VtES Usenet Newsgroup Statistics

The diagram above shows number of posts in the VtES Usenet Newsgroup (since 2000) and the dramatic decline of posts after LSJ had announced leaving the newsgroup and the appearance of the VEKN forum (both at the end of 2010). Especially the last two month show an unprecedented low in posts to the Newsgroup.

Vampires You Love to Hate

Sometimes you just know your plans are doomed, when one of the following shows up as your opponent's first vampire in a game of VtES:

• Mustafa Rahman, Ohanna, Samson -- Weenie Dominate, what's not to love ..
• Zoe, Martin Frankel, Isabel de Leon -- Weenie Auspex, what's not to love .. ok, it's a different kind of love than for those guys above!
• Uncle George, Eddie Gaines, Midget -- the only question is: Mono-Dementation or Dementation Stealth Bleed?
• Matthias, Carna, Anneke, Maris Streck -- wall, Wall, WALL!
• Anson, Nana Buruki, Cybele -- because you know, there's some master card shenanigan coming up.
• Antonio d'Erlette, Horatio, Isabel Giovanni -- we all love allies!
  
• Beast, Enkidu, Tariq -- serious beatings are ensured ..
• Lutz, Arika -- the Inner Circles with a big, fat cross-hair on their forehead.

Any more vampires you hate, when they show up?

Results "Zoning Board" VtES Tournament in Arnhem, Netherlands

Here are the results of the "Zoning Board" VtES constructed tournament in Arnhem, Netherlands after 3 rounds and final. The tournament was played on March 26th, 2011 with 18 players participating. Here are the standings after the final round:

1. Izaak H. -- 2 GW 8.5 VP -- 1.5 VP -- Assamite Black Hand Bleed
2. Jelmer W. -- 2 GW 7 VP -- 0 VP -- Giovanni feat. Anu Bleed & Bounce
2. Sebastian -- 1 GW 5 VP -- 0.5 VP -- Ventrue antitribu Grinder
2. Pieter H. -- 1 GW 5 VP -- 0.5 VP -- Tupdog/Nephandus Rush
2. Koen T. 1 GW 4.5 VP -- 0.5 VP -- Akunanse with Tunnel Runners

Congratulations to Izaak for his victory in the tournament. You can also find the tournament winning deck in the Dutch VtES forum.

Flyer for the German ECQ 2011

Credit for the flyer goes to the tournament organizer, the Prince of Darmstadt.

Memorable Quotes (Part 106)

"Better be dead than being the bitch of those Rock Cats!" -- Leandro (Inner Circle member) after calling a Neonate Breach which contained a Poison Pill.

"Well, you really can't expect gratitude when you punch them into torpor, even if you rescue them later!" -- The dying thoughts of Erinyi (Master of Rock Cats).

Results "Baron's Birthday Battle" Tournament in Karben, Germany

Here are the results of "Baron's Birthday Battle: Frankfurt" VtES Constructed tournament in Karben, Germany (near Frankfurt a.M.) after 3 rounds and the final. The tournament was played on March 27th, 2010 with 16 players participating. Here are the standings after 3 rounds and the final round:

1. Gerold P. -- 1 GW 6 VP -- 1.5 VP -- Toreador/Toreador antitribu Aus/Cel/Pro Wall
2. Rudolf G. -- 1 GW 5 VP -- 1.5 VP -- Kiasyd G4/5 Stealth Bleed w/ Nocturns
2. Ralf L. -- 2 GW 5 VP -- 1 VP -- Rockcats & Friends Rush Combat
2. Erol H. -- 2 GW 6 VP -- 0 VP -- Inner Circle G2 feat. Maris Streck/Huitzi (Council of Doom)
2. Joscha D. -- 1 GW 5 VP -- 0 VP -- Kiasyd G4/5 Stealth Bleed w/ Nocturns

Congratulations to Gerold for his victory in the tournament. You find the final standings in the VEKN forum and a tournament report (in German) in the German VtES forum.

