Preview art by Samuel Araya for an upcoming Vampire: The Eternal Struggle card.
Greetings fellow Methuselahs,
Look at that fantastic art above, by the lovely Samuel Araya. He blessed us with an interview in a 2020 newsletter, well worth a read if you missed it. Unless something strange happens, this piece will feature on a card in the Ravnos preconstructed deck scheduled for release later this year. Stay tuned for more previews!
RAFAEL BARBOSA IS THE 2023 BRAZIL CHAMPION!
Words from Kleber Bertazzo, VEKN national coordinator of Brazil:
On April 22th the Brazilian Championship took place in Fortaleza/CE, at store Dominaria. There were 44 players from different states (Federal District, Pernambuco, São Paulo, Paraíba and Ceará).
Conclave Editora and Black Chantry Productions provided prize support and 17 decks were raffled amoung the players that didn’t reach the finals. The finalists received as prize a value to spend at the store and Sabbat War rare cards, and the champion received a mug.
The five finalists after three rounds were:
1. Joab Rogerio Barbosa da Silva - 2 GW, 9 VP – “Winterfell Wolfs” Gangrel Anarch
2. Pedro Paulo - 2 GW, 8 VP – “Cybele & Cia” Baali
3. Bruno Hobbit - 2 GW, 8 VP – “ProctoSalubri” Salubri
4. Rafael Barbosa - 2 GW, 7 VP – “BR Deck” Banu Haqim
5. Sara Yonara - 2 GW, 7 VP – “Reins of the Stanislava!” Gangrel
At the end, Rafael Barbosa got 4 VP's, and Pedro Paulo got 1 VP. Congratulations!
His tournament winning deck:
Crypt (12)
2x Kasim Bayar 9 CEL OBF THA aus pot justicar Banu Haqim:6
2x Farah Sarroub 7 CEL THA aus obf prince Banu Haqim:6
2x Kassandra Tassaki 6 CEL THA obf prince Banu Haqim:6
2x Khadija Al-Kindi 6 CEL OBF THA primogen Banu Haqim:6
1x Kalinda 6 CEL OBF tha primogen Banu Haqim:6
2x Warmaksan 5 THA cel obf prince Banu Haqim:6
1x Nayarana 4 THA cel Banu Haqim:6
Library (90)
Master (22; 9 trifle)
6x Ashur Tablets
1x Fame
3x Haqim's Law: Retribution
1x Market Square
1x Parthenon, The
3x Priority Contract
1x Tension in the Ranks
1x Vessel
4x Villein
1x Wider View
Action (11)
1x Fleetness
8x Hunter's Mark
1x Magic of the Smith
1x Rutor's Hand
Equipment (4)
1x Blade of Enoch
1x Flamethrower
1x Joumlon's Axe
1x Kevlar Vest
Political Action (5)
5x Anathema
Retainer (1)
1x Mr. Winthrop
Action Modifier (1)
1x Zephyr
Action Modifier/Combat (5)
2x Resist Earth's Grasp
3x Swallowed by the Night
Combat (35)
2x Blood Rage
5x Blur
2x Flash
10x Hunger of Marduk
1x Psyche!
3x Pursuit
5x Quickness
5x Rego Motum
1x Sideslip
1x Soul Burn
Reaction (6)
1x On the Qui Vive
5x Second Tradition: Domain
The VEKN thanks Kleber, helpers, sponsors and all players!
The Judge license.
THE FIRST OFFICIAL VEKN JUDGES
From now on the Vampire: Elder Kindred Network keeps a list of accredited judges, found under the "Official VEKN Judges" headline in the left menu at www.VEKN.net.
Currently, these are the judges who have been accredited:
Vincent Ripoll
Hugh Angseesing
Ginés Quiñonero
Arnau Díez
Javier Naranjo
Darío Canto
Guillermo Mondragón
Javier Valdés
The listed judges have successfully passed the relevant examination and are official VTES judges for three years or until the release of a new rulebook, whichever comes first. Upon completion of this term, accreditation is automatically renewed provided the judge continues to judge and/or to play at VEKN-sanctioned tournament events at a regularity of no less than 60 days.
At present, the sole means of accreditation as a judge is through participation in one of the announced examinations. However, we are actively working towards expanding this system globally. The upcoming examination locations and dates are listed at the same web page. If you're interested in taking the judge examination, please contact Arnau Díez, coordinator of the Judge Program (and also the national coordinator of Spain).
DO YOU WANT TO HOST THE 2024 EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP?
