Seating order:
Erik → Kristoffer → Henrik → Peter → Randal
Round 1
Erik plays no master, uses one transfer, and discards Delaying Tactics.
Kristofer plays Zillahs Valley, transfers up Anarch Convert, doesn’t discard.
Henrik plays two Life in the City on the Anarch Convert! Transfers three and discards a deflection.
Peter plays Wider View and transfers up Ohanna and places two transfers on another minion in his crypt. Doesn’t discard.
Randal plays Zillahs Valley, transfers four to that vampire and discards a Conditioning.
Round 2
Erik transfers up Catherine du Bois and discards another Delaying Tactics.
Kristofer plays Anarch Railroad and thenbleeds with Anarch Convert (‘and this is how you thank me?! Henrik cries with a joke in his voice, the crowd cheers) and then transfers up Guillaume Giovanni.
Henrik transfers up Gillespi Giovanni and discards a Deflection.
No master for Peter, who then bleeds with Ohanna. He transfers 4 and ends his turn.
Randal plays a second Zillahs Valley (Kristofer sighs audibly) and transfers up Arika. Kristofer sighs again – what if Randal burns through Erik fast? Then the game is as good as over for Kristoffer and his location heavy deck. Randal ends his turn by discarding an Entrancment.
Round 3
Erik has Catherine du Bois play a superior Govern the Unaligned and transfers up Ingrid Russo. He ends his turn by discarding an Entrancement. (he has three blood on a vampire in his uncontrolled region).
Kristofer Villeins Guillaume for 8 and plays a Liliths Blessing. Guillaume plays a superior Govern the Unaligned and transfers up Otieno.
Henrik has Gillespi play a superior Govern the Unaligned and then transfers up Le Dinh Tho. He discards Spiritual Intervention to end his turn.
Peter plays no master and neglcts to bleed with Ohanna as Arika is untapped. He then transfers up the Tremere prince of Houston: Lucas Halton, and ends the turn.
Randal plays a Villein for 7 on Arika and then plays Monastery of Shadows and ends the turn by discarding a Zillahs Valley.
Round 4
Erik plays Anarch Troublemaker and then has Catherine du Bois bleed her prey with a Bonding for stealth (Guillaume fails to intercept). The +1 stealth and +1 bleed gets bounced from Kristofer to Henrik, who then bounces it to Peter, who decides to take damage. Ingrid Russo then bleeds with a superior Bonding, which connects with Kristofer. He ends his turn by playing The Bitter and Sweet Story instead of discarding.
Kristofer fills up Guillaume with Liliths Blessing and then has Otieno go anarch (the default action that costs two blood). He then has his Anarch Convert bleed Henrik for 1, and it connects. He then ends his turn.
Henrik tries to look at Peters hand using Le Dinh Thos ability. Lucas Halton tries to block using Second Tradition: Domain, but Henrik has a Call of the Hungry Dead to make the block fail. Henrik has Peter discard a Guardian Angel, and then bleeds with Gillespi and uses Spectral Divination for +1 stealth. He ups the bleed with a superior Conditioning when Peter admits that the +1 stealth is insurmountable (making it a bleed for 5). He ends his turn by playing a Scourge of the Enochians and burning Peters Ohanna (much to Peters dismay, which is visible!)
Peter plays a Guardian Angel on Lucas Halton and then has Lucas fetch a Rutor’s Hand. He then burns his Wider View for two pool and discards the Ankara Citadel to end his turn.
Randal plays an Ashur tablets and then makes a “careful bleed for 3” with Arika. Edward Vignes tries to block but Arika plays Lost in Crowds for stealth. The bleed is deflected to Kristofer who takes it. Randal ends his turn by transfering up Huitzilopochtli.
Round 5
Erik starts his turn by discussing with Kristofer on how they want he the game to progress. They come to an agreement that kristofer will rush Randals minions if Eriks neglects to bleed him this turn and the next turn. He ends his turn without taking any actions.
Kristofer starts his turn by playing a Metro Underground. He then has Otieno Bums Rush Huitzilopochtli, who blocks and plays Obedience in order to defend himself, but Henrik plays a Direct Intervention on the Obedience, allowing Kristofers minion to enter combat with Huitzilopochtli! The combat progresses something like this: Torn Signpost, Immortal Grapple, strike, press, Immortal grapple, strike, Steely Tenacity to strike and press, Taste for Vitae, manueuver, Stunt Cycle, Huitzilopochtli is in torpor. ‘Why did you do that?’ Randal asks Henrik who played the Direct Intervention. ‘Because you’re my next prey.’ Henrik replies with a small shrug. Kristofer looks content with himself however after torporizing Huitzilopochtli, and continues by having Guillaume play a superior Govern the Unaligned. He then bleeds with Anarch Convert bleeds (it connects, Henrik has only tapped minions). And he ends his turn by discarding a Zillah’s Valley.
Henrik gets Peter to discard a Smiling Jack the Anarch with Le Dinh Tho, and then bleeds for 2 with Gillespi. Turn ends with him transferring up Andrea Giovanni.
Peter plays Arcane Library, and then has Lucas equip with the Ankara Citadel. He then ends his turn by discarding a Theft of Vitae.
