This event took place on October 19. Report by Christophe Baltazar, VEKN National Coordinator of France, and TWD comment by the champion:
French Championship 2024 is over. 50 players were in Villeurbanne for this event, coming from many places in France, and also 4 swiss guys, Martin Weinmayer from Austria and a big suprise as Mehdi Mazni came specially from Atlanta ❤ It's been a long time since the French championship gathered so many people, so first of all, I wanna thank everyone of you who make this event a success!
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After 3 rounds we had nearly a Parisian table in finale:
Sélim 1st seed with 2 GW 8 VP 174 TP playing Ventrue obf royalty (Arika ...)
Vincent Ripoll 2nd seed, 2 GW 8 VP 156 TP, with Baron swarm pro deck
Serge, 3th seed, 2 GW 7.5 VP 174 TP, with a Toreador Grand Ball AAA vote deck
Karim Baloul, 4th seed, 2 GW 7.5 VP 156 TP, with a baron ani deck
Frederic Pin 5th, 2 GW 7.0 VP, with weenie Gangrel Garou
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Serge was ousted first, followed by Selim (Obedience doesn't works vs Garous) and at time limit, with Fred and Karim still alive, Vincent wins his 2nd title of French Champion. Congrats to you Vincent Ripoll!
Fun fact : It's been more than one year that we planned to prepare a book about the French championship since the start in 2000. I've started the job and Vincent spent a lot of time finishing writing and organizing the book. At the end, it was too late to have it for Saturday ... so Vincent will receive it this week ... What's not natural that a winner "prepare" his own prizes?
The tournament winning deck, with comment:
Deck Name: Baron Protean
This deck is heavily inspired by Simo Tiippana's "Garou Rim: Foreshadowing Destruction" deck (TWD 11456) but I tweaked it a lot, removing the "bad" 8-cap barons to include smaller PRO vampire and reworking the master module.
I doubled all the key cards (so that the only copy doesn't end up in the bottom of the deck): Carfax (blood is crucial), Garibaldi (recursion is strong), and Club Illusion (because we need it to oust!). I played the deck at the EC, and noticed that the cardflow could be problematic, so I added two Heart of Nizchetus and a Powerbase: Los Angeles.
I didn't put The Uncoiling, but Scourge is really a pain in the a**, so it could be included somehow.
The Dark Influences completely screwed my predator during the final (by preventing him from getting a Renegade Garou with his 2-cap before any baron was out to block) and other predators during other rounds playing Immortal Grapple or whatever.
The Erciyes Fragments was a last-minute addition, allowing me to oust to preys with their own bleed cards, but also to retrieve Carrion Crows during the final to fight against the Renegade Garous. The Discipline spread is so wide that you can almost play any card.
Crypt (12 cards)
1x Sergio Bueno 8 OBF PRE PRO aus pot baron Ministry:6
1x Ángel Guerrero 7 ANI DOM PRO baron Tzimisce:6
1x Massimiliano 7 ANI FOR pro baron Gangrel:6
1x Valeriya Zinovieva 7 POT cel pre pro baron Brujah:6
1x Vivian VI 7 PRE PRO obf tha baron Ministry:6
1x Branimira 6 ANI dom pre pro baron Tzimisce:6
1x Casey Snyder 6 PRO ani cel for baron Gangrel:6
1x Elisha Tucker 6 PRE cel obf pro baron Ministry:6
1x Kuyén 6 ANI PRO baron Gangrel:6
1x Kamile Paukstys 5 PRO ani for Gangrel:6
1x Indira 3 PRO Gangrel:6
1x Joseph Fischer 3 PRO Gangrel antitribu:5
Library (90 cards)
Master (27; 6 trifle)
1x Anarch Free Press, The
1x Anarch Troublemaker -- to burn any annoying weapon (Sniper, Ivory Bow) or to deliver the final blow
2x Carfax Abbey -- "The blood is the life!"
2x Club Illusion -- plan A for ousting
1x Dark Influences -- a great defensive card
1x Erciyes Fragments, The -- a last-minute addition, allowed me to oust to preys with their own bleed cards
2x Garibaldi-Meucci Museum -- as usual, gets back the bounce or intercept, or the killing votes
1x Papillon -- "The blood is the life!"
