Vampire: The Eternal Struggle Fifth Editon art by Samuel Araya.

Greetings fellow Methuselahs

BLACK CHANTRY FAQ, APRIL 2020

We are getting closer to the launch of Vampire: The Eternal Struggle Fifth Edition, so why not ask the makers some questions?

You have been rewording cards to the modern template. What is the most problematic thing with rewording old cards?
Vincent Ripoll, rules director: I would say that it is clarifying the card texts without breaking how they are supposed to work. VTES has mostly been built on layers of lax rules and numerous rulings, and I try to balance it the other way by moving the rulings to the cards and unifying some game patterns. For instance, most timings are pretty obscure in VTES and create complex interactions. Being able to play Obedience when someone is about to enter combat with you with a Deep Song or when you block, all without being locked, required to introduce the concept of "block resolution". Another example of problematic timing is Spying Mission versus burning Major Boon that don't trigger exactly at the same time despite the same wording.

Why do we use “realistic art” for VTES nowadays, and not more “old school”?
Ginés Quiñonero, art director: Nowadays, the main challenge to VTES art is to convey the World of Darkness in a way that makes its dark horror theme believable. That requires a great deal of experience with photo art and/or human figure drawing, colouring and lighting in order to produce realistic pieces that veer far away from several of the "old school" styles (for example the “comic book” style).

Some noticed on the Bolesław Gutowski promo card that the clan symbol for the Malkavians was slightly different. What's up with that?
Ben Peal, product director: Astute observation! The symbols for the Camarilla clans got a facelift in 5th Edition Vampire: the Masquerade. VTES is derived from that source material, so any new crypt cards we make for those clans will accordingly have the new clan symbols. The new symbols don't represent new clans – it's just like the changes to the clan symbols for Tzimisce and Lasombra way back between the Sabbat and Sabbat War expansions. Note that for reprints of the White Wolf-era cards we'll have available via print-on-demand, we'll be using the original clan symbols so that the look of those cards remains consistent with the cards you already own. For library cards, anything printed (or re-printed) in brand-new products based on the V5 source material (like the upcoming V5 set) will use the new clan symbols.

Where in the world is VTES most popular? How does this show and do you have any idea why this is?
Hugh Angseesing, CEO: There are many countries across the world where VTES is very popular; Brazil, Finland, France and the US all have large playing populations for events. I have also attended the huge events in Paris and the relaunch event in Berlin. However I missed what is probably the largest event we have had in Barcelona in 2003! There's something about Spain and VTES, it seems embedded in the psyche and we saw this when looking to produce VTES in Spanish – the interest was astounding! I don't know if it's because the volunteers have been so dedicated or if it's the social politicking that makes it so popular, but it's truly amazing seeing the enthusiasm coming out of Spain. Most recently have been impressed with the Spanish online tournaments, and I have seen they've spread that excitement to Brazil and Mexico among others.

Many players ask questions in social media. What are the most common question asked right now, and what is the answer?
Henrik Klippström, marketing director: Most questions are about how they can get our products, and that is usually easy to answer: either you print-on-demand on Drivethrucards.com, or you buy from your local game store or favourite online store. If that store doesn´t have our products in stock, please ask them to contact a distributor (who are listed at blackchantry.com). Another common question right now is of course when Fifth Edition will be available, and that is not decided yet, but will be soon!

Thanks to Black Chantry for the answers. Do you have a question too? Don´t hesitate to ask them on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram, or in a mail to

EC 2020 CANCELLED OR POSTPONED

Sadly, the current health crisis has forced the organizers of the game convention Ropecon to cancel or postpone the event, which means the 2020 VTES European Championship cannot be played in Helsinki in July as planned. Please read the EC website notice to get the full picture. Discussions are now held about what to do and where to do it - stay tuned to VEKN channels for news about that!

PLAY VTES ONLINE!

Sure, it might not be the same thing, but if you really love playing VTES, don´t let a pandemic stop you. Playing online is possible. The two most popular ways are using either Tabletop Simulator (found on Steam) or LackeyCCG (found at LackeyCCG.com). In the case of Lackey, you can register games at www.vtes-hook.com and participate in various leagues and tournaments. The site creator Kai Kimmerle has a series of Youtube clips to help you understand how everything works - check it out at VTES-Hook Event Management!

MEET THE VEKN: WES WESTON, NATIONAL COORDINATOR OF CANADA

This month we are delighted to present to you an interview with Wes Weston, veteran player and the current Canadian NC. Take notes, here comes wisdom!

When did you start playing VTES?
- Right from the get go, shortly after it hit the market. I had played a little bit of Vampire: The Masquerade, the role-playing game that VTES is based on, so I was already familiar with the World of Darkness. I really enjoy the theme of trying to hang on to one's humanity, and all of the different warring clans and interesting disciplines. They had taken the age-old vampire mythology and made it into such an elaborate and detailed world filled with interesting conflicts and histories.
    When I came across the cards in a game store in Windsor, I was intrigued and picked up a starter box. I didn't really know too many people who would also be interested, but over the years I managed to rope a few friends into occasionally playing with me, none of whom stuck with it, sadly. I eventually met up with a lot of the players across the river in Detroit, Michigan, and they became my regular playgroup.
    I was very active in the newsgroup, rec.games.trading-cards.jyhad, and produced a lot of the clan newsletters, starting with the Brujah Antitribu in 2001 and then the Followers of Set until 2004.
    When it became more difficult for me to play the game in person, I became active in JOL, and I started the JOL league and hosted semi-annual tournaments, which attracted as many as 75 people. I think this worked pretty well, given the resources we had available at the time.

What do you like most about the game?
- I've always enjoyed the predator-prey dynamic and how it creates intrigue and temporary alliances. Having cross-table allies who will eventually be your enemies, and trying to manage this dynamic to your advantage... not many games can do this, or do this well.
    I also really enjoy building original decks, with card interactions that no one else has thought of. It is always great pleasure to see an original deck design winning a table, whether it is my own deck or someone else's. I don't mind losing a game, but bonus points if you kick my ass with something original.
    I have also met so many great and interesting people over the years, both in person or virtually via JOL. I was able to renew some old acquaintances at our most recent Hamilton tournament which was fantastic. It's not always easy for me to travel as much as many of you do, but I hope I will be able to do so in the future.

What is your all-time favorite deck?
- Ever since the Detroit group playtested the Ahrimanes I have had a Howler deck built and ready to play, and it hasn't changed much over the years. I've won several tournaments with it and still to this day have a lot of fun when playing it – though I am not sure others feel the same way about it!

What other decks do you currently like playing?
- I generally try to play decks that are, not so much toolboxy, but that do not fall into the typical bleed/vote/combat archetypes.
    Currently I think my playgroup most associates me with a !Salubri deck, which is very aggressive toward my prey but can also be quite capable of walling up when needed. I don't see a lot of !Salubri decks being played, or at least I don't see many entered in the TWDA, but I've been having a lot of fun with them.
    I also tend to build a lot of decks that combine PRO and SER. My most current PRO/SER monstrosity is a Nadima anarch deck which uses Hatch the Viper, Guardian Vigil and Donnybrook.
    Neither of these decks did well at our recent Hamilton tournaments, but I enjoyed playing them.

Do you think you have a special style of playing?
- I tend to make a lot of deals, and I build decks that facilitate deal-making. For example, one card that usually goes into all of my decks is Rumor Mill – not because I need the intercept, but because someone else at the table usually will. And I can sell that intercept to my predator for a turn of no bleeds or what-have-you. Not only is it a commodity that my predator will need, it will also cost her a blood to borrow, and usually more, if she manages to block and enter combat. The net gain from this arrangement is a weaker predator, slightly weaker future predator/prey, more room for me to maneuver, and better control of the table.
    I also pay a lot of attention to blood on vampires. Many of my decks tend to take advantage of my opponents' vampires spending blood on cards or losing it to combat. If I can keep their vampires low on blood, and scrabbling for more, I can use that to my advantage. Cards like Free States Rant are ideal in this regard. By the same token, I tend to try to keep my own vampires from being too anemic. Perfectionist is a great way to gain blood while doing other things. This card goes into all of my decks.

You are the National Coordinator for Canada. How is the situation for VTES in your country? What are your ideas for spreading VTES?
- It's been difficult to get much done as Canadian Coordinator, honestly. We have a vibrant and relatively new group in Hamilton and Toronto, where I usually play, but there isn't a lot of communication between players across Canada, whether it be Ontario, where I am, or BC on the west coast, or, say, Halifax on the east coast. We are a very large country geographically, obviously.
    I will occasionally get a question from someone in a different part of Ontario, asking about local playgroups, but the closest group is usually us, and we are many hours away. I wish it were easier to coordinate this. So, I think we have been very successful in promoting the game locally, but, as a country, I don't give myself high marks.
    Still, I have managed to find some older players who did not know the game had been resurrected, or new players who see us playing and want to join in. Again, this has been more successful locally, and this has certainly not been due to my efforts alone. My playgroup has been fantastic at promoting the game.

