Vampire: Elder Kindred Network Newsletter 01 January 2015

Of Interest to Scholars and Slanderers:

Happy New Year, everyone!

One of the VEKN's New Year's resolutions is to be proactive about keeping you all updated with news and events for Vampire: the Eternal Struggle. To that end, we decided to create a regular newsletter to be posted to vekn.net and emailed to the Princes. In this newsletter, we'll have updates and annoucements about tournaments, rulings, Storyline events, Continental Championships, the Design Team, our artists, and general announcements. If you'd like to be added to the email distribution list (open to everyone, not just Princes) or if you'd like to be removed from it, PM BenPeal on vekn.net or reply to this email.

- Ben Peal, Design Team Leader

Design Team News:

Round One of playtesting for the Storyline reward cards has concluded. Mike and I have finished making changes based on the playtest feedback and Round Two will begin the weekend of January 3. We have artwork for all but three of the cards, and the remaining three pieces have been commissioned. The release date has been pushed back from February 1 to February 8 to allow for a full month of playtest for Round Two.

Design of the Anarch-themed set continues. We expect to wrap that up in mid-January, with playtesting to begin at the end of the month to coincide with the conclusion of the Storyline reward cards playtest.

Rules Team Rulings:

The following tournament rules changes were announced on December 2, 2014 and are active as of January 1, 2015:

=====

Tournament Rules changes

3.1.1. Round Time Limits

Each round in the tournament has a time limit. The minimum time limit used in V:TES rounds is two hours. The time limit must be announced before play begins. The final round may last longer than the preliminary rounds, at the judge's option.

When the round is over, the judge will notify all players. The game will end with the current minion action - if any -, or at the end of the current phase, if the notification didn't happen during the minion phase.

=====

Continental Championships Qualifications changes

How To Qualify

[...]

The winner of a sanctioned, rated, standard constructed tournament of 8 or more players will be qualified for all Continental Championships.

[...]

Major Events:

The first Continental Qualifiers of the 2015 season are happening this weekend! On Saturday, January 3, there's one in San Jose, California, USA, and on Sunday, January 4, there's one in Utrecht, Netherlands. Check out the tournament listing below for more details.

There will be a weekend of V:TES at TempleCon in Warwick, Rhode Island, USA, from February 5 to February 8. Events include a Standard Constructed tournament, a Continental Qualifier, a draft tournament, a lot of open play, and a convention full of gaming, music, vendors, performers, and much more! Check out www.templecon.org for more info.

Budapest, Hungary will be hosting the V:TES Hungarian Grand Prix from March 20 to March 22 at the Danubius Hotel Flamenco. Events include a Nations Cup tournament, a draft tournament, a Continental Qualifier, and a Standard Constructed "Grand Prix" tournament. The winner of the "Grand Prix" tournament will have their picture used in the next V:EKN expansion. Check out www.vteshungariangrandprix.hu/ for more information and to preregister.

The 2015 European Championships will be held from August 27 to August 30 in Warsaw, Poland at the Warsaw Plaza Hotel. More info coming soon!

The 2015 North American Championships will be held from June 3 to June 7 at the Origins Game Fair in Columbus, Ohio, with the Week of Nightmares events preceding the convention. More info coming soon!

Artist News:

Heather Kreiter has a sale going on! From now until Jan. 11 you can get 40% off of your Etsy purchase of $80 or more with code: HOLYCRAP

www.etsy.com/shop/ShamanSoulStudios

Riccardo Fabiani has self-published a sketch diary of his travels over the past ten years, called "Road Trippin":

www.riccardofabiani.com/road-trippin/

Upcoming Tournaments:

vekn.net/event-calendar

Thursday, 01 January 2015

Year of Fortune

Fundao, Espírito Santo, Brazil

15:00 - 23:00

Standard Constructed