1x Poacher's Hunting Ground -- more blood, or if someone has already a Papillon or Carfax out
1x Powerbase: Los Angeles -- required to cycle more
6x Protean -- we don't need 8 of them for the 8 Childe, as we never play them all. Can be used on some barons to give them PRO
1x Rötschreck -- nice ot have, but not crucial at all
1x Tribute to the Master -- never drawn at the right time
6x Villein -- probably better than Vessel / Blood Doll, allows to get more vampires out, and I rely on the HG to regain blood
Action (10)
1x Aranthebes, The Immortal -- to contest, always useful anyway
8x Childe of the Revolution -- bleed or Revolutionary fodder
1x Constant Revolution -- I removed it, then put it back because it's a great end-game card (before, it's just fun, no need to defend it)
Political Action (2)
1x Eat the Rich -- easy to call, recursive with Garibaldi
1x Revolutionary Council -- endgame oust and/or threat removal (Ivory Bow or strong locations)
Equipment (2)
2x Heart of Nizchetus
Action Modifier (6)
4x Earth Control
2x Monkey Wrench -- for the surprise bleed boost, recursive
Action Modifier/Reaction (4)
4x Form of the Bat
Combat (14)
6x Donnybrook -- agg threat is efficient (can be retrieved with Garibaldi)
8x Earth Meld
Reaction (25)
6x Bait and Switch
1x Delaying Tactics -- I added it for the EC, never used
16x Organized Resistance -- spam! spam! spam!
2x Protection Racket
I would like to thank Ultra Pro for their support, once again, they send us several products for finalist.
Thanks also to Thibaut Trampont, our french distributor for his support too because he offered us several bundles of cards!
Thanks to Octogones who host us the week-end.
Thanks to Mickael Lavallée who co-organized this event with me and spend his entire week-end providing demos.
This was not a national or continental championship, but we got this nice report, so we might as well include it here! :) Reported by Daniel Bravo, VEKN Online Prince:
On August 31 of this year, the Chilean VTES community celebrated the Twilight Camp 2: Descent into Darkness tournament. The Twilight Camp tournaments are an annual event organized by the VTESConce community in conjunction with the Barony of Santiago, held in the coastal town of El Tabo, offering participants the opportunity to stay overnight.
The Twilight Camp tournament has become one of the most anticipated events for the Chilean VTES community, due to its location and the atmosphere created in each edition. This year, Twilight Camp 2 became the tournament with the most participants in VTES history in Chile to date, with a total of 40 players across 8 tables.
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The winner this year was Walbert Ibarra, who emerged as the best player with a combat/bleed Banu Haqim deck in a final table that included Aurelio Zamora with a bleeding Malkavian deck with Dominate, Juan Rodríguez with a Ghede deck, Iván Gómez with an anarchist Gangrel blocking deck, and Boris Aracena with a Followers of Set bleeding deck with Dominate.
The winner's account for this year is as follows: “The final table was in a tense balance, with each player being careful and intelligent in every action. No one was looking to take a clear advantage over the table. The turning point came when my prey, who was a bleeding deck, could eliminate their prey, another bleeding deck. At that moment, I decided to control their vampire and easily sent it to torpor. At that point, my predator, who had a Ghede deck, came for me since I had tilted the table in my favor, and it was the right move. Once in combat, I maneuvered back three times, using Hunger of Marduk + Lightning Reflexes, stealing 10 blood from Ghede along with a shot from the Magnum, which set the table in my favor.
As for playing, you control your first predator, using them as a blood bag. You concede that point while gradually damaging your prey but letting them play forward. When they are about to eliminate their prey, you finish them off. By that time, you should have your second predator with you, and you repeat the process. It’s a deck that bets on killing two, gaining the table point, and the GW.
It was a very good event. Each event aims to create a particular excitement, and this event generated camaraderie and friendship. The location is beautiful, the weather was sunny and great, and the organization was a 7 out of 10. I left with a great impression, and we need to keep supporting these initiatives.”
The tournament winning deck:
Master (15)
6x Ashur Tablet
4x Haqim´s Law: Retribution
5x Villein
Event (1)
1x Narrow Minds
Action (13)
11x Hunter's Mark
2x Magic of the Smith
Equipment (3)
1x .44 Magnum
1x Heart of Nizchetus
1x Ivory Bow
Action Modifier/Combat (2)
2x Swallowed by the Night
Combat (51)
5x Blur
1x Flash
19x Hunger of Marduk
5x Lightning Reflexes
6x Psyche!