Thanks for the interview Wes, and good luck with further deal-making and coodinating!

BLACK CHANTRY SUMMARY: APRIL 2020

• Black Chantry is now active on Instagram, of course with focus on sharing images, but also on dialogue with the community! Please follow the account black_chantry

• Work on Fifth Edition continues, now mainly marketing preparation and the last touches on the new rulebook. The actual card and deck design is finished and both cards and deck lists will be spoiled very soon. Recently a render of the box content was shown:

• Print-on-demand on Drivethrucards is back on track again as per April 20, but might be slow due to light staffing. Read their update at COVID-19 Update from OneBookShelf.

• All who participate in a VTES game online that is registered on VTES-hook.com participate in the Fifth Edition Raffle!

• Currently 18 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 Bundle 1 (Drivethrucards only)

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

The World of Darkness team at Paradox Interactive has started a weekly news tv show! Hosted by Brand Community Developer Martyna "Outstar" Zych, the show will air every Friday night at the World of Darkness Twitch channel but will be available on Youtube after that. In the premiere show the World of Darkness team members were introduced, and there was talk about Shadows of New York, The Chicago Folios and the current state of Bloodlines 2. Sounds interesting? Enjoy!
 

CALENDAR

Upcoming events:
Nope, we still cannot encourage any physical tournaments. Instead, tune your decks, sort your collection and try playing online on LackeyCCG or Tabletop Simulator!

For more information on upcoming events see the V:EKN Event Calendar.

CONTACT V:EKN

You can contact the V:EKN Inner Circle members using contact forms at V:EKN.net. Also follow the V:EKN Facebook group, the official V:TES Facebook page Vampire: The Eternal Struggle and the official V:EKN Twitter account @VEKN_VTES

"The important thing in life is not to triumph, but to compete."

Art by Samuel Araya for Vampire: The Eternal Struggle Fifth Edition.

Greetings fellow Methuselahs,

MAJOR TOURNAMENTS IN MARCH: GRAND PRIX IN SPAIN AND GERMANY

Two major events coming up - learn more details through the VEKN European Grand Prix page or the official European Grand Prix Facebook page.

• Grand Prix Spain in Cordoba on March 7 - Head organizer: Daniel Carretero Ferres

• Grand Prix Germany in Darmstadt on March 21 - Head organizer: Rudolf Scholz

Gonzalo in the middle.

GONZALO DEL RÍO WINS SOUTH AMERICAN CUP SANTIAGO 2020!

15 players showed up at Kaiju Sekai in Santiago, Chile, on February 22 to battle for victory in the second South American Cup tournament. Organizer Gonzalo Del Río tells Santiago was very happy to welcome two Brazilian players for this event, and that he hopes for more international players to visit in the future.



Top 5 after the three preliminary rounds:
Fernando Cesar, 9 VP, 2 GW
Benjamín Rojas, 6 VP, 1 GW
Breno Toledo, 5 VP, 1 GW
Gonzalo Del Río, 5 VP, 1 GW
Hugo Dey, 4.5 VP, 1 GW



Congratulations Gonzalo Del Río who took all 5 VP in the final with Week of Nightmares and almost 20 vampires in play, gaining 2 VP in the first turn with the Week in game, and the other 2 VP in the next turn. That’s winning in style!

Tournament winning deck: "Ravnos Cáncer"

Crypt (12 cards)
1x Ghivran Dalaal, The Dead God 5 ani aus chi FOR Ravnos:2
1x Andrei Puxon 5 ani cel chi for Ravnos:2
1x Anka, Priestess of Thorns 4 ani chi pro Ravnos:2
1x Khalil Ravana 5 ani for pre CHI Ravnos:2
1x Lazar Dobrescu 3 for Ravnos:2
1x Salbatore Bokkengro 4 for pro CHI Ravnos:2
1x Sasha Miklos 2 chi Ravnos:2
1x Sennuwy, The Promoter 4 ani chi for Ravnos:2
1x Spleen, Georgio Gutterpunk 2 ani chi Ravnos:2
1x Tsigane 3 aus chi Ravnos:2
1x Vedel Esbreno 3 chi for Ravnos:2
1x Zip 2 ani Ravnos:3

Library: 78 cards
Master (15 cards)
1x Life Boon
1x Archon Investigation
2x Not to Be
2x Pentex(TM) Subversion
1x Powerbase: Montreal
5x Ravnos Carnival
2x Week of Nightmares
1x Dreams of the Sphinx

Action (33 cards)
21x Embrace, The
12x Mozambique Allure

Action Modifier (9 cards)
4x Change of Target
1x Cryptic Rider
4x Daring the Dawn

Action Modifier/Reaction (10 cards)
10x Eldest Are Kholo, The

Political Action (9 cards)
9x Consanguineous Boon

Equipment (1 cards)
1x Shilmulo Tarot

Reaction (1 cards)
1x Delaying Tactics

Thanks to players, organizers and sponsors. The next South American Cup 2020 tournament is in Rio de Janeiro - more info on that on vtesrio.blogspot.com

Marshall in the middle.

MARSHALL HOGUE WINS NORTH AMERICAN CUP HAMILTON 2020!

On February 23, 16 Methuselahs gathered at the Mancala Monk Board Game Café in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, to determine who was most powermad that day. It was the fourth installment of the North American Cup 2019-2020.


Finalists' ranking before the final:
1. Kelly Schultz
2. Marshall Hogue
3. Jay Kristoff
4. Tim Fowler
5. Karl Schaefer



Congratulations Marshall Hogue, who got 3 VP in the final, Kelly Schultz got 2.

Tournament winning deck: “Marshall's Crazy Toolbox”

Crypt
1x Lutz von Hohenzollern
1x Unmada
2x Santaleous
1x Bloody Mary
1x Lord Fianna
1x Apolonia Czarnecki
1x Osric Vladislav
1x Morel
1x Gem Ghastly
1x Arthur Denholm
1x Bela

Library
Master
7x Grooming the Protégé
2x Perfectionist
2x Pentex Subversion
2x Wash
2x Effective Management
2x Asylum Hunting Ground
1x The Coven
1x PowerBase Montreal
1x Giants Blood
1x Monastery of Shadows
1x Dreams of the Sphinx

Action
18x Kindred Spirits

Action Modifier
6x Eyes of Chaos
5x Swallowed by the Night
5x Into Thin Air
5x Lost In Crowds
2x Confusion
2x Cloak the Gathering
1x Faceless Night
1x Elder Impersonation

Reaction
4x Eyes of Argus
4x Wrong and Crosswise
4x Telepathic Misdirection
2x Confusion of the Eye
2x On the Qui Vive
2x My Enemy's Enemy

Combat
5x No Trace

Thanks to players, organizers and sponsors. The next North American Cup 2020 tournament is in Boston - more info on that on www.vekn.net/north-american-cup-2019-2020

CARD CHANGES AND CLARIFICATIONS IN VTES LEGACY CARD SINGLES

A message from VEKN and Black Chantry Rules Director Vincent Ripoll:

Hello! With the reprint of the Assamite cards on Drivethrucards.com, we had a unique opportunity to dust off plenty of cool cards that had not been reprinted for many years. Most of them had their card texts updated to make them clearer and in line with our latest releases with no functional changes; however some cards have slightly changed. Here is the list:

Al-Ashrad, Amr of Alamut → Al-Ashrad can now burn locations requiring any clan (not only Camarilla clans).
With the recent shift of allegiance of many clans, remembering the sect to which clans are tied becomes harder and harder, and we would rather have players being able to play the game without referring to an appendix. It is the reason why Al-Ashrad's ability to burn locations is no longer restricted to locations requiring clans of a given sect, but only locations requiring a clan. Those are easy to spot since they have a clan symbol in their attribute bar.

Qadir ul-Ghani → The clan he changes to must be another clan than the clan to which he currently belongs.
Qadir could previously "change" his clan to clan he already belonged to. Considering that it is not really a change and all the rulings related to permanent change of clan vs. temporary change of clan, we decided to make it more logical.

Ur-Shulgi, The Shepherd → The Tajdid that is retrieved from the library is now revealed.
This is the continuation of the change we have made on cards that search the library for a specific type of card: cards need to be revealed to avoid mistakes or cheating.

Zahir, Hand of the Silsila → The contract that is retrieved from the library is now revealed.
For the same reason as above, the contract is now revealed.

Haqim's Law: Judgment → Can be used by anarchs.
The card's official card text had changed with the release of the RTR 11/05/2018. Anarch has been since then a sect on its own, and all the cards that required an Independent vampire and that could be used by an anarch have been updated to allow the Anarchs to also use them.

Some cards have changed to reflect some rule changes, for instance:

Condemn the Sins of the Father
+1 stealth action.
[qui] (D) Choose a clan. Lock all younger vampires of the chosen clan.
[QUI] As above, and each of those vampires burns 1 blood.