Deck Builder vs. Player

When JHattara (as author & administrator of the Secret Library website) was asked in the VEKN forum, if the author/deck builder should be named in the VtES tournament winning deck reports as well as the player who won the tournament, he said:

"Of course the original designer should be credited, but in TWDA the player goes before (and the designer should be mentioned in the Description field). No matter how good deck you play, the player himself plays a significant part in VTES."

I totally agree with the above statement. Most players (or maybe even some non-VtES players) can build a decent VtES decks that is capable of winning a tournament (large or small). But playing a deck is an entirely different matter, since it's not just about the mechanics or the theoretically best play in a given situation, but other things like the overall situation at the table and table talk between players have to be considered, too.

I even daresay, that the truly good players are able to win with really not overly good decks (to say the least). Examples for this are (in my opinion) some decks played by the American players Matt Morgan and Jay Kristoff, e.g. the Fuzzface deck by Matt or the Nosferatu Toolbox w/ Trophies by Jay.

So, while the original creator of the deck surely deserves some credits, the more significant part of making a deck a tournament winning one is done by the actual player.

Memorable Quotes (Part 105)

"I bleed you for one. With +1 strength!" -- Oortje (dutch VtES player) using the other kind of stealth.

VtES History: White Wolf Acquires Vampire CCG From Wizards Of The Coast

White Wolf Acquires Vampire CCG From Wizards Of The Coast

ATLANTA, Ga. -- White Wolf, best known for its roleplaying game Vampire: The Masquerade, has acquired the license for production of its collectible card game Vampire: The Eternal Struggle from former licensee Wizards of the Coast.

Designed by Magic: The Gathering creator Richard Garfield, Vampire: The Eternal Struggle adapts White Wolf's popular roleplaying game to the CCG format with over 1,000 cards depicting various aspects of the World of Darkness. The advanced strategy and social elements of Vampire: The Eternal Struggle earned it a 1999 selection as one of the ten best CCGs by InQuest Magazine.

"Vampire: The Eternal Struggle has always been regarded as one of the best, if not the best, strategy CCG. Expert CCG players who are looking for a card game with more play strategy inevitably get hooked on Vampire: The Eternal Struggle once they play." said Steve Wieck, White Wolf President.

White Wolf's first Vampire CCG release will be a heavily revised edition of the sold-out Sabbat set. The new edition Sabbat will be redesigned to include plenty of new cards plus some older cards that are in high demand. The set will include Booster Packs plus Pre-Constructed Starter Decks so new players can get an easy introduction to the complex, strategic game play of Vampire: The Eternal Struggle.

New and old Vampire: The Eternal Struggle players will continue to be able to take part in over a hundred worldwide tournaments each year. White Wolf has recognized the Vampire: Elder Kindred Network (V: EKN) as its official player-community support organization. V:EKN is active in organizing player communities in major cities around the world, hosting tournaments and maintaining player rankings for the V:TES player community.

Results Las Vegas NAC Qualifier 2010

On March 19th, 2011 the VtES Las Vegas Regional Qualifier was held in Las Vegas, Nevada (USA) with 23 players attending the qualifier tournament. The final standings after 3 rounds and the finals were as follows:

1. David Tatu (USA) -- 2 GW 5.5 VP -- 3 VP -- Toreador Aus/Cel Gun
2. Matt Wedge (USA) -- 2 GW 5 VP -- 2 VP -- Toreador/Ventrue Deflectors/Vote
2. David Litwin (USA) -- 1 GW 6 VP -- 0 VP -- Kiasyd G4/5 Stealth Bleed w/ tricks
2. Dennis Lien (USA) -- 1 GW 5.5 VP -- 0 VP -- Theo Bell/Beast Rush Combat
2. Matt Strehlow (USA) -- 1 GW 4.5 VP -- 0 VP -- Brujah/Ventrue G4/5 Vote

Congratulations to David for his win of the Las Vegas Qualifier 2011. The final standings as well as the tournament winning deck were posted in the VEKN forum; some pictures of the Las Vegas Qualifier have been posted by Pagan.

