Twisting the Knife vs. Shoulder Drop

Here's "Dasein's" version of comparing the new upstart combat card "Shoulder Drop", to our esteemed elder statesmen of true combat mastery, "Twisting the Knife".

Twisting the Knife
Cardtype: Combat
Cost: 1 blood
Discipline: Potence
[pot] Only usable as damage from a hand or melee weapon strike is resolved; only usable if this vampire inflicts 3 or more damage. He or she inflicts an additional point of damage. Only one Twisting the Knife may be played by a vampire during a strike phase.
[POT] As above, with an optional press.

Shoulder Drop
Cardtype: Combat
Cost: nothing
Grapple. Play when you successfully inflict damage from a hand strike. After strike resolution, if this minion is still ready, the opposing minion takes 1 additional damage. The opposing minion cannot press this round. A minion may play only one Shoulder Drop each strike.

• Discipline:
  
  • "Twisting the Knife" requires "Potence".
    
  • "Shoulder Drop" may be played by any stupid monkey.
    
  • Everyone knows that "Potence" wins games, and stupid monkeys lose games, mainly to "Potence" decks.
    
  • Winner: "Twisting the Knife"
  
  
• Cost:
  
  • "Twisting the Knife" costs one blood.
    
  • "Shoulder Drop" is free.
    
  • Winner: "Shoulder Drop" (just)
  
  
• Requirements:
  
  • "Twisting the Knife" requires 3 or more damage from a hand or melee weapon strike.
    
  • "Shoulder Drop" requires any damage from a hand strike.
    
  • Everyone knows that melee weapons are for winners, and winners are grinners. Only chumps make hand strikes.
    
  • Winner: "Twisting the Knife"
  
  
• Damage:
  
  • "Twisting the Knife" does one damage.
    
  • "Shoulder Drop" does one extra damage.
    
  • Winner: Tie
  
  
• Other effects:
  
  • "Twisting the Knife" gives you a press, at superior. Everyone knows that winners play superior "Potence". Although they will have to fish out a "Potence" skill card to give "Appolonius" superior "Potence".
    
  • "Shoulder Drop" means the opponent cannot press at all.
    
  • Everyone knows that it’s fun when you and your opponent each play a bunch of presses. "Shoulder Drop" doesn’t let them play a press so you don’t get to cycle your presses. Although you don’t really need to, because "Appolonius" gets one in-build!
    
  • Winner: "Twisting the Knife" by far

Overall winner: need I state the obvious?

Results Los Angeles NAC Qualifier 2008

On May 24th, 2008 the VtES Los Angeles NAC Qualifier was held in Los Angeles (California) with 21 players attending the qualifier tournament. The final standings were as follows:

1. Ira Fay (USA) -- 2 GW 8,5 VP -- 3VP --Giovanni Bruise and Bleed starring Guillaume
2. Robert Goudie (USA) -- 2 GW 9,5 VP -- 2 VP -- Shambling Hordes
2. Chris Shorb (USA) -- 2 GW 8,5 VP -- 0 VP -- Tzimisce Toolbox
2. Steve Bucy (USA -- 1 GW 5 VP -- 0 VP -- High Cap !Malk Bleed/Vote
2. Paul Johnson (USA) -- 1 GW 4,5 VP -- 0 VP -- Ventrue Law Firm

Congratulations to Ira Fay for his win of the Los Angeles NACQ 2008. You can find the full standings and the winner's decklist in the Usenet newsgroup.

Results New York City NAC Qualifier 2008

On May 24th, 2008 the VtES New York City NAC Qualifier was held in New York City with 17 players attending the qualifier tournament. The final standings were as follows:

1. Matt Morgan (USA) -- 2 GW 7 VP -- Spell of Life with Mummies!
2. Cory Seigel (USA) -- 1 GW 4.5 VP -- Giovanni bleedzooka.
2. Peter Bakija (USA) -- 2 GW 6 VP -- Gangrel weenie vote deck.
2. Dave Conroy (USA -- 1 GW 5 VP -- Weenie dom/obf S+B deck.
2. Jesse Cross Nickerson (USA) -- 1 GW 6 VP -- Assamite/Obf BH deck.

Congratulations to Matt Morgan for his win of the New York City NACQ 2008. You can find a tournament report in the Usenet newsgroup.

Twilight Rebellion Full Library Spoilers

Here's the full spoiler list of library cards from the "Twilight Rebellion" expansion: The spanish players also made pictures of all cards and put them into the spanish VtES forum.

#01: Anarch Manifesto, An [TR:C]
Cardtype: Equipment
Equipment.
The anarch with this equipment gets +1 stealth on actions that require an anarch. Titled non-anarch vampires get +1 strength in combat with this minion. A minion may only have one Anarch Manifesto.
[DRAFT]: As above, and a vampire becomes Anarch when he or she equips with this card.
Artist: Heather Kreiter

#02: Anonymous Freight [TR:C]
Cardtype: Action
+3 stealth equip action. Requires a vampire.
Equip this vampire with a non-location equipment card from your hand (requirements and cost apply as normal).
[DRAFT]: As above, but ignore requirements of the equipment.
Artist: Brian LeBlanc

#03: Baseball Bat [TR:C]
Cardtype: Equipment
Cost: 1 pool
Melee weapon. Do not replace until the end of the action.
Strength+1 damage each strike. If the action to equip with Baseball Bat is successful, untap the acting minion at the end of the turn.
Artist: Brian LeBlanc

