Ahrimanes Newsletter #18 31.10.06 ==================================================== [ 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 Card Focus 3.0 - Deck 3.1 Ahrimane Abombwe 3.2 Sign Off --[1.1 - Word from the Editor]---------------------- BloodBATH 2006: Haven Uncovered was a success, although not for me, nor for the Ahrimanes - perhaps I should have played them. I had considered it, but a local player had trounced a table with a Tzimisce Horrid Form deck, and I couldn't think of an Ahrimane way around that. Answers on an Ecard to the usual address. Also I have played some 3rd Ed draft and it is very good fun, while playing that I also got to try out Instability, which attracted some flak when I recommended it last issue. I have to admit it is not good, I once had it early in the game, got my pool, but then my Prey had the Edge for a couple of turns... Then in another game I got it later, and it sat in my hand waiting for the conditions to be met... So either way it is not great, perhaps I will have to try out Kings Rising instead? --[1.2 -Next Issue]------------------------------------ Well we will be a month into the Millennium Cultists, but the full event is set to last until the end of January 2007. I will probably start including any winning decks as it goes along, rather than have an issue devoted to it. I guess also that as it progresses the Cultist deck list will be revealed, and thus players can adapt their tactics and decks to that. So next issue is a little up in the air at the moment, with no definite plan, still makes it more exciting eh? --[2.1 - Crypt Card Focus]-------------------------- Another blast from the past, well Bloodlines, this month it is Siamese, The Clan: Ahrimane (group 2) Capacity: 7 Disciplines: PRE SPI ani pro Sabbat: +1 bleed. Sterile. I often overlook The Siamese when making Ahrimane decks, which is definitely a mistake. She has all three in clan skills, admittedly ANI is only at inferior, but as ANI is generally lacking in group 2 adding the required skill cards is not a hardship but something that I have learned to do. I think that in the past I made more ANI/PRE decks, for which she was costly, but with the new SPI cards you can now create PRE/SPI decks, for which she is ideal. She also has PRO also at inferior, but there is a lot of mileage with inferior as most of the cards are very playable at that level. Now her special is obvious, +1 bleed, and thankfully it is costed a lot lower than on the group 1 vampires. She immediately puts pressure on your prey, as she can inflict a lot of bleed damage, with action cards and modifiers. I probably wouldn't put Heart of the City or Tier of Souls on her (assuming she has superior ANI) as I prefer to have a more even spread of bleeding vampires. However some players do like to have a Bleed Hammer, a minion with the ability to do lots of damage, and I believe that this is because you can often get a couple of successful little bleeds for one, while players prepare to block your Hammer - who may or may not bleed each turn. --[2.2 - Library Card Focus]------------------------ We finally have the Abombwe focus that I promised a few months ago, so rather than one card we have a whole skill set, starting with: Abombwe Type: Master Master: Discipline. Trifle. Put this card on a Laibon or on a vampire with Protean [pro]. This vampire gains one level of Abombwe [abo]. Capacity increases by 1: the vampire is one generation older. Cannot be placed on a vampire with superior Abombwe. Now the Abombwe (ABO) skill card has quite a few pluses, firstly it increases capacity, which is good if you are using Atonement, second it is easily playable being a Trifle, which of course means that you can still get another Master card out, or of course, a second Trifle with the updated 3rd Ed rules. Finally it gives ABO, which has some things in common with PRO and ANI, but also adds a few good touches of its own. Most of the more powerful abilities come at superior ABO, but the one at basic that really stands out is Devil-Channel: Back Type: Combat Requires: Abombwe [abo] [REFLEX] Cancel a frenzy card played on this vampire as it is played. [abo] Frenzy. This vampire burns 1 blood to get an additional strike this round, only usable to make a hand strike. [ABO] Frenzy. This vampire gets an additional strike this round, only usable to make a hand strike. As this grants an additional strike for only one blood it gives something that currently only Shadow of the Wolf gives the Ahrimanes. With a Wildebeest and a couple of Scorpion Stings you can throw out some good hand damage, which of course can be Aggravated with either PRO or ABO cards. Layer on some