Poison the Well of Life
+1 stealth action.
[qui] (D) Burn a hunting ground.
[QUI] (D) Burn all hunting grounds controlled by other Methuselahs.

The first prints of Condemn the Sins of the Father and Poison the Well of Life occurred before the Keepers of Tradition rule change about targeting multiple Methuselahs. At that time, if only one player controlled all the targets, then the action was directed. Otherwise, it was undirected. With the rule change, the action is now directed to all the controllers of the targets and no longer undirected (unless you are yourself the only target). The reprint was a perfect occasion to update the card texts so they match the latest rules.

That's all folks!

ARTIST IN FOCUS: SAMUEL ARAYA

This time we have the great pleasure to talk to Samuel Araya, the Paraguay-born VTES artist of such player favorite cards as The Unnamed, Arishat and Old Neddacka. Most famed for his monstrous motifs, he will be illustrating several crypt portraits in Vampire: The Eternal Struggle Fifth Edition – you can see a preview of one of them above. It´s a Camarilla set, so maybe you can guess the clan?

Hi Sam! How are you doing today?
- Alo! Things are great, we just returned from a vacation with my girlfriend in Orlando. Went to see Galaxy's Edge, which was amazing, despite not getting into "Rise of the Resistance", ended up getting Kylo Ren's lightsaber out of spite, which is appropriate. We rode a roller coaster called "Rock it" on Universal Studios, which starts with you being carried 17 floors above the ground in a 90 degree angle. I have a mild fear of heights so I'm still wondering what possessed me to jump on board, as the G-force was telling me that it was a mistake to do so. I looked like a paraplegic Tyrannosaurus with my arms against my chest, flailing lifeless as I experienced the ride. Other than that, I'm resuming work and making sure our cats are getting the love their deserve.

What is your background as an artist? Are you educated or self-taught?
- I started as self taught, using photography because I thought I would never be good enough to learn to draw and paint. I used to believe that was a talent that you either got it or not, which is a lie. Turns out that to work with photo collages you really need to understand the principles behind drawing and painting, so I learnt most of it from books, as internet tutorials and the internet didn't exist back then. In 2010 I won a scholarship to take online classes at, the now defunct, Art Department, and I had the chance to learn from the best, which still feels a bit surreal. It changed my life.


What kind of assignments do you like the most?
- Monsters! I do love monsters and horror! Give me the Nosferatu, the Tzimisce, Baali, Harbinger of Skulls! Hell, I take Nictuku if you have! I do prefer loose descriptions or just to read the whole chapter or book I'm going to illustrate. I hate to be a "hired hand", I want to put as much of my personal interpretation and symbology into my art. For VTES I gotta admit I do love the crypt cards, since Christopher Shy was one the main reasons I became an artist, and also I have an interest in academic portrait painting.

What artistic techniques do you prefer?
- I do love mixed media, digital gives me the freedom to play around with all the elements of a painting and produce the best version I can. Lately I been starting with a very loose acrylic sketch on paper and building on top of that. Sometimes I'll take a photograph and paint on top of that. It's very organic, but fun and flexible process.
   I gotta say that the most important part and the part that never varies is trying to get a strong concept and composition from the start. After working the thumbnails to a satisfactory result, all bets are off.

So, you work with models and photos. Tell us more about that!
- Yeah, most of the models are friends or vintage photos free of copyright. I have a few things to say on these topics, for the vintage photos, so much in the modern art world it's about appropriation and some of it frankly disgusts me. I decided my take on appropriation would be the unsung, anonymous photographers of old. For example, I have a gargantuan collection of vintage nudes which raises quite a few eyebrows, but it's all about these strangers that exposed themselves and are now forgotten. Some days I like to think this is modern necromancy, raising the dead and reconstructing things are now just vague memories. I almost never use a face as it is, most of the time I cut and paste features to create people that never existed and I think there is something quite magical about that.
   As for photos of my friends or models, I just recently downgraded my professional camera to something more casual. Instead of obsessing about crystal clear detail, I want my photos to have less information, so I can fill in the blanks, and in my case, it makes the work more interesting, more characterful. I been toying around with shooting reference with a really shitty phone camera in the future, but let's see how it goes.
   I try not to be clinical about the photos, as all gaps and problems are meant to filled with painting. The end result may be neither a photograph nor a painting, but if it looks good, who cares?


You have made lots of work for VTES and others – what are you most proud of?
- It is quite difficult to say. I like to move forward and spend as little time on what I have already done as I can. Certainly, my series of illustrations for "The King in Yellow” are a high point, also I'm very proud of a project I can't announce yet, but it's about illustrating Lovecraft. For VTES, I love what I did in the last expansion, my best cards to date. And finally, I just love everything I have done for Tor.com, as these pieces are a very special, not only because I got total freedom to work the images I had in my mind, but also because the fiction was just the perfect fit.

What other work do you do these days? Anything special you want to promote?
- I have a Patreon where you can get screensavers and peek at my latest pieces before anyone else does, check it at www.patreon.com/ArayaArt. Also, you can buy prints of my work at www.etsy.com/shop/SamuelAraya. Thank you so much for the opportunity to share this, and all my best regards to the worldwide VTES community!

We thank Samuel for this interview. You can see more of his art at www.samarayaart.com, and check out his Instagram and Facebook. If you like artist interviews, these are our previous ones:
- Carmen Cornet
- Riccardo Fabiani
- Noora Hirvonen
- Ken Meyer Jr
- Heather Kreiter
- Mark Kelly
- Javier Santos

BLACK CHANTRY SUMMARY: FEBRUARY 2020

• The extensive VTES Fifth Edition spoiler season is ongoing! So far thirteen pieces of art have been previewed, all collected at the Blackchantry.com product page. More will follow, plus actual cards and details about the box contents. If you want to know more about Fifth Edition, please read Ben Peal's product update in the January newsletter.

• VTES is now available in the French language! The translated First Blood intro decks and Sabbat-themed precons were first sold at the International Games Festival in Cannes on February 21, but are now available in stores in France and other places.• The first official VTES playmats are now in production! With Mark Kellys excellent Parity Shift artwork, these beauties are made by Ultra Pro in the United States and should already be for sale in North America, but will appear in Europe in March.

• All the promised 115 Assamite VTES Legacy Card Singles are finally up on Drivethrucards.com. It took some effort with those last technical difficulties, but now Ur-Shulgi, Qadir ul-Ghani and the rest are available for purchase, all in updated templating and layout.

• Black Chantry supported the Flyos Games Kickstarter campaign for Vampire: The Masquerade - Chapters with the promo card Gabriel Tremblay. The card is exclusive in this special printing, but will be available in other versions at a later date. The campaign has ended with over 6.000 backers, but you can always late-pledge. Check it out if you´re into co-op adventure!

• Spanish language precons, both First Blood and the four 2019 Sabbat ones, are now available for print-on-demand at Drivethrucards.com.

• Currently 18 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
- Libertine Ball Preconstructed Deck
- Pact with Nephandi Preconstructed Deck
- Parliament of Shadows Preconstructed Deck
- Anthology I bundle
- VTES Card Creator (Drivethrucards only)
- 25th Anniversary
- First Blood: Malkavian
- First Blood: Nosferatu
- First Blood: Toreador
- First Blood: Tremere
- First Blood: Ventrue
- VTES Legacy Card Singles (Drivethrucards only)

Do you have opinions or questions for Black Chantry? Start a topic on the VEKN forum, or contact the company by e-mail, Facebook or Twitter.

VAMPIRE: THE MASQUERADE NOW ON FANTASY GROUNDS

Of all the wonderful things White Wolf and Paradox Interactive have done this past month, we like to give attention to that the Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition Ruleset now are available on the virtual desktop tool Fantasy Grounds. Great in these times when many want to play tabletop RPGs but it´s often hard to gather players on a physical location. 

CALENDAR

Upcoming events:
March 1: Pataleta en el Eliseo - Oviedo, Spain
March 1: Orleans Classique - Saint Jean de la Ruelle, France
March 1: Torneo Mega XP: First Blood 2020 - Mexico City, Mexico
March 1: Instantaneous Transformation - Fortaleza, Brazil
March 7: GP Ibérico - Córdoba, Spain
March 7: Coupe de Paris - Paris, France
March 7: Anarch Revolt - Florence, South Carolina, United States
March 7: Vtes Rush - Alagoas, Brazil
March 8: Life is a Samedi - Palma de Mallorca, Spain
March 8: Tappa Cittadina Bologna 2020 - Bologna, Italy
March 8: Revolutionary Council - Fortaleza, Brazil
March 14: Granada by Night Mar 2020 - Granada, Spain
March 14: Road to EC: Field Training - Joensuu, Finland
March 14: Praxis Seizure Lyon - Décines-Charpieu, France
March 14: Birthday Blood Party - Szczecin, Poland
March 14: Festivo Stockholm 2020 - Stockholm, Sweden
March 15: Bloody March (en Badia) - Badía del Vallés, Spain
March 15: VTES Malaga 03-2020 - Malaga, Spain
March 21: Taberna VTES - Thinblood - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
March 21: German Grand-Prix - Darmstadt, Germany
March 21: Tainted Spring - Pamplona, Spain
March 21: Delírios de um anormal - Juiz de Fora, Brazil
March 22: Undead & Bleeding - Darmstadt, Germany
March 28: Kamel Comedy Club - Vitrolles, France
March 28: Lublin: Bloody Ruby - Lublin, Poland
March 28: Powerbase: Sevilla - Sevilla, Spain
March 29: 2º Torneo VTES GTS Mallorca - Palma de Mallorca, Spain

For more information on upcoming events see the V:EKN Event Calendar.

