Greetings fellow Methuselahs,
The Czech National Championship 2022 playmat. Art by Markéta Munduchová.48 players from four countries came to fight for the trophy of the Czech Nationals 2022 "Pulled Fang #11". The tournament was held on the 3rd of September in Sázava, Czech Republic.
1. Zsolt Cziráki 2 GW 8 VP
Ondrej was the first one to die after pressure of Zsolt with a little help of Gyula’s bounced bleeds. After that, Michal started to push with bleed, Gyula wasn’t able to defend and he died second. The situation didn’t look well for Vratislav, because three of his allies were stolen. Zsolt had a lot of pool but Michal´s handsize was 20 with Ossian, Carlton and grapple combat ready, so after some time he finished both of his opponents. Congratulations Michal!
Crypt (12)
4x Guillaume Giovanni 9 CEL DOM NEC POT obt Giovanni:4
2x Baldesar Rossellini 8 DOM POT aus for nec Giovanni:4
1x Almodo Giovanni 3 dom pot Giovanni:4
1x Don Michael Antonio Giovanni 7 DOM NEC POT 2 votes Giovanni:4
1x Keith Moody 3 DOM Tremere antitribu:4
1x Nunzio Giovanni 3 nec pot Giovanni:4
1x Primo Giovanni 4 dom nec pot Giovanni:4
1x Virginie, Prodigy 6 DOM POT obt bishop Lasombra:4
Library (90)
Master (21)
1x Barrens, The
1x Dummy Corporation
1x Giant's Blood
1x Haven Uncovered
2x Information Highway
1x KRCG News Radio
1x Life in the City
1x Metro Underground
1x Morgue Hunting Ground
3x Parthenon, The
1x Powerbase: Cape Verde
1x Powerbase: Chicago
1x Rumor Mill, Tabloid Newspaper, The
1x Therbold Realty
1x Vessel
1x Villein
1x WMRH Talk Radio
1x Wider View
Action (12)
1x Bum's Rush
2x Divine Sign
1x Far Mastery
4x Govern the Unaligned
1x Preternatural Strength
1x Scouting Mission
2x Sudario Refraction
Ally (4)
1x Carlton Van Wyk
2x Mylan Horseed
1x Ossian
Equipment (2)
1x Gran Madre di Dio, Italy
1x Palatial Estate
Action Modifier (7)
2x Bonding
1x Call of the Hungry Dead
3x Conditioning
1x Foreshadowing Destruction
Action Modifier/Reaction (2)
2x Spectral Divination
Combat (24)
1x Blur
2x Disarm
2x Glancing Blow
5x Immortal Grapple
5x Roundhouse
1x Street Cred
1x Target Vitals
4x Taste of Vitae
1x Thrown Sewer Lid
2x Torn Signpost
4x Deflection
2x Delaying Tactics
4x On the Qui Vive
4x Redirection
4x Wake with Evening's Freshness
Thanks to everyone who came, and see you on the 2nd of September 2023 at "Pulled Fang #12"!
- WHY IS CZECH ORGANIZED PLAY SO SUCCESSFUL?
Some words from Lukáš Simandl:
We just played this year's Czech Nationals (called Pulled Fang #11), and it was the biggest in history: 48 people! Not bad for a tournament somewhere in the woods in the middle of Europe. I'd like to share with you the three main things I think were behind this success (besides our Facebook page and Youtube channel, which we started a year before).
The first thing is location. Yes, even for Czechs it´s hard to find, but once you get there it´s hard to leave. A nice inn in the middle of the woods, where basically just the community gathers for the whole weekend, and you are not disturbed by the surrounding town or foreign guests. Plus, the option of staying overnight on site or nearby gives you the chance to enjoy a few games and associated beers, before and after the main tournament.
The second thing is our Discord. We launched that for a year or so after our Facebook page and I have to say that especially for the Czech community, it´s key now. It´s where games are announced for the different cities, card swapping, help for newbies, chat about anything and other good-natured activities. All this in a clear format and in Czech, which can be essential for many players.
Last, and perhaps most important, is something we call Road to Pulled Fang. It's basically an attempt at organized play with some meaning. The rules are very simple:
- Over the course of a year, there will be 5 Road to Pulled Fang tournaments in the country, 1-2 months apart.
- From the results of each tournament, a table is created (so it's basically a league), from which the top five players will play the finals the night before Nationals (Pulled Fang).
- The GWs and VPs from the top three tournaments of each player are counted in the table.
And that's basically it. At the beginning we thought about how to make the table as fair as possible and different combinations with ratings, but in the end, we found that basically all formats would come out the same, so if you want to start something similar, don't worry about it like we did.
I have to say that while we didn't have high expectations for such an experiment, we did manage to add something extra to the regular tournaments, and for example at the last Road to Pulled Fang tournament in Brno there was a lot of discussion about who had how many points and who still needed to play what compared to someone else. At the same time, we managed to pull a few players out of torpor, which was a nice bonus. Plus, it gives the community confidence that there will always be something going on and tournaments coming up throughout the year.
The icing on the cake was that an artist made us a picture for a playmat with the favorite clans of the organizers of each Road to Pulled Fang and Pulled Fang tournament, which was then given to all the participants of the main tournament.
We're continuing with Road to Pulled Fang this year and hope to break the mystical fifty player mark at Nationals (Pulled Fang #12) next September.
Crypt (12)
6x Shalmath 10 POT PRE TEM True Brujah:6
5x La Viuda Blanca 6 AUS NEC for obf Harbinger of Skulls:6
1x Anarch Convert 1 Caitiff:ANY
Library (90 cards)
Master (5; 2 trifle)
1x Archon Investigation
1x Fame
1x Perfectionist
2x Villein
Event (1)
1x Unmasking, The
Action (22)
4x Ambush
3x Big Game
4x Bum's Rush
3x Harass
8x Summon History
Ally (6)
5x Emerald Legionnaire
1x Ponticulus
Equipment (1)
1x Talbot's Chainsaw
Retainer (1)
1x Corpse Minion
Action Modifier (13)
10x Domain of Evernight
3x Enkil Cog
Combat (41)
6x Disarm
8x Majesty
19x Outside the Hourglass
8x Taste of Vitae
4. Alek Idzjak 1 GW 5,5 VP
Crypt (12)
4x Anson 8 aus dom CEL PRE Toreador:1
2x Marcellus 8 pro AUS CEL Toreador:2
1x Sarah Brando 3 CEL Brujah antitribu:2
3x Volker, The Puppet Prince 5 pot CEL Brujah:2
1x Constanza Vinti 8 CEL DOM POT Brujah:2
1x Donal O'Connor 8 CEL DOM POT Brujah:2
Library: 88
Master (34)
1x Erciyes Fragments, The
2x Fame
1x Giant's Blood
6x Haven Uncovered
1x Monster
2x Parthenon, The
9x Ashur Tablets
1x Powerbase: Montreal
1x Rack, The
1x Secure Haven
1x Tension in the Ranks
5x Villein
2x Wider View
1x Dark Influences
Event (1)
1x Dragonbound
Equipment (7)
7x .44 Magnum
Combat (36)
8x Infernal Pursuit
6x Psyche!
6x Pursuit
2x Sideslip
5x Taste of Vitae
2x Blur
7x Concealed Weapon
Reaction (10)
8x Second Tradition: Domain
2x Deflection
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We want to highlight these upcoming (hopefully) big tournaments – maybe time to book a trip?
Italy National Championship 2022 – October 15 in Bologna
More information
Grand Prix Benidorm, Spain – October 22, 2022
More information
Portugal National Championship 2022 – November 5 in Porto
More information
Germany National Championship 2022 – November 19 in Mainz
More information
BLACK CHANTRY SUMMARY: SEPTEMBER 2022
• All spoilers for The Fall of London are done and Hugh Angseesing is bogged down in administration of all the preorders. We now have a release date: 14th October. That means the tournament legality date for these new cards will be the 13th of November 2022.
• Don´t miss to run some storyline events for The Fall of London - rules are at www.blackchantry.com.
