Volume 2, Issue 1
Rattle Big Black Bones in the Danger Zone
there's a rumblin' groan down below
there's a big dark town it's a place I've found
there's a world going on UNDER GROUND!
They're alive, they're awake
while the rest of the world is asleep
below the mine shaft roads it will all unfold
there's a world going on UNDER GROUND!
Tom Waits, "Underground"
Fellow Fiends,
I would like to first apologize for the recent lack of
newsletters. It has been over four months since the last installment of the
Tzimisce Clan newsletter :-( a lot of changes have taken place in the last
four months. The primary change has been the successful move and
conversion of the online version of the newsletter to www.warghoul.com.
That being said, this month's issue will include Meshenka the killing machine,
the card of the month, Horrid Form, an overview of all clan specific cards, and
lastly the *Deck of the Month: "Disco Inferno."
*Tip O' the Hat to Mike Courtois, a.k.a. "JediMike," for supplying this month's
deck of the month.
Inside this issue:
Part I: Meshenka: the killing machine
Part II: Card of the Month: Horrid Form
Part III: Clan Specific Cards: The Overview
Part IV: Deck of the Month: "Disco Inferno"
------------------------------------------------------
Part I: Meshenka: the killing machine
Meshenka
Clan: Tzimisce
Capacity: 8
Skills: Superior: Vicissitude, Auspex, and Animalism
Title: Priscus
Special Ability:
Meshenka burns one less blood for any card that requires Vicissitude.
Vampire Commentary:
Meshenka is by far one of the most frightening Tzimisce on the block. One, she is
a Priscus. Two, she possesses all three in clan skills at superior. Lastly, her special
ability of burning one less blood for vicissitude cards can get quite nasty…real quick,
as can be demonstrated in this month's deck. Dragos may be the most beloved Tzimisce,
but Meshenka is by far the scariest out of the gate.
Meshenka's List of Favorites:
Combat Card: Horrid Form, Vicissitude
Combat combo: Trap/Multiple Horrid Forms/Body Arsenal
Action Card: Tie between Revelations, Auspex and Pulse of the
Canaille, Auspex
Action Modifier: Changeling, Vicissitude
Reaction: Tie between Eagle's Sight, Auspex and Forced Awakening Retainer: Owl Companion, Animalism
Ally: Order of Hermes Cabal
Master Card: Aggressive Tactics
Equipment: Living Manse, Tzimisce
------------------------------------------------------
Part II: Card of the Month: Horrid Form
Horrid Form
Skill: Vicissitude
Cost: 1 blood
Card Text:
Only usable before range is chosen. This vampire gets +1 hand damage for the
remainder of combat. (S) As above, and this vampire may prevent 1 damage each
round for the remainder of combat.
Card Commentary:
Horrid Form can certainly be a welcome addition to any combat deck that focuses
on vicissitude. This card really comes alive in the superior version by not only granting
the +1 hand damage, as above, but granting the ability to prevent 1 damage each
round of combat. With a superior Horrid Form and a trap, you'll have the upper hand
against non- combat decks. With multiple Horrid Forms and a vampire like Meshenka
you can stand in there and slug it out with just about anything on the table.
------------------------------------------------------
Part III: Clan Specific Cards: The Overview
ALLIES
War Ghoul
Cost: 3 pool
Card Text:
Ally with 5 life. 4 hand damage, 0 bleed. When War Ghoul enters play, burn an ally or
retainer you control. She can attack any vampire as a (D) action. She may prevent
1 damage each round. Tap and burn War Ghoul to burn any location; you cannot use
this ability during combat.
By far one of the best allies in the game, she is one ally no one wants to see in play.
If you are fortunate to have two or more on the table at one time watch as the carnage
ensues. Her special ability to prevent one damage per round makes for an excellent
combination with a trap.
Guardian Ghoul
Cost: 1 pool
Card Text:
Ally with 1 life. 1 hand damage, 0 bleed. If a card controlled by another Methuselah
burns a location you control, you may burn Guardian Ghoul instead.
I'm sorry but I'm still trying to find a good reason to waste one pool and one action for
this dead beat, except maybe as war ghoul fodder. At least the artwork is nice.
EQUIPMENT
Living Manse
Type: Loquipment
Cost: 1 blood
Card Text:
Equipment, Location. This equipment card represents a location, but does not count as
an equipment card while it is in play. The vampire with this location gets +1 bleed. He or
she can burn this card during combat to end combat. A vampire may have only one Living Manse.
A bit cheaper than a laptop since the cost is paid by the vampire. This can always be useful
by giving the Tzimisce a bit more bleeding power.
Femur of Toomler
Type: Equipment
Cost: 2 pool
Card Text:
Unique melee weapon. The minion with this equipment inflicts +1 aggravated hand damage with each strike.
Everyone wants to be Lambach.
Who doesn't want a big stick? The Femur is slightly better than the average Sengir Dagger
is, since the Femur provides an additional +1 damage.
