Who's Who in the V:TES Community

Vital Statistics:

Name:

Year of Birth:
Occupation:
Other Games Played:

Number of Cards owned:

Number of Decks ready to play:

Play in:

J.A. Marbella aka Yoritomo Jiriki on what few posts made on the newsgroup.
I tell people I'm 58. Turning 70 in a few weeks. They don't believe me *shrugs*
I'm a... nah, you don't want to hear boring stuff.
Legends of the Five Rings (L5R). I want to play Clue competitively though, but so hard to get a group going hehe
Enough cards that fit in a 5 row box and a couple of long boxes.
5 usually, but zilch now as I've deconstructed them all
Castro Valley (CA) is my local gaming haunt (part of the San Francico Bay Area), but I play in and around the San Francisco Bay Area.

Q1: How (and when) did you begin your career as a VTES-player? Who introduced you to the game? Where did you play originally?
I bought a starter box and a couple of boosters when Jyhad first came out, but apparently I was the only one in my area who did hehe. When Sabbat War came out I bought !Brujah and Lasombra starter even though there was nowhere for me to play. Then roughly 18 months ago, the manager of Epic Worlds (Castro Valley), Ed Lehto, the hobby store where I play L5R, was talking about how he considers VTES as one of the Top 3 CCGs he ever played (he hardly plays at all now but has a ready Ventrue deck), so I asked him to teach me. We then recruited a couple of the VTM players and our numbers have been growing consistently since. We also managed to schedule weekly sessions, every Wedneday, at the store since I learned how to play VTES. The local group named my first deck N'Sync Brujah (because of all the Presence cards :) hehe).

Q2: Which of the Sets and Expansions to VTES is your favorite, and why is it your top choice?
I like Bloodlines a lot. Primarily because it offers a lot of diversity and variety to the game in terms of vampires and discipline cards. I get bored easily, so Bloodlines has kept me interested in VTES. I also like to go against the status quo that Camarilla and Sabbat clans represent (with the exception of Brujah and to a lesser extent !Brujah) (I play Mantis in L5R, so maybe you'll find a correllation).

Q3: What is your favorite deck to play, and why?
I really don't have a favorite deck, like I mentioned, I get bored easily. Diversity and variety is more important to keep me interested. Wacky decks that don't work I am quite fond of though. However, after saying all that, the Eurobrujah deck has a special place in my heart, since I won my first VTES tournament with it (Meddling of Semsith), I love getting my minions into combat and sending other minions to torpor! I just love the Brujah!

Q4: If you could add something to the game, what would it be?
1) More storyline tournaments! The reason I enjoy L5R so much is because the players are responsible for directing where the story goes; the CCG is responsible for what eventually ends up in the story/RPG. I am hoping that VTES would follow a similar route, but I suppose it would be difficult as VTM is where VTES is based (not the other way around). I just need to get into the RPG somehow for all the storyline tournaments to make any sense to me hehe.
2) Another victory condition would be cool or another new game mechanism that would be the foundation for a new deck archetype. VTES has been around for 8 years, don't you think it is time to shake up the status quo? hehe I can't offer suggestions because I don't think I can get that creative. :)
3) Shotglass VTES (Sanctioned Limited VTES event). Here is how it works: (a) everytime you loose pool as a result of one of your opponents action, take a shot of tequilla. (b) everytime you gain pool as a result of your actions, take a shot of tequilla. You may substitute any alcoholic beverage you prefer, just not beer, too much belching in closed quarters is bad for your health hehe.
4) I understand that table politics is what many enjoy about the game, and I personally enjoy the dynamics as a result, but I think making a deal with another Methuselah should cost you a pool :)

Q5: What do you do to help promote the game / why are you in this list of people?
I don't know why I am on this Who's Who list, just like you, I'm scratching my head as well :) I guess my claim to VTES fame is maintianing the Storyline Results page
(http://storyline.vekn.org). I am also currently VEKN Prince of Castro Valley... make that current Puppet Prince of Castro Valley :) Our first VEKN Prince is in self-inflicted Dementia, so I decided to pick up the slack, mostly to organize tournaments and recruit more players (We've been steadily embracing new blood from our L5R playgroup and finding other VTES players in and around the area). I am also supposed to churn out HoS newsletters (don't hold your breath!) and maintain an HoS website
(http://www.geocities.com/harbingersofskulls). We have a Powerbase:Castro Valley website but that is mostly to report results and announce tournaments we run at Epic Worlds Castro Valley and for people to find us when they search the web
(http://www.geocities.com/powerbasecastrovalley).
Now if I can just get VTES players into L5R and the Mantis clan it would be a good day hehe
(http://www.geocities.com/theascensionofthemantis/)

Q6: What is your favorite deck style for casual play / tournament play?
Combat decks I find the most interesting and fun to play. Both in casual play and tournaments. Beating the crap out of an opposing minion is a beauty to behold ;)

Q7: Is there a difference between your casual play and tournament play?
No, not really. In casual play, I am ineffective prey, while in tournament play, I am ineffective predator. So basically I am an ineffective VTES player ;) I guess it cancels things out and I end up with the occassional TW and when I am really lucky a tournament. So I guess you can say that I really don't know how to play :)

Back to the index of Who's Who in V:TES.

