V:EKN Giovanni Newsletter Vol.II, I A word from the Grocer: With all the talk about the Family in other threads i feel the need to put affairs in order. The family are happy to discuss any matters that it feels necessary as they see fit. We don't talk about Patrizia. Niether should you. This newsletter is arranged slightly differently and I hope it generates discussion. (The fiction section is a bit sweary - don't read it if you get offended). 1) Fiction: "Now in Progress" BLAM! BLAM!..................BLAM! "Shit!" "Neeeagh! Fuck it." "Take some of this you Italian bastard, i'll-" "You'll do what? Run and hide? I found you once- I'll do it again Danny" BLAM! "Nice. You see, you just can't beat me. Y'know what? Give up Danny, I'll see to it personnally that the Family go easy on you." "You're an asshole Gaspare, you didn't find me- you got lucky and you know it." "That must you an asshole with no friends then Danny" said Gaspare as he crouched behind the bar, his feet crushing on broken glass. "You remember Anna? She was a pretty yoing thing. I say 'was', ahh, such an 'unfortunate' accident" "FUCK YOU!!" BLAM! BLAM! Two more shotgun blasts rang out from the back room of the pub. cool Guiness trickled slowly down Gaspare giovanni's cheek as he considered his next move. "Yeah Danny, you're a pretty lonely asshole at the moment. even the gypsies wont know you now. Tell me, did Sasha get over those phosphorus burns..?" "YOU! YOU BASTARD!" said the man from the back of the pub, his Irish accent barely disguising the voice of a man coming to a wholely unpleasant realisation. Gaspare heard the sound of the gunman fumbling with cartridges and took his chance. Pulling out a dictaphone from his jacket he tensed himself behind the shattered beer pumps. A female voice crackled into life: "Hello? Hello? Danny are ya there? Hello Danny- The fumbling sounds stopped. "-I'm alive Danny. Don't ask me how but i'm back. I don't work for the Lady anymore but i'm OK. Please- " Gaspare lept over the bar with the tape still rolling. The other man fumbled with his shotgun, tears rolling down his face. It was over too fast for the Irishman, a wicked looking dagger quickly buried itself in the base of his skull. Tears mixed with ash and sawdust on the dirty floor. "-help me Danny, the things they make me do. Oh God, the people I must have betrayed by now-" *click* Gaspare turned off the monologue and pressed rewind. 2) Game Theory. Information Highway is good in any deck. Discuss. For: One of the basic limitations of the game is the speed of transfers and vampire movement into the active region. IH speeds this up by 50% as long as you get it within turns 1-4. Gaining a speed advantage on your opponent is good for any deck. Whilst it is acknowledged that IH is good in 'weenie' decks where it allows recruitment to activation in one phase, it may be equally handy in accerating _any_ given deck. It also acts a foil to any deck more reliant on the strategy. Against: the number of card slots required to make IH efficient is wasted in a non-weenie deck as it impedes the development of the decks main strategies - hindering play of more crucial master cards. The card is also of little use past turn 5 without the use of other cards eg: ToRIII An extra bleed on turns 2/3 doesn't warrant the 3-4 card slots required. 3)Deck: The Ambrosius Enigma We've all been there. Stuck for a deck idea? Well there's always the ferryman and the chainsaw right? right? I mean everyone else didn't do very well with it, but that's just 'cos they didn't build the deck right. right? Heh. Here's my take of an old favourite. It's a good test deck- if you can't beat this, don't go to the tournament! 1 Mario 1 Christofero 1 Rudolpho 1 Francesca 2 Cameron (Las) 1 Gloria 2 Lisette Visquel (Las) 1 Gaspare 1 Carlotta 1 Regina KRCG Sudden Reversal Dreams ot sphinx 2x Dominate Potence DI Fame 3x Blood Doll 3x Vast wealth Rumour Mill Morgue hunting Ground 2x Heildelburg Castle 2x Minion Tap 4x Bums Rush Mr. Winthrop 6x IG 6x torn signpost 5x bonding 2x Increased Strength 2x Sacrement Carnage 5x Undead str 5x Spectral div 2x Disarm 2x talbots Chainsaw 2x Fists o' death 4x Ambrosius the ferryman, wraith 3x Zooooombie, Zooooombie, Zombi-i-i 6x wwef 6x Deflection 6x GtU JS Simmons Tasha Compel the Spirit Ivory Bow HG/ Blood doll is about the only pool-gain option you have with the use of minion taps if you can get a big guy out. Zombies are obviously questionable, but are the only good thing to use the ferryman's ability on. castles are important (maybe should be 3) as they let you get 2 rush actions with the chainsaw each turn. Important here as the actions required to set the deck up will cost you in the early-mid game. Next month: more fiction and maybe a competition. Matt 'the grocer' Green