Michael Eichler Michael.Eichler@ramstein.af.mil - - - - - - - - - - - Story Time - Rushing for a payback Minion Call - A discussion of cards Deck - Lasombra and Friends: Gimme-gimme-Gimme!! - - - - - - - - - - - Rushing for a payback Juan finally diffused his anger from his meeting with Caceras. It only took smashing the windshields and ripping the doors off of several cars in a parking garage, then using his Darkness to drain the life essence of the three security guards who came to investigate the disturbance and breaking a wino in half once he satisfied his hunger. Feeling better with the slight buzz, Juan decided it was time to go to his pack's new safe house. Stepping through the front door, Juan heard the television blaring out loud from the living room. Taking a moment to concentrate, Juan moved from the shadows of the hall to the corner of the living room. Staying within the darkness he heard Andrea cuss aloud from the kitchen as she called for Juan to quit screwing around and come out. Grinning Juan stepped out of the darkness. "My, are we feeling a bit testy this evening, Andrea?", inquired Juan. "Having to deal with your dumbshit hide and seek crap every time you walk in the door is really starting to irritate me. Just come through the stupid door like everyone else.", shot back Andrea. "Yes, please do", a whispered voice said from behind Juan. "Next time I may not stay myself before recognizing you." "Clance, you can always try your best shot at me.", growled Juan without so much as even turning. "I would love to see how well your ability to fade will protect you if the house fell on your stinking corpse." Clance gaving what he considered a smile, "Ahh, our fearless leader has returned with news of some importance? Only when he is brave is the Juan ready to …" Clance went silent as a darkness enveloped his head cutting off all sound and started swinging his arms in a vain attempt to clock Juan to break his hold on him. "Can't keep a dead man quiet or in the dark forever, can you Juan?" Juan turned his head and stared at Joseph as he came down the stairs. "I suppose not.", commented Juan, allowing the darkness to dissipate. "Clance! Stay yourself!", yelled Joseph, "Let's hear what Juan has done to us now." Clance growled low as he finally decided to sit down on the chair next to him. "Do that again, Juan, and you will wake one morning with rats eating your eyes. Mark my words.", hissed Clance. "Yaddie, yaddie, yadda. Whatever. We are to follow on Joseph's lead on the fires that torched Caceras's finance district. And he wants it done tonight." Juan stated. "So what do you have Joseph?", inquired Andrea. "My sources this evening have informed me a young flashy punk named Phillip is the flamer. I have some people watching his moves right now. He's kindred, if anyone is interested. What does Caceras want done?", stated Joseph as he turned toward Andrea. "To do onto others as they would do onto you.", chuckled Juan. "Let's round him up and see if he can be slow roasted or…" "Excuse me, oh mighty Juan, but if Joseph said Phillip is a flashy kindred flamer, then we may have a problem.", Andrea broke in. "This Phillip may be some punk to you or Joseph, but this particular Phillip doesn't do anything without Caldwell's approval. If Caceras lost the financial district because of Phillip, it was because Caldwell told him to do it." Silence…. "Shit!", roared Juan. "Joseph, are your informers positive?" "My sources are always positive, whether the information is real or not is never really known. I suggest we look in on Caldwell's Phillip. Maybe see what he is doing tonight.", answered Joseph. "Aw hell, if push come to shove, we can always let Caceras know the score and he can make the confrontation." "Spoken like a true diplomat.", retorted Juan. "Are you sure your Brujah?" "Care for a demonstration?", Joseph growled back. "Let's check on Phillip.", Juan deflected. "Andrea, how do you know so much about this Phillip?" "Phillip's a Toreador and I always keep up with who is in and who's not. Our Phillip came over from New York six months ago and has been the star attraction with Caldwell ever since.", stated Andrea. Phillip was in a good mood. The sheila from earlier helped to put his mind at ease as he contemplated his next work of art, torching Caceras's night clubs, all of them. Rounding the corner at a slow walk, he headed toward his first target, "Night Eyes". Several blocks away standing at the entrance to The Haven. "So what do these bountiful sources of knowledge say about Phillip?", asked Juan banefully. "Apparently he and some girl left to go to her place.", answered Joseph. "And she lives…?", Juan left dangling. "They don't know. It wasn't like they were ordered to follow them, just who was with who and report." "Well did they