Nosferatu (1922)

For those who haven't seen this, this is the full version of the classic German horror movie "Nosferatu" (1922) directed by F.W. Murnau. Please take look at the YouTube channel Lucky Strike 502 which hosts more public domain films like "Night of the Living Dead" (1969) or "M - Eine Stadt sucht seinen Mörder" (1932).

Did you know, that ... (Part 58)

.. if a minion uses a Zip Gun to maneuver (so he's committed to use the gun as a strike), he does not take the damage inflicted to himself, if the opposing minion prevents the vampire from actually striking with the gun, for example if the opposing minion plays Immortal Grapple.

The same applies to the situation where the vampire with the Zip Gun has been committed to the strike (by maneuvering), but the gun is stolen or destroyed with First Strike.

The reason is the actual card text of Zip Gun, which states that the "bearer takes 1 damage during strike resolution when striking with this gun". So, if the minion with the Zip Gun cannot strike with the gun anymore (even if was committed to use the gun before), he does not take the damage.

Reference: VtES Usenet Newsgroup.

Vampire: The Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition

As reported by the webzine Flames Rising White Wolf is putting together a Vampire: The Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition. The release of the book is scheduled for the Grand Masquerade convention later this year, but there's no revive of the Vampire: the Masquerade game line. Also, this anniversary book is based on the first 20 years of the now-classic VtM role playing game, sort of a "best of" compendium, but it's not directly related or a preview to the upcoming multiplayer-online RPG which is currently in development.

Is this a sign of hope for a revive or reprint of Vampire: the Eternal Struggle? Not really, I think, but hey, the 20th anniversary of VtES is only due to 2014!

Gelsenkirchen VtES League 2011: March 16th

Here are the decks of the Gelsenkirchen VtES League 2011 from the meeting on March 16th, 2011 (prey is from left to right, from top to bottom):

Left: The Midcap Anarchs, designated for greatness as Anarchs, played Kinner were squashed brutally by mindless zombies.
Right: Ralf had a slow start with his Daughters playing Shattering Crescendo, and couldn't prevent Frank from taking two VPs.

Left: Frank played a G4/5 Obf/Pre non-nonsense Bleed deck, which faced little opposition early on.
Right: Martin's problem were his bleeding Malkavians being back-rushed by the Shambling Hordes, and of course predator bleeding harder than he did himself.

Left: Thomas played a Shambling Hordes deck (with Sudario Refraction). He first got himself some breathing room when back-rushing the Malkavians, then dealt swiftly with the Anarchs before him, which secured him the first VP at the table. Then Thomas turned back again, but run into several Strike: Combat Ends by Frank (who had ousted Martin before), which sealed his fate.

In the heads-up it was a fight in the open. Neither had enough intercept to block anything meaningful, so it was up to card drawing, if Frank won the table, or it was split between Frank and Ralf. In the end, Ralf drew the pair of Shattering Crescendos to put the last two Frank's vampire into torpor.

Results: Frank 2 VP, Ralf 2 VP,

VtES History: H Stands for Hold

On the mailing list VTES-L, Ryan S. Dancey (then brand manager for VtES) wrote around February 2nd, 1998:

----- Begin Quote -----
H) Vampire: The Eternal Struggle

Ah, letter H. For VtES fans, "H" might as well stand for "Hold" which is where VtES is in terms of future expansions. There is no chance for a VtES product in 1998, and virtually no chance for new VtES in 1999. We are, however, planning to get some better support for Vampire players in terms of Organized Play at cons this summer, and a better and more responsive internal team for answering rules questions.

As one of the most successful TCGs ever, Vampire has a special place in the hearts of many people here at WotC. While it is not a part of our current design plans, we do respect deeply the people who have invested in the game and continue to find it an enjoyable diversion. After three expansions and a reprint of the basic set (and the conversion of the backs of the cards, a conversion more painful than any other in TCG history...) the game has probably reached the end of its lifecycle here at WotC. However, we continue to monitor the market and to talk about the brand, and if the company makes the decision at some point to reawaken the beast, we'll ensure that you're the first people to know.
----- End Quote -----

Memorable Quotes (Part 104)

"Temporis. The most fundamentally stupid discipline ever. 'Let's go back and kill Caine!'" -- jrsc when asked about his dislike of the True Brujah before the release of the Bloodlines expansion.

