OFFICIAL VEKN GIOVANNI NEWSLETTER Vol.III No.10 October.2001
In this Issue:
INTRODUCTION
WHISPERS FROM THE DEAD: Do I Still Have The Edge?
ALLY OF THE MONTH: Leonardo, the Mortician
CARD OF THE MONTH: Call of the Hungry Dead
DECK OF THE MONTH: Giovanni Power Bleed
CONCLUSION/PREVIEW
================================================================
INTRODUCTION
================================================================
Well, given last month's tangent off of the Giovanni, and into the
metagame, we'll be back on track this month sticking to the your usual
chewy newsletter fare. This month will get right back to the basics:
using Necromancy and Dominate to oust your prey. After keeping silent
on it so long, we'll finally take a hard look at Call of the Hungry
Dead. And then we'll show you how to crush your enemies with it...and
how not to.
================================================================
WHISPERS FROM THE DEAD: Do I Still Have The Edge?
================================================================
Okay, a few more words on variants. A lot fewer, but if you're tired
of it, skip down to the next section.
The 2 current "propositions" to help beat the weenie-fatty speed
disparity that might be worth testing are:
A) Crypt minimum 9. Opening draw (uncontrolled region) of only 3.
B) A player may spend 2 pool and all their transfers to put all enough
pool onto a vampire to fill that vampire to capacity, provided that
vampire has no more than one vote. (Optional Exception: No Priscus,
either.)
Haven't tested either of those out, yet, but our playgroup is
opening up to trying these things out, so I'll let you know how it
goes later on.
We did play a game of the Elder Hand variant, as suggested by Andrew
Davidson, with suggested modifications by LSJ. Simply put, your hand
size is equal to the capacity of your largest controlled vampire.
Meaning, yes, you start out with NO cards. Details can be found at:
http://www.thelasombra.com/variants/handsize.htm
The handsizes most of the game were 11, 8, 7, and 4. Amusingly,
the player with the handsize of 4 won the game. Further testing is
recommended. =)
Another variant that I suggested we also played a couple games
with. Put simply, "Whenever you successfully bleed someone, you MAY
take the Edge." That is, you don't HAVE to, and specifically, if you
FORGET to, you don't get the Edge. We ruled it kind of like an action
modifier. Once you've declared your next action, it's too late.
(Exceptions have to be made for superior Edge Vitiation: the Snake who
would get the Edge gets to choose if they want it, not their predator.
Likewise, if they forget, the Edge doesn't move.)
I don't know that it affected much, but it did two things. The
first was intentional: When you ask yourself "Do I still Have the
Edge?" the answer is always "Yes!" If the Edge is there in front of
you, anyone who did bleed forgot to take it, and so if you can
remember to take the pool for it, you "kept" the Edge.
The second effect was unintentional, but worth it: This variant
is a HOOT. It's a lot of fun to see people asking innocuous questions
like "Any other actions you want to take?" as if they're being
impatient, but really, they just want the guy who just bled to move on
before they remember. Glancing at the table has a bunch of
stony-faced Methuselahs, all keeping silent though they notice. We've
had times of a person keeping the Edge despite 3 players bleeding, 2
of them ousting people, because each forgot to take the Edge.
(guilty, on forgetting when ousting, myself. But it was a VP with the
!Ventrue, so I was giddy =).
It started to develop into "Job of Predator of Player With the
Edge: Remind Bleeders to take the Edge." It also opened up yet
another stupid player deal: "Okay, I'll take the bleed of 1, but only
if you agree not to take the Edge. Otherwise, I'll block it."
The most common fun exchange had to be: "You could do [this]. Or
[that]. Or, you -could-...remember to take the Edge!" (after it's too
late, of course. =)
Anyway, it's really quite fun, and an extremely easily variant to
implement. Give it a shot if you can. =)
================================================================
ALLY OF THE MONTH: Leonardo, the Mortician
================================================================
I'd like to take a moment to revisit one of the best allies in the
game. I've talked about him in a previous Newsletter, but Leo's not
the kind of guy to get MVP only once. =)
Name: Leonardo, Mortician
Ally, Giovanni, 1 pool
Unique mortal with 2 life. 1 strength, 0 bleed.
Leonardo may move 1 blood from the blood bank to any ready vampire as
a +1 stealth action.
Just in case there's any doubt at all: Leonardo should be in
EVERY Giovanni deck, period. He's just too good.
* He only costs 1 pool.
* He can block, and if he's hit with "hands for one," he can block
AGAIN.
* If it's close range, he hits back.
* If he blocks and gets killed, you've only lost one action (if he
blocks a bleed of one, his cost is offset.