#04: Blade Clot [TR:R]
Cardtype: Action Modifier/Combat.
Requires an anarch.
Only usable when this anarch diablerizes a vampire with a capacity above 6. Put this card in play with three clot counters. When an anarch you control inflicts hand or melee weapon damage, you may move a clot counter from this card to the opposing minion. A minion with a clot counter goes to torpor or is burned during his or her untap phase. If an older vampire rescues the vampire, burn the clot counter.
Artist: Heather Kreiter

#05: Blood Turnip [TR:R]
Cardtype: Master
Unique master. Requires a ready anarch.
Put this card on any minion. When this minion enters combat, he or she moves this card and 1 blood (or life) to the opposing minion. If the opposing minion is an anarch, that anarch can move this card onto any minion instead (but it must move).
Artist: Tom Biondillo

#06: Chameleon [TR:R]
Cardtype: Action
Cost: X blood
+1 stealth action. Requires a baron.
(D) Take control of a younger vampire with capacity of X who entered play since your last minion phase. That vampire becomes anarch (and independent).
Artist: Jim Parilec

#07: Club Illusion [TR:R]
Cardtype: Master
Cost: 1 pool
Master: unique location.
When any anarch vampire declares a bleed action, he or she can 1 blood to get +1 bleed on that action (only usable once each action).
Artist: Tom Biondillo

#08: Constant Revolution [TR:R]
Cardtype: Action
+1 stealth action. Requires an anarch. Unique.
Put this card in play with 1 counter. During your untap phase, put a counter on this card. During each other Methuselah's untap phase, he or she must burn X pool and/or cards at random from his or her hand, where X is the number of counters on this card. Any vampire may burn this card as a D-action that costs 1 pool.
Artist: Brian LeBlanc

#09: CrimethInc. [TR:C]
Cardtype: Action Modifier.
Disciplines: Protean/Quietus/Thaumathurgy
Requires an anarch. Play after resolving a successful action that requires an anarch or makes this vampire an anarch.
[pro]: Untap this anarch.
[qui]: Untap another ready anarch.
[tha]: Put this card in play. During your minion phase, you may burn a pool to untap a ready anarch you control.
Artist: John Bridges

#10: Crypt's Sons [TR:R]
Cardtype: Retainer
Cost: 1 pool
Unique mortal with 3 life. Requires an anarch.
Whenever this anarch is blocked, he or she may burn a life from the Sons to cancel combat and continue this action as if unblocked. The Sons inflict 1R damage each round of combat during normal strike resolution.
Artist: Brian LeBlanc

#11: Detect Authority [TR:C]
Cardtype: Reaction
Disciplines: Animalism/Serperntis/Thaumaturgy
Requires an anarch.
[ani]: Only usable duringa a (D) action directed at this minion or location you control. The action ends (no cost is paid), unless the acting minion burns 2 blood immediately.
[ser]: +1 intercept.
[tha]: Reduce a bleed against you by 2.
Artist: Peter Bergting

#12: Elixir of Distillation [TR:C]
Cardtype: Equipment
Weapon. Requires an anarch.
Ranged strike: burn 1 blood from the opposing vampire and reduce his or capacity by 1 (capacity cannot be reduced below 1). That reduction last until that vampire's controller uses a master action to tap that vampire. Burn this weapon after use.
Artist: Tom Biondillo

#13: Exclusion Principle [TR:C]
Cardtype: Political Action
Successful referendum means each methuselah gains 1 pool for each ready independent vampire he or she controls.
Artist: Eric Dechamps

#14: Failsafe [TR:R]
Cardtype: Master
Master: unique trifle
Put this card in play. If you have fewer than 3 pool, you may use a master phase action to burn this card and gain 4 pool.
Artist: Tom Biondillo

#15: Final Loosening [TR:R]
Cardtype: Reaction
Disciplines: Auspex/Dementation/Fortitude
Requires an anarch.
[aus]: Play when an action vampire would gain 1 or more blood. The action vampire and this reacting anarch each gain 1 blood instead.
[dem]: Gain 4 votes.
[for]: Only usable when an ally is acting. The action fails and the ally takes 1 damage. Tap this reacting anarch.
Artist: Peter Bergting

#16: Framing, The [TR:R]
Cardtype: Action
Cost: 2 blood
+1 stealth action. Requires an anarch.
(D) Put this card on the acting anarch and choose a ready minion. If the anarch with this card is blocked, this card is burned. The blocking minion enters combat with the chosen minion instead of this anarch (or the action ends with no combat of that combat cannot occur).
Artist: Brian LeBlanc

#17: Garibaldi-Meucci Museum [TR:R]
Cardtype: Master
Master: unique location
Tap and burn 1 pool during your untap phase to exchange a card in your ash heap that requires an anarch for a card from your hand. Tap before range is determined to end combat between an anarch you control and another anarch.
[DRAFT]: As above, and you may tap this card to make a vampire you control an anarch.
Artist: Brian LeBlanc

#18: Grey Thorne [TR:R]
Cardtype: Ally
Cost: 2 blood
Unique ghoul with 2 life. 1 strength, 1 bleed. Requires an anarch.
Grey may play cards that require Celerity or Potence as an anarch vampire. During your untap phase, if grey has only 1 life, any ready anarch may burn a blood to add 1 life to him.
Artist: Matt Dixon

#19: Haven Hunting [TR:C]
Cardtype: Action
+1 stealth action. Requires an anarch.
Put this card in play. At the end of a combat involving an anarch you control, if both combatants are still ready, you may burn this card to have the two combatants begin another combat.
[DRAFT]: (D) Enter combat with a ready minion.
Artist: Matt Dixon

