OFFICIAL VEKN GANGREL-ANTITRIBU NEWSLETTER VOLUME 2 NUMBER 6 JUNE 99
In this Magic issue ....
A Private Function [fiction]
Sealed-deck strategy and tactics I [winning sealed decks, and comments]
Deck Corner [a sneak preview of my contribution to something that Xian is
collating ... COMPLETELY insane deck ideas].
FICTION: A PRIVATE FUNCTION
"Lord and Lady Legbiter, and Michael the Pocket Money Thrall of
Legbiter!"
"Dear Prince, how kind of you to come! Dear Lady, you look delightful!
And young Michael, how very much the same size you have remained!"
It's nice to see my old friend Baron Sengir so VERY cheerful. We do look
forward to these annual summer parties, but i must admit i felt a bit
apprehensive about this one. Things don't look so goo-, erm, hopeful for
our kind in Dominaria these nights. A LOT of old friends are out of work
- there's the Sengir Vampire, chatting animatedly with his Krovikan and
Ravenous mateys. Up there in the rafters, the Skyshroud vampire is
playing aerial tag with the Vampire and Sengir bats: Shauku the
Endbringer is lurking by the punchbowl and NOBODY is fooled by her new
toyboy's little lace mask .. that's Crovax the Cursed, that is. Now, i
wonder if i can give Lady Legbiter the slip for a couple of hours while i
do some illicit snogging with the delightful [but short] Irini Sengir
.... hmmm, methinks by the scorchmarks in the air that similar thoughts
are crossing her mind, and that of the Veldrane of Sengir .... while
young Michael is being led away by Granny Sengir for a bit of Torture.
Come along my dear, the secret stairs are just behind this arras, are
they not? At least i know my arras from my elbow .. hehehe .....
A bit later i am out on the battlements looking over the Lake of the
Dead, out of which Castle Sengir looms like a mighty ship. Bits of the
Veldrane are quite plainly floating down there [o dear, she does get
carried away sometimes] so to distract my host's attention i start
talking about how very badly the wretched wizards have been treating him.
Only the Sengir autocrat, of all our friends, has made it into the latest
edition! The Baron smiles, and lays a claw on my arm. "Now, now, dear
friend, don't upset yourself so. Let the ghouls and zombies vie for
position in the basic set, we do not care. Would YOU like to be portrayed
with a white border, forsooth? I thought not. We will be back, with the
black borders to which we are entitled by our Blood. Then let the
snivelling hordes of red, the treehugging greens, the o-so-holy whites
and the EXTREMELY annoying blues TREMBLE!!! Hang on, isn't that my
Veldrane's leg down there in the water? And have you seen Irini
recently?"
O shit ........
SEALED DECK STRATEGY AND TACTICS
In the May 99 newsletter i said i would start a series of articles about
sealed-deck strategy and tactics. But "series" is perhaps a bit grandiose
- i reckon i should be able to cover what i have to say in two articles
at most. We'll see.
i want to start by explaining my qualifications for writing any kind of
article at all on this subject. Basically they are that in Portsmouth i
have never lost a sealed-deck event, having played in five. And my
opposition has included lots of good players, so i think i am probably
doing something right.
However, i have never played in anything approaching a national or
international event, so it is quite possible that i am doing something
terribly wrong which would be exposed if i ever came up against American
or European players. Again, we'll see, though i'm not TOO worried about
it, because i have also beaten Michael Beer [Dortmund] and david tatu
[Atlanta] in this form of play [both these gentlemen COMPLETELY wallop my
sorry bottom in constructed play].
Before launching into airy generalisations let's look at some real data -
3 decks, each built by me from 4 Sabbat boosters with limited trading
according to the Portsmouth Draft, and each a winner in sealed-deck play
over at least 4 rounds.
***************************************************
DECK 1 [All-Sabbat, built from 4 boosters with limited trading, 12 VPS
FROM 4 GAMES]
CRYPT
Gillian Krader 2 [dem ani] useful disciplines 0/2
Lolita 3 [for] pre useful disciplines 1/2
Salinger 9 [tha] PRE POT CEL 2 votes, +1 bleed, direct attacks on Tzi and
Las useful disciplines 3/4
Jessica 7 OBT PRE CEL AUS 1 vote useful disciplines 4/4
Aurora van Brande 6 [for] pot [dom] OBT 1R damage useful disciplines 1/3
Lena Rowe 3 pre obf aus useful disciplines 3/3
Jacob Bragg 3 pot cel useful disciplines 2/2
Ignacio obt 4 [dom] pot useful disciplines 1/2
Ian Wallingford 6 aus PRE CEL 1 vote useful disciplines 3/3
Sarah Brando 3 CEL useful disciplines 1/1
Dodd 5 [dom] pre CEL useful disciplines 2/3
Beast, Leatherface of Detroit 7 [ani] cel POT OBF +1 hand damage, no
actions equipment or retainers, may enter combat with any minion. useful
disciplines 3/4
Average 4.8, best 11, worst 29.