Randal Plays villein on his empty Huitzilopochtli in torpor, and then plays two consecutive Ashur Tablets (using Huitzilopochtlis ability, which works even though he’s in torpor), gaining three pool and shuffling 13 cards from his ash heap into his deck again. He then bleeds with Arika using an Entrancement, using the Monastery of Shadows for stealth and then upping the bleed to 7 by using a Conditioning. Erik Deflects the bleed to Kristofer, who in turn wakes with Otieno and Deflects the bleed to Henrik, who takes the bleed and goes down to 3 pool.
At the end of Randals turn he has 12 pool, Erik has 16 pool, Kristofer has 11 pool, Henrik has 3 pool, and Peter has 8 pool.
Round 6
Erik plays a Dreams of the Sphinx and uses it for cards, he then starts fingering his minions, but is reminded that he promised not to bleed this turn. He looks dismayed but sticks to his promise. He has Edward Vignes play a superior Govern the Unaligned and transfers up Ranjan Rishi and burn the Anarch Convert for Kristofer using Scourge of the Enochians.
Kristofer plays an Information Highway and then bleeds with Guillaume using a Dominate Kine (it’s a 2 bleed with +1 stealth). Henrik takes the bleed and goes down to 1 pool. He then bleeds with Otieno and uses his Anarch Railroad 1 stealth when Henrik tries to block with Andrea Giovanni. Henrik is ousted and Kristofer takes the first vp of the game! Kristofer celebrates by transferring up Conrad Adoula and then untaps Otieno using the Metro Underground, he ends his turn with 15 pool.
Peter has Lucas Halton play a superior Govern the Unaligned (for free due to the Citadel) and transfers up Carna, the Princess Witch.
Randal plays an Ashur Tablets and then has Arika bleed with Entrancement, getting +1 stealth from the Monastery and upping the bleed to five using a Murmur of the False Will. Erik Deflects the bleed to Kristofer who deflects it to Peter, who has Lucas Halton block the bleed using his Guardian Angel. Lucas and Arika each punch each other for 1, but Lucas prevents his one damage. Randal then ends his turn.
Round 7
Erik taps down Kristofers two untapped minions with the Anarch Troublemaker, and then Govern the Unaligned bleeds Kristofer with Catherine du Bois (it connects for 3), continues to Govern + Conditioning bleeding with Ingrid Russo (it connects for 6), and finally has Ranjan Rishi make a normal bleed with a Conditioning (it connects for 4). He now has Edward Vignes untapped and Kristofer has 2 pool. So close! Erik sighs in exasperation and pays 1 to see 1 new vampire from his crypt.
Kristofer makes a mandatory hunt action with Guillaume, and then has Otieno Bums Rush Edward Vignes. Erik looks surprised and discards a Conditioning to make the action fail – apparently Kristofer did not know about Edwards special ability! Kristofer sighes and has Conrad Ambush Ranjan Rishi. Combat ensues: Torn Signpost, Immortal Grapple and Slam. Ranjan, who only had four blood, goes to torpor! Kristofer ends his turn by untapping Conrad with the Metro Underground. He is living on the edge with only 1 pool!
Peter bleeds with Lucas Halton for 1 (Randal takes the bleed) and ends his turn after some Arcane Library shenanigans.
Randal plays a Pentex Subversion on Edward Vignes but it is washed by Erik and so he plays an Information Highway instead. He then has Arika do an Entrancement + Conditioning bleed for 7 with Lost in Crowds for 2 stealth. Eriks goes into the think tank for a long time, wondering if he is to take 7 and go down to 6 in order to reassure that Peter is not ousted. Pondering, pondering, in the end he chooses to Deflect the bleed to Kristofer who deflects it to Peter who doesn’t have and intercept and is ousted! (he had 5 pool, that that’s not enough when you’re being bled for 7!) Kristofer goes up to 7 pool and Randal ends his turn.
Round 8
Erik taps Dreams of the Sphinx for cards and it’s discarded from play. He then plays Life in the City on Edward Vignes and Misdirection on Conrad Adoula (Kristofers minion). Catherine du Bios bleeds with a Conditioning (it’s Deflected with a On the Qui Vive) and then plays Freak Drive to cycle a card (because Freak Drive leaves Catherine with no blood, forcing her to do a mandatory hunt action). Ingrid Russo then Govern the Unaligned bleeds with a Bonding, getting Kristofer down to 3 pool. Consecutively Edward Vignes Govern the Unaligned bleeds and it connects, and Kristofer is ousted from the game!
Randal plays Parthenon but Erik plays Sudden Reversal to thwart it. Arika Entrancement bleeds for 4 and it connects, but it’s not enough as Erik just gained 6 pool from ousting his prey. Randal Discards a Deflection and ends his turn.
Round 9
Catherinde du Bois Govern the Unaligned bleeds with a Bonding and then Edward Vignes bleeds with Govern the Unaligned, and Randal is ousted!
Erik wins the final with 3 vps to Kristofers 2!
After the game Kristofer shakes his head and laments “If I’d known about Vignes special ability I would have won the game.” Randal replies “well, actually I think that you shouldn’t have rush my Huitzilopochtli but instead rushed one of Eriks minions – it would have left him with more pressure from me and with fewer minion to defend himself with, and that would have given you more breathing room.”
Decisions, decisions, isn’t that what we love about this game? Anyhow, thank you for reading! Hope to see you at a table some time soon!
TWD - Invoke Poison Glands 2012, Stockholm (Sweden) (9 Jun)
