Deck Archetypes: Week of Nightmares

This deck archetype is around since the "Final Nights" expansion and therein "Week of Nightmares" have been released. Another name the deck has is "Ravnos P*rn" due to the artwork on the "Tumnimos". The deck is essentially a quite simple "Breed & Bleed" deck based on the "Ravnos" clan, which uses "Week of Nightmares" for enhancing its bleed capability. The deck is often based only on cards requiring "Ravnos" or "Chimerstry" only; the other clan disciplines "Animalism" and "Fortitude" are rarely used.

How to win with them
First of all the deck uses "Embraces" to get a sizable number of "Ravnos" for being able to go forward. Early only the larger number of minions are used to gain pool by hunting and playing "Tribute to the Master". Other deck variants use "Tumnimos" instead of "Embraces", both variants having its distinctive advantages.

• An "Embrace" can be played by any vampire, while a "Tumnimos" can only be played by "Ravnos" with a capacity above 4.
  
• An "Embrace" does not have any disciplines, while a "Tumnimos" have the basic level of "Chimerstry" and can gain another discipline (card) when put into play from your hand.
  
• An "Embrace" is a capacity 1 vampire, while a "Tumnimos" is a capacity 2 vampire (3 if a master discipline card is played on them).

The deck tries to stay inconspicous until the middle game; it wants to make it prey spent pool, and even wants it to make its prey pool, so that it is able to oust its first prey quickly, and maybe even oust its grandprey in quick succession.

The main line of defense is the use of "Sensory Deprivation" to literally deprive both the vampires of their ability to act or react consistently. This defense is applied against all kind of decks like "Rush combat", "Stealth Bleed" or "Vote" decks. The rather high cost of the card is payed by playing "Ravnos Carnival" before, where you get a number of blood counters equal to the number of "Ravnos" you control which can be used to pay action cards.

The vehicle to make these actions happen are the various action modifiers based on "Chimerstry" that provide Stealth. Although the amount of Stealth is rather limited compared to other disciplines like "Obfuscate" or "Obtenebration", this is made up by the fact that all of three cards are having secondary effects which are quite versatile.

• "Fata Morgana" -- also used a bleed modifier.
• "Mirror Image" -- provides a "Strike: Combat Ends" and the option to continue an action if blocked.
  
• "Occlusion" -- provides stealth that costs nothing, as well as a "Strike: Dodge".

Later in the game, preferably when at least one player has been ousted, the "Week of Nightmares" is played. Since only one "Week of Nightmares" can be played, the timing of its play is crucial. With the current amount of "Washes" played, you'll have to be sure that nobody is going to play "Wash" against it, e.g. you'll have to observe the table very closely if another player may or may not have a "Wash" in his hand. Also it only makes sense to play the "Week of Nightmares" if the negative effect of the "Week of Nightmares" will not take place in the remainder of the game. So either the time limit of the game is rapidly approaching and/or the other players are low on pool (ten or less). This is needed, so the "Ravnos" horde with the enhanced bleed can overwhelm one or two players in a very short time (4 turns or less) in order to secure the game win. Technically sometimes the "Week of Nightmares" is not really needed, since the "Ravnos" have usually both the number of minions in play as well as the bleed capability with "Fata Morgana" or bleed equipment like "Treasured Samadji".

Probably the most condensed & focused version is that shown in the deck list below built and played by Stefan Ferenci. Deck variations with focussing on Group 3/4 (G4/5) can also use the special ability of "Paul Forrest", who can give a "Ravnos" +1 bleed for the current action.

Another version of the deck uses "Consanguineous Boon" for massive pool gain where "Eldest are Kholo" are used for making the referendum successful. This version has limited crypt choice since "Eldest are Kholo" requires Laibon "Ravnos" to get the full effect of the card. Luckily the "Embraces" or "Tumnimos" created by a Laibon "Ravnos" are belong the Laibon sect as well.

In all three areas the defenses of the deck are quite light. This is intentional in order not to dillute the offensive capabilities.

Bleed defense
This is definetely the Achilles heel of the deck. If bleed hard early in the game, the deck's only response is to play "Tribute to the Master" or to play "Sensory Deprivation" on the bleeding vampires. If you don't get them quickly enough, you're dead as a Dodo.

Vote defense
The decks vote defense is limited to "Delaying Tactics" and "Eldest are Kholo" (if played in the "Con. Boon variant).

Combat defense
The defense is here is two-fold, one the hand both "Occlusion" and "Mirror Image" (which also double as stealth modififiers) are used as "Strike: Dodge" and "Strike: Combat Ends". On the other hand the sheer number of vampires in play should guarantee that the deck is able to go forward, even if two or three vampires are in torpor. "Safety in numbers" is the motto here.