• Black Chantry is working on a number of new promo cards for various purposes - stay tuned for more news on that!
• Ginés Quiñonero´s main workload this month has been the Spanish translation of all the single cards currently available on Drivethrucards.
• BCP love Brazil! Product director and main designer Ben Peal is working on trying to get all the Brazilian playtesters into Discord. Also, round one of playtest of the Ravnos, Salubri and Tzimisce preconstructed decks is now over. Playtest coordinators are now assembling data from all test groups, so that a round two version of the cards can go out for testing as soon as possible.
- Currently these Black Chantry products are available through Drivethrucards.com and other stores:
Lost Kindred bundle
Keepers of Tradition Reprint Bundle 1
Keepers of Tradition Reprint Bundle 2
Heirs of the Blood Reprint Bundle 1
Heirs of the Blood Reprint Bundle 2
Den of Fiends Preconstructed Deck (Also Spanish, French)
Libertine Ball Preconstructed Deck (Also Spanish, French)
Pact with Nephandi Preconstructed Deck (Also Spanish, French)
Parliament of Shadows Preconstructed Deck (Also Spanish, French)
Anthology I bundle
VTES Card Creator (Drivethrucards only)
25th Anniversary
First Blood: Malkavian (Also Spanish, French)
First Blood: Nosferatu (Also Spanish, French)
First Blood: Toreador (Also Spanish, French)
First Blood: Tremere (Also Spanish, French)
First Blood: Ventrue (Also Spanish, French)
VTES Legacy Card Singles (Drivethrucards only)
Promo Pack 1 (Drivethrucards only)
Promo Pack 2 (Event promos only)
VTES "Parity Shift" playmat
VTES card sleeves
Vampire: The Eternal Struggle Fifth Edition (Stores only)
Vampire: The Eternal Struggle Fifth Edition Latin (Drivethrucards only)
Fifth Edition: Malkavian (Also Spanish, French)
Fifth Edition: Nosferatu (Also Spanish, French)
Fifth Edition: Toreador (Also Spanish, French)
Fifth Edition: Tremere (Also Spanish, French)
Fifth Edition: Ventrue (Also Spanish, French)
Promo Pack 3 (Event promos only)
Fifth Edition: Banu Haqim (Also Spanish, French)
Fifth Edition: Brujah (Also Spanish, French)
Fifth Edition: Gangrel (Also Spanish, French)
Fifth Edition: The Ministry (Also Spanish, French)
New Blood: Malkavian (Also Spanish, French)
New Blood: Nosferatu (Also Spanish, French)
New Blood: Toreador (Also Spanish, French)
New Blood: Tremere (Also Spanish, French)
New Blood: Ventrue (Also Spanish, French)
The Fall of London (Also Spanish, French)
Do you have opinions or questions for Black Chantry? Start a topic on the VEKN forum, or contact the company by e-mail, Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.
RECENT NEWS IN THE WORLD OF DARKNESS
This month´s highlights from the World of Darkness crew and licensees:
• Season 2 of New York by Night actual play show has started! Check it out at Twitch.tv/worldofdarkness
• The interactive novel Vampire: The Masquerade - Parliament of Knives has a new expansion called “What Stares Back”, adding the Malkavian and Lasombra clans.
• The Month of Darkness has begun! This year you get both #vamptober and #huntober, packed with various sweets for and/or by Vampire: The Masquerade and Hunter: The Reckoning fans. For the official calendar of content, check out www.worldofdarkness.com
Subscribe to the World of Darkness News show for more news!
CALENDAR
Upcoming tournaments for the coming month (registered so far) are in:
Australia x2
Brazil x7
Chile
Denmark
Finland x2
France x4
Ireland
Italy
Mexico
Poland
Portugal
Spain x7
Sweden
USA x2
For details about these events, see the VEKN Event Calendar.
Remember: Online tournaments are possible - just check the box "Online tournament" when you add the event to the calendar!
CONTACT V:EKN
You can contact the V:EKN Inner Circle members using contact forms at V:EKN.net. Also follow the official V:TES Facebook page Vampire: The Eternal Struggle and the official V:EKN Twitter account @VEKN_VTES
Silence is golden. Duct tape is silver.
Greetings fellow Methuselahs,
HÅVARD SKJEVLING IS THE 2022 NORWEGIAN CHAMPION!
A Special report by Jon Martin Fjeld:
Saturday 6th of August saw the rebirth of the Norwegian Nationals tournament. For the first time in 11 years the Norwegian (and some Swedish) Methuselahs gathered to establish dominance over this remote, cold domain.
The tournament was held at Tabletopbattle in the city of Moss, in southeastern Norway, and 22 players were ready to compete. Boosters and promo cards were handed out, and a local brewer even made a special-brew that was served at the event.
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After 3 nail-biting rounds, where the last table to finish was so exciting it had 15 spectators, the final seating was determined. 3 Norwegians and 2 Swedes… With everything at stake, could this get more tense?!
The seeding into the final looked like this:
Martin Svenneryd 1
Johnas Johansson 2
Ole Andreas Gresholt 3
Marius Ramstad 4
Håvard Skjevling 5
And with that, this is how the final seating ended up:
Martin Svenneryd was the first player, with his Followers of Set. Håvard Skjevling, the second player, with his version of the “8-ball madness” Malkavian deck. The third player, Johnas Johansson, played his Presence-deck with the legendary Jost Werner and friends. Marius Ramstad, the fourth player, made his own “Ventrue Stickmen” variant the night before the tournament. And finally, Ole Andreas Gresholt with his “Nanamalism” deck in the fifth slot, playing the same deck he used to win the first tournament he ever played. All in all, a group of experienced players and a nice spread of play-styles.
After only 1 hour and 20-or-so minutes, there were only 2 Methusalas remaining. Both Håvard Skjevling and Marius Ramstad had eliminated their preys, and were squaring off to determine who would be walking home with the trophy.
By using Revelations to regain the upper hand, Håvard managed to oust his prey and was declared the Norwegian national champion of 2022. Congratulations!!
(PS: how many V:TES card names can YOU spot in the text above?)
Håvard´s tournament winning deck: "Homunculi Network"
Crypt (13)
5x Rachel Brandywine 10 ani AUS DEM OBF PRO prince Malkavian:3
3x Philip van Vermeer IV 7 dom pro AUS DEM OBF Malkavian:2
2x Greger Anderssen 7 dom pro AUS OBF prince Malkavian:2
1x Quentin King III 7 obf pre AUS DEM prince Malkavian:3
1x Victoria 5 cel obf AUS Malkavian:2
1x Zöe 3 cel obf AUS Malkavian:2
Library (90)
Master (19)
1x Direct Intervention
2x Dreams of the Sphinx
1x Giant's Blood
1x Guardian Angel
4x Madness Network
1x Pentex(TM) Subversion
3x Perfectionist
1x Rack, The
1x Secure Haven
3x Villein
1x Wash
Event (1)
1x Uncoiling, The
Action (5)
1x Anima Gathering
1x Blessing of Chaos
1x Revelations
2x Shadow of the Beast
Ally (1)
1x Carlton Van Wyk
Equipment (3)
1x Bowl of Convergence
2x Camera Phone
Retainer (6)
5x Homunculus
1x Mr. Winthrop
Action Modifier (15)
2x Crocodile's Tongue
3x Elder Impersonation
1x Enkil Cog
3x Faceless Night
3x Lost in Crowds
3x Spying Mission
Action Modifier/Combat (5)
5x Swallowed by the Night
Combat (17)
3x Disengage
11x Earth Meld
3x Form of Mist
Reaction (18)
4x Eyes of Argus
2x On the Qui Vive
7x Second Tradition: Domain
5x Telepathic Misdirection
RICARDO MOLINA SOBREIRA IS THE 2022 BRAZILIAN CHAMPION!
20 players turned up for the Brazil national championship in Rio de Janeiro on July 30.
Standings before the final:
1. Desso Alastor 2 GW 8 VP
2. Ricardo Molina Sobreira 2 GW 7 VP
3. Junior 1 GW 6 VP
4. Jonathan da Silva Goudard 1 GW 5,5 VP
5. Itamar G. Jr. 1 GW 5 VP
Unfortunately we don’t have details on what decks were played or the seating.