The proposals should include the following information (fields marked with an asterisk (*) are required.), in addition to any other information that the organisers deem relevant:
*Country:
*City:
*Approximate dates:
*Scheduled off season (Y/N):
*Organizer(s):
*Head judge:
VENUE
*All inclusive location (room, hotel, food, refreshments) (Y/N):
*Accommodations close to venue (Y/N):
*Snacks and meals on-site (or within 5 minutes) (Y/N):
*Distance to major hubs:
*Distance to major city:
*Non-smoking venue (Y/N):
*Air-conditioned venue (Y/N):
*Enough area suited for mass registration (Y/N):
*Free WiFi available (Y/N):
*Microphone/loudspeaker announcements (sound system) (Y/N):
Video projection system (remaining time) (Y/N):
Opening hours:
Room(s)
*Enough room for 200 players (Y/N):
*Separate rooms for side events (Y/N):
Comfortable chairs (Y/N):
Table cloths (Y/N):
Round tables for 5 players (Y/N):
Are toilets close to reduce game delays? (Y/N):
ORGANIZATION
*On-site registration on multiple computers (number of players/30) (Y/N):
On time registration, breaks and events (Y/N):
Using armbands to indicate registration type (Y/N):
FAQ (handout at registration) (Y/N):
Lunch breaks (Y/N):
Two head organisers (side events/main tournament) (Y/N):
Organizers and judges properly identified (Y/N):
Assistants (non VTES players) (Y/N):
Documentation/archiving person (traceability) (Y/N):
Spouse info/events (Y/N):
Seating print-outs on multiple spots (Y/N):
Schedule
*Last Chance Qualifier:
*EC Day 1:
*EC Day 2:
*Side events:
COVERAGE
Live webcam as weekend documentation (Y/N):
Detailed final round(s) report (Y/N):
Final round video recording/streaming (Y/N):
Thanks for your application!
WHO IS THE BEST PLAYER EVER?
A little something from Lionel Panhaleux:
Thanks to Vincent Ripoll and Igor Breslin, we've been able to extract the historical list of top players from VEKN servers:
The complete list of players who were #1 in the world VEKN ranking
You might be interested to know that:
• There have been 41 different players ranked #1 in the VEKN ranking from 2004 to now
• The current record for highest score ever is held by Ruben Feldman (Switzerland) with 1944 points in December 2007, by winning the European Championship Day 1 two years in a row (2006, 2007), with a couple of big qualifiers prior, followed up by a crowning victory at Germany's national championship.
• 4 players have held the crown for more than 1 year (365 cumulated days): Orian Gissler (France)(518), Hugh Angseesing (GB)(504), Martin Weinmayer (Austria) (445) and Roberto Mautone Junior (Brazil) (381).
• Only 1 player has held the crown for more than 2 years (730 cumulated days): Danilo Torrisi (Italy), who has been #1 for 861 cumulated days.
• Without surprise, country-wise, Brazil held the crown longest (3 years 98 days), more surprisingly (maybe) followed by France (2 years 241 days) and Italy (Danilo Torrisi single-handedly bringing it third with his 2 years 131 days).
Related reading: The VTES Hall of Fame
Hello everyone! Our group is called The Night Raven Gaming Society of the Free Library of Philadelphia; “NRGS FLP”. We play each Tuesdays and our group has been growing slowly. Thanks to the starter decks generously provided by Karl Schafer, we were able to get off to a good start with a solid group of players. New players are Senusi L, Robert P, Joe Y, Ryan H and Jason S. Veteran players are Wil B, Andrew W, Martin W, Warren B and me.
My name is Bobby Edoo and I started playing VTES in 1995. My friend Wil Bishop, the Prince of Philadelphia, introduced me to the game and I loved it from the start. Many players that I met playing VTES have continued to stay in contact with me, even though we have not played as much as we would have liked. Throughout the years we have traveled to other places to play and we have even hosted events ourselves. In 2005 I became Prince of Bala Cywd, which is 15 minutes from my house, just outside of Philadelphia, at the game store called Alternate Universes and began running events after I contacted Oscar J Garza III, who was the VTES Organized Play Cooridinator at that time. I organized many events, including conventions like the Philadelphia Science Fiction Convention (Philcon) for several years. While I still host games at Philcon, I have not been able to gather enough players to organize any VTES events there lately.
