Official VEKN Tremere Antitribu Newsletter - June 2001 Volume 1, Issue 2 By Halcyan 2 Halcyan2@aol.com [Legal stuff to the tune of: I wrote all this (except for the Deck of the Month), so please give credit where it's due, etc.] -------------------------- Contents - 1.1 - Editor's Note 1.2 - Infernalism in the Sabbat (IC) 1.3 - In Anticipation of Final Nights and Bloodlines 1.4 - Vampire of the Month 1.5 - Cards of the Month 1.6 - Deck of the Month -------------------------- [1.1 - Editor's Note] My apologies for the tardiness of the latest edition of the Tremere Antitribu Newsletter. Believe it or not, this particular issue was originally scheduled for April but just sort of sat on my computer (with a third of it done) while April and May passed by. The reason for my lateness is the infamous combination of life, homework, and procrastination. But now I'm back on track (hopefully) and ready to remind the VTES community and world at large about the rewards and renown that go hand in hand with playing the Tremere Antitribu. Glory to the House of Goratrix! -------------------------- [1.2 - Infernalism in the Sabbat (IC)] Ever since it was first founded, the Sabbat has been dedicated to remaining free from the Jyhad. The Sword of Caine strives to be unfettered from the influences of Antediluvians, Methusalehs, and any other forces. Yet it is ironic that in its quest for "freedom," many Sabbat members often end up as pawns of more sinister infernal powers. Like the Camarilla, the Sabbat officially condemns infernalism. Dealing and consorting with demons is one of the greatest crimes one can commit. And while I'm sure there is many an infernalist among the pathetic Cammie toadies, I'd be willing to bet my soul that demon-worshippers are much more concentrated among the Sabbat. Perhaps it's due to the nature of our sect. With such an emphasis on power and instinct and espousing the theory of survival of the fittest, many Sabbat are willing to do whatever it takes to gain some power - to gain an edge over his or her opponents. And all too often such bids for power are answered wholeheartedly by infernal demons in need of pawns and souls. In addition, I've heard of dark forces lurking in the crown cities of the Sabbat such as Montreal and Mexico City, though I have yet to acquire any concrete proof of this. And there are also rumors of the Tzimisce clan consorting with some infernal spirit known only as Kupala. Though I am eternally loyal to the Sabbat, I serious wonder about how corrupted and tainted it has become due to demonic forces. In order to combat the spread of infernalism, there exists within the Sabbat various Inquisitors whose sole purpose is to root out and destroy any such infernalists. Such Inquisitors have a great deal of power and cause fear in both consorters and non-infernalists alike. Inquisitors like the renowned !Toreador Mercy give even the most powerful elders a reason to shudder. Unfortunately though, the entire Inquisitor system is completely reliant on politics. Many Inquisitors are corrupt and power-hungry - willing to abuse their power without a thought. Some Inquisitors are appointed by and serve masters who are infernalists themselves. And still I'm sure there are Sabbat elders out there who manipulate other Inquisitors into destroying their enemies. And since we Tremere Antitribu are unfairly excluded from the halls of political power, all too often we end up with the short end of the stick when it comes to Inquisitors and infernalism. Unfortunately we Tremere Antitribu always seem to get the bad rap when it comes to infernalism. In fact, it is quite a common misconception that all of the Thaumaturgy we practice is in fact Dark Thaumaturgy. I'll readily admit that there are some members of our clan who make dark Infernal Pacts with demons and acquire Infernal Familiars to further their own ends. And there are some clanmates who consort with Nephandi and Succubi. But these are a small minority of the Tremere Antitribu. Because of the slander spread by the heinous Tzimisce, the Sabbat Inquisitors do not understand the subtle difference between Dark Thaumaturgy and normal Thaumaturgy. As a result, many of our brethren are relentlessly persecuted whether guilty or innocent. Ten innocent warlocks are burned