5/12 = 42% have useful permanent, 2/12 = 17% have two useful permanents.
24/31 overall useful discipline index = 77%
LIBRARY [only 54 cards, should be 55. Not sure which one has got lost]
17 COMBAT [31%]
POTENCE:
Pushing the Limit
Disarm
Sacrament of Carnage x 2
Immortal Grapple
Fractured Armament
AUSPEX:
Primal instincts
OBTENEBRATION:
Arms of the Abyss
Call the Lamprey x 2
CELERITY:
Preternatural Evasion x 2
Blur
Quickness
Side Strike
DISCIPLINELESS:
Boxed In
Fake Out
7 ACTION MODIFIERS [13%]
OBFUSCATE:
Swallowed by the Night [combat card at superior]
Cloak the Gathering
OBTENEBRATION:
Shroud of Night x 2
PRESENCE:
Bewitching Oration
DISCIPLINELESS:
Bribes x 2
2 EQUIPMENT [4%]
Laptop Computer
Sword of Judgement
7 VOTES [13%]
Anarchist Uprising x 3
Crusade: Chicago
Cardinal Benediction
Disputed Territory
Consanguineous Boon
6 REACTIONS [11%]
AUSPEX:
Spirit's Touch
Precognition
Enhanced senses
Telepathic Counter
OBTENEBRATION:
Eyes of the Night
DISCIPLINELESS:
Forced Awakening
4 ACTIONS [7%]
AUSPEX:
Pulse of the Canaille
PRESENCE:
Media Influence
DISCIPLINELESS:
Arson x 2
11 MASTERS [20%]
Power Structure
Blood Doll
Potence
The Hungry Coyote x 2
Information Highway
Obtenebration
Presence
Celerity
Sermon of Caine
The Art of Love
Breakdown of minion cards by Discipline:
POTENCE 6/43 = 14%
AUSPEX 6/43 = 14%
OBFUSCATE 2/43 = 5%
OBTENEBRATION 6/43 = 14%
PRESENCE 2/43 = 5%
CELERITY 5/43 = 12%
DISCIPLINELESS 15/43 = 35%
CLAN-RESTRICTED 1/43 = 2%
**************************************************
DECK TWO [VICTOR OF FIRST SABBAT LEAGUE, 3 HEATS PLUS FINAL]
CRYPT
Mitchell [obt] ani 2
Frederick the weak [pre] 2
Dani ani 2
Jacob Bragg pot cel 3
Ignacio [obt] dom pot 4
Gerard [ont] dom aus for 5
Luther [obt] pro for ANI 6 +1 bleed if target controls a ready Pander
Sela [obt] cel POT [PRE] 6 Bishop [1 vote], +1 bleed
Dylan pro cel aus for dom 6 +1 bleed
Calebos cel POT OBF ANI 8 Bishop [1 vote], +1 Hand damage
Lazverinus pro POT FOR DOM AUS 10 Archbsihop [2 votes], +2 hand damage
Genevieve aus dom PRO FOR ANI Priscus, +1 vote in political actions
Av. 5.3, best 9. worst 34.
50% useful permanent, 33% two useful permanents. 85% of disciplines
useful.
LIBRARY [53 cards, should be 55. Not sure which two have got lost.]
19 COMBAT 36%
Pursuit
Thrown Gate
Side Strike
Superior Mettle
Wolf Claws
Fractured Armament
Fake Out x 2
Disguised Weapon x 2
Carrion Crows x 2
Trap
Bone Spur
Skin of Rock
Boxed In
Pushing the Limit
Rolling with the Punches
4 VOTES 8%
Consanguineous Boon
Screw the Masquerade
Sabbat Inquisitor
Anarchist Uprising
5 REACTIONS 9%
Precognition
Spirit's Touch
Cat's Guidance
Enhanced Senses
Telepathic Counter
6 Equipment 9%
Meat Cleaver
Leather Jacket
Flame Thrower
Gas-Powered Chainsaw
Sport Bike
.44 Magnum
4 MODIFIERS 8%
Rapid Change [combat card at superior]
Threats
Swallowed by the Night [combat card at superior]
Cloak the Gathering
4 ACTIONS 8%
Restoration
Slaughtering the Herd
Pulse of the Canaille
Scouting Mission
11 MASTERS 21%
Obfuscate
The Barrens
Sudden reversal
Ascendance
Corporate HG
Shanty Town HG
Pentex Loves You!
