Avoiding combat

Demnogonis wrote:

But basically, there's nothing wrong with just S:CE. What happens when a combat deck doesn't draw Immortal Grapple?

Also, don't rely only on those nifty untapping Majesties.

Charismatic Aura is also a S:CE but it can be used to cancel the opposing minion's strike card or grapple card. Extremely nice if you've seen the opposing combat monster's hand (Owl Companion, Sennadurek, Le Din Tho, Revelations etc) and know he's only holding one copy of Immortal Grapple.

Multiple Apparitions is sheer goodness.
If Protean is available then Flesh of Marble also rocks!

wastaz wrote:

What is the optimal anti-combat tech in your opinion?

Is there any deck-type that especially excels at handling combat-decks that I could focus on in order to mess with the copious amounts of combat around here?

If your plan is to show up to a game night with decks that screw with combat, just to throw a wrench in the works, the likely optimal plans are:

-11 cap AUS/DOM minion with 30 Obediences and a bunch of Smiling Jacks. Elimelech is probably the good plan these days, as you can use some Seraph tech for fun, and as he is Sabbat, you can include Power Base: Branquilla for long term pool gain. Never take actions. Get out Elimelech. Stand there. When someone rushes you, you play Obedience. When someone tries to kill Jack, you block and play Obedience. Have a handful of Sudden Reversals to stop Pentex and someone contesting Smiling Jack.

-Plain, brown old school FOR/DOM Ventrue. Put in, like, 30 Rolling with the Punches and some Pulled Fangs. The rest of the deck is, like, Scouting Mission and Bonding for bleeds of 3 at +1 stealth.

-Weenie fortitude Trap/Undying Tenacity. They rush your 2 or 3 cap. You don't go to torpor and run them out of cards and damage them. You eventually run them over with lots of weenies.

Keep in mind that if you are expecting a lot of combat, you probably don't need a lot of pool gain or bleed defense. And your opponents probably won't have a lot of pool gain.

10 copies of Botched Move!

Lönkka wrote:

Charismatic Aura is also a S:CE but it can be used to cancel the opposing minion's strike card or grapple card. Extremely nice if you've seen the opposing combat monster's hand (Owl Companion, Sennadurek, Le Din Tho, Revelations etc) and know he's only holding one copy of Immortal Grapple.

Actually you can play only one Immortal Grapple each round anyway. That makes CA even better.