Introduction: Since my last newsletter I've spent my VTES time on the new cards with ideas for including them in my ordinary toreador-strategy popping up from time to time. I've also had the time to play in some tournaments, trying out other clans and getting a feel of how my favourite clan performs while in the hands of my opposition. There will be no deck in this issue. Instead I'll focus on how Bloodlines have impacted on the game here, and those views are on purpose influenced by my earlier experience from playing Toreador. General Bloodlines observation: I wrote that we had been given an ally in the Daughters of Cacophony. Having tried it out with a couple of twinclan decks I'll withdraw that thought. They simply don't cooperate well enough with the Toreador to be worth mixing in. They are, however, a very good addition to the Ventrue, but that is a matter for another editor. Of the new cards available the most usable seem to be The Missing Voice, Nose of the Hound and, to a lesser extent, Repulsion. More on it later. The sheer amount of new vampires with fortitude has indeed changed how the game is played. From what we've seen it's more important to be able to continue combat than to actually be able to inflict a large amount of damage with one strike. The usage of environmental damage has also seen an upswing. A quick look at the changes made me feel that the Toreador came out worse than before, but I'm slowly changing that opinion. The games have become slower, a lot slower in fact. Decks concentrating on librarydestruction and indirect cryptdestruction does that instead of taking away pool. Several new types of decks concentrate on the good old speciality of the Toreador and Tzimisce - blocking. We also see a little less permanent votes on the table today, and all this combined allows your generic slow bloat and build toreador deck to actually get finished before half the table is ousted. On the down side is of course the reawakened usage of two old cards: Kiss of Ra and Freak Drive. The former taking up one or two cardslots 'just in case' and the latter speeding up all kind of unpleasantries. All in all it's likely that we'll have to walk some very strange road in the future, and I'll try to dig up some kind of perverted toreadorish deck for next month. What's in it for us? Checking out the available vampires on an individual level rather than trying to use an entire bloodline then we do find a jewel. Sargon, a cap 5 Baali with cel and pre to go with the ability to gain the edge after a succesful action. For those so inclined his obf goes well with the two high cap toreador princes with obf. He's cheap, he'll get you another vote by simply hunting and he can use your combatcards. Cards of the month: A reminder from my previous letter actually. The Missing Voice. A common card that works well against the casual weenie blocker. You'll never get stuck with this card on your hand. cel: Requires a vampire with a capacity greater than 4. Vampires with a capacity less than 5 get -1 intercept when attempting to block this action. Nose of the Hound. Another common card that acts a lot like Ambush, but with a built in +1 stealth. Toredors starting to rush the opposition usually have to be a bit more picky than your generic potence rush, and a gun-deck really, really want that extra maneouver. +1 stealth action. aus (D) Enter combat with a ready tapped minion controlled by another Methuselah. This acting minion gets an optional maneuver in that combat. Repulsion. Also a common card. Correctly used this card actually is best used as a substitute for stealth. I feel that this card is better than a maneouver card in many cases. After all we usually don't want our actions to be blocked. Combined with Aching Beauty you start by telling blockers to be that not only is there a pool punishment, but after paying up they'll have to work to prevent you from playing a Strike: Combat Ends. Combined with a normal gun you simply ask them if they want to be hurt and the card also excuses the use of Sniper Rifle and Mark V. pre Only usable when the acting vampire's action is announced. If this action is blocked, the acting vampire gets 1 optional maneuver, only usable to maneuver to long range, during the resulting combat. Anti card of the month: Disarm. A rare card that was sought after earlier and at the time being it almost feels like you can't take a stroll down the street without meeting a maniac with steroides instead of brains trying to rip your arms off. Blood Lines introduced sixteen new vampires with potence combined with fortitude. Capacity ranging from 3 to 7. Hug, punch, prevent and rip... Dressed to kill was a stupid expression yesteryear, but really! Carrying around signposts has become the latest in fashion with all the new kids trying to give you a huge hug without letting you return the favour. We're setting up a local 24h service here as it's poinless trying to go home before you have to dig up another kindred from torpor. pot Only usable at the end of a round of combat in which this vampire successfully inflicted more damage at close range than the opposing vampire; not usable by a vampire going into torpor. Put this card on the opposing vampire and send that vampire into torpor. The vampire with this card has -1 strength; he or she may burn this card by burning 3 blood. A vampire can have only one Disarm. POT As above, but the vampire with this card has -2 strength.