Power creep and/or inflation

Villein often gets credit for making larger vampires more playable. However, that's not all it does.

The Villein + Lilith's Blessing combo is just as applicable to 2-caps and 3-caps as it is 10-caps and 11-caps.

Even arguing that LB is the real problem (it is certainly "a" real problem if not necessarily "the" real problem), Villein + Blood Doll is good and Villein + Life in the City is better.

I would argue that Blood Doll and Minion Tap were always overpowered. Evidence of that could be seen in commonality of play. Further evidence for Blood Doll would be that it would have seen just as much play even if it had some of the limitations it didn't have but people thought it had - couldn't use right away, couldn't push, couldn't stack, whatever.

Villein is just better than both.

ICL wrote:

I would argue that Blood Doll and Minion Tap were always overpowered.

Certainly Minion Tap was/is overpowered. It easily could have cost 1 pool and still seen extensive use. It's hard to understand why one of the most powerful cards in the game had to be made into a trifle.

Yes. I find it extremely odd Villein is a trifle.

ICL wrote:

Even arguing that LB is the real problem (it is certainly "a" real problem if not necessarily "the" real problem), Villein + Blood Doll is good and Villein + Life in the City is better.

I would argue that 1 blood on a somewhat big cap seem pretty risky. One of the advantage of Lillith is that yhou can work for a pretty long time with 3 blood.

I would also say that big blood generation is much more of a problem than their transfer. Without Giant Blood and Lillith blessing, an empty vampire would more less stay empty.

ICL wrote:

I would argue that Blood Doll and Minion Tap were always overpowered. Evidence of that could be seen in commonality of play. Further evidence for Blood Doll would be that it would have seen just as much play even if it had some of the limitations it didn't have but people thought it had - couldn't use right away, couldn't push, couldn't stack, whatever.

Villein is just better than both.

Ironically, Villein was designed to nerf minion tap, as Vessel was designed to nerf Blood doll. Vessel hit its target, more or less, but Trifle just was way too powerful.

I don't think Blood Doll is that powerful, because it's slow anyhow

So, will V:EKN ban Villein? Or tweak it somehow?

skunkworks wrote:

So, will V:EKN ban Villein? Or tweak it somehow?

Problem is, people love to play 11-cap, and something is needed to make them worthwhile. (Minion tap and blood doll can be enough, of course, but 10-11 pool & transfer for one action per turn is way too expensive and dangerous)

Since the V:EKN try to issue errata and ban on a very conservative basis, they are unlikely to ban it if tournament does not became truly ridiculous - which is not the case.

Also, it is likely that Giant Blood and/or Lillith blessing are banned first. You don't need Villein to be ridiculous with Lillith anyhow.