Congratulations Ricardo Molina Sobreira (center above), victorious with 3 VP in the final. Desso and Jonathan had one each.
Ricardo´s tournament winning deck: “Tzimisce ludymilan“
Crypt (12)
3x Lady Vadislava 9 ANI AUS DOM VIC nec priscus Tzimisce:5
3x Xipe Totec 9 ANI AUS PRO VIC archbishop Tzimisce:5
3x Ludmijla Rakoczy 7 ANI AUS VIC bishop Tzimisce:5
3x America Johnson 4 AUS vic Tzimisce:5
Library (90)
Master (17; 2 trifle)
1x Direct Intervention
2x Dreams of the Sphinx
1x Carver's Meat Packing and Storage
1x Smiling Jack, the Anarch
1x Library Hunting Ground
1x Powerbase: Barranquilla
2x Powerbase: Montreal
1x Rack, The
1x Rötschreck
1x Tension in the Ranks
3x Villein
2x Vessel
Action (13)
1x Aranthebes, the Immortal
2x Army of Rats
4x Deep Song
3x Fiendish Tongue
3x Under Siege
Ally (3)
1x Carlton Van Wyk
2x Asanbonsam Ghoul
Equipment (1)
1x Bowl of Convergence
Action Modifier (4)
4x Changeling
Combat (28)
7x Aid from Bats
3x Breath of the Dragon
8x Carrion Crows
6x Chiropteran Marauder
4x Taste of Vitae
Reaction (24)
2x Enhanced Senses
6x Eyes of Argus
6x Read the Winds
3x Sense the Savage Way
7x Telepathic Misdirection
Some words from Ben Peal, Product Director of Black Chantry Productions:
Darby Keeney has stepped down as Playtest Coordinator for Vampire: The Eternal Struggle. For the past four years, Darby has helped guide us through our Sabbat pre-constructed decks, the Fifth Edition box set, the First Blood demo decks, the recent Anarch and Banu Haqim decks, the New Blood demo decks, and The Fall of London. The waters were tough to navigate at times - especially with Fifth Edition - but Darby handled them excellently. Many, many, many thanks, Darby!
Moving onward, we're taking a new approach by having multiple Playtest Coordinators, one for each language the game is currently printed in.[*] The goal is to lighten the workload on each coordinator and to encourage more communication and feedback by removing a possible language obstacle.
French language coordinator: Serge Cirri
Spanish language coordinator: Darío Canto
English language coordinator: Norman Brown
Portuguese language coordinator: TBD
[*] Ginés Quiñonero can be the Playtest Coordinator for Latin, if he likes. :)
If you're a native Portuguese speaker and would like to participate in our playtest program, as a playtest group or as the Playtest Coordinator for Portuguese, please email me at .
A lot of people ask me how I get the excellent tournament results that I usually get. And I always reply: “with a lot of work and dedication.”
This is usually not enough to satisfy the curiosity of the person who asks me, so I normally continue explaining that I prepare the tournament from all fronts, as a deck builder, as a VTES player and as a connoisseur of the cards and their interactions and of the game rules.
I think that anyone who wants to face a tournament with guarantees has to delve into these three facets of the game: deck builder, player and ruler.
I am not going to differentiate between how I approach a large tournament and a small one, because I understand that a small tournament, although it is easier to prepare, and even more so if it is an environment where you know the existing metagame, can be prepared in the same way as a big tournament, although in some aspects you oversize the previous work.
Previous study of the tournament. Number of participants and expected metagame.
The first thing I do is to see where the tournament will be held and the expected turnout it will have. A tournament of 20 people is not the same as a tournament of 200. And a tournament played in your usual environment is not the same as an international tournament.
Having made these distinctions, I usually start my journey to try to win the tournament.
For this, I start to study the expected metagame in said tournament.
If it's a local tournament, the metagame and the players are usually more defined and you have more knowledge of what to expect from the tournament.
You can anticipate what local players are going to play and to what extent, if you are a person who regularly follows the game in the area, either because you are interested in it or because you play actively.
If it is an international or very large tournament (National or Continental Championship, Grand Prix...), then you have to study which are currently the most played decks and the decks with the best tournament results.
Many times, and more so if the environment where you play is competitive with a large number of experienced players who want to win (and not just play to test decks), both metagames can coincide.
It is important to explain that there are tools that empower you to do this kind of study, from compendiums of winning decks such as the Tournament Winning Deck Archive (TWD), to WhatsApp groups, social media groups, in addition to knowledge of the game, the cards and/or decks that dominate the metagame.
The ability to make this forecast will lead you to have an approximate analysis of what you can expect in the tournament you are preparing, being fully aware that in this game and on the table you can find anything.
If you got it right, and you don't get a false positive, the next decision will be whether you play for the metagame or against the metagame.
My opinion is that a skillful and dominant player can play both ends of this decision.
You can play in favor of the metagame because you are a better player and, consequently, in an environment where the expectation is that there are dominant decks and/or strategies, you will play them better. Therefore, it is always an option to play in favor of the metagame.
If you are a better player, you can also play against the metagame, that is, play a deck that strategically dominates the expected decks in the metagame forecast you made.
If the forecast of the metagame is not clear, because the previous study has not been decisive or we have not been able to read it clearly, the choice of deck should always be either a very extreme deck or a very balanced one.
In the first case, we will want to play an extreme deck regardless of the environment: a deck that works autonomously and with as little interaction as possible with other decks, generally due to speed or its ability to "combo" (Khazaar's Diary, Emerald Legionnaires, Tupdogs, Girls will find…)
In the second case, we will want to look for a very balanced deck that allows us to face all facets of the game with certain guarantees and adapt to the table with resources to fight against any strategy (Grinder Ventrue antitribu, Tremere toolbox based on Magic of the Smith...)
Finally, there is an extra factor in international tournaments. If your level of English, or in general, your ability to communicate with players from different countries can be a handicap, you should play decks that allow you to play without having to get into big discussions, primarily disregarding political and/or high table-control decks.
The choice and construction of the deck, a phase prior to success. The deck builder.
When I have already determined the expected metagame or I assume that I cannot have a clear idea of what I am going to find, I choose the deck. In my case, I don't care if I play for or against the metagame, in both situations I'm comfortable.
Normally, and in my case, I put together four decks: a political, a wall, a combat, and a bleed deck. And, when I have them assembled, knowing what I have foreseen, or knowing that I have not been able to foresee, I pick one based on what I think will best suit the tournament, without forgetting that it has to be a deck with which I have a certain affinity, because playing a deck you don't feel comfortable with is always a worse option.
The deck builder facet is absolutely decisive in the functioning of the deck and in the development of your player facet during the tournament.
At this time more tournaments are lost than are normally won.
This is because people tend to build decks with a "certain" fantasy, without taking into account issues such as the speed of card cycling, the number of master cards, the amount of blood or blood pool that is spent, the consistency and the speed of your vampires coming into play… Many issues that are currently impossible to explain in a comprehensive way, but it is possible to point them out in a generic way.
Your deck is your tournament tool. The better your tool is, the better you can play, and for that purpose you have to have a series of clear rules:
1. Play only essential cards. Do not play good cards and obviously either bad or regular cards. When your deck only has essential cards, you always draw a card that you want to play.
2. When building your deck, look for similar decks to take ideas from and, if you like them and they are good, implement them (even so, you will see many small tournament decks whose construction is more than questionable. Learn to discern what is good and what is bad for your deck. We're only interested in must-have cards.)
3. Study the clan or discipline cards, know all the cards you can play and choose with all the information available.
4. If you know a good player of the archetype you are going to play, ask him, share the knowledge, soak up.
5. Test the deck in two ways:
a. Against the wall: Draw and play dummy hands, dummy situations, and watch it cycle. If the deck does not withstand this test, it must be rebuilt (master cards clogging your hand, lack of cycling to obtain resources, vampires are put in play too slowly...)
b. Play a couple of games with friends or your gaming group, try it out in a controlled environment, see how it performs in a “real” test.
