Greetings fellow Methuselahs,
THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF VAMPIRE: THE ETERNAL STRUGGLE CONTINUES
… even though these newsletters are a bit off schedule. The best way to celebrate is of course to play the game, and many of the big annual tournaments are played in this season, September - November. Some you see reported below, and some are coming up next month, like the Asian continental championship, the Iberian Grand Prix in Spain, SA Grand Prix in Chile and national championships in Portugal, Finland, UK, Denmark, Slovakia, Canada and the Netherlands. And the Fifth Edition Lasombra preconstructed deck is now on store shelves. Good times!
Above you see a preview sketch art by Yanis Cardin, for a brand new card for the discipline Oblivion that will be in the upcoming Fifth Edition Hecata preconstructed deck, scheduled for January 2025 release. Spooky! The final art version on the actual card:
EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP 2024 SUMMARY
Seven tournaments and one Grand Prix finale was played in Warsaw, Poland, between September 24-29.
All good photos by Marko Saari.
Note: The reports linked below contain all the finalists´ deck lists!
Danilo Torrisi is the 2024 European champion!
Read the full report: EC 2024 Day 2
Simone Parmeggiani wins EC 2024 Day 1! (168 players!)
Read the full report: EC 2024 Day 1
Marius Iscru wins the EC 2024 “Last Chance” Friday tournament! (153 players!)
Read the full report: EC 2024 Friday
Sebastian Fredenberg is the 2023-2024 European Grand Prix champion!
Read the full report: 2023-2024 European Grand Prix finale
Michał Kochanowski wins EC 2024 Sunday 30th Anniversary tournament!
Read the full report: EC 2024 30th Sunday Anniversary tournament
Jorge Delgado wins EC 2024 Week of Nightmares 1!
Read the full report: EC 2024 Week of Nightmares 1
Tommi Hakomaa wins EC 2024 Week of Nightmares 2!
Read the full report: EC 2024 Week of Nightmares 2
Tero Aalto wins EC 2024 Week of Nightmares 3!
Read the full report: EC 2024 Week of Nightmares 3
Thanks to all organisers, sponsors and players - hope to see you all in Aarhus 2025!
 |
 |
Congratulations to your second EC victory! Thanks for agreeing to an interview. So, this was a two day event. How was the Day 1 tournament for you? What deck did you play?
Thanks. On Day 1 I played my Tupdog rocket deck. I got 1 GW and 5 VP. Unfortunaly, in the second round my prey was a deck with too much damage prevention, so not a good result for that day for me.
OK, so what about Day 2 – how did you choose your deck for this tournament?
The deck I played on Day 2 is an idea that I tried when I saw the spoiler of the new Malkavian Justicar. I´ve played some games in my city with it, and then I played it in one of the Week of Nightmares tournaments in Warsaw and got 0 VP´s :-) There were too many combat decks in my games. I chose to play it on Day 2 because in my opinion political decks are very weak in this meta, so probably no one was ready to fight them (not that many Delaying Tactics and not many Auspex intercept decks. And that worked! :-)
The tournament winning deck: “Politico malkarishat ASHUR”
Crypt (12 cards)
4x Juliet Parr 9 AUS DOM OBF cel pot justicar Malkavian:7
2x Alexander Silverson 8 AUS DOM OBF pre prince Malkavian:6
1x Gilbert Duane 7 AUS DOM OBF baron Malkavian:6
4x Arishat 6 DAI OBF PRE 1 vote Baali:6
1x Andi Liu 6 DOM aus obf pre prince Malkavian:6
Library (78 cards)
Master (16; 5 trifle)
6x Ashur Tablets
1x Asylum Hunting Ground
1x Coven, The
2x Dreams of the Sphinx
2x Information Highway
2x Villein
2x Wider View
Action (14)
4x Condemnation: Mute
8x Govern the Unaligned
2x Unleash Hell's Fury
Political Action (16)
1x Anarchist Uprising
1x Ancilla Empowerment
6x Kine Resources Contested
2x My Kin Against the World
6x Parity Shift
Equipment (2)
1x Heart of Nizchetus
1x Sargon Fragment, The
Action Modifier (16)
2x Elder Impersonation
7x Forgotten Labyrinth
7x Lost in Crowds
Reaction (14)
8x Deflection
6x Obedience
Tell us about the deck! What is a good table for this deck?
It´s an old style political deck with Obfuscate. I try to get the vote lock with Arishat´s ability and Condemnation: Mute. I have Obedience and Unleash Hell´s Fury against rush decks, and Deflection against bleed decks.
