Infernalists Newsletter April 2004 Volume 1, Issue 1 April 2004 Adrian Espinoza ************************************* TABLE OF CONTENTS ************************************* Better to rule on earth... - Awakening Words of temptation - Editorial Heads of the Beast - Huitzilopochtli Infernal Lore - Path of Evil Revelations Part of the Swarm - Strategy and deck of the Month Wits of the Devil - Trivia Final Words ************************************* BETTER TO RULE ON EARTH... ************************************* Chapter 1.- Awakening Imagine the sound of a needle falling on its tip... ...imagine the sound of ten needles... ...imagine the sound of thousands... ...that's the sound that woke Miftah up. He was wet, and cold, but what was really unnerving him was the noise. His skin, numb, couldn't discern if he was resting on a rug or over a rock. He tried to open his eyes, giving some seconds to his eyes to adjust to the darkness... and wished he had not opened them at all. Millions of insects crawled all over his body. Ants, cockroaches, maggots, flies, and many others that his mind couldn't recognice. Miftah tried to scream, but as soon as his lips parted just a bit, a thick worm crawled out of it followed by another swarm. They were inside of him. It was then when sweet madness took over, and he knew he wouldn't ever be the same. ************************************* WORDS OF TEMPTATION ************************************* Good, I've got your attention, you're reading this because you're already one of the swarm or you're quick on your way to be. I've delayed some time the first edition of the infernalist's newsletter. It's not an easy task, but it is time someone takes over. Baali is not an easy clan to play. Its cost is too high, and to some people not worth. I disagree, Baali is an excelent clan, can lead to victory and it's what we would like to show in our monthly edition. First of all, why Infernalist Newsletter instead of Baali's Newsletter?. Altough it is possible to play Baali without using any other clan as support, the number of strategies broadens a lot by mixing them. I'll try to check a lot of those possibilities, and when any minion works for the infernal, don't they become infernal too?. ************************************* HEADS OF THE BEAST ************************************* HUITZILOPOCHTLI Baali Cap 10 Group 2 AUS DAI DOM OBF PRE POT Independent: During your master phase, you may pay a pool to gain a Master Phase Action if Huitzilopochtli is ready. +1 bleed. Infernal. Let's start big. He is one of the two vampires with the more number of disciplines in advanced. Also he has +1 bleed and a good special power. His dominate and presence allows him to bleed, his actions will pass with his obfuscate, he may redirect both with dominate and auspex. He can handle combat with potence, and of course he has Daimonion. If he only had Fortitude he could be the perfect vampire, however there's a lot you can do with him. Huitzilopochlti can mix with a lot of clans, Toreador, Brujah, Nosferatu, Group 1 Malkavians, Followers of Set, Giovanni, Lasombra, Tremere and Ventrue. Sharing with all of them at least two disciplines. Of course he shouldn't be another in the deck, he should be the lead. His big capacity, and his infernal condition, makes obvious the following; first, make each of his actions count, as previously said, unless teached, he has not fortitude so no access to Freak Drive, so in any deck where he is the lead, let his action be the one that a) hurts the most to your prey or b) gives you the biggest advantage, so if he is in a bleed deck, make that bleed worth, if it's a combat deck, don't let the oposing minion to return, if it's a political action, make it worth (yes, he can be in a political deck, I'll talk about that in a future edition). With his discipline spread he has access to a lot of cards that allows all of his actions to pass. And second, it's been said that no vampire on VTES is worth it's cost, altough I'd like to disagree when talking of the big horned guy, I have to say that the third of your pool is a lot for only one minion, so he will need also to return your investment. Use with him the bleeds that gives you pool, minion tap him, or drain him with a blood doll, use taste of vitae if you use him for combat, or voter captivation if voting. True most of this can be said for each of the Baalis, but the biggest of them also have the disciplines to back him up. His special also allows you to make several good tricks, like minion tap, and then Giant's blood, enough pool to pay his infernal fee for the whole game. And don't forget that Huitzilopochtli is the only baali than can call the Great Beast with only two actions. ************************************* INFERNAL LORE ************************************* PATH OF EVIL REVELATIONS Master Unique master. Put this card in play. During your