CONTACT V:EKN

You can contact the V:EKN Inner Circle members using contact forms at V:EKN.net. Also follow the V:EKN Facebook group, the official V:TES Facebook page Vampire: The Eternal Struggle and the official V:EKN Twitter account @VEKN_VTES

“Don't surround yourself with yourself.”

VTES artist Amy Wilkins. Photo: Kamil Wędzicha.

Greetings fellow Methuselahs,

This time we start out with some words from Hugh Angseesing, VEKN Chairman and Black Chantry Productions CEO:

Hello everyone,

I hope you’re as well as can be – here in the UK I’m working in my office (dining room) with my two co-workers (cats).

Black Chantry continues to work on our VTES Fifth Edition boxed set and will aim to print this once there is more certainty around what can be printed and where considering the corona virus pandemic. In the meantime we will be producing some alternate items in Q2:
•    Promo Pack 2 – for future events, containing 10 of each of the previous Anarch Baron promos and 6 other reprints.

•    First Blood reprints in English with a barcode for stores.

•    25th Anniversary in a standard tuckbox and available in English, French and Spanish.

•    VTES themed card sleeves from Ultra Pro.

Other items:
•    Our partners at Drivethrucards printing facilities have shut down and there will be a delay on orders that have been placed with them.

•    Orian Gissler and the Grand Prix spring/early summer organizers are looking at alternate dates later in the year.

•    The European Championship at the end of July at Ropecon, Helsinki is still on schedule.

•    For the North American Championship, the Origins game fair will be making a decision at the start of May.

•    Virus can´t stop VTES! There´s a surge in online VTES play on LackeyCCG and Tabletop Simulator. On March 29th there was a 32 player Lackey tournament on the Spanish server, won by Julio García with a Shamblings Hordes & Emerald Legionnaires deck.

•    We of course encourage other fun VTES related content and activities online, for example Benjamin Billings Vampiric Disease Competition.

Please stay healthy during these times.

Hugh

TOMÁS LÓPEZ JIMÉNEZ WON GRAND PRIX IBÉRICO 2020!

On March 7th, just prior to the current virus crisis, one of the largest non-EC tournaments ever was played at the game store Estalia in Cordoba, Spain. In the wake of Spanish translation of VTES, Grand Prix Ibérico attracted no less than 103 players!

Standings after the three preliminary rounds:
Tomàs López Jiménez 3 GW, 11.5 VP
Juan Carlos Ruiz Arroyo 3 GW, 11 VP
David Rivas 2 GW, 11 VP
Juan Francisco Escamilla 2 GW, 10 VP
Moisés Ferrer 2 GW, 9 VP



Congratulations Tomàs, winning with an interesting Pander vote deck with a couple of Inner Circle 11-caps in the crypt. Here is a 30 minute video of the final, recorded by Franciny Rigo:
 

Tomàs López Jiménez tournament winning deck: Panders votos con 2 Inners

Crypt (12)
1x Arika            11    DOM FOR OBF PRE aus cel     inner circle    Ventrue:2
1x Leandro            11    AUS OBF PRE cel dom     inner circle    Malkavian:2
1x Lena Rowe            3    aus obf pre                 Pander:2
1x Christine Boscacci        2    dom vic                     Pander:2
1x Mitchell, The Headhunter 2    obt pot                     Pander:2
1x Angela Decker        1    pre                     Pander:2
1x Basil            1    obf                     Pander:2
1x Feo Ramos            1    aus                     Pander:3
1x Huang, Blood Cultist        1    pro                     Pander:2
1x March Halcyon        1    for                     Pander:2
1x Olga Triminov        1    vic                     Pander:3
1x Royce            1    dom                     Pander:2

Library (80)
Action Modifier [18]
2x Cloak the Gathering
2x Cryptic Rider
2x Domain of Evernight
2x Faceless Night
2x Forgotten Labyrinth
4x Lost in Crowds
1x Spying Mission
3x Veil the Legions

Action Modifier / Reaction [2]
2x Gift of Sleep

Action Modifier/Combat [3]
3x Swallowed by the Night

Master [22]
1x Barrens, The
1x Black Forest Base
1x Coven, The
2x Dia de los Muertos
1x Direct Intervention
2x Dreams of the Sphinx
1x Information Highway
7x Obfuscate
1x Parthenon, The
1x Pentex(TM) Subversion
1x Tribute to the Master
2x Minion Tap
1x Wash

Political Action [35]
2x Autarkis Persecution
5x Banishment
8x Consanguineous Boon
2x Conservative Agitation
1x Crusade: Aragon
1x Crusade: Detroit
1x Crusade: Frankfurt
1x Crusade: New York
1x Crusade: Philadelphia
2x Disputed Territory
7x Kine Resources Contested
3x Legacy of Pander
1x Meddling of Semsith

Because we know you love to read decklists, here are also the other four finalists decks:

Juan Francisco Miranda Escamilla: Nadie espera a la Inquisición española

Crypt (12)
2x Ermenegildo, The Rake         5 pot DOM OBT              Lasombra:4
1x Isanwayen                     6 DOM MYT OBT              Kiasyd:4
1x Leila Monroe                  4 dom obt pre              Lasombra:4
1x Lord Vauxhall                 7 DOM OBT POT THA          Lasombra:4
1x Lucy Markowitz                3 dom obt                  Lasombra:4
2x Otieno                        6 ani dom OBT POT          Lasombra:4
3x Badr, Shadow of Granada       7 DOM OBT POT              Lasombra:5
1x Dame Hollerton                5 myt DOM OBT              Kiasyd:4

Library: 82 cards
Master (12 cards)
1x Elder Library
1x Elysian Fields
1x Giant's Blood
3x Path of Night, The
1x Political Hunting Ground
2x Sudden Reversal
1x Coven, The
2x Dreams of the Sphinx

Action (14 cards)
14x Govern the Unaligned

Action Modifier (32 cards)
2x Foreshadowing Destruction
4x Seduction
6x Shadow Play
3x Shroud of Absence
5x Shroud of Night
2x Tenebrous Form
5x Bonding
5x Conditioning

Ally (12 cards)
12x Nocturn

Equipment (1 cards)
1x Heart of Nizchetus

Reaction (9 cards)
3x On the Qui Vive
6x Deflection

Event (2 cards)
2x Unmasking, The


Moisés Ferrer: Lasombra Nocturns

Crypt (12)
2x Ermenegildo, The Rake         5 pot DOM OBT              Lasombra:4
1x Andrew Emory                  5 aus dom pot OBT          Lasombra:4
1x Henri Lavenant                7 pot qui DOM OBT          Lasombra:3
1x Leila Monroe                  4 dom obt pre              Lasombra:4
1x Lord Vauxhall                 7 DOM OBT POT THA          Lasombra:4
1x Lucy Markowitz                3 dom obt                  Lasombra:4
2x Onaedo                        6 aus pot DOM OBT          Lasombra:4
1x Banjoko                       5 obt pot DOM              Lasombra:3
1x Tobias Smith                  7 pot DOM OBT PRE          Lasombra:3
1x Conrad Adoula                 8 ani cel DOM OBT POT      Lasombra:4

Library: 77 cards
Master (11 cards)
1x Elysian Fields
1x Giant's Blood
1x Jake Washington
4x Path of Night, The
1x Pentex(TM) Subversion
1x Coven, The
2x Dreams of the Sphinx

Action (16 cards)
16x Govern the Unaligned

Action Modifier (26 cards)
2x Foreshadowing Destruction
6x Shadow Play
6x Shroud of Absence
2x Blanket of Night
4x Bonding
6x Conditioning

Ally (10 cards)
10x Nocturn

Reaction (12 cards)
4x On the Qui Vive
6x Deflection
2x Delaying Tactics

Event (2 cards)
2x Unmasking, The


David Roldán: Tnergal
Inspired by turbonergal, by Tomàs López Jiménez.