The allure of the game came from the myriad amount of strategies you could play. The multi-player/interactive format of the game and the artistic cards are what gave the game its unique standing amongst the other card games. It is a testament of the enduring value of the game that VTES is still being played and lots of people that I talk to remember playing it fondly even if they don’t play currently. The players are always remembered because of the good times we had both winning and losing. Players like Jevon Green, Martin Watson, Andrew Welsh, Vincent Crisafulli, Wil Bishop, Patrick Lusk, Corey Seigel, Ben Peal, Peter Bakija, Joe Davidson and David Lapp are just a few of the people that made the game amazing to play.
My goal is to host weekly gaming on Tuesdays at the Free Library of Philadelphia 5 pm to 10 pm, also get (at least) back to what we were doing in the past which was monthly tournament gaming and appearances at conventions. Currently I run games at Historical Miniature Gaming Society (HMGS) conventions, which they have three a year. The next one is Historicon 2023 on July 19th-23rd, and then Fall In 2023 on November 3-5, both in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Then there´s also Philcon 2023 in Philadelphia on November 17-19. I am looking to try to run a tournament at each one of these events.
I want to share the game with new and veteran players in both fun game and tournament settings. This has always been a great game and it would be a shame that it did not get the highlight it deserved.
Do you also want to share your VTES playgroup's experience? Or write any other kind of article for this newsletter? Please contact the editor at
BLACK CHANTRY SUMMARY: APRIL 2023
• Another of those fancy full art promo cards was announced, this time Theo Bell for Andalusian Open 2023, played in Córdoba on June 3. Black Chantry wants as much feedback as possible on this new layout, so please put your thoughts in writing somewhere where it is seen.
• Echoes of Gehenna was announced the month before, but now we also know about Shadows of Berlin, another 54 card bundle with reprints of some very desirable cards. Both are available for preorder now; Echoes from Black Chanry Distributions, Shadows from you favorite local shop.
• The third round of playtesting of the next three preconstructed decks (Ravnos, Salubri and Tzimisce) is now ongoing. It is likely the last round needed. Thanks to all playtesters!
• The top sellers among Drivethrucards VTES Legacy Card Singles are currently Contagion, Unleash Hell´s Fury, Path of Evil Revelations, Cybele and Call the Great Beast - all Baali sweetness!
• There will be four New Blood decks for Banu Haqim, Brujah, Gangrel and Ministry later this year, hopefully early autumn. They will be in the same format as the previous Camarilla New Blood decks, so 55 card decks with a slightly different twist than the Fifth Edition ones, with mostly reprints but also some brand new cards.
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)
Echoes of Gehenna (Presale)
Shadows of Berlin (Presale)
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.
Art by Wolfskulljack Illustrations for Werewolf: The Apocalypse.
RECENT NEWS IN THE WORLD OF DARKNESS
When will you rage? Maybe you miss out on the upcoming Werewolf: The Apocalypse Fifth Edition RPG? The release date is August 31, but it´s up for preorder now, and Outstar ran a exciting preview of the first ten pages of the book in the latest World of Darkness News show. The new game is a "reimagening" of the original Werewolf: The Apocalypse, but from what we can tell there´s a lot of the familiar themes and badassery going on!
Also: Remember that Vampire: The Masquerade - Swansong enters Steam on May 25, well worth a try.
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 x5
Chile x3
Germany
Italy
Mexico
Online
Spain x6
UK x2
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
No pressure, no diamonds.
Preview art by Francisco Tébar for an upcoming Vampire: The Eternal Struggle card.
Greetings fellow Methuselahs,
THE VTES EC 2023 SITE IS UP - WITH REGISTRATION!
Welcome to Barcelona on October 13-15! Check out the official Vampire: The Eternal Struggle European Championship 2023 website, and please register as soon as you find possible. If you do so before July 15, you get the event exclusive playmat. The VEKN and all involved aim to make this the largest and best VTES event ever - hope to see you there!
MORE EUROPEAN GRAND PRIX 2023 DATES SET!
The Grand Prix coordinator Orian Gissler tells us the following dates are now set:
• Grand Prix Liverpool, UK: May 20 at Kimos.
• Grand Prix Brussels, Belgium: July 16 at Outpost.
• Grand Prix Essen, Germany: September 17 at White Rabbit.
For more information about this, keep an eye on:
• The Grand Prix Facebook page
• The VEKN Event announcement forum
• The VEKN European Grand Prix page
ARNAU DÍEZ SANS IS THE SPANISH CHAMPION 2023!
