[TWD] Shell Break 2025
21 Apr 2025 22:06 #114271
by UFOPOLI
2 votes (titled) of Helsinki
[TWD] Shell Break 2025 was created by UFOPOLI
Shell Break 2025
Espoo, Finland
2024-04-21
2R + F
10 players
winner: Tero Aalto
0 GW 2 + 1 GW 3 in the final
www.vekn.net/event-calendar/event/12122
The fourth annual Shell Break Easter tournament attracted a smaller crowd than the previous ones, possibly due to taking place just a week after the Nationals weekend, but interesting games were had nevertheless. There was also a lot of variety in the decks.
As my principle for this tournament has been to bring a different deck every year, I'd basically decided over six months ago what I would play this time. Since its first win during last year's EC WoN, the deck had undergone a multitude of variations, and usually ending up more or less the way it had been before.
The only major change that has stuck is getting rid of the Gangrels in favor of some inferior Tzimisces. I simply got tired of bleeding for one with Kuyén/Casey (and of Kamile not being able to bounce). Having fewer barons and multiple characters with inferior PRO has its challenges, but overall, I like it. The only other notable changes in this version are two more Governs (because you really want to have one early on) and playing Guard Dogses instead of OtQV (because often enough, it lets you bounce twice with one minion (first Deflection, then BaS)).
During the first round, my predator was a Hecata zombie swarm that got a fast start and had a predator with only one minion (Thucimia) that was in Secure Haven, so I was the target of a lot of rushes. I had no time whatsover to bother my own prey, but I did survive, largely thanks to a backoust with two minion votes. 0,5 points.
The second round started more promisingly with the Thucimia deck as my prey this time. My predator was a Giotto Verducci vote deck, which could have been very problematic for me, had the deck actually gotten around to calling any votes before being rushed by its unnamed Great Beast predator, which had got its pieces together quickly. This table was quite chaotic, and alliances shifted multiple times in a short time, eventually ending with the unnamed making a 3–2 deal with its Masika wall predator. I found myself suddenly trying to help both my predator and prey, and together we managed to salvage one point for my prey and 1,5 for myself.
As there had been only one GW in the rounds, two points was enough to make it to the final as the last seed.
The final table:
Having had no say in my choice of seating, my position was unsurprisingly less than ideal, but not as bad as it could have been. Having a wall predator meant that I had to think twice about undirected actions, and I told my ally rush prey that I would be happy to have a peaceful start. However, the Hecata failed to find any zombies, and on the other hand, this happened to be one of the games where I drew no Governs early on, so not being able to play them at superior wasn't that much of a problem, and as soon as I got some, I used them to go forward. Having a turn one Dreams and borrowing a Montreal worked as a decent substitute. In hindsight, starting aggressively was probably a good strategy for the fifth seed in any case, even if I didn't do it completely voluntarily.
The first oust was uncharacteristically fast and easy. The next one wouldn't be, as I constantly had to hold on to a bunch of combat ends to fend off the infernals as well as to all bounces I drew because Saulot kept sending Thucimia my way. At this point, Marko and Tommi made a peace deal, which seemed to give me a window to go for the second point, but Marko probably also realized this as he broke the deal before I was able to do anything about it, ousting Tommi and moving to the lead as a higher seed. As I hadn't even been able to get rid of Marko's Unleash, and as the unnamed kept gaining four pool each round, it was an uphill battle.
From this point on, I had to somehow try to find a balance where my minions stayed up, I didn't go too low on pool, and Marko didn't oust Teemu too quickly. I never ran out of combat ends, so the first goal was accomplished, but as I had to bounce some bleeds back, it became a two-player game faster than I would have liked. At this point, we also only had less than ten minutes left, so I needed to act fast. Luckily, I drew a lot of Governs (largely thanks to having invested in the Heart as soon as the opportunity presented itself), and when Marko finally used the Unleash, I didn't bother with a rescue, even though the victim had been my best vampire (Ángel). The race against both the clock and the infernals' bleeds and rushes turned in my favor, largely thanks to a Anarch Railroad that I drew when there were two minutes (and three pool) left, helping Clara get past the next Unleash. Cutting it close, one might say.