#20: Hell-for-Leather [TR:C]
Cardtype: Combat
Discipline: Animalism/Celerity/Obtenebration
Requires an Anarch. Only one Hell-for-Leather may be played at a given Discipline each combat.
[ani]: Strike: dodge, with and additional strike.
[cel]: Additional strike (that doesn't count against the limit).
[obt]: Play if this anarch is ready and the opposing minion is not. The opposing minion's controller burns 2 pool.
Artist: Peter Bergting

#21: Keystone Kine [TR:C]
Cardtype: Action
Disciplines: Celerity/Necromancy/Obfuscate
Requires an anarch.
[cel] and/or [nec] and/or [obf] (D) Bleed. If using [cel], he or she gains one blood. If using [nec] the bleed is +1 bleed. If using [obf], you many burn an ally controleld by your prey whose cost is not greater than the bleed amount.
Artist: Peter Bergting

#22: Lam Into [TR:C]
Cardtype: Combat
Disciplines: Fortitude/Potence/Vicissitude
Requires an anarch. Do not replace until after combat. Strike: hand strike or use a melee weapon strike..
[for]: This strike is at +1 damage with an optional maneuver.
[pot]: This strike is at +2 damage.
[vic]: This strike is at +1 damage, with an optional press. If another round of combat occurs, range is automatically close.
Artist: Brian LeBlanc

#23: Libertas [TR:C]
Cardtype: Master
Cost: 1 pool.
Master.
Requires an anarch. Put this card on an anarch. Allies cannot block this anarch. Cards that require [dom] or [pre] cost other minions an additional blood while this anarch is acting, attempting to block, or in combat.
Artist: Andrew Trabbold

#24: Monkey Wrench [TR:C]
Cardtype: Action Modifier.
Cost: X blood.
Requires an anarch.
+X bleed. X must be 1, 2 or 3. You cannot play another action modifier to increase this bleed amount.
Artist: Brian LeBlanc

#25: No Confidence [TR:C]
Cardtype: Action Modifier
Play after resolving a successful action that requires an anarch.
Put this card on a titled non-anarch vampire controlled by the target of the action (or by your prey or predator if the action is undirected). A vampire with two No Confidence loses the benefit of his or her title. Burn this card if this acting vampire leaves the ready region.
Artist: Brian LeBlanc

#26: Open War [TR:R]
Cardtype: Action
+1 stealth action. Requires a baron.
Put this card in play. Anarch vampires can enter combat with any minion as a (D) action. They can burn a location as a (D) action that costs 2 pool. Any Methuselah may use a master phase action to move 1 counter from his or her pool to this card. When this card has 4 pool, burn it and gain 4 pool. Only one Open War may be played in a game.
Artist: John Bridges

#27: Patsy [TR:R]
Cardtype: Political Action
Requires a baron. Only usable if you control the Edge.
Choose a titled non-anarch vampire. Successful referendum means that you burn the edge to remove that vampire's title and burn 2 pool from his or her controller.
[DRAFT]: Requires any vampire (and the Edge). Sucessful referendum means your prey burns 3 pool.
Artist: Eric Dechamps

#28: Piper [TR:R]
Cardtype: Master
Master. Requires a ready anarch.
A ready untapped anarch you control employs or recruits a retainer or ally from your hand (requirements and cost apply as normal). This is not an action and cannot be blocked. Tap that anarch.
Artist: Andrew Trabbold

#29: Poacher's Hunting Ground [TR:R]
Cardtype: Master
Master. Location. Hunting Ground. Derivative.
During your untap phase, choose up to X ready anarchs you control who each gain 1 blood, where X is the number of non-derivative hunting grounds controlled by other Methuselahs. A vampire can gain blood from only one hunting ground card each turn.
Artist: Leif Jones

#30: Power of All [TR:C]
Cardtype: Reaction
Cost: 2 blood.
Requires a ready anarch.
Tap this anarch and one other untapped ready anarch you control to cancel a library card as it is played. Usable even if there is no action.
Not usable during your own turn.
[Draft]: As above, but you do not tap another anarch.
Artist: Eric Deschamps

#31: Power of One [TR:C]
Cardtype: Action Modifier
Cost: 1 blood
Disciplines: Obtenebration/Potence/Presence
Requires an anarch.
[obt]: Only usuable when an action is blocked. The blocking minion burns 2 blood or 2 life (before combat if any).
[pot]: +1 bleed.
[pre]: +1 bleed, or +1 bleed and +1 stealth. You cannot play another action modifier to increase this bleed amount.
Artist: Jim Parilec

#32: Revolutionary Council [TR:C]
Cardtype: Political Action
Requires a baron.
Choose X, then choose X ready untapped anarchs you control and allocate 2X points among one or more Methuselahs, locations and equipment. Successful referendum means each chosen anarch is tapped, each Methuselah burns one pool for each point assigned, and each location or equipment assigned a point is burned.
Artist: Brian LeBlanc

#33: Shattering [TR:R]
Cardtype: Action
Cost: 1 blood.
Discipline: Chimerstry/Dementation/Protean
Requires an Anarch.
[chi]: +1 stealth action. Look at another Methuselah's hand and discard a card from it.
[dem]: +2 stealth action. Burn an event (undirected, no matter who controls the event).
[pro]: (D) Inflict 2 unpreventable damage on a ready minion.
Artist: Becky Jollenstein

#34: Shoulder Drop [TR:C]
Cardtype: Combat
Grapple.
Play when you sucessfully inflict damage from a hand strike. After strike resolution, if this minion is still readym the opposing minion take 1 additional damage. The opposing minion cannot press this round. A minion play only one Shoulder Drop each strike.
Artist: Efrem Palacios

