TWD- Danse Macabre – First Dance Vidor TX USA, December 1, 2023

Danse Macabre: First Danse
Vidor, Texas USA
December 1, 2023
2R+F
25 players
Darby Keeney
www.vekn.net/event-calendar/event/10832

Deck Name: Obamium (312)
Created by: Darby Keeney
Description: Anarch-based Gangrel Wall (5 Baron version).

Credit to Karl Schaefer's snarky "Thanks Obama" comment for inspiring the deck's new name.
Thanks to the members of Pakled Project for helpful library suggestions and crypt tweaks.
Kudos to Kelly Lyons for running another great tournament weekend.

-- Tournament Summary --

A good (4 VP) second game got me into the final as second seed. The seating was Andy (Brujah Org Resist gun wall) --> Karl (Montano Purge) --> Sydney (Matasuntha wall) --> Jesper (non-turbo Nergal bleed) --> Me (Gangrel wall).

No one wanted top seed Montano to get going. I bounced Jesper's opening 5-bleed to Karl and a flurry of Reckless Agitations from Andy fixed that problem before the first Purge fired. Added bonus: I was now the de facto top seed, though I'm behind a VP with sequential wall decks to my left.

Jesper soon Dared the Dawn on a Heart equip and couldn't leave torpor. Joaquín threw himself on a diablerie grenade, giving me space to eventually deplete Andy's endless supply of Organized Resistances while Sidney slowly bled Jesper out. With less than 15 minutes remaining at the heads-up, I just waited out the rest of the game with 2 Sniper Rifles and at least one S:CE in hand.

Crypt (12 cards, min=14 max=25 avg=5.08)

---

2x Casey Snyder 6 PRO ani cel for baron Gangrel:6
2x Kuyén 6 ANI PRO baron Gangrel:6
1x Hanna Nokelainen 4 ani for pro Gangrel:6
1x Indira 3 PRO Gangrel:6
1x Joaquín de Cádiz 3 for pro Gangrel:6
1x Kamile Paukstys 5 PRO ani for Gangrel:6
1x Martina Srnankova 6 FOR PRO ani Gangrel:6
1x Massimiliano 7 ANI FOR pro baron Gangrel:6
1x Mickey Wheeler 5 ani cel for pro Gangrel:6
1x Nathan Turner 4 PRO ani Gangrel:6

-- Dropped to 5 Barons, now expecting to decrypt a second Baron ASAP for stablity. IMO better than duplicating Massimiliano or tripling Casey.

Library (90 cards)
Master (18; 3 trifle)
1x Anarch Free Press, The -- somewhat iffy as a Master slot here.
1x Anarch Railroad
1x Backways
2x Blood Doll
1x Carfax Abbey
1x Club Illusion
1x Ecoterrorists
1x Garibaldi-Meucci Museum
1x Giant's Blood
1x Powerbase: Los Angeles
1x Powerbase: Montreal
1x Rack, The
1x Smiling Jack, The Anarch -- would love to stuff a second copy in here, but can't find room.
3x Villein
1x Zoo Hunting Ground

-- Significant trimming from the deck's "Gwal" predecessor. Out-of-turn play feels smoother in this version.

Action (12)
1x Aranthebes, The Immortal -- dual purpose card, but not needed in this tournament.
2x Rewilding -- 2 feels like the bare minimum.
1x Status Perfectus, The -- didn't need the third anti-Form of Mist card this tournament.
8x Thing

Equipment (5)
1x Camera Phone -- would still love to duplicate this, but went with a Heart instead.
1x Heart of Nizchetus
1x Ivory Bow -- sits on either a 2-bleeder or the dedicated Status vampire.
2x Sniper Rifle

Retainer (5)
1x Dog Pack
4x Raven Spy

Action Modifier (3)
3x Earth Control

Action Modifier/Combat (1)
1x Rapid Change

Action Modifier/Reaction (4)
4x Form of the Bat

Reaction (27)
5x Bait and Switch
6x Deep Ecology
4x Eyes of the Wild
2x On the Qui Vive
8x Organized Resistance
2x Protection Racket

-- Feels right overall, I wouldn't want any more Eyes of the Wild and plan to keep the 2x OtQV for the inevitable Salubri Sleeping Mind decks.

Combat (14)
10x Earth Meld
4x Form of Mist

Event (1)
1x Uncoiling, The -- either great or useless.