TWD + Report - Rise of the Neonate, Bochum, Germany (28/01/2023)

Rise of the Neonate
Bochum, Germany
January 28th, 2023
3R+F
17 players
Emiliano Imeroni
www.vekn.net/event-calendar/event/10444

Deck Name: Haqim's Law: Anathema
Author: Emiliano Imeroni
Description: Relatively obvious Banu Haqim deck with Anathema, Judgment: Camarilla Segregation and an Ashur angle

Crypt (12 cards, min=17 max=32 avg=6.08)
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2x Kasim Bayar 9 CEL OBF THA aus pot justicar Banu Haqim:6
2x Farah Sarroub 7 CEL THA aus obf prince Banu Haqim:6
3x Kassandra Tassaki 6 CEL THA obf prince Banu Haqim:6
1x Khadija Al-Kindi 6 CEL OBF THA primogen Banu Haqim:6
2x Warmaksan 5 THA cel obf prince Banu Haqim:6
1x Nayarana 4 THA cel Banu Haqim:6
1x Bijou 3 cel tha Banu Haqim:6

Library (90 cards)
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Master (23; 9 trifle)

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1x Alamut
9x Ashur Tablets
3x Haqim's Law: Retribution
1x Market Square
3x Priority Contract
5x Villein
1x Wider View

Action (11)

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6x Hunter's Mark
3x Judgment: Camarilla Segregation
2x Rutor's Hand

Equipment (1)

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1x .44 Magnum

Political Action (3)

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3x Anathema

Action Modifier/Combat (8)

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4x Resist Earth's Grasp
4x Swallowed by the Night

Reaction (9)

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9x Second Tradition: Domain

Combat (35)

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4x Blur
1x Fast Hands
11x Hunger of Marduk
5x Infernal Pursuit
2x Psyche!
4x Pursuit
3x Quickness
1x Rego Motum
1x Side Strike
2x Sideslip
1x Torrent

A SHORT REPORT

17 Methuselahs assembled in Bochum (Germany) on the invitation of Steffen "MacReady" Waschul. The location was cozy, coffee, soft drinks and various sweet foods were included in the entry fee (yay!), people were nice and the atmosphere great. So, first of all a big big thanks to Steffen and everyone attending for a great day of V:TES!

Now, time for a short report with a personal view of the day and the games I played. I decided to go at the last minute, on the initiative of VTES-er extraordinaire Bram Van Stappen and with the perspective to meet in person Thomas from Berlin for the first time (great meeting you, Thomas!). It was great to see again many familiar old faces and meet some new ones.

ROUND 1
Michael J (weenie dom) -> Michael K (Banu Haqim 1) -> Emiliano (Banu Haqim 2) -> Rudolf (Bruce de Guy + Lasombra political toolbox)
Eh yes, there were two Banu Haqim decks at the table. And at the next table. And... Ok, all in all, there were FIVE G6 Banu Haqim decks, some 30% of the players! Strangely enough, I saw no Gangrel, Ministry, or Baron in general. Seems like everyone was in the mood for hardcore bloodsucking (as you also have to include Bram's Goratrix in the party). Ok, about the game: in a Banu predator/prey relationship, it is definitely better to be the prey, in particular if your predator has to keep a violent weenie dominate deck at bay. I had no particular pressure and could focus on Rudolf's Bruce de Guy with a "mandatory" contract rush every turn, which he countered with Obediences. Despite everything going quite well for Rudolf (like a Festivo dello Estinto at the right moment to refill all his vamps), after Michael J's dominate weenies ousted Michael K (whose Kasim had been contested by me) they remained a bit out of steam. This allowed me to oust Rudolf in style with a Judgment: Camarilla Segregation when he was on 1 pool, and then oust the weenie dom for the GW.
Result: Emiliano GW 3 VP, Michael J 1 VP