RETAINERS
Revenant
Cost: 1 blood
Card Text:
Retainer with 2 life. The minion with this retainer gets +1 intercept.
The revenant is the only non-unique, non-skill required retainer that gives his owner +1 intercept,
of course you need to be a Tzimisce clan member to employ him. If you plan on running a Tzimisce
intercept/combat deck the revenant is always worth a good look.
MASTER CARDS
Library Hunting Ground
Cost: 2 pool
Card Text:
Master: unique location. During your untap phase, a ready vampire you control gains 1 blood
from the blood bank. A vampire can only gain 1 blood from Hunting Ground cards each turn.
The typical clan hunting ground standard fair here. Combined with a blood doll it's always a
good pool generator.
------------------------------------------------------
Part IV: Deck of the Month: "Disco Inferno"
Disco Inferno
Created by: ***JediMike***
Description:
This is a VERY fun deck for me to play. Basically I'm trying to capture the Zen philosophy of
the Triangle Offense, as our newly acquired Lakers basketball coach Phil Jackson might put it.
I want a deck that can Bleed, Combat effectively (by effective I mean BURN), as well as Intercept
at will anywhere at the table thus insuring your self some respect when the important deals are
being conceived. With the 4x4 crypt I can usually get Dragos AND Meshenka in my opening
crypt about 75% of the time. You REALLY need these guys up first to get up and running properly.
Also SUP for Dragos is a definite plus, thus the Vicissitude Masters. Bum's rush works for those
pesky stealth bastards you just can't catch with limited Intercept.
Ok, here's where the fun begins, COMBAT! Bleed, Block, or Rush it does not matter. All that
matters is the horror you will instill in you enemies (and you allies) when it's time to throw down.
Here's how it goes assuming you've got the goods: Trap so you can continue pressing, throw as
many Horrid Forms as you want (or need) as in SUP you will do an additional damage + prevent
an additional damage. Oh by the way they are CUMULATIVE!!!! So if you're up against Lazverinus
w/+2 hand damage, just throw 3 Horrid Forms. Now your hands is 3 and your prevent is 3 also. So
press with the Trap 3 times for 9 damage total (and zero to you), before the final press throw a Body
Arsenal (or agg. weapon, or Lambach's special) to make the final 3 or 4 points agg. and it's Disco
Inferno for the opponent. And the best part, if it's working right, it didn't cost you a drop!
Now of course, as with any deck, it has its obvious problems, FOR prevent (although the trap helps
here), Combat Ends (especially Coma or Entombment). But I knew it when I built it and I hope to still
wreak havoc in the games. Did I also mention the vote potential here? You'll have a voice in every
vote with a Priscus and a Cardinal in the house. The blood gain has always proven to be effective
in this deck, as once you show your wares no one wants to come take the rack from you or block a
Blood Doll hunt. I will definitely continue to tweak the deck here and there, maybe try the Hungry Coyote
instead of the Hunting grounds, things like that. I believe a deck like this can win a final but the seating
has to be right and the deck must perform flawlessly. Still, it lets the Tzimisce shine in all their glory when
the Mojo is working, and that's FUN!
The final tough spot on this deck, I had to buy quit a few boxes of Sabbat and STILL had do some
serious trading to acquire all of those Horrid Forms. I don't think they are rare, but they're at least
uncommon 4.
Good Luck my
Tzimisce friends!
JediMike
Additional Notes/Comments:
First off, I'd like to congratulate Mike for coming over to the dark side, it appears his addiction to
cheese may finally be over. Secondly, I'd like to say this deck is full of gratuitous violence and I have to
agree with Mike that this deck is fun to play. The only drag I found when playing this deck is Dragos
without superior Vicissitude, a major pain in the a$$ when you're up against another agg. damage
deck. A few possible ideas for dealing with Coma and Entombment would be the additions of
Rotschreck for when you're blocking and Primal Instincts for when you're the acting minion.
And now the deck...
Crypt: (16 cards) [Min: 24, Max: 40, Avg: 7.75]
4x Corine Marcon (Tzimisce, 6, an AU VI)
4x Dragos (Tzimisce, 7, AN AU vi)
4x Lambach (Tzimisce, 10, AN AU DO pr VI, Cardinal)
4x Meshenka (Tzimisce, 8, AN AU VI, Priscus)
Library: (90 cards)
Masters:
6x Blood Doll
2x Library Hunting Ground
2x Rack, The
2x Vicissitude
Combat:
8x Body Arsenal
16x Horrid Form
11x Trap
Actions:
8x Bum's Rush
4x Pulse of the Canaille
Reactions:
10x Eagle's Sight
7x Enhanced Senses
12x Forced Awakening
Equipment:
1x Femur of Toomler
1x Sengir Dagger
------------------------------------------------------
Letters to the Editor:
For future ideas for the newsletter, articles, deck
submission, general discussion, or corrections,
please feel free to contact me.
Thank You,
Joe Churchill
Email: tzimisce@telocity.com
*The Tzimisce Clan Newsletter archives can be found
on the internet at http://www.warghoul.com