpored, courtesy of his prey Jason's use of the Ivory Bow . Enkidu was then destroyed by one of Jason's Nephandi, which pretty much crippled Faust for the rest of the round. 

On my side of the table, my predator, Haig, had brought out his ever-reliable Potence (POT) weenies, which hit for a lot. However, since Haig's deck was completely focused on bashing the heck out of his opponent's minions, there was no damage prevention, which allowed my City Gangrel to send a number of his minions into torpor, and burn them via diablerie. 

Jason's deck appeared to be a mix of the Rise of the Nephandi starter deck and the Fall of London set, and he had brought out a number of allies, which made it difficult to get through. Eventually, however, after I had ousted Faust, I simply concentrated on using stealth to get my bleeds through, instead of trying to destroy Jason's minions. Unfortunately for me, it left me with only Ellen Fence, my main vampire standing, which allowed Haig to oust me as the round time was running out. That gave both me and Haig 2 VPs.

I was not able to stay for the finals table, but it was interesting for the fact that one of the finalists, Mara Narciso, using a Nosferatu combat deck made it to her first Finals table, courtesy of her first table win ever. The tournament organizer Joscar Malacaman, won the tournament using a Banu Haqim deck that apparently relied on stealing blood from opposing minions and Anathema, a vote card that caused a target vampire to burn once they were out of blood. Haig, predictably, had the most kills in the tournament, and retained his title of King of Combat.

All in all, it was a fun day, as there were games galore, both official and friendly, and of course, the delicious food provided by 89 Panay. While I didn't make it to the Finals, I did have fun with the City Gangrel deck, which probably means I'll be tweaking it for future use. 

First round action. Image courtesy of Richard Barnett

Rising Out of Torpor 2023

 

Last Saturday, more than a dozen Vampire: The Eternal Struggle (V:TES) players descended on 89 Panay to play V:TES. For a number of us, it was the first time to play since before the pandemic. In my case, I had played with two friends a few months ago, but, since V:TES is generally better when there's four or more players, it was merely a taste of what went through last Saturday.

V:TES is the card game created by Richard Garfield, the creator of Magic: The Gathering (M:TG), and is based on Vampire: The Masquerade (V:TM) the popular vampire role-playing game created by Matt Rein Hagen. Instead of wizards battling for supremacy, the game sees the players as Methuselahs, ancient vampires orchestrating moves planned over centuries to influence the world. The game is built for a multi-player set-up of around 4-5 players, which means that table dynamics usually involve making (and breaking) deals with your opponents. It would be too much to try to explain the rules of V:TES here; you can go here to learn more about this game. 

89 Panay is an outdoor resto-bar-cafe along Panay Ave., and serves a variety of food, including breakfast meals, sandwiches, and grilled meats and seafood. While it's a little on the pricey side, each meal is sumptuous, especially the breakfast meals, which can probably feed two people. Its proprietor Rommel was on hand to welcome the players and while the game intrigued him, he was more content to watch the Meths take each other on.

In my case, I hadn't been able to tune any of my decks since before the pandemic, but I was able to play three games with three different decks. With me making the slow rise to torpor, I'll likely try to write more often in this blog, with the next post being about the decks I used last Saturday.

The game continues to evolve and grow, with Black Chantry Productions continuing to come out with new decks and cards on a regular basis. The RPG has also evolved, with a number of vampire clans going through some major changes, as part of the game designer's attempts to attract new players into the game. Similarly, V:TES has also evolved, incorporating the RPG changes into the cards, which then provide the spark for new deck designs.

While I'd love to introduce the game to my students, I can't, since V:TES is still basically a horror game meant for older players. The themes, as well as a good number of the card images, would not be suitable for the levels that I handle.

Aside from the games itself, it was a first-time meet-up with some of the other players in Metro Manila for me. While I've been following some of the games on Facebook, I had not yet met a number of these new and old players, and I was glad to finally make their acquaintance. The games last Saturday also brought a number of veteran players out of torpor, that term of course referring to vampires who've gone into a deathlike hibernation status. Thus, it was an afternoon and evening of games and conversation.

Last Saturday's gathering showed that V:TES remains alive and ready for those interested to learn the game. Hopefully, game sessions such as these will become more common as the days go, with official tournaments becoming a thing once more. Such excitement to come!

My second round table. Mine are the cards on the lower left corner.

A Christmas Post - Stealth Bleeder Deck

Well, it's been a particularly busy two months, which is why I haven't been able to write anything. However, with the Christmas season and break, I may be able to finish the year with one or two posts.