New wall decks like Gangrel and similar are not able to block this kind of deck – with just one card I go to 4 stealth, it´s too much for them.
The only trick is the two My Kin Against the World. No one expected three bleeds with Govern and three Kine Resources Contested on the same turn :-)
I like a seating with no combat, that´s it :-)
You got 2 GW 9 VP in the preliminary rounds. How were does games for you?
In game 1 I got the vote lock easily without Arishat, so I was waiting for the right moment and let my prey take his VP against a War Ghoul deck and my grand predator take his VP against a wall combat deck (my predator), then I closed the game in a single turn.
Game 3 was very hard with four political decks and one combat deck. I made a deal with Martin Weinmeyer to get me 1 VP and 1 GW 4 VP to him. I did that because with 2 GW 9 VP I had a very good chance to became top seed in the final.
When you saw the final table decks and players, what did you think about your chances?
In the final I knew Marius and Nerijus (my grand predator in game 1), but I didn´t know the other two guys. But I saw their decks so I thought I had two strategies to win: Strategy number 1 was to win on timeout – to try to resist my predator and with Parity Shift and some table talk trying to keep every player alive. Strategy number 2 was to save a lot of Deflections in my hand – before my last turn I had 4 – and use those to bounce every bleed on my prey to make him use his defence and maybe take some damage, then on my turn vote and bleed him to death.
The only deck that I feared was Marius because of his rush power.
How did the final play out?
Strategy number 2 didn´t work as I didn´t get many bleed against me, but strategy number 1 worked well for me :-) There wasn´t many interesting moments to tell you about.
Thanks again for taking time for this interview. Do you have any closing words, maybe some thoughts about the future of VTES?
I think we have a lot of new players, and that is great. I hope our number of players grow a lot – many players means much fun :-) The only exception of that is Day 2 at the EC. I prefer a Day 2 tournament woth fewer players. 50 is better than 90 or 70 for me.
KELLY LYONS WINS GRAND PRIX NEW ORLEANS 2024!
The fourth installment of the Gulf Coast Roast Grand Prix circuit was played on October 14 with 18 players.
Read the full report: Grand Prix New Orleans 2024
VINCENT RIPOLL IS THE 2024 CHAMPION OF FRANCE!
This tournament was played in Villeurbanne on October 19 with 50 players.
Read the full report: France National Championship 2024
KEITH LIM IS THE 2024 CHAMPION OF AUSTRALIA/NEW ZEALAND!
36 players gathered in Sydney, Australia, for this event on October 26.
Read the full report: Australia/New Zealand Continental Championship 2024
MARCUS BERG IS THE 2024 CHAMPION OF SWEDEN!
30 Methuselahs turned up in Stockholm for this tournament on October 26.
Read the full report: Sweden National Championship 2024
The full art promo created for this event.
FESTIVO DELLO ESTINTO PART 6 - A SABBAT STORYLINE TOURNAMENT
Some words from Jorge Cerdá and friends, the organisers of Festivo dello Estinto, a big storyline event in Zaragoza, Spain, that took place on October 16:
More than eighty blood-thirsty souls arrived at the venue to battle to the death at the sixth edition of the Festivo dello Estinto. Next day, those very same souls left with a sense of joy and community, full to the brim. Let me show you:
The Festivo dello Estinto is not your typical European, national, or whatever big tournament you name; it’s a call to brothers to experience the living history surrounding our beloved game. Among the attendees were families, partners, newcomers, and children, all gathered to enjoy a weekend with friends that you’re lucky to see even a few times each year. In some sense, VTES is just an excuse for this big family to come together for a weekend.
Two new blood cainites with their sires!
The event was held at Camping de Zaragoza, a wonderful spot surrounded by nature where you can rent a bungalow or stay at the cozy hostel. This, of course, was the perfect opportunity for cheeky nocturnal visits from one place to another, waking up a bunch of friends to share experiences and pints of beer. It was also a fantastic place to explore the city for those who didn’t attend the main matches of the tournament.
Let me explain a bit: the Festivo dello Estinto is an annual tournament based on an unofficial storyline, and it’s the only storyline-based tournament still active in the world. In fact, organizers record anecdotes that happen at the tables in an effort to include some in the chronicles that are written after the event, to be shared in the following year.
Some of the rules set by Zaragoza’s archbishopric (remember, this is the haven of Lucita, Owain Evans, and other powerful Cainites!) for Saturday were as follows: players needed to fill at least 25% of their crypt with Sabbat vampires, and Sabbat minions could hunt with +1 to hunt and +1 stealth. There were also a few other mechanics not seen in the official VTES rule set, enough to drastically alter the metagame (for further reading, visit this website).