Words by Ginés Quiñonero:
On March 25th, 146 Methuselahs gathered to participate in the Spanish Championship of Vampire: The Eternal Struggle, which was held at the conference rooms of the Hilton Garden Inn hotel in the beautiful city of Seville.
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There were players from up to seven different nationalities (Spain, Portugal, Italy, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and Chile) as well as a wide range of ages, ranging from 12 years old and above.
Both new and old blood mixed in such a great contest within a magnificent atmosphere of camaraderie, respect, and savoir faire.
Streaming of some previous rounds is at Twitch: videos/1775091845 and videos/1775301643
Standings before the final:
Arnau Diez Sans: 3 GW’s and 13 VP’s
David Tomasetti: 3 GW’s and 12 P’s
David Fraile: 3 GW’s and 8 VP’s
Alejandro Rodríguez: 2 GW’s and 10 VP’s
Tomàs López Jiménez: 2 GW’s and 9 VP’s
Congratulations Arnau Díez, 2023 Spanish champion! Final standings and all finalist deck lists are available at bcncrisis. Streaming of the final round is at Twitch: videos/1775522766.
Arnau´s tournament winning deck: "Atraco" (“robbery” in English)
Crypt (12 cards, min=17 max=30 avg=6)
1x Abraham Mellon 8 AUS DOM OBF for tha Malkavian:6
1x Alexander Silverson 8 AUS DOM OBF pre prince Malkavian:6
1x Gilbert Duane 7 AUS DOM OBF baron Malkavian:6
1x Jason "Son" Newberry 7 AUS DOM OBF pre primogen Malkavian:6
1x Nathaniel Bordruff 7 DOM OBF POT ani Nosferatu:6
1x Andi Liu 6 DOM aus obf pre prince Malkavian:6
1x Darius Shirazi 6 AUS DOM obf Malkavian:5
1x Gelasia Fotiou 6 AUS DOM obf pre Malkavian:6
1x Colette 5 AUS OBF dom Malkavian:6
1x Evan Klein 5 OBF aus dom pre Malkavian:6
1x Sully 4 aus dom obf Malkavian:6
1x Ashley 3 dom obf Malkavian:6
Library (90 cards)
Master (14; 4 trifle)
1x Anarch Troublemaker
1x Barrens, The
1x Coven, The
3x Dreams of the Sphinx
1x Elder Library
1x Giant's Blood
1x Information Highway
1x Misdirection
1x Pentex(TM) Subversion
3x Wash
Event (1)
1x Bitter and Sweet Story, The
Action (17)
17x Govern the Unaligned
Action Modifier (39)
3x Bonding
4x Cloak the Gathering
7x Conditioning
4x Elder Impersonation
3x Faceless Night
2x Foreshadowing Destruction
5x Lost in Crowds
4x Seduction
7x Spying Mission
Action Modifier/Combat (6)
3x Hide the Mind
3x Swallowed by the Night
Reaction (13)
6x Deflection
2x Delaying Tactics
1x My Enemy's Enemy
3x On the Qui Vive
1x Telepathic Misdirection
Some players recreated the scene from the new illustration of Archon Investigation, the promo card commemorating the Spanish national championship that was given to each participant. Original art by Ginés Quinoñero.
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Many thanks to the organizers, who made this tournament a memorable event.
And also, many thanks to all the sponsors: sevillavtes.com/patrocinadores
THE FIRST OFFICIAL VEKN JUDGE TEST
During the Spanish championship weekend, on Sunday, March 26th, the test for judges of the Vampire: Elder Kindred Network organized by Arnau Díez, the national coordinator of Spain, and his small team, was taken at the Empire Games store in Seville. It gathered 24 players who wanted to test their knowledge of VTES and tournament rules, and that of card interactions.
Each player received a booklet of sheets with 100 multiple-choice test questions, which also included photocopies of all the cards mentioned in the questions for easy reference.
The required score to pass this test is 80 out of 100 points. After such an intense weekend, Arnau has finally graded all the tests, and five players have obtained their accreditation as VEKN Judges:
| Judge test results | Examinees | % |
| <50 | 1 | 4% |
| 50-59 | 2 | 8% |
| 60-69 | 9 | 38% |
| 70-79 | 7 | 29% |
| 80-86 | 5 | 21% |
Judge license.
Q & A WITH BLACK CHANTRY CEO HUGH ANGSEESING
Hugh was lucky enough to travel to the Spanish Nationals in Seville and received a few questions that deserve a write up for everyone:
Q: Will Black Chantry be printing randomised boosters for Vampire: The Eternal Struggle?
