V:EKN Ravnos Newsletter Vol 1 number 4 July 1st 1998
Welcome to the Official VEKN Ravnos Newsletter. This issue will revolve around the
Ravnos’ most important and most deadly card– Sensory Deprivation. Without a doubt
their greatest threat when used properly, it effectively hampers your enemy’s ability
to perform. There is a catch however and that is keeping the Ravnos alive after he
has Deprived. This month’s sections include:
1) Short Story - Wine Cellar Blues
2) Ravnos Strategy: Sensory Deprivation – Before and After
3) Ravnos Card and Combo - Sense and the Society
4) Ravnos Deck - “I Can See! I Can See! Really? Nope But It Sure Has Some Bite To
It Though”
1) Short Story - Wine Cellar Blues
“Should never have trusted him.” The Giovanni thought as he stumbled clumsily around t
the wine cellar; shards of shattered vintage wine bottles spiking his feet with the
very faint smell he thought was Bordeaux 19 … he couldn’t make it out. This blasted
sensory deprivation that Ravnos put on him was annoying to say the least. He licked
the floor for a taste of the wine, raking fragments of glass into his mouth –nothing.
Not even a hint on his palette.
Like an idiot he let the Ravnos hang around the vineyard for a few days. Then when
he was alone in the house the Ravnos came in through the cellar where the Giovanni
then confronted him only to end up like this. Oh well guess my brother will have to
just kill me and bring me back to life. Hours later, as his brother came rushing
down the stairs furious at the lake of priceless crushed grape juice and colored
glass, the sensory deprived Giovanni sat laughing in a corner covering his face with
his bloody hands repeating “He took the Val Policella…all of it!”
2) Ravnos Strategy: Sensory Deprivation – Before and After
Unfortunately Sensory has a very high cost so it must be used properly, depending on
the deck of course. If you are playing a terrifying Ravnos combat deck, it may be
used to instigate combat. If not you want to have the blood on your vampires at all
times, just for the threat of the card to your prey or predator. In that case one
needs all the usual blood gaining cards as well as some stealth or fortitude action
modifiers such as Day Operation or Daring the Dawn for unblockability. Ravnos
Carnival is also very useful in this situation.
But what happens after the vital Sensory on your prey’s main vampire? Well for one
thing your vampire probably will need an infusion of blood quickly. Keep a Giant’s
Blood around for handy situations like these. The vampire that performed the
Sensory must also be kept alive. Use cards like Secure Haven so that no one may
attempt to attack your vampire. A real piss off for a combat deck or even someone
that comes up with surprise intercept. (especially if it was the Sensorying vampire)
is Change of Target. This always useful card untaps the blocking minion and the
acting minion after a block has occurred. The best part is your vampire does not get
into a combat flurry your prey has been waiting to unleash on you and as a little
bonus blocking vampires can only play Cat’s Guidance after combat has occurred. So
if the tapped vampire that was Sensory Deprived had animalism and actually blocked
something you did, play your Change of Target and watch him furiously stay tapped.
Nerving isn’t it?
3) Ravnos Related Card and Combo - Sense and the Society
It is obvious what the card of the month is so there’s no need to dwell on it again.
The combo for Sensory is another story. There could be the obvious ones like
Sensory and Day Op or Daring the Dawn (Oh my, now ‘owd that ‘appen?). But this
month it is involving a card from the original set – Society of Leopold. This
Master card which goes on any vampire forces the vampire to burn a blood each of
his untap phases or burns. Now wouldn’t that be a pity if he had to burn the blood
during the untap phase but never untap in time to put it on someone else?
4) Ravnos “I Can See! I Can See! Really? Nope But It Sure Has Some Bite To It Though”
Deck
The Crypt
Konstantin, Baro of the Caravan (x2) - RAV 9 ANI CHI FOR (D)+1 stealth: Steal
equipment from another minion
Joaquina Amaya (x2) - RAV 6 ANI CHI FOR - +1 stealth when equipping Sarisha Veliku
(x1) - RAV 6 FOR ANI chi
Vaclav Petalengro (x2) - RAV 6 ANI CHI for - +1 intercept vs. GAN Salbatore Bokkendro
(x2) - RAV 4 for CHI
Lazar Dobrescu (x2) - RAV 3 for - (D) move 1 blood from vampire in your prey ’s
uncontrolled region to vampire in your uncontrolled region.
Sasha Miklos (x1) - RAV 2 chi
Total - 12 Vampires
The Library
Master - total - 19 cards
Giant's Blood (1)
Minion Tap (1)
Fortune Teller Shop (2)
Park Hunting Ground (1)
Major Boon (1)
Blood Doll (2)
Chimerstry (1)
Secure Haven (1)
Sudden Reversal (2)
Fame (1)
Society of Leopold (4)
Ravnos Carnival (2)
Action/Action Modifiers - total - 35 cards
Masochism (1)
Change Of Target (5)
Restoration (3)
Rom Gypsy (1)
Palatial Estate (1)
Leather Jacket (2)
Army Of Rats (2)
Daring The Dawn (2)
Fata Morgana (6)
Day Operation (2)
Sensory Deprivation (4)
Freak Drive (3)
Raven Spy (1)
JS Simmons (1)
Tasha Morgan (1)
Reactions - total - 18 cards
Cat's Guidance (5)
Ignis Fatuus (4)
Rat's Warning (1)
Guard Dogs (1)
Veiled Sight (1)
Wake With Evening’s Freshness (3)
Forced Awakening (3)
Combat - total - 18 cards
Apparation (2)
Pulled Fangs (2)
Skin of Night (2)
Undead Persistence (1)
Carrion Crows(2)
Skin of Steel (1)
Rolling With The Punches (1)
Drawing out the Beast (2)
Indomitability (2)
Scorpion Sting (1)
Taste Of Vitae (2)
Total: 90 cards
As you can see this deck thrives on actions and does not bother with petty
combat. It rather avoids the latter. Combat is more defensive and it plays a slow
waiting game every turn slowly building your arsenal and defenses. Heavy blocking
decks can be a problem but Change of Target and the fortitude action modifier duo
take care of that. Just like the unstoppable and slow death of Sensory and Society,
you bleed your prey or Army of Rat him to death. Slow and effective. What could be
more infuriating? Until next month take care,
J D Stevers