In my last post, I wrote about stealth-bleed, and about the ways and means one would have to use in order to deal with it. I also included Johann Ong's Asian Continental Championship (ACC) deck, which, I have to point out, isn't that aggressive a stealth bleed deck, since it relies solely on Dementation (DEM) to get its bleeds through. However, given the right mix of table dynamics, the 2-3 stealth stemming from Confusion (+1 stealth, +1 bleed), Deny (+1 stealth at superior), and Mind Tricks is often enough to get the job done. In Johann's case, it made him the ACC champ.

 That being said, Johann's win, along with the spirited discussion that ensued from my stealth bleed post, spurred me to try to build my own stealth bleeder, using Obfuscate (OBF) and Presence (PRE). The deck list below is already modified from my testing the draft deck.
 
I originally centered it around Isouda de Blaise, but, as a 7-cap, she's too large to bring out quickly, and I wanted the deck to be speedy. So, instead, the center is now around Herbert Westin and Renenet, who both have Obfuscate and Presence at superior, and, at 5 capacity, are relatively quick to come out. I'm still not sure about whether to keep Antoinette, or swap her out with a 5-cap with obf and pre. I'll probably come to a clearer decision after testing this deck.

The weapons module of 4 Concealed Weapons and 4 .44 Magnums is also something I'm thinking about. A possibility is that I do away with it, and include other cards that prevent blocking, such as Misdirection or Anarch Troublemaker. Once more, testing will tell me what I need to do.

At any rate, this is a work in progress, so comments are always welcome.

A most merry Christmas to all!
 

Deck Name:   Stealth PRE Bleeder (3-4)

Crypt: (12 cards, Min: 18, Max: 21, Avg: 4.91)
----------------------------------------------
  1  Antoinette                           cel obf AUS PRE          6  Toreador                   G3  Primogen
  2  Herbert Westin                    pot OBF PRE                5  Brujah                     G4
  2  Renenet                               ser OBF PRE                5  Follower of Set            G4 
  1  Axel Von Anders                cel obf pot PRE             5  Brujah Antitribu           G4 
  1  Evan Klein                          aus dem pre OBF          5  Malkavian                  G3 
  1  Louis Fortier                        aus dom for obf pre      5  Ventrue                    G4 
  1  Louis Fortier (ADV)            aus dom for obf pre      5  Ventrue                    G4
  1  Cristos Mantigo                    aus cel dom obf pre      5  Toreador Antitribu         G3
  1  Robin Withers                      dom obf pre                   4  Ventrue                    G4 
  1  Tock                                     obf pot pre                     4  Nosferatu Antitribu        G3 
   

Library: (80 cards)
-------------------
Master (11 cards)
  2  Dreams of the Sphinx
  1  Effective Management
  1  Information Highway
  1  Perfectionist
  1  Rack, The
  1  Sudden Reversal
  4  Vessel

Action (18 cards)
  1  Conceal
  9  Enchant Kindred
  2  Forgery
  3  Legal Manipulations
  3  Public Trust

Action Modifier (18 cards)
  4  Aire of Elation
  2  Cloak the Gathering
  2  Elder Impersonation
  4  Faceless Night
  2  Forgotten Labyrinth
  4  Lost in Crowds

Combat (21 cards)
  6  Behind You!
  4  Concealed Weapon
  5  Majesty
  6  Unholy Penance

Equipment (8 cards)
  4  .44 Magnum 
  2  Camera Phone
  2  IR Goggles

Combo (4 cards)
  4  Swallowed by the Night

Musings on Stealh Bleed

The Asian Continental Championship (ACC) ended with the Philippines' Johann Ong winning his second ACC title by using a stealth bleed deck (deck list below).

Stealth bleed has been a key strategy ever since V:TES was created, since bleeding is the main way to oust one's prey. Generally speaking, the concept uses Disciplines which naturally provide bleed modifiers, such as Dominate (DOM), Presence (PRE), or Dementation (DEM), and these (sometimes) huge bleeds get through because of either stealth, of which Obfuscate (OBF) is the main Discipline, or block failure, using either DOM or Necromancy (NEC). However, as pointed out to me by a co-player, the latter method of getting bleeds through, by preventing blocks, is classified as power bleeding, which I will (probably; hopefully?) tackle in another post.  Between the two strategies, though, I've seen more stealth bleed decks, since the number of vampires with NEC is more limited.