A: We have been asked this a lot since day 1, for various reasons: Some players like random boosters. Some shops (but not the majority I have talked to) like random sets to drive sales. Some formats (e.g., draft) work better with random sets. But no, we do not expect to print randomised boosters, but will continue to look at what works for the VTES playerbase and other stakeholders.
Q: Why is Echoes of Gehenna a direct product?
A: This set is a test to see if it is a better way to get older out-of-print cards to players, over print-on-demand, which has some limitations. As the cards relate to historical and/or potential plot points in the World of Darkness, they are not part of Fifth Edition, and that means they cannot be placed into our normal retail or distribution channels. The selection or makeup perhaps could have been better. For our New Bood Banu Haqim, Brujah, Gangrel and Ministry demo decks (coming soon!) we have added a few more volunteers to help us design a good mix.
Q: In Echoes of Gehenna, why 5 copies of vampires that rarely see play and most players already have? Wouldn't 2 copies of each suffice?
A: Possibly, but we've generally assumed more of the new cards would be useful.
Q: Shouldn't Fortschritt Library have been obvious reprint in Echoes of Gehenna?
A: This is a test to see if it is useful or a better way to get cards out to the community. We cannot fit everything in there.
Q: What should I do if an attendee at an event wants a receipt for tax purposes?
A: Black Chantry cannot offer tax or accountancy advice to you. However, if a player would like a receipt or some way to make their attendance official, we would recommend you look at what the requirements are in your jurisdiction (e.g., across much of Europe, it is relatively easy to from non-profit clubs and societies, which can receive funds from members -e.g., subscriptions or event costs.) Things to think about:
- Treat organisers, host venues and attendees with respect.
- Players should not be running events to make a profit. You should cover costs, but not profit.
- Shops, stores, restaurants, hotels and other venues organisers hire may, of course, want and need to make profit on hosting events.
For answers to more Vampire: The Eternal Struggle FAQ, check out the Black Chantry FAQ page.
WANT TO HELP AT UK GAMES EXPO?
Black Chantry Productions will be demoing VTES at UK Games Expo; the UK’s largest board game convention. The Team will be sharing space with our friends at Null Signal games, who continue to support Netrunner.
There is space for some volunteers on the team. If you’re interested in working half or one of the days Friday 2nd June - Sunday 4th June, please contact .
Words by Vincent Ripoll.
Welcome to our column dedicated to underrated cards you may not even know about, or that never make the cut into your deck. Today, let’s take a look at a card you can play with a (Scalpel) tongue in cheek.
Scalpel Tongue is originally a Toreador primogen power in Vampire: The Masquerade, but fortunately it can be used by a broader audience in VTES. The tournament winning deck archive has quite a few decks including it, but probably not as many as it should. Let me tell you why.
First of all, the card is really easy to include Discipline-wise. Of course, almost all Toreador and Brujah (and their antitribu counterparts) can play the card, but basic Celerity and Presence are widely spread out-of-clan Disciplines. And the card’s true beauty resides in the inferior level of the card rather than in its superior effect that just adds insult to injury.
Of course, one’s first thought would be to ask yourself the questions “Do I need to protect myself from political actions?” and “Is it better in that case than a Delaying Tactics?” or, if you like the spotlights of the stage, “Will it be enough to help me pass the referendums I call?”
If you don’t care about political actions, or if you don’t play those Disciplines, or if your swarm deck really fears that Ancilla Empowerment, you may want to either disregard this issue, or play safe with a Delaying Tactics.
But, if you want to expand your playstyle, read out:
Recently, we have seen a rise of tournament-winning decks based on Arishat’s ability that tend to show that forcing vampires to abstain can be an effective strategy to pass votes as it can easily negate between 2 and 4 votes (or the Prisci block) when played as an action modifier (much like a Bewitching Oration), and even more when played as a reaction since vote modifiers (such as Bewitching Oration, Awe, or Perfect Paragon) are always played by the acting vampire. But the true beauty of the card resides elsewhere: I am talking about the ability to instantaneously lock a vampire.
Usually, before you play your first copy, players will tend to toss all their votes blindly. Even if you don’t have an active part in the referendum (it may be a Kine Resources Contested that’s not specifically against you), you can play a Scalpel Tongue on the right vampire to:
• lock a would-be blocker or bouncer (or any vampire that would like to play reaction cards, such as Delaying Tactics), either during your turn or during another player’s turn. Oh, the fun to lock your prey’s vampire who is giving support to another player's political action!
