The deck I didn't play at the SVQ

I did not play this deck at the Silicon Valley Qualifier because I wasn't there! Life intervenes once again. If I 'WAS' there, I still wouldn't have played this deck. The players in L.A. spoke about a "Torpor Dancing" deck archetype a long time ago and I've been thinking of ideas ever since. Randall kept coming to mind after KoT came out. I also used a deck in the TWDA by Hugh Angseesing (Camille and Raven's Royal Bash) and an all jyhad backed deck posted on Lasombra's page www.thelasombra.com/decks/jy2move.htm as inspiration.

1. How do you intend to oust?
Unblockable bleeds for 3 to 7 with one or more minions.

2. How do you intend to keep from being ousted?
I was intrigued by Hugh using dominate and 10 deflections. I chose to use Randall, Nadima, and Dr. Allan Woodstock for intercept and Telepathic Misdirection.

3. What do you want your ready region to look like (ie, how many guys are you planning on getting out)?
I would like three minions, but two can work. Ideally they would be Randall and Antonino.

4. What do you want your average turn to look like?
Antonino gets with a bleed retainer, bleeds with force of will, goes unblockable with Day Operation, Untaps in torpor with movement of the slow body, leaves torpor with Rapid healing. Randall can do the same or stay ready with his big eyeball!

5. What's your metagame like? How do your opponents play?
Sometimes you have time to build. Usually there is any variety of decks from "Old layout cards only" decks to HTTB shananigans.

6. What problems have you observed with the deck in play?
I've played it twice. The first time I played it, I swept a five player table in a pickup game. I had an inexperienced predator playing a borrowed deck he was not familiar with at all. The second time I played it, it was a five player time out. A player visiting from France (who was my prey) was kind when he said, "Excuse me, but what does your deck do?" He could have said, "Why did you play such a horrible deck?" The deck was highly ineffectual the whole game because the cards never came up in the right order. It was excruciating.

Deck Name: Randall the Telepath (AKA Gangrel AAA)
Author:
Description:
Andy, Angseesing, Adonai

Crypt (Capacity min=3 max=8 avg=6.25; 12 cards)
==================================================
3x Antonino 6 ani pre pro FOR Gangrel:3
1x Calvin Cleaver 3 for pro Gangrel:4
2x Dr. Allan Woodstock 5 ani aus for PRO Gangrel:3
1x Gunnar 4 for PRO Gangrel:4
2x Nadima 8 ani aus FOR PRO SER Gangrel:3
3x Randall 8 ANI AUS FOR PRO Gangrel:4

Library (90 cards)
=====================
Master (14 cards)
3x Auspex
1x Backways
1x Barrens, The
4x Blood Doll
1x Dreams of the Sphinx
2x Ecoterrorists
1x Heidelberg Castle, Germany
1x Zoo Hunting Ground

Action (29 cards)
8x Force of Will
8x Movement of the Slow Body
8x Rapid Healing
5x Restoration

Equipment (1 cards)
1x Laptop Computer

Retainer (3 cards)
1x J. S. Simmons, Esq.
1x Robert Carter
1x Tasha Morgan

Action Modifier (15 cards)
6x Day Operation
6x Earth Control
3x Freak Drive

Reaction (15 cards)
2x My Enemy's Enemy
2x On the Qui Vive
6x Telepathic Misdirection
5x Wake with Evening's Freshness

Combat (10 cards)
5x Earth Meld
5x Form of Mist

Combo (3 cards)
3x Rapid Change

Please let me know any ideas you might have or if you think I should keep playing it (if only for fun in pickup games). Happy New Year!

Very interesting. I had a group 1/2 deck with the same concept, the flow of it was pretty solid, due to the midcaps being most of the deck. Hugh had a similar deck but with dominate. Maybe some skill cards so eyeryone has big pro and for. I had some luck woth coolers, since the deck gets kinda blood intensive after the first oust (or before then, ifyour preys really tough. )

This deck remins me of one that Brad Nozik used to play in San Francico right after FN came out. He called it "Ankla's Bouncing Ball." Basically, Ankla Hotep bled with Force of Will, went to torpor, untapped with Movement of the Slow Body and was rescued cheaply. The deck did fairly well. I am curious how it might fare with newer library cards that weren't present back in the day.

I wonder if Viktor, the Night General might be able to pull off these tricks well with his innate stealth. Get him a Heart of the City and go.

Speaking of which, +1 Pulse of the Canaille for Randall!

Jeff wrote:

I wonder if Viktor, the Night General might be able to pull off these tricks well with his innate stealth. Get him a Heart of the City and go.

Speaking of which, +1 Pulse of the Canaille for Randall!

I love the Night General! However he does not have fortitude Antonino's stealth is pretty good for this deck since most of the actions are undirected.

I've gone back and forth with Pulse because of the blood cost. It does seem like I should try at least one.

ReverendRevolver wrote:

Very interesting.

Thanks!

Hugh's deck( www.thelasombra.com/decks/twd.htm#2k3bath1 )was a big influence when I added the Auspex bounce idea. I think he used his deck when Camille and Raven were not considered the same vampire. I may make another deck similar to this one simply to use the group 1 cards which have such beautiful artwork and background. But for my first try at this type of deck I really wanted to use Randall with Nadima or Ryder. I chose Nadima because of the aus.

I was concerned about the pool cost of coolers, but I may look at that option again.

Yes my deck was built deliberately to abuse two FOR PRO 5 caps plus badger. I still think that merger was Scott's worst 'correction' to the game!

You've certainly added a new dimension with the alternate crypt
(Antonio is great, Randall is great, Nadima is excellent) however no Mowgli (FOR PRO on a 5 cap seems good). You could also experiment with Doyle (the inf matches with the +bleed but he also gains useful blood and has aus if you need to get to AUS)

I think you're missing a trick not having Lilith's Blessing in there with that many Auspex masters (and heidelberg helping the getting empty)


If I were to rebuild the deck today it's probably top out at 80 cards - I don't recall it running out of cards that often but the deck was played from 1995 onwards where the same minion would often bleed multiple times a turn so it's possible it did...

I think Robert Carter is likely to blood intensive for the deck, Daring the Dawn might also be more useful (depending how many allies you see) as 1/3rd of your crypt has only for.

I'd also suggets more than 1 dreams/heart to help with card flow - lots of repetitive actions in there and when you want to go you want as many of those as possible and none of the masters/defence/combat.