6. Adapt the deck to the sort of the tournament you expect, adapt it to the metagame you expect, always without dirtying the deck (if you expect a lot of politics, you can include one more copy of Delaying Tactics or Direct Intervention in exchange for a prevention card, for example). The adaptation of the deck does not mean changing the structure or the game plan you have, you shall always include essential cards.
7. If you are going to include silver bullets to adapt it to the metagame, you should be aware that either you are going to look for cards via tutors (Magic of the Smith, Summon History...) or you are going to have to toss in cards that can be useful at any time and/or easily disposable without affecting your card cycling or your game strategy. Some of these cards can be Fear of Mekhet, Gran Madre de Dio, Italy, Scourge of the Enochians…)
For me, this is the most complicated facet of the game. People understand that my decks are good and they regularly borrow them from me, and I hand them to them without any problem. But you have to understand that all my decks have a lot of work behind them and a lot of micro decisions about how to build them and why I include copies of certain cards or why I don't include them.
In the last tournament (I got 3 game wins out of 3 with a new-crypt Gangrel deck). I spent two days considering if I needed to include 2 copies of Smiling Jack and 1 of Constant Revolution, 1 and 1, 2 and 0 and, after two days of work, I decided to change those cards for 1 more Bait and Switch, 1 more Direct Intervention and an additional Protection Rack. Those changes were a success and took me to the first place in the tournament.
And, although it appeared to be a meaningless decision, I thought about it a lot. I tested that several times and, in all situations, those cards seemed to be bad cards to me for what I intended. I understand that some people may disagree with me on this, but I simply refer to my results.
Generally, those are very thoughtful and well-worked decisions.
As I always say, my decks are public, but they don't usually come with an instruction manual, and deckbuilding is an extraordinarily complex and deep facet, beyond merely sheathing good cards for the deck.
The study of the rules and interactions of the chosen cards, cards that can give a clear advantage in the game. The ruler.
If you are not a person who usually plays combat and you have still decided to play combat, you should carefully study that facet of the game that may be more unknown to you. Does the press step come before or after Taste of Vitae? If both combatants have a card that determines range, how are the effects prioritized (Brick by Brick vs Terror Frenzy)?
It is important to be clear about the rules of the game, but it is also very important to review certain mechanics, especially if you are going to play around them.
Also, if you have conflicting cards that generate complicated interactions, it is good to review not only the rules regarding them, but also the clarifications that may have been given for them.
There are cards that are highly conflictive in this game, such as: Unleash Hell's Fury, Determine (and imbued cards in general), Direct Intervention... and if we are going to play them, it is important to be clear about how they are going to influence the table if our adversaries generate interactions with them.
In general, reviewing the rules of the game, the tournament rules and the specific rules of some cards, is something that I usually do before a tournament, with special attention to questions I have doubts or insecurities about.
This gives you depth in making decisions where these cards are going to be involved, depth that your opponents may not have and this gives you a two-fold advantage:
1. In the analysis of your move, when you decide to make it, because you know perfectly well the scope of the move with the interactions that you can foresee.
2. In the execution of the move, that you will always do it with greater precision.
In addition, not making mistakes in certain mechanics and interactions frees you from negative game factors by having made a bad or suboptimal move (which can even cost you your permanence at the table).
The day of the tournament. How to face it. The player.
Although it is a cliché, there are things that have to be done on the day of the tournament and that I always do, because they are extremely important:
1. Sleep well the day before.
2. Get up on time and do not be in a hurry or under stress. Have your deck list ready beforehand, have your deck, play mat and counters ready, as well as the money on hand... anything that makes it easier for you not to have to be under stress before the tournament.
3. TAKE A SHOWER.
4. Be on time for the tournament, have a good breakfast, but not a hearty one.
5. Do not make any excesses the day before, neither before nor during the tournament.
6. Be confident and with some adrenaline, the desire to play and win are important.
If you've got your metagame forecast right and built your deck properly, you will have a great place to start, but you still have to play the game.
These are some constants that I try to keep at a table whenever I play, and that have worked well for me:
1. At the tables you must not lose your temper, ever. You have to try to communicate effectively with the rest of the table, you don't have to protest continuously or talk systematically about the movie you saw yesterday or about the restaurant you went to last week, because when you want to say something interesting, people will pay little attention to you.
There are players who are greatly harmed because they do not stop talking, they comment on all the plays, they put discord in all the actions, their own or others. That makes people less willing to talk to them out of sheer saturation.
2. At the table you have to be firm with your decisions, which must be oriented to your style of play, and people must be clear that you are at the table developing your own game, whatever it may be.
Your game plan is set in stone. Your way of developing can be adapted to the table, if necessary. This becomes very complex to explain, but you have to be clear about what you want, and you have to play your deck in a certain way, although you can adapt to how you develop that game (which will always be the same).
As an example, and putting an extreme case, if you are going to play a deck with 8 First Tradition, you have to go out playing a First Tradition and then adapt your game development to the table, but not play the First Tradition when it is your only game plan and that makes you not develop any game and be ousted. Be firm in your game plan, adapt to its development.
3. You have to think through your moves, not only on your turn but on other people's turns, so that your turn is fluid and consistent, leaving little to the imagination or randomness. As I always say, there is a good move and all the others are worse.
If you give yourself time to think about your moves, because you are focused and you actively play the two hours of the game (and you don't disconnect when someone else is playing…), you’ll minimize bad moves a lot.
4. You have to establish a game plan in the first turns to gain access to victory at the table. You have to detect not only the player who is going to be your biggest rival at the table, but also the cards that can be played against you by your prey and/or predator, and also those that can be played cross-table.
This was typical when you played Sabbat against Camarilla many years ago and, you had an Inner Circle cross-table. You knew that sooner or later Protect Thine Own would affect you, and you had to anticipate that move, counter it and then dominate the game.
Anticipating those moves that can take you off the table is the key to having an effective response to them and being able to stay on the table.
5. You have to be patient and thoughtful, and you don't have to rush the play of key cards (such as, Direct intervention, Scourge of the Enochians, Fear of Mekhet, Club Illusion…), and you have to assume, as soon as possible, the fate of those cards (for example, if they cancel cards, what cards are going to have to be canceled, and if they are cards that will be relevant on the table, whether or not they should come into play or be discarded).
6. And, of course, don't make game mistakes, that's the basics. Although, with everything that’s been explained so far, you can probably minimize those mistakes.
If you finally manage to carry out all this, it is possible that you can play a great role in the tournament, but one thing must be clear: facing a tournament and wanting to win it has a great depth, and winning games is also extremely difficult.
The winner wins because he works hard and also plays well. If you are not one of them, I will give you the last piece of advice:
The problem is you. Games are not always lost by your rivals because they played badly, and games are not always won by them by chance or because their friends gave them to them. Be critical, review your game, your decks, your developments and adaptation to the games, your analysis of the environment, your concentration... and you will realize, if you are honest with yourself, that you have done something wrong. Improve it and start winning.
However, if you've done everything right... The only thing left is to win all the rounds and the final!!!
We thank Aldo for sharing his wisdom. Do you also want to contribute to the newsletter? Contact .
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Finally another artist interview! This time we had a talk with Mitch Mueller of Sydney, Australia, who have illustrated Vampire: The Eternal Struggle cards since Black Chantry took over production in 2018.
Hi Mitch! How are you doing today?
- Busier than ever. Due to the C-word pandemic more people are in need of illustrators. Last month was my first week off in two years. And our first baby is on its way and due in two months. A new part of my life begins and we are looking forward to it.
How about your background as an artist? Are you educated or self-taught?
- Like most, I guess, started from early age to doodle. But back in the day the Internet didn't have as much to offer in regards to tutorials for inspiration. Watching Dragonball and meeting Akira Toriyama kept me inspired throughout childhood but I never knew you could make money working as an illustrator. I didn't turn "professional" and pursue an actual career until 2014. I went to the Bali Illustration Workshop and that really changed my life. Obtaining first-hand advice from artists like Dave Rapoza and Kekai Kotaki helped create a different perception about the vast possibilities in this industry. After that, I spent 2 years sitting at my tablet late at night honing my skills after work before I even got a foot in the door. But once things got into motion, all the studying paid off.