• lock a vampire before they can act (Lutz is calling a vote? Sorry, Raphael de Corazon, you’ll have to wait until your next turn to do your Flurry of Action + vote trick)
Of course, this works better if you are stuck between two political decks. But if it’s not the case, then the voters are your allies, which is great too.
After you have played your first copy, you’ll notice that players will start to chicken out and to be reluctant to cast votes, making your referendums easier to pass, and the other players’ harder. Choices will have to be made (especially if you are playing Voter Captivation: do we want to cast votes to reduce the number of votes by which the referendum passes, and thus expose our vampires to a Scalpel Tongue, or not?)
The cool thing is that you can also play the card to improve your tap’n’bleed strategy, even if you are not playing votes yourself. The tables are full of cheap barons and princes these days. Chances are that you can play the card at some point for a surprise killing move.
So, keep your tongue sharp, and your opponents in doubt.
BLACK CHANTRY SUMMARY: MARCH 2023
• Like mentioned above, CEO Hugh Angeseesing and art director Ginés Quiñonero from Black Chantry had the pleasure to attend the Spanish championshop in Seville. Of course, this is one of the things they enjoy the most about running the company - it´s always fun to meet the nice and beautiful players of Vampire: The Eternal Struggle!
Ginés Quiñonero signing cards with his art.
• The 54 card Echoes of Gehenna set was revealed, ready to preorder exclusively from blackchantry.shop (why is explained by Hugh in the FAQ above).
• There will be another 54 card set called Shadows of Berlin - the details about that will be revealed really soon!
• The third, and likely last, round of playtesting of the next three preconstructed decks (Ravnos, Salubri and Tzimisce) is starting soon, but in the meantime some playtest groups have again received extra assigments related to possible errata of problematic cards. That help is invaluable!
• More cards are now available in the very important language Latin! This time it´s the New Blood decks: Malkavian, Nosferatu, Toreador, Tremere, Ventrue, and a big bundle with one of each deck.
• The Baali and Daughters of Cacophony added to Drivethrucards Legacy Card Singles are very popular. Top sellers at this moment are Siren's Lure, Unleash Hell's Fury, Contagion, Cybele and Hoitzil ... Hutzily ... that guy, you know who we mean!
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)
Echoes of Gehenna (Presale)
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
Some highlights from the last thirty days:
• Have you tried any recent Vampire: The Masquerade interactive fiction? “Sins of the Sires” by Natalia Theodoridou is nominated for a Nebula Award in Game Writing category, so that is probably an excellent place to start.
• The World of Darkness News show did a nice preview episode about the upcoming Vampire: The Masquerade Players Guide, highlighting Clan Bane variants, new Salubri character archetypes and much more. The PDF is out April 10!
• The Tremere update for Vampire: The Masquerade Bloodhunt is here, giving us a new archetype: The Tremere Scholar. Available now for free on PS5 and PC!
Subscribe to the World of Darkness News show for more news!
CALENDAR
Upcoming tournaments for the coming month (registered so far) are in:
Austria
Belgium
Brazil x6
Czech Republic
Chile x2
Croatia
Finland
France x4
Italy x2
Mexico
Online
Poland x2
Portugal
Spain x5
USA
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
Audio, video, disco. (I hear, I see, I learn.)
Art by Riccardo Fabiani for an upcoming Vampire: The Eternal Struggle card.
Greetings fellow Methuselahs,
WHAT COUNTRY HAS MOST VTES PLAYERS?
That question is, of course, hard to answer, as most Methuselahs enjoy the game around a kitchen table or at their friendly local game store. But we do have statistics over tournament players! The number below shows unique active players, which means those who have registered for at least one tournament in the last 18 months:
Some numbers might appear wrong, because all tournaments haven´t been reported yet. Please report your tournaments!
What conclusions can be drawn from these numbers? Well, the pandemic sure did disrupt this neverending game, but translations into Spanish, French and Brazilian Portuguese have helped some countries vitalize the tournament scene. The VEKN will, together with Black Chantry Productions, use these numbers (and others) to promote the game appropriatelly - both where it´s most popular and where it seems to be in decline. Do you have any ideas on how to help? Contact your VEKN National Coordinator or !
