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.