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What artistic techniques do you prefer?
- It varys from illustration to illustration and client to client. I used to love pencil sketches and for any artist in their first years of learning this skill, pen and paper should be essential. I currently only use Photoshop for painting from scratch. I don't have time for sketches atm. But hopefully in due time I will get back to the traditional process. Usually I would start out with sketches and see what the client leans towards and refine it until we have a clear direction and go from there to flat colors and then rendering.
How do you work with models and photos?
- I only used photos as reference for poses and lighting. Your visual library can only hold that much. In earlier days, my ego would tell me reference is cheating but I know now that we need to refer to something in order to make it look realistic or according to the style.
We guess many who read this have seen your recent work for VTES. What else have you worked with? What of your art are you most proud of?
- I think the last two pieces I worked on for VTES came out really well. I´m not sure when the “The Fall of London” will be released but I am happy with that. I am usually happy with my work when the clients are and also when I see it being used in games. It's very satisfying. Probably Gods Unchained by Immutable, an online card game like Hearthstone, was a lot of fun to work on.
What other work do you have upcoming?
- Uhhhhh... there are lots of projects I keep working on. Bantam West, a wild west boardgame by Ike Brunicardi, is probably one of my favorites.
We thank Mitch Mueller for this chat. Check out more of his work at his Artstation page. If you like artist interviews, these are our previous ones:
- Riccardo Fabiani
- Noora Hirvonen
- Ken Meyer Jr
- Heather Kreiter
- Mark Kelly
- Javier Santos
- Samuel Araya
- Amy Wilkins
BLACK CHANTRY SUMMARY: AUGUST 2022
• The 54-card mini-expansion The Fall of London is being printed, expected to ship for stores in late September. Most cards have been previewed in various places, including Gaming with Brett S. There will be a storyline tournament format with rules that will be published soon.
• A first draft of the next preconstructed decks (Ravnos, Salubri and Tzimisce) have been sent to the playtesters (see Ben Peals message above).
• Other parts are moving on, with focus on new promos and other event support, planning/designing future sets, preparing more reprint cards for print-on-demand, updating the rulebook and new translations.
- Currently these Black Chantry products are available through Drivethrucards.com and other stores:
Lost Kindred bundle
Keepers of Tradition Reprint Bundle 1
Keepers of Tradition Reprint Bundle 2
Heirs of the Blood Reprint Bundle 1
Heirs of the Blood Reprint Bundle 2
Den of Fiends Preconstructed Deck (Also Spanish, French)
Libertine Ball Preconstructed Deck (Also Spanish, French)
Pact with Nephandi Preconstructed Deck (Also Spanish, French)
Parliament of Shadows Preconstructed Deck (Also Spanish, French)
Anthology I bundle
VTES Card Creator (Drivethrucards only)
25th Anniversary
First Blood: Malkavian (Also Spanish, French)
First Blood: Nosferatu (Also Spanish, French)
First Blood: Toreador (Also Spanish, French)
First Blood: Tremere (Also Spanish, French)
First Blood: Ventrue (Also Spanish, French)
VTES Legacy Card Singles (Drivethrucards only)
Promo Pack 1 (Drivethrucards only)
Promo Pack 2 (Event promos only)
VTES "Parity Shift" playmat
VTES card sleeves
Vampire: The Eternal Struggle Fifth Edition (Stores only)
Vampire: The Eternal Struggle Fifth Edition Latin (Drivethrucards only)
Fifth Edition: Malkavian (Also Spanish, French)
Fifth Edition: Nosferatu (Also Spanish, French)
Fifth Edition: Toreador (Also Spanish, French)
Fifth Edition: Tremere (Also Spanish, French)
Fifth Edition: Ventrue (Also Spanish, French)
Promo Pack 3 (Event promos only)
Fifth Edition: Banu Haqim (Also Spanish, French)
Fifth Edition: Brujah (Also Spanish, French)
Fifth Edition: Gangrel (Also Spanish, French)
Fifth Edition: The Ministry (Also Spanish, French)
New Blood: Malkavian (Also Spanish, French)
New Blood: Nosferatu (Also Spanish, French)
New Blood: Toreador (Also Spanish, French)
New Blood: Tremere (Also Spanish, French)
New Blood: Ventrue (Also Spanish, French)
The Fall of London (Also Spanish, French)
Do you have opinions or questions for Black Chantry? Start a topic on the VEKN forum, or contact the company by e-mail, Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.
RECENT NEWS IN THE WORLD OF DARKNESS
Jason Carl and the rest of the World of Darkness crew are doing something really cool and different with New York By Night, the Vampire: The Masquerade actual play show. We talked about its first season in the previous newsletter, and guess what - that season is already over! But fear not, season 2 is airing in September! The cool thing is that there´s a new cast for season 2, with clans Lasombra, Nosferatu, Toreador and Ventrue of the Camarilla sect. So with the first season characters being of the Anarch sect, this means we get to see two sides of the Eternal Struggle in New York. Exciting!
Subscribe to the World of Darkness News show for more news!
CALENDAR
Upcoming tournaments for the coming month (registered so far) are in:
Belgium
Brazil x6
Chile
Czech Republic
Finland
France
Hungary
Italy
Netherlands
Online
Poland x3
Spain x6
Sweden
United Kingdom
For details about these events, see the VEKN Event Calendar.
Remember: Online tournaments are possible - just check the box "Online tournament" when you add the event to the calendar!
CONTACT V:EKN
You can contact the V:EKN Inner Circle members using contact forms at V:EKN.net. Also follow the official V:TES Facebook page Vampire: The Eternal Struggle and the official V:EKN Twitter account @VEKN_VTES
He who cannot obey himself will be commanded.
Preview art by Christian Byrne from Fall of London, the
next expansion for Vampire: The Eternal Struggle.
Greetings fellow Methuselahs,
EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP 2022 SUMMARY
FINALLY, after three years of waiting, Helsinki was able to host the EC on July 28-31. The weather was lovely, the organisers excellent and the community of players behaved lovely the whole event. Pure delight!
Above you see the event special promo card awarded to all attendants, with art by Noora Hirvonen of Helsinki, both VTES artist and skilled player.
As usual, everything started out with a “Week of Nightmares” series of smaller tournaments – these were won by Jyri Puhakka, Tommi Hakomaa and Tero Aalto.
On Thursday there was a very nice welcome party at a downtown venue close to the Finnish parliament, with drinks, food, quiz, The Fall of London previews, Black Chantry CEO Hugh Angseesing Q & A and a spectacular, vampire-themed burlesque dance show.
Welcome party.
Welcome party dance show.
Hugh Angseesing, CEO of Black Chantry Productions.
Art by Noora Hirvonen.
Thanks to Marko Saari for most of the photos here. More can be found at vtes.orava.org.
The Friday “Last Chance Qualifier” tournament had 82 players. Nowadays this is not an actual qualifier for EC Day 1, but the five finalists qualify for EC Day 2. Standings after three preliminary rounds:
1. Kim Nilsson 2 GW 8 VP
2. Richard Stefan Utner 2 GW 8 VP
3. Otso Saariluoma 2 GW 7,5 VP
4. Andreas Stjernfelt 2 GW 7 VP
5. Emiliano Imeroni 2 GW 6 VP
Richard, Kim, Otso, Andreas and Emiliano.
Congratulations Otso Saariluma, who took 4 victory points in the final, Andreas took 1. You find the stream at vtes.orava.org, including a winner interview at the end. Yes, Otso also won the Day 2 tournament – he is a great player, and obviously was in top form this weekend.