BAALI AND DAUGHTERS OF CACOPHONY NOW ON DRIVETHRUCARDS
Black Chantry keeps putting up old cards for print-on-demand on Drivethrucards.com. The latest addition to the $0.35 per card offer is 87 different cards for Baali, Daimoinon, Daughters of Cacophony and Melpominee, for example, favorites like Huitzilopochtli, Siren´s Lure, Contagion and Choir. You can pick and mix freely among the singles, but also choose bundle offers. Read the full announcement at Blackchantry.com!
150 PLAYERS REGISTERED FOR SPANISH NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS!
As you might know, the 2023 European Championship will be played in Barcelona, Spain in October 14-15. But there´s also a big Nationals in Seville on March 25, with the spectacular set of promo cards depicted above. The maximum number of players (150) has been reached, but there´s a waiting list to join if you desperately want to attend!
GREAT VTES CONTENT
• There is a new VTES podcast IN ENGLISH! In the first episode a highly original weenie Banu Haqim tournament winning deck is analysed – check it out at Youtube: Lies from the Tabletop
• Another new podcast (in Spanish) is El Libro de Noob (“The Book of Noob”), created by very dedicated Chilean players. You can find it on Spotify and surely other places.
• This is an interesting article found on Reddit posted a while ago that you might like. We would like to take the opportunity to remind you of the Reddit channel r/VTES, a nice place to discuss the game! - Top 12 Vampires in Tournament Winning Decks
• Toni, a player from Majorca, has created VTES Time Tracker, a nice tool for casual VTES play. It is currently available only for Android mobile devices, and in Spanish, but we explain how it works here so that you can have a try. The app helps to manage both the game time and the individual players' turns, and can help players become aware of the time they actually consume during games, and realise that time is, like pool counters, a precious resource that must be managed properly.
At the start of each game, you can define the time limit to be tracked and the number of players. The default time limit is 2 hours, and the default number of players is 5.
To pass the turn to another player, tap the icon of that player, and their remaining time will begin to decrease. You can pass the turn to any other player.
If a player is ousted from the game, you must tap their icon for about a second and a half and confirm the action in a pop-up window for security, as it cannot be undone. If the ousted player had any time left, it will be equally distributed among the remaining players.
A player is automatically ousted if they run out of time.
The timer can be paused during the game with the pause button, and both resumed and started by tapping the main timer. The game can be ended completely with the finish button.
Have you found any great VTES content anywhere recently, that you think deserve a shout out here? Please contact the editor at
Words by Vincent Ripoll.
Welcome to our new column dedicated to underrated cards you may not even know about, or that never make the cut into your deck. Today, I’d like to talk about a mysterious artifact from the past, the Blood Tears of Kephran!
I didn't dig too much into the lore, but it’s probably a reference to the pharaoh Khafre/Kephren, since the card was first published in the Ancient Hearts expansion. Anyway, when I started playing VTES, I found this card as I was looking for clanless, “unique” cards, because uniqueness was a clear indicator of their power level.
So, what does it do? It’s a unique equipment that allows the vampire to gain 2 blood anytime or prevent 2 damage in combat by sacrificing it. It’s plain, simple, and easily overlooked. But is it really worth the slot? Worth the equip action? Don’t your vampires have better things to do? And it’s unique!
First of all, the good thing is that you’ll probably never worry about contesting (well, until now, I’m sure everyone is going to include one in their decks after reading this article). I can remember only one game in 20 years where I saw the Blood Tears of Kephran played by someone else. Even if there is already one on the table (including yours!), it’s possible for its controller to instantaneously burn it to allow you to play one (it’s not like that terrible Dreams of the Sphinx).
It costs an action to equip, sure. But you’ll probably spend at least an action in a game hunting anyway. And equipping with the Blood Tears is very similar to hunting, since it’s at +1 stealth action and you can burn the equipment right away to gain 2 blood instead of one. The strength of the card is that you can also keep the equipment for later of course, for instance for that moment the vampire is empty and would have to hunt, making you miss your window of opportunity to oust your prey.
It costs a slot, right. But you’re probably packing defensive combat cards already. You make a risky move and get blocked by that Tzimisce folk? You have a failsafe against agg damage. A Banu Haqim sucks your vampire dry using Hunger of Marduk? It’s not that bad, you can regain 2 blood after combat or prevent that final additional strike intended to torporize or burn your empty vampire. You’re playing combat but couldn’t play Taste of Vitae to get blood back? Why not taste the blood of a pharaoh?
