The Unaligned: Previews

Looking at gangrel cards I'm disappointed. I mean, both are good, but neither of them makes me think about creating any new decks. They're kind of cards that doesn't bring anything new to the game. Still, they'll probably find some slots in decks as solid cards. They are just soo booring. Hopefully other cards for Gangrel will be more inspirational.
From all the shown cards till now I like assamite the most.

Why Trap when you have Shadow of the Wolf?

Shadow of the Wolf
Protean combat card
2 blood
Only usable before range is chosen.
[pro] This vampire gets an additional strike with +1 strength during this round of combat.
[PRO] As above, with an optional press.

brandonsantacruz wrote:

Why Trap when you have Shadow of the Wolf?

Shadow of the Wolf
Protean combat card
2 blood
Only usable before range is chosen.
[pro] This vampire gets an additional strike with +1 strength during this round of combat.
[PRO] As above, with an optional press.

It may exist, but I dont own any. Id rather keep my blood so when I computer hack I can affor Horrific Countenance

As for Protean having the two best SCE in the game; yes, its cool. Whole decks built around it.

But, outside Slava and Henry twister, I still see a metric assload of Ahrimanes and Akunanse getting good milage out of inclans, Gangrel not so much. Shadow of the wolf, mythic form, and body flare all do something worth one less blood or costing worth one more effect (shadow being each round getting an additional). Protean sucks, thus gangrel suck. Fixing protean and giving them clan cards seems to be a good angle to helping them. Multi discipline cards with inclans is also a fair angle, and worked here.

Brandon, trap is < conquer the beast

alek wrote:

Looking at gangrel cards I'm disappointed. I mean, both are good, but neither of them makes me think about creating any new decks. They're kind of cards that doesn't bring anything new to the game. Still, they'll probably find some slots in decks as solid cards. They are just soo booring. Hopefully other cards for Gangrel will be more inspirational.
From all the shown cards till now I like assamite the most.

It's a fair point, and there are definitely more interesting cards we could be showing off. However, we're trying to show off and advertise as many artists as we can. They've done a ton of work for us, and the least we can do for them is show them off and link to their portfolios. We've done some of that with the art previews in the Designers' Diary entries, and we're finally getting around to some of the other artists. You'll see the rest of the set soon enough anyway.

I agree with Alek. Assamite card looks best so far.

Lots of core decks have solid, one card counters to combat and bleeding (combat ends, deflection, etc). What I'd love to see for Gangrel, is a card with a similar core usefulness that doesn't duplicate any existing card affects.

That's why I'm in favor of a Protean "Steal Pool" Action or a Master location that taps to let a Gangrel attempt a bleed action that cannot be bounced or reduced. -Something that would give them a "Wow! That card is too awesome NOT to put in my deck" quality as other clans have cards that are like that.

CalibanX wrote:

[...] or a Master location that taps to let a Gangrel attempt a bleed action that cannot be bounced or reduced.

*cough* *Stanislava* *Iliana* *cough*

By all means, let's give minions with superior Dominate and access to Earth Control, Form of Mist and Horrific Countenance, an ability to make their bleeds unbounceable. I'm sure it would be perfecly balanced.

HG.fi wrote:

CalibanX wrote:

[...] or a Master location that taps to let a Gangrel attempt a bleed action that cannot be bounced or reduced.

*cough* *Stanislava* *Iliana* *cough*

By all means, let's give minions with superior Dominate and access to Earth Control, Form of Mist and Horrific Countenance, an ability to make their bleeds unbounceable. I'm sure it would be perfecly balanced.

Actually, in order to be perfectly balanced, you need a mean to make it unarchonable...

Oh wait, Enkil cog... My bad...

First Stanislava turn :
play "ubber master"
bleed tapping ubber master (with stealth from various source like backways, forced march, earth control and/or form of mist)
enkil cog
forced march
tasha morgan
instantaneous transformation
JS Simons

Second stanislava turn :
laptop computer
forced march
robert carter
instantaneous transformation

Prey turn :
you give me the impulse ?
govern + conditioning + whatever (even horrific countenance yeah ^^) tapping "ubber master"
it is a bleed for 14 not bounceable nor reduceable . Seems fair ^^

(OK, it means some set up but not too much ^^)

I only play Gangrel/!Gangrel, I'm a fanatic. Occasionally I play Ahrimane, but that's not a dealbreaker I've tried Gangrel in countless environments, and I must say that Protean is the most versatile discipline in the game (I thinks that is Protean's purpose). Having cards you mentioned would make them imba and not just because of Stanislava... You can do almost anything with PRO, you just have to find the way and the right Crypt which I hope will be granted for us with this set

My Gangrel Location idea was just an afterthought. Are Stanslava decks Gangrel decks? If we have to design cards because the clan has access to a few vamps with dominate then fine, it's easy to debuff any new card concept. You could make the location only useable for bleeds less than 3 which is what most Gangrel bleeds would be as the overwhelming number of Gangrels do not have superior Dom.

My point, is that combat themed clans without power bleed Disciplines can't afford to have their puny bleeds so easily countered. Without bruise bleed or bounces it's very tough for combat decks to oust. Giving the Gangrel new combat cards, even good ones, isn't going to put them on the same playing field as other clans.