Nosferatu Royalty w/Auspex

Deck Name: The Nosferatu See All
Author: LivesByProxy
Description:
I've played this deck five(?) times now with slight tweaking here and there since I've encountered regular VTES veterans. Was looking for feedback on card ratios and thoughts on certain cards like Cryptic Rider.

Game plan is to get 2-3 Nosferatu in play, get 1-2 of them with superior Auspex so they can bounce bleeds to my prey with Telepathic Misdirection, and then wait for the opportune moment to play KRC and Parity Shift. So far I've been able to talk and deal my way into not being ousted immediately, and generally seeming unthreatening. This made me want to include Cryptic Rider for surprise pool damage. I really like the Elder Library and The Barrens for cycling. 4th Tradition and Parity Shift are obviously to save me some pool.

Khalid's special I feel is very strong. I wish more Nosferatu specials came close to that power level. Cycle cards to gain a pool has saved me every time he has shown up that I remembered to use it (and cost me the one game I forgot to use it.) Casino Reeds is there because of his built-in 4th Tradition: Accounting and Prince title. The others are really there because they have Auspex, but some of their specials are notable like Cock Robin and Kurt Densch.

Crypt (13 cards; Capacity min=7 max=10 avg=8.714286)
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2x Jara Drory 7 Nosferatu:3
3x Khalid 9 Nosferatu:3
2x Kurt Densch 8 Nosferatu:3
1x Aeron 9 Nosferatu antitribu:3
2x Casino Reeds 9 Nosferatu:3
2x Cock Robin 10 Nosferatu:3
1x Harrod 11 Nosferatu:2

Library: 90 cards

Master (20 cards; 8 Trifles)
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1x Elder Library
1x Labyrinth, The
1x Powerbase: Montreal
3x Auspex
1x Barrens, The
3x Vessel
3x Villein
2x Wider View
3x Zillah's Valley
2x Dreams of the Sphinx

Action (8 cards)
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6x Fourth Tradition: The Accounting
2x Army of Rats

Action Modifier (15 cards)
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4x Elder Impersonation
3x Forgotten Labyrinth
4x Lost in Crowds
2x Telepathic Vote Counting
2x Cryptic Rider

Action Modifier/Combat (2 cards)
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2x Swallowed by the Night

Political Action (13 cards)
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1x Ancient Influence
5x Kine Resources Contested
1x Nosferatu Justicar
4x Parity Shift
1x Praxis Seizure: Brussels
1x Reins of Power

Combat (6 cards)
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3x Thrown Gate
3x Carrion Crows

Retainer (2 cards)
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2x Raven Spy

Equipment (2 cards)
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1x Ivory Bow
1x Bowl of Convergence

Reaction (22 cards)
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6x Guard Dogs
2x Instinctive Reaction
3x Second Tradition: Domain
2x Sense the Savage Way
7x Telepathic Misdirection
2x Cats' Guidance

Auspex for bounce is kind of cool. To get even more leverage out of it you might want to consider Aura Reading. You obviously want to be in combat, and cycling is one of the most powerful things. Telepathic Vote Counting is cool, but most of the time Animal Magnetism gets you as far, if not further. Why not pack both though?

And, while you're blocking, your combat package seems kind of low. Add in a Preternatural Strength or three, so you'll have some serious hit-back while you're at it!

Warsaw Station is one of the best cards Nosferatu have gotten since Jyhad. It's insane, and should go in doubles in any Nosferatu deck.

Cock Robin is a really, really good addition, and I would for sure play him as a 3 or 4 off. I would gladly give up a slot of 1 Jara and Casino (even though he's pretty good with Thrown Gate or Aids from Bats).

If it wasn't for , for most parts Ellison Humboldt is slightly more versatile and more powerful than Khalid. But takes you places, for sure. Personally I would take Ellison over Jara Drory. He completely flips some of the votes. But, no auspex, so... Maybe it's a question of some ratios, and if you take either him or Casino.