see which direction he and his bitch went.", fumed Juan as black mist slowly started to form around his hands. "Toward Maple and Main, Juan. All you had to do was ask… Now mind your blood pressure.", chided Joseph with a smile. "Prick!", Juan shot back. And then to the others, "Let's go and see if we can catch up with our little lost boy before we lose him for tonight." Upon reaching "Night Eyes", Phillip decided upon doing an inside job and walked toward the line. Using his powers of persuasion, he cut to the front of the line and entered the club. It took but a moment for his eyes to adjust to the lights flashing throughout the building before he noticed the number of Kindred within. Deciding to make liberal use of his orders Phillip announced the Archbishop's decree to destroy the building at an octave no kine could hear. The kindred, however, did hear and immediately started their movement to exit the building in haste. Satisfied with the removal of any distractions and possible interference Phillip made his way down stairs to the lower level to disable the fire alarm and sprinkler system. "We've looked everywhere within a five block area for this tinkerbell or yours, Juan.", Clance whispered into the night. Juan turned around and shouted, "And we'll look within another five block area till we find him." "Juan!", shouted Andrea. "Over here, you have got to hear this." "This had best be good news, Andrea, I am not in a humorous mood.", barked Juan as he started toward Andrea's location. Before reaching even halfway to Andrea, Juan stopped and listened to a voice whispering through the night air, "I think I may be able to tell you of your 'tinkerbell', if you are searching for Caldwell's Phillip, that is." Looking around Juan slowly circled searching for the source of the voice. "I might be. Who are you and where is your tinkerbell.?", Juan said evenly. "My name is unimportant, young pup. Your Phillip is!", the voice said with authority. "Young pup!", growled Juan. "I'll show you who is a young pup…" "Juan!", hissed Joseph. "Would you think with your head rather than your fists. This is the first lead we've had all night on this piece of shit." Turning around, Joseph addressed the night air, "Where is Phillip if you know his location." "You can find Phillip at the Night Eyes. He has already started his first performance and should be building up to roaring ovation soon.", the voice said softly laughing. "Hurry young ones if you wish to catch him. I will help you no more tonight." Phillip was working on his final preparations that would start his little flames racing throughout the room when a voice whispered of danger approaching within his mind. Grabbing a box of matches and several grenades, he secreted them into his sleeves. Walking behind his line of unfinished work he waited calmly as Juan materialized from within a dark recess and Andrea did a mid-air tumbling roll from the stairs to land 5 meters in front of Phillip. "Phillip, you are ordered to present yourself and explain your violation of Caceras holdings. And to ensure you explain we are to escort you to him.", Andrea quietly announced. "Escort.", snorted Phillip. "I have no plans to go with you or to see the high and mighty Caceras.", as a single flame came to life one a match he had earlier removed and concealed. Realizing the impending danger the match represented, Andrea called upon speed and rushed Phillip as Clance materialized and moved to ambush from behind. Phillip laughed as he tossed the match toward a pile of napkins, rotated and ducked under Clance's clumsy attempt on him. Then sweeping his leg upward, he knocked aside Andrea's outstretched hands just as she started to come at him, deflecting her momentum toward a stack of table cloths just as they ignited. Screaming, Andrea fell into the flames. Phillip jumped through the flames laughing as Joseph swung and missed with doubled up piece of rebar. Cursing aloud Joseph sought a way to go around the flames and cut Phillip off, realizing he couldn't he yelled at Juan to block the exit. Juan fought for control his fear of the flames spread throughout the room. Succeeding, he commanded the darkness within himself to seal the door at the top of the stairs. Seeing the darkness slide across the floor toward the stairs, Phillip reached into his sleeves. In a blur of motion three grenades flew toward separate targets: Joseph, Juan and the doorway. Then dove behind a desk as the first grenade at the doorway exploded. Joseph seeing the grenade's approach, used the rebar like a bat and hit it toward the ceiling. It disappeared within the swirling clouds of heated smoke before exploding, throwing shrapnel everywhere. Juan only saw the grenade at the last moment and barely enclosed it within a mass of darkness when it exploded. The