After three rounds and a grand finale, Francesc Ros emerged as the conquering winner with his Tremere, fighting against Oriol Pubill’s anarchs, who strove to control the city. Iván Bernal’s Tzimisces, Guillermo Lluch’s Blood Brothers, and Javier de Haro’s crazy-ass Maris Streck were also in the final fight.
Finalists: Guillermo Lluch, Iván Bernal, Javier de Haro, Francesc Ros and Oriol Pubill.
On Sunday, with our undead brains filled with alcohol and memories from the previous day, we held yet another tournament called Blood buff (inspired by the “Fast Hands” format), also with unique rules. This one transformed the game into an absolute frenzy of bleed and speed: twelve transfers were given to each player before the game even began, along with other changes to make the tables turn at a diabolical pace. For example, the final game lasted only 17 minutes!
After all, the real highlight that day was the massive barbecue feast we had for everyone. Massive queues, let me tell you. Did I not say that VTES was only an excuse?
I mean, they had to do something of use during the weekend, right?
At the end of the day, we know what this game is really about. It’s just a channel, a conduit, if you will, for friends to reunite. A perfect opportunity to meet new people (shout-out to all the geeks who made the journey from all around the country, and even from Portugal!). I’d like to end this report by thanking the Quinto Elemento and Estalia Córdoba stores for making the prizes not only possible but very appealing too.
I can’t forget Mariia Todorova, who did a stunning job illustrating some special cards, nor Txogitxu and Jonathan, who provided the unstoppable flood of meat for the barbecue.
Jonathan, Mariia Todorova and Iñigo.
Zaragoza’s primogeniture: Esto es más que un juego (It’s more than a game).
Special thanks to Black Chantry for making our dreams come true once again with the creation of a full-art version for Festivo dello Estinto – truly a masterpiece!
BLACK CHANTRY SUMMARY: OCTOBER 2024
• A FANTASTIC team of German volunteers showed VTES to many interested people at Asmodee´s booth at the Spiel Essen 2024 game fair. This was a great success - BIG thanks to these noble souls!
 |
 |
• Essen held the "prerelease" sale of the Fifth Edition Lasombra preconstructed deck, officially released on October 31. This is a very special set for Black Chantry, because it is the first one with a new discipline, Oblivion, that is wholly designed by the Black Chantry design team lead by Ben Peal.
• A reminder: Draft is coming back to VTES! Black Chantry has given VEKN National Coordinators the chance of testing a print-on-demand draft kit for 8-10 players. Are you interested in testing this experience?, talk to your National Coordinator.
• Other projects are in progress: 2025 Fifth Edition Sabbat preconstructed decks are moving towards a second round of playtesting soon, the Hecata preconstructed deck will hopefully be in stores in January, the five next New Blood packs (Lasombra, Hecata, Ravnos, Salubri and Tzimisce) are planned for late first quarter next year.
• More old legacy single cards for print-on-demand will hopefully be up before Christmas shopping is over – Dementation and Temporis stuff have priority.
• The 2-player VTES variant is still on hold for now.
• Currently these Black Chantry products are available through Gamepod, 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 and Gamepod only)
Promo Pack 1 (Drivethrucards and Gamepod only)
Promo Pack 2 (Drivethrucards and Gamepod only)
Promo Pack 3 (For promotion only)
Promo Pack 4 (For promotion 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, Latin)
Fifth Edition: Nosferatu (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
Fifth Edition: Toreador (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
Fifth Edition: Tremere (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
Fifth Edition: Ventrue (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
Promo Pack 3 (Event promos only)
Fifth Edition: Banu Haqim (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
Fifth Edition: Brujah (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
Fifth Edition: Gangrel (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
Fifth Edition: The Ministry (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
New Blood: Malkavian (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
New Blood: Nosferatu (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
New Blood: Toreador (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
New Blood: Tremere (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
New Blood: Ventrue (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
The Fall of London (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
Echoes of Gehenna
Shadows of Berlin (Also Spanish, French)
New Blood: Banu Haqim (Also Spanish, French)
New Blood: Brujah (Also Spanish, French)
New Blood: Gangrel (Also Spanish, French)
New Blood: The Ministry (Also Spanish, French)
Fifth Edition: Ravnos (Also Spanish, French)
Fifth Edition: Salubri (Also Spanish, French)
Fifth Edition: Tzimisce (Also Spanish, French)
30th Anniversary (Also Spanish, French)
Fifth Edition: Lasombra (Also Spanish, French)
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 annual Paradox World of Darkness "Month of Darkness" has ended. The full list is at the dedicated page, but our top 5 picks to highlight are:
• Vampire: The Masquerade released for Alchemy Virtual Tabletop
• Double Bloodlines 2 Dev Diary entries; #19 about #19 about hunting and feeding and #20 about #20 about blood resonance
• In Memoriam was revealed - a sourcebook for Vampire: The Masquerade taking the game to another level
• The 20 inch LED Neon wall ankh - a must-have for all true vampires! And yes, there´s a Sabbat ankh too!