9x Pursuit
2x Quickness
4x Rego Motum
Reaction (5)
5x Second Tradition: Domain
Thanks to all organisers, sponsors and players!
Reported by Márcio Pinheiro, VEKN Baron of Fortaleza and National Coordinator of Brazil:
This year's South American championship took place in the city of Campina Grande, Paraíba State, on September 7, Brazil's Independence Day, and featured 41 players. Below is a little about the participants:
• Campina Grande/PB was the largest playgroup;
• Followed by Recife/PE, which sent 6 players, who traveled 200 km (3 hours), in a car and a motorcycle;
• Teresina/PI sent 4 players, also by car, for 1,030 km (15 hours);
• Fortaleza/CE also sent 4 representatives, 3 by plane and one by bus (624 km, 14 hours);
• The North region sent two representatives, both by plane, Belém/PA (2,000 km) and Manaus/AM (3,500 km);
• The Southeast region sent two representatives, both by plane, Barra do Piraí/RJ (2,200 km) and São Paulo/SP (2,300 km); and
• North America sent one representative, by plane (Ben Peal).
The Teresina playgroup.
The event structure was impeccable, the store was exclusively for VTES, with VTES material in Portuguese on display and food available throughout the event, including a place to rest:
Thanks to the store owner and player Daniel Weslley Silva Xavier.
The organization was perfect. All the tables were set up on time and there was a raffle of material, in Portuguese, during the break between rounds. Thanks to the organizer and Baron Joab Rogerio Barbosa da Silva.
The prizes were grand, with the support of Conclave Editora and Black Chantry Productions.
The top players after the preliminary rounds:
1. José Roberio Barbosa da Silva 3 GW, 11.5 VP
2. Nilceu Galvão 2 GW, 7.0 VP
3. Joselmo Soares 2 GW, 6.0 VP, 148 TP
4. Diego Rodrigues 2 GW, 6.0 VP, 138 TP
5. Rafael Barbosa da Silva 1 GW, 7.0 VP
Let's get to the final: Rafael Barbosa da Silva was playing Tremere and took out Nilceu Galvão who was also playing Tremere. Joselmo Soares played Brujah V5 and took out Diego Rodrigues playing Chameleon. The two of them were left against the SAC 2024 Champion José Roberio Barbosa da Silva who played Gangrel V5, who ousted them both.
The tournament winning deck: ”Lobisomem america em campina 2.0”
Crypt (13 cards)
1x André the Manipulator 6 FOR PRO Gangrel:5
1x Casey Snyder6 PRO ani cel for baron Gangrel:6
1x Crow5 ANI for pro tha Gangrel:5
1x Dario Ziggler 5 FOR ani pro tha Gangrel:6
1x Hanna Nokelainen4 ani for pro Gangrel:6
1x Indira3 PRO Gangrel:6
1x Joaquín de Cádiz3 for pro Gangrel:6
1x Kamile Paukstys 5 PRO ani for Gangrel:6
1x Kuyén 6 ANI PRO baron Gangrel:6
1x Martina Srnankova 6 FOR PRO ani Gangrel:6
1x Massimiliano7 ANI FOR pro baron Gangrel:6
1x Nathan Turner 4 PRO ani Gangrel:6
1x Ruslan Fedorenko2 pro Gangrel:6
Library (88 cards)
Master (22; 8 trifle)
1x Anarch Free Press, The
1x Anarch Railroad
1x Backways
1x Carfax Abbey
1x Club Illusion
2x Direct Intervention
1x Ecoterrorists
1x Effective Management
1x Parthenon, The
1x Powerbase: Montreal
1x Smiling Jack, The Anarch
1x Tribute to the Master
2x Vessel
6x Villein
1x Zoo Hunting Ground
Action (16)
1x Constant Revolution
1x Rewilding
14x Thing
Ally (5)
1x Ossian
4x Renegade Garou
Retainer (4)
4x Raven Spy
Action Modifier (2)
2x Earth Control
Action Modifier/Reaction (2)
2x Form of the Bat
Combat (12)
11x Earth Meld
1x Form of Mist
Reaction (25)
6x Bait and Switch
5x Deep Ecology
1x Delaying Tactics
8x Eyes of the Wild
5x Protection Racket
Thanks to the players and Márcio for the report!
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