Reference: VtES Usenet Newsgroup

Gelsenkirchen VtES League 2011: March 9th

Here are the decks of the Gelsenkirchen VtES League 2011 from the meeting on March 9th Actually the pictures are not taken from the league meeting, but from the casual game afterwards. The league game was over in about an hour, with Michael taking 3 VPs with his Guruhi Vote & Bruise deck, with Thomas taking the last VP using a Toreador G1/2 Grandball deck. The casual game lasted somewhat longer, and saw the more interesting decks (prey is from left to right, from top to bottom).

Left: Martin tried his DOM/NEC/pot bleed deck, but still lacks some Call of the Hungry Dead for more ousting power.
Right: For the 1st time Thomas played Daughters Choir deck (I think), but the lack of defense was his downfall after his first VP.
Left: Michael was the poor victim of Thomas, since his Blood Brothers Bleed & Bloat deck didn't draw the necessary intercept or enough bloat to survive.
Right: Ralf played a Al-Muntahir & Assamite Friends Rush Combat deck, missing a weapon for Al-Muntahir for the whole game.

So the game was basically the following: Thomas kills Michael's Blood Brothers in 5 or 6 turns, with playing repeatedly two to three Choirs each turn with his Daughters. Ralf then rushes backwards with Janni (and her mighty Kpist) to kill some Daughters, which enables Martin an easy oust with his Dominate minions. The heads-up then was pretty close, since although Ralf was able to torporize the famous Stefano Giovanni, he was low on pool in the mean time. In the final round Ralf was then tapped out, meanwhile on 7 pool again, but luckily Martin didn't draw enough bleed modifiers (or a Call of the Hungry Dead against the blocking Janni) to remove the 7 pool.

Result: Ralf 1 GW 2 VP, Thomas 1 VP, Martin 1 VP

Results Belgian National VtES Championship 2011

On March 13th, 2011 the VtES Belgian National Championship 2011 was held in Brussels, Belgium with 30 players attending the tournament. The final standings after 3 rounds and the finals were as follows:

1. Peter Bouwman (NED) -- 2 GW 6 VP -- 1.5 VP -- Ventrue G1/2 Lawfirm
2. Paul Wiggers (NED) -- 2 GW 6 VP -- 0.5 VP -- Ventrue antitribu Grinder
2. Bram van Stappen (BEL) -- 2 GW 5.5 VP -- 0.5 VP -- Ventrue G4/5 Lawfirm
2. Ralf Lammert (GER) -- 1 GW 7 VP -- 0.5 VP -- Pander & Malkavian Antitribu Vote
2. Vincent Ripoll (FRA) -- 2 GW 9 VP -- 0 VP -- Vignes & Daughters Shattering Crescendo

Congratulations to Peter for his win of the Belgian Nationals 2011. Players from eight nations, namely from Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, France, Italy, Germany, Greece and the UK participated in the tournament. Pictures have been taken by the tournament organizer, and can be found on Flickr.

Results "Dork Side of the Boon II" Tournament in Mainz, Germany

Here are the results of VtES Constructed tournament "Dork Side of the Boon II" in Mainz, Germany after 2 rounds and the final. The tournament was played on March 12th, 2011 with 10 players participating. Here are the standings after the final round:

1. Ralf L. -- 1 GW 4 VP -- 1.5 VP -- Weenie Potence Horseshoe Touch of Pain
2. Ralf W. -- 1 GW 3.5 VP -- 0.5 VP -- Akunanse don't need Animalism Toolbox
2. Rudolf G. -- 0 GW 1.5 VP -- 0.5 VP -- Brujah Debate w/o Disciplines
2. Manuel D. -- 0 GW 1.5 VP -- 0.5 VP -- Ventrue G4/5 Lawfirm
2. Jörg W. -- 1 GW 3.5 VP -- 0 VP -- Serenna & Demented Friends Spirit Marionette

Congratulations to Ralf for his victory in the tournament.