• Massive high quality merch-on-demand offer on Amazon: Your choice of World of Darkness graphics on thirts, hoddies and sweaters.
Subscribe to the World of Darkness News show for more news!
CALENDAR
Upcoming tournaments for the coming month (registered so far) are in:
Brasil x25
Canada
Chile
Croatia x2
Czech Republic
Denmark
Finland x3
France x2
Germany
Hungary x3
Italy x2
Mexico
Netherlands
Online x2
Poland
Philippines x2
Portugal x3
Singapore x2
Slovakia
South Africa
Spain x13
United Kingdom x2
USA x4
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 VEKN
You can contact the VEKN Inner Circle members using contact forms at VEKN.net. Also follow the official VTES Facebook page Vampire: The Eternal Struggle, the official VEKN X (Twitter) account @VEKN_VTES and the official VTES Discord server.
In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.
Report by Maciej Broniarz, VEKN National Coordinator of Poland:
On Thursday, September 26, 47 players turned up for the third EC Week of Nightmares tournament in Warsaw, Poland. Yet again, the event was held at the friendly H.4.0.S. gaming bar in the centre of Warsaw. The venue served drinks with VTES-themed names, such as Taste of Vitae and The Bitter and Sweet Story.
Also, Nowy again took his time to scout out the event’s decks for you:
3x Ministry
6x Tzimisce V5
1x Tzimisce Sabbat Edition
1x Mistress Fanchon
1x Ravnos Laibon Carnival
1x True Brujah
1x Tremere & Gargoyles with Raw Recruitment
2x Ghede
2x Banu Haqim
1x Almost Perfect Lucian
3x Toreador V5
3x Ravnos V5
2x Erlik
1x Gangrel V5
1x Lutz
1x Barons Obfuscate
1x Assamites Web Recruit
1x Antonio & Nephandi
1x Arika
1x Mata Hari Inside Dirt
2x Guillaume
1x Salubri V5
5x Brujah V5
1x Rachel Brandywine
1x Demented Malkavians and friends
1x Carna & Antonio Nephandi
1x Samedi Mambo Jeanne
1x Infernal Helena
Standings after two rounds:
1. Tero Aalto 2 GW 7.5 VP
2. Sélim Ammouche 2 GW 6.5 VP
3. Nemanja Jovicic 1 GW 6 VP
4. Jozef Patrnciak 1 GW 5 VP
5. Magnus Söder 1 GW 5 VP
Final seating: Nemanja Jovicic (Tzimisce V5) -> Magnus Söder (Ravnos Laibon Carnival) -> Jozef Patrnciak (Carna & Antonio Nephandus) -> Tero Aalto (Tzimisce V5) -> Sélim Ammouche (Guillaume Obtenebration special)
The final timed out with all the players getting 0.5 VP, thus granting a win to Tero Alto of Finland with the highest standing. Congratulations!
Tero Alto’s tournament winning deck: “Radical Leftist”
“2 GW 7,5 + 0,5 in the final. Considering that this team of small incompetent Stanislavas is my freshest new TWD entry since the first The Unnamed win back in 2019, it was beyond high time to turn a new page. The deck is atypical to me in several ways, including not having a star vampire, nor any 10/11-caps. Then again, there are familiar traits, too, such as great combat defence and lunge potential. 5/5 would play again.”
