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Name: When Phēmē Whispers
Cardtype: Reaction
Discipline: Auspex
Clan: none
[aus]: +1 intercept.
[AUS]: Only usable when a card or effect would make this blocking minion to fail. Burn one blood to end the action.

Flavor text: "Once your name is spoken through Elysium, no prize is worth claiming." — Victoria Ash

Why this card?
1. Auspex has been left behind

Auspex is one of the eleven remaining disciplines, yet it has received remarkably little support in recent expansions.

The latest Sabbat expansion did not include a single Auspex card. Before that, the discipline only received two Salubri-exclusive combat-centered cards, which are themselves an unusual direction for a discipline traditionally associated with perception, information, and defense.

A discipline that defines one of the game's central mechanics—blocking actions—deserves occasional support, especially when many other disciplines continue to receive new tools.

2. "Fail to block" has become too common

One of the biggest changes to the game over the last several years has been the proliferation of effects that cause a blocking minion to fail.

Originally, these effects were relatively rare and represented powerful tactical options. Today they are available across numerous disciplines and combinations:

Dominate with salubri (forced confessional)
Oblivion
Celerity/Fortitude sabbat
Presence/Fortitude sabbat (with two cards)
and several older cards that achieve similar effects.

There are now roughly fifteen different cards capable of bypassing an otherwise successful block without counting crocodile's tongue and similar cards.

The result is that the stealth/intercept minigame increasingly revolves around not whether a vampire can successfully intercept an action, but whether the acting minion has access to one "fail to block" effect.

3. Defensive archetypes have largely narrowed down

As a consequence, many traditional intercept strategies have gradually disappeared from competitive play.

Decks that once relied on one or two powerful blockers, or classic decks as Tremere, Old Tzimisce, and similar archetypes—have become significantly less reliable.

Instead, successful decks increasingly rely on either:

overwhelming numbers of available blocks (e.g. Organized Resistance), or
abandoning interception almost entirely in favor of racing forward through bleed or political actions.

Directionality remains one of VTES's greatest strengths, but the range of viable defensive strategies has become noticeably narrower.

4. This card creates counterplay—not immunity

The purpose of this card is not to make blocking easy. It just introduces an answer to a class of effects that currently has none, unless we count direct intervention.

At superior Auspex, the defending vampire can still be outmaneuvered by stealth, bounced, rushed, or any number of other offensive tools. The card only answers one specific category of effects: those that would automatically invalidate an otherwise successful block.

In other words, it restores interaction rather than removing it.

5. It encourages strategic diversity

By existing, this card would encourage players to think twice before automatically including several "fail to block" in every deck.

Likewise, it would make intercept archetypes based around a few capable vampires more attractive again, instead of forcing players toward swarm-style defenses.

The goal is not to slow the game down, but to broaden the range of viable strategies. Because more viable archetypes means a healthier metagame.

6. The card is naturally self-balancing

The effect is powerful, but also conditional. This effect does absolutely nothing unless the opposing deck is playing "fail to block" cards. Because of that, even dedicated wall decks would probably include only a handful of copies. Drawing too many would simply clog the hand.

In practice, the greatest impact of the card would likely be psychological: its mere existence would discourage excessive reliance on "fail to block" cards, which is precisely the kind of healthy pressure a metagame benefits from.

Design considerations

The current proposal seems appropriate, but here are some ideas:

Keeping it as an Auspex-only card seems fitting. Giving this effect to disciplines such as Animalism or Protean would likely reinforce defensive clans that are already very capable of blocking.
Taking out the cost at superior? I don't think it would matter too much. To be honest, I added it because it reminisced my of the Call of the Hungry Dead, but I don't believe is necessary.
Allowing another ready vampire to play the reaction is an interesting alternative design. Such a version would require either removing the blood cost or redesigning the effect.
Having the action continue into combat instead of ending is mechanically possible, but less elegant. The current version is clean, intuitive, and reinforces the idea that the acting vampire abandons the attempt after being exposed.

Anyway, thanks for your time. As a final word: The goal of this card is not to strengthen walls; it is to restore the stealth-versus-intercept contest by giving Auspex an answer to a common effect.