* If he blocks a bleed of 2 or more, or blocks 2 bleeds of one or
more, he's more than paid for himself.
* He's an ally. He can't be Seduced, have his Beast Drawn Out, be
told to Obey, etc. He's as Daring at Dawn as any vampire. Sure, he
can be stolen and burned, but people play with FAR more cards that
allies *aren't* affected by than cards they ARE affected by.
* Allies aren't used mostly because they aren't cost effective.
Leonardo is.
* Even if Leo gets burned, you are playing with the Giovanni. If you
have 2 allies in the deck, you'll have one Compel the Spirit.
Alternately, you can remove him from the game out of your ash heap to
get Shambling Hordes out.
The point is, an with 2 life and 1 strength, that only costs 1
pool, is worth putting in most any deck. THEN you add in his special
ability ability:
* A vampire CAN get blood from a Hunting Ground and Leonardo, but not
2 Hunting Grounds.
* He doesn't take a Master Phase.
* He can take the action any time during your turn, not just at the
start. A vampire can empty themselves of blood, and Leo can give them
the blood that turn, to keep them from hunting next turn.
* Lots of Giovanni cards cost 1 blood, even with the Path of Bone.
(Govern the Unaligned and Pushing the Limit count, too. =)
* The Giovanni have Dominate, so people often can't afford wasting a
block on Leonardo. Especially with that "+1 stealth" part.
* "...ANY ready vampire." You can sell Leonardo's ability, and the
Giovanni need all the cross-table help they can get.
* If he does get stolen, he can't really hurt you (say, in the way
that stolen Hordes are a Bummer and stolen Garou are Very Bad News).
It doesn't matter how many or how few actions you take, how fast
or slow your deck is, whether you're playing weenies or fatties, bleed
or rush, Leonardo is just all too good, and dirt cheap. If you're not
Putting Leonardo in EVERY Giovanni deck you build, START.
================================================================
CARD OF THE MONTH: Call of the Hungry Dead
================================================================
"Call of the Hungry Dead."
"Call of the Hungry Telemarketers."
"Call of the Grateful Dead."
"Elder Impersonation for Necrophiliacs."
"Not that Goddamn Card Again!"
...we've all heard plenty of names for this hit card from Final
Nights, arguably the best new Necromancy card to come out of FN, and
one that's shook up the metagame all by itself.
Call of the Hungry Dead (CotHD)
Action Modifier, Necromancy
Only usable when a minion is attempting to block.
[nec] The blocking minion gets -1 intercept.
[NEC] This acting vampire burns 1 blood to cause the block to fail.
The blocking minion cannot attempt to block this action again.
This should obviously be compared to it's fraternal twin, Elder
Impersonation:
Name: Elder Impersonation (EI)
Action modifier, Obfuscate, 1 blood
[obf] +1 stealth.
[OBF] Only usable when a minion attempts to block. That minion's
blocking attempt fails ={(do not tap that minion)}=. That minion
cannot attempt to block this action again.
EI has been around for a long while, but you don't see it as much
as the newly-minted CotHD. Partially because CotHD is new'n'shiny,
and people are having fun with new cards. But also because the
inferior of EI costs a blood, and while +1 stealth is better than -1
intercept to one guy, paying a blood for one stealth is a big waste,
with all the OTHER Obfuscate cards out there. If you've got superior
Obfuscate, Lost in Crowds gets a lot done. If you're not bleeding,
you'd MUCH rather play 1 blood for Forgotten Labyrinth, twice as good
at inferior, and almost as good at superior. In practice, adding 3
more stealth to an action *will* cause that minion's block to fail,
and they *won't* be blocking it.
However, the Giovanni have always been stuck with a measly one
stealth, Spectral Divination, and one unique retainer, Giuseppe(who
isn't nearly as key as he used to be, actually). Other than Carlotta
and Rafaele, both with inferior Obfuscate, it was hard, and costly, to
get the actions through.
When key actions like Possession have no inherent stealth, and DOM
NEC used to be so hard to find, even Seduction was hard to pull off.
With the printing of not only Call of the Hungry Dead, but also
Isabel, Andrea, and Gillespi, suddenly the Giovanni are
nigh-unstoppable. Sleeping Mind at Inferior, Seduction, possibly
Spectral Divination, backed with Call of the Hungry Dead can make it
nearly impossible for a prey to block action.
Added bonus: Seduction says "vampire," but CotHD says "minion."
With this kind of power, it probably a good thing that the card
isn't a carbon copy of EI, since CotHD would be REALLY strong with the
Path of Bone in play. As it is, you can't get around paying for it,
something you should keep in mind. However, since the Path can make
Spectral Divination free, the Giovanni still pull further ahead.