Crypt (12 cards)
3x Adrino Manauara 8 ANI DOM PRO pot baron Tzimisce:6
3x Ángel Guerrero 7 ANI DOM PRO baron Tzimisce:6
2x Kamile Paukstys 5 PRO ani for Gangrel:6
1x Branimira 6 ANI dom pre pro baron Tzimisce:6
1x Clara Hjortshøj 5 PRO ani aus dom Tzimisce:6
1x Kuyén 6 ANI PRO baron Gangrel:6
1x Marialena 5 DOM PRO ani Tzimisce:6
Library (77 cards)
Master (14; 4 trifle)
1x Anarch Railroad
1x Carfax Abbey
1x Direct Intervention
2x Dreams of the Sphinx
2x Garibaldi-Meucci Museum
1x Giant's Blood
1x Library Hunting Ground
1x Papillon
4x Villein
Event (1)
1x Scourge of the Enochians
Action (10)
10x Govern the Unaligned
Political Action (2)
2x Eat the Rich
Equipment (2)
2x Heart of Nizchetus
Action Modifier (7)
3x Conditioning
4x Earth Control
Action Modifier/Reaction (4)
4x Form of the Bat
Combat (16)
2x Donnybrook
7x Earth Meld
7x Form of Mist
Reaction (21)
5x Bait and Switch
3x Deep Ecology
3x Deflection
2x On the Qui Vive
8x Organized Resistance
Other finalists’ decks:
“Guillaume the Realtor” by Sélim Ammouche (based of Gilles Molina's list)
Crypt (12 cards)
5x Guillaume Giovanni 9 CEL DOM NEC POT obt Giovanni:4
2x Sennadurek 6 AUS NEC dom Nagaraja:4
1x Raphaela Giovanni 6 DOM NEC pot pre Giovanni:4
1x Gianmaria Giovanni 5 POT dom nec obt Giovanni:5
1x Kay Polerno 4 dom nec pro Giovanni:5
1x Primo Giovanni 4 dom nec pot Giovanni:4
1x Cristobal Ghiberti 2 nec Giovanni:4
Library (90 cards)
Master (31; 6 trifle)
1x Anarch Troublemaker
1x Barrens, The
1x Charisma
1x Creepshow Casino
1x Direct Intervention
1x Dis Pater
1x Dummy Corporation
1x Filchware's Pawn Shop
1x Giant's Blood
1x Information Highway
1x Jake Washington
1x Line, The
1x Metro Underground
1x Monastery of Shadows
1x Morgue Hunting Ground
5x Parthenon, The
2x Perfectionist
1x Powerbase: Cape Verde
1x Powerbase: Savannah
1x Secure Haven
1x Therbold Realty
4x Vessel
1x Wider View
Event (2)
1x FBI Special Affairs Division
1x Unmasking, The
Action (14)
1x Dominate Kine
1x Far Mastery
9x Govern the Unaligned
3x Sudario Refraction
Ally (11)
1x Carlton Van Wyk
1x Mylan Horseed
8x Nocturn
1x Tye Cooper
Equipment (1)
1x Gran Madre di Dio, Italy
Action Modifier (15)
2x Bonding
5x Call of the Hungry Dead
3x Conditioning
1x Foreshadowing Destruction
1x Seduction
3x Shroud of Absence
Action Modifier/Reaction (3)
3x Spectral Divination
Reaction (13)
7x Deflection
3x Delaying Tactics
3x On the Qui Vive
“Graveyard Shift” by Nemanja Jovicic
Crypt (12 cards)
4x Adrino Manauara 8 ANI DOM PRO pot baron Tzimisce:6
3x Ãngel Guerrero 7 ANI DOM PRO baron Tzimisce:6
1x Branimira 6 ANI dom pre pro baron Tzimisce:6
1x KuyÃn 6 ANI PRO baron Gangrel:6
1x Clara Hjortshøj 5 PRO ani aus dom Tzimisce:6
1x Kamile Paukstys 5 PRO ani for Gangrel:6
1x Prentis Derby 4 ani dom pro Tzimisce:6
Library (80 cards)
Master (15; 6 trifle)
1x Anarch Railroad
1x Carfax Abbey
1x Direct Intervention
2x Dreams of the Sphinx
1x Garibaldi-Meucci Museum
1x Giant's Blood
1x Library Hunting Ground
1x Powerbase: Montreal
4x Vessel
2x Wider View
Action (15)
5x Deep Song
10x Govern the Unaligned
Action Modifier (8)
4x Conditioning
4x Earth Control
Action Modifier/Reaction (4)
4x Form of the Bat
Combat (18)
2x Claws of the Dead
9x Earth Meld
7x Form of Mist
Reaction (20)
4x Bait and Switch
4x Deep Ecology
4x Deflection
6x Organized Resistance
2x Protection Racket
“Physics of a Clown Car” by Magnus Söder
“U know what it does.”