Carrion Crows and those opposing minions will suffer. Also at basic ABO, and on every ABO card is the following text [abo] [REFLEX] Cancel a frenzy card played on this vampire as it is played. This is very useful, as generally there has been a rise in use of equipment; even those Ahrimanes decks from Issue 16 had some. This then leads to a rise in anti-equipment card use, such as Drawing out the Beast, Frenzy, and Terror Frenzy, all of which prevent the use of your equipment. So with any of the ABO cards you will still be able to use your equipment, and even resist the terror of Rötschreck! If really stacking up the Abombwe skill cards then the superior abilities can be used, and there we get some very unique options. Devil-Channel: Throat Type: Action Modifier Requires: Abombwe Cost: 1 blood [abo] [REFLEX] Cancel a frenzy card played on this vampire as it is played. [abo] Frenzy (played on this acting vampire). Only usable when a non-werewolf ally or younger vampire attempts to block. That minion's blocking attempt fails (do not tap that minion). That minion cannot attempt to block this action again. [ABO] As above, but tap that blocking minion. At first read this isn't great, because of the younger vampire clause, which has always been a problem when I have tried Approximation of Loyalty. However in this case we are adding up to two capacity to our vampires with Abombwe skill cards. This means that we have capacity up to 10 thus the majority of vampires are younger! So block fails is great, especially with the tap part at ABO, as this should allow you to act more easily with a second vampire. Predator's Transformation Type: Action Modifier/Combat Requires: Abombwe [abo] [REFLEX] Cancel a frenzy card played on this vampire as it is played. [abo] [ACTION MODIFIER] Only usable as the action is announced. +1 stealth, even if stealth is not yet needed. [ABO] [ACTION MODIFIER][COMBAT] Only usable when this vampire burns a minion controlled by your prey, either in combat or as a (D) action. Your prey burns two pool. A vampire may play only one Predator's Transformation at superior each action. At superior this has a very interesting side effect, in that you cause your prey to burn pool when you burn one of their minions. Now in normal course of games, vampires go to torpor - often being followed by a cloud of Crows and Bats when Ahrimanes are concerned. This is good, however we can now take further advantage of the situation with this card, as it will lead to pool loss for our prey, which hopefully leads to ousting. The one thing to be wary of will be the Blood Hunt, but you should have a few Magaji votes to keep your minion alive. --[3.1 - Deck: Ahrimane Abombwe]--------------- I am afraid that this is another untried deck, but hopefully not too poor. There are a couple of ways to gain pool, then quite a few ways to force through actions. You should be able to block quite successfully, especially with Atonement, which can be combined with Abombwe skill cards. The Sniper Rifles should keep you safe, especially with the anti frenzy of ABO. 2x Sobayifa 8 ANI PRE aus pot pro spi magaji Guruhi:3 2x Siamese, The 7 PRE SPI ani pro Ahrimane:2 2x Nettie Hale 5 ani cel pre pro spi Ahrimane:2 2x Bobby Lemon 4 ANI pro Gangrel:3 2x Juanita Santiago 4 ani pre spi Ahrimane:2 2x Zhara 4 ani for pre Ishtarri:3 Library [90 cards] Action [10] 2x Army of Rats 1x Atonement 5x Enchant Kindred 1x Heart of the City 1x Sanguine Instruction Action Modifier [5] 5x Devil-Channel: Throat Action Modifier/Combat [2] 2x Predator's Transformation Combat [26] 6x Aid from Bats 8x Carrion Crows 3x High Ground 5x Taste of Vitae 4x Terror Frenzy Combat/Action Modifier [8] 8x Swiftness of the Stag Equipment [3] 3x Sniper Rifle Master [18] 7x Abombwe 2x Animalism 4x Blood Doll 1x Guardian Angel 1x KRCG News Radio 1x Powerbase: Montreal 1x Rack, The 1x Spontaneous Power Reaction [15] 6x Falcon's Eye 3x Guard Dogs 6x Speak with Spirits Retainer [3] 1x Murder of Crows 2x Raven Spy --[3.2 - Sign Off]------------------------------------- Well the full rules for Millennium Cultists are now out, and it looks like it will be quite fun. The Nergal deck was an interesting change, and the Cultists looks to do similar, except that everyone can potentially have a try. One thing that I saw suggested was the idea for StoryFerior, in much the same way DraftFeriors have been added to cards. This would then allow those unique storyline cards to be used outside of such events, and have more worth when given as a prize. I hope some of you will be playing Ahrimanes in this event, I will be, at least once, and perhaps this time we can score a little higher than Infernal Plague 2? Sam *