VTES Fifth Edition preview card. Art by Heather V. Kreiter.

Greetings fellow Methuselahs

AUGUST 2020 CARD BANS – FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

The VEKN recently announced five cards being banned from tournament play as of August 1, 2020. This caused some commotion in social media and elsewhere, and some clarifications are needed. Henrik Klippström, Marketing Ghoul of Black Chantry Productions, answers some frequently asked questions:

Why were the cards banned?
- The five cards contain words or images that are associated with real world racist caricatures.

Why was this important to do right now?
- We are currently preparing a large batch of older VTES cards for print-on-demand at Drivethrucards.com, so we needed to make this cut now. The card Terrorists was already cut from the batch published in December 2019.

Was this decision in haste?
- No. These cards have been discussed for a long time, and more so since Black Chantry got the license to produce VTES in 2018. One example is the VEKN forum thread "Card name change suggestion" with posts by Black Chantry Product Director Ben Peal. The VEKN National Coordinators were informed.

Are the banned cards being replaced?
- Yes, eventually. Two of them have already designed replacements – these will be handed over for playtesting in the first round of the upcoming preconstructed decks (Banu Haqim, Brujah, Gangrel and Ministry). New artwork has been commissioned.

Why didn´t you replace these cards when the bans were announced?
- When we decide something is wrong we want to fix it as quickly as possible. In this case it means removing cards that detract from the game whilst taking a little longer to consider what cards we want fulfilling a similar function. Card design, playtesting and production of new artwork takes time.

How will the replacement cards be distributed?
- Most likely they will be promo cards handed out at tournaments and other events, but they might also eventually appear in new products and on print-on-demand.

MEET THE VEKN: NEIL MULLER, NATIONAL COORDINATOR OF SOUTH AFRICA

This month we talk to Neil Muller, NC of South Africa, about his background and current activities.

Hi Neil! When did you start playing VTES?
- I first played the game sometime late in 2002. A couple of my boardgaming friends had played the game previously, and we decided to give it a try. The first game we played was not the smoothest experience, since none of us was that familiar with the rules or the cards, but the predator-prey dynamic really resonated with me, and I was hooked.
   Fortunately, one of the local comic & games stores had some starter decks and boosters available fairly cheaply at the time. The first decks I bought were the Camarilla Edition Toreador deck and the Black Hand !Nosferatu deck, which made it quite easy to get into the game. The shop also put us in contact with some of the other local Cape Town players, and so I started getting more serious about the game and actually learnt the proper rules.

What do you like most about the game?
- The predator-prey mechanic is obviously one of my favourite aspects – it creates interesting table dynamics and complicated decisions about how the table will fold.
   I also really like that VTES has a large card pool. It allows for tremendous variety in decks, and variation in play. I love trying to come up with interesting combinations and card interactions – these often aren't very effective, but it's very satisfying to pull off a complicated combo play.

What is your all-time favorite deck?
- While I like a variety of decks, ultimately my favorite remains the !Nosferatu Potence combat build around Beast. My first version of it was based on the Black Hand starter, and it was the first deck I constructed that was reasonably successful in local games. It is by no means the best deck I've built, but it has remained a deck concept I continually return to and try to tweak.

What other decks do you currently like playing?
- I have a collection of decks, like the Beast deck, that I return to on a regular basis, but I'm a keen deck builder. I mostly build combat and political decks, as those are archetypes I enjoy playing, and lend themselves to interesting challenges between balancing the number of the different types of cards. I also put together the odd somewhat silly trick deck, like grafting Serpentis onto the Samedi, so you can combine burning the Edge for Enticement with Off Kilter to get it back. Of late, I've being trying to build decks with various Assamite crypts, with mixed degrees of success.

Do you think you have a special “style” of playing?
- I don't think so. I'm often guilty of slow and over-analytical play, especially if games get tense, but I don't think anyone would consider that particularly special.

