Storyline Rewards 2015

Lönkka wrote:

Lech wrote:

Looks like lasombra got another non-sabbat vampire. While we are at it, can you give real sabbat lasombra some love.

BEcause Lasombra are currently so bad off that they really need way more support?

Most clans have two in game clans, thus easier to create decent crypt with disciplines. 6 clans out of 13 don't. All independent ones, Tzimisce and Lasombra. Out of those, 4 are independent clans with clan cards that don't really care about sect. Which leave us just two clans that somewhat rely on sabbat toys, like the other sabbat clans that shouldn't exist in the game but exist (!bru, !nos, !mal, !tor, !tre, !gan, !ven) [it's really long discussion why they shouldn't exist as standalone clans, let's not derrail the thead any further].

Tzimisce have really solid G2-G3 grouping allowing strong midcap and highcap decks that use sabbat tech.

On the other hand, G2-G3 Lasombra have just good highcap crypt that use sabbat tech, and decent (dom-obt, pot-obt don't have any good grouping atm) G3-G4-G5 mid-cap group that can't use sabbat tech along with lasombra tech as it uses many non-sabbat or non-lasombra vampires (mainly kiasyds, oneado and badr).

To be fair, Lasombra isn't in bad state despite it lack of strong allies (abbysal Hunter is, eh, not very good), unique actions (drink the blood and political struggle are both underwhelming. Zaire isn't bad, isn't that useful either, san nicolas is wallpaper), unique reactions (have none). It have some decent masters (power structure is good, +1 stealth is average, path is path). But their disciplines alone make them the game, who need good action when you already have best (govern), who need reactions when you already have best (deflection), stealth is always good as an option (especially one with combat end), so are s:ce. Their latest combat additions aren't bad either, just as new sabbat toys for midcap decks (under siege, mainly). The only problem is, Lasombra don't have good POT-OBT crypt as g3-g4 grouping is abysmal. I had to use 7 cap with no special rules just to make the deck!.

But back to Storyline Rewards, new Lasombra is decent vampire n it's own, it's just the thing that G4-G5 grouping have 5 vampires out of 21 who aren't sabbat (Tzimisce have 5 out of 23) (wait a sec, why Tzimisce have more vampires in grouping than lasombra?).

EDIT: okay, my bad, Montano is G3. He is also the best vampire for baltimore purge deck, and work nice with old power vampires (mocanda and 9 cap archbishops._. how can 9 cap archbishops with no meaningful special be any good?).

porphyrion wrote:

_ Probably self-explanatory, but can Vlad Tepes play and use 'No Secrets from the Magaji' or 'Chameleon'?

Yes. This list also includes Second Tradition and Parity Shift.

porphyrion wrote:

_ Is 'New Blood' intended to be non-unique? (the name, the 'Any' in the grouping, the low capacity all seem to point in that direction)

New Blood is unique. So far, there was only one crypt card of groyping "ANY", and that card was unique (which would probably point to the opposite direction to that you're referring to).

Lech wrote:

To be fair, Lasombra isn't in bad state despite it lack of strong allies (abbysal Hunter is, eh, not very good), unique actions (drink the blood and political struggle are both underwhelming.

You can build extremely cheesy Lasombra decks already -I think the clan requires very little (= infinitely close to zero) extra love right now.

Why stress about whether some belong to a different sect? Not really important in MOST decks.

You're also totally wrong about the Allies, Nocturnal is one of the strongest Allies there is!

YMMV

Lönkka wrote:

Lech wrote:

To be fair, Lasombra isn't in bad state despite it lack of strong allies (abbysal Hunter is, eh, not very good), unique actions (drink the blood and political struggle are both underwhelming.

You can build extremely cheesy Lasombra decks already -I think the clan requires very little (= infinitely close to zero) extra love right now.

Why stress about whether some belong to a different sect? Not really important in MOST decks.

You're also totally wrong about the Allies, Nocturnal is one of the strongest Allies there is!

YMMV

Of course i can build cheesy lasombra, be it bleed, nocturns or politic/bleed. I already noted it. I just can't build good lasombra that uses new shiny card, and asking for it is justified. I don't think current decks would include group 5 Sabbat Lasombra with capacity 5, my deck on the other hand would love such addition.

Most decks don't use Under Siege, and for a good reason: it require blocking, thus running those little red card most lasombra deck loathe. Guess who would love to use Under Siege ? Right, that 6 cap OBT POT dom laibon, that 8 cap OBT POT dom Camarilla Prince and that 7 cap DOM POT OBT Independent lasombra.

I already said that it's DISCIPLINES, not clan and sect that drive most Lasombra decks. Nocturn is OBT card, it doesn't require you to be lasombra to play it, just like Govern require DISCIPLINE to play.

Speaking again about sect, many successful Lasombra political decks run Camarilla Prince - Mr. Vitel, because sabbat don't really have good political cards like parity shift that require title, therefore you don't care if somebody is from different sect or not.

I just can't build good lasombra that uses new shiny card, and asking for it is justified. I don't think current decks would include group 5 Sabbat Lasombra with capacity 5, my deck on the other hand would love such addition.

You can build very good decks with Darksteel. You just won't use Under Siege in those. 5 cap with POT OBT dom would be great addittion for it but there is already a VERY good crypt. Here is what I'm using:

Crypt: (12 cards, Min: 22, Max: 29, Avg: 6,33)

---

2 Badr DOM OBT POT 7 Lasombra
1 Black Wallace DOM obt POT tha6 Lasombra
1 Conrad Adoula ani cel DOM OBT POT8 Lasombra
2 Gianmaria Giovanni POT dom nec obt5 Giovanni
2 Lord Vauxhall DOM OBT POT THA7 Lasombra
2 Otieno ani dom OBT POT6 Lasombra
2 Virginie obt DOM POT 6 Lasombra

Most decks don't use Under Siege, and for a good reason: it require blocking, thus running those little red card most lasombra deck loathe.

It works great with obedience as well, so no red cards really needed.