Having a stealth bleeder as one's predator, in a word, sucks. A well-thought out stealth bleed deck will generally set up quickly, by getting small to midcap vampires out and putting them to work, e.g. bleed. During the 2011 ACC, I had the good luck to make it to the finals table, but had the bad luck to be on the receiving end of a stealth bleeder. The only reason I wasn't ousted was that my prey and grand prey decided to gang up on the stealth bleed deck, after which it became easy for its predator to oust him, and me.

The most common archetypes of the stealth bleed deck are the Malkavian '94 and the Kindred Spirits decks; in the recent ACC, Johann used the Kindred Spirits to win. Both deck archetypes are solid and efficient, and are often the entry-type deck for new players, since the decks are relatively simple to master.

That being said, I don't really have much experience with playing stealth bleed decks, since our local metagame (heavy combat) is inimical to it. Generally speaking, once a deck is identified as a stealth bleeder, players will ignore the predator-prey mechanic, and focus on beating the crap out of the stealth bleeder, since it's an obvious table threat.

One of the weaknesses of the deck concept is its single-mindedness on bleeding; oftentimes, there will be no space for combat defense. At the same time, when one has the entire table going after him/her, resource management becomes well nigh impossible. 

Aside from the table ganging up on the deck, other defenses against the stealth bleeder is to bounce the bleed via either DOM, with Deflections, or Auspex (AUS), with Telepathic Misdirections. Of course, a combat deck, whether pro-active (rush cards) or reactive (block and fight), will have a good chance of taking out the stealth bleeder's minions, although it will still depend on where one sits in relation to the stealth bleeder. A stealth bleed deck will go to town if there is a lack of any of these defense strategies. 

Below is Johann's winning deck list. As mentioned above, it's a Kindred Spirits-based deck, which relies solely on DEM. Based on a winning deck by Everton Biell, Johann tweaked it, and reduced it to a 75-card deck. Relying on small and midcap vampires, the deck looks like it will move swiftly, and, unless someone on the table acts against it aggressively, it will probably sweep a good number of tables.




Deck Name:   Johann's 2019 ACC DEM Bleeder
Created By: Johann Ong 

Crypt: (12 cards, Min: 6, Max: 18, Avg: 3)
------------------------------------------
  1  Apache Jones                       aus for obf DEM          5  Malkavian Antitribu        G4 
  1  Persia                                        aus obf DEM           5  Malkavian                       G3 
  1  Uncle George                       aus dom obf DEM       5  Malkavian Antitribu        G3 
  2  Jackie                                                       DEM        3  Malkavian Antitribu        G4 
  1  Marta                                                  aus dem         3  Malkavian Antitribu        G4 
  2  Midget                                        obf pre DEM         3  Malkavian Antitribu        G3 
  2  Cassandra Langely                                 dem            2  Malkavian                       G4 
  2  Eddie Gaines                                     dem pot            1  Caitiff                             G3 

Library: (75 cards)
-------------------
Master (13 cards)
  1  Archon Investigation
  4  Dementation
  2  Effective Management
  4  Misdirection
  1  Pentex(TM) Subversion
  1  Sudden Reversal

Action (21 cards)
  21 Kindred Spirits

Action Modifier (29 cards)
  12 Confusion
  11 Eyes of Chaos
  6  Mind Tricks

Combat (1 cards)
  1  Coma

Ally (1 cards)
  1  Ossian

Combo (10 cards)
  10 Deny


  

PRE Midcap Vote (Deck Concept)

Last month, I shared my thoughts on voting in V:TES, and I am thankful for those who helped me understand the mechanic a little better, since, upon reflection, I was a little too focused on using Presence (PRE). Hindsight being what it is, I probably should have titled it "Voting with Presence."

Still, among the various strategies people employ to facilitate their voting play, I find that PRE provides a good amount of push in getting votes through, which is why I built a deck centered around that Discipline for my voting deck.

So, this is basically a midcap deck, centered loosely around Tara. Other vampires may acquire titles via Praxis Seizures; looking at the crypt, I'm wondering whether adding the Brujah Justicar vote card would be helpful.  

Ousting is facilitated via Kine Resources Contested or Parity Shift. The Enchant Kindreds are more to facilitate getting vampires out of the controlled region.


To be sure, this is still a work in progress, as are many a deck I've built, but probably more so, since voting is not a strategy I often use. While the deck may sometimes win, if the votes on the table are substantial (i.e., the presence of Justicars, Inner Circles, and the like), it will probably go down. More often than not, it will require some sneaky table dynamics in order to win.