Independent Anarch Black Hand Seraph Bahari Liaison

An Independent Anarch Black Hand Seraph Bahari Liasion vampire should be an example for the maximum number of traits/title/sect a vampire can have.

Or is there any additional trait/title/sect I can add without losing something in return?









By the way, the woodcut on the right side was crafted by Gustave Doré (1832 - 1883), a French artist, engraver, illustrator and sculptor. Check out many of his awesome works on the Wikimedia or Art Passions (for example).

VEKN Event Calendar & Player Registry Online

The title of this post already spelled it out, the Vampire Elder Kindered Network (VEKN) website now hosts both the Player Registry, and the Event Calendar. This is the next (and important) step of reestablishing the ranking/rating systems for VtES constructed and draft tournament events.

Now go forth, and make good use of both of them.

VtES History: The Sabbat -- Back from the Grave this Fall

The Sabbat -- Back from the Grave this Fall
Standalone Expansion for the Vampire: The Eternal Struggle Trading Card Game Scheduled for Re-release on Halloween

October 9, 1997 (Renton, Wash.) -- Savage, ruthless and diabolical, Sabbat vampires have rejected the ancient laws of the undead for centuries. This Halloween, their immortal conflict with the Camarilla(TM) will be resurrected when Wizards of the Coast Inc. re-releases The Sabbat(TM) standalone expansion card set for its Vampire: The Eternal Struggle(TM) (V:TES) trading card game.

"Players waited two years for this expansion after V:TES was originally released in 1994," said Ryan Dancey, brand manager for the V:TES trading card game. "Our first print run of The Sabbat has sold out and there continues to be a high demand for this expansion."

Originally released last fall, The Sabbat expansion features two new vampire clans, the Lasombra(TM) and Tzimisce(TM), as well as new rules for voting and combat between the Camarilla and Sabbat vampires. This expansion can be played alone or with cards from the V:TES game, giving players the opportunity to create new Sabbat decks or enhance their existing V:TES decks.

The Sabbat are a malicious sect of vampires who have flouted the laws governing the undead by waging a war of blood and shadows against their enemies, the Kindred of the Camarilla. They revel in savagery and hold great contempt for humanity, believing mortals to be nothing more than cattle. Whereas the Camarilla govern their own with a genteel facade, the Sabbat rule with an iron fist, relying upon intimidation and violence to maintain control.

The Sabbat expansion consists of more than 400 cards, and is illustrated by such leading artists as John Bolton, Tim Bradstreet and Mike Dringenberg. It is sold in 28-card booster packs that retail for $3.95.

---

Wizards of the Coast is a leading developer and publisher of entertainment products, including the world's bestselling Magic: The Gathering. trading card game. Wizards of the Coast. subsidiaries include TSR Inc., creators of the popular Dungeons & Dragons. adventure game, and Five Rings Publishing Group Inc., best known for the Legend of the Five Rings. trading card game. Headquartered just outside of Seattle, Washington, Wizards of the Coast has international offices in Antwerp, Paris and London.

Memorable Quotes (Part 103)

"You must not hurt Harry Potter!" -- HG when commenting on Mylan Horseed torporizing an opposing vampire (with the help of Inspire Greatness).

Announcement German EC Qualifier 2011 (Update)

Here's an update on the German VtES European Championship Qualifier event (especially regarding the time schedule), which will take place on April 30th to May 1st, 2011 in Darmstadt, Germany. The German ECQ is a 2-day event with the ECQ tournament on the first day (Saturday) and a draft tournament on the second day (Sunday).

Even though Darmstadt lies more or less in the middle of Germany (in fact, about 30 km south of Frankfurt) the organizers are looking forward to welcome some players from our European neighbors!