for every infernal conspirator in our clan. Our ways are difficult to understand and many of our enemies are jealous of our secrets and our Thaumaturgy. Thus it is with a grain of salt that we Tremere Antitribu are forced to accept such persecution as the price for our knowledge. -------------------------- [1.3 - In Anticipation of Final Nights and Bloodlines] Although Sabbat War unfortunately did not have any Tremere Antitribu cards, it is still possible that the next two expansions, Final Nights and Bloodlines, may have !Tremere cards and/or have other cards that will booster the clan. If the true reason that the !Tremere weren't included in Sabbat War was because of space limitations, then it seems quite logical that the !Tremere might show up in the next expansion (Final Nights). In addition, the !Tremere and their dark fate fit quite nicely with the theme of Final Nights. All of the other Sabbat clans got three or four new vampires in SW and one or two new clan cards. And from what we've seen from the latest preview involving Gustav, it would be fair to say that each of the other Sabbat clans will get at least one new vampire in FN. Thus the !Tremere would need about four new vampires and one new clan card to put them on par with the other Sabbat clans. However, please note that since all the advertising suggests that the boosters draw from a pool of all-new cards, the chances for some reprinted cards from Sabbat seems rather slim. Any further information about Final Nights and the !Tremere will be reported the moment I learn of it... Moving on. Although a lot of the information about Bloodlines is still sketchy, it is supposed to feature quite a handful of bloodlines. Wes' Brujah Antitribu Newsletter for March 2001 does an excellent job describing these bloodlines. From the discipline spread, we can see how some of these bloodline vampires might potentially help the !Tremere. Vampire-wise, the Nagajara may perhaps be the most useful since they contribute to the Aus/Dom block that contains the Tremere, !Tremere, Malkavians, and !Ventrue. Though you might need some Thaumaturgy skill cards, some of the Nagaraja could help supplement the stable of !Tremere vampires. In addition, the Necromancy of the Nagaraja could make !Tremere Necromancy decks more viable, if you want to play one of course. The !Tremere might also be able to siphon off some Auspex weenies from the Harbringers of Skull (who also offer Necromancy) and/or Salubri. Dominate weenies might be helpful from the Kiasyd and the !Tremere could also use some of that Obtenebration as well. Finally, though the Gargoyles don't actually share any disciplines with the !Tremere, because of the intertwined history among the Tremere, !Tremere, and Gargoyles, perhaps these stone monstrosities will have a use after all... -------------------------- [1.4 - Vampire of the Month] Ian Forestal [Sabbat] Cardtype: Vampire Clan: Tremere antitribu Capacity: 8 Discipline: AUS DOM THA Sabbat: Ian can play cards of any Discipline as though he has the basic level of that Discipline. Master Discipline cards played on him grant the superior level of that Discipline. What more can be said of Ian Forestal? He is the proverbial Jack-Of-All-Trades. There are only two really notable things about him. 1. He has all in-clans at superior for 8 pool. 2. He can play *any* discipline cards at the basic level. What more needs to be said of Ian Forestal? (But just in case, I'll say a bit more). Ian possesses what is arguably one of the most powerful specials in the entire set of Jyhad/VTES. Being able to play any Discipline card is vastly versatile and unparalleled by any other vampire or card (though Infernal Pact is somewhat similar). In fact, I know quite a few people who hate Ian because they think he's broken. While I admit his special can be powerful (if used correctly), it is a bit overrated. First off, the special counts for around 2 points. Compared to Kij Dansky for instance, you're trading an inferior and a title for the special. Or compare him to Meshenka, who is also an 8 cap with all in-clans at superior. Meshenka has the Priscus title AND a pretty good combat special. Or Gratiano, who has 2 in-clan superiors, 2 inferiors, a title, a special which pretty much insures the Prisci block, and a +1 bleed to top it off. And I'm not even going to get started on Sascha Vykos, whom I believe is pretty undercosted and broken (even if he does fit the new point system)! In addition, when you really come to think of it, Ian's special isn't really that great. In most decks, all it does is serve as an inferior discipline or two... So all in all, Ian Forestal isn't really that broken at all. If you do decide to use Ian, you should really be taking advantage of his special. If you're going for a clan-based deck, Kij Danski has all the disciplines Ian has plus the Priscus title so unless you're in need of vampires (and there are only 11 !Tremere right now), you're better off with Kij than Ian. Ian is much more useful when you use his special. As stated before, I've always thought of Obtenebration to be the "fourth discipline" of the !Tremere. Thus Ian can be used with Kij and Ayelea to incorporate Obtenebration into a !Tremere deck. Ian also works really well with Ulugh Beg (each using cel for pot). He can join Ulugh, Cardano, and Muaziz in a Tha/For deck. Or hang out with Ulugh, Cassandra, Thomas, Lazarus, and Javier in a thaumaturgical celerity deck. With his great versatility, Ian can easily work with many of the older vampires who possess a smattering of out-of-clan disciplines. Finally, you can also take full advantage of Ian's ability and make a deck utilizing LOTS of disciplines. While the task may seem daunting, being able to pick and choose the best cards from among 17 disciplines can be quite an advantage. You can also give Ian some more friends by using Infernal Familiars on other vampires. In fact, if I recall correctly, Todd Banister has a rather nice deck relying on Infernal Familiars... Although not always suitable for every deck, Ian Forestal is a solid vampire that really helps contribute to his clan. All the in-clan disciplines at superior for an 8 cap can never hurt, and his special ability really helps open up all sorts of possibilities for the Tremere Antitribu. And anyway, who else would work in a chi/nec/obt/tha deck? -------------------------- [1.5 - Cards of the Month] Guess what? You're in luck! This month we have no less than TWO cards of the month! And without further adieu: Infernal Pact [Sabbat] Cardtype: Master Clan: Tremere antitribu Cost: 1 pool Unique master. Put this card on a Tremere Antitribu you control. Choose a Discipline. The vampire with this card can play cards that require that Discipline as though he or she has the superior version of that Discipline. The Infernal Pact functions as the ultimate skill card. Place it on one of your !Tremere and you instantly get the SUPERIOR level of ANY discipline. Yes, it does cost a pool but it is easily worth it. While the fact that it is a Unique Master card usually isn't a hassle (since you don't see that many !Tremere decks around these days), this may become problematic if you put in lots of copies in your deck (since you can only use one at a time). Even more importantly, one might want to be a bit wary before creating a deck that completely relies on the Infernal Pact because on the off-chance that someone else contests it, you're in some serious trouble. On a different side note, please note that though the vampire *essentially* has the superior version, he/she doesn't actually have it. This turns out to be a double-edged blade. On the one hand, he/she can't block the Speed of Thought and can be Kiss of Ra'ed. But since your vampire doesn't actually have the discipline, you can still play discipline cards on him/her (in case you need to get rid of the discipline card from your hand or you want to up the capacity). You may be asking "now what does the Infernal Pact do for the Tremere Antitribu?" And the answer is "A LOT!" There are two main areas where the Infernal Pact helps the !Tremere - the first is if you're playing a traditional !Tremere deck with the clan disciplines, and the other is if you're playing some deck using a funky combination of disciplines. In the former case, it can be a quick way to give one of your weenie vampires a discipline they don't have (Heinrick suddenly gets AUS or Richard obtains DOM). In a pinch, you can also use it on a vampire even if they already have the appropriate discipline at inferior (like if Ethan really