Crypt (12 cards)
1x Andrei Puxon 5 ani cel chi for Ravnos:2
1x Ghivran Dalaal, The Dead God 5 FOR ani aus chi Ravnos:2
1x Khalil Ravana 5 CHI ani for pre Ravnos:2
1x Anka, Priestess of Thorns 4 ani chi pro Ravnos:2
1x Salbatore Bokkengro 4 CHI for pro Ravnos:2
1x Sennuwy, The Promoter 4 ani chi for Ravnos:2
1x Ashlesha 3 aus chi Ravnos:2
1x Lázár Dobrescu 3 for Ravnos:2
1x Vedel Esbreno 3 chi for Ravnos:2
1x Sasha Miklos 2 chi Ravnos:2
1x Spleen, Georgio Gutterpunk 2 ani chi Ravnos:2
1x Zip 2 ani Ravnos:3
Library (60 cards)
Master (8)
1x Life Boon
6x Ravnos Carnival
1x Week of Nightmares
Event (2)
2x Uncoiling, The
Action (31)
1x Aranthebes, The Immortal
20x Embrace, The
10x Mozambique Allure
Political Action (8)
1x Autarkis Persecution
7x Consanguineous Boon
Action Modifier (2)
2x Daring the Dawn
Action Modifier/Reaction (9)
9x Eldest Are Kholo, The
“Discount Mafia” by Jozef Patrnciak
Crypt (12 cards)
3x Carna, The Princess Witch 7 AUS DOM THA primogen Tremere:3
1x Muhsin Samir 6 DOM THA aus pot Tremere:4
5x Antonio d'Erlette 5 THA dom for pot Tremere antitribu:4
1x Andrew Stuart 5 AUS DOM THA Tremere:4
2x Anarch Convert 1 Caitiff:any
Library (86 cards)
Master (27; 6 trifle)
1x Academic Hunting Ground
2x Anarch Troublemaker
1x Arcane Library
6x Ashur Tablets
1x Direct Intervention
1x Dreams of the Sphinx
1x Information Highway
1x Liquidation
3x Parthenon, The
1x Powerbase: Montreal
2x Shard, London, The
1x University Hunting Ground
3x Vessel
1x Wash
2x Wider View
Event (3)
1x FBI Special Affairs Division
2x Unmasking, The
Action (6)
6x Magic of the Smith
Ally (12)
1x Carlton Van Wyk
9x Nephandus
1x Ponticulus
1x Vagabond Mystic
Equipment (5)
1x Bowl of Convergence
1x Heart of Nizchetus
1x Ivory Bow
2x Sniper Rifle
Action Modifier (12)
2x Empowering the Puppet King
2x Foreshadowing Destruction
8x Mirror Walk
Reaction (21)
6x Deflection
5x Delaying Tactics
3x Eyes of Argus
2x My Enemy's Enemy
3x On the Qui Vive
2x Telepathic Misdirection
Thanks to all players, sponsors and organisers!
Danilo Torrisi, European Champion 2024.
Greetings fellow Methuselahs,
THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF VAMPIRE: THE ETERNAL STRUGGLE CONTINUES
… and the EC 2024 was one of the peaks in the celebration! We would love to return to you within shortly with details about how these events played out, but for now we can say this:
Week of Nightmares 1: Winner Jorge Delgado (Spain)
Week of Nightmares 2: Winner Tommi Hakomaa (Finland)
Week of Nightmares 3: Winner Tero Aalto (Finland)
EC Friday tournament: Winner Marius Iscru (France)
EC Day 1: Winner Simone Parmeggiani (Italy)
European Grand Prix 2023-2024 final: Winner Sebastian Fredenberg (Sweden)
EC Sunday tournament: Winner Michał Kochanowski (Poland)
EC Day 2: Winner Danilo Torrisi (Italy) – congratulations Danilo, the new and returning European champion!
We hope to return with a winner interview in the next newsletter, and more photos by Marko Saari!
WELCOME TO EC 2025 IN DENMARK!
A message from Jesper Bøje, VEKN National Coordinator of Denmark:
Dear Methuselahs,
I am excited to announce that Aarhus, Denmark, has been chosen to host the European Championship (EC) in 2025! Preparations are already underway, with scouting for locations, gathering volunteers, planning a thrilling week of events, and seeking sponsors.
With this year’s EC reaching full capacity, I am confident we can make 2025 an even greater success.
In the coming months, I’ll be reaching out to players, Princes, National Coordinators, and stores to explore what it will take to bring players to Denmark. While not every idea may be feasible, I want to hear them all. What would it take for you and your playgroup to attend EC2025?
The Championship is scheduled for October 17th-19th, 2025. For now, you can visit vtes-ec2025.org, where you’ll find the most basic information. The website will be updated with registration, information and more as we get to spring 2025.
I hope to see you all in 2025 – whether at the EC itself or at the tournaments leading up to it!
Best regards,
Jesper Bøje
JOSÉ ROBERIO BARBOSA DA SILVA IS THE SOUTH AMERICAN CHAMPION 2024!
This event was played on September 7 in Campina Grande, Brazil with 41 players.
