Clan Assamite Newsletter, July 2008 Written by Jaakko Liemola Greetings. I'm Jaakko, the new writer of this newsletter. Also, I'm a relatively new player, 3 years being an overestimate I think. But nonetheless, I hope I have something to give to you readers, about our beloved clan Assamite, and hope to learn something myself in the process of writing these newsletters. I'll try to live up to those names, who have written this newsletter before me, they've thought me much of this game, and the clan Assamite. I'll try to keep a concept of the month in these newsletters, and provide a decklist for the concept. Tested or untested. First of these concepts, is a wallish bleeder. Quite surprising wouldn't you say? Given the toys we have access to, this isn't something to sneeze at. We just need a few cards, and a few selected vampires for the deck. Tom Duncan has also written a newsletter about this, but I feel that so much has changed that it's worth going back to. I recommend reading it, it's the March 2006 newsletter. Some things I say will propably overlap with him, and on some things we propably disagree. But, lets get started shall we? :) First, we'll need this: No Secrets of the Magaji +1 stealth action. Requires a ready magaji. Put this card on this magaji and untap him or her. The magaji with this card gets +1 intercept when attempting to block vampires. If this magaji is tapped, he or she may attempt to block a vampire as if untapped. Burn this card if this magaji attempts to block a vampire but is not successful. A vampire may have only one No Secrets From the Magaji. What's not to like it? Untap, +1 intercept, and can block a vampire as if untapped. You'll still need a reaction module of some sort to help against those pesky allies which you most likely will bump into sooner or later. We'll get back to that later on. Several copies of it are needed, so you'll get one early on. Secondly, we need this: Olugbenga When contesting a vampire, you may use the blood on that vampire or on Olugbenga as pool to pay for the contest. Olugbenga gets +1 intercept against bleed actions. (The blood curse does not affect Olugbenga.) Keyword here being the +1 intercept against bleed. Given the +1 from the No Secrets, it's already 2 permanent intercept against bleeds. Against some decks, it's enough, and against some decks, it really isn't. However, his secondary ability regarding the contesting of vampires isn't likely to be of help. Though it's happened to me once, in an earlier version of this months deck, which goes through it's third overhaul version. But when it happens, the look on your preys face when you influence Olugbenga out, is closely priceless. Another great card for this sort of a deck: Powerbase: Tshwane Master: unique location. Requires a ready Laibon. Tap this location to reduce the cost of a card you play by 1 pool (this location is not tapped if that card is canceled as it is played). Any Laibon may steal this location for his or her controller as a (D) action This card is golden. It works on every card you play, that costs a pool, and in this deck, those cards are many. You play a Direct Intervention on your predator's blockfail? Tap Tshwane, and it's a free DI. You play a Sport Bike for more intercept? Tap Tshwane, and it's free. And so on and so on. An early copy of it will save you much pool. Possibly even enough for one more guy in your support group to help on ousting. So it's worth of adding 2 copies of it in the deck. Other cards, that will help you getting on the intercept, are the media outlets, and retainers. Namely Shaman and Mr. Winthrop. I'm not too sold on raven spies in a deck like this, even though Olugbenga is the star. If you draw an early No Secrets, and a media outlet or two, you're quite safe from what I've experienced. And, you are running Direct Interventions right? So how are we going to be able to play all those poolcosting locations and equipments? By gaining pool of course. Luckily, Lords of the Night added the wonderful card Haqim's Law: Leadership to our relief :) Running a few copies of it should be enough of poolgain during the course of a game to help you stay healthy with the other poolgaining there's gonna be in the deck. I'd run Blood Dolls in this sort of a deck, even though are going to be running rather high amount of masters. The tools of the trade are expensive in total costs, and you are going to need all the pool you can get to not get ousted before you oust. Let's do a quick comparison, over 3 turns, BD will give you 3 pool, or you can add a blood to the vampire instantly, if you're in the dire need of it. Vessel, would only give you 2 pool, and starts to function only on the second turn. If you get 2 pool from the BD, or push back 1 pool to prevent something, you're already on the better side of Vessel. Then there's Alamut, and with it comes votes, and with votes, comes ConBoon, for the third part of bloating engine. Not really much to explain here, most people should know how that operates, and if they don't, well, they're in for a surprise :) Then for the ousting part. At the basic, you'll need only 1 card for the boost on ousting. Loss Blood Cost: 1 [qui] (D) Burn an