force of the concussion lifted him up and threw him back into the enclosure he had emerged from earlier. Leaping into the air and through the swirling flames, Phillip landed at the top of the stairs and ran out through the wrecked doorway. With Phillip's escape, Joseph realized that the flames had now become too much to deal with and scrambled toward one of the barred windows that exited out into the street. Grabbing the bars he tore them from the wall and threw it out the window. Leaping upward he cleared the opening with Clance close behind. Juan tried to dematerialize through the darkness when something impeded his path. Snarling like a trapped animal as the flames grew around him, Juan threw himself to the floor as he searched for the open window Joseph and Clance had just used. Crawling quickly through the blazing inferno, Juan arrived below the broken window as sheet of darkness came of the smoke to close it off. "What is this!", roared Juan. Throwing a bolt of darkness in an attempt to smash through the newly made barrier. As darkness met darkness, arms from the dark barrier reached forth and grabbed Juan, lifting him up. The barrier quickly enclosed Juan as his screams were cut off leaving only the roar of the fire. - - - - - - - - - - - Minion Call - A discussion of cards From previous newsletters, we have discussed the cards, 'Arms of the Abyss', 'Call the Lamprey', 'Entombment' , 'Eyes of the Night', 'Shade', and 'Shadow Body'. This month we examine 'Shadow Play' and 'Shadow Step'. Anyone finding uses for these cards that I have missed, please drop me a line explaining what you do and if possible a deck design. I will include your suggestions and deck in the next newsletter. Shadow Play Action Modifier Card with 1 blood cost Normal Capability: +1 Stealth Superior Capability: +2 Stealth As the use of darkness is the trademark of the Lasombra clan as a whole it is no surprise that they are capable of using their darkness to assist them as they work toward ruling the night. This card is one of two that provide the Lasombra with the needed stealth to help ensure a minion's action is completed. Of the two cards that provide stealth, this card is as close to being on par with Obfuscate's Lost in Crowds. Advantages of using the card are in a situation where an action must get through for whatever reason. (A Bleed with Govern the Unaligned with Conditioning, a Hunt while a Festivo dello Estinto Master Card is on the table, etc…) The uses of the stealth are the same as those of Obfuscate. The disadvantage of using the card is it's cost of one blood from the acting minion. This cost can inhibit it's use if the minion is out of or low on blood already. Additionally, the continual use of the card will rapidly deplete a vampire to the point that it can become vulnerable when it must hunt. Any +1 intercept could quickly wreck havok on hunting vampires if their only stealth card is Shadow Play. If the minion has blood, then the use of the card negates the hunt's benefit. For minion's with no blood, the card is out of reach and a quick combat with torpor not too far behind is the likely outcome of the blocked action. Shadow Step Combat Card with 2 blood cost at Superior only Normal Capability: Maneuver Superior Capability: Only usable at the beginning of a round. This vampire burns 2 blood to set the range for that round. If he or she does so, skip the Establish Range step for this round. This card is what helps make the Lasombra a powerful force to be reckoned with in the World of Darkness. Though the card comes into play prior to the Strike Phase, it's judicious use can set the tone of the rest of the combat. At it's normal level of usage, the card functions as any other maneuver card. There is no cost like many other maneuvers found in other disciplines but it is only usable by minions who possess Obtenebration. It's very presence can help remove the need for Fake Outs and the loss of a card during the rest of the combat. It is at the superior level that the card really shines. The ability to set the range to whatever the minion requires to inflict the greatest or the least amount of damage based upon who the minion is fighting and what cards are available to it. If the minion is fighting a Presence deck where Majesty's are utilized, then setting the range to close and playing an Immortal Grapple or Thoughts Betrayed would inhibit the escape of it's chosen victim. If the minion is in combat with a minion who can or has demonstrated the use of aggravated damage, then setting the range to long and using a Sacrament of Carnage or Thrown Sewer Lid could be conducted. The disadvantage of the card is it's cost to use at the superior level. The cost of two blood is fairly steep, but with the use of Taste of Vitae and the ability to inflict large amounts of damage via Potence strikes a minion should be able to recoup the use of the card and then some. - - - - - - - - - - - Lasombra and Friends: Gimme-gimme-Gimme!! My thanks to Tim Eijpe, Prince of Utrecht in the Netherlands, for his emails and the sharing of this deck which is currently a work in progress for him. Lasombra with friends: Gimme-gimme-gimme!! 