#35: Smear Campaign [TR:R]
Cardtype: Master
Cost: 1 pool
Unique Master. Requires a ready anarch.
Put this card in play. Tap during your untap phase and choose a tapped non-anarch minion controlled by your predator or prey to burn a card on that minion. Cannot be used to burn an equipment or a retainer. That minion's controller then takes control of this card.
Artist: Leif Jones

#36: Stealing Years [TR:R]
Cardtype: Action
+1 stealth action. Requires an anarch.
(D) Diablerize an older vampire in torpor and put this card on the acting anarch. Capacity increases by 1. In the resulting blood hunt referendum, each anarch gets an additional vote.
+1 capacity.
Artist: Becky Jollenstein

#37: Steely Tenacity [TR:C]
Cardtype: Action/Combat
Cost: 1 blood
Disciplines: Animalism/Dominate/Quietus
Requires an anarch. Do not replace until the end of this action. When you would replace this card, you make take this card from your ash heap instead.
[ani]: Strike: hand strike or use a melee weapon strike. This strike is at +1 damage, with an optional press.
[dom]: (D) Bleed at +1 bleed.
[qui]: +1 stealth action. (D) Enter combat with a ready minion.
Artist: Peter Bergting

#38: Twilight Camp [TR:R]
Cardtype: Master
Master.
Put this card in play with 4 counters. When you put a non-titled, non-anarch vampire in play from your uncontrolled region, you may burn counter a counter from this card to make that vampire anarch (and Independent). You may burn a counter from this card to add a blood to an anarch as a master phase action. Burn this card when it has no counters.
Artist: Leif Jones

#39: World's a Canvas, The [TR:R]
Cardtype: Action
Cost: 2 blood
Disciplines: Dominate/Obfuscate/Vicissitude
Reqires an anarch
[dom]: (D) Burn half the counters in an uncontrolled minion in your prey's uncontrolled region (round down).
[obf]: +1 stealth action. (D) Burn a location.
[vic]: (D) Burn 4 blood from a ready, titled, non-anarch vampire.
Artist: Brian LeBlanc

#40: Zip Line [TR:C]
Cardtype: Action
+2 stealth action.
Put this card on the acting minion. This minion may burn this card to get +1 stealth.
Artist: Brian LeBlanc

Results French (South) EC Qualifier 2008

On May 17th, 2008 the second VtES French EC Qualifier was held in Grenoble (France) with 21 players attending the qualifier tournament. The final standings were as follows:

1. Pierre-Benoit Lagoyete (FRA) -- 2 GW 7 VP -- 1,5 VP -- Shambling Hordes
2. Benoit Chabord (FRA) -- 2 GW 5 VP -- 1,5 VP -- Louhi Creation Rites
2. Benjamin Mengelle (FRA) -- 2 GW 6 VP -- 0,5 VP -- Inner Circle Vote
2. Pascal Bertrand (FRA) -- 2 GW 8 VP -- 0 VP -- Tremere/!Tremere antitribu
2. Yannick Gibert (FRA) -- 2 GW 5,5 VP -- 0 VP -- Stanislawa Baltimore Purge

Congratulations to Pierre-Benoit Lagoyete for his win of the French ECQ 2008. You can find the full standings and the finalists decklist including a tournament report on VEKN France (in french) or Sabbat in France (in french).
P.S.: I am not 100% sure if the players are matched correctly to their decks).

More Twilight Rebellion Artwork

On Ken Meyer Jr.'s website you can see the portraits of a couple of vampires from the "Twilight Rebellion" expansion:

• Calvin Cleaver
  
• Toby
  
• Preston Varrick
  
• Topaz
  
• Louis Fortier
  
• Jacob Fermor

Did you know, that ... (Part 16)

.. when a vampire enters combat with another tapped minion using Ambush or Nose of the Hound, and the attacked minion untaps (and no block is successful) before the action resolves, e.g. by playing Sense the Savage Ways, Eluding the Arms of Morpheus or Second Tradition: Domain, the action fizzles (no combat occurs)? The reason for this is, that there no longer a valid target ("a tapped minion") for the Ambush or Nose of the Hound when the action actually resolves.

The same conclusion is also valid for Ellen Fence if she uses her special ability to try to enter combat with another minion.

Twilight Rebellion Full Crypt Spoilers

Here's the full (o.k., the artists are missing) spoiler list of crypt cards from the "Twilight Rebellion" expansion.

#01: Clifton Derrik [TR:V]
Clan: Brujah
Group: 4
Capacity: 2
Discipline: cel
Camarilla.

#02: Jack Drake [TR:V]
Cardtype: Vampire
Clan: Brujah
Group: 4
Capacity: 8
Discipline: pre tha CEL POT
Independent. Anarch. When you put a younger vampire in play from your uncontrolled region, that vampire may burn a blood to become anarch. +1 Strength.
Artist: Leif Jones

#03: Marguerite Foccart [TR:V]
Clan: Brujah
Group: 4
Capacity: 6
Discipline: aus pot PRE CEL
Camarilla. Marguerite gets +1 intercept vs. political actions.

#04: Anarch Convert [TR:V]
Clan: Caitiff
Group: any
Capacity: 1
Discipline: -
Independent. Anarch. When the convert enters play, you may remove him from the game to make a non-titled vampire you control anarch and either gain 1 pool or draw a card from your crypt.

#05: Andy [TR:V]
Clan: Caitiff
Group: 4
Capacity: 1
Discipline: for
Camarilla. An older vampire opposing Andy gets one optional press each combat.