master phase, you may burn 1 pool to untap all infernal minions you control. Any minion may burn this card as a (D) action; if that minion is a vampire, he or she takes one damage (damage not preventable) when this card is burned. Before Black Hand gave us this card, it was very costly to play with a crypt made mostly of Baalis. Now it is easier, do not pay the infernal fee, let all of your baalis get tapped... and for the cost of one pool untap them all to start to work. This card will allow a lot of people that weren't sure about the clan, to start trying it. But for the ones already using the clan, to start to bloat. Before the path came, I tried to make enough pool each round to at least compensate the loos on untap. Now, it's a pool gain. The path is free, however it is burnable, and I've seen from my experience that will bring the hostility of at least your prey and your predator, which gladly will take the damage from burning the path, knowing that the damage will be biggest to you. If you play with the path have some minions to defend it. Even if they are some expendable weenies, or better yet, keep the agresors busy with your bleeds, or other harasings masters like Smiling Jack, or more succulent targets, like some of the Powerbases. Temptation is the job of the devil, remember?. ************************************* PART OF THE SWARM ************************************* One of the first ideas came to my mind when I read the discipline spread of the Baalis, I thought mixing them with the Followers of Set. Corruption and defilement comes hand to hand after all. I've been a player of FoS for years, and at first I thought that Baali could be a great addition to my clan. What a heresy, not thinking it was the other way around, however that's the way it works. ;) Stealth - Bleed is the most basic strategy of the game and the easiest to learn, and it's what this deck will treat today. As I said before, Huitzilopochtli should be the star of any deck, and this one is not the exception. Altough he could be replaced by Nefertiti, the best effect is when he is in play. The masters on this deck will allow you to bloat, while powerbleeding your prey with enough stealth to pass. Do not try to block, it is not worth, the secret on SB is speed. Of course combat decks will try to attack you, put a Secure Heaven on Huitzilopochtli, and use Majesty, when avoidance of combat is impossible. Redirect those bleeds that would hurt you, and let in the small ones. You may get the pool back with your own bleeds. I was second place on the Hazimel tournament with this deck here, and was able to pull the trick Minion tap - Giant's Blood - Minion tap, with the Parthenon and H's special. CORRUPTION CRYPT 2 10 Huitzilopochtli PRE OBF DOM DAI POT AUS 1 10 Nefertiti SER PRE OBF DOM pot cel 1 9 Khay'tall SER PRE OBF DOM aus 1 8 Kephamos SER pre obf dom 1 7 Qufur am-Heru SER PRE OBF tha cel 1 7 Sarrasine ser PRE OBF aus nec 1 7 Danny Larkshill SER PRE obf pot obt 1 6 Hesha Ruhadze SER pre obf ani 1 5 Count Ormonde ser pre OBF dom 1 3 Khalil Anvari ser pre 1 2 Lalitha ser MASTER: 1 Serpentis 1 Dominate 1 Obfuscate 1 Tomb of Rameses III 1 Zillah's Valley 1 Information Highway 3 Minion Tap 1 Tribute to the Master 2 Blood Doll 1 Khobar Towers, Al-Khubar 1 Giant's Blood 1 Temple Hunting Ground 1 Heidelberg Castle, Germany 1 Metro Underground 1 The Parthenon 1 Opium Den 1 Secure Haven 1 Archon Investigation ACTION: 6 Enticement 6 Legal Manipulations 1 Social Charm 2 Night Moves REACTION: 3 Redirection 3 Deflection 3 Forced Awakening 2 Obedience ACTION MODIFIERS: 2 Psychomachia 3 Forgotten Labyrinth 3 Spying Mission 4 Lost in Crowds 7 Cloak the Gathering 5 Elder Impersonation 5 Aire of Elation COMBAT: 6 Majesty 1 Catatonic Fear EQUIPMENT & RETAINERS: 1 Palatial Estate 1 Marijava Ghoul 1 Tasha Morgan POLITICAL: 1 Rumors of Gehenna COMBO: 3 Swallowed by the Night ************************************* WITS OF THE DEVIL ************************************* Two questions of trivia for this first edition. On the Heads of the Beast section I said that H is one of the two vampires with the more number of disciplines in advanced. Do you know who is the other?. In the case of using just one card for each potential blocking minion, at zero stealth, and including cards of the new Gehenna expansion, how many potential blockers can bypass Huitzilopochtli with his discipline spread in just one action and how?. ************************************* FINAL WORDS ************************************* Well, it is my first effort as an editor, I hope I do a good work at it, if not I'll really appreciate your tips. Next month I'll give a spin to the infernal lore, discussing Anarchy as an infernal option. Corruption, Anarchy, Madness, Rebellion... words of infernalism, all of them will eventually be discussed. Adrian Espinoza Infernal Baron of Guadalajara maxie_zeus@yahoo.com