I: Introduction Welcome to the third installment of the official Gargoyles Newsletter. This month we will explore new strategies and cards that apply to the most flexible yet most restricted of all the bloodlines. II: Fiction To: Etrius From: Virstania cc: Inner Circle of the Tremere Subject: Re: Long-term effects of constructs committing diablerie After several months of study on gargoyle construct 004.a (a.k.a Fidus) since his diablerie of Goratrix childer and Pyramid traitor, Heinrick Schlempt, at the repulsion of the siege of C5B (a.k.a. the Chantry of the Five Boroughs in New York City) during the reclamation of the domain of New York from the forces of the Sabbat organizer (and recent Cardinal elect) Francisco Domingo de Polonia, we have noticed several atypical developments that are spread across the before-mentioned construct's pattern. We have used DNA analysis, Alchemical Humor Microcognisance, Aura Reading, and a previously unknown Thaumatugical ritual developed at C5B (Codename: Perfect Clarity) to ascertain a cross-entity blueprint outlining previously unknown construct abilities. WARNING: Possession of this data by non-members of the Tremere Inner Circle or C5B research team: Luther will constitute a breach of Pyramid Security. Immediate Counter-measures will be employed and suspension of all violator's anima will be immediate and said violator(s) will remain in suspension until a tribunal can be convened to mete out punishment (re: expunging of pattern). The below report was given by Aisling Sturbridge who both witnessed the diablerie and hence-forth conducted the experiments which provided the following results. To: Virstania From Aisling Sturbridge, overseer C5B research team: Luther Subject: Long-term effects of a construct committing diablerie After witnessing the diablerie of Pyramid traitor, Heinrick Schlempt, by construct Fidus (a.k.a. the Shrunken Beast, a.k.a. Poundstone, a.k.a. Paperweight, a.k.a. Punching Bag, etc), the before-mentioned gargoyle, who previously to said conflict had exhibited a lackluster performance of Chantry Security and was slated for recycling, has begun to show signs of comprehension and understanding of Dramaturgical rites and rituals approximately equivalent to a magus initiate of the Third Circle. Subject should be treated with extreme caution and confined to suspension chamber: Purgatory until all examinations are complete. Subject has shown a nearly unknown combination of Thaumaturgy and Fortitude that it employed in a nearly suicidally, self-destructive rampage amongst Sabbat forces who had breached the aforementioned security vessel construct was being contained in. Apparently, the Sabbat forces that penetrated into the chantry assumed that the Omega level countermeasures surrounding suspension chamber: Purgatory were in place to keep them out rather than keep Fidus in. No evidence of fire was exhibited in said chamber but the sole evidence of the Sabbat forces presence was several distinct piles of ash leading me to believe that a dimensional breach was invoked that directly bathed the chamber with photons of sunlight. Security video recording devices confirm said belief. Fidus's apparent unscathed survival of said ritual and his subsequent increase in cranial mass has lead me to believe that he might be the next evolution that the gargoyles need to take to improve them as security forces for the chantry. If this could be successfully repeated in the genesis of later constructs, then clan Tremere could use these improved constructs to replace clan Gangrel as the shock troops of the Camarilla. If said replacement was successful, then the obedient nature of Gargoyles would make a much better soldier than the unruly, and independent Gangrel. The increase in clan prestige by such a success could lead to more clan Tremere objectives (see Tremere Convocation) being instituted and secured in advance of proposed timelines. Further research on construct 004.a will be continued at C5B. Sincerely, Your Faithful Servant Aisling Sturbridge III: Card of the Month High Ground Type(s): Combat Rarity: Common Card Text: Maneuver, only usable to go to long range. If this minion has flight and the opposing minion does not, play before range is determined to set the range for the round to long. A minion can play only 1 High Ground each round. This is a great card in any long range deck as it successfully eclipses Fake Out as your generic maneuver card because of the fact that you can replace it immediately and therefore attain better cycling for your deck. But that is not the reason that it is included in the Gargoyle Newsletter. The real reason is that it allows minions with flight to set range to long. Why is this important you say? Let us not forget all those Potence cards that are only useable at long range, such as Thrown