Deck Name : La famiglia
Author : Nestor Blasco
Description :

[Event Name] GRAN SLAM 2026 Liga Norte
[Location] Errenteria, Spain
[Date] Jul, 18th, 2026
[Format] 3R + F
[Players] 21
[Winner] Nestor Blasco
[Event Link] archon.vekn.net/tournament/fba38084-59ce-4a44-9bba-171a388643e3/display.html

-- [Scores] 2GW8,5VP + 5VP in final

Deck Name: La famiglia
[Description]

Crypt (12 cards, min=13 max=30 avg=5.42)

---

2x "Mother" Anja Giovanni 8 AUS FOR OBL dom pot Hecata:6
2x Alek König 3 OBL Hecata:6
2x Gebeyehu Abdu 5 AUS OBL for Hecata:6
2x Mora, the Death Seer 7 AUS FOR OBL ani Hecata:6
1x Holliday "Burgundy" Hall 5 FOR OBL aus Hecata:6
1x Lenelle, Mambo of Birmingham 6 FOR OBL aus Hecata:6
1x Monica Giovanni 6 AUS FOR OBL Hecata:6
1x Peter St. John 2 obl Hecata:6

Library (85 cards)
Master (17; 10 trifle)
1x Barrens, The
1x Biotech Company Hunting Ground
3x Blood Doll
1x Cappadocian Crypt
1x Coven, The
7x Family Gathering
1x Powerbase: Munich
2x Villein

Action (19)
15x Shroud of Decay
4x Split the Veil

Ally (10)
6x Aggressive Corpse
4x Spectral Servitor

Action Modifier (20)
1x Consign to Oblivion
6x Shadow Cast
3x Shadow Cloak
4x Stygian Shroud
6x Where the Veil Thins

Reaction (14)
2x Delaying Tactics
2x Eyes of Argus
3x My Enemy's Enemy
3x Shadow Sentinel
4x Telepathic Misdirection

Combat (4)
4x Pass Through Shadow

Event (1)
1x Unmasking, The

Tournament Recap

Rounds 1-3

I played my Power and Inner Voice politics/bleed deck, Oderint dum metuant, named for Aaradhya, The Callous Tyrant. “Let them hate, so long as they fear.” A lot of my decks start with the name and then I work backwards. That might be the old Vampire player in me.

After round one, I honestly thought my tournament was dead. My seat would have been fine under normal circumstances, but my predator had no meaningful pressure and was able to build, bloat, and bleed until I was gone. The Lasombra eventually won, and I figured that was probably it for my finals chances. 0VP

Round two changed everything. It was a 4 player table and the big turn was a cross-table Banishment on an 8 cap who had been nearly emptied of blood and another Banishment on my prey in the same turn, which opened my prey up for the oust. A few turns later I was able to eliminate the last two players and sweep the table, which was a huge confidence boost after such a rough start. 1GW 4VP

Round three was about staying cool once I realized what kind of predator was behind me (Malk stealth/bleed). I ousted my prey, my grand-predator ousted his and once we were down to three players, I was worried about time. I made a deal with my prey to help him eliminate his prey so we could go head-to-head. Giving him a VP felt like the only way for me to get two more, and it ended up being the right call. 2GW 7VP

After three rounds, I had 2 GW and 7 VP. That felt good, but I still wasn’t sure it would be enough. I had gotten nothing in round one and only had four possible VPs available in round two, so I assumed enough other people had probably done better but I was wrong.


Final

There was a three-way tie for seats four and five, so we had to roll off for it. Chris and I won the roll, but we were still the bottom two seeds and had no real seating choices. I was just happy to be in the final. Once the initial excitement wore off, I felt overwhelmed, a little shocked, and very out of my depth. I was trying to stay competitive while also hoping I wouldn’t make basic play mistakes under pressure.

The final seating was:

Me, Power and Inner Voice politics/bleed (first player)
Karl, Power and Inner Voice politics/bleed
Kelly, Cybele/Baali Scobax
Ned, Enkidu Path of Caine
Chris, Oblivion bleed (I think? I didn't really get to see much of it)


What follows is my best recollection of what happened. I was feeling pretty overwhelmed by the moment for a lot of the match - this was only my second final table ever. If any of the other players in that game or observers have any different recollections, please share them!