How to win against them
Beating this deck is not as it looks like in the first place. This is mostly because there often lots of "Ravnos" in play and the offensive/defensive qualities of "Sensory Deprivation". In the early and mid-game the deck is somewhat passive, only playing "Embraces" and hunting. If you can try to block the action that brings the "Embraces" or "Tumnimos" into play, but you should keep in mind which of the other "Ravnos" can play "Sensory Deprivation", this is the act you have to block (or cancel). Have in mind that there are only there different stealth cards the deck features, each of them giving +1 stealth, so the maximum stealth the "Ravnos" can use by playing cards is +3. If you only casual intercept, I wouldn't bother to try to block or save it for blocking the important actions.

If "Sensory Deprivation" has been played on one of your vampires, you need to kill (either torporize, banish, ..) the "Ravnos" how played it earlier. If you cannot do it yourself (or you want to spare your resources), try to convince your counterpart (grandprey or grandpredator) to do so.

Another action you have to take is to remove any "Path of Paradox" being played by the "Ravnos". The card although looking inconspicous it helps save the "Ravnos" a lot of blood, they need to bloat or pay the more expensive cards like "Embrace" or "Sensory Deprivation".

Save a "Wash" for the "Week of Nightmare" to come, but do not rely on the illusion that the "Ravnos" are finished then, they are not by a long shot. The sheer number of them accompanied by the amount of stealth and the bleed modifiers like "Fata Morgana" can still overwhelm your defenses. After a "Week of Nightmare" do not ever forget to move a counter from the "Week of Nightmare" to a "Ravnos". In a heads-up situation this might not make a difference, but on a 4 or 5 player table is certainly does. Also try to remember, that while the "Week of Nightmare" is in play, each of the "Ravnos" also has +1 strength. So when consider blocking or taking actions against them, take this into account.

When trying to oust the "Ravnos" as your prey, try to do so in a turn or two, otherwise the "Ravnos" player will go backwards with a "Sensory Deprivation".

Key Cards

• "Week Of Nightmares" -- the namesake of the deck archetype, used a killer card to finish off the table.
  
• "Sensory Deprivation" -- the main offense action card used as defense against various threats.
  
• "Tumnimos" / "Embrace" -- the cards providing the "Ravnos" Weenie horde used for overwhelming its prey.
  
• "Ravnos Carnival" -- used to pay for the "Sensory Deprivation" and/or "Embraces".
  
• "Fata Morgana" / * "Occlusion" -- the main combo cards with Stealth.

Notable Examples & Variations

• "Week of Nightmares" by Stefan Ferenci -- very focused version.
  
• "Zigeunerfasching" by Andreas Nusser -- uses a huge number of Embraces, and neglects the stealth modifiers thereby.
  
• "Ravnos Mass Embrace Carnival" by Christian Chenard -- similar to the above deck, but features a large number of master cards (40+).
  
• "Matthew 7:15" by John Bell -- uses "Edged Illusion" instead of "Sensory Deprivation".
  
• "For Gypsy Queen & Country" by Robert Thompson -- rather toolboxy variant with "Animalism" & "Fortitude" combat.
  

Sample Decklist

Last Chance European Championship Qualifier
Heidelburg, Germany
November 27th, 2004
128 players

Tournament Winning Deck by Stefan Ferenci

Crypt [12 vampires] Capacity min: 2 max: 6 average: 3.75
---------------------------------------------
2x Khalil Ravana 5 CHI ani for pre Ravnos:2
2x Salbatore Bokkengr 4 CHI for pro Ravnos:2
1x Joaquina Amaya 6 ANI CHI FOR Ravnos:2
1x Vaclav Petalengro 6 ANI CHI for pot Ravnos:2
1x Lázár Dobrescu 3 for Ravnos:2
1x Tsigane 3 aus chi Ravnos:2
1x Vedel Esbreno 3 chi for Ravnos:2
1x Sasha Miklos 2 chi Ravnos:2
1x Spleen, Georgio Gu 2 ani chi Ravnos:2
1x Zip 2 ani Ravnos:3

Library [60 cards]
---------------------------------------------
Action [15]
8x Embrace, The
7x Sensory Deprivation

Action Modifier [12]
5x Change of Target
7x Fata Morgana

Action Modifier/Combat [11]
6x Mirror Image
5x Occlusion

Equipment [1]
1x Treasured Samadji

Master [21]
1x Coven, The
1x Fortune Teller Shop
5x Life in the City
3x Path of Paradox, The
5x Ravnos Carnival
4x Tribute to the Master
2x Week of Nightmares