Crypt (12 cards)
1x Jaggedy Andy                  1 pot                      Pander:4
1x Leo Washington                2 cel pro                  Gangrel antitribu:4
1x Margarite                     1 obt                      Pander:4
1x Mary Johnson                  2 for pre                  Pander:4
5x Nergal                        10 AUS DAI FOR OBF PRE THA  Baali:5
1x Nichodemus                    2 pot                      Nosferatu:5
1x Walker Grimes                 1 ani                      Caitiff:5
1x Denette Stensen               2 obf                      Gangrel antitribu:4

Library: 90 cards
Action (28 cards)
11x Eternal Mask, The
3x Psychic Veil
2x Scrounging
12x Call the Great Beast

Action Modifier (62 cards)
3x Elder Impersonation
3x Faceless Night
45x Freak Drive
11x Daring the Dawn


Juan Carlos Ruiz Arroyo: Malkavian Stealth and Bleed

Crypt: (12)
2  Rodolfo              pro AUS DEM OBF          8  Malkavian Antitribu        G3  Bishop
2  Dolphin Black        AUS DEM OBF              6  Malkavian Antitribu        G2 
1  Uncle George         aus dom obf DEM          5  Malkavian Antitribu        G3 
1  Yorik                dem obf                  3  Malkavian Antitribu        G2 
2  Kite                 obf pre AUS DEM          7  Malkavian Antitribu        G2  Bishop
1  William Biltmore     dom AUS DEM OBF THA      9  Malkavian                  G3 
1  Adelaide Davis       aus dem obf              4  Malkavian                  G3 
1  Korah                ani AUS DEM OBF          7  Malkavian Antitribu        G2  Priscus
1  Marie Faucigny       dem tha AUS OBF          7  Malkavian Antitribu        G3  Archbishop

Library: (79 cards)
Master (12 cards)
1  Barrens, The
1  Secure Haven
1  Giant's Blood
1  Wash
2  Vessel
2  Dreams of the Sphinx
4  Blood Doll

Action (13 cards)
10 Kindred Spirits
3  Madman's Quill

Action Modifier (25 cards)
3  Elder Impersonation
5  Confusion
4  Lost in Crowds
4  Eyes of Chaos
7  Cloak the Gathering
1  Faceless Night
1  Spying Mission

Reaction (16 cards)
6  On the Qui Vive
7  Telepathic Misdirection
3  Eyes of Argus

Combat (5 cards)
5  No Trace

Equipment (3 cards)
1  Heart of Nizchetus
1  Enchanted Marionette
1  Ivory Bow

Combo (5 cards)
3  Swallowed by the Night
2  Touch of Clarity

Miki Jorge (from vtes.info) had the opportunity to ask the champion Tomàs López Jiménez some questions:

How did you prepare yourself for the Iberian Grand Prix?
- No special preparations. My mentality was to win the tournament, but it is the same mentality that I have in all VTES tournaments. Sleeping well, playing serenely, and not being drunk helps.

What was your approach?
- My idea was to play in a friendly way, that is, not being very aggressive, and to help my allies and even my prey. I think you have to be generous, because helping other players generates good empathy, apart from the fact that other players get a good feeling of the game, even if they do not win. This was difficult for me to learn, and it is something I have heard from Aldo and Ginés. Besides, a player being ousted – even if that's your grandprey – is a positive thing, because the game speeds up. It is not always like that in all games, and you have to know how to adapt to each game.

How did you choose the deck and why did you choose that specific one?
- It was a quick decision. Before leaving home, I chose four decks with possibilities: two political decks, a bleed deck and a weenie Obfuscate deck. I ruled the bleed and the weenie Obfuscate decks out because they have little influence in the game. And, between the two political decks, I chose the Pander one, out of sympathy for the clan and because of the advice given by my fellow travelers.
    I had to bring a deck that could win three games or at least get two game wins and many victory points, because, with more than 100 players in attendance, it was the minimum to enter the final, and the Pander deck is quite stable.

What can you tell us about your deck? What does it do? What strengths and weaknesses does the deck have?
- My deck starts by bringing out Panders, and usually brings out an Inner Circle member later. Since you normally start fast, the idea is to play Crusade-cards or Legacy of Pander. The Inner Circle member helps with the votes and allows you to bleed as well, apart from allowing you to play Banishment. It may seem that two Inner Circle members are few, but you cycle your crypt very fast.
    The deck has plenty of Obfuscate Master Discipline cards, and gains pool with Consanguineous Boon and some master cards. It ousts with Kine Resources Contested and bleeds. It has little defense against combat. The idea is to block rushes against the Inner Circle members with your Pander and rescue them afterward. When there is a combat deck that attacks you, it is essential to rescue your vampires from torpor, and get more weenie vampires. The defense against bleed is pool gain with Consanguineous Boons.

How did you choose your seat in the finals?
- I had no idea about what the other finalists were playing. But from comments they made and from the vampires they used to indicate their seating, I deduced that there were several bleeders and a deck that I did not know. So, I chose to be preyed by the deck I know nothing about, which turned out to be a Turbo Nergal deck, which can bleed for a lot more than the rest of the other decks combined.

How did you approach the final round? What key moments did the game have?
- I started calmly. Table seating was Lasombra bleed 1 -> Lasombra bleed 2 -> Malkavian Bleed -> Turbo Nergal -> Pander. When I saw Nergal as my predator, I thought I would be soon dead, because I knew that deck and how lethal it can usually be.
    There were several key moments:
- The Turbo Nergal deck, after performing its combo about three times, got stuck.
- The “Lasombra bleed 1” deck had a good start and was able to oust his prey, who had no Deflections.
- I put myself at risk when I brought out Arika, since I was low on pool and could therefore die. However, I hoped for the Nergal deck to remain stuck. I had a Minion Tap in my hand, and I needed the Inner Circle member for winning.
- I played Consanguineous Boon to benefit the Malkavian player so he could survive the Lasombra deck. This made the Malkavian play more focused on ousting Nergal, which he did, rather than on defending himself.
- I ousted my prey and, in the decisive duel between the Malkavian and me, I had a Banishment in hand and a horrible desire to play it. I had not realized that the Malkavian player had brought out an archbishop, to be added to his two bishops already in play and the Edge, so I played the Banishment, which got voted down. That could have made me lose the game. However, I was lucky enough to be able to play a Meddling of Semsith, a Consanguineous Boon and, each following turn a Banishment, which slowed the Malkavian down and made him unable to oust me. I ran out of cards in my deck in the last few turns, but with Arika and the Panders I delivered a bleed total of 7, which gave me the tournament win.

Which play style do you like the most?
- There are several clans that I like to play. I have Salubri and Salubri antitribu decks (bleeders, wall, combat, mixed, etc.), Daughters of Cacophony decks (Shattering Crescendo, bleeders, political), Lasombra decks (bleeders, political and combat), Assamite decks, Toreador decks, Weenie decks (Caitiff, Panders) and various other decks (around 35 complete decks, no proxies).
    In general, I like to play political, bleed and wall decks. But with wall decks I can't really win any games in tournaments. I only did so once. Therefore, I gave that up and just use walls in casual games.

Tell us a little about yourself, when did you start playing? What has been your career as a VTES player?
- I started playing Vampire: The Masquerade the role-playing game, and like many people of my time, we started playing Magic: The Gathering. As Jyhad came out, several of us started playing it. I played in college and with friends. I played a couple of years until by mistake all the decks I had were stolen.
    I was in torpor until 2004, when I returned to play with friends and, thanks to Ginés and the internet, I met play groups in Barcelona, so I started buying cards again and grew as a player. I noticed that there were few tournaments around Barcelona, and I had a cool place in the outskirts of Barcelona, in Badia del Vallés. Then, I proposed Kico, who was the prince of Barcelona at the time, to run tournaments there. And, for a time, I would organize tournaments and Kico would make them official, until Kico told me to become a prince. And so I became a prince. There were times when I organized 7 or 8 tournaments a year. I even managed to organize a National Championship. Today we have many princes around Barcelona, so each prince hosts an average of one tournament a year.

Any tips on how to get ready for the upcoming Spanish Nationals?
- The important thing is to have fun, and at the same time to play to win the tournament. Playing bleed decks is usually a good strategy in big tournaments, but it doesn't always give you guaranteed wins. I would choose a deck that can defend itself to some extent from the bleed decks, either through blocking, combat, pool gain or many cards that redirect the bleed.
    It is important not to be influenced by other players, unless it is for mutual benefit, and this is very difficult to see. Another important aspect is to leave feelings off the table. I have seen players not win a table because their prey had started to "cry". If you play a very aggressive deck, for example multi-rush, you have to rejoice with the tears of your enemies. You can't decline to win a game just in order to make someone feel happy. You have to put logic before feelings.
    And finally, sometimes it is important to die with your boots on. That is, if you see that you are dying and you cannot scratch any victory points, it is better to follow an aggressive strategy and end up dying, rather than to hold on to the table and cry to your predator. I would like to stress the fact that, even when you think you cannot get any more victory points, you have to struggle to find a way to get them.

Team Sevilla - very nice shirts!

