Summer Break

Until further notice!

Memorable Quotes (Part 145)

"That was not deal, that was a suggestion." -- Hector (Spanish VtES Player)

Just Sweden

After reading the latest VtES tournament report from Stockholm, I was just thinking:

Results Belgian EC Qualifier 2012

On June 16th, 2012 the Belgian VtES EC Qualifier was held in Brussels, Belgium, this time only with 9 players attending the qualifier tournament. The final standings after 3 rounds and the final were as follows:

1. Martin Schumacher (GER) -- 1 GW 3 VP -- 1.5 VP -- Black Hand Reunion Kamut
2. Koen Tabak (NED) -- 2 GW 7 VP -- 1 VP -- Inner Circle Bleed w/ Tech
2. Bram van Stappen (BEL) -- 1 GW 3 VP -- 0.5 VP -- Elimlech/Sennadurek/Neighbour John Toolbox
2. Emiliano Imeroni (ITA) -- 1 GW 3 VP -- 0.5 VP -- Osebo Pot Rush w/ 419 Operation
2. Didi Range (GER) -- 1 GW 5 VP -- 0 VP -- Ishtarri Pre/Cel/For/Obf Vote

Congratulations to Martin for winning the Belgian ECQ 2012.

Condemnation: Languid

Despite the fact that I build two new decks this week (from old concepts/decklists) for the next tournament (the Belgian ECQ this weekend), I currently have little to no motivation to build new VtES decks. This largely because I really begin to miss an influx of new cards for VtES. That is, the last expansion Heirs to the Blood was released more than two years ago (February 3rd, 2010), and I desperately need some inspiration in this matter.

I know there's a plethora of cards, especially from the Heirs to the Blood, Ebony Kingdom and Lords of Night, that might be explored, but I have some doubts that I can build new competitive decks from these unexplored cards.

So come on, VEKN Design Team, .. and publish the new set anytime soon!

---

Languid

Pronunciation: IPA: /ˈlæŋ.gwɪd/
Etymology: From Latin languidus (“faint, weak, dull, sluggish, languid”).

languid (adjective):

• Lacking enthusiasm, energy, or strength; drooping or flagging from weakness, fatigue, or lack of energy; indisposed to exertion; sluggish; relaxed: as, languid movements; languid breathing.
  
• Heavy; dull; dragging; wanting spirit or animation; listless; apathetic.

Deck of the Month: May 2012: African Library

This month's deck is the tournament winning deck "African Library" played by James Messer (winning the NAC 2012 Last Chance Qualifier), an Osebo Toolbox/Wallish deck. There were a large number of suitable candidates to choose from this month. Among them Carlos Tomás' Hermanas Menor Rush Combat deck, Robert Fängler's Imbued Gehenna deck, Adam Hulse's Tzimisce Asanbonsam Ghoul deck, Izaak Havelaar's Followers of Set Spell of Life deck or Robert Scythe's Valley of the Shadow of Death deck.
But in the end I choose James' deck (even though it contains the card-de-jour Ashur Tablets), because

• it's a very toolboxy deck with an emphasis on blocking/fighting,
• there are 46 different cards in a 72 card deck,
• he was winning with the Osebo,
• he was winning a 45 player tournament with the Osebo,
• the deck is using 4 different discipline (Auspex, Celerity, Potence and Thaumaturgy,
• it's using cards rarely seen in tournament winning decks like Enforcer, Blood Shield or Ancestor's Insight

Deck Name: NAC 2012 LCQ: African Library
Author: James Messer
Description:
NAC 2012 LCQ
Columbus, Ohio
May 31st, 2012
45 Players
3R+F

Crypt (Capacity min=3 max=10 avg=6.58; 12 cards)
===================================================
3x Cesewayo 10 ani AUS CEL DOM POT THA Osebo:4
2x Homa 6 AUS CEL POT Osebo:4
2x Idrissa 4 aus CEL Osebo:4
1x Kamaria 3 aus pot Osebo:4
1x Mamadou Keita 7 aus pot pre vic CEL Osebo:4
1x Massassi 9 obf AUS CEL POT QUI Osebo:4
2x Titi Camara 5 pot AUS CEL Osebo:5

Library (72 cards)
=====================
Master (23 cards)
7x Ashur Tablets
1x Blood Doll
1x Direct Intervention
1x Dreams of the Sphinx
1x Fame
1x Guardian Angel
1x Mbare Market, Harare
1x Metro Underground
1x Parthenon, The
1x Pentex(TM) Subversion
1x Powerbase: Luanda
1x Powerbase: Montreal
1x Powerbase: Tshwane
1x Sudden Reversal
2x Vessel
1x Wider View

