TWD - Origins Thursday 2 (9 June 2022)

Event Name: Origins Thursday 2
Event Location: Columbus OH
Date: 9 June 2022
Format: 2R+F
Players: 21 players
Winner: Darby Keeney
Event Link: www.vekn.net/event-calendar/event/10211
Results: 1 GW + 6 entering final, GW + 3 vp in final
Deck Name: Alpha Beta

Description: Bruise bleed based around V5 Brujah Barons, New Carthage and Anarch bleed cards. It carries light multi-action, a touch of stealth and just enough bounce that it doesn't have to look left immediately. The titles influence others' political actions, even if I'm not using them myself.

In the final, I roasted my prey's opening (famous) Malgorzata even though she dropped a Blood of Acid in the first combat. It was ENTIRELY worth losing a 3-cap who had already done the Illegalism/unlock/Manifesto trick. I ate Mal a turn or two later, just to be sure she didn't make beads.

Crypt (12 cards, min=18 max=30 avg=6.17)

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2x Aline Gädeke 7 cel POT PRE baron Brujah:6
1x Ariane 3 cel pot pre Brujah:5
1x Atiena 6 pot pre obf CEL baron Brujah:6
1x Brandon Grime 5 pot pre tha CEL Brujah:6
1x Elen Kamjian 4 CEL POT Brujah:6
2x Leumeah 6 cel for pot PRE baron Brujah:6
2x Theo Bell 8 aus dom CEL POT PRE Brujah:6
2x Valeriya Zinovieva 7 cel pre pro POT baron Brujah:6

The original build used more superior Presence minions but no Theo and some Enchant Kindred. I didn't like the pace at which it played and adjusted for more immediate offense. I finally broke down and added Theo right before Origins - he sheds red cards and I get a second +1 strength minion.

Every one of those revisions made the deck better and this iteration feels extremely solid.

Library (90 cards)
*// I think there might be a 78 card version that's even more consistent. And no, you don't need Ashur Tablets.

Master (18)
2x Blood Doll
1x Carfax Abbey
1x Club Illusion *// dangerous play in today's meta
2x Dreams of the Sphinx
1x Fame
1x Garibaldi-Meucci Museum *// this card just keeps getting better.
1x Giant's Blood
2x New Carthage *// this version could probably drop to 1 copy
1x Powerbase: Los Angeles *// more unlocked Barons at the end of my turn.
5x Villein *// this could be 6 copies and the deck wouldn't suffer.
1x Warzone Hunting Ground

Action (21)
1x Fee Stake: New York *// should probably change to LA just for thematic reasons
9x Illegalism *// combat minions that bleed, then unlock and fight are pretty good.
10x Line Brawl *// see above. The occasional pool steal can screw up other players' math.
1x Open War *// almost overkill with Theo and Line Brawls.

Equipment (2)
2x Anarch Manifesto, An *// slotted during last revision, these things are gold in the mid game (get them AFTER you unlock from Illegialism, don't defer bleed actions to get it)

Action Modifier (8)
6x Power of One *// I didn't bother with the unlimited [pot] line with a Monkey Wrench, it's better to just have these for stealth on bleeds.
2x Zephyr *// don't laugh...even at inferior it is an unlocked bouncer (or a multirushing Theo at superior).

Reaction (5)
5x Bait and Switch *// this card is shaking up the meta around here.

Combat (36)
2x Bollix *// kind of iffy, but I like having extra maneuvers and presses hanging around.
2x Disarm *// never played on a minion I wasn't dunking anyway, this might be overkill.
3x Diversion *// only OK in this deck since Dust Up often eats the additional strike.
10x Dust Up *// underrated as a dual use combat tool.
4x Immortal Grapple *// because Earth Meld decks need to be killed with fire.
2x Pulled Fangs *// sometimes minions just need to stay down
5x Target Vitals *// slotted in yet another [pot] deck....this card is poorly designed.
4x Taste of Vitae
4x Thrown Gate *// a token nod to "screw your Sniper Rifle" with backup defensive value

Nice comments again Darby.
Much appreciated!

TryDeflectingThisGrapple wrote:

4x Thrown Gate *// a token nod to "screw your Sniper Rifle" with backup defensive value

If especially aimed against Sniper Rifle, I'm pondering why not use Stunt Cycle instead?

Fear of Celerity? Lack of Maneuver?

Probably because of mentioned "backup defensive value".

Lönkka wrote:

If especially aimed against Sniper Rifle, I'm pondering why not use Stunt Cycle instead?

Since the plan to address Sniper Rifle is to punk the minion carrying it, I needed a card that would always hit (hopefully for 4 with Target Vitals). And as been mentioned, sometimes I need to be the chicken and run to long. Thrown Gate is flexible enough to serve both needs, and can be played at close if I just need to cycle.

I tend to Villein pretty low on everyone but Theo, so I can't spare the blood (or action) for Heroic Might. It's too bad, because that card solves a lot of problems.

Guns are out because I don't want to take the equip action and a gun maneuver plays poorly with the Dust Up dodge/additional. Stunt Cycle misses randomly, so it's not solving any problems (especially since I have dodge/additional in the deck). Sewer Lids are dead cards too often.

So while Thrown Gate isn't perfect, it flows easily and meets several objectives in a single card.

I've been running a similar list recently. One thing I wonder is how does it work without wakes? My deck's most recent version has 6 x Organized Resistance and 5 x On the Qui Vive, and I haven't found it too many.