Even the simple combo of Seduction/CotHD can get away with a LOT
of +1 stealth actions, at the cost of 2 cards and one blood. Pick the
one vampire stacked with Raven Spies, and be ready for any suprises
transient intercept. At the very least, you get to draw out twice as
much transient intercept on one action. Change of Target here can be
quite effective, especially if the action was cardless, and can be
taken with another minion, or next turn.
But, the new prevalence of Giovanni decks (even though some of
them are around just as a fad) makes "wall decks" less tenable,
(especially since Seduction/CotHD can shut down *2* guys, no matter
what the intercept) and punishes intercept decks in general (course,
add to that the Jan 1st tournament rules, and dedicated intercept is a
good way to lose, unless you're a pro at 2-1-1-1).
One thing that argues against CotHD being the Giovanni's "best"
new card (or best period) is that it doesn't DO anything. The
counter-argument, of course, is that it *lets* you DO anything (and
everything)!
Last but not least: there is, of course, the added enjoyment of
not replying to a block attempt with something bland like "+3
stealth," but instead ruthless pronouncing "You FAIL." Feel free to
take your actions with confidence, and crush your enemies.
Oh, and speaking of crushing your enemies...
================================================================
DECK OF THE MONTH: Giovanni Power Bleed
================================================================
Deck Name: Giovanni Power Bleed
Created by: David Anderson-Dávila (with tweaking advice from yours
truly)
Description: Bleed with Seduction, Call of the Hungry Dead and the
occasional Sleeping Mind. This combo should shut down even the most
dedicated intercept decks. Use Obedience and Spiritual Intervention
for combat defense. Use liberal bleed bounce to enhance the defence.
Crypt: (12 cards) [Min: 16, Max: 30, Avg: 6]
2 Andrea Giovanni (DOM NEC pot vic, Giovanni, 7)
1 Carlotta Giovanni (dom NEC obf POT, Giovanni, 7)
1 Chas Giovanni Tello (DOM POT, Giovanni, 4)
1 Enzo Giovanni (ani DOM NEC pot tha, Giovanni, 8)
2 Gillespi Giovanni (aus DOM NEC POT, Giovanni, 7)
1 Gloria Giovanni (DOM nec, Giovanni, 4)
2 Isabel Giovanni (DOM NEC pot, Giovanni, 5)
1 Pochtli (cel dom NEC OBF POT, Giovanni, 8)
1 Rudolpho Giovanni (NEC, Giovanni, 3)
Library: (80 cards)
Master (11 cards)
1 Anarch Troublemaker
5 Blood Doll
1 Jake Washington (Hunter)
1 Morgue Hunting Ground
1 Path of Bone, The
2 Sudden Reversal
Action (13 cards)
4 Govern the Unaligned
1 Haunt
4 Scouting Mission
2 Slaughtering the Herd
2 Summon Soul
ActionMod (28 cards)
4 Bonding
6 Call of the Hungry Dead
3 Change of Target
3 Foreshadowing Destruction
6 Seduction
3 Sleeping Mind, The
3 Threats
Reaction (16 cards)
3 Deflection
3 Obedience
3 Redirection
7 Wake with Evening's Freshness
Combat (3 cards)
3 Spiritual Intervention
Ally (1 card)
Leonardo, Mortician
Equipment (2 cards)
2 Leather Jacket
Combo (6 cards)
6 Spectral Divination
I tried a version of this that didn't quite work; it spent too much
blood, and couldn't quite survive to get more than one oust, and
sometimes not that. Lessons in hand, I got a deck for comments from
David Davila, and pointed out what he had done right already, and what
he needed to change. He made (most of) the changes and played it,
promptly mopping up a few tables over a couple of weeks. I'm pretty
happy with how it looks and plays.
Crypt:
All Superior Necromancy except Gloria and Chas, the designated Bleed
Bouncers. 2 copies each of Andrea, Gillespi, and Isabel (if you don't
know why, go back and read last 3 months' newsletters =) gives some
affordable NEC/DOM.
Masters:
Blood Management is critical, the bulk of the Masters go toward that.
Despite all the 7- and 8-caps, you'll NEED to be able to push blood
back on for that ousting blow, so no Minion Taps; everyone gets a
Blood Doll. Supplement with Jake Washington, Path of Bone, and the
Hunting Ground. You'll be spending quite a bit of blood, and you need
to be able to take some off the Blood Dolls at the same time to keep
alive. The Anarch Troublemaker is opportunistic but damn useful. You
might swap it for a Misdirection or some other master you really like
(Coven, say).
Save the Suddens for the stuff that really hurts. You can Haunt a
Hunting Ground, but you have to Sudden the Golconda or the Hostile
Takeover.