#06: Dirk [TR:V]
Clan: Caitiff
Group: 4
Capacity: 1
Discipline: pre
Camarilla. Titled vampires get +1 intercept when attempting to block Dirk.

#07: Calvin Cleaver [TR:V]
Clan: Gangrel
Group: 4
Capacity: 3
Discipline: for pro
Camarilla. Calvin may add a blood to an anarch as a +1 stealth action. Once each turn, an anarch may add a blood to Calvin as a +1 stealth action.

#08: Jacob Fermor [TR:V]
Clan: Gangrel
Group: 4
Capacity: 5
Discipline: ani tha PRO
Independent. While Jacob is ready werewolves you control get +1 bleed. Jacob gets an optinal press each combat.

#09: T.J. [TR:V]
Clan: Gangrel
Group: 4
Capacity: 3
Discipline: cel for
Independent. T.J. may tap and burn 2 blood to cancel a referendum called by a titled Camarilla vampire.

#10: Antoine, The Lost [TR:V]
Clan: Malkavian
Group: 4
Capacity: 5
Discipline: aus cel dem OBF
Camarilla.

#11: Sean Rycek [TR:V]
Clan: Malkavian
Group: 4
Capacity: 4
Discipline: aus dem
Camarilla. Once each referendum Sean may tap or burn a blood to gain 2 votes. He may burn a boon as a +1 stealth (D) action.

#12: Toby [TR:V]
Clan: Nosferatu
Group: 4
Capacity: 5
Discipline: ani obf pre
Camarilla. Once each action, Toby can burn a blood to give an acting anarch +1 bleed.

#13: Topaz [TR:V]
Clan: Nosferatu
Group: 4
Capacity: 7
Discipline: ani for qui OBF POT
Camarilla. When Topaz successfully equips from your hand, you may look at your prey`s hand, and Topaz may take an equipment from it instead (discard the original equipment card).

#14: Laecanus [TR:V]
Clan: Toreador
Group: 4
Capacity: 5
Discipline: obt pre CEL
Camarilla. Once each combat, Laecanus may press to end combat. He is immune to frenzy cards.

#15: Lin Jun [TR:V]
Clan: Toreador
Group: 4
Capacity: 4
Discipline: aus cel pre tha
Camarilla. If Jun is in torpor, vampires with Thaumaturgy controlled by your predator get +1 bleed.

#16: Preston Varrick [TR:V]
Clan: Tremere
Group: 4
Capacity: 7
Discipline: aus nec DOM OBF THA
Camarilla. Preston gets +1 bleed when bleeding a Methuselah who controls a ready ally.

#17: Tarautas [TR:V]
Clan: Tremere
Group: 4
Capacity: 4
Discipline: aus nec tha
Camarilla. While Tarautas is ready, Blood Doll and Minion Tap cards cost an additional pool.

#18: Juniper [TR:V]
Clan: Ventrue
Group: 4
Capacity: 6
Discipline: ani dom pre FOR
Camarilla. Juniper may steal an ally controlled by your predator or prey as a +1 stealth (D) action.

#19: Louis Fortier [TR:V]
Clan: Ventrue
Group: 4
Capacity: 5
Discipline: aus dom for obf pre
Camarilla.

#20: Reverend Adams (ADV) [TR:V]
Clan: Ventrue
Group: 4
Capacity: 4
Discipline: aus PRE
Camarilla. During your master phase, you may look at the top X cards of your libary, where X is the number of Gehenna cards in play. Older vampires do not tap for successfully blocking Adams.

Appolonius vs. Jack Drake

On "rec.games.trading-cards.com" Malone undertook the titanic task of comparing the Brujah vampires "Appolonius" and "Jack Drake". See for yourself who won this eternal struggle of supremacy:

VS.

• In-Clan Superiors:
  Appolonius has [CEL] [PRE], allowing such power combos as "Aire of Elation" + "Alacrity" and "Majesty" + "Psyche".
  Jack Drake has [CEL] [POT] which lets him do what? "Flurry" bleed and "Rampage" on the same turn?
  Winner: Appolonius


• Out-Of-Clan Discipline:
  Jack has [tha], giving him access to "Machine Blitz". Plus, he can use "Biothaumaturgic Experiment" to get an "Elephant Guardian".
  Appolonius only has [for]. 'Nuff said.
  Winner: Jack Drake


• Capacity:
  10 > 8.
  Winner: Appolonius


• Grouping:
  Jack cannot be in a crypt with "Frederick the Weak".
  Appolonius can.
  Winner: Appolonius


• Permanent Bonuses:
  Appolonius has +1 bleed, Jack has +1 strength. +1=+1.
  Winner: Tie


• Special Traits:
  While Primogena (is that the correct plural of Primogen?) may play "Of Noble Blood" and "Will of the Council", Anarchs get access to a larger number of cards of similar importance. Still, Primogen is a title, and Primogena have benefits versus "Maldavis".
  Winner: Appolonius


• Other Specials:
  All Jack can do is let all your younger vampires come out Anarch. Appolonius has a press. Everybody knows all interesting combat happens after the first round. Where is Jack Drake going to get a press when he needs one?
  Winner: Appolonius

So all in all, Appolonius is the better vampire, winning the battle by 5.5 vs. 1.5 points.

