First Tzimisce Intercept Deck - Thoughts?

ICL wrote:

a lack of bleed gets treated as if it could bleedzooka at any time.

Quote of the year for me

ICL wrote:

SClaytonU wrote:

What makes Mr. Winthrop superior? Is it merely that he doesn't cost a blood?

Yes. Given uniqueness, it's not what surprises me so much about how often Revenant sees play as someone might want more than one retainer intercept (or a War Ghoul deck doesn't even want the possibility of contestation) but rather that Raven Spy is hardly different from Revenant for Tzimisce except it can be Pack Alphaed into play.

Ah, Pack Alpha: yet another great card I don't have. Being new to the game (well, new meaning back after a 15 year hiatus), my collection of cards is an unfocused mess of random crap, with a sideboard of useful stuff that I've specifically sought. Very well, Revenants, Corpse Balloons, and maybe a Mr. Winthrop it is.

Anyway, as to beating combat ends, you really don't need to. Rush decks need to win a disproportionate number of combats, so they either should address combat ends or have a swarm strategy to run them out. Block decks can get by without winning that many combats. Just the threat of combat discourages actions. Survival hinges on the blocks not the combats, though obviously reducing someone's number of minions reduces the number of needed blocks. Ousting is the main issue, but Smiling Jack doesn't require winning any combats, while the threat of combat can let some bleeds through to put someone within a tactically oustable range.

You've actually run up on the reasoning behind the Fast Reactions in the deck. As a catch deck, I don't need to beat Combat Ends every time. I just need to have a means to occasionally punish those who rely on it. My group's meta includes a Gangrel bleed deck that loads up Stanislava and pushes her through with Backways and Form of Mist, consistently bleeding for 5+ (a lot more when the cards go her way). The standard attempt to catch her requires two blockers, each of whom get a S:CE and nothing but tapped for their troubles. Luckily, the damage prevention is a little thin, so if I can catch her, I can seriously ruin her day. Enter Fast Reaction. Just the thought that I could utterly wreck Stanislava tends to keep her out of my hair as my predator, or very circumspect as my prey.

Just because you don't have something doesn't mean people will think you don't have it. For instance, I've often been in the situation where playing some Malky deck with a lack of bleed gets treated as if it could bleedzooka at any time, defeating the purpose of being bleedlite.

This is somewhat less true when playing in a small group, in which most of the decks that see play are known quantities. In order to carry adequate threat of a given thing, folks need to know of its potential (they need to see it get played a few times). Otherwise, I agree with your analysis.

SClaytonU wrote:

My group's meta includes a Gangrel bleed deck that loads up Stanislava and pushes her through with Backways and Form of Mist, consistently bleeding for 5+ (a lot more when the cards go her way). The standard attempt to catch her requires two blockers, each of whom get a S:CE and nothing but tapped for their troubles.

Simple. Flick or Reduce. Reduce if you want to block and then 'waste' all of those cards your opponent has played (it's actually my preferred method since it doesn't require a second tap). Or you just never attempt to block Stan and either flick everything or even better, pack a couple of copies of Protected Resources and Archon Investigation. This is one of the few decks where Protected Resources would probably be a very strong option. Army of Rats, Smiling Jack, Undirected-Pool Grinding. If you get some of the more vote-heavy Tzims in there, you can graft on a KRC vote angle to get around the restrictions of Protected Resources.

SClaytonU wrote:

My group's meta includes a Gangrel bleed deck that loads up Stanislava and pushes her through with Backways and Form of Mist, consistently bleeding for 5+ (a lot more when the cards go her way). The standard attempt to catch her requires two blockers, each of whom get a S:CE and nothing but tapped for their troubles.

Just so you know, if you blocked Stanislava via a wake effect, you can use the same minion to block her after Form of Mist if you still have enough intercept. Outside of Seduction or Horrific Countenance, you should not have too many problems blocking Stanislava.

At any rate, bleed bounce or Breath of the Dragon/Chiropteran Marauder with Rötschrek should solve your Stanislava problems. Remember that you can use Chiropteran Marauder after strikes are declared, but before resolution, so you can wait until he runs out of combat ends to get rid of Stanislava.

Deck Name: Tzimisce Catch
Author: SClaytonU
Description:
A tuned-up version of my Tzimisce wall deck.

Crypt (12 cards; Capacity min=2 max=10 avg=6.83)
================================================
2x Corine Marcón 6 ani AUS VIC Tzimisce:2
1x Devin Bisley 5 vic ANI AUS Tzimisce:2
2x Dragos 7 vic ANI AUS Tzimisce:2
1x Horatio 2 vic Tzimisce:2
2x Lambach 10 pre ANI AUS DOM VIC Tzimisce:2
1x Lolita Houston 4 aus VIC Tzimisce:2
2x Meshenka 8 ANI AUS VIC Tzimisce:2
1x Stravinsky 9 pot ANI AUS VIC Tzimisce:2

Library (90 cards)
==================
Master (18)
1x Fame
1x Giant's Blood
1x Library Hunting Ground
1x Minion Tap
2x Path of Metamorphosis, The
1x Powerbase: Barranquilla
1x Powerbase: Montreal
1x Rack, The
3x Rötschreck
2x Smiling Jack, The Anarch
3x Vessel
1x Vicissitude

Action (3)
1x Aranthebes, The Immortal
1x Govern the Unaligned
1x Revelations

Equipment (2)
1x Living Manse
1x Palatial Estate

Retainer (5)
1x J. S. Simmons, Esq.
2x Murder of Crows
2x Revenant

Action Modifier (4)
4x Changeling

Reaction (29)
2x Cats' Guidance
4x Eagle's Sight
2x Enhanced Senses
8x Forced Awakening
2x Precognition
3x Rat's Warning
3x Telepathic Counter
5x Telepathic Misdirection

Combat (29)
4x Aid from Bats
1x Blood of Acid
2x Breath of the Dragon
6x Carrion Crows
6x Chiropteran Marauder
6x Horrid Form
4x Taste of Vitae

Okay, here's a retuned version of the deck, specifically addressed to the cards I have right now. I have plans for a Tension in the Ranks and a few more Breath of the Dragon, but those will have to wait for now.

here is a totally wacky idea, but i used it sometimes and it works.

Tzimitze g2/3 have a good titles support :
Lambach is a cardinal, meshenka priscus, sasha vykos is archbishop and so is stravinsky, and Velya is also cardinal.

i used to put some political actions in my deck, mainly banishment, reins of power and ancient influence to help stuff out, and , depending on the situation and votes, it may just pass.

other than that, i would difinitely kick out minion tap, tzimitze like their blood.

If you do own some copies, i would put in eternal vigilance, as 5/12 of your vampires can use it. i would ditch lone govern and revelations (which, imho, do nothing in your deck)