needs AUS or Thelonius needs that THA). Infernal Pact can also be useful if you just want to play a more traditional Tha/Cel or Tha/For deck. And with Obtenebration already usable by Kij, Ian, and Ayelea, the Infernal Pact makes Obtenebration that much more usable by the !Tremere as a whole. Last of all, if you ever decide to do something really weird like Tha/Chi, Aus/Ser, or Dom/Qui for example, using the !Tremere with Ian and the Infernal Pact can make things much more plausible. Sabbat Inquisitor [Sabbat] Cardtype: Political Action Political Card-Worth 1 Vote. Called by any Archbishop or Cardinal at +1 stealth. Choose any Sabbat vampire who is not an Inquisitor. Successfulmeans that vampire is an Inquisitor; put this card on that vampire. He or she gets +1 bleed on each bleed action. As a (D) action, he or she may look at the top vampire of any Methuselah's crypt; if that vampire has Thaumaturgy, burn that card. This card can be burned with a successful called by any Sabbat vampire at +1 stealth. The Sabbat Inquisitor has two main uses. The more straightforward one is that it is currently the only vote card that actually enhances bleeding. Every Inquisitor you pass is like equipping with a Laptop Computer, which makes the card quite valuable to a deck that votes and bleeds or any voting deck that simply wants to keep bleeding as an option. The other ability of the Sabbat Inquisitor is a bit stranger. The (D) action to burn Thaumaturgy crypt vampires is rather interesting, though perhaps a bit unreliable. At the very least, the ability will allow you to see what vampire is coming next in a Methusaleh's crypt. Alternatively, maybe you can combine it with Yong-Sun, Goodnight Sweet Prince, Innocent Bystander, or The Portrait (though it isn't really very practical, feasible, or effective). If you're playing against a deck that relies on Thaumaturgy (like some Tremere or !Tremere decks), you can use the Inquisitor to gradually whittle down the potential resources of that deck (though it's not really very fast or effective either). One of the best uses for the Inquisitor (D) action is to eliminate a particularly troublesome vampire. If you somehow know that the vampire at the top of a Methasuleh's crypt is threatening (through the use of Goodnight or The Portrait for example), you can use the Inquisitor to burn that vampire. There are currently 58 vampires in the game with some level of Thaumaturgy, 25 of which are neither Tremere nor !Tremere. Thus the Inquisitor could help stop your opponent from getting Vykos, Lucian, Parnassus, or Enzo into play. And finally, you can indeed use the Sabbat Inquisitor on yourself. In a Thaumaturgy deck, you can use it with Grendel to improve the chances of finding a particular vampire. If you aren't playing Thaumaturgy, the Inquisitor is a quick way of figuring out which vampire is coming next. Alternatively, you can make a trick deck utilizing cards such as Mark of the Damned, Redeem the Lost Soul, and/or Possession. In fact, this month's Deck of the Month focuses on using the Sabbat Inquisitor together with Possession. Note however that these trick decks often have a lot of moving parts, which can be rather problematic. Finally, don't forget that the Sabbat Inquisitor and its abilities can be burned as a +1 stealth political action by a Sabbat vampire. This shouldn't typically be too much of a problem since you'd probably need quite a handful of votes to get the card put into play in the first place. And hey, even if it gets burned, at least your opponents are wasting an action. A well played Delaying Tactics or Treachery could also make things more interesting. Also note that it requires an Archbishop or Cardinal to play but it can be placed on any Sabbat vampire. It can even be played on a Sabbat vampire someone else controls! So while Sabbat Inquisitor isn't really one of the best political cards out there, it's at least fairly interesting. It can provide some bleed capability to voting decks and though difficult to use effectively, its burn action may be occasionally useful in all sorts of situations. -------------------------- [1.6 - Deck of the Month] Sabbat Inquisitor by Mike Ooi CRYPT (12 cards): 2 Antonio Delgado (DOM OBT POT tha, Lasombra, 9, Archbishop) 2 Ayelea, The Manipulator (AUS DOM OBT pre THA, !Tremere, 10, Cardinal) 1 Ethan Locke (aus cel DOM pot THA, !Tremere, 9, Archbishop) 2 Ian Forestal (AUS DOM THA, !Tremere, 8) 2 Kij Dansky (AUS DOM obt THA, !Tremere, 8, Priscus) 1 Lucian (AUS cel DOM OBF tha, Malkavian, 10, Justicar) 1 Ulugh Beg, The Watcher (AUS cel for DOM pot THA, Tremere, 10, Justicar) 1 Yong-Sun, Harmonist (ANI aus OBF POT THA, !Nosferatu, 10, Cardinal) LIBRARY: Master (19 cards): 1 Giant's Blood 1 Hungry Coyote, The 3 Infernal Pact 2 Minion Tap 7 Necromancy 1 Obtenebration 1 Parthenon, The 2 Redeem the Lost Soul 1 University Hunting Ground Actions (15 cards): 2 Fifth Tradition: Hospitality, The 1 Govern the Unaligned 10 Possession 2 Rutor's Hand Action Modifiers (20 cards): 4 Bribes 10 Shroud of Night 5 Spectral Divination 1 Voter Captivation Combat (9 cards): 8 Shadow Body 1 Spiritual Intervention Political Actions (21 cards): 1 Ancient Influence 2 Cardinal Benediction 1 Disputed Territory 1 Dramatic Upheaval 5 Kine Resources Contested 2 Political Stranglehold 1 Rumors of Gehenna 8 Sabbat Inquisitor Reactions (6 cards): 3 Redirection 3 Wake with Evening's Freshness (Original notes from the author) "Basically, THA is the only requirement for them to be burned. I tried earlier versions using THA for combat, but it did poorly as it could not focus like a THA deck needs to. The !Tremere vamps share OBT with Antonio Delgado, so that is used for stealth and continuing actions with Shadow Body. The Cam justicars are there for timely 5ths and additional votes. Earlier versions saw Etrius and Gwendolyn, but the 5ths can be so timely, it works better with the justicars. Infernal Pact gives !Tremere SUPERIOR NEC, which is the only way to use Possession in this deck. Once a vamp is an Inquisitor, they start "millstoning" your crypt. Once a vamp has superior NEC, they start Possessing titled vamps out of your ash heap. Long build up time, many weaknesses, but a ton of fun to get working!" Mike Ooi Insane Prince of Houston, TX On the condition that I attempt to eat my own weight in pudding (with butterscotch not considered an option since Mike is trying to collect as much as possible for his own personal use), Mike allowed me to feature his deck and also provided some additional comments on his deck: "If Ayelea or Antonio is in the opening crypt, the deck seems to run smoother. The first thing that needs to happen is the creation of a Sabbat Inquisitor (must have titled Sabbat vamps to call the vote). If that doesn't happen, the deck don't happen. The Justicars are in for a couple of lucky Minion Tap/5ths. Don't ever think about playing Possession at the inferior. No. It defeats the entire purpose of the deck. Infernal Pact works best on any Tremere Anti except Ian. Ian only needs one of the two Necromancy skill cards the others would need. Once the cycle begins, you can vote or stealth-bleed your prey using Obtenebration for stealth and the +1 bleed from Sabbat Inquisitor. Make deals with people to get the pieces moving. Don't be afraid to settle for 1 or 2 VPs. If you can, you can receive +3 fun!" Mike Ooi Prince of Houston-in-Hiding (Please note that I was unsuccessful in the pudding eating experiment) Also note that this deck was created prior to the release of Sabbat War, meaning that it could benefit from several of the newer cards. The deck can definitely use the votes provided by Powerbase: Madrid and early in the game, a well-placed Regent could quickly swing the referendums in your favor (though you then have to worry about being attacked). Private Audience can keep the Cams out of the referendums and a Blood Siege or two is yet another way to secure vote lock. Some additional modifications might include adding a Purchase Pact to counter combat decks and maybe some more blood gain (like Festivo dello Estinto to fill up those formerly Possessed vamps). All in all "Sabbat Inquisitor" is a fun deck that creatively uses a strange menagerie of cards. Quite a lot of gears to put into motion but it can be well worth it. Thanks Mike! -------------------------- Things to Look Forward to: A special edition supplement detailing the impact of Final Nights in late June, and a "Back-to-the-Basics" topic for the July issue specifically geared towards novice !Tremere players. Signing out, Halcyan 2