Ventrue Investment
Tribute to the Master
Protean
Celerity
BREAKDOWN OF MINION CARDS BY DISCIPLINE
7% Potence
2% Celerity
10% Fortitude
7% Protean
10% Animalism
12% Auspex
7% Obfuscate
7% Dominate
33% Disciplineless
********************************************************
DECK 3 [CURRENTLY HEADING THE PORTSMOUTH SABBAT LEAGUE TABLE AFTER 6
ROUNDS]
CRYPT
Shane Grimald dom pot ani 4
Caitlin aus dom ANI PRO 5 Bishop
Juan Cali aus [for] 3
Calebos cel POT OBF ANI 8 Bishop, +1 hand damage
2 x Kendrick aus obf POT ANI 7 Priscus, look at card from prey's hand
Sarah Brando CEL 3
Lachlan dom PRE CEL AUS 8 Archbishop
Anton obf cel [vis] ANI AUS 8 +1 intercept
Victor Revill [dem] pre aus CEL 5
Huang [pro] 1
Zachary [for] pre [PRO] OBF CEL 7
Av 5.5, best 13, worst 31
50% Useful Permanents, 25% 2 useful permanents.
84% of disciplines useful.
17 MASTERS 31%
Potence
Presence
2 x Blood Doll
2 x Auspex
2 x Obfuscate
Barrens
2 x Information highway
Hungry Coyote
Corporate HG
Tribute to the Master
Art of Love
Secret Horde
Art of Pain
4 EQUIPMENT 7%
Brass Knuckles
Leather Jacket
Submachinegun
Gas-powered chainsaw
6 ACTIONS 11%
2 x Ambush
Social Charm
Pulse of the Canaille
2 x Media Influence
6 VOTES 11%
Cardinal Benediction
3 x Screw the Masquerade
Sacrifice
Anarchist Uprising
6 REACTIONS 11%
2 x Enhanced Senses
Spirit's Touch
3 x Forced Awakening
5 MODIFIERS 9%
Bonding
Lost in Crowds
Bewitching Oration
Cloak the gathering
11 COMBAT 20%
Preternatural Evasion
Pushing the Limit
Twisting the Knife
2 x Sacrament of Carnage
Undead Strength
Fake Out
Thrown Gate
Blur
Channeling the Beast
Carrion Crows
BREAKDOWN OF MINION CARDS BY DISCIPLINE
3% Animalism
3% Dominate
8% Obfuscate
11% Auspex
115 Presence
16% Potence
5% Celerity
45% Disciplineless
Now, obviously these decks reflect my construction philosophy, which is
roughly as follows:
ANYTHING that doesn't require a discipline is good in sealed deck. This
means that all the equipment and votes you get, go in to your deck.
Blocking is necessary to mess up your predator and prey. This means you
MUST choose auspex as one of your disciplines. And when you block or are
blocked, it must HURT. So combat is the core of your deck.
Permanents are good, blood and pool gain are good. Put them in.
Of course, the construction philosophy is contingent upon the playing
philosophy, which is to be aggressive. You don't have to worry about
intricate combos or being shut down in sealed deck, because no trick is
likely to come off more than once.
As for the dogs that didn't bark in the night, yes it IS a deliberate
policy not to use Tremere antis, Viscissitude or Thaumaturgy.
I must admit that the transcribed decks above surprised me, and perhaps
after all it will take more than two articles, and more than two months,
for me to explore their implications. So for the July newsletter i'll try
to think up some analysis tools so that we can all see more clearly what
is going on.
DECK CORNER: A MAGIC DECK that lets you play sadie. REALLY!
4 Baron Sengir
4 Volrath's laboratory
4 Coat of Arms
4 Vampire Bats
4 Blood Pets
4 Drain Life
4 Dark Ritual
4 Vampiric Embrace
4 Lake of the Dead
4 Ancient Tomb
12 Swamps
4 Animate Dead
2 Howl from Beyond
2 Fear
Multi-coloured 2/2 vampire tokens: Blue [!Malk - BoyToy], Red [!Bru -
Frederick the Weak], Black [Bru - Angel, Lupo, Vasilis], White [Malk -
Ohanna, Normal, Brazil], and Green .... SADIE!!!!!
Alright, that's it for June. May all your victims be winsome specimens of
the individually-preferred, but usually opposite, gender, and see you in
July.