• Schedule:
  
  • German ECQ 2011 -- Saturday, April 30th, 2011
    Registration: 10:00 - 10:45
    Round 1: 11:00 - 13:00
    Round 2: 14:00 - 16:00
    Round 3: 16:15 - 18:15
    Final Round 18:30 - 20:30
  
  
  • Booster Draft Tournament -- Sunday, May 1st, 2011
    Registration: 10:00 - 10:45
    Draft (& Decklists) 11:00 - 12:00
    Round 1: 12:15 - 14:15
    Round 2: 15:15 - 17:15
    Final Round 17:30 - 19:30
• Location:
  

  Schirner Verlag (a publishing company)
  Elisabethenstraße 20-22
  64283 Darmstadt, Germany

  The seminar rooms at the Schirner Verlag offer enough room for about 50 players (in one room). Drinks will be available on location, but there are also a lot of shops (and restaurants) nearby.
• Format:
  
  • German ECQ 2011: 3 Rounds + Final. Standard Constructed.
  • Booster Draft: 2 Rounds + Final. Draft from 7 boosters (3rd Ed., Black Hand, Sword of Caine), to allow 1 recursion.
  • Detailed tournament rules can be found on the VEKN tournament rules webpage.
• Costs:
  
  • 5 Euro admission fee for one day, 8 Euro for both days; plus cost of the boosters for the draft (about 15 Euro)
• Prizes & Notes:
  
  • TBA
• Registration:
  
  • Registration is not required, but highly recommended:
    
  • Registration for Day 1
  • Registration for Day 2

Also refer to the announcement thread in the German VEKN forum.

Bochum VtES League 2011: March 4th

Here are the decks of the Bochum VtES League 2011 from the meeting on March 4th, 2011 (prey is from left to right, from top to bottom):

Left: A new improved version of the Guruhi Vote/Rush deck was played by Michael. Having modest pressure in the beginning, he was able to oust Sascha quite soon.
Right: Sascha played his Malkavian G4/5 big cap deck, was having trouble keeping his minions in the ready region.

Left: The Toreador antitribu Wall employed by Ralf wasn't able to gather the necessary equipment to be truly efficient, and was ousted by Michael, too.
Right: Didi's Kiasyd Wall only had two minions out during most of the game, but still maintained a solid position which allowed him to oust Michael in the heads-up.

Left: In the heads-up Michael managed to bring up additional minions, but couldn't pass any more political actions.
Right: Didi, on the other hand, only had to fear the Ani/Pot combat capabilities of the Guruhi, but since none of these cards showed up, it was an easy win for him.

Result: Michael 2 VP, Didi 2 VP

The second game of the evening was a lot more interesting than the first one, present were Torrance Circle Bloodbrothers Bloat&Bleed (Michael), Malkavian G1/2 2nd Tradition/Obedience (Didi), Assamite Contract (Sascha) and Weenie Potence Horseshoe (Ralf),

Undead Persistence: Junta et. al.

When looking at the tournament deck archive, you can sometimes find some quite amusing combinations of the tournament name and the tournament winning deck name. Here are some examples from the last months:

• Undead Persistence: Junta -- makes one think of the recent events in the Arabian/North-African countries.
• Skin of Rock: What the Flock! -- just for the rhyme.
  
• Reanimated Corpse: Vauxhall and I -- although it should be "Corpses" instead!?!!
  
• Gehenna has come: Lutz’s Chain Lightning -- Lutz, the Harbinger of Gehenna?
  
• Eyes of Argus: Cameras Providing Leverage Over Old Friends -- "But, grandmother, what big eyes you have!"
  
• Fanfare for Elysium: Viking Invasion -- hmm, weren't the Vikings more interested in Valhalla then Elysium?
  
• Unleash Hell's Fury: Tremere boredom -- the Tremere bore you .. even in Hell!

Did you know, that ... (Part 57)

.. you can untap The Parthenon with the help of House of Sorrows, but you cannot use during the same turn. The reason for this is that The Parthenon follows one of the basic card text paradigms in VtES, namely "During X, do Y". This card text paradigm restricts the use of a card or special ability to once per turn. So even if you have managed to untap The Parthenon in your own master phase, you cannot tap it a second time then.