- - -
Deck Name: Radical Leftist: Nothing Really Mattress
Description: A mono-Tzimisce variation of the Radical Leftist concept. They no longer eat the rich, though. Guard Dogses are great.
Crypt (12 cards, min=21 max=31 avg=6.5)
3x Adrino Manauara 8 ANI DOM PRO pot baron Tzimisce:6
3x Ángel Guerrero 7 ANI DOM PRO baron Tzimisce:6
2x Branimira 6 ANI dom pre pro baron Tzimisce:6
1x Clara Hjortshøj 5 PRO ani aus dom Tzimisce:6
1x Marialena 5 DOM PRO ani Tzimisce:6
1x Neserian 6 ANI DOM cel pro Tzimisce:6
1x Whisper 5 ANI DOM pro Tzimisce:6
Library (77 cards)
Master (14; 5 trifle)
1x Anarch Railroad
1x Carfax Abbey
1x Direct Intervention
3x Dreams of the Sphinx
1x Giant's Blood
1x Library Hunting Ground
1x Poacher's Hunting Ground
4x Villein
1x Wider View
Action (12)
12x Govern the Unaligned
Political Action (2)
1x Anarchist Uprising
1x Ancilla Empowerment
Equipment (2)
2x Heart of Nizchetus
Action Modifier (8)
4x Conditioning
4x Earth Control
Action Modifier/Reaction (4)
4x Form of the Bat
Reaction (20)
4x Bait and Switch
6x Deflection
3x Guard Dogs
7x Organized Resistance
Combat (14)
8x Earth Meld
6x Form of Mist
Event (1)
1x Scourge of the Enochians
Espoo, Finland
2024-04-21
2R + F
10 players
winner: Tero Aalto
0 GW 2 + 1 GW 3 in the final
www.vekn.net/event-calendar/event/12122
The fourth annual Shell Break Easter tournament attracted a smaller crowd than the previous ones, possibly due to taking place just a week after the Nationals weekend, but interesting games were had nevertheless. There was also a lot of variety in the decks.
As my principle for this tournament has been to bring a different deck every year, I'd basically decided over six months ago what I would play this time. Since its first win during last year's EC WoN, the deck had undergone a multitude of variations, and usually ending up more or less the way it had been before.
The only major change that has stuck is getting rid of the Gangrels in favor of some inferior Tzimisces. I simply got tired of bleeding for one with Kuyén/Casey (and of Kamile not being able to bounce). Having fewer barons and multiple characters with inferior PRO has its challenges, but overall, I like it. The only other notable changes in this version are two more Governs (because you really want to have one early on) and playing Guard Dogses instead of OtQV (because often enough, it lets you bounce twice with one minion (first Deflection, then BaS)).
During the first round, my predator was a Hecata zombie swarm that got a fast start and had a predator with only one minion (Thucimia) that was in Secure Haven, so I was the target of a lot of rushes. I had no time whatsover to bother my own prey, but I did survive, largely thanks to a backoust with two minion votes. 0,5 points.
The second round started more promisingly with the Thucimia deck as my prey this time. My predator was a Giotto Verducci vote deck, which could have been very problematic for me, had the deck actually gotten around to calling any votes before being rushed by its unnamed Great Beast predator, which had got its pieces together quickly. This table was quite chaotic, and alliances shifted multiple times in a short time, eventually ending with the unnamed making a 3–2 deal with its Masika wall predator. I found myself suddenly trying to help both my predator and prey, and together we managed to salvage one point for my prey and 1,5 for myself.
As there had been only one GW in the rounds, two points was enough to make it to the final as the last seed.
