Games from 11/24 in Santa Clara, CA

Here's what happened in our casual games today:

Game 1:
Me (FoS vote)> Ian "ICL" Lee (Nos with Auspex)> David Anderson(Daughters bleed/vote)> Andy Haas (Daughters + Unmata)

I started by bringing out Shemti. When I saw that my predator brought out Scout Youngwood, I knew I would have to work for my votes. David also brought out Bastile Opera House, which made it difficult to control the vote situation as well. Eventually I brought out Nakthorheb, which gave me extra actions. Andy spent a lot of time going backwards with Ossian and trying to bloat in front of David's bleed machine.

Ian spent his time playing what seemed like an unending combination of wakes and telepathic midirections. When he wasn't trying to block, he would screw with the vote push by David and me by playing Confusion of the Eye. That card cost me the game. If I hadn't been delayed and then Confusioned on my Reckless Agitation, I would have killed Ian early. As it played out, I over-compensated by trying to take the edge for extra vote push, leading to David's early demise. Ian quickly killed the crippled Andy, leaving us in the heads-up. I bloated a lot and gained 11 pool from Political Stranglehold + Voter Cap. In my final turn I Temptationed Ian's Justicar with Pulse and he conceded.

Ian 2 vp
Me 2 vp

Game 2:
David (Ian's Lasombra deck)> Me (Guillaume stealth bleed)> Ian (Silly Fatties)> Andy (My !Brujah breed and boon)

Two transfers set me up for Guillaume and his best bro Baldesar (with the help of a Govern). I brought them both out and commenced the bleeding. Unfortunately, Ian made it difficult by getting a +1 intercept minion and playing, get this, more Telepathic Misdirection and some intercept. Many of my bleeds landed on Andy, which he did not appreciate. Ian bled into David and lost a newly christened archbishop, which really cost him some votes. David bled me, which I mostly sucked up with the help of Dummy Corporation and Wider View.

When Andy was on the ropes and I wasn't in a much better situation I had a really good turn. I had Parthenon in play and played Necromancy on Baldesar, then Dis Pater. I bled Ian for five at two stealth and crossed my fingers. He died! I then bled Andy for six and he died, too! David lasted one turn longer- my pool total was too high for him to break through.

Me GW 4 vp

Game 3:
Andy (My !Brujah Undue Influence)> Ian (Harbinger Vote)> Me (Weenie pre Vote)> David (Madame Guil Multirush)

David starts his game with a couple of Zillah's Valleys, depleting his pool. I bring out Gideon F., voter, bleeder, and all around pimp. Andy makes some questionable decisions in Influencing, but it is not his deck. I try to call a vote, but David plays Second Tradition at least twice and blocks my actions. Ian brings out the Harbinger with +1 intercept, a real annoying bastard. Ian brings insult to injury by becoming an archbishop and then using Disputed Territory to steal my Ventrue Headquarters. I have vote push, so I have a chance of passing an unblocked vote (as if that would happen) until his Hugh becomes a cardinal and he gets powerbase: madrid. At this point I switch to weenie bleed mode.

David fights against Andy and me with Second Tradition + Flamethower, but it mostly costs him two blood per block. Burning Gideon with Blur costs him an extra blood. Eventually Andy and I rescue each other enough that David runs out of blood and I bleed him out.

Andy starts bleeding Ian with a bit more success. I decide to not do the maximum amount I can do to screw with Ian before I die and just hunt. I am ousted by Andy's stealth bleed for three and then Andy kills Ian after a protracted end game featuring The Coven.

Andy GW 2 vp
Ian 1 vp
Me 1 vp

Interesting games today. I was very tired of blocks and bounce by the end of the day (Thanks, Ian). A variety of decks saw play and some interesting rules match-ups were encountered, as usual. Some examples:

How does Undue Influence interact with the Priscus sub-referendum? (It doesn't)

How do Daughters cards interact with other Daughters on the table? (It's complicated)

We were surpised to find promotional material in the game store we were playing at. Someone there decided to promote our tournaments on the 28th of December. We ended up deciding to have our tournaments at Andy's house, but the thought was nice. Historically game stores have been nothing but frustrating for me to deal with.

All-in-all it was a good day for VTES.

While three decks with Telepathic Misdirection was kind of repetitive (my other new deck was the one David played), intercept and bounce are not as unusual when playing with other people. To an extent, I get tired of every stealth card I draw being a dead draw in most games. After all, the core interaction in the game is (maybe should say "was") the battle between stealth and intercept.

Also, for clarity, you meant Unexpected Coalition and prisci and Andy lost an archbishop in combat with the Lasombra.