Observe the difference to card like KRCG Newsradio, which only says "You may tap this card to give +1 intercept to a minion you control, (..)". So you can untap KRCG Newsradio via House of Sorrows you can use it during the same turn, even during the same action.

VtES History: The Sabbat Scheduled For Fall Release

The Sabbat(TM) Scheduled For Fall Release -- First stand-alone expansion for Vampire: The Eternal Struggle(TM)

August 20, 1996 (Seattle, Wash.) -- This October the ancient war against the Camarilla reignites when Wizards of the Coast, Inc. releases The Sabbat, the first stand-alone expansion for Vampire: The Eternal Struggle. The expansion adds an exciting new dimension to the core game as players will be able to create Sabbat decks to challenge Camarilla or enhance their existing Vampire decks with Sabbat cards.

The expansion, which introduces two new vampire clans, the Lasombra(TM) and Tzimisce(TM), will also feature new rules for voting and combat between Camarilla and Sabbat vampires.

"The inclusion of more clans and Disciplines in Vampire: The Eternal Struggle expansions allows players to develop brand new strategies in deck construction and play," said Matt Burke, Product Manager. "The goal is to add several dimensions to the gaming experience with each new set of cards Wizards of the Coast releases."

The Sabbat is a malicious sect of vampires who have rejected the ancient laws of the undead waging a war of blood and shadows against their enemies, the Kindred of the Camarilla(TM). They revel in being creatures of the night and hold great contempt for humanity, believing mortals to be nothing more than cattle. Whereas the Camarilla rule their own with a genteel facade, the Sabbat rule with an iron fist, relying upon fear and violence.

Over 400 cards make up the expansion that will come packaged in a 28-card booster format each with a rules addition booklet and retail for $3.95.

Cards will feature illustrations from some of the leading artists in the industry, including John Bolton, Tim Bradstreet, Mike Dringenberg and Rick Berry.

---

Wizards of the Coast(R) created a whole new category of games when it released the first trading card game, Magic: The Gathering(R), in 1993. To date, more than 2 billion cards have sold worldwide. The game is currently available in eight languages: English, French, Spanish, German, Portuguese, Italian, Japanese and Chinese. Late in 1996, Wizards of the Coast will release a Korean version of Magic. Wizards of the Coast is headquartered in Seattle, Washington, with other offices in Glasgow, Scotland; Antwerp, Belgium; and Paris, France. For more information on Wizards of the Coast, visit the company's website at .

---

Vampire: The Eternal Struggle and Jyhad(TM) are joint trademarks of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. and White Wolf, Inc. Wizards of the Coast and Magic: The Gathering are registered trademarks of Wizards of the Coast, Inc.

Deck of the Month: February 2011: Tremere/Tremere Antitribu Vote

This month's deck is the tournament winning deck "Tremere/Tremere Antitribu Vote" played by Marc Lussier. It is not the first kind of this type of deck, but it nicely shows that there are viable vote deck types beyond the usual mid-/big-cap Presence vote decks (i.e. Ventrue Lawfirm or Inner Circle Obf/Pre Vote decks) or the Breed & Boon kind of vote deck. The key vampire is Orlando Oriundus, of course, whose special ability compensates the lack of Presence vote push cards like Awe or Bewitching Oration. On the other hand, the crypt allows to incorporate more stealth cards (like Mirror Walk or Forgotten Labyrinth), making it more likely for political action to make to the actual referendum.

Another interesting thing to observe this month (and the last month) is the increase of Laibon based decks in the tournament winning deck archive. In fact, there were remarkable eight Laibon based tournament winning decks in January/February 2011, namely Junta II (Ishtarri Vote), Ishtarri No Ayo, Anger Management (Auspex/Potence Wall), 15 Wakes (Akunanse Toolbox), Junta (Ishtarri Vote), We Are the Land (Guhuri Breed & Boon), Ishtarri Vote, Abomboyzy (Akunanse Toolbox). I am only wondering if Brian Moritz' EC 2010 win with his 17 Wakes deck is responsible for this, or if there are other contributing factors.