Read the full report: SAC 2024
ALEXANDER TÜSCHEN IS THE 2024 GERMAN CHAMPION!
The German championship gathered 32 Methuselahs in Darmstadt-Arheilgen on September 7.
Read the full report: German Championship 2024
RECRUITMENT EXERCISE: THESSALONIKI
Some words from Babis Giannios, VEKN National Coordinator of Greece:
Dear reader! Our demo event is over and as an organiser I'm more than elated with how things went in a city where the VTES scene was dead. Twelve people showed up – 11 of them new to the game and 1 of them a veteran. Due to personal reasons, 6 people cancelled their attendance beforehand.
We had an awesome time going on with 2 preliminary rounds and a final. The entire event took us roughly 7 hours, and we all felt excited in the end, wishing for more!
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
We have established our VTES gaming nights, and the store has pledged to offer us a “Gaming Saturday” each month for a local tournament -as well as a hanging place to play VTES.
Needless to say that the store almost sold out every item they had, as the players excitedly proceeded in purchasing precon decks and other VTES packs.
In a nutshell, it was a blast, marking this as my first successful organised event! Thanks to VEKN and Black Chantry so much for everything! Looking forward for more games!
Kind regards,
Babis Giannios
WALBERT IBARRA WINS TWILIGHT CAMP 2!
This tournament was played in El Tabo, Chile on August 31 with 40 players. It is not a national or continental championship, but it had high attendance, so we are happy to highlight it here!
Read the full report: Twilight Camp 2
 |
 |
 |
RECRUITMENT EXERCISE: GIJÓN
Words by Daniel Méndez Carreño, VEKN Prince of Gijón:
CometCon 2024: Breaking the Masquerade in Gijón
CometCon 2024, held on September 6, 7 and 8 at the Luis Adaro Fairgrounds in Gijón, was an event that attracted thousands of enthusiasts of alternative culture and leisure. Although an exact number of attendees is not available, it is estimated that participation was massive, consolidating CometCon as one of the most important events of its kind in Spain.
However, among the shadows of the pavilions and the echoes of laughter and conversations, something darker was brewing. The breaking of the Masquerade was underway, and the Kindred of the night gathered in secret, hidden in plain sight among mortals.
One of the highlights of the event was the area dedicated to board games. The AsturMeeple association managed to gather 2 050 players, a number that resonated like a whisper in the night, attracting those who seek power and intrigue. This success was possible thanks to the support of numerous publishers who provided materials for the games, enriching the experience for attendees. Black Chantry played a crucial role in ensuring the presence of VTES, a reflection of the power struggles between the vampire clans.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Throughout the event, tournaments, raffles, demonstrations, and game activities were held, attracting a large number of players and curious onlookers. The younger Kindred, still learning to handle their disciplines, mingled with the elders, sharing strategies and secrets in an atmosphere charged with tension and mystery. The Methuselahs, ever watchful, sought among the mortals for potential candidates to strengthen their clans, carefully evaluating those who showed potential and cunning. In every glance and every gesture, the Eternal Struggle for power and survival was palpable.
In summary, CometCon 2024 was not only a success in terms of attendance and organization but also significantly contributed to the growth of the VTES community. Although only 16 newblood formally joined the Bastion of the North, ”dozens have tasted the flavor of the foreign pool” and will return, drawn by the promise of power and the Eternal Struggle for dominance.
CometCon 2024 has once again proven to be an essential event for lovers of alternative culture and the perfect showcase for VTES, where the line between reality and fiction blurs, and the Masquerade threatens to break at any moment.
 |
 |
 |
RECRUITMENT EXERCISE: BRATISLAVA
Martin Dudik of Slovakia send us these pics from a recent demo he did in Bratislava. He created these beautiful rollup banners with the help of Black Chantry. He uses a rebuilt Fifth Edition box set for decks and components, handy to immediately recommend people to buy it if they like the game. Three games were run at this occation, but two more are planned in the near future. Great work Martin!
Do you also want to run demo games? Talk to !
BLACK CHANTRY SUMMARY: SEPTEMBER 2024
• Four out of five Black Chantry ghouls attended the European Championship in Warsaw. Yes, you guessed correctly, it was the European ghouls Ginés, Hugh, Henrik and Vincent who spread their questionable celebrity presence in the Polish capital, and of course this was a pure delight, this 30th Anniversary year! Hugh helped judge tournaments while the others failed miserably to win games.