Winning a game is often a question of tempo, having the right card or resources at the right moment. One way to do this is to carefully prepare for your moment of glory, and Blood Tears of Kephran is a very useful card for this. If you want to bleed your prey for 6 with Govern the Unaligned + Conditioning, better do it late in the game when your prey is lower on pool and has less resources to defend themselves, rather than early in the game (which would probably get you dirty looks from your predator and the other players on the table). Use that early action to instead get you an Egyptian drink. It’s an innocuous action, your predator will love it (until you use it to pay that Govern + Conditioning later), and you will have your hands and mind freer for the rest of the game.
Obviously, the card doesn’t fit in all the decks. I tend to play it in decks where I have free actions (Shalmath, Nakhthorheb, or any deck with access to a free unlock such as Instantaneous Transformation, Forced March or a British Museum), but if you’re happy as a clam each time you get The Coven, you should probably consider including it.
So take your time, have a pint of fresh blood handy in your cooler ready, and enjoy!
PS: Of course, someone unknowingly played Blood Years of Kephran in their British Museum deck right after I wrote this article in our Paris' Cup tournament. Check the TWDA for the deck list ;)
The VEKN tries to spotlight not only big tournaments, but also demo games and other heroic activity. Some words from David Robins:
VTES has risen from torpor in the domain of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. On February 11, a Demo Day and Casual Play event took place at Game Universe in Brookfield, WI. Assisted by the Baron in Absentia of Madison Josh Whelan, Prince of Milwaukee David Robins presided over the event. Two brand new Fledglings demoed the game using V5 starters decks and enjoyed it. One went so far as to purchase Ministry and Gangrel decks for herself and her wife from Whelan's overstock. Two other Neonate players enjoyed a few casual games, while Josh and David explained the game to onlookers, offering to run them through demos when they seemed interested. Although several patrons were there at the store to play that other card game designed by Richard Garfield, only the two decided to take the opportunity to play a demo that day. Overall, the event went well. The store was pleased, the reception was good, and door was left open for future events.
Are you also interested in demoing VTES but need some help? Have a talk with your local game store or gaming event, and with your local Prince or National Coordinator, or with Black Chantry directly!
BLACK CHANTRY SUMMARY: FEBRUARY 2023
• In June, two new 54-card packs arrive from the print shop. “Shadows of Berlin” contains reprints of cards that so far have been exclusive in the Berlin Anthology set from 2017 (André the Manipulator, Anne-Marie Bourgeois, The Line, etc.) The other is called “Echoes of Gehenna” and contains reprints of Gehenna event cards – they are now a part of the “legacy line”, so this pack will only be sold through Black Chantry's own webshop. At the same time in June, another print run of Fall of London reaches stores.
• Ben, Mike and Ginés have prepared the third round of playtesting of the next preconstructed decks (Ravnos, Salubri and Tzimisce), ready to go out to the test groups as this is written. Most of the art is ready (for example Riccardo Fabiani's excellent piece at the top of this newsletter), so after this round is complete and the cards are tweaked a last time, the printing will begin, in English, French and Spanish.
• Additional sleeves stocks are on the way, including ones with Theo Bell and Faceless Night artwork, but these might take some time to arrive as they are being produced by Ultra Pro in China. Distributors will be updated when shipping dates are set.
• More Legacy Card Singles have been added to Drivethrucards (see above in this newsletter).
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.
Art by Mark Kelly for Blood Sigils.
RECENT NEWS IN THE WORLD OF DARKNESS
We mentioned some of these in last month's newsletter, but now there more details about things we look forward to:
• The Vampire: The Masquerade Player's Guide will be available on March 27 in PDF if you have preordered the physical book (which will be in stores in June).
• Blood Sigils will be a sourcebook about Blood Sorcery and Thin-blooded Alchemy, available in stores in early August (that too with a PDF for preorder buyers earlier).
• Renegade Game Studios are producing a new, updated version of the Vampire: The Masquerade Discipline & Blood Magic card deck. 212 cards sometime later this year, surely handy for your gaming table.
• If you missed getting hold of the 2020 version of Chicago by Night, you get a new chance as it gets a new print run from Renegade, available sometime in the third quarter. Like the earlier editions, this is a highly recommended setting book for Vampire: The Masquerade.
• The Hunters and the Hunted is an expansion of Vampire: The Masquerade Rivals expandable card game, also playable as a stand alone game. This time the factions are The Ministry, Caitiff and two different Hunter decks. Preorders are open.
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
Chile x3
Czech Republic
Denmark
Finland x2
France x2
Hungary
Italy
Mexico
Online
Spain x8
USA x4
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
“If you’re going through hell, keep going.”
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