Event (1 cards)
1x Dragonbound

Action (11 cards)
3x Enforcer
1x Heroic Might
2x Magic of the Smith
3x No Secrets From the Magaji
2x Well-Marked

Equipment (5 cards)
1x Blood Shield
1x Bowl of Convergence
1x Heart of Nizchetus
1x Ivory Bow
1x Kevlar Vest

Action Modifier (3 cards)
1x Enkil Cog
2x Mirror Walk

Reaction (14 cards)
1x Delaying Tactics
1x Eagle's Sight
1x Enhanced Senses
3x Eyes of Argus
2x On the Qui Vive
1x Quicken Sight
1x Telepathic Counter
3x Telepathic Misdirection
1x Terra Incognita

Combat (10 cards)
2x Blur
2x Immortal Grapple
1x Preternatural Evasion
3x Pursuit
1x Sideslip
1x Taste of Vitae

Combo (5 cards)
3x Ancestor's Insight
2x Resist Earth's Grasp

Created with Secret Library v0.9.3. (Jun 12, 2012 00:14:47)

Memorable Quotes (Part 144)

"Listen, smile, agree, and then do whatever the fuck you were gonna do anyway" -- Robert Downey Jr.

Also a possible strategy when handling deals in VtES!

Results NAC 2012: First Chance Qualifier

The results of the VtES North American Championship 2011, which was played on May 31st to June 3rd 2012 in Columbus, Ohio have been disclosed. 35 players played in the First Chance Qualifier tournament on June 3rd, and the standings after 3 rounds and the final round were as follows:

1. James Messer (USA) -- 1 GW 5 VP -- 3 VP -- Lasombra Presence Vote
2. Hugh Angseesing (UK) -- 2 GW 7 VP -- 1 VP --Assamite G4/5 Aus/Cel/Obf
2. Peter Kapsalis (USA) -- 1 GW 3 VP -- 1 VP -- Tremere/!Tremere antitribu feat. Valerius
2. Randal Rudstam (SWE) -- 1 GW 6.5 VP -- 0 VP -- Imbued Bleed
2. Brian Moritz (USA) -- 1 GW 5 VP -- 0 VP -- Theo/Beast G1/2 Potence Rush

Congratulations to James for winning the NAC First Chance Qualifier 2012. This is the second major tournament James was winning during NAC 2012 and the third final he was playing. You can find the tournament deck and the full standing on VEKN.net.

Results NAC 2012: North American Championship (Day Two)

The results of the VtES North American Championship 2012, which was played on May 31st to June 3rd, 2012 in Columbus, Ohio have been disclosed. 25 players played in the final NAC tournament on June 2nd, and the standings after 3 rounds and the final round were as follows:

1. Martin Randers (DEN) -- 2 GW 7 VP -- 1.5 VP -- "3 Inches of Danish Steel"
2. James Messer (USA) -- 1 GW 5.5 VP -- 0.5 VP -- Ahrimanes Bleed
2. John Bell (USA) -- 1 GW 5.5 VP -- 0.5 VP -- Kiasyd Faerie Wards
2. Adam Hulse (USA) -- 1 GW 4 VP -- 0.5 VP -- Tzimisce Asanbonsam Ghoul Toolbox
2. Matt Strehlow (USA) -- 2 GW 5.5 VP -- 0 VP -- Turbo Baron

Congratulations to Martin for winning the NAC 2011. You can find the tournament winning deck and the full standings on VEKN.net.

Results NAC 2012: North American Championship (Day One)

The results of the VtES North American Championship 2011, which was played on May 31st to June 3rd, 2012 in Columbus, Ohio have been disclosed. 46 players played in the NAC Day 1 tournament (which serves as qualifier for the Day 2 tournament) on June 1st, and the standings after 3 rounds and the final round were as follows:

1. Randal Rudstam (SWE) -- 2 GW 6 VP -- 5 VP -- Lutz Obf/Pre Vote
2. Hugh Angseesing (UK) -- 3 GW 11 VP -- 0 VP -- Ventrue Antitribu Grinder
2. Jen Goldberg (USA) -- 1 GW 6 VP -- 0 VP -- Tremere/Tremere antitribu Bleed
2. Evan Lloyd (USA) -- 1 GW 6 VP -- 0 VP -- Inner Circle G4 Vote w/ Protected Resources
2. Eric Chiang (USA) -- 1 GW 5 VP -- 0 VP -- Tup Dog Rush Combat

Congratulations to Randal for winning the NAC 2012 Day 1 tournament. You can find the tournament winning deck and full standings on VEKN.net.