Preview for "Twilight Rebellion" starts (and ends)

Finally the preview for the next VtES expansion "Twilight Rebellion" has begun and ended it immediately thereafter. White Wolf has opened the preview page today. And for the first time the preview ended the day it started, since all of the previewed (only three) cards have been revealed at the same time. The three previewed cards are the library cards "Hell-for-Leather" and "Power for all" and the Brujah "Jack Drake". But see for yourself:

"Hell-for-Leather" is a very good card, since all of the effects are not available at the inferior levels for these disciplines (without being an "Anarch"). Especially the "Animalism" and the "Obtenebration" effects caught my eye, since both of them are quite potent. I think the "Obtenebration" will immediately spawn a new deck archetype, since with this card alone you can oust your prey quickly.



"Jack Drake" is the first "Anarch" vampire. So yeah for Jack! His special is also quite helpful when building a "Anarch" deck, since you can easily reduce or eliminate cards for becoming an "Anarch" from your library, if you include multiple copies of Jack into your crypt. "So "Jack Drake" will be a regular addition to all kinds of "Anarch" decks in the future. Also interesting from the same point of view will be crypt card named "Anarch Convert" which may offer a similar effect as Cadet for the "Black Hand" does.










"Power for All" seems to be very powerful at first glance, and in a draft game the effect certainly is, but in regular games the requirement of having two untapped Anarchs and the cost of two blood is too costly. So I doubt we'll this card very often in constructed games.






Also the complete card list of expansion with rarities (albeit without the cardtexts) has been published. The crypt cards consists of vampires based on the (old) seven Camarilla clans plus Caitiff. So there are 3 Caitiff, 3 Brujah, 3 Gangrel, 2 Malkavian, 2 Nosferatu, 2 Toreador, 2 Tremere and 3 Ventrue in total.

Priceless

In lieu of the first "Twilight Rebellion" card preview:

• "Tzimisce" starter deck from your local dealer -- $10.


• "Heart of Nizchetus" at EBay -- $30.


• "Liquefy the Mortal Coil" original artwork -- $300.


• Watching your predator's "Arika" burn by an "Archon Investigation" -- Priceless.

Bochum VtES League 2008: May 16th

Here are the decks of the Bochum VtES League 2008 from the meeting on May 16th (prey is from left to right, from top to bottom):

Left: Hardy's "Imbued having to cope with intercept to right and rush to the left.

Right: The "Speed Shamblers" played by Thomas go upstream first.

Left: Didi's has started bloating and bleeding with his "Obf/Dem Powerbase Zurich" deck. Take note of the merged "Quentin King III".
Right: Kinner's "Toreador" preparing the lunge to oust the two wall decks before him.

Left: Ellen Fence and her friends are trying to protect Ralf's pool, but ultimately fail. No thanks to "Anarch Troublemaker".
Right: Michael's interesting "Auspex/Chimerstry wall" deck has problems getting the proper equipment on the table.

Missing is Markus' "Ventrue antitribu anti-vote" deck, which I forgot to take a picture of. He was sitting between Didi and Kinner.

Memorable Quotes (Part 11)

"It's true that improving my deck for future games is a simpler solution than building a time machine to change my decisions in that one [game]." -- Cthulukitty

VtES Rules Question Self-Help

When it comes down to rules question in VtES, there is sometimes confusion about how to tackle rules questions effectively. Some start right away the 100.000th question about "Rötschreck" on "rec.trading-cards.jyhad", while others are very reluctant about asking questions on the internet at all. I'd like to give some advice about how to approach VtES rules questions in general. If you follow the different steps below you will find the answer to a specific rule or card more quickly, often without waiting for other players or White Wolf to reply.
This is by no means a definitive sequence, but instead these steps should show where information regarding specific rules or rulings can be found.

But first some basic definitions regarding the VtES rule systematic:

• Rules -- these are the core rules as given in the printed rulebook and its online version.
  
• Errata -- this is a significant change of a card text, which overwrites the current text of a particular card. The list of cards on the White Wolf website always shows the most recent card text including any errata to card.
  
• Rulings -- are clarifications or answers to specific card related questions by a White Wolf official, currently (and for quite some time) represented by L. Scott Johnson (LSJ). The rulings are either stored on the White Wolf website or in the Usenet newsgroup "rec.trading-cards.jyhad".
  

1. Cardtext / Errata
Surprisingly often the answer to a rules question is simply "card text". Players often do not read the card text closely enough, or rely on an old card text. The later is especially a problem of cards from earlier expansion notably before the "Camarilla Edition", where a number of old cards received an errata. Examples for these cards are "Anarch Revolt", "Antediluvian Awakening" or "Monocle of Clarity".
To get the latest card you can either rely on your deck builder tool (FELDB, ARDB, ..) or (better) the official card list from the White Wolf website:

• Card List
  
• Errata & Rulings
  

2. Rules
The second place you should consult for an answer are the rules. Often players, including myself, think what a particular rules covers, but actually they don't know it 100%. For example, I wasn't aware of particular section (1.6.3) which states that Allies can pay blood for playing discipline cards, if the card text on the ally says he "can play cards as a vampire".

• Complete Rulebook
  
• Rules Outline

3. Rulings
In addition to the rules a number of rulings for specific cards have been made in the past. A lot of the rulings are stored on the White Wolf website (again); also on Lasombra's website has a FAQ where a lot of commonly asked questions are answeered.

• Errata & Rulings
  
• Lasombra's VtES FAQ

4. Newsgroup / Forum
The next step is searching the Usenet newsgroup "rec.games.trading-cards.jyhad". Here rules questions are answered by L. Scott Johnson, the current VtES designer and net representative. Searching the newsgroup can be done either by using a /email program like "Alpine" or "Mozilla Thunderbird", or by searching the newsgroup archive at "Google".