• The fifth ghoul, Ben Peal, instead attended the South American Championship in Campina Grande, Brazil, which you can read about above in this newsletter. He enjoyed this very much! Listen to his smooth voice in these two interviews: Garagem do Nerd TV and Blood Faca VTES
• When you read this you might already sunk your claws into the Fifth Edition Lasombra preconstructed deck – the official release date is October 31, so the official legality date for the new cards is November 30.
• In other printing news is that another batch of the Banu Haqim, Brujah, Gangrel and Ministry preconstructed decks is being printed, on the shelves in December.
• Promo Pack 3 and Shadows of Berlin are now totally out of stock and will not be printed for stores again, but appear for print on demand in the future.
• Draft is coming back to VTES! Black Chantry has given VEKN National Coordinators the chance of testing a print-on-demand draft kit for 8-10 players. Are you interested in testing this experience, talk to your National Coordinator.
• The first round of playtesting of four 2025 Fifth Edition Sabbat preconstructed decks has concluded. Thanks to all that tested and the playtest coordinators! Now the design team will analyse grades and comments and prepare the next round of testing.
• The last art and final text editing is being done for the Hecata preconstructed dec. Then it´s off to the printer - the aim is to have it in stores in January.
• The five 54-card New Blood packs for Hecata, Lasombra, Ravnos, Salubri and Tzimisce is also almost ready for print.
• More old legacy single cards for print-on-demand will hopefully be up before Christmas shopping is over – Dementation and Temporis stuff have priority.
• The 2-player VTES variant is still on hold for now.
• Currently these Black Chantry products are available through Gamepod, 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 and Gamepod only)
Promo Pack 1 (Drivethrucards and Gamepod only)
Promo Pack 2 (Drivethrucards and Gamepod only)
Promo Pack 3 (For promotion only)
Promo Pack 4 (For promotion 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, Latin)
Fifth Edition: Nosferatu (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
Fifth Edition: Toreador (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
Fifth Edition: Tremere (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
Fifth Edition: Ventrue (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
Promo Pack 3 (Event promos only)
Fifth Edition: Banu Haqim (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
Fifth Edition: Brujah (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
Fifth Edition: Gangrel (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
Fifth Edition: The Ministry (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
New Blood: Malkavian (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
New Blood: Nosferatu (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
New Blood: Toreador (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
New Blood: Tremere (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
New Blood: Ventrue (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
The Fall of London (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
Echoes of Gehenna
Shadows of Berlin (Also Spanish, French)
New Blood: Banu Haqim (Also Spanish, French)
New Blood: Brujah (Also Spanish, French)
New Blood: Gangrel (Also Spanish, French)
New Blood: The Ministry (Also Spanish, French)
Fifth Edition: Ravnos (Also Spanish, French)
Fifth Edition: Salubri (Also Spanish, French)
Fifth Edition: Tzimisce (Also Spanish, French)
30th Anniversary (Also Spanish, French)
Fifth Edition: Lasombra (Also Spanish, French) (UPCOMING!)
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
When this is written, the World of Darkness crew over at Paradox are almost through their annual "Month of Darkness" October reveal-and-content extravaganza. It´s one thing every day for a month, so you have to check out the whole thing at their site, but so far our favourite pick is In Memoriam for Vampire: The Masquerade. This sourcebook steps up the game a bit from the "street level" neonate style of the original setting, to ancillae level - that is the 100-200 year old almost-elders that have seized power in many cities in the absence of the true elders now whisked away by The Beckoning.
The official content blurb:
• Dive into and take part in Kindred history through flashback with expanded Memoriam rules.
• Craft Ancilla Characters with enriched rules designed for advanced play.
• Consolidated and Streamlined Memoriam Rules featuring new variations and advanced rules for deeper character development.
• New Lore, Resources & Plotlines surrounding 11 mortal eras and 8 pivotal Kindred events.
• Six New Loresheets that link characters to significant historical moments.
• Learn more about integrating Memoriam rules into your existing stories and how to tie your characters to older events
Sounds awesome, don´t you think?
Subscribe to the World of Darkness News show for more news!
CALENDAR
Upcoming tournaments for the coming month (registered so far) are in:
Australia
Brazil x21
Croatia
Czech Republic
Finland
France
Germany
Great Britain
Greece x2
Hungary
Italy x2
Netherlands
Online x2
Philippines x2
Poland
Serbia
Spain x10
Sweden
USA x10
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 VEKN
You can contact the VEKN Inner Circle members using contact forms at VEKN.net. Also follow the official VTES Facebook page Vampire: The Eternal Struggle, the official VEKN X (Twitter) account @VEKN_VTES and the official VTES Discord server.
Judge a man by his questions rather than his answers.
Page 4 of 48
- You are here:
-
Home
- Uncategorised