Thanks to organizer Daniel Carretero Ferres, Spanish NC Arnau Diez Sans, other volunteers, all players, the venue Estalia and our sponsor Ultra Pro.

ARTIST I FOCUS: AMY WILKINS

Once again we have the opportunity to talk to one of the Vampire: The Eternal Struggle card artists. This time it is Amy Wilkins, who illustrates several cards in the uncoming VTES Fifth Edition, as well as several other fresh and future World of Darkness-related products.

Hello Amy! Please tell us about your background as an artist.
- My artistic background is varied. Creativity has taken many forms in my life, but I never actually honed in on anything in particular until later on. I am almost entirely self taught, with the exception of a couple art courses here and there over the years. However, there was one course specifically, about ten years ago, where my instructor gave me some sagely wisdom and inspiration and helped me to see this new path I find myself on. I'm looking at you, Dorian Cleavenger! I suppose you could say that was my turning point, and I haven't looked back since.

What kind of assignments do you prefer?
- I love painting character portraits. There's just something about trying to convey personality and give clues to intent or story through a portrait. I find it really satisfying. Yet, on the flipside, I still have so much to learn. So, challenging myself by getting out of my comfort zone and trying new things is really important to me.

What techniques do you prefer?
- Though I did start out traditionally – painting with acrylics – I am now mainly a digital artist. I do miss painting traditionally, however, and hope to find some time to get back to it. Someday I'd really like to try painting with oils, for instance. I've never touched them. As far as my method, I feel like I reinvent it with each new task. I'm not sure if that's a subconscious attempt to learn new techniques and challenge myself, or perhaps I just forget how to paint and relearn with each new project! Either way, I enjoy the process.

Do you work with models and photos?
- My goal as an artist is realism as a foundation. So, I find it necessary for me to refer to photos to try to attain that. I set out with a clear image in my mind of how I see the character – pose, mood, attitude. Then I tend to find a few reference photos for certain elements in combination with imagined elements as well to achieve that. Sometimes I will use myself, my fiance – much to his chagrin – or props and clothing I own as reference for certain angles, lighting situations, or body positions.

Many who read this have seen your recent work for Vampire: The Masquerade, for example Chicago by Night, and the VTES previews. What else have you worked on? Anything you are especially proud of?
- I feel very proud to have done and continue to do work on a number of projects within the Vampire: The Masquerade universe. I still remember as a young kid pouring over the artwork in the original books – fawning over the beautifully dark, gritty artwork that made me completely falling in love with the world. Tim Bradstreet was – and is! – a particular favorite of mine. So, I feel honored to be a part of this amazing legacy myself. Aside from my VTM work, I have done a number of private commissions – and am looking forward to doing some more once my current projects wrap up.

Are there any special upcoming projects that you want to promote?
- There's more Vampire: The Masquerade projects I'm involved with currently that I'm really excited about! And of course, projects that have very recently come out like Chicago by Night, Cults of the Blood Gods and Vampire: The Eternal Struggle. I can only say it's a great time for Vampire: the Masquerade – as an artist and a fan.

We thank Amy Wilkins for this chat. Check out more of her work at www.amywilkinsart.com. If you like artist interviews, these are our previous ones:
- Carmen Cornet
- Riccardo Fabiani
- Noora Hirvonen
- Ken Meyer Jr
- Heather Kreiter
- Mark Kelly
- Javier Santos
- Samuel Araya

BLACK CHANTRY SUMMARY: MARCH 2020

• Of course Black Chantry is also affected by the current virus outbreak - CEO Hugh Angseesing tells more at the top of this newsletter.

• With the help of a whole team of friends, BCP rules director Vincent Ripoll has translated the VTES rulebook into French. A draft version is now available for download at www.blackchantry.com/rulebook

• The Fifth Edition preview has continued in March, so far with 18 fantastic pieces of art. As soon as all cards and decks gets the final OK, some actual cards will be shown.

• The playmat depicted below, with the very nice Mark Kelly art, is now available for purchase. Retailers can find out for through

• Currently 18 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
- Libertine Ball Preconstructed Deck
- Pact with Nephandi Preconstructed Deck
- Parliament of Shadows Preconstructed Deck
- Anthology I bundle
- VTES Card Creator (Drivethrucards only)
- 25th Anniversary
- First Blood: Malkavian
- First Blood: Nosferatu
- First Blood: Toreador
- First Blood: Tremere
- First Blood: Ventrue
- VTES Legacy Card Singles (Drivethrucards only)

Do you have opinions or questions for Black Chantry? Start a topic on the VEKN forum, or contact the company by e-mail, Facebook or Twitter.

RECENT NEWS IN THE WORLD OF DARKNESS

Some highlights from this month's activities in the Vampire: The Masquerade franchise:

• Vampire: The Masquerade gets its own comic - learn more in Hollywood Reporter.

• The board game Vampire: The Masquerade - Chapters concluded a very successful Kickstarter campaign with 6,149 backers, some of which claim the Gabriel Tremblay VTES promo card.

• Yet another board game, Vampire: The Masquerade - Vendetta, is ending the Kickstarter drive as this is written, so far with 3,867 backers!

• Vampire: The Masquerade gets audio book series from Harper Collins - read about it at Bleedingcool.com

CALENDAR

Upcoming events:
Sadly, we cannot endorse any physical tournaments at this point. Instead, tune your decks, sort your collection and try playing online on LackeyCCG or Tabletop Simulator!

For more information on upcoming events see the V:EKN Event Calendar.

CONTACT V:EKN

You can contact the V:EKN Inner Circle members using contact forms at V:EKN.net. Also follow the V:EKN Facebook group, the official V:TES Facebook page Vampire: The Eternal Struggle and the official V:EKN Twitter account @VEKN_VTES

Memento mori.

"Ayelech" by Samuel Araya for Vampire: The Eternal Struggle Fifth Edition.

Greetings fellow Methuselahs,

GET READY FOR VTES FIFTH EDITION “SPOILER SEASON”!

Black Chantry Productions tells that during February content of the upcoming VTES Fifth Edition will be revealed on Blackchantry.com and in social media channels. First you will be shown some artwork, and then, after the final playtesting has been concluded and everything is nailed, more information will appear and, eventually, actual cards will be spoiled. At the same time distributors will start making the orders on which the first print run sizes are based, so don´t forget to remind your friendly local game store to prod their distributors about getting stock.

Some Fifth Edition card art was shown in the November and December newsletters, and above is yet another piece: Ayelech, a Tremere Kindred, by the always excellent artist Samuel Araya.

Want to know more about Fifth Edition? Please read Ben Peal's product update in the last newsletter.

THE EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP SITE IS UP!

The organisers behind the VTES European Championship 2020 has launched the official website: vtes.orava.org/ec2020. The event will be held in Helsinki, Finland on July 24-26 at Ropecon, a huge convention for analogue games. Besides the normal EC tournaments there will be a Week of Nightmares, the European Grand Prix final and all kinds of fun and hospitality - check out the site for more information. Registration is not open yet, but please follow EC 2020 in social media and register early!

MAJOR TOURNAMENTS IN FEBRUARY: CHILE AND CANADA

If you are in the vincity, don´t miss the second South American Cup tournament! It is played in Santiago, Chile on February 22. The venue is Kaiju Sekai and the organiser is Gonzalo Andrés del Rio Díaz. More details are in the VEKN Event Calendar.

Also, the fourth of the North American Cup is played on February 23 at Mancala Monk in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, organised by Tim Fowler. Bring your best deck!

CLARIFICATION: LIMITED TOURNAMENTS

Members of the VEKN board have received questions about if it could be possible to get VEKN tournament ranking for other events than the normal standard constructed tournaments and “classic” limited formats booster draft and sealed deck. Answer: It is! For any tournament with the organiser's own limited rule variants, use the Limited Tournament Rules (and thus the Limited ranking).

The opening paragraph (7) in the Limited Tournament Rules says this: “The rules in this section apply to all Limited tournaments, including Sealed-Deck tournaments (sections 7.3 and 7.4) and Draft tournaments (sections 7.5, 7.6, 7.7, and 7.8).” This means the named paragraph covers Sealed-Deck and Draft, but not that other limited tournaments are excluded.

To illustrate this, and as a clarification, a new section 7.9 containing some examples of "restricted" tournaments has been added.

Examples:
- “Draft cube”: Use the Limited Tournament Rules.
- Tournament with only Sabbat vampires: Use the Limited Tournament Rules.
- Tournament with Black Chantry-printed cards only: Use Limited Tournament Rules.
- Tournament with only Jyhad-backed cards allowed: Use the Limited Tournament Rules.

Please, note that all general tournament rules apply. For example, that the event needs to be entered in the VEKN calendar and advertised, and its results reported, etc.

Hopefully this clarification will open minds for new ideas for all competitive players out there. Have fun!