Otso´s tournament winning deck:
Crypt (12)
3x Enkidu, The Noah 11 for ANI CEL OBF POT PRO Gangrel antitribu:4
3x Matasuntha 10 ANI AUS CEL FOR PRO Gangrel:5
1x Andre LeRoux 3 aus Toreador:5
1x New Blood 2 san Blood Brother:ANY
4x Anarch Convert 1 Caitiff:ANY
Library (90)
Master (27)
9x Ashur Tablets
1x Direct Intervention
2x Dreams of the Sphinx
1x Fame
1x Giant's Blood
1x Guardian Angel
1x Monster
2x Parthenon, The
1x Pentex(TM) Subversion
1x Powerbase: Montreal
5x Villein
1x Wash
1x Wider View
Event (1)
1x Dragonbound
Retainer (9)
1x Mr. Winthrop
8x Raven Spy
Action Modifier (5)
1x Enkil Cog
2x Forced March
2x Instantaneous Transformation
Combat (30)
1x Claws of the Dead
8x Diversion
4x Drawing Out the Beast
2x Earth Meld
2x Hell-for-Leather
2x Infernal Pursuit
2x Pack Alpha
2x Psyche!
1x Pursuit
6x Taste of Vitae
Reaction (18)
3x Cats' Guidance
4x Forced Awakening
4x On the Qui Vive
7x Sense the Savage Way
EC Day 1 had 99 players, which is a very nice turnout considering everything. The general feeling was that the average skill of players was high, even though the EC is an open tournament these days. Standings after three preliminary rounds:
1. Kari Hyll 2 GW 8,5 VP
2. Randal Rudstam 2 GW 8 VP
3. Bram Van Stappen 2 GW 7,5 VP
4. Kalle Blomgren 1 GW 8 VP
5. Antti Penttilä 1 GW 6,5 VP
Kalle, Randal, Kari, Bran and Antti.
Congratulations Antti Penttilä, winner with 4 victory points in the final (Kalle got 1). Watch the stream via vtes.orava.org.
Antti´s tournament winning deck: Khursidwall
Crypt (12)
3x Khurshid 8 AUS FOR NEC POT Harbinger of Skulls:6
2x Mordechai Ben-Nun 8 ANI AUS FOR NEC Harbinger of Skulls:5
2x Anu Diptinatpa 7 aus vic DOM NEC Nagaraja:6
5x Anarch Convert 1 Caitiff:ANY
Library (90)
Master (21)
3x Direct Intervention
1x Fragment of the Book of Nod
1x Haven Uncovered
6x Liquidation
5x Piper
4x Villein
1x Wider View
Event (3)
1x FBI Special Affairs Division
2x Unmasking, The
Action (6)
4x Gear Up
2x Soul Feasting
Ally (10)
10x Emerald Legionnaire
Retainer (2)
2x Vengeful Spirit
Action Modifier (2)
2x Trochomancy
Combat (19)
3x Aura Reading
6x Hidden Strength
2x Rolling with the Punches
6x Target Vitals
2x Taste of Vitae
Reaction (27)
3x Eluding the Arms of Morpheus
9x Eyes of Argus
5x Guardian Vigil
3x My Enemy's Enemy
7x Telepathic Misdirection
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The Grand Prix trophy and ring.
Later on Saturday, after the Day 1 final was over, the European Grand Prix final was played by these beautiful people, the five available GP players with the highest ranking:
1. Tommi Hakomaa: 30 points
2. Noora Hirvonen 28 points
3. Sebastian Fredenberg: 25 points
4. Magnus Söder: 23 points
5. Esa-Matti Smolander: 18 points
Tommi, Magnus, Noora, Esa-Matti and Sebastian.
Congratulations Sebastian Fredenberg, Grand Prix grand champion 2022! He got 1,5 VP in the final (streamable via vtes.orava.org), before it timed out.
Sebastian´s tournament winning deck:
Crypt (12)
1x Farah Sarroub 7 aus obf CEL THA prince Banu Haqim:6
2x Kassandra Tassaki 6 obf CEL THA prince Banu Haqim:6
1x Kalinda 6 tha CEL OBF primogen Banu Haqim:6
1x Khadija Al-Kindi 6 CEL OBF THA primogen Banu Haqim:6
2x Warmaksan 5 cel obf THA prince Banu Haqim:6
1x Asmin Kobane 5 dom obf tha CEL Banu Haqim:6
1x Greg Mazouni 4 cel obf tha Banu Haqim:6
1x Nayarana 4 cel THA Banu Haqim:6
1x Bijou 3 cel tha Banu Haqim:6
1x Alu 2 obf Banu Haqim:5
Library (90)
Master (19)
2x Alamut
4x Haqim's Law: Retribution
2x Khabar: Community, The
1x Market Square
4x Priority Contract
1x Underworld Hunting Ground
5x Villein
Event (1)
1x Narrow Minds
Action (14)
1x Aranthebes, The Immortal
7x Haqim's Law: Leadership
1x Third Tradition: Progeny
5x Web of Knives Recruit
Equipment (1)
1x Ivory Bow
Action Modifier/Combat (11)
3x Resist Earth's Grasp
8x Swallowed by the Night
Combat (35)
3x Blur
3x Flash
6x Hunger of Marduk
4x Psyche!
4x Pursuit
3x Quickness
4x Taste of Vitae
8x Weighted Walking Stick
Reaction (9)
2x Delaying Tactics
7x Second Tradition: Domain
On Sunday two tournaments were played, EC Day 2 and “The best of the rest”. For EC Day 2 the top 40 players from EC Day 1 were qualified, together with the 5 finalists from Friday´s LCQ and the winners of each European Grand Prix tournament this season.
The Best of the rest tournament that was played at the same time as EC Day 2 had 41 players. The top five after three rounds were:
1. Filippo Mengoli 3 GW 9,5 VP
2. Erik Wallgren 2 GW 8 VP
3. Niko Vanhatalo 2 GW 8 VP
4. Zsolt Cziráki 1 GW 6 VP
5. Lasse Pöyry 1 GW 6 VP
Niko, Lasse, Zsolt, Filippo and Erik.
Congratulations Zsolt Cziráki, coming out on top with 2 VP after an unusually violent final with a heads-up against Lasse´s Samedi, who also had 2 VP but lower seed. Filippo got 1 VP. This final was not streamed.
Zsolt´s tournament winning deck: Alab+baron v2
Crypt (12)
4x Alabastrom 7 aus cel for POT VIS Gargoyle:6
4x Handsome Dan 5 aus cel for pot vis Gargoyle:6
4x Leumeah 6 cel for pot PRE Brujah:6
Library: 90
Master (16)
1x Fame
1x Flames of Insurrection
1x Anarch Railroad
1x Garibaldi-Meucci Museum
1x Giant's Blood
1x Rack, The
1x Smiling Jack, The Anarch
5x Vessel
1x Carfax Abbey
1x Club Illusion
2x Dreams of the Sphinx
Action (10)
1x Fee Stake: Boston
1x Fee Stake: Los Angeles
1x Heroic Might
2x Armor of Terra
1x Open War
2x Preternatural Strength
2x Line Brawl
Retainer (1)
1x Razor Bat
Equipment (2)
1x Heart of Nizchetus
1x Sniper Rifle
Action Modifier (8)
2x Forced March
2x Monkey Wrench
2x As the Crow
2x Skin of the Chameleon
Combat (23)
2x Lam Into
3x Raking Talons
2x Roll
3x Taste of Vitae
2x Bond with the Mountain
8x Diversion
3x Dust Up
Reaction (30)
6x Guardian Vigil
4x On the Qui Vive
8x Bait and Switch
10x Organized Resistance
2x Delaying Tactics
EC Day 2 is thereby the very best players battling for the most prestigious title of the year. After three preliminary rounds the standings were:
1. Otso Saariluoma 2 GW 7 VP
2. Antti Penttilä 2 GW 6,5 VP
3. Esa-Matti Smolander 2 GW 5,5 VP
4. Matias Frosterus 1 GW 6 VP
5. Héctor Javier Ordóñez 1 GW 5,5 VP
Héctor, Otso, Matias, Esa-Matti and Antti.
Congratulations Otso Saariluoma, for the third time European champion! Stream the game, and read the winner interview below.
