OFFICIAL VEKN CLAN VENTRUE NEWSLETTER: JUNE 2007 CONTENTS 1. Introduction 2. Ventrue and common off-clan disciplines 3. Vampires of the Month 4. Deck of the Month Introduction Greetings, and welcome to the newest incarnation of the official VKEN Ventrue newsletter! I apologize for missing a newsletter for May and being so late with the June newsletter, stupid real life getting in the way. In this and the next few newsletters I'll examine the common off-clan disciplines you see on Ventrue vampires and how they might be used by the Ventrue. So without further ado, let's get this newsletter started. Ventrue and common off-clan disciplines Some facts I briefly mentioned in the previous newsletter (and the introduction) are a topic I'd like to discuss in more depth - common off-clan disciplines. Here's a list of the five most common off-clan disciplines: Celerity (11/2) Auspex (10/2) Potence (10/1) Obfuscate (7/3) Thaumaturgy (3/0) (vampires with the discipline/vampires with the discipline at superior) This month I'm going to go over Ventrue and Auspex. From the chart above, Auspex is the 2nd most common off-clan discipline, and more than that is probably the easiest to build a crypt around because 9 of the 10 Ventrue with Auspex are in group 2 and 3, and the capacities of those vampires is spread out across the spectrum. This also allows them to intermingle easily with their treacherous Sabbat cousins, who of course have Auspex instead of Presence as a clan discipline. So what does Auspex bring to the table as far as the Ventrue are concerned? First and most obviously it makes them much better at blocking, given the plethora of cards the provide intercept. This also synergies with Ventrue sturdiness in combat, providing the foundation for a strong defensive deck. Aside from intercept generation, there are several Auspex cards that are of particular interest when playing Ventrue: Aura Reading (http://monger.vekn.org/showcard.html?ID=84) This is an underrated combat card. At superior it gives you card cycle, which is always good. And with the Ventrue, who quite often need to decide between ending combat or taking some damage then preventing it, knowing what's in your opponent's hand can help you make the right choice. Crocodile's Tongue (http://monger.vekn.org/showcard.html? ID=1408) Ventrue aren't naturally stealthy, so any card that helps them get actions off is worth a look. This card can only be played against a younger vampire or ally, but that's not much of a problem since many of the Ventrue with Auspex are big. If you're playing with several of the big Ventrue voters (Arika, Queen Anne, Wilhelm, Democritus) and not playing with Obfuscate, it may be worth including in your deck. Ecstatic Agony (http://monger.vekn.org/showcard.html?ID=1035) This is an interesting card. The Ventrue are good at surviving combat, but pretty poor at dishing the pain out. If you wanted your Ventrue to be able to be a little more offensive in combat, this is an interesting option. Telepathic Vote Counting (http://monger.vekn.org/showcard.html?ID=784) The Ventrue are quite famous for their voting, so any vote modifier comes under consideration. The superior version in most cases is inferior to a Bewitching Oration, but the inferior allows you a second chance with a vote in case something unpleasant happens during the referendum such as a Poison Pill or Elder Kindred Network. Vampires of the Month Bindusara, Historian of the Kindred 9 Cap, DOM PRE FOR AUS tha Bindusara can take an action to allow you to search your library for an Arcane Library, Elder Library or Fragment of the Book of Nod; put that card in play. (Pay cost as normal.) Shuffle your library afterward. +1 bleed. Ilyana Ravidovich 5 Cap, dom pre for aus You get 2 extra votes inblood hunts against Ilyana. Once each action, Ilyana may burn 1 blood to get +1 intercept. I couldn't decide which vampire to choose for my vampire of the month so I chose both. Bindusara is a vampire you don't see played very often because he's a big Ventrue with no title, in fact the biggest non-titled Ventrue currently. But if you're going to build a Ventrue deck with a lot of Auspex, he's an excellent choice. He has AUS in addition to all clan disciplines at superior, so he can make the most of all of the cards you're probably going to use. He also has +1 bleed, which is always useful. His text ability isn't anything to write home about, but if you do play with an Elder Library or Fragment you certainly put his ability to use. Ilyana is another excellent vampire to use in an Auspex-themed Ventrue deck. Although she's a 5 cap vampire with no superior disciplines, she does have all clans plus aus, and two abilities. Being able to burn a blood for +1 intercept is a good ability, and 2 votes in a blood hunt referendum is useful, if not something that comes into play too often. Deck of the Month An Auspex generous, Ventrue blocking deck. You have a mix of transient and permanent intercept, and a variety of combat options with guns, damage prevention, and combat ends. Pick your spots to bleed, block the actions that need blocking. Crypt: x1 Juan Cali x1 Elena Gutierrez x2 Ilyana Ravidovich x1 Alan Sovereign x1 Alan Sovereign (A) x1 Horatio Ballard x1 Queen Anne x1 Gracis Nostinus x1 Wilhelm Waldburg x2 Bindusara, Historian of the Kindred Library (80 cards): Masters (12): x1 The Barrens x1 Fortitude x2 Auspex x2 Uptown Hunting Ground x1 Minion Tap x1 Protracted Investment x4 Blood Doll Actions (19): x6 Govern the Unaligned x2 Scouting Mission x1 Soul Painting x3 Jack of Both Sides x1 Mr. Winthrop x1 Bowl of Convergence x2 .44 Magnum x1 Ivory Bow x1 Sniper Rifle x1 Assault Rifle Action Modifiers (12): x5 Bonding x3 Conditioning x3 Freak Drive x1 Daring the Dawn Reactions (25): x1 My Enemy's Enemy x1 Melange x2 Eagle's Sight x4 Enhanced Senses x2 Precognition x3 Spirit's Touch x5 Deflection x5 Forced Awakening x2 On the Qui Vive Combat (12): x4 Majesty x1 Staredown x2 Superior Mettle x2 Hidden Strength x3 Rolling with the Punches ---Luciano Mariucci, maclitron@yahoo.com