This event took place on July 18. Reported by Steve Harris, VEKN National Coordinator of Australia:

We had 17 players for our Grand Prix tournament in Brisbane this year. Players travelled from Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra and New Zealand to participate. It was a full weekend of VTES and other games, enjoyed by all.

Games were tough and every single player got at least half a VP. Only 2 people ended up with 0.5vps, which means almost everyone got at least one oust in the preliminary rounds.

Standings before the final:
1. Nick Miller 2 GW, 7 VP
2. Richard Aumann 2 GW, 5 VP
3. Simon Reed 2 GW, 4 VP
4. Harry Ross 1 GW, 5 VP
5. Shannon Dowley 1 GW, 4 VP

Shannon did extremely well with a hastily built deck assembled the night before from a box of cards he had brought with him. Simon Reed and Ke Carlton assisted him in assembling the deck, and I’m pretty sure it was after midnight when he had finished it. It may have even had a couple more changes first thing the next morning.

The table progressed roughly as one would expect. Simon got out about 5 minions, including an early Double Deuce and applied constant pressure to the BH. The Banu rushed mostly backwards to try and keep their predator under control. Alonso tooled up and did what he could forwards. Nick got out a big cap vamp initially and governed down, flicking bleeds forwards and getting a few zombies supported by Unmasking. The Lasombra wasn’t seeing as much stealth as he would like and had to play a bit careful.

An early play of the Coven by the Lasombra largely kept this table alive with extra blood and no one really seemed to get a strong advantage. Eventually Path of Death and Soul managed to oust the Lasombra and some time later the table timed out. It was a close battle but well deserved in the end.

Final result: Nick Miller 1.5 VP and tournament victory. Simon Reed 0.5 VP. Rich Aumann 0.5 VP. Harry Ross 0.5 VP.

The tournament winning deck: “Path of death ally toolbox” by Nick Miller
Comment: Play as a toolbox rather than swarm. Bring out the support cards The Unmasking, Dance of the Dead, Vagabond Mystic, Fiorella. Then there are options to block, bleed, rush with the Freakish Conglomerations. Possibility to lunge with Shroud, Govern, Fame. 

Crypt (12 cards)
1x Abderrahim, Death's Hand    9 AUS DOM OBL POT tha       Lasombra:6
1x Eulogio Sánchez de los Reyes  8 AUS DOM OBL THA         Tremere:6
2x Sakura, The Merciless     7 DOM OBL THA aus pot       Lasombra:6
1x Parijat, the Dark Oracle    7 AUS DOM FOR OBL         Hecata:6
1x Aintzane Arriaga        6 DOM OBL POT           Lasombra:6
1x Kamaluddin           6 DOM OBL for pot    primogen  Lasombra:6
1x Azucena            5 DOM OBL pot           Lasombra:6
1x Zbigniew, Hunter of Mekhet   5 OBL aus dom tha         Lasombra:6
1x El Monseñor          4 OBL dom             Lasombra:6
1x Alek König           3 OBL               Hecata:6
1x Nadezhda            3 aus obl             Hecata:6

Library (75 cards)
Master (15; 3 trifle)
1x Burial Site Hunting Ground
1x Direct Intervention
2x Dreams of the Sphinx
1x Elysian Fields
1x Fame
1x Giant's Blood
1x Life in the City
1x Line, The
2x Perfectionist
1x Powerbase: Montreal
2x Villein
1x Visit from the Capuchin

Action (15)
2x Dance of the Dead
7x Govern the Unaligned
1x Revelations
5x Shroud of Decay

Ally (10)
1x Fiorella, Empty One
7x Freakish Conglomeration
2x Vagabond Mystic

Action Modifier (15)
3x Gifts From Hereafter
1x Seduction
2x Shadow Cast
2x Shadow Cloak
4x Stygian Shroud
3x Where the Veil Thins

Action Modifier/Reaction (1)
1x Murmur of the False Will

Combat (5)
4x Pass Through Shadow
1x Target Vitals

Reaction (11)
6x Deflection
1x Delaying Tactics
1x On the Qui Vive
3x Shadow Sentinel

Event (3)
1x FBI Special Affairs Division
2x Unmasking, The

Sponsored by BCP, MotS Imports and Australia’s Online VTES store. Many thanks to the store, Comics Plus (Annerley, Brisbane) for hosting the weekend.