Otso’s champion deck: Finnish Politics
Crypt (12)
1x Enkidu, The Noah 11 for ANI CEL OBF POT PRO Gangrel antitribu:4
2x Nangila Were 9 obf ser ANI POT PRE Guruhi:4
1x Black Annis 9 ani pro OBF POT Nosferatu antitribu:4
3x Nana Buruku 8 ANI POT PRE Guruhi:4
1x Andre LeRoux 3 aus Toreador:5
4x Anarch Convert 1 Caitiff:ANY
Library (65)
Master (25)
4x Anarch Revolt
1x Archon Investigation
6x Ashur Tablets
1x Dreams of the Sphinx
1x Fame
1x Giant's Blood
1x Information Highway
1x Mbare Market, Harare
1x Pentex(TM) Subversion
1x Powerbase: Luanda
1x Powerbase: Montreal
5x Villein
1x Wider View
Event (1)
1x Dragonbound
Action (5)
3x Deep Song
1x Entrancement
1x Well-Marked
Combat (28)
1x Canine Horde
5x Carrion Crows
1x Glancing Blow
6x Immortal Grapple
3x Roundhouse
1x Slam
1x Stunt Cycle
4x Taste of Vitae
2x Thrown Sewer Lid
4x Torn Signpost
Reaction (6)
1x Cats' Guidance
1x Delaying Tactics
2x On the Qui Vive
2x Sense the Savage Way
This was one of the most well organised big VTES events ever - there were barely any delays or other mishaps during the weekend, which was important, because the schedule was tight. The VEKN wants to thank the organisers, judges and all their helpers for their efforts, as well as the sponsors and, of course, the players - hope to see everyone again next year in Barcelona!
INTERVIEW OF THE MONTH: OTSO SAARILUOMA, EUROPEAN CHAMPION 2022
Congratulations Otso! As many might know you won the last EC (2019) too, with a very similar deck (see deck list above). Is it in fact the exact same deck? And why did you go with it again this time?
- I have played basically the same deck on Day 2 of EC in 2018 and 2019 and it has overperformed both times, netting one spot in the finals and one win. I also enjoy playing the deck as it gives a lot of options for the player and it fits well in the grindy meta of EC Day 2. I think I decided quite early on not to change the winning team, maybe even in 2020. Once the Guruhi get their asses handed to them they get to retire.
I made some small adjustments from 2019, mainly removing one Pentex Subversion due to the new wording of the card and making room for the newly released Roundhouses. I also did cut Mr. Winthrop, which rarely saw play. I considered dropping Glancing Blow, which has really never been super useful, but left it in as a silver bullet anticipating some aggro poke from Protean barons, but I didn’t need it this time either and the card should probably go.
How were your preliminary rounds on Day 2? Any particular problematic tables, or just smooth sailing?
- I can’t say that any of the games were smooth sailing: First round I lost the heads-up to Antti’s fully setup Emerald Legionnaires and got 1 VP from the round. Second round I made a table-split deal with Kamel’s Animalism barons as my predator for GW and 3 VPs. Third round I had already mentally resigned to get 0 VPs, but I did get my Animalism prey to 1 pool, at which point he self-ousted as his prey refused to give him 0,5 VPs had he stayed on the table, and with the luck of the draw I managed to win the heads-up against Sebastian’s Banu Haqim, getting GW and 3 VPs.
About the final, what were your thoughts for the seating? (See table layout in the EC summary above.)
- I ended up being the top seed with my 2 GW 7 VPs. Preparing to choose my seat, I was most of all concerned of Antti’s Legionnaires as I felt I couldn’t handle them should the game go long. My plan was to try to oust Antti or cripple the deck early on. I would have preferred to be Antti’s predator, because ousting people other than your prey is really risky business, especially in the finals. But as Antti chose to be hunted by Matias’ Kiasyd I felt I couldn’t sit between them. I might be able to shut down Antti and prevent the Kiasyd from ousting me, but then Matias’ predator Esku (Esa-Matti, editors note) would probably steamroll over both Matias and me.
So I ended up sitting between Hector and Esku. I didn’t know the aggressive nature of Hector’s deck and anticipated the more common Gangrel barons wall. I was also hopeful that I would be able to oust Esku as he was playing titled high-cap vampires without any hitback, which is pretty much perfect for me. Sitting down I was pretty happy with my spot and thought the most likely way of me winning would be with 1,5 VPs.
How were you feeling about how the game evolved?
- My initial crypt was horrendous – three copies of Nana Buruku and one Anarch Convert. The next vampires were another Anarch Convert and Andre Leroux. The first vampire with built-in rush was Enkidu as crypt card number seven and he came out with 30 minutes left on the clock. I couldn’t really play my normal game, but chose to try to cripple the Legionnaires early on nevertheless with a cross-table rush.
I was still hopeful I might be able to oust Esku at some point as his crypt draw was almost as bad as mine. However, when he got the first Villein and a bit later a Secure Haven on Stanislava, I knew I couldn’t oust him anymore. At that point it was only about surviving and trying to help players stay in the game. It’s a boring way to win, but it was the only path available to me at that point. I did have a game plan to win throughout the game, but had to adjust as the game progressed.
I was pretty sure I had won the game when I survived the lunge turn by Hector thanks to Antti’s interference. My next turn I got to pull back out of ousting range with Villein and also drew my Delaying Tactics for an additional safety measure and meanwhile Hector still had just enough pool and blockers to withstand Antti’s lunge.
What are your thoughts on the future of VTES tournament play? For example, many have ideas about changing MMPA and/or Emerald Legionnaires, both maybe a bit too dominant – how do you feel about that?
- It seemed to me that the newest batch of V5 starters are rather strong. During the weekend we got to see all kinds of Anarch and Banu Haqim decks performing quite well. I believe we will see lots of them in the tournaments and the racking up tournament wins also.
As for the old boogeyman decks you mention, I think that Emerald Legionnaires are prevalent enough to have already shifted the meta toward playing more pool damage per minion-votes as well as .44 Magnums. The “Girls Will Find” decks are harder to tech against as the archetype is still really robust. The strength of these decks relies on the absence of decent counters to ash heap strategies. I probably wouldn’t mind seeing something that would create a bit more of a battle over ash heaps as a resource as long as it’s somehow dynamic in nature and creates more interplay. Maybe a master that you need to defend until your unlock phase to get to remove cards from an ash heap and gain some benefit?
But I have to say that I don’t think these decks are necessarily too strong or prevalent for my enjoyment of the game even as is. I think that in this game there will always be decks that require coordination from the other players to prevent them from steamrolling the table, be it Ravnos Clown Car, Legacy of Pander or Madness Network+Reversal of Fortunes decks.
Thanks for the interview Otso, and once again congratulations. Winning with that horrible crypt draw is a really strong achievement!
EC 2023 WILL BE IN BARCELONA, SPAIN
The VEKN are happy to inform you that next year´s European Championship will be held in beautiful Barcelona, Spain! We have to return to you about the exact date, but it will be some time during the autumn, possibly October or November. So we avoid the worst heat and heaviest tourism season. Hope to see you there!
David, Lasse, Sebastian, Tommi and Esa-Matti.
SEBASTIAN FREDENBERG WINS GRAND PRIX MALMÖ!
39 Methuselahs turned up for the last installment in the looong 2019-2022 European Grand Prix circuit. The location was sunny Malmö in southern Sweden, at a big game event called Malmö Game Week which also hosted some huge Magic: The Gathering tournaments.
Standings after three preliminaries:
1. Lasse Agaard 2 GW 8 VP
2. Sebastian Fredenberg 2 GW 7 VP
3. David Luhaæær 2 GW 7 VP
4. Esa-Matti Smolander 2 GW 7 VP
5. Tommi Hakomaa 2 GW 7 VP
Congratulations Sebastian Fredenberg, raking in 4 VP in the final with a rather original deck (Esa-Matti got 1 VP). Are Assamites/Banu Haqim finally a solid winning clan? :)
Sebastians tournament winning deck: “Haqim's Lawmen”
Comment: “Bring out vampires, bloat and put knifes into training to begin with. Then start bleeding once there are 1-2 Haqim Law: Retribution and 4+ vampires out. Don't focus too much on combat, the cards are there to bleed with too. Khabar Commuity is expensive but should be used when there are several vampires that can bleed for a lot each to oust.”
