V:EKN Official Tremere Newsletter, June 2004 I. Introduction II. Strategy Discussion - Gehenna III. Crypt Focus - Ulugh Beg, the Watcher IV. Library Focus - Crocodile's Tongue V. Deck Focus - Arid VI. Conclusion I. Introduction Welcome to the June 2004 edition of the Tremere Newsletter. In this Newsletter we shall begin talking about the new expansion, focusing on what is truly new: the event cards. Gehenna vampires and strategies will trickle in for the next few months, to allow a greater amount of focus on each new card. Following is a collection of one Warlock's thoughts... II. Strategy Discussion - Gehenna The end of the world is here, yet the Eternal Struggle continues! The new expansion has brought many new cards to our arsenal. Of most importance are two new developments: Group 4 Crypt cards and Gehenna Events. I have always liked the grouping rule as a way to expand the crypt cards without overwhelming developers and deck-builders with the options available. Both new Tremere are Group 4, and each fits in well with a primary Tremere archetype (bruise-and-bleed, and intercept-combat). We will pick up discussion of the specific vampires in the near future. The Event card is the greatest new addition to the game. The Gehenna Events introduced in Gehenna are often powerful and can shake up many games. Some of them, like Fall of the Camarilla, outright ruin particular decks and strategies. Needless to say, we must find out how to exploit these powerful new cards in order to win the Eternal Struggle. There are 21 of them total, so I will only focus on the Events that I consider to be helpful to our Clan. For a full list of Gehenna Events, view the list at http://www.thelasombra.com/lists/event_cards.htm. * Becoming of Ennoia * The New Inquisition Both of these Events deal unpreventable damage to vampires in the game. This effect is very useful to the Tremere, who often excel at removing blood from vampires. In a typical deck loaded with Theft of Vitae, the Events can be utilized to send vampires to torpor. In a Fame-based combat deck, dropping a vampire back into torpor can be devastating for your prey. Also the classic Cryptic Mission deck can include these Events along with Society of Leopold to enhance the pressure put on its prey. Keep in mind that Becoming of Ennoia requires two other event cards, so a deck planning on playing it ought to pack more than these two events. In a blood-attrition deck I would recommend Restricted Vitae. * Restricted Vitae * Thirst Fantastic events for a clan with access to Theft of Vitae and blood-attrition strategies based on Crytpic Mission. But watch out when other minions have to hunt: they may come after the blood on your vampires! * Blood Trade If you play with Restricted Vitae, you're likely the only one gaining significant blood on your vampires. You may want to use this Event to share with cross-table allies. * Dragonbound * Torpid Blood Can you put vampires into torpor? Then keep them there with Torpid Blood and oust with help from Dragonbound. These are among the cards enabling combat-focused decks to be more competitive and they're a welcome addition to the game. Note that Torpid Blood does not necessarily help a Fame-loop, however, since it is more difficult to rescue a vampire from torpor. * Unmasking, The All the great allies the Tremere and Tremere antitribu have access to just got better. * Blood Weakens * Fall of the Camarilla * Recalled to the Founder * The Slow Withering These are the Events to watch out for! Each of them can have a devastating effect on your game. Fall of the Camarilla and Recalled to the Founder may be enough reasons alone to begin including Emergency Preparations in vulnerable decks. The primary disadvantage to playing an event is that many of them are not replaced until a specific condition is met. In a deck playing many events, it may be important to recoup this loss of hand size. The best option is Visit from the Capuchin: if you play an Event while Visit is in play, the reduced hand size does not affect you. In other words, when Visit from the Capuchin burns, you do not discard extra cards and remain at a 7-card hand size. III. Crypt Focus - Ulugh Beg, the Watcher Ulugh Beg, The Watcher Clan: Tremere Capacity: 10 Group: 1 cel for pot AUS DOM THA Camarilla Tremere Justicar: If Ulugh is ready during your discard phase, you get an additional discard