Please Ban The Unmasking

@Brandon:
Corruption Decks.
Just start playing:
Nacho-cheese: Nakhtoreb + Venenation = Unblockable SCREW YOU!
Corrupt Bleeding: Snakes + Venenation + Change of Target... Who needs combat when you're not getting into combat unless you block for some cocaine addled reason...

Stealth Vote, using 'swarm punishers' like Snipe Hunt, Kindred Segregation, Anarch Revolt, Domain Challenge...


If people keep on bringing guns, bring landmines...

In Los Angeles, there is a list of cards you will always see. I don't know about up where Brandon lives but I know he has played some games down here. This list is probably similar to other locations. The list is about 18 cards long.

1) Bowl of Conv
2) Carlton, the doorman
3) Heart
4) Ivory bow
5) No Secrets
6) Unmasking
7) etc, etc.

Allies are usually at every table, Dennis and absimlards armies, Robert and Nocturns, Mike S. and Renegade Garou, the other Robert with Arms Dealers, even Darby when he is here "Pooping out warghouls on the second turn." I've gone from a minimum of 2 entancements (2 years ago) to a minimum of 4 in any deck.

The Uncoiling works against unmasking, Anthelios, narrow Minds, and other event type decks.

Also, the names I mentioned playing ally decks are some really good players. I think, Brandon, that it might be more an issue that really good players can use a really good card to make it really hard for everyone else to win. You just have to adjust to players abusing the card. Maybe throw in some Blood to Water!!!! LOL!!!

I believe intercept, specialy of the permanent type, is a bit out of control here and now. But I don't think banning *only* Unmasking will only displace the problem.

I believe that the whole package would be :
* ban unmasking
* ban the bowl
* make 2nd tradition as either +2 intercept against D action, or burn one blood to untap, not both, and not on everything.
* make No Secret allow only one block tapped per turn
* limit to one intercept retainer per vampire
* and maybe something for abbot like a blood cost or untap at end of turn instead of immediatly.

This way, actions would be much more successful on average, and more importantly complete deck shutdown by intercept would be much more difficult.

Maybe the Unmasking is not broken and/or uber powerful. But it can be extremely irrating to see your prey intercepting stealthy, undirected action without needing card. It's more or less the same problem as tupdog torporing each vampire the turn you influence them : maybe it don't make your predator win, but it make you miserable.

(also, 2nd trad mean that being a prince is better for intercept than having auspex. No wonder why eurobrujah or nosferatu work with prince and not archbishop)

At least one of those adjustments completely nerfs Animalism Walls, while not shredding the tournament scene they shouldn't be kicked in the junk because people aren't playing either:

1) Block denial (Seduction, Force of Personality, True Love's Face, Crocodile's Tongue, etc)
2) Change of Target
3) Block Punishment (Aching Beauty, Venenation, Burning Touch, etc)

TorranceCircle wrote:

In Los Angeles, there is a list of cards you will always see. I don't know about up where Brandon lives but I know he has played some games down here. This list is probably similar to other locations. The list is about 18 cards long.

1) Bowl of Conv
2) Carlton, the doorman
3) Heart
4) Ivory bow
5) No Secrets
6) Unmasking
7) etc, etc.

Allies are usually at every table, Dennis and absimlards armies, Robert and Nocturns, Mike S. and Renegade Garou, the other Robert with Arms Dealers, even Darby when he is here "Pooping out warghouls on the second turn." I've gone from a minimum of 2 entancements (2 years ago) to a minimum of 4 in any deck.

The Uncoiling works against unmasking, Anthelios, narrow Minds, and other event type decks.

Also, the names I mentioned playing ally decks are some really good players. I think, Brandon, that it might be more an issue that really good players can use a really good card to make it really hard for everyone else to win. You just have to adjust to players abusing the card. Maybe throw in some Blood to Water!!!! LOL!!!

I am thinking of LA as my extended meta at this point. There is some tech I'm working on to hose the armies of expendable, +1 intercept (or more) dudes, but none as classy as Wind Dance + Apportation + Blood to Water like you did to that Garou. That was a highlight of that tournament.

What I'm concerned about is having such a broad power based on one permanent card. The only thing I can think of in the same ballpark is Week of Nightmares. How many zero cost, no requirement Ravnos can you think of? My guess is none. Spend a little more on your allies and get a bunch of cool options. That's great if you are the one playing it, but sucks if you maybe want to oust that person. Getting so much permacept usually requires a lot of effort. Unmasking just makes it too easy. It is hard to get rid of/prevent the card. The card has no or almost no drawback. I could think of a few things to help limit the power of the card, but I would prefer to ban it outright than do errata.

Computer Hacking Allies + Cloak the Gathering Vampires. Just recruit chumps, cheap expendable chumps who can bleed and S&B your prey to bits using a giant fat wad of Cloak the Gathering, Psychic Veil and Veil the Legions.