Sewer Lid and Well Aimed Car, and those weapons that are only useable at long range such as the Mark V and RPG launcher. Did I mention Collapse the Arches, the premiere viciteritka combat card, as well? as well? Combine this with the fact that both parts of the card will be necessary in just about any Gargoyle deck as most of the time you have to pair them up with the Tremere. So the card is a maneuver to the Tremere whose most common strike is Theft of Vitae which is useable at long range, and the card can set range for the Gargoyles which fantastic for a Gargoyles pitch deck. It is a win-win card. IV: Vampire of the Month Fidus, The Shrunken Beast Clan: Gargoyles Capacity: 4 Camarilla Group: 2 Ability: Tremere Slave : Fidus gets +1 stealth on undirected actions. -1 strength. Flight. Disciplines : Inferior Fortitude Inferior Thaumaturgy Inferior Visceratika Fidus is this month's vampire of the month. Although he lacks the Gargoyles trademark Potence, he makes up for it with Thaumaturgy, which makes him the smallest vampire in the game with Thaumaturgy and Fortitude. He can pull off such ludicrously powerful combos such as Dawn Op, Skin of Night, and Weather Control as well as High Ground, Burst of Sunlight and Skin of Stone to prevent. He is extremely efficient if you are pairing up with Tremere with Fortitude and matches up with the likes of Kyoko Shinsegawa, Eugenio Estevez, Muaziz, Archon of Ulugh Beg, Cardano Tremere, and Ulugh Beg, The Watcher, although not in the same crypt due to the grouping rule. V: Deck of the Month This months deck of the month is Stone Soup by Bernie Bresnahan. Bernie submitted this deck to me a few months ago, and I promised him it would be in my next newsletter. So, here it is with Bernie's commentary STONE SOUP I'd submitted this to Norm awhile back for the Gargoyle newsletter, and am posting it now if anyone is looking for something to base a deck off of for Storyline play. Please note the last paragraph on modifications to make the deck storyline legal. =========================================== STONE SOUP Creator: Bernie Bresnahan - bernietime@a... Type: Bruise and Bleed Formats: Standard, Storyline# Created: 03.05.2002 Last Modified: 09.17.2002 CRYPT: 5.42 Average 2x Virstania (7) AUS THA dom pre vic; Gargoyle enabler 1x Muaziz (7) THA aus dom for; +1 Stealth on Actions, no BloodHunt 1x Ublo-Satha* (7) FOR POT VIS cel; Camarilla Tremere Slave, prevent 1 each combat 1x Ferox* (7) FOR POT VIS ani; Independent, Vamps burn 1 blood to block Ferox 1x Saxum* (6) FOR VIS pot pre; Camarilla Tremere Slave 1x Obsidian* (5) VIS for pot; Independent 1x Luma* (5) FOR aus pot vis; Camarilla Tremere Slave 2x Fidus* (4) for tha vis; Camarilla Tremere Slave. +1 Stealth on (U) Actions 1x Erinyi* (3) pot vis; Sabbat, -1 STR v. !-Gangrel 1x Enrich Weiss (3) dom tha * Vampire has Flight (Not a Discipline) LIBRARY: 90 Cards MASTER: 16 Cards 6x Blood Doll 2x Fame 4x Fortitude 2x Haven Uncovered 2x Sudden Reversal DOMINATE: 8 Cards 4x Conditioning 4x Deflection FORTITUDE: 12 Cards 2x Freak Drive 5x Superior Mettle 5x Unflinching Persistence POTENCE: 14 Cards 8x Immortal Grapple 2x Rampage 4x Torn Signpost THAUMATURGY: 4 Cards 4x Burst of Sunlight VISCERATIKA: 2 Cards 2x Conscripted Statue BASIC: 16 Cards 4x Ambush 1x Bum's Rush 3x Harass 4x Taste of Vitae 5x Wake with Evening Freshness EQUIPMENT: 1 Cards 1x Palatial Estate FLIGHT: 16 Cards 8x Pounce 8x Circle DESIGNER NOTES: This started out as a deck focused primarily on Flight and has evolved into the current toolboxy discipline mix now before you. I've played this incarnation of the deck 3-4 times and has gotten a table win each time (crazy!). My belief is that decks like this have an additional strength as people aren't really quite sure what to expect from Bloodlines, as they aren't played terribly often. What you have is enough rush/prevent to deal with a good number of combat decks, fair bleed thanks to Virstania. a slight touch of bounce w/ hidden deflections, and the occasional Burst of Sunlight that has a number of players thinking twice about blocking. Don't forget to work the Slave angle to your advantage. The deck could use 1-2 more Freak Drives, but aside from that it's pretty tight (for toolbox). #Could be modified for STORYLINE format by dropping Enrich for another Erinyi. Replace a Blood Doll with an Info Hwy. BernieTime Lansing, Michigan VI: Conclusion I hope everyone enjoyed this months Stone circle and if anyone would like to contribute then please email me at x_zealot@cox-internet.com . May the Gargoyles rise from the ashes of the conflagration of the Camarilla and shine like the diamonds that they are. Until next newsletter.... VII: Gargoyle Haiku stone flesh power slave not sock puppet or horsey angry pigeon fist -- Comments Welcome, Norman S. Brown, Jr. XZealot Archon of the Swamp