Event report + TWD: Ropecon 2017 Finnish ECQ

• Tournament: Ropecon 2017 Finnish ECQ
• Date: Friday July 28th, 2017
• Place: Ropecon 2017 gaming convention, Messukeskus, Helsinki, Finland
• Players: 37
• Format: EC Continental Qualifier (constructed), 3R+F
• Organizer/judge: Petri Wessman
• Winner: Petrus "Peetu" Makkonen (see below for deck list)

The tournament was nominally an "ECQ", even though we got notified a few weeks prior to this that the next EC will not require separate qualification. The Ropecon gaming conference has now moved to the "Messukeskus" congress center in Helsinki, which is more generic and less non-euclidean than the old Dipoli site, but provides lots of room (yay!) and actual working ventilation (double yay!).

We had a total of 37 players this year, with some Swedes and even a Portugese "guest star" attending . The preliminary rounds went quite smoothly; the gaming area was a bit noisy but nothing we couldn't handle, and we got all the rounds started without too much delay. As always, this tournament has a somewhat insane timeframe, with the finals being played in the early morning hours, but it is what it is. And hey, tradition!

Like last year, the local video crew offered to live-stream the final round from the main stage, and were heroically up until 3:30am doing just that. They also had a better setup this year, so the end result was quite nice. A big thanks to Janne Lönnqvist and Akseli "Aksu" Jalava for doing a running commentary for the final round.

The final round ended in a timeout with no full VPs awarded, so the tournament win went to Petrus "Peetu" Makkonen, with his "Guido" deck.

The finals video is here (starts at around the 14 minute mark):



I also have a separate text transcript of the finals (see below).

Some notes from the preliminary rounds:

• Like last year, the first round had a lot of timeouts. Only half of the tables managed to finish on time. Situation improved a lot in two later rounds.
  
• Huge spread in deck types, no clear "flavor of the year" evident. Dominate was popular, as always.
• Pentex Subversion was easily the most common card seen on all the tables

Thanks, everyone!

-Petri "Orava" Wessman

Results

Rank	Name	Prelim GW	Prelim VP	Final VP	TP	Deck/comment
1	Petrus Makkonen	3	10	0.5	180	(see below)
2	Tommi Hakomaa	2	5.5	0.5	148	(see below)
2	Tiago Brum	1	5	0.5	136	(see below)
2	Mikko Moisander	2	9.5	0.5	180	(see below)
2	Henrik Klippström	1	5.5	0.5	150	(see below)
6	Petro Hirvonen	1	4.5		156
7	Jyri Puhakka	1	4.5		132
8	Mikko Hyvärinen	1	4.5		120
9	Jukka Pasanen	1	4		120
10	Mikko Peltomaa	1	4		114
10	Kim Nilsson	1	4		114
12	Karri Malm	1	3.5		130
13	Kalle Blomgren	1	3		102
14	Tuukka Kallas	1	2		96
15	Janne Lönnqvist	0	3.5		132
16	Sebastian Schiavone	0	3		108
17	Tuomas Vuokko	0	2.5		126
18	Jaakko Nurro	0	2		114
19	Timo Rekola	0	2		96	"Vihreä voima"
20	Jussi Hattara	0	2		90	"Call the Madness"
20	Marko Saari	0	2		90	"Mirror Tradition"
22	Matti Palomäki	0	1.5		102
23	Teemu Pulkkinen	0	1.5		96	Nosferatu royalty
24	Otso Saariluoma	0	1.5		90
25	Akseli Jalava	0	1		100
25	Katja Jauhiainen	0	1		100
27	Juha Laukkanen	0	1		90	Unnamed bleed
27	Tero Aalto	0	1		90	"Doglessmitra"
29	Jani Malmi	0	1		78	"Kaislikossa kahisee"
30	Teemu Salo	0	1		54
31	Anssi Rekola	0	0.5		88
32	Lasse Pöyry	0	0.5		82
33	Teemu Sainomaa	0	0.5		78
33	Niina Lindroos	0	0.5		78
35	Tom Lindberg	0	0		70
36	Mika Nurmikolu	0	0		66
37	Marko Lindroos	0	0		64

Decklists

Tournament Winner (Petrus Makkonen)

Deck Name: Guido Leatherface
Author: Peetu Makkonen
Description:
Took 3GW+10VP in preliminary rounds in Ropecon EQC 2017, Finland Helsinki. Won finals with time as top seed, 0,5VP.

The Finnish title for every iteration is just 'Guido Kuolematon', no matter what's in there. Always remember to add one Guido in there to make it a Guido deck. The rest is pretty much irrelevant.