phase action. Ulugh Beg is an old but good card worth another look. Now that Events have been introduced to V:tES, his card text has changed slightly. Now instead of an additional discard, the Methuselah controlling Ulugh Beg may play an Event as well as discard a card. Keep in mind that you are restricted to playing one Event at a time, regardless of the number of discard phase actions you have. As a high capacity vampire goes, Ulugh Beg is very usable. He has all the Tremere disciplines at superior, which include access to Rutor's Hand at superior. His off-clan disciplines are good combat support, and Fortitude provides access to great cards such as Freak Drive. As a Justicar he has access to the potent Traditions of the Camarilla (though if you play with him and Events watch out for Fall of the Camarilla!). On top of everything he shares five disciplines and Traditions with another Group 1 vampire, the famous Cardano. IV. Library Focus - Crocodile's Tongue Crocodile's Tongue Action Modifier Auspex [aus] Only usable when an ally or a younger vampire attempts to block. That block is canceled (the minion is not tapped). The blocking minion's controller cannot attempt to block this action again. The blocking minion can cancel this card by burning a blood or life. [AUS] As above, but canceling this card requires an additional blood or a life. Here is one of the most potent minion cards available to the Tremere in the new set. With it, a high-capacity Tremere can drain blockers of blood, and when blockers are empty, deliver devastating bleeds. Combined with another new card, Loose Cannon, Tremere Anarchs can punish a blocking Methuselah badly. Mind its restriction to younger vampires or allies: this is not a card to throw into just any deck. Also be on the look-out for this card. I imagine it will become a poweful addition to Toreador and Toreador antitribu decks. Thankfully, Tremere will often have the blood necessary to cancel the card. V. Deck Focus - Arid This month's deck follows the Strategy Discussion but does not include the two cards we focused on earlier. How shall those new event cards help the Tremere? Let's start with one idea: Deck Name: Arid Created By: Dorrinal Description: This is a Gehenna Cryptic Mission deck based on Robyn Tatu's tournament-winning deck (http://www.thelasombra.com/decks/twd.htm#2k3totalconRobyn). The added events make it difficult for opposing vampires to renew their blood, and occasionally knock a vampire into torpor with an unpreventable damage. When the neighboring deflectors are dry, bleed away! Crypt: (12 cards, Min: 11, Max: 24, Avg: 3.84) ---------------------------------------------- 1 Carna AUS DOM THA 7, Tremere:3, Primogen 1 Aisling Sturbridge dom AUS THA 5, Tremere:2 1 Hannigan dom AUS THA 5, Tremere Antitribu:2 1 Cohn Rose aus dom pre THA 5, Tremere:3 1 Pieter van Dorn dom pre tha 4, Tremere:3 1 Thelonius aus dom tha 4, Tremere Antitribu:2 1 Blythe Candeleria aus THA 3, Tremere:2 1 Brooke dom tha 3, Tremere Antitribu:2 1 Ehrich Weiss dom tha 3, Tremere:3 1 Masika St. John THA 3, Tremere:3 1 Heinrick Schlempt tha 2, Tremere Antitribu:2 1 Magdalena Schaefer THA 2, Caitiff:2 Library: (90 cards) ------------------- Event (7 cards) 1 Becoming of Ennoia 2 New Inquisition, The 2 Restricted Vitae 2 Thirst Master (13 cards) 1 Arcane Library 5 Blood Doll 1 Chantry 2 Effective Management 1 Society of Leopold 1 Strained Vitae Supply 1 Sudden Reversal 1 Tremere Convocation Action (30 cards) 25 Cryptic Mission 4 Govern the Unaligned 1 Graverobbing Action Modifier (5 cards) 4 Conditioning 1 Foreshadowing Destruction Reaction (16 cards) 8 Deflection 8 Wake with Evening's Freshness Combat (18 cards) 2 Burst of Sunlight 2 High Ground 2 Fake Out 8 Theft of Vitae 2 Wind Dance Equipment (1 card) 1 Sargon Fragment VI. Conclusion Thank you for reading so far! I hope this month's Tremere Newsletter has at least given you an idea of what to do with some of those shiny new Gehenna cards. Any readers who have other ideas for the Events are welcome to share ideas on rec.games.trading-cards.jyhad, or email me at dorrinal@hotmail.com. The next Newsletter will look at one of the new Thaumaturgy cards in Gehenna and focus on some new strategy, with a fresh deck list. Please contact me with comments or criticisms at dorrinal@hotmail.com. See you next month! Dorrinal Blackmantle Chronicler of Clan Tremere