The final table:
- Teemu Sainomaa (Saulot wall) 0
- Tero Aalto (Tzimisce anarch bleed) 3
- Aki Puolakka (Hecata zombies) 0
- Marko Saari (the unnamed Great Beast) 2
- Tommi Hakomaa (Thucimia bleed) 0
Having had no say in my choice of seating, my position was unsurprisingly less than ideal, but not as bad as it could have been. Having a wall predator meant that I had to think twice about undirected actions, and I told my ally rush prey that I would be happy to have a peaceful start. However, the Hecata failed to find any zombies, and on the other hand, this happened to be one of the games where I drew no Governs early on, so not being able to play them at superior wasn't that much of a problem, and as soon as I got some, I used them to go forward. Having a turn one Dreams and borrowing a Montreal worked as a decent substitute. In hindsight, starting aggressively was probably a good strategy for the fifth seed in any case, even if I didn't do it completely voluntarily.
The first oust was uncharacteristically fast and easy. The next one wouldn't be, as I constantly had to hold on to a bunch of combat ends to fend off the infernals as well as to all bounces I drew because Saulot kept sending Thucimia my way. At this point, Marko and Tommi made a peace deal, which seemed to give me a window to go for the second point, but Marko probably also realized this as he broke the deal before I was able to do anything about it, ousting Tommi and moving to the lead as a higher seed. As I hadn't even been able to get rid of Marko's Unleash, and as the unnamed kept gaining four pool each round, it was an uphill battle.
From this point on, I had to somehow try to find a balance where my minions stayed up, I didn't go too low on pool, and Marko didn't oust Teemu too quickly. I never ran out of combat ends, so the first goal was accomplished, but as I had to bounce some bleeds back, it became a two-player game faster than I would have liked. At this point, we also only had less than ten minutes left, so I needed to act fast. Luckily, I drew a lot of Governs (largely thanks to having invested in the Heart as soon as the opportunity presented itself), and when Marko finally used the Unleash, I didn't bother with a rescue, even though the victim had been my best vampire (Ángel). The race against both the clock and the infernals' bleeds and rushes turned in my favor, largely thanks to a Anarch Railroad that I drew when there were two minutes (and three pool) left, helping Clara get past the next Unleash. Cutting it close, one might say.
- - -
Deck Name: Radical Leftist: Nothing Really Mattress
Description: A mono-Tzimisce variation of the Radical Leftist concept. They no longer eat the rich, though. Guard Dogses are great.
Crypt (12 cards, min=21 max=31 avg=6.5)
3x Adrino Manauara 8 ANI DOM PRO pot baron Tzimisce:6
3x Ángel Guerrero 7 ANI DOM PRO baron Tzimisce:6
2x Branimira 6 ANI dom pre pro baron Tzimisce:6
1x Clara Hjortshøj 5 PRO ani aus dom Tzimisce:6
1x Marialena 5 DOM PRO ani Tzimisce:6
1x Neserian 6 ANI DOM cel pro Tzimisce:6
1x Whisper 5 ANI DOM pro Tzimisce:6
Library (77 cards)
Master (14; 5 trifle)
1x Anarch Railroad
1x Carfax Abbey
1x Direct Intervention
3x Dreams of the Sphinx
1x Giant's Blood
1x Library Hunting Ground
1x Poacher's Hunting Ground
4x Villein
1x Wider View
Action (12)
12x Govern the Unaligned
Political Action (2)
1x Anarchist Uprising
1x Ancilla Empowerment
Equipment (2)
2x Heart of Nizchetus
Action Modifier (8)
4x Conditioning
4x Earth Control
Action Modifier/Reaction (4)
4x Form of the Bat
Reaction (20)
4x Bait and Switch
6x Deflection
3x Guard Dogs
7x Organized Resistance
Combat (14)
8x Earth Meld
6x Form of Mist
Event (1)
1x Scourge of the Enochians
2 votes (titled) of Helsinki
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