Q1: How (and when) did you begin your career as a VTES-player? Who introduced you to the game? Where did you play originally? I bought a starter box and a couple of boosters when Jyhad first came out, but apparently I was the only one in my area who did hehe. When Sabbat War came out I bought !Brujah and Lasombra starter even though there was nowhere for me to play. Then roughly 18 months ago, the manager of Epic Worlds (Castro Valley), Ed Lehto, the hobby store where I play L5R, was talking about how he considers VTES as one of the Top 3 CCGs he ever played (he hardly plays at all now but has a ready Ventrue deck), so I asked him to teach me. We then recruited a couple of the VTM players and our numbers have been growing consistently since. We also managed to schedule weekly sessions, every Wedneday, at the store since I learned how to play VTES. The local group named my first deck N'Sync Brujah (because of all the Presence cards :) hehe).	Q2: Which of the Sets and Expansions to VTES is your favorite, and why is it your top choice? I like Bloodlines a lot. Primarily because it offers a lot of diversity and variety to the game in terms of vampires and discipline cards. I get bored easily, so Bloodlines has kept me interested in VTES. I also like to go against the status quo that Camarilla and Sabbat clans represent (with the exception of Brujah and to a lesser extent !Brujah) (I play Mantis in L5R, so maybe you'll find a correllation).
Q3: What is your favorite deck to play, and why? I really don't have a favorite deck, like I mentioned, I get bored easily. Diversity and variety is more important to keep me interested. Wacky decks that don't work I am quite fond of though. However, after saying all that, the Eurobrujah deck has a special place in my heart, since I won my first VTES tournament with it (Meddling of Semsith), I love getting my minions into combat and sending other minions to torpor! I just love the Brujah!	Q4: If you could add something to the game, what would it be? 1) More storyline tournaments! The reason I enjoy L5R so much is because the players are responsible for directing where the story goes; the CCG is responsible for what eventually ends up in the story/RPG. I am hoping that VTES would follow a similar route, but I suppose it would be difficult as VTM is where VTES is based (not the other way around). I just need to get into the RPG somehow for all the storyline tournaments to make any sense to me hehe. 2) Another victory condition would be cool or another new game mechanism that would be the foundation for a new deck archetype. VTES has been around for 8 years, don't you think it is time to shake up the status quo? hehe I can't offer suggestions because I don't think I can get that creative. :) 3) Shotglass VTES (Sanctioned Limited VTES event). Here is how it works: (a) everytime you loose pool as a result of one of your opponents action, take a shot of tequilla. (b) everytime you gain pool as a result of your actions, take a shot of tequilla. You may substitute any alcoholic beverage you prefer, just not beer, too much belching in closed quarters is bad for your health hehe. 4) I understand that table politics is what many enjoy about the game, and I personally enjoy the dynamics as a result, but I think making a deal with another Methuselah should cost you a pool :)
Q5: What do you do to help promote the game / why are you in this list of people? I don't know why I am on this Who's Who list, just like you, I'm scratching my head as well :) I guess my claim to VTES fame is maintianing the Storyline Results page (http://storyline.vekn.org). I am also currently VEKN Prince of Castro Valley... make that current Puppet Prince of Castro Valley :) Our first VEKN Prince is in self-inflicted Dementia, so I decided to pick up the slack, mostly to organize tournaments and recruit more players (We've been steadily embracing new blood from our L5R playgroup and finding other VTES players in and around the area). I am also supposed to churn out HoS newsletters (don't hold your breath!) and maintain an HoS website (http://www.geocities.com/harbingersofskulls). We have a Powerbase:Castro Valley website but that is mostly to report results and announce tournaments we run at Epic Worlds Castro Valley and for people to find us when they search the web (http://www.geocities.com/powerbasecastrovalley). Now if I can just get VTES players into L5R and the Mantis clan it would be a good day hehe (http://www.geocities.com/theascensionofthemantis/)	Q6: What is your favorite deck style for casual play / tournament play? Combat decks I find the most interesting and fun to play. Both in casual play and tournaments. Beating the crap out of an opposing minion is a beauty to behold ;)
Q7: Is there a difference between your casual play and tournament play? No, not really. In casual play, I am ineffective prey, while in tournament play, I am ineffective predator. So basically I am an ineffective VTES player ;) I guess it cancels things out and I end up with the occassional TW and when I am really lucky a tournament. So I guess you can say that I really don't know how to play :)