Results NAC 2012: Last Chance Qualifier

The results of the VtES North American Championship 2012, which was played on May 31st to June 3rd, 2012 in Columbus, Ohio have been disclosed. 45 players played in the Last Chance Qualifier tournament on May 31st, and the standings after 3 rounds and the final round were as follows:

1. James Messer (USA) -- 2 GW 8 VP -- 4 VP -- Osebo Toolbox
2. Connor Bell (USA) -- 2 GW 7 VP -- 1 VP --
2. Evan Lloyd (USA) -- 2 GW 7 VP -- 0 VP --
2. Selen Turkay (USA) -- 2 GW 6 VP -- 0 VP --
2. Jay Kristoff (USA) -- 1 GW 5.5 VP -- 0 VP --

Congratulations to James for winning the NAC Last Chance Qualifier 2012. You find the tournament winning deck and the full standings on VEKN.net

South American VtES Championship 2012 Announced

Yesterday the details of another Continental VtES Championship have been announced. The South American VtES Championship is taking place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil from November 15th to 18th, 2012. The schedule for the tournament basically looks like this:

• November 14th -- Arrival Day
• November 15th -- Last Chance Qualifier
• November 16th -- Brazilian VtES Championship 2012
• November 17th -- South American VtES Championship 2012
• November 17th -- VTES Mercosul Cup 2012 (for the non-qualified players)

Beside posting in the announcement thread on VEKN.net, you can also contact the event coordinator, Fernando Cesar by email (sydnelson1 (/at/) yahoo (/dot/) com (/dot/) br).

More information can be found on the VtES Rio blog, more specifically the subpages for the SAC 2012 (in english).

Frenzy

In Vampire: the Masquerade Frenzy is a state of mind to which a vampire changes when starving, being threatened or angered to the extreme. In this state, the vampire doesn't follow rationale anymore, but succumbs to his inner Beast. He follows his instincts, feeding on the next victim available, attacking those who anger/threatening him or fleeing from the terror he's experiencing.

In VtES Frenzy is a keyword/trait with no inherent game effect. Here's a list of cards which are considered Frenzy cards in VtES (mostly because I couldn't find one on the interwebs). Frenzy cards usually have either two effects, they allow a vampire to enter combat with another vampire or they prevent the vampire subject to the Frenzy card from using equipment and/or maneuvering. Interestingly not only cards requiring Animalism are Frenzy cards, but there some requiring Presence.

• Battle Frenzy
• Bloodlust
• Brujah Frenzy
• Deep Song
• Drawing out the Beast
• Enrage
• Frenzy
• Rötschreck
• Scourge of Alecto
• Terror Frenzy

These Frenzy cards that can be canceled by Abombwe cards and some equipment and master cards provide immunity against Frenzy cards:

• Bestial Vengeance -- immunity during the current combat
• Blade of Enoch -- immunity for the bearer
• Call the Wild Hunt -- immunity during the current combat
• Sire's Index Finger -- immunity for the bearer

Also a number of vampires are "immune" to the effects of Frenzy cards:

• Aleister Crowley
• Gotsdam, the Tired Warrior
  
• Laecanus
• Lord Aaron Wesley Wilkshire

In fact, while Frenzy cards cannot be played on Lord Aaron & Aleister Crowley, Laecanus & Gotsdam are immune those cards.

References:

• Frenzy on "World of Darkness Wiki"
• Frenzy (VtM) on "White Wolf Wiki"

EC 2012 Website Goes Live

Right when the NAC 2012 took place last weekend in Columbus, Ohio, the website for the biggest VtES this year, the EC 2012 is going live. The VtES European Continental Champiopnship 2012 takes place from October 26th to 28th, 2012 in Budapest, Hungary. The website now contains

• information/schedule on the event
• registration for the event
• information on Budapest
• information on the hotel where the event takes place.

So go take a look at the EC 2012 website, and please register if you want to participate in the event. Questions can also be posted in the announcement thread on VEKN.net.

Cause & Effect: Episode 3.6

The sixth episode (of the third season) of the VTES webshow Cause and Effect has been broadcasted live this Sunday (June 3rd, 2012). Anders, Adam and Isak discuss the ups and downs of the clan Samedi as well as decks utilizing the strengths of the clans.