Ahrimanes Newsletter #11 20.03.06 ==================================================== [ AHRIMANES NEWSLETTER ] ==================================================== 1.0 - Editorial 1.1 Word From the Editor 1.2 Last Issue 1.3 Next Issue 2.0 - Concepts 2.1 Crypt Card Focus 2.2 Library Card Focus 3.0 - Deck 3.1 Sandra's Buffet 3.2 Sign Off --[1.1 - Word from the Editor]----------------------- Sanguine Instruction vs Spontaneous Power: or the ongoing problem of superior skills in Bloodline decks. Now in past issues I have talked about both of these cards, and I have now come to the opinion that Sanguine Instruction is the better option as the two pool cost for Spontaneous Power can be hard to bear. Also there is usually more room in the action section of a deck than the Masters, which seems to be filled even before I start a deck. Spontaneous Power has its place, normally in multi discipline combo decks, but for most decks where you merely desire, rather than need the superior skills then Sanguine Instruction will do the trick for you. --[1.2 -Last Issue]------------------------------------ Well I finally got to try the Ahrimane Block Prevention deck, and it got 1vp, when preying on a Laz beatdown deck, and came close to the game win although the Ravnos Tap n Bleed did its tapping badness. Then in a second game it was foiled by a OBF DOM !gangrel deck. The Blood Costs are a little high, and certainly in some games you would struggle to do much. Antero mentioned it might be a problem and it could be, I think a couple less Presence skill cards, which could be replaced by the bloat card of your choice - Jake Washington, Giants Blood etc. See feedback is good, and gets you immortalised in 'print'. Anyway I have revised the deck, removing 1 Heart of the City and 2 Presence skill cards, which have been replaced by 1 additional Prophesies of Gehenna and 2 copies of Anarch Troublemaker. These two work well together, and can really put the pressure on if used together. --[1.3 -Next Issue]------------------------------------ Next time we will look at Vultures Buffet, the new Engling Fury? Also we will fuse Equipment and The Wildebeest, surely that will never work, or will it? Also there should be full details of Nights of Reckoning - due for release on 3rd of April. --[2.1 - Crypt Card Focus]-------------------------- This month it is another non Ahrimane, but a vampire who fits right in with the plan. Sandra White Clan: Caitiff (group 3) Capacity: 1 Disciplines: Camarilla: If Sandra diablerizes an older vampire, the controller of that vampire burns 1 pool. Rarity: Anarchs:U2 Now most people can see the use of Sandra in a deck that slaps people into Torpor, so I won't dwell on that. Instead think of Vultures Buffet, and you can actually come out ahead! Normally Sandra does her thing, of eating the best target in Torpor, and then she burns in the Blood Hunt as there aren't enough votes to save her. Fair enough, a Pool for a Pool, and you have planned for your loss right? Well with a Vultures Buffet, you could gain two (three with Hungry Coyote) Blood, and one Pool once Sandra is in the Ash Heap. That sounds like plenty to fuel the next Sandra, and the next and so on! Also Sandra helps bring down the average crypt cost, with a little weeniefication - something that is impossible to do with the Sterile rule that affects all Ahrimanes preventing the use of traditional weenie creator cards such as The Embrace. Of course there are other weenies you could use, but Sandra's special is where it is at! --[2.2 - Library Card Focus]------------------------ This month we look at two lesser cards, that will help you win games! Cull the Herd Type: Action Cost: 1 blood +1 stealth action. (D) Look at another Methuselah's hand. That Methuselah discards all ally or retainer cards in his or her hand. The acting vampire gains 1 blood from the blood bank for each card discarded in this way. Rarity: Sabbat:R SW:R This card is often overlooked and this was written about in another Newsletter, although I couldn't find which, quite a while back as a method to check a players hand, at stealth, for the cost of one blood. Yes the main effect is for removing Allies, but the 'side' effect is quite powerful, as written above - check a hand, without requiring a discipline! I actually think that this card is even better now as it is more likely to find an Ally or two in a players hand with the new batch that have been released in the past few years, such as Neighbourhood Watch Commander, Procurer and others, and that means that you regain the blood spent on the action. Plus with a Vultures Buffet or two you can gain some pool - all good right? Once you have checked your opponents hand you know if you can go ahead with those big bleeds, as you saw the bounce, or lack of it. Prophecies of Gehenna Type: Master Unique master. Put this card in play. During your master phase, you may tap this card to look at your prey's hand. If you do so, your prey takes control of the Prophecies of Gehenna. Any Methuselah may burn this card during his or her untap phase by revealing his or her hand to all players. Rarity: Promo:20040301 Going back to the Editors Note of actions vs Masters, here is a card that allows that all-important look at a player's hand at the cost of a Master Phase (to play). Prophecies of Gehenna (PoG) has the advantage of being played as a Master card, and thus not requiring an action to bring it into play, or to use it. Sure it circles around the table, and can be removed by a Methuselah revealing his or her hand. But it is free, and looks in the Master Phase, which could show you any Sudden Reversals before you play your all important Master Card. So it can be quite defensive as well. Sure you could use Owl Retainer, but sometimes you don't want to be in combat, or can't get there, and it serves no purpose, whereas both of these cards allow you to look when you want, rather than when you can, and thus allow you to plan your turns that much better. --[3.1 - Deck: Sandra's Buffet]--------------------------------------- Well some of you eagle eyed readers will have spotted that last months deck used this months featured library cards - giving you chance to try them before I write about them, so this month we feature next months Library card; Vultures Buffet. Deck Name: Sandras Buffet Author: Sam Marsh Crypt [12 vampires] Capacity min: 1 max: 7 average: 4.09 4x Sandra White 1 Caitiff:3 3x Muricia 7 ANI PRE SPI Ahrimane:4 3x Effie Lowery 5 ANI SPI obf Ahrimane:4 1x Gentha Shale 6 ANI PRE pot spi Ahrimane:4 1x Aiyana, The Wolfca 3 pre spi Ahrimane:4 Library [90 cards] Action [16] 3x Enchant Kindred 8x Nose of the Hound 1x Tier of Souls 4x Vulture's Buffet Action Modifier [4] 4x Aire of Elation Combat [32] 16x Aid from Bats 10x Carrion Crows 2x Pack Alpha 4x Taste of Vitae Combat/Action Modifier [4] 4x Swiftness of the Stag Master [14] 6x Blood Doll 1x Carver's Meat Packing and Storage 2x Effective Management 2x Guardian Angel 1x Sudden Reversal 2x Tension in the Ranks Reaction [16] 5x Falcon's Eye 3x Forced Awakening 3x Guard Dogs 5x Speak with Spirits Retainer [4] 2x Murder of Crows 2x Raven Spy Again this deck is untested by me, so is bound to have some flaws, but I should soon have more time to make these things and then they will get tested - I promise. --[3.2 - Sign Off]------------------------------------- Well within the next few weeks there will be new Crypt cards - Hunters, who will make an appearance in the Legacies of Blood expansion. As of yet there are little details on the set, but it could easily change the Vtes world forever - lets hope it's a good change, and we all give it a chance before decrying it too much. See you next time. Sam *