New, less predictable, format for tournaments?

Ashur wrote:

We don´t seem to get any new VTES cards, at least for a while. But what about a new, serious format for tournaments? I´m talking about a solid format that can be played alongside the normal one, permanent, indefinitely.

I´m bored of the same extreme, cheesy decks all the time. Ashur Tablets, Liquidation, Villein, imbued, the same combos, boring, monotomous deck archetypes over and over again, not seldom with 15+ copies of certain cards (earth meld, aid from bats, kindred spirits etc etc). Everything is so predictable, and it seems only a small fraction of the cards in the game ever see play.

I would like to play more tables that more are like limited format-tables, and less like "Aha, I´m betweeen deck archetype A and deck archetype B, I know how this will work out". I want more experiences like "You played a WHAT?!" and less experiences like "Oh, you play Villein and tap your Lilith´s Blessing AGAIN, *falls asleep of unexitement*".

Do anyone agree?

Wouldn´t it be nice with some kind of new format? I´m not exactly sure on what though, but something that makes decks more toolboxy and less predictable. I´m not sure, but maybe a banned/restricted list? Or a card limit? Or caps on certain "types" of cards in a single deck? (God knows how that would work though) Or some kind of semi-collective format, where you bring a 70 card deck plus 20 generic cards that any minion could play? (Wow, now I´m improvising! Better sign off...)

Any ideas?

A few quick ideas:

"If a card that you play would give you pool, gain half the amount rounding up instead."
"A card may only be played once each combat"
"Any card that would give an action more than +1 bleed costs an additional blood"
"If a card is played that changes the target of a bleed, tap the reacting minion(if any)."
"A vampire with a capacity less than 5 can not bleed for more than 2. Any bleed in excess of 2 is ignored in that case."
"Any ally that leaves the ready region is burned."

Edited the first suggestion to make Life Boon more playable. Extremis Boon is still crap. Sorry, Ian!

Another option that I would recommend people trying, particularly those of you wanting to encourage more toolbox type formats, is LSJ's Phased Motion Format variant of V:TES. Its not quite the same game, due to the turn order being variable/malleable, but it provides a signifcant disadvantage to most focused decks (although wall decks remain something of a problem). My local V:TES group play it on occasion and we had discussed the possibility of a Phased Motion tournament sometime ago. Well worth trying out if you are looking for a change or interested in some of LSJ's ideas about alternative mechanics.

There is a copy of the rules on the Lasombra's site under Variants. Phased Motion Format

KevinM wrote:

Try Rapid Thought Revised: members.cox.net/kjm1971/RapidThoughtRevised.txt

Ashur wrote:

I like this. A question though: Why the 3-player tables? Isn´t the banned bloat cards and the 45 minutes enough to speed up the games?

Three player tables eliminate the cross table turns that don't effect you.
They also take an extra 40+ minutes out of the game because everyone's turn always matters to you so you're always paying attention.

KevinM wrote:

Ashur wrote:

We don´t seem to get any new VTES cards, at least for a while. But what about a new, serious format for tournaments? I´m talking about a solid format that can be played alongside the normal one, permanent, indefinitely.

Try Rapid Thought Revised: members.cox.net/kjm1971/RapidThoughtRevised.txt

I don't quite get it. Nana 4 the win?