I would go all the way with either Villein + Zillah's and ramp both to 5-6, or do something else. You'll spend some games really looking for either, while you'd really want to have both (from the start).

I like what you're doing here though. Definitely closer to VtES where you'll actually have a say to things and might stick around to see the end game than what we've come to expect from you. Nice.

I've been ACHING to have a go at the G3 Nos royals myself; it's been ages I hit the Cock. Two Robins with one stone? ...I'll see myself out.

Krausedit\\ I've seen some cool things being done with Nos/Nos! , but you're losing out on some political power. If you ever feel like it, give those guys a whirl as well. You get a bit of different things than with , but the feel is the same.

What are your thoughts on Old Friends vs Animal Magnetism? I like the idea of the +1 bleed or +2 votes. I actually don't want to be in combat, I just want to intercept bleeds mostly. Currently I haven't had a serious combat-oriented predator. Maybe I could cut some +intercept, but what to replace it with?

My plan with combat was to just maneuver to long and hit for 2 with the Gate. I was viewing combat (with this deck) as a blood tax and not necessarily trying to torpor them or force them to hunt.

I like the Warsaw Station, but the 2 pool cost made me question it.

I feel like Cock Robin has a super strong special (multi-act w/Animalism? Yes please.) but there aren't that many worth-while Animalism actions. Raven Spies, Army of Rats, Deep Song, but then what? I wish Taunt The Caged Beast would tap the vampires it forces into combat. It would be a great control card.

Ellison Humboldt has a powerful special for sure, but she's going in my stealth-bleed deck, along with Cailean and Sundown. (I love the Nosferatu.)

Would you recommend I cut all Vessels then, in order to play 5 Zillah's and 4 Villein?

You guys better be ready, one day I'll see you at the Finals table. ;P

LivesByProxy wrote:

What are your thoughts on Old Friends vs Animal Magnetism? I like the idea of the +1 bleed or +2 votes.

Whatever floats your boat. Either is fine, but you seem to be getting more serious on voting. If you ever decide to go for some more static bleed (Tasha, Deep Song, Tier of Souls, Legendary Vampire), Old Friends could be a thing.

I like the Warsaw Station, but the 2 pool cost made me question it.

It pays itself off. Try it out. You already have, like, 20 cards that interact with it.

I feel like Cock Robin has a super strong special (multi-act w/Animalism? Yes please.) but there aren't that many worth-while Animalism actions. Raven Spies, Army of Rats, Deep Song, but then what?

Those are really enough. Also, 10cap enables Traditions better, and a flat Strength of 2 enables Disarm in most cases. Cock's just flat out good.

Ellison Humboldt has a powerful special for sure, but she's going in my stealth-bleed deck, along with Cailean and Sundown. (I love the Nosferatu.)

No reason not to use her in both!

You guys better be ready, one day I'll see you at the Finals table. ;P

See you there!

Group 5 nos have 4 vampires with AUS. If aus is what you are after, they might be good for intercept combat. group 1-2 is maybe a bit better at voting. Defense in the form of second tradition and or parity shift. Plenty of tournament winning decks with that archetype.

For more use of Auspex, there's Eyes of Argus. Pulse is not impossible, though I don't think I'd bother.

I would switch Mr. Winthrop for a Raven Spy. Would add Anarchist Uprising and Ancilla Empowerment, maybe First Tradition - just light on ousting power. Drop Elder Library, one or both of the Cryptic Riders. Switch some Guard Dogs into On the Qui Vive. Would like to see Legendary Vampire.

Would play more Villeins and less Vessels, switch a Zillah's into Info Highway, figure out how to get Giant's Blood in. I'd rather run The Rack than Montreal as the latter just slows games down.

As annoying Ivory Bow can be, kind of need a permanent way to survive all of the blocking the deck seems to be trying to do. .44 or permaprevent, with .44 making more sense to me. Maybe even Preternatural Strength just to make people care whether you block them. The intercept/vote concept just seems really challenging, where my Nos w/ Auspex deck was just a chill bleed deck. Anathema could be another way to swing the game.