Crypt (12)
2 Kassandra Tassaki
2 Warmaksan
1 Farah Sarroub
1 Kalinda (G6)
1 Khadija Al-Kindi
1 Asmin Kobane
1 Greg Mazouni
1 Nayarana
1 Bijou
1 Alu
Library (84)
Master (18)
5 Villein
4 Haqim's Law: Retribution
3 Priority Contract
2 Alamut
2 Khabar: Community, The
1 Market Square
1 Underworld Hunting Ground
Event (1)
1 Narrow Minds
Action (18)
7 Haqim's Law: Leadership
5 Web of Knives Recruit
3 Hunter's Mark
1 Aranthebes, The Immortal
1 Khabar: Glory
1 Third Tradition: Progeny
9 Action Modifier/Combat
6 Swallowed by the Night
3 Resist Earth's Grasp
Combat (29)
7 Weighted Walking Stick
7 Hunger of Marduk
3 Blur
3 Psyche!
3 Pursuit
2 Fast Hands
2 Flash
2 Quickness
Reaction (9)
7 Second Tradition: Domain
2 Delaying Tactics
Thanks to the organisers Henrik Roos, Samir Arabi-Eter and Marcus Andreasson, other helpers, sponsors Ultra Pro and Black Chantry, and of course the players!
BRAM VAN STAPPEN IS THE 2022 BELGIAN CHAMPION!
This was a 33 player event in Brussels on July 10. Head organiser Emiliano Imeroni wrote a report at the VEKN.net forum, check out that for more details!
Standings before the final:
1. Bram Van Stappen 3 GW 10 VP
2. Axel Huet 3 GW 9 VP
3. Vincent Ripoll 2 GW 7 VP
4. Serge Cirri 2 GW 6.5 VP
5. Marius Iscru 2 GW 5.5 VP
Congratulations Bram Van Stappen, now approaching 15 tournament wins, not counting online results. For some of his thoughts, check out this interview from last year, made after he won the Atlantic Cup with a somewhat similar deck.
Crypt (12)
1x Anarch Convert 1 -none- Caitiff:ANY
1x Homa 6 AUS CEL POT Osebo:4
1x Idrissa 4 aus CEL Osebo:4
3x Massassi 9 obf AUS CEL POT QUI Osebo:4
1x Neighbor John 5 dom for AUS Ventrue antitribu:4
2x Bakr 8 dem pro CEL OBF QUI Assamite:5
1x Titi Camara 5 pot AUS CEL Osebo:5
1x Guggenheim 6 AUS CEL PRE Toreador antitribu:5
1x Dominique Santo Paulo 6 pot pre AUS CEL Toreador antitribu:4
Library: 90
Master (17)
1x Erciyes Fragments, The
1x Giant's Blood
1x Haven Uncovered
6x Ashur Tablets
1x Powerbase: Luanda
1x Powerbase: Montreal
5x Villein
1x Wider View
Equipment (8)
7x .44 Magnum
1x Bowl of Convergence
Event (1)
1x Dragonbound
Combat (35)
5x Infernal Pursuit
5x Psyche!
6x Pursuit
1x Side Strike
2x Sideslip
5x Taste of Vitae
4x Blur
7x Concealed Weapon
Reaction (29)
1x Enhanced Senses
8x Eyes of Argus
3x My Enemy's Enemy
5x On the Qui Vive
2x Quicken Sight
7x Telepathic Misdirection
3x Eagle's Sight
BLACK CHANTRY SUMMARY: JULY 2022
• The Fall of London 54-card expansion is at the printer, but some last minute changes mean there is a slight delay. There´s a product page and the preview season is ongoing. Below you see a new Gangrel with art by Christian Byrne. As soon as there´s a shipping date a release date will be set.
• Ginés, Henrik, Hugh and Vincent were present at the EC in Helsinki. Hugh acted as judge at some of the tournaments, and the four were able to have one of those very rare physical company meetings. The wonderful VTES players had a lot of questions (some could be answered!) and opinions that will be taken into account for the future of VTES. A great weekend!
• One current concern is the absence of a playtest coordinator, as Darby Keeney has stepped down after many years of splendid duty. Several candidates have been spoken to, and hopefully one or more of them will meet the requirements and be able to commence work immediately. First, that would be the first round of testing for the next preconstructed decks, and also some testing of an exciting rule change and the nerf of a problematic card.
• Both the German and the Italian translation of the Fifth Edition box contents are completed. Now there´s the question about exactly how and when to publish these.
- Currently these Black Chantry products are available through Drivethrucards.com and other stores:
Lost Kindred bundle
Keepers of Tradition Reprint Bundle 1
Keepers of Tradition Reprint Bundle 2
Heirs of the Blood Reprint Bundle 1
Heirs of the Blood Reprint Bundle 2
Den of Fiends Preconstructed Deck (Also Spanish, French)
Libertine Ball Preconstructed Deck (Also Spanish, French)
Pact with Nephandi Preconstructed Deck (Also Spanish, French)
Parliament of Shadows Preconstructed Deck (Also Spanish, French)
Anthology I bundle
VTES Card Creator (Drivethrucards only)
25th Anniversary
First Blood: Malkavian (Also Spanish, French)
First Blood: Nosferatu (Also Spanish, French)
First Blood: Toreador (Also Spanish, French)
First Blood: Tremere (Also Spanish, French)
First Blood: Ventrue (Also Spanish, French)
VTES Legacy Card Singles (Drivethrucards only)
Promo Pack 1 (Drivethrucards only)
Promo Pack 2 (Event promos only)
VTES "Parity Shift" playmat
VTES card sleeves
Vampire: The Eternal Struggle Fifth Edition (Stores only)
Vampire: The Eternal Struggle Fifth Edition Latin (Drivethrucards only)
Fifth Edition: Malkavian (Also Spanish, French)
Fifth Edition: Nosferatu (Also Spanish, French)
Fifth Edition: Toreador (Also Spanish, French)
Fifth Edition: Tremere (Also Spanish, French)
Fifth Edition: Ventrue (Also Spanish, French)
Promo Pack 3 (Event promos only)
Fifth Edition: Banu Haqim (Also Spanish, French)
Fifth Edition: Brujah (Also Spanish, French)
Fifth Edition: Gangrel (Also Spanish, French)
Fifth Edition: The Ministry (Also Spanish, French)
New Blood: Malkavian (Also Spanish, French)
New Blood: Nosferatu (Also Spanish, French)
New Blood: Toreador (Also Spanish, French)
New Blood: Tremere (Also Spanish, French)
New Blood: Ventrue (Also Spanish, French)
The Fall of London (Also Spanish, French)
Do you have opinions or questions for Black Chantry? Start a topic on the VEKN forum, or contact the company by e-mail, Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.
RECENT NEWS IN THE WORLD OF DARKNESS
There´s a brand new Vampire: The Masquerade actual play show! After a long run of "LA by Night", Jason Carl now storytells "New York by Night" with characters of the Gangrel, Ravnos, Tzimisce and Ventrue clans. Well worth a look, and also don´t miss the "Club Auspex" follow-up talk show.
Subscribe to the World of Darkness News show for more news!
CALENDAR
Upcoming tournaments for the coming month (registered so far) are in:
Brazil x8
Czech Republic
Chile
Germany
Italy
Mexico
New Zealand
Norway
Poland
Portugal
Spain x6
Sweden
United Kingdom
USA x5
For details about these events, see the VEKN Event Calendar.
Remember: Online tournaments are possible - just check the box "Online tournament" when you add the event to the calendar!
CONTACT V:EKN
You can contact the V:EKN Inner Circle members using contact forms at V:EKN.net. Also follow the official V:TES Facebook page Vampire: The Eternal Struggle and the official V:EKN Twitter account @VEKN_VTES
That mountain you've been carrying, you were only suppose to climb.
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