Deck Name: Unwholesome Bond: Tremere/Tremere antitribu Vote
Author: Marc Lussier
Description: Unwholesome Bond: TempleCon
Warwick, Rhode Island
February 4th, 2011
20 players
2R + F

Crypt (Capacity min=7 max=11 avg=9.33; 12 cards)
===================================================
2x Alonso Petrodon 10 for tha ANI DOM OBF POT Nosferatu:5
1x Gabrielle di Righetti 10 obf pot ANI AUS DOM THA Tremere:5
1x Graham Gottesman 7 obf pre tha DOM FOR Ventrue:5
2x Mistress Fanchon 11 AUS CEL DOM OBF THA VIC Tremere:4
1x Neferu 9 dom nec OBF PRE SER THA Follower of Set:4
4x Orlando Oriundus 9 obf AUS DOM THA !Tremere:4
1x Paul Cordwood 8 obf pre AUS DOM THA !Tremere:4

Library (80 cards)
=====================
Master (19 cards)
1x Blind Spot
1x Coven, The
2x Dreams of the Sphinx
1x Giant's Blood
1x Golconda: Inner Peace
1x Information Highway
3x Obfuscate
3x Sudden Reversal
6x Villein

Action (5 cards)
1x Dominate Kine
4x Govern the Unaligned

Political Action (10 cards)
1x Anarchist Uprising
1x Ancilla Empowerment
2x Banishment
4x Kine Resources Contested
1x Neonate Breach
1x Reins of Power

Ally (1 cards)
1x Mylan Horseed (Goblin)

Action Modifier (24 cards)
3x Cloak the Gathering
2x Conditioning
1x Elder Impersonation
2x Faceless Night
1x Foreshadowing Destruction
4x Forgotten Labyrinth
2x Into Thin Air
3x Mirror Walk
3x Seduction
1x Spying Mission
2x Veil the Legions

Reaction (19 cards)
7x Deflection
1x Enhanced Senses
1x Eyes of Argus
3x Obedience
2x On the Qui Vive
1x Telepathic Misdirection
4x Wake with Evening's Freshness

Combo (2 cards)
1x Murmur of the False Will
1x Swallowed by the Night

Deck Building Utilities (Update March 2011)

A new version of the "Fragments of Elder Library Deck Builder" (FELDB) has been published in March 2011. FELDB v2.6.0 Beta(!) has fixed a number of issues (including the infamous Blood Brothers bug). A list of the changes can be found on vekn.net. Here's the update of the basic information:

Fragments of Elder Library Deck Builder ("FELDB")
Current Version: 2.6.0
Author(s): Balasz Kuno Kiss
Homepage: Bala's FELDB website
Description: After the ELDB ("Elder Library Deck Builder") was no longer maintained, the ELDB's author David Andersion-Davila published the sources and FELDB was the result of the development with serious improvements over the old program.
Advantages/Disadvantages:

• Card List & Inventory
• complete card list with card texts
• complete collection of pictures of actual cards.
• basic ability to filter and sort cards, this could be better, especially when compared to the ARDB.
• card inventory can be kept, but needs to be used carefully when updating to the next version or expansion.
• 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 native format (*.eld), as text (*.txt), HTML file (*.html) or for use with JOL (*.jol).
• Other Features
• deck manager functionality (now with legality check)
• VEKN Number, Event's Date, Event's Name on the DeckInfo tab (for organizers and princes)
  
• several import/export options for decks and inventories
• usually the quickest update after an expansion has been released
• can update card database from White Wolf website

URLs:

• FELDB v2.6.0 beta (update; only executable & database)
• FELDB v2.5.2 (full version)
• VtES Card Images

Cost: free software
OS Platforms: Windows
Expansion Updates: about 1 to 2 weeks after an expansion has been released.
Expansions: all VtES expansions.
Latest Posting: 01/Mar/2011