• rec.games.trading-cards.jyhad.

Other tools that simplify the search are hosted on different websites:

• Storage Annex
  
• Lasombra's website

If you can't find anything in the above mentioned sources, it is time to post a rules question either in your local VtES Forum or in the Usenet Newsgroup "rec.games.trading-cards.jyhad". You can post a question with the same kind of clients that you use to search the Newsgroup (see those listed above). A list of european VtES Forums you can find on the sidebar of this blog.

5. IRC Channel #vtes
For a quick question, or an urgent one, you can also use the Internet Relay Chat (IRC) Channel "#vtes". Usually about a dozen VtES players are online, which can answer rules questions quickly and competent. For details how to access/join "#vtes" read this posting. There is web-based interface for accessing "#vtes", but you can also use client programs like client like mIRC, IceChat, Miranda IM or Trillian.

Results Belgian EC Qualifier 2008

On May 4th, 2008 the VtES Belgian EC Qualifier was held in Bruxelles (Belgium) with 16 players attending the qualifier tournament. The final standings were as follows:

1. Jörg Alten (GER) 2 GW 6 VP -- 1,5 VP -- Gangrel w/ Garou
2. Sven Helmer (GER) 1 GW 3,5 VP -- 1,5 VP -- Black Hand Aus/Obf
2. Jeroen van Oort (NED) 2 GW 9 VP -- 0 VP -- Dom/For Bleeding Stick Fighters
2. Paul Wiggers (NED) 1 GW 5 VP -- 0 VP -- Weenie Animalism
2. Remko van Hierden (NED) 1 GW 3.5 VP -- 0 VP -- Rico Loco Bombs

Congratulations to Jörg Alten for his win of the Belgian ECQ 2008. You can find the full standings and the winner's decklist including a tournament report in the Usenet newsgroup.

Poll Results: "What do you think of the upcoming "Twilight Rebellion" mini-expansion?"

Here are the results of the latest poll on your opinions what the readers of this blog are thinking about the upcoming "Twilight Rebellion" expansion scheduled for the end of May 2008.

• Anarchs Rule. Why only a mini-expansion? -- 11 (15%)
  
• Right theme, right size. I like it. -- 32 (43%)
  
• Can't wait until the new Camarilla set is released. -- 23 (31%)
  
• I am not interested in Anarchs. Next. -- 2 (2%)
  
• What's a "Twilight Rebellion"? -- 5 (6%)
  

Most readers seem to be quite pleased with the new "Anarch" expansion. A sizable minority cannot wait until the big Camarilla expansion is released later in 2008.

Gelsenkirchen VtES League 2008: May 7th

Here are the decks of the Gelsenkirchen VtES League 2008 from the meeting on May 8th (next prey is from left to right, from top to bottom):
Left: Ralf's "Guruhi" deck have been vote-locked by his prey and predator.

Right: Didi's "Anarch Celerity Gun" deck is marching forward (and meeting little resistance.



Left: Zille is playing the classic "Malkavian antitribu" "Kindred Spirits" deck, but gets beat down by the gun wieldung minions of his predator.
Right: Kinner's bleeding Toreador are having a good start, but in the end are stopped by the "Tzimisce wall.

Left: Thomas' "Tzimisce" are bleed hard early in the game, but can hold of the sneaky little bastards.
Right: Michael's "Alastor" deck builds up, but misses the critical moment to oust his predator by forgetting to use the "Anarch Troublemaker".

Did you know, that ... (Part 15)

.. you cannot set the range during a combat with the special ability of the "Sniper Rifle" if you (after blocking) equipped with it earlier using "Concealed Weapon" (or "Disguised Weapon") during the same combat? The reason for this is you needed to have equipped the "Sniper Rifle" when you successfully blocked the minion, otherwise the requirement for using the special ability of this weapon is not met.

"Twilight Rebellion": First Glimpse

The "White Wolf" eQuarterly for Q2/2008 features an article by LSJ about the forthcoming VtES expansion "Twilight Rebellion" including the first glimpse of three cards featured in this expansion. You can download the eQuarterly directly from the "White Wolf" website. Highlights of the article:

• Better three-way cards for Anarchs.
• No (or very few) vampires with the "Anarch" trait.
• New crypt card mechanism.

And these are the four cards which are pictured in the article:

Failsafe
Type: Master: unique trifle
Put this card in play. If you have fewer than 3 pool, you may use a master phase action to burn this card and gain 4 pool.

Piper
Type: Master
Requires a ready anarch.
A ready untapped anarch you control employs or recruits a retainer or ally from your hand (requitments and cost apply as normal). This is not an action and cannot be blocked. Tap that anarch.

Twilight Camp
Type: Master
Put this card in play with 4 counters. When you put a non-titled, non-anarch vampire in play from your uncontrolled region, you may burn counter a counter from this card to make that vampire anarch (and Independent). You may burn a counter from this card to add a blood to an anarch as a master phase action. Burn this card when it has no counters.

Shattering
Type: Action
Cost: 1 blood.
Requires an anarch.
[chi]: +1 stealth action. Look at another Methuselah's hand and discard a card from it.
[dem]: +2 stealth action. Burn an event (undirected, no matter who controls the event).
[pro]: (D) Inflict 2 unpreventable damage on a ready minion.

White Wolf Quarterly April to July 2008

The new "White Wolf" eQuarterly for April to July 2008 has been released. It contains a 1-page interview with Peter Bergting, who is the artist of several VtES cards like "Monster", "Last Stand" "Saulot, The Wanderer". The eQuarterly also contains a one-page article by LSJ with more details of the upcoming VtES expansion "Twilight Rebellion" expansion. You can download the new WW Quarterly from White Wolf's website.