You are the National Coordinator for South Africa. How is the situation for VTES there?
- The South African scene used to be fairly active, but a number of players drifted out of the game when it went out of print after Heirs to the Blood. Unfortunately, it's been hard to attract new players to the game since it came back into print. Shipping costs to South Africa are unfortunately rather high, which makes it a relatively expensive hobby. Fortunately, we do now have a local supplier in Pandemonium Games, which has helped make cards more easily available.
   Currently, myself and the South African Princes are trying to spread the game by running demo games at the local gaming conventions and hosting social games at some of the local game stores. I'm hopeful that the Fifth Edition release will help as a nice single purchase that can get gaming groups into the game.

Thanks for the interview Neil! Good luck with coordinating!

BLACK CHANTRY SUMMARY: JULY 2020

• Five new card bans were announced (see above), effective as of August 1, 2020.

• The “unlimited edition” of the 25^th Anniversary set is now in stores, in English, French and Spanish.

• The whole Black Chantry crew has been busy with the last touches on the Fifth Edition box, mostly the new, illustrated rulebook. It will be 50+ pages in a A5-ish format, complete with glossaries and a Q & A section on especially tricky things about the cards and mechanics present in the five Fifth Edition decks. The box will also contain five “help sheets” (one for each of the five decks) and all counters you need to play.

• The Fifth Edition spoiler season has been gruesomely long due to the pandemic and because some cards were saved to be previewed by stores and media. But soon everything will be revealed, and so far, most seem to appreciate both art and cards. It is a starter friendly set, so veteran players might be missing some new, more advanced cards, but that is being worked on …


• … because the next four preconstructed decks are ready for testing: Banu Haqim, Brujah, Gangrel and Ministry. All these will include both new crypt cards and new library cards. The first drafts will be sent to playtesters within shortly!

• 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

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 official World of Darkness Discord server has opened! This is a place for fans and creators to discuss and maybe find a playgroup. Join at discord.gg/W2edCnU

• Some card images of the upcoming Vampire: The Masquerade Rivals Expandable Card Game from Renegade Game Studios have been made public by Man vs Meeple (see above). It seems quite different from VTES, being a game for 2-4 players. It will be interesting to see how fun it is!

• The main themes of the World of Darkness News show in the past month have been Vampire: The Masquerade - Chapters (July 3), Vampire: The Masquerade - Swansong (July 9), Werewolf: The Apocalypse - Earthblood (July 16) and Vampire: The Masquerade - Shadows of New York (July 23).

CALENDAR

Upcoming events:
Follow local regulations on what physical events are possible. Notice that online tournaments are possible - just note "ONLINE" in the event name when you add the event to the calendar!

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

"Some are wise and some are otherwise."

VTES Fifth Edition preview card. Art by Amy Wilkins.

Greetings fellow Methuselahs


THE CURRENT TOURNAMENT SITUATION

We usually report a lot about tournaments in this newsletter, but due to corona those activities are scarce right now. This is what you can do:

• If your national and local authorities allow, you can arrange a physical tournament. Always follow current health recommendations about number of players, distance, face masks and other things. An example of a vibrant tournament scene is Palma de Mallorca, who had a 27-player tournament on June 28, won by Moisés Ferrer Gallegos playing Lasombra stealth-bleed (images below). He got 5 victory points in the final – congrats Moisés, impressive!


• You can also play VTES online on LackeyCCG. Many do, mainly casual and leagues, but you can also arrange VEKN sanctioned tournaments – just mark it with “ONLINE” in the title when you enter it to the VEKN event calendar. You can find Lackey games on VTES-Hook and in the Facebook group VTES LackeyCCG.

• Another way to play VTES online is Tabletop Simulator – it´s at a 50% summer discount on Steam right now!

 

 

THE FIFTH EDITION SET SYMBOL: THE CAMARILLA ANKH

Last week Black Chantry Productions revealed the set symbol for VTES Fifth Edition. Many veteran players immediately reacted with “Both Camarilla Edition and Blood Shadowed Court had an ankh symbol, why do an ankh again?”. Well, that was 2002 and 2008, and the official Vampire: The Masquerade V5 symbol for the Camarilla sect is that ankh, so an ankh seemed like a natural choice. Hopefully sorting your collection will work anyway!