CLASSIC DECKS: THE GORATRIX WALL

It´s been a while since we had one of these meaty strategy articles in this newsletter, but we´re glad to return to that tradition. This time we asked 2018 Grand Prix Europe champion and all around fantastic Finnish person Mika Nurmikolu to tell us about one of the most notorious decks of the game, the Goratrix Wall.

Before we start, lets have a look at one of his own successful versions of the deck:

Ropecon 2018 Finnish Grand Prix
Helsinki, Finland - July 28th 2018
49 players - Winner: Mika Nurmikolu

Crypt (12 cards, min=4, max=40, avg=6.17)
4x Goratrix  10  ANI AUS DOM THA vic      Tremere antitribu:2
4x Anarch Convert 1   -none-       Caitiff:ANY
2x Omaya  7   ANI AUS FOR pro      Gangrel antitribu:2
1x Anastasz di Zagreb 8   AUS THA ani cel dom  justicar  Tremere:3
1x Anton  8   ANI AUS cel obf vic      Tzimisce:2

Library (88 cards)
Master (20; 5 trifle)
4x Anarch Revolt
2x Dreams of the Sphinx
1x Erciyes Fragments, The
1x Giant's Blood
1x Guardian Angel
2x Pentex(TM) Subversion
1x Powerbase: Montreal
1x Rack, The
1x Smiling Jack, The Anarch
1x Sudden Reversal
2x Vessel
3x Villein

Action (10)
1x Aranthebes, The Immortal
1x Army of Rats
1x Deep Song
1x Graverobbing
3x Magic of the Smith
2x Nose of the Hound
1x Rutor's Hand

Ally (3)
1x Carlton Van Wyk
1x Mylan Horseed
1x Neighborhood Watch Commander

Equipment (5)
1x Bowl of Convergence
1x Heart of Nizchetus
1x Ivory Bow
1x Kevlar Vest
1x Ruins of Ceoris

Retainer (1)
1x Murder of Crows

Action Modifier (2)
2x Enkil Cog

Combat (9)
1x Breath of the Dragon
1x Canine Horde
7x Carrion Crows

Reaction (38)
6x Cats' Guidance
2x Deflection
5x Eagle's Sight
2x Enhanced Senses
6x Eyes of Argus
2x My Enemy's Enemy
2x On the Qui Vive
2x Read the Winds
6x Sense the Savage Way
5x Telepathic Misdirection

Hi Mika! We know you like this deck archetype, but would you still consider taking this deck to a tournament in 2020?
- Both yes and no! “Yes” because it works well in a variety of situations, being (in my humble opinion) a tier 1 toolbox with decent resources to handle almost any kind of table composition, if luck is on your side. “No” because if Goratrix is contested, it is game over, man – if you are unable to act, your prey and predator will be on you like students on a free bowl of spiked party punch. Also, the deck generates a lot of unnecessary table hate. If you think you can manage to soothe the sometimes irrational disposition of your fellow Methuselahs, you should consider piloting this deck, even though it will be in contest with me, at least... ;)

How do you play this deck successfully?
- I have some general points, applying to a variety of decks, but especially this one: Keep the table opinion from turning against you by being a nice player. The others have already a reason to watch you closely, and unfortunately the deck suffers from being a star vampire deck, and an easy one to recollect. Everybody remembers how they lost to Goratrix no matter what they tried to do. They also remember how they lost to combat, but they cannot probably name any single vampire whose fault that was, just that there were fangs and arms and heads flying in every direction, but with combat that is expected.
     Being seat 1 is the worst for this deck – with 1 transfer if you do not have Dreams in your opening hand, you are massively delayed. Your only possibilities are bringing up an Anarch Convert or discarding like a maniac to dig up some Dreams, which will not usually work. At the beginning of the game, transfer on Goratrix, and possibly bring an Anarch Convert if you are on seat 3 or 4. The other vampires are there only to complement Goratrix, and if somebody (your predator) knows you are playing Goratrix but do not have him on the table, they will overextend themselves to get free hits on you while they can. Try to look like you are playing another kind of deck and do not give any hints during the early rounds, for example do not discard Sense the Savage Way or Magic of the Smith to give useful information to your evil buddies.
     When Goratrix arrives, gauge the table response. You can block everything, but generally you should not. Do not threaten people around the table that you are going to be breathing on their necks if stuff does not happen. Nobody likes it when their cross-table ally tries to boss them around. Instead, wait for people to open the conversation about deals with you. It will happen, without you needing to take the initiative, since people know you are Goratrix and you can block everything. Being open to suggestive suggestions will further enhance your benevolent image. In addition, best value from deals comes if you do not need to spend any resources while keeping your word, for example if somebody asks you, you can tell them that "I will not Eagle's Sight you if you do A or B this turn" et cetera. It is polite, even more so if you currently do not have Eagle's Sight in your hand, and they will be in your debt.
     Do not be a kingmaker or give up, always try to scrape up some VPs to justify your wicked deeds to other unsuspecting minions that were trying to stealth past. The deck has great staying power over time if you hedge your bets carefully. If and when you must be an ass and block someone when they are going to win, try to be polite about it, and also at the same time make you win instead. The others will understand – and also make your life easier in the next tournament :P
     If somebody zeroes in on you and goes all in to oust you, use it to your advantage. Deflect a bleed of 2, feign a crap hand, then bounce an unblockable bleed of 7. Some players will stop for nothing to get an oust on Goratrix – let their hate earn you VPs.
     The deck is rather slow and gains power over time. Thus, let your prey do your work for you by softening your grandprey. Keep up the incentive by blocking any pool gain actions, such as superior Govern the Unaligned or Salubri “fill'em ups”, to make them use the Governs to move towards their prey and the pool waiting there. Other actions, like getting a .44 Magnum, depend on the deck of your prey. Toreador Celerity gun combat? Bad news, you have to block all their gun equips, and hope they do not pack Concealed Weapon. A Political or a bleed deck that has Magnums just in case? Fine, costs 2 pool and will not hurt you anyway, unless they go for the retainers.
     If you are unsure what to fetch, the first Magic of the Smith should get the Heart of Nizchetus. With it in play you can fix your hand against anything, pick the perfect master cards and cycle out the win conditions that you want to play later. Against combat, Ruins of Ceoris, Ivory Bow or Kevlar Vest is probably a better first pick, though. A nice trick – when you have the Heart and happen upon another Magic of the Smith, keep the second in your hand if the situation is not urgent. The heap of unused nice stuff at the bottom of your library is easily shuffled back by playing another Magic of the Smith and chuckling maniacally!

Does the deck have a best possible seating?
- The ideal predator would be a stealth-bleed, bruise-bleed or weenie bleed deck. Stealth-bleed is perhaps the best, especially if it has few ways to bleed responsibly. With a heavy bleeder as a predator, you can easily claim 2 VP and then timeout, resulting in a GW. Bruise-bleed can be good if you manage to cope with the bruising part, for example if they have no rushes. Weenie bleed is the most annoying of the three as far as the ideal predators go, because even you can run out of blocking power and they have plenty of minions. Try to make every block count and get them to torpor with Carrion Crows plus steal 2, then block rescues to starve their actions. Also, Aranthebes, the Immoral will stop them dead in their tracks.
     Another group of nicer-than-average predators is voters without massive stealth. You can make deals with them to let votes pass, and block the votes you dislike. This requires finesse, so be careful if you sense they are going to renege on a deal, for example, on a high-value vote such as Parity Shift or Banishment. After all, you do your part first, and if they change their mind after they have not been blocked, you will end up with the shortest straw, although you can block all of their votes later (should you survive).
     Stickmen decks will be good if you resist the temptation to block their bleeds, and instead bounce them. Note that any vampire with superior Fortitude and more than two blood will be able to Kiss of Ra you to torpor without any questions asked, and a decent predator will turn instantly into a horrible one. The only consolation will be that they cannot untap with Freak Drive and diablerize, but with an AUS/FOR predator you will never get Goratrix out of torpor yourself, so watch out for them, and block only with Omaya who has FOR herself, or some vampires that are expendable.
     Ally decks without aggressive combat are also fine – Goratrix can hold Legionnaires, Shambling Hordes or Nephandi at bay quite easily, if you do not run out of untap at a critical moment. Watch out for the Pentex though, and keep a Sudden Reversal and/or 2+ bounces in your hand if an ally deck is waiting to lunge.
     Nice preys will usually be anything with large non-threatening vampires you can block. Political decks – make deals with them. Bloat decks – block all their bloat. Bleed decks – let them soften your prey and bleed them meanwhile, Eagle's Sighting or Life Booning their win away from them. An additional benefit is if your prey cannot bounce the bleeds you will be bouncing to them!