16 Masters 3x Potence 3x Blood Doll 2x Minion Tap 1x Tribute to the Master 1x Giant's Blood 1x Carthage Remembered 2x Dominate 2x Direct Interventions 1x Power Structure 22 Non-Disciplines 4x Bum's Rush 2x Ambush 6x Taste of Vitae 3x Wake with Evening's Freshness 2x Forced Awakening 5x Elder Intervention 4 Equipment 1x Hand of Conrad, The 1x Aaron's Feeding Razor 1x Sport Bike 1x Sengir Dagger 28 Potence 6x Torn Signpost 6x Immortal Grapple 4x Pushing the Limit 2x Disarm 2x Fists of Death 2x Enhanced Strength 3x Undead Strength 2x Sacrament of Carnage 1x Rampage 17 Dominate 5x Govern the Unaligned 5x Bonding 4x Deflection 3x Thoughts Betrayed 3 Political 3x Anathema Total: 90 cards, 6CL, No deck size limit and 2 hour time limit. All other DCI rules apply. The idea for the deck originated with Tim and is designed to fit within his group's metagaming environment of a 6CL and unlimited deck size. Recently, Tim informed me that his group has adopted a 2 hour time limit on their games and this has helped in reducing the deck sizes. Politics, Weenie Bleeders and Combat decks seem to be the norm in the Netherlands and this deck is built to reflect it. The deck is based upon an older deck that Tim has used to good effect within his group. This deck has been built to try and run through 4 spectrums within the game, Politics - Combat - Bleed - Blood Gain. Enjoy! Deck Explanation: Tribute to the Master is to help reduce the impact on your minions. The Power Structure is within the deck for political defense (especially as it has no blood cost). The Direct Interventions help provide wide defensive coverage against votes like Kine Resources Contested or Banishments as the deck possesses little to no intercept. Additionally, they do perform nicely as another *Grapple* when blocking. Originally the use of Blood Hunts was suggested, but with a crypt of only 4 Princes made their use iffy and highly dependent upon a good initial draw from the crypt. Bum's Rushes and Ambushes were added to give the deck a "Reach out and touch you" capability everyone could use. The same applied to both 2nd and 5th Traditions. So both Elder Interventions and Tastes of Vitae were either added or increased to compensate. The Hand of Conrad is to be used to augment any lack of Potence, while the Feeding Razor is to help with some blood gain on the minions. The Sengir Dagger is more for persuasive threats on the table, but works nicely with Enhanced Strength, Fists of Death, Immortal Grapple, Pushing the Limit and followed with a Taste of Vitae to give 5 aggravated damage at normal, 7 aggravated damage at superior. (if my counting is right) The Sport Bike is to help provide a permanent intercept presence. The wide variety of Potence cards is to help give the deck some flexibility within the combat. Sacraments, for any Rush actions that remain unblocked. Disarms to weaken opposing vampires and send them to torpor. Enhanced Strength and Fists of Death to give extra damage potential in any given combat. Signposts to boost the base hand damage. Grapples to ensure the strikes connect. Pushing the Limits and Undead Strengths for strikes. Rampage to either clear an annoying location or to help initiate combat. The Governs are used for the usual bleeds, but possess more utility as a boost in influencing new minions or just to recoup 3 blood through reverse influencing. The Bondings are to give limited stealth if any is necessary to help push a bleed through. The Deflections for bleed defense and Thoughts Betrayed to help in any combat that might involve aggravated damage from fighting another combat deck or Gangrel, Tzimisce, or Assamites. Anathema is for pool gain when coupled with Rushes in a target rich environment. Crypt: 2x Donal O'Connell - Prince 2x Constanza Vicenza - Prince 1x Anvil - Primogen 2x Lizette Visquel - Bishop 2x Gratiano - Priscus 1x Ignatio 1x Judah - Primogen 1x Stefano Giovanni - "Can burn 1 blood for 1 vote" The crypt is primarily composed of minions from the Lasombra and Brujah clans, however, due to limited numbers of available vampires that possess the disciplines being used with some kind of political clout both Judah of the Nosferatu and Stefano Giovanni were added. Their disciplines fit well with the deck and were the best price that was available being 6 blood each. Michael Eichler Prince of Ramstein Michael.Eichler@ramstein.af.mil "Anticipate chaos and be prepared to work through it." Unknown