MEET THE VEKN: GONZALO DEL RÍO, NATIONAL COORDINATOR OF CHILE

We continue this series of interviews with VEKN volunteers, this time with Gonzalo Del Río, NC of Chile, a small but growing VTES nation.

Hello Gonzalo! When did you start playing VTES?
- I started in 2001, when I was at university. Back then I just knew a few TCG like Magic or Pokémon. I came across VTES through my roleplaying group of friends, and since I love World of Darkness, it was a nice discovery.

What do you like most about the game?
- One of the most challenging and fascinating things about VTES is the multiplayer system. It was created that way and well-thought-out, and it is the main reason I love this game. Also, VTES is not a pay-to-win game. The deck doesn't win for itself, there are too many variables to handle. Winning the game is very much up to player skill.

What is your favourite deck?
- My all-time favourite deck is the Ventrue antitribu grinder, but back in my early days I didn't know it by this name. The Sabbat War Ventrue preconstructed deck was my second purchase so I grew old with it. I changed and proved different versions, evolving it to its final form. It's a reliable and well-oiled deck that never disappoints me.

What other decks do you currently like playing?
- I still play the Ventrue antitribu. However, I found other loves along the road. My main clan is Ravnos, so I have several Ravnos decks. An Eldest Are Kholo-voter and a Necromancy+Chimestry one are funniest to play. Another deck that I secretly love is the Imbued, even though my friends hate when I play it.

Do you think you have a special style of playing?
- I believe my style is being patient, not depending on table deals and trying not to get unnecessary attention. Sometimes you need to be still until it´s the right moment to make your big move. In any case, you have to be prepared for any strange things that could happen on tables, so you need to have the necessary precautions in your deck.

How is the situation for VTES in Chile?
- In Chile the great majority of players are in the capital, Santiago. We also have a few players in other cities like Rancagua and La Serena. Sadly, we don't have a large community. The active players are around 25-30 people.

What are your ideas for spreading VTES?
- One of my personal goals is maintaining the players interested, so I established the one tournament per month rule. However, with covid-19 that won't be easy to maintain for now. I'm also trying to make us noticeable as a community doing collaborations with roleplaying game groups and showing VTES in different stores.

Thanks to Gonzalo for the interview, and thanks to the Chile community for playing this great game!

BLACK CHANTRY SUMMARY: JUNE 2020

• This month Black Chantry started to take in VTES Fifth Edition preorders from distributors. This is to get a better idea of how large the first print run should be. So please ask your favorite store to stock Fifth Edition, they will in turn talk to their distributor who will preorder. Estimated release is sometime in September and the suggested retail price will be € 82.50 ($ 95).

• VTES Fifth Edition will be Black Chantry´s first simultaneous multi-language launch, as versions in French and Spanish will be in stores at the same time as the English version.


• Fifth Edition spoiler season continues in social media, although a bit slowed down. Lately we have seen Govern the Unaligned with new art (see above), Roundhouse (heavily debated) and some crypt cards. In this newsletter you get another one, and more will, of course, follow.

• The open playtest of the proposed change of the crypt card contest rule is still ongoing. Please, report your comments in the Your opinion sheet and your games in the Game report sheet.

• 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

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

• A really cool Vampire: The Masquerade intro video was published, starring Josephine McAdam.

• A new rather impressive cinematic trailer for the upcoming Werewolf: The Apocalypse video game Earthblood is out.

• Swedish Fast Travel Games are to create the Wraith: The Oblivion-based VR horror game Afterlife.

• Freelance writer (and VTES player) Matthew Dawkins was interviewed in episode 8 of the World of Darkness News show. Especially interesting for VTES fans was what he said about the “Let the streets run red” scenario collection for Vampire: The Masquerade. One of the scenarios include the reappearance of none other than Sir Walter Nash, Prince of Chicago in the original VTES set!

• Paradox Interactive has appointed Justin Achilli as new Creative Lead for the World of Darkness brand.

CALENDAR

Upcoming events:
Follow local regulations on what physical events are possible. Notice that online tournaments are possible - just note "ONLINE" in the event name when you add the event in the calendar!

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

"Think above the box."