Memorable Quotes (Part 10)

"Luck is used as a convenient explanation for any event that we don't want to believe was caused by another person's effort." -- Marc Myers (author of the book "How To Make Luck")

Deck Building Utilities (Update April 2008)

New versions of the "Anarch Revolt Deck Builder" (ARDB) and the web-based "Secrect Library" have been published in late April 2008. The "ARDB" has added card images for all versions from different VtES expansions, and you can now see the whole software project on "Google Code".The "Secrect Library" has undergone a couple of changes and introduced a number of new features, like a discussion forum or the ability to export decks into additional formats. Here's an update of the basic information.

Anarch Revolt Deck Builder ("ARDB")
Current Version: 2.7.1
Author(s): Graham Smith (current project lead) / Francois Gombault (initial creator)
Description: Layered Filters, multiple export functionality and a tidy interface are the top features of this program, somewhat newer than the FELDB it had a fresh start and gained soon popularity in the VtES community.
Advantages/Disadvantages:

• Card List & Inventory
• complete card list with card texts
• almost complete collection of pictures of actual cards, but not always the latest version of the cards. The card images are only working on Windows.
• great search & filter use, multiple, layered filters
• card inventory can be kept
• Deck Building
• offers the basic functionality of deck builder
• includes some statistical information about the decks as well as card drawing simulation
• ability to store decks in XML format (*.xml), as text (*.txt), HTML file (*.html) or for use with JOL (*.jol) or for posting to internet forums (*.phbBB).
• gives some advice on deck building based on the "Happy Families" theory
• Other Functionality
• can update card database from White Wolf website
• little utility for creating proxy cards

URLs:

• ARDB v2.7.1 for Windows
• ARDB v2.7 for openSUSE
• ARDB v2.6 for Fedora
• VtES Card Images

Cost: free software
OS Platforms: Windows, OpenSuSe, Fedora, Ubuntu, Mac OS X 10.3+(?)
Expansion Updates: about 2 to 4 weeks after an expansion has been released.
Expansions: all VtES expansions.
Latest Posting: 29/Apr/2008

Secret Library
Current Version: 0.7.7
Author(s): Jussi Hattara
Description: A finnish website with similar filter & search functionality as "V:EKN Nu" and "VtES Monger". Nice, fresh web design and the ability to keep one's inventory as well as deck building utility. Definitively the best web-based site. The only "drawback" you need a (free) account to use the deck building and inventory functionality.
Advantages/Disadvantages:

• Complete Card List & Inventory
• elaborate filtering/search functionality, but no layered filters
• card inventory can be kept
• Deck Building
• offers the basic functionality of deck builder
• includes some statistical information about the decks as well as card drawing simulation
• ability to store decks in text format (*.text), HTML file (*.html), ELDB (*.eldb), or for use with JOL (*.jol) or WebTES (*.wtes), or for posting to internet forums (*.phbBB) or the local forum.
• easy way to publish share deck lists
• only limited statistical information
• Other Functionality
• discussion forum
• large deck database; imported from Lasombra's TWD archive

Cost: free service
URL: http://www.secretlibrary.info/
OS Platforms: Does not apply; utility is based on using a web browser (see URL above).
Expansion Updates: ??
Expansions: all VtES expansions.
Latest Posting: 30/Apr/2008
Latest Changes: Change Log

Deck of the Month: April 2008: Hektor Multi-Rush

This month's deck is the tournament winning deck "I like to rumble" played by David Wittmann. Not only piloted he the deck to the finals of the Slovak ECQ 2008, but won it with solid 4 VPs also. I also kinda like Orian Gissler's Una Freakshow deck who made it to the 2nd place during the French ECQ in Paris, but IMHO it's far more difficult to achieve these results with a Rush combat deck like the one below.

Slovak European Championship Qualifier 2008
Bratislava, Slovak Republic
April 12, 2008
46 players
3R + F

Tournament Winning Deck

Deck Name : I like to Rumble
Author : David Wittmann

Crypt [12 vampires] Capacity min: 1 max: 10 average: 7.08333
------------------------------------------------------------
4x Hektor 9 CEL POT PRE QUI for priscus !Brujah:4
3x Armin Brenner 10 CEL FOR POT PRE ani obf archbishop !Brujah:4
2x Miguel Santo Domingo 7 POT PRE cel for !Brujah:3
1x Caroline Bishops 3 cel for pot Pander:4
1x Jaggedy Andy 1 pot Pander:4
1x Kai Simmons 1 cel Pander:4

Library [90 cards]
------------------------------------------------------------
Action [7]
2x Preternatural Strength
5x Rumble

Action Modifier [16]
6x Forced March
4x Freak Drive
6x Iron Glare

Action Modifier/Combat [9]
6x Resist Earth's Grasp
3x Ritual of the Bitter Rose

Ally [1]
1x Mylan Horseed (Goblin)

Combat [32]
7x Amaranth
2x Disarm
9x Immortal Grapple
4x Pursuit
2x Skin of Steel
2x Slam
3x Soak
3x Superior Mettle

Equipment [1]
1x Heart of Nizchetus

Master [16]
1x Black Forest Base
2x Dreams of the Sphinx
1x Giant's Blood
7x Minion Tap
2x Monster
1x Sudden Reversal
1x Tension in the Ranks
1x Wash

Political Action [8]
1x Ancient Influence
6x Dogs of War
1x Political Stranglehold