Also, the deck is limited by the cards that I currently have. As I'm not fond of breaking up decks in order to build decks, I'll probably add other cards as they become available.

As always, suggestions are always welcome.


Deck Name:   PRE Vote-Bleed

Crypt: (12 cards, Min: 16, Max: 25, Avg: 5.583)
----------------------------------------------
  2  Mukhtar Bey                 obf pot FOR PRE QUI      7  Caitiff                    G4  Prince
  2  Tara                                              cel POT PRE      6  Brujah                     G5  Prince
  1  Tomaine                                    CEL POT PRE      6  Brujah                     G4  Primogen 
  1  Joseph DiGiaccomo                  aus dom for PRE   6  Ventrue                    G5 
  1  Marguerite Foccart                 aus pot CEL PRE     6  Brujah                     G4 
  1  Beth Malcolm                       ani FOR PRE             6  Ventrue                    G5 
  1  Hezekiah Rutledge                  ani cel pot PRE        5  Brujah                     G4 
  1  Bethany Ray                               aus PRE               4  Toreador                   G5   
  1  Reginald Moore                              PRE                  4  Brujah                     G4  Primogen
  1  Reverend Adams                       aus PRE                 4  Ventrue                   G4 
 

Library: (80 cards)
-------------------
Master (10 cards)
  4  Vessel
  1  Effective Management
  1  Information Highway
  1  Dreams of the Sphinx
  1  Sudden Reversal
  1 Elysium: the Palace of Versailles

Action (13 cards)
  8  Enchant Kindred
  1  Entrancement
  1  Heart of the City
  1  Intimidation
  2  Public Trust

Action Modifier (19 cards)
  2  Awe
  6  Bewitching Oration
  2  Bribes
  3  Change of Target
  6  Voter Captivation

Political Action (23 cards)
  2  Autarkis Persecution
  1  Banishment
  2  Consanguineous Boon
  10 Kine Resources Contested
  4  Parity Shift
  1  Praxis Seizure: Amsterdam
  1  Praxis Seizure: Dublin
  1  Praxis Seizure: Glasgow
  1  Praxis Seizure: Rome
 
Reaction (4 cards)
  4  Second Tradition: Domain

Combat (10 cards)
  10 Majesty

Voting in V:TES

In V:TES, there are a number of strategies Methuselahs use to oust their prey and claim victory. The default, of course, is to focus on bleeding. Others resort to walling up, and using cards such as Smiling Jacks, Anarch Revolts, and Antedeluvian Awakening, in order to take out their prey. Still others use combat to frightening effect, torporing minions, leaving no one to block crippling actions. And then, there is voting.

Voting is a strategy that, while effective, is one I've not used effectively. More often than not, I get stymied by other voters on the table, or else, my lack of experience with the strategy causes me to make mistakes. Still, it's hard to deny that voting is probably, after bleeding, the most efficient way to get rid of one's play.

Essentially, the strategy involves bringing out vampires with titles (votes) and playing vote cards in order to burn pool from your prey. At the same time, voting is versatile in the sense that vote cards have access to a number of effects. While some, such as Kine Resources Contested (affectionately known as KRC), Conservative Agitation, and, for the Camarilla, Parity Shift, focus on burning pool, others, such as Autarkis Persecution, Consanguineous Boon, and Political Stranglehold, can be beneficial to the entire table.

Voting's versatility allows players to make deals with the rest of the voters on the table; oftentimes, all one has to do is throw in Bribes, and some players will vote in the affirmative, without considering the consequences of their vote (much like the current political atmosphere).

Other cards which provide flexibility and utility are Banishment, which sends a vampire back to the uncontrolled region, forcing the controlling Methuselah to influence it out again, if possible, and Anathema, which causes a targeted vampire to burn if it goes to zero blood.

Another card which I saw used to terrible effect in a janky deck was Might of the Camarilla, which was last reprinted in the 10th anniversary set, making it difficult to find. The strategy involved bringing out a Justicar (3 votes) or an Inner Circle (4 votes), and giving it Necromancy (NEC), which no current Justicar or Inner Circle possesses. Might of the Camarilla causes players to burn a vampire in the uncontrolled region, including the voting player. The Methuselah then has a minion act with Possession, which allows him to bring back a burned minion from the ash heap, or, using Mistress Fanchon's ability to search the library for minion cards, use the Sargon Fragment in order to gain superior NEC, which would make bringing burned minions out easy. In the game we played, before we knew it, he had 3 Inner Circles and 3 Justicars, and the vote totals were the highest I'd ever seen; it took 29 votes to defeat a called referendum. (More details on this janky deck in a future deck.)