ROUND 2
Milan (Baba Yaga Death of My Conscience 10 aggravated) -> Ralf (!Ventrue grinder) -> Michael H (Lucita with potence) -> Michael J (weenie dom) -> Emiliano (Banu Haqim)
After the first game, everything started to go quite south for me - my deck, which is usually quite hard to oust, found itself in successive bad spots from which it could not recover. This time it was my turn to withstand the weenie dom's pressure, which was sort of ok, but the grinder, also helped by reckless deflected bleeds by his predator's bleedy support Imbued, managed to oust Lucita (who had been Archon'ed by Michael) and the weenie dominate in rapid succession. After that, Ralf basically stopped, until Milan turned backwards and - also due to several mistakes on my part - I found myself with basically every vampire in torpor. Ralf could then proceed to oust me and Milan for the sweep.
Result: Ralf GW 5 VP

ROUND 3
Steffen (Kyasid Nocturn S&B) -> Erica (Palla Grande) -> Emiliano (Banu Haqim) -> Roy ( this Kyasid deck)
Everything went wrong for me in this game, with my Kyasid toolbox prey blocking Anathema at 2 intercept, Entombing my vampires, etc. Roy ousted Steffen pretty quickly, after which Erica could score her (probably first ever?) VP by taking me out of my misery before succumbing to Roy,
Result: Roy GW 3 VP, Erica 1 VP

In the meanwhile...
To be honest, my games were only a sideshow of the event. While I was struggling with Anathemas, Earth Swords and Entombements, Bram (with Anarch Goratrix) and Thomas (with yet another Banu Haqim deck, but the most focused of the day) were literally annihilating the competition, ending up with three game wins each! This was actually good news for me, because their raking up every available GW made it possible for my otherwise anemic performance to lead me to the final as 5th seed. In the end, Ralf withdrew from the finals, so I entered as 4th seed, while Michael K sneaked in as 5th seed... and more importantly as third Banu Haqim deck at the table!

FINAL
Thomas (Banu Haqim 1) -> Roy ( this Kyasid deck) -> Emiliano (Banu Haqim 2) -> Michael K (Banu Haqim 3) -> Bram (Anarch Goratrix wall)
This time, I was the Banu's Banu predator in a Banu sea, and with the Entombing Kyasid as my predator things looked immediately dire. In the influence (arranged) lottery, Thomas influenced Farah, I went with Kassandra, while Michael went for Narayana. However soon afterwards Michael and I started to contest Warmaksan, and he was definitely in a better position to keep paying. Thomas had instead influenced star vamp Kasim. I was just sitting there expecting to die relatively quickly, and so did expect everyone else, which in fact kept my chances somewhat alive. Then there were a few upsets tilting the balance: Farah was torpored by the Kyasid and diablerised by Bram's Anton, which I helped burning in the ensuing blood hunt (a difficult decision, hoping that Thomas would keep taking some of the Kyasid pressure away from me). Kasim played an Anathema on Isanwayen, which I cashed in, getting myself back in the game also thanks to an Ashur round, after Bram had gotten his. Thomas was thinking that even if I got a VP, he would then get his and win as first seed. However, this would deny Bram any possibility of winning, so for a whopping three times he Eagle Sighted Thomas' Kasim bleeding for 5 for the oust. While it was the only option Bram has to keep a winning chance (not unlikely, with Kasim having been Pentex'd for most of the game), it all ended up in my favour when I proceeded to oust a weakened Michael, and then Bram himself after managing to torpor Goratrix. I then contested Kasim, and the game ended in a timeout a couple of minutes later.
Result: Emiliano GW 2,5 VP, Thomas 0,5 VP, Roy 0,5 VP

And that was it! In fact, the only reason I snatched this victory is that the two undisputed heavyweights of the day spent a lot of their brainpower trying to outplay each other, while my seemingly lost position did not make me much of a threat. My only merit, if any, was to not get (too) depressed and manage to make the most of the unlikely occasion which presented itself at the end of the game.

Once again, many many thanks to everyone for a great day of V:TES and hope to see many of you again soon!

I remember 3 Lutz in the finals after KoT, so here we officially have 3 Banu Haquim final!

Oh no another Emerald Legionnaire in the finals!! Wait...