Ahrimanes Newsletter #10 27.02.06 ==================================================== [ AHRIMANES NEWSLETTER ] ==================================================== 1.0 - Editorial 1.1 Word From the Editor 1.2 Next Issue 2.0 - Concepts 2.1 Crypt Card Focus 2.2 Library Cards Focus 3.0 - Deck 3.1 Ahrimane Block Prevention 3.2 Sign Off --[1.1 - Word from the Editor]----------------------- Well after the past few months excitement of Legacies of Blood and the Nergal storyline we can return to normal service. Of course we are left with the aftermath of both of those events, and while we can look at the LoB cards we will have to see what the Nergal results bring to the World of Darkness. --[1.2 -Next Issue]------------------------------------ Next issue we will look at three cards that are normally passed over in favour of 'better' cards. We will see how Cull the Herd and Prophecies of Gehenna can help you win games. Also we will take a look a non Ahrimane, but a useful vampire none the less, Sandra White. --[2.1 - Crypt Card Focus]-------------------------- This month we go back to the original Ahrimanes, with The Siamese. Siamese, The Clan: Ahrimanes (group 2) Capacity: 7 Disciplines: PRE SPI ani pro Sabbat: +1 bleed. Sterile Rarity: BL:U2 The Siamese used to be a little overlooked in the past as she lacked Animalism that most Ahrimane decks featured, although her plus bleed certainly helped out. However with the new Spiritus cards that are available she can slice through blockers and deliver that big bleed. This will speed up the ousting power of Ahrimane decks, and allow the building of more forward pressure decks rather than all the wall/toolboxes we saw in last issues decks. As now with a combination of Heart of the City, Squirrel Balance and a couple of Approximation of Loyalty regular bleed damage of 4 should be possible. As usual I would be careful to go higher than 3 on a bleed as a surprise Archon Investigation can ruin most decks. The Siamese also has inferior Protean, which has been mentioned in as a fourth clan discipline in previous newsletters, this could be used for some additional stealth but is not really worth the effort. --[2.2 - Library Cards Focus]------------------------ This month we look at two cards that work nicely together, although not in even quantities, first up is: Approximation of Loyalty Type: Action Modifier Requires: capacity above 6 Presence Cost: 1 blood Requires a vampire with capacity above 6. [pre] Only usable when the action is announced. Choose a vampire with capacity below 7 or an ally. That minion cannot block this action. [PRE] Cancel a reaction card played by a vampire with capacity below 7 or an ally as it is played (no cost is paid). No more action modifiers can be played on this action. Rarity: Gehenna:C KMW:PAn2 Now Approximation of Loyalty (AoL) should only be used sparingly as it has quite limiting restrictions however a few will help cancel those annoying bounce cards. Of course you could get stuck preying on a player who only uses big capacity vampires, so having too many of these becomes a problem, also the blood cost can add up, leaving your vampires hunting rather than other more offensive actions. AoL is better used when you are aware of the opposing players hand, which is difficult to do with Ahrimanes, however an occasional Cull the Herd or Prophecies of Gehenna could tip the balance. Next we look at a new card: Squirrel Balance Type: Action Modifier Requires: Spiritus/Celerity Cost: 1 blood [cel] Only usable when the action is announced. If blocked, range in the first round of the resulting combat is automatically set to long. [spi] Minions without flight or Spiritus get -1 intercept when attempting to block this action. [SPI] As [spi] above, but those minions get -2 intercept. Rarity: LoB:C This card really helps get actions through, as the intercept reduction, combined with Swiftness of the Stag means that effectively +3 intercept will be needed to block! That is awesome, for what is seen as wall/combat clan you can really get some actions through. A couple of issues back, when giving my Legacies of Blood overview I mentioned using this card with Suppressing Fire which I was going to use with Mark V and maybe Manstopper Rounds for the theme, however with Zip Guns which will be easier to play you can get the same options, and probably never need the Zip Gun in combat, so there won't be any damage to take. A further option could be to use Saturday Night Special and a few Dragons Breath Rounds after you have ground someone down with Carrion Crows and presses. Going back to Squirrel Balance the outferior is of use as well as two Ahrimanes have Celerity out of the box, as does High Top, so you can set the range if so required. --[3.1 - Deck: Ahrimane Block Prevention ]--------------------------------------- Deck Name : Ahrimane Block Prevention Author : Sam Marsh Building on the cards mentioned in the Newsletter here is a deck that uses all of those elements to force through bleeds. Crypt [12 vampires] Capacity min: 3 max: 8 average: 5.67 3x Siamese, The 7 PRE SPI ani pro Ahrimane:2 2x Howler 8 ANI PRE SPI obf Ahrimane:2 2x Cynthia Ingold 6 SPI ani for pre Ahrimane:2 2x Juanita Santiago 4 ani pre spi Ahrimane:2 2x Gideon Fontaine 3 PRE Ventrue:1 1x Nettie Hale 5 ani cel pre pro spi Ahrimane:2 Library [90 cards] Action [16] 3x Cull the Herd 5x Enchant Kindred 2x Engling Fury 1x Entrancement 2x Heart of the City 2x Social Charm 1x Vulture's Buffet Action Modifier [18] 4x Aire of Elation 5x Approximation of Loyalty 9x Squirrel Balance Ally [3] 1x Mylan Horseed (Goblin) 2x Ohoyo Hopoksia (Bastet) Combat [14] 14x Majesty Combat/Action Modifier [7] 7x Swiftness of the Stag Master [12] 6x Blood Doll 3x Presence 1x KRCG Radio 2x Perfectionist Reaction [16] 6x Falcon's Eye 6x Speak with Spirits 4x Wake with Evening's Freshness Retainer [4] 2x Ghoul Escort 1x J. S. Simmons, Esq. 1x Tasha Morgan Sadly this is another untried deck, the month has whizzed by and there has been no chance to build it. Maybe someone out there will try it, or be inspired by it and let me know how it works out. --[3.2 - Sign Off]------------------------------------- Well another issue done, my seventh, and it would be nice to get some feedback. Tell me what I am doing wrong, right, or indifferently. Shouldn't be that hard, and I am fairly easy to contact - looking forward to it. Sam *