Offense:
Bleed, dropping Seduction on any likely blockers. Spectral Divination
and Bonding can give light stealth, but Call of the Hungry Dead can
keep whoever CAN muster the intercept from blocking. 3 Sleeping Mind
and 3 Change of Target can cover possible Wakes; the first should
usually be played at inferior, and the latter can draw out a Wake but
leave you a blocker/bouncer, freeing up the previous "Designated
Bouncer" to blow through.
Yes, only 4 Governs. Sleeping Mind and Call of the Hungry Dead both
cost a blood, Path or no. No Conditioning, either. You can't afford
it. Trying to just go for massive bleeds quickly, you should have
been playing Malks. You bleed steadily and unstoppably. You want the
table to "do it's thing" if you want the sweep, anyway. As with all
Giovanni decks, do NOT "Blow the Wad" until you're OUSTING your
current prey. But, when you can, DO IT. Push to all the Blood Dolls,
and do your best. The deck is tight, so you can trust it will cycle
to more bleed/stealth, mostly.
Defense:
You won't have more than 2 or 3 minions, so Wakes are imperative. 7
Wakes and 3 Change of Target in an 80 card deck is fairly hefty,
especially when backed up with 3 Obedience (saving untaps), and 6
bounce cards. The 3 Change of Target with 2 Leather Jackets, and 3
Spiritual Intervention and 3 Obedience will keep you alive long enough
to stymie even some pure Rush decks. Only 6 Spectral Divination for
intercept, though, but you've got bounce, and you oust at least as
fast as stealth-vote does.
Utility:
Leonardo, of course, is in this deck. You don't need him as a Chump
Blocker so much, since you've got Dominate thick enough for defense.
You will need him for the blood, but you've got scary enough actions
that most people can't affor to block. Slaughtering the Herd is dual
use enough to actually be worth putting in, as "offense," "defense,"
or "trick." 1 Haunt in every Necromancy deck, really. Play the 2
Summon Souls AT SUPERIOR. It's an 80 card deck, and if you see heavy
combat or heavy bounce, you'll need to adjust your ratios or your
remaining libarary for yourself. The deck works fine if neither
Carlotta nor Pochtli makes it out, but they can be useful.
Play:
Don't try to go too fast. Bleed steadily, but leave blockers, and
don't discard too hastily, especially those cards there are only one
or two of. Getting caught now and again isn't too bad for you; you
want to BE unstoppable, but trust me, you don't want to LOOK
unstoppable. That said, you'll be playing most of your combat against
your predator to keep her off of you; your prey won't catch you much.
Hold onto the defense when you get it; discarding it will almost
certainly make you not have it when you need it. Better to let your
predator play your hand for you, and once she is foiled into handjam,
you'll be set to bleed forward.
Avoid stealth on the bleeds if you can. Seduction, Sleeping Mind, and
CotHD for a 0 stealth bleed of 3 or more, even against 3 blockers, is
"responsible bleeding," since it's still at 0-stealth if it gets
bounced.
Even if you pretty much play the cards as they come up, the deck runs
really nicely. Not a lot of undirected actions for an intercept
predator to mess up, and enough "stealth" to get past most any prey
when it really counts. A little weak on cross-table actions, though,
which is why it's not as focused to quick-killing as you might think.
Haunt and Leonardo are both usable for cross-table tricks, but your
best trick is to NOT look like the #1 threat. You want to weaken your
prey steadily, and then blow through as only Dominate truly can. Nice
in theory...and, it works in practice. Not too bad a deck to take to
a tournament, even after January and Table Wins roll around. You just
might have to watch for contesting. =)
================================================================
CONCLUSION/PREVIEW
================================================================
Well, I haven't collected quite all the cards yet, but I think it's
time for a Necro-Obfuscate Wraith deck, starring the underappreciated
Rafaele, everyone's favorite dumpster-diver Carlotta, and everyone new
favorite waste maganger Pochtli. Hopefully I'll have enough time to
test that for next month's newsletter, and also put together something
unexpected, yet effective, for the tournament we've got coming up in
Atlanta.
And, it looks like Bloodlines is leaking out before the onrush in
December. So far, things look good for the Necromancers! The
Nagaraja, with Aus/Dom/Nec, look like they might make for a good
revamp of the Giovanni Tap Dance. Also promising: "The Nagaraja cards
mix well with the Giovanni, Ventrue antitribu, and Harbingers of
Skulls." Sounds like from that and WW canon, the Harbingers should
also have Necromancy as a discipline, and, well, that makes me happy.
=)
--
Pat Ricochet
Soul Jar'rn Fool of Atlanta