Of course, if the table is opposed to one's votes, one can push the votes, and this is facilitated by the discipline Presence (PRE). With PRE, one can attempt to control the vote by playing cards such as Bewitching Oration and Awe. After winning a referendum, playing Voter's Captivation allows a Methuselah to gain blood and pool, depending on the winning margin of the referendum.

Combat defense for PRE voting begins and ends with Strike:Combat Ends (S:CE), of which Majesty is probably the most used, since it allows a minion to burn a blood to untap. If one is a little more aggressive, there is Catatonic Fear, which causes 1 point of unpreventable damage, or Unholy Penance, which is placed on the opposing minion and gives one +1 bleed against the Methuselah. Still, Majesty by and large is the go-to S:CE card. One of the challenges of S:CE is that it gets shut down by Immortal Grapple, which only allows hand strikes, so it's important to pack maneuvers in order to get away from dedicated combat decks.

All in all, voting is a versatile, effective strategy in V:TES, and, with the acquisition of Parity Shifts via the 25th anniversary deck (even if nerfed. I'm not going into that discussion.), I will probably try my hand at building a more focused voting deck. Bribes, anyone?

City Gangrel Rush

Back in June, I wrote about the City Gangrel, and how it managed to take a table. I thought I'd share the deck list, for the benefit of those who might want to try it.

Once more, the deck is meant to be multi-purpose, which helps in keeping people off-balance in dealing with it. At the heart of it is torporing opponent's minions, which allow the !Gangrel to run rampant. Whether it be Fame or Tension in the Ranks or The Path of Lilith, there are cards that will force other Methuselahs to burn pool. Diablerie, aided by the Conspiracy, allows the !Gangrel to remove difficult minions, although, of course, if an opposing Methuselah uses minions with Fortitude, it will make the !Gangrel's efforts to naught, to say the least.

Damage prevention is provided by Flesh of Marble or Leathery Hide. Not as effective as Fortitude damage prevention, but good enough in a pinch.

I use group 2-3 vampires because of Ellen, Zach, and Darrell, who all have the City Gangrel disciplines at superior.  Ellen, particularly, is useful because of her built-in Ambush ability. The other vamps serve as support and shock troops. 

Generally speaking, on a non-fortitude packed table, the City Gangrel have a good chance of taking it.



Deck Name:   City Gangrel Rush

Crypt: (12 cards, Min: 14, Max: 31, Avg: 5.83)
----------------------------------------------
  
  3  Ellen Fence                         aus CEL OBF PRO        8  Gangrel Antitribu          G2  Bishop
  2  Zachary                              for pre CEL OBF PRO   7  Gangrel Antitribu          G2
  2  Darrell Boyce                      CEL OBF PRO              6  Gangrel Antitribu          G2
  1  Harry Reese                         cel obf FOR PRO          6  Gangrel Antitribu          G3 

  1  Skryta Zyleta                      obf pot pro CEL             5  Gangrel Antitribu          G3 
  1  Scarlet Carson O'Toole       pro CEL                         4  Gangrel Antitribu          G3 
  1  Chandler Hungerford           PRO                              3  Gangrel                         G2
  1  Sadie                                   pro                                  2  Gangrel Antitribu          G2 

Library: (90 cards)
-------------------
Master (17 cards)
  4  Vessel
  4  Gangrel Conspiracy
  1  Campground Hunting Ground
  1  Fame
  1  Bay and Howl
  2  Haven Uncovered
  1  KRCG News Radio
  1  Path of Lilith, The
  1  Sudden Reversal
  1  Tension in the Ranks

Action (16 cards)
  2  Ambush
  1  Arson
  4  Bum's Rush
  4  Computer Hacking
  2  Fiendish Tongue
  3  Flurry of Action

Action Modifier (3 cards)
  3  Lost in Crowds

Combat (46 cards)  2  Acrobatics
  2  Amaranth
  7  Claws of the Dead
  4  Flash
  5  Flesh of Marble
  5  Leathery Hide
  6  Psyche!
  3  Pursuit
  6  Shadow Feint
  2  Sideslip  4  Wolf Claws

Retainer (2 cards)
  1  J. S. Simmons, Esq.
  1  Tasha Morgan

Combo (6 cards)
  2  Ritual of the Bitter Rose
  4  Swallowed by the Night