And what is this deck archetype's most problematic preys and predators?
- One particularly nasty group is other wall decks with a better combat module. You will need to stack cards on Goratrix in order for him to come up on top in the late-game combats. If you are constantly and consistently blocked, you cannot gear up. Your hand will jam with useful cards you cannot use. In these kinds of situations, try to make a deal with the other block deck that you both can fetch gear on your vampires on 1 per 1 basis. Unless absolutely necessary, do not block them if they are playing card-based combat and you get a feeling that they can kick your undead butt in combat. A naked Goratrix is an easy prey to a red hand. Also, do not overextend yourself when blocking – there´s nothing worse than getting the Kiss of Ra from a random Govern down...
     The deck is slow to cause pool loss, so if your prey somehow bloats and you cannot prevent it, your game will proceed at a snail's pace. The best play then will probably be to let them influence out more minions to overextend their pool. They will probably not care about you if they have built a decent pool buffer and will be harassing your grandprey. If your grandprey goes into defensive mode, your grandpredator hopefully can stall your predator and you can try to do something, so bleed for 1 and 2 whenever you can. But with a little bit of bad luck and no Eagle's Sights, your grandprey will be gone quite soon.
     Dedicated ranged or melee combat, expendable weenies, or anything with aggro are dangerous. Your maximum ranged damage per round is 2 from Carrion Crows and steal 2, which can discourage but not stop Celerity gun decks, especially if they have a Taste in their hand. An Animalism weenie deck can whittle you down by rushing you with minions on 1 blood, and Goratrix has no way of dealing with aggravated damage. Try to leverage Omaya with Crows or gear up quickly to protect yourself against combat, otherwise you will have to count on cross-table rescues.

What are the most obvious changes you would do to the version above?
- Add any cards! It´s 88 cards only because I ran out of my lucky sleeves from Palma, but the deck still managed to win :P Some general suggestions: More Deflections, Gambit Accepted (just for the giggles), Constant Revolution, Revelations.
     Some more situational adaptations: If there are lots of ally decks, there will probably be ally hate too, so remove Mylan Horseed and Carlton Van Wyk and replace with Kindred Segregation and Far Mastery. Strangely enough, usually nobody wants to steal Neighbourhood Watch Commander.
     If there is no combat, free minions in torpor are harder to come by, so remove Graverobbing and perhaps Breath of the Dragon and Nose of the Hound (the Nose is great when you can surprise rush a weakened vampire, but if there is no combat, there are fewer good targets)
     If you suspect aggro combat, put in Rego Motus, but your best bet is staying out of combat whenever you can.

Do you have any other tips and comments?
- The original version has 7 Auspex bounces (2 My Enemy´s Enemy, 5 Telepathic Misdirection, and 2 Dominate bounces (2 Deflection). Adding a few more probably will not hurt, and maybe remove Mylan, his value is debatable nowadays with so much ally hate going around. Breath of the Dragon is a one-off surprise due to Finnish Politics :P but if your metagame prefers discussion, it can be dropped. It is of great value against Celerity gun combat, though!
     Generally, try not to discard your essential late-game cards, which can include but are not limited to the following, depending on the deck composition: Army of Rats, Canine Horde (for taking out their crucial piece of equipment, it works against all equipment, not just weapons!), Revelations, Rutor's Hand, Enkil Cog, Constant Revolution, Gambit Accepted, Life Boon (it actually works!), Smiling Jack, The Anarch, Pentex Subversion (for contesting) and Sudden Reversal (to sudden a Pentex, of course). Keep them in your hand for the beginning of the game and play them later at a critical moment. Especially Smiling Jack will bring you tables when you have your defenses set up.
     But what crazy shenanigans are up with the Gambit Accepted, you may ask? Well, it is a rather modern addition to the mix and it has several effects: 1) Drain 1 pool per turn from your prey and sit behind your wall, just chilling and winning, and 2) Your predator will become super-reckless in order to get you, and you can use this momentum to your advantage, and the hidden third factor: 3) You insulate your game against the other Methuselahs remaining at the table – nobody in their right mind will want to help your predator anymore in this game when you interrupt their deal-making with your casual observation of the card text. The reaction should be akin to "What, 6 pool and 2 VPs from an oust?! Sorry man, no deal, that's just too obscene, you will have to take Goratrix down yourself."
     With this last bit of experimental addition I wish you good luck to your games, and may your tables always be interesting, if not successful!

Thanks Mika for this thorough rundown. If you like articles such as this, also have a look at the previous ones:
• Ventrue lawfirm
• Kindred Spirits stealth-bleed
• Auspex weenie wall

Do you want to contribute to the newsletter with a strategy article like this? If you think you have what it takes, please contact the editor Henrik.

BLACK CHANTRY SUMMARY: JANUARY 2019

• To celebrate that VTES "parent game" Vampire: The Masquerade is released in Polish soon, a special Polish-related VTES promo crypt card has been created. It´s a Malkavian, it´s an anarch, and his name is Boleslaw Gutowski. Follow Black Chantry in social media for the full reveal!

• VTES is soon available in French! Both the First Blood intro decks and the four Sabbat-themed precon decks have been translated - read the full announcement here.

• Getting the first VTES Legacy Card Singles is up on Drivethrucards as promised proved more difficult than expected. But they will all be there very soon, even the mighty Ur-Shulgi!

• Round 3 of playtesting VTES Fifth Edition is now over, and Black Chantry wants to thank everyone that has participated in both testing the cards and giving feedback on the new rulebook.

• Chief Marketing Ghoul Henrik Klippström is preparing the Fifth Edition "spoiler season" mentioned at the top of this newsletter, trying to present the news in a delicate way to kindle the interest in both old Methuselahs and fresh Neonates.

• Art Director Ginés Quiñonero oversees the creation of a new, modern graphic profile for VTES, including a new logo. But don´t worry, card backs will not be affected! This will be made public in February. For more about Ginés, we recommend the recent Bindusara interview with him.

• Currently 18 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
- Libertine Ball Preconstructed Deck
- Pact with Nephandi Preconstructed Deck
- Parliament of Shadows Preconstructed Deck
- Anthology I bundle
- VTES Card Creator (Drivethrucards only)
- 25th Anniversary
- First Blood: Malkavian
- First Blood: Nosferatu
- First Blood: Toreador
- First Blood: Tremere
- First Blood: Ventrue
- VTES Legacy Card Singles (Drivethrucards only)

Do you have opinions or questions for Black Chantry? Start a topic on the VEKN forum, or contact the company by e-mail, Facebook or Twitter.

RECENT NEWS IN THE WORLD OF DARKNESS

Some particularly interesting news about Vampire: The Masquerade and World of Darkness this month:

• The fourth season of the actual play Twitch show “LA by Night” begun airing on January 31.

• On January 30 White Wolf posted a World of Darkness community survey for all fans to answer. This includes questions which affects VTES, so please participate!

• "Vein Pursuit" is a new streamed tabletop role-playing game vampire chronicle preceding the events of the upcoming "Bloodlines 2" computer game. All episodes of the campaign can be watched weekly on Twitch.tv/WorldOfDarkness starting January 31, and is available for replay on the World of Darkness Youtube channel.

• Flyos Games launches the Kickstarter campaign for Vampire: The Masquerade - Chapters on February 4. Check it out if you´re into co-op adventure!

CALENDAR

Upcoming events:
February 1: Dawn of a new era - Santiago, Chile
February 1: Red cards will keep you warm - Logroño, La Rioja, Spain
February 1: Ahrimane Protectorate I: Rat's Warning - Helsinki, Finland
February 2: Crusade: Jacintinho - Maceió, Brazil
February 8: UK Nationals - Leeds, United Kingdom
February 8: The Comeback - São Paulo, Brazil
February 8: Bloody february - Madrid, Spain
February 8: Abomination 2 - New Holland, United States
February 8: Feijocards Limited - Fortaleza, Brazil
February 8: Torneio de Fevereiro na Red - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
February 9: Dutch ECQ: the Secret Library of Montfoort - Utrecht, Netherlands
February 9: Manacor Blood - Manacor, Spain
February 9: Aftermath - Leeds, United Kingdom
February 9: Blood of Valentine - Verona, Italy
February 15: La Serena By Night - La Serena, Chile
February 15: Shadows Theater - La Pobla de Vallbona, Spain
February 15: Granada by Night Feb 2020 - Granada, Spain
February 15: Road to EC: New Blood - Joensuu, Finland
February 15: Monde de merde - Lyon, France
February 16: Tension in the Ranks - Toluca de Lerdo, Mexico
February 22: South American Cup 2020 - Santiago, Chile
February 22: Under the Blood Moon - Middlesbrough, United Kingdom
February 23: Transfer of Power Hamilton: North American Cup V - Hamilton, Canada
February 23: Black Night 2020 - Palma de Mallorca, Spain
February 29: 3rd Tragic Love Affair - Espoo, Finland
February 29: Silesia by Night - Katowice, Poland

For more information on upcoming events see the V:EKN Event Calendar.

CONTACT V:EKN

You can contact the V:EKN Inner Circle members using contact forms at V:EKN.net. Also follow the V:EKN Facebook group, the official V:TES Facebook page Vampire: The Eternal Struggle and the official V:EKN Twitter account @VEKN_VTES

“Become who you are!”