In here I was initially thinking of ways to deal with Weenie Animalism. Beast is pretty much a free minion for you when Governed down, and deals with 3 blood animalismers with a single Slam!. Put the guys in the freezer to keep up with the blood race.

Rest of the time? Remember all those times when the cross table obfuscate voter goes to 1 blood with bloody everything after rescues, no one plays interaction and they win the game the next turn? They're not playing a single combat card. Neither does Beast have to.

For extra fun times Beast is always the one who drains Pentexes. You don't really have to worry about that. As long as it's not Angelica or Gratiano you're good to go. It's not that the deck suffers if you're not playing Beast. And you can always beg for removals from cross table... Anyways, you'll get to dodge Pentex with your REAL vampires (coughguidocough) and bleed with Govern.

The crypt around Beast could be whatever. 6 Slams and Beast is all you need. Just don't think you'll have to commit a game plan on him. Don't. This could just as well be Euro Brujah. Or Arika turbo. Or Huitzi MMPA.

Put the deck together in an evening and changed a lot of cards on a whim 15 minutes before the tournament. Should use more Obfuscate and there's some room for weird tinkerings.

Crypt (Capacity min=1 max=10 avg=7.42; 12 cards)
===================================================
1x Alvaro, The Scion of Angelica 9 dom pre OBT POT Lasombra:2
1x Anarch Convert 1 Caitiff:ANY
2x Angelica, The Canonicus 10 cel obf DOM OBT POT Lasombra:2
3x Beast, The Leatherface of Detroit 7 ani cel OBF POT !Nosferatu:2
1x Francisco Domingo de Polonia 9 pro DOM OBT POT PRE Lasombra:2
2x Gratiano 8 obf pot DOM OBT Lasombra:2
1x Guido Lucciano 5 dom obf OBT Lasombra:2
1x Lucita 8 cel pot DOM FOR OBT Lasombra:2

Library (80 cards)
=====================
Master (18 cards)
1x Carver's Meat Packing and Storage
1x Direct Intervention
1x Elysian Fields
1x Fame
1x Giant's Blood
1x Haven Uncovered
1x Line, The
1x Pentex(TM) Subversion
4x Villein
6x Zillah's Valley

Action (13 cards)
1x Abbot
9x Govern the Unaligned
1x Graverobbing
2x Under Siege

Political Action (4 cards)
1x Anarchist Uprising
2x Banishment
1x Domain Challenge

Ally (4 cards)
4x Nocturn

Action Modifier (15 cards)
2x Blanket of Night
2x Cloak the Gathering
1x Conditioning
1x Foreshadowing Destruction
3x Shadow Play
3x Shroud of Absence
2x Shroud of Night
1x Threats

Reaction (14 cards)
5x Deflection
2x Eyes of the Night
1x Obedience
5x On the Qui Vive
1x Redirection

Combat (9 cards)
1x Disarm
2x Shadow Body
6x Slam

Combo (3 cards)
1x Murmur of the False Will
1x Shadow Boxing
1x Swallowed by the Night


Other Finalists

Tommi Hakomaa

(Nephandus deck, decklist coming soon)

Henrik Klippström

Deck Name: Princes with sticks Ropecon 2017
Author: Henrik Klippström
Description:
Based on Hugh Angseesing's "EC 2013 Day 2: Better Gents with Sticks", in turn based on the 2010 "Better Gentlemen, Same Sticks" by Tiago Brum.

Crypt (Capacity min=3 max=8 avg=6.08; 12 cards)
==================================================
1x Emily Carson 5 for pre DOM Ventrue:5
2x Graham Gottesman 7 obf pre tha DOM FOR Ventrue:5
1x Jephta Hester 5 aus DOM FOR !Ventrue:4
1x João Bilé 5 pre DOM FOR Ventrue:4
3x Lodin (Olaf Holte) 8 aus pro DOM FOR PRE Ventrue:5
1x Mustafa, The Heir 6 cel dom FOR PRE Ventrue:4
1x Ulrike Rothbart 3 dom for !Ventrue:4
1x Victor Donaldson 6 for pre DOM Ventrue:5
1x Victor Pelletier 5 cel dom for PRE Ventrue:4

Library (80 cards)
=====================
Master (12 cards)
1x Anarch Troublemaker
1x Blood Doll
1x Direct Intervention
1x Dreams of the Sphinx
1x Giant's Blood
1x Haven Uncovered
2x Pentex(TM) Subversion
1x Uptown Hunting Ground
1x Ventrue Headquarters
2x Villein