equipment or location on a minion controlled by your predator or prey. [QUI] (D) Bleed at +2 bleed. And even the inferior is useful. Blow up the Heart of Nizchetus from your prey, and just smile when they wonder what that was. Or just bleed them away. Which is the biggest part on the oustmethod of this deck. If you choose to run Alamut and ConBoons with it, there's another card that can greatly help you on your ousting: Reckless Agitation Blood Cost: 2 Requires an independent vampire with capacity above 4. Allocate 6 points among two or more other Methuselahs. Successful referendum means each Methuselah burns 1 pool for each point assigned. You just need an independent 5-cap vampire to call for RA. The downside part of the vote is, that you can't use it when there are only 2 players left, so at most I'd run 3 RA:s in here. If you feel that you want to use votes when there's 2 players left, you can always go with the KRC-route, and be happy for shooting your prey for 3 and yourself for 1. But at best, you're not running too many independents in the crypt for this deck, so KRC might be a bit better option, if even a little less useful, as all the vampires in your crypt can call it by default. Unlike RA. Now, earlier I said that you'll need a reaction package against the evil allies, which you'll most likely encounter. Warghouls and Shamblers with Khazar's Diary-decks are the first that comes to my mind. You most likely will want to block some of them. Instead of Black Sunrises, which are good, no doubt about that, On the Qui Vives and Fillips, which are easier to cycle, and won't force you to block. Another part of the reaction module can be Nest of Eagles, which reduces bleed by 1, or, if it's a 5-cap or smaller, it's reduces by 3. But, it might jam your hand, so 2-3 at maximum, if even that. So, here's the deck of the month: Crypt [12 vampires] Capacity min: 1 max: 7 average: 5.08333 ------------------------------------------------------------ 4x Olugbenga 7 OBF QUI ani cel magaji Assamite:4 2x Anarch Convert 1 Caitiff:0 1x Kashan 7 CEL OBF QUI obt pre 1 vote Assamite:4 1x Hafsa, The Watcher 6 OBF QUI aus cel Assamite:5 1x Reza Fatir, The Da 6 CEL QUI obf pro Assamite:4 1x Vardar Vardarian 6 OBF QUI cel pre Assamite:4 1x Kamau Jafari 4 QUI obf Assamite:4 1x Alu 2 obf Assamite:5 /* One could always drop the converts, and double up on Kamau and Vardar, as they are propably the most wanted companions for Olugbenga to do their dirty work. I didn't include Basir here, as I feel, that Alu is a much better choice. Last game I played with this, Alu was the MVP */ Library [90 cards] ------------------------------------------------------------ Action [22] 5x Haqim's Law: Leadership 2x Khabar: Glory 8x Loss 7x No Secrets From the Magaji /* Not much big surprises here, if I'd change anything, I'd most likely drop both of the glories, and swap in 1 Loss, and 1 Haqim's */ Action Modifier [18] 5x Cloak the Gathering 5x Faceless Night 4x Lost in Crowds 4x Spying Mission Action Modifier/Combat [5] 5x Swallowed by the Night /* Well, what can you say, stealth gets you through. Swalloweds also double up as maneuver in a bad case */ Combat [7] 4x Pursuit 3x Side Strike Equipment [6] 3x .44 Magnum 1x Flak Jacket 1x Ivory Bow 1x Sport Bike /* This should be defensive enough most of the time to avoid some annoying combat. */ Event [1] 1x Narrow Minds Master [18] 3x Alamut 1x Barrens, The 4x Blood Doll 1x Channel 10 3x Direct Intervention 1x Guardian Angel 1x Market Square 2x Powerbase: Tshwane 1x WMRH Talk Radio 1x Wall Street Night, Financial Newspaper /* Yes, the masters are expensive. You'll be low on pool before you even notice it. One could always drop Wall Street, and add Powerbase: Montreal instead of it for some poolgain.*/ Political Action [5] 3x Consanguineous Boon 2x Reckless Agitation Reaction [6] 3x Nest of Eagles 3x On the Qui Vive Retainer [2] 1x Mr. Winthrop 1x Shaman */ Quite basic the rest of it. 3 wakes just in case someone blows up my No Secrets, and I really need to block that action. */ This is actually a fun deck to play. You'll get to tinker some, and bleed some forward. You should be able to get 2-3 vampires out, minimum. Depending on your hand, your turn should consist of bleeding, or getting your pool up. It has it weaknesses, mainly the combat section. If you get a rushdeck next to you, hope that his predator is putting enough pressure on him, that you'll get free hands. Powerbleeding Giovannis have also proven to be a problem. Also, think twice before DI'ing or blocking something from your prey. One game I blocked the wrong action from my prey, and I lost my No Secrets. And, be patient. If you got a bad hand, don't go all guns blazing and bleed your prey if you know they will catch you. Now, credit to where credits due. Originally I talked about this deck with Oko, and he told he based his idea on Matt Morgan's Akunanse Bleed n' Block. --------------------- Next Issue, Anarchism! --------------------- Liked it, hated it, or want to comment otherwise? Contact me on: akantes_a_hotmail.com --------------------- Remember to visit The Path of Blood, a site dedicated to Clan Assamite. www.thepathofblood.com ---------------------