Event (2 cards)
1x Scourge of the Enochians
1x Uncoiling, The

Action (15 cards)
15x Govern the Unaligned

Political Action (1 cards)
1x Anarchist Uprising

Equipment (3 cards)
2x Heart of Nizchetus
1x Ivory Bow

Ally (1 cards)
1x Carlton Van Wyk (Hunter)

Action Modifier (11 cards)
2x Bonding
4x Conditioning
3x Daring the Dawn
2x Foreshadowing Destruction

Reaction (19 cards)
7x Deflection
1x Delaying Tactics
2x On the Qui Vive
1x Redirection
8x Second Tradition: Domain

Combat (16 cards)
5x Hidden Strength
5x Indomitability
1x Unflinching Persistence
5x Weighted Walking Stick


Tiago Brum

Deck Name: Ventrue Princes Grinder - As seen on TV (Ropecon 2017)
Author: Tiago Brum
Description:
Same core as in 2009. Haven't played VtES since Genova EC and reached Ropecon without any good sleep in the previous 2 days, so went to my tried and true Grinder. Meta calls come from Genova. I didn't change anything since.

Notes:
- Keith is still not Victor Pelletier. Sup Govern + 4 transfers to see next vampire gives me more tempo on minion numbers.
- Fear of Mekhet was great in Italy. Meta call vs Mistress Fanchon, AAA, Lutz and friends, etc.. In the world of Villein, seems a no brainer.
- Kiss of Ra VS Goratrix, Eurobrujah, AAA, etc. I remember the days before Velya when Tzimmy Walls had a Fortitude master because of this card.
- Maybe drop a Deflection, but the feeling of immunity against bleeds is a good feeling to have. If my predator had gone forward in this Final, I would probably have gotten the table, even with the Millicent Smith.
- 3rd Rolling is VS Eurobrujah, CEL Guns and the resurgence of Enkidu. Didn\'t see Finish Politics(tm) at all. Sad.

Crypt (Capacity min=3 max=8 avg=5.92; 12 cards)
==================================================
1x Emily Carson 5 for pre DOM Ventrue:5
2x Graham Gottesman 7 obf pre tha DOM FOR Ventrue:5
1x Jephta Hester 5 aus DOM FOR !Ventrue:4
1x João Bilé 5 pre DOM FOR Ventrue:4
1x Keith Moody 3 DOM !Tremere:4
3x Lodin (Olaf Holte) 8 aus pro DOM FOR PRE Ventrue:5
1x Mustafa, The Heir 6 cel dom FOR PRE Ventrue:4
1x Ulrike Rothbart 3 dom for !Ventrue:4
1x Victor Donaldson 6 for pre DOM Ventrue:5

Library (81 cards)
=====================
Master (13 cards)
1x Anarch Troublemaker
1x Blood Doll
1x Channel 10
1x Direct Intervention
2x Dreams of the Sphinx
1x Fear of Mekhet
1x Misdirection
1x Papillon
2x Pentex(TM) Subversion
2x Vessel

Event (1 cards)
1x Scourge of the Enochians

Action (14 cards)
14x Govern the Unaligned

Equipment (1 cards)
1x Ivory Bow

Ally (1 cards)
1x Carlton Van Wyk (Hunter)

Action Modifier (10 cards)
2x Bonding
5x Conditioning
2x Daring the Dawn
1x Kiss of Ra, The

Reaction (23 cards)
8x Deflection
2x Delaying Tactics
4x On the Qui Vive
1x Redirection
8x Second Tradition: Domain

Combat (17 cards)
5x Hidden Strength
4x Indomitability
3x Rolling with the Punches
5x Weighted Walking Stick

Combo (1 cards)
1x Murmur of the False Will


Mikko Moisander

(419 Operation deck, decklist coming soon)

Final Round Transcript

This is based on my personal notes, scribbled down during the game. Some detail is missing and there may be mistakes here and there.

Play started around 1:30 am and ended at 3:30 am (timed out)

The players were (in seating order):

1. Tommi Hakomaa (3rd seed)
2. Henrik Klippström (4th seed)
3. Tiago Brum (5th seed)
4. Peetu Makkonen (1st seed)
5. Mikko Moisander (2nd seed)

Turn 1

Tommi:

• Liquidation
• bring out Tupdog
• Unmasking

Henrik: -

Tiago: Dreams of the Sphinx

Peetu: -

Mikko:

• Effective Management
• bring out Kamaria

Turn 2

Tommi:

• Parthenon
• Ashur Tablets
• Tupdog hunts
• bring out Béatrice Oracle171 Tremblay

Henrik: Scourge of the Enochians

Tiago: bring out Lodin

Peetu: bring out Guido Lucciano

Mikko:

• Kamaria plays 419 Op, Beatrice blocks
• bring out Neighbor John

Turn 3

Tommi:

• Beatrice bleeds for 3
• bring out Antonio d'Erlette

Henrik:

• Anarch Troublemaker
• bring out Graham Gottesman

Tiago:

• Vessel on Lodin
• Lodin plays superior Govern, Graham blocks with 2nd Trad
• bring out Mustafa, The Heir

Peetu: Villein Guido for 2

Mikko:

• Brainwash on Tommi's uncontrolled vampire
• Kamaria hunts
• Neighbor John gets Sniper Rifle
• bring out Ismitta
• Nightmares Upon Nightmares

Turn 4

Tommi:

• Ashur Tablets
• Haven Uncovered on Graham
• bring out Nephandus (via Antonio)

Henrik:

• Graham removes Haven Uncovered
• bring out Jeptha Hester

Tiago:

• Lodin plays superior Govern
• Mustafa bleeds, Conditioning, gets bounced to Mikko, Ismitta blocks
• bring out Emily Carson

Peetu: bring out Angelica, The Canonicus

Mikko:

• Ismitta plays 419 Op, Nephandus blocks, Trap + Molotov coctail, Ismitta burns
• Neighbor John tries to get Bowl, Angelica blocks
• Kamaria hunts, Beatrice blocks, Kamaria to torpor
• bring out Idrissa

Turn 5

Tommi:

• Ashur Tablets (3rd one)
• Ashur Tablets
• Beatrice tries to recruit Carlton, Graham blocks (2nd Trad)
• bring out Nephandus (via Antonio)
• Slow Withering

Henrik:

• Dreams of the Sphinx
• Graham hunts

Tiago:

• Lodin bleeds, Conditioning, bleed of 3
• Mustafa bleeeds for 1

Peetu:

• Angelica plays Under Siege, Neighbor John tries to block but fails

Mikko:

• Brainwash on Tommi's uncontrolled vampire
• Idrissa plays 419 Op, Nephandus blocks
• bring out Arriette Sylla

Turn 6

Tommi:

• Beatrice returns to active region
• Nephandus bleeds for 1
• Nephandus bleeds for 1, Jeptha blocks
• bring out another Nephandus (via Antonio)

Henrik: Blood Doll on Jeptha

Tiago:

• Lodin bleeds with Govern, gets bounced to Mikko, Arriette blocks
• Mustafa bleeds for 1, Angelica blocks
• Emily bleeds for 1

Peetu:

• Carver's Meat Packing and Storage
• Angelica hunts, Neighbor John tries to block but fails, Lodin tries to block but fails

Mikko:

• Auspex on Arriette
• Arriette plays 419 Op, Nephandus blocks, Arriette to torpor
• Neighbor John bleeds for 1
• Idrissa rescues Kamaria
• Kamaria hunts

Turn 7

Tommi:

• Ashur Tablets
• Millicent Smith
• Nephandus bleeds for 1
• Nephandus bleeds for 1, Graham blocks, Nephandus burns
• bring out another Nephandus (via Antonio)

Henrik:

• Giant's Blood on Jeptha
• Graham plays superior Govern, Nephandus blocks, Nephandus burns

Tiago:

• Mustafa hunts
• Lodin bleeds for 1, bounced to Mikko
• Emily bleeds for 1

Peetu:

• The Line
• Guido plays Anarchist Uprising, Neighbor John tries to block but fails, Lodin tries to block but fails, vote fails (after some discussion)
• Angelica plays superior Govern
• bring out Gratiano

Mikko: -

Turn 8

Tommi:

• Fame on Graham
• Beatrice tries to recruit Vagabond Mystic, Graham blocks, Beatrice to "torpor"
• Nephandus bleeds for 1, bounced to Mikko
• bring out another Nephandus (via Antonio)

Henrik:

• Villein on Jephta, Washed by Tommi
• Haven Uncovered on Emily
• bring out Victor Donaldson

Tiago:

• Lodin bleeds for 1, Gratiano blocks
• Emily bleeds for 1, Gratiano blocks

Peetu:

• Angelica hunts, Neighbor John tries to block

Mikko: -

Turn 9

Tommi:

• Liquidation
• Ashur Tablets (3rd)
• Nephandus bleeds for 1, bounced to Tiago
• Nephandus bleeds for 1, bounced to Tiago
• Nephandus bleeds for 1, Jephta blocks, Nephandus burns
• bring out new Nephandus (via Antonio)
• FBI Special Affairs Division

Henrik:

• Villein Victor for 2
• Jephta hunts

Tiago: -

Peetu:

• Gratiano recruits a Nocturn, Neighbor John blocks, Gratiano tries to play Shadow Body but that is DI'ed by Tiago

Mikko:

• Kamaria bleeds for 1
• Neighbor John employs Mr. Winthrop

Turn 10

Tommi:

• Ashur Tablets
• Ashur Tablets
• Nephandus bleeds for 1, Jephta blocks
• Nephandus bleeds for 1
• Nephandus bleeds for 1
• Beatrice bleeds for 2
• Antonio bleeds for 1
• bring out another Nephandus (via Antonio)

Henrik:

• Use Anarch Troublemaker on Tiago
• Pentex on a Nephandus

Tiago:

• Use Anarch Troublemaker on Peetu
• Game TIMES OUT, Peetu is winner due to first seed.

@Ashur, I'm pretty sure I have your Anarch Troublemaker in my deck box! Black and worn out sleeve. Mail, or?

Great report! Thanks a lot.

Btw for english-speakers, Peetu's "Guido kuolematon" means Guido the immortal. I guess he just never goes away.

Bloodartist wrote:

Great report! Thanks a lot.

Btw for english-speakers, Peetu's "Guido kuolematon" means Guido the immortal. I guess he just never goes away.

If anyone tells you otherwise, it's fake news!

@Ashur, sure thing, I'll keep it safe! I guess I know at least one card I'll be bringing to Warsaw...

Deck Name: You have lot's of new mail, RopeCon 2017 version
Author: Mikko Moisander
Description:
Spam 419s like there is no tomorrow. Originally inspired by Bran van Stappen's 419 911, but the deck has since then evolved in completely other direction. Only the brainwash + Pentex module remains. Before the tournament I added 4 eyes of arguses and couple of telepathic misdirections after I got crushed at our weekly games. Carlton should have been in the deck and I would dearly have needed him during games, if only to contest.

Crypt (12 cards; Capacity min=2 max=5 avg=3.58)
===============================================
2x Arriette Sylla 3 POT Osebo:4
1x Idrissa 4 aus CEL Osebo:4
2x Ismitta 4 aus cel pot Osebo:4
2x Kamaria 3 aus pot Osebo:4
1x Kisha Bhimji 5 cel obf pot AUS Osebo:3
2x Misrak 2 pot Osebo:4
2x Neighbor John 5 dom for AUS !Ventrue:4

Library (84 cards)
==================
Master (13)
1x Auspex
7x Brainwash
1x Effective Management
2x Information Highway
2x Pentex(TM) Subversion

Event (4)
1x Blood Trade
1x Break the Code
1x Nightmares upon Nightmares
1x Rising, The

Action (23)
21x 419 Operation
2x Legend of the Leopard

Equipment (2)
1x Bowl of Convergence
1x Sniper Rifle

Retainer (1)
1x Mr. Winthrop

Reaction (22)
7x Eagle's Sight
6x Eyes of Argus
2x Forced Awakening
1x My Enemy's Enemy
3x On the Qui Vive
3x Telepathic Misdirection

Combat (19)
6x Target Vitals
5x Taste of Vitae
3x Thrown Gate
5x Weighted Walking Stick

Created with Secret Library v0.9.4e. (Aug 31, 2017 08:26:54)

Round 1: 1.5 VP, game timed on my untap phase with me having 8 419 in game. If only I had gotten the turn a few seconds earlier to have time to pass, as after using 419s my prey was on 3 pool with exactly 3 anarch revolts in play with me having torporised his last anach last turn.

Round 2: 4 VP +GW, 4 player game so a nice sweep. Most 419s on table was 7, I think.

Round 3: .4 VP + GW, another 4 player game and another sweep, because someone dropped out.
Only got out 6 419 in this game, but I had deal with Tiago that I would allow him to finish Tommi’s Nephandus deck (see other finalists) providing there was enough time in clock to allow us to duel it out afterward. With 1 min 30 sec left I dared not to wait any longer, but ousted both with 419s. Without the escape clause in place, in that situation I would probably have broken the deal anyway.

Finals: 0.5 VP
I had some real trouble with Tommi’s Nephandus deck on round 3, so I decided to sit as his predator to attempt to shut him down before he has time to build up. This proved to be mistake, and any other seat would probably been better, because I was a turn late with my brainwashes and had most of my minions torporised before being able to play single 419. Game timed out with 5 way jam with Peetu sailing to victory as the top seed…
If only I had gotten that game win from round 1, it would have been me with the top seed. Oh well, near missed do not count, maybe next time.