I was very relieved that Ned’s Enkidu deck wasn't my predator. I was also nervous because Karl and I were playing the same crypt, and I knew we would both want The Tyrant. I figured we both ran enough copies that drawing her in the opening flip was likely. I wasn’t sure what it would be like having Karl’s version of the deck in front of me. I knew I would have to be careful about bleeding, but while acting I could probably still vote. I also had no idea what to expect from Kelly’s Cybele/Baali deck. I had hardly ever played against any of those cards, and for most of the game we didn't interact much directly.

I had enough beads on The Tyrant, but I was so overwhelmed by the moment that I forgot to move her into the ready region and skipped to my discard. I realized it immediately. I said something like, “Oh damn... wait...” but it was already too late. Oof.

I managed to find some grace for myself and move on. It was still early. My predator didn't have anyone out yet, though my prey was moving along quickly with Information Highway. I eventually righted course, influenced out my priscus and tried to keep playing the game in front of me.

Then I made what felt like in the moment a big mistake.

I influenced out Rexton without realizing Karl already had him out. I was focused on maintaining voting power and missed what was already on the table. At first, I thought the contest was probably bad for me. I had Enkidu chewing on my predator, but that wouldn't last forever, and I didn't know if a contest would actually help me while I was still trying to stabilize. I felt like I was still down pool and didn't feel confident about votes yet.

But the contest ended up mattering in a way I didn't fully appreciate at the time. Karl had three archbishops, and I had a cardinal and controlled the priscus block. Contesting Rexton took him down to four votes while I retained six. It also forced him to respond by investing more resources into bringing out another minion if he wanted to stay competitive in the vote game.

I was able to use Karl's Black Forest Base to help pay for the contest, and once I had Ventrue Headquarters down, I knew I could definitely pass any one vote, even though Karl eventually pulled Dark Selena. A timely Banishment on a recently Villain’d minion, a little bleeding, and eventually a Cold War finished him off.

Nearly the entire time this was happening, I was having to navigate my impending Enkidu problem.

It felt like every turn I had to negotiate with Ned to keep Enkidu from rushing me. My predator had only influenced out two vampires, and both were promptly torpored, but Enkidu was still having trouble actually finishing the oust because he was only bleeding for around two a turn. At least one deal was very explicit: if I called a Cold War backwards and put the damage on his prey, he wouldn't rush me for a turn.

That wasn't exactly a comfortable position, but it felt manageable. I knew that as long as I was useful to Enkidu’s game, I might stay alive. In a heads-up, he would dominate me. So I tried to stay useful and unassuming. Some of my best cards, like Banishment, didn't really affect his game anyway. So I threw damage backwards.

Eventually, Enkidu and Cybele started really fighting. That was when I began to think I might actually have a chance. Kelly started his push before Enkidu had finished my predator. It seemed like it was possible that Kelly might be able to get both VPs if the timing broke right.

Cybele having a sniper rifle felt significant as well - every combat had to go at least two rounds before Enkidu could even hit her, which meant he needed the right cards in hand just to get to the point where he could do what Enkidu wants to do.

More importantly for me, that conflict meant they both had to invest cards and blood. If Enkidu was fighting Cybele, he wasn't moving forward toward me. If Cybele was reacting to Enkidu, she was spending resources too. That interaction bought me the thing I needed most: time.

The whole time, I was trying to shape my hand into something that could break through. I needed either lethal votes or lethal bleeds. I drew votes. I had also been holding two Washes for some time, and on two consecutive turns I prevented Kelly from completing a set of Tablets.

On what would be the last turn, I looked at my hand and still didn't immediately see the win. I didn't know how much time was left, but I knew that if I passed, it was likely my last turn. Kelly was the higher seed, so if the game ended in a draw, he'd win.

Then I realized he had a lot of minions.

“How many minions do you have?”

Seven? Seven's not a small number.

I don't exactly remember who called what but I do remember that Rexton's ability mattered with Carlton on the board. I called an Anarchist Uprising, the vote got through, Kelly took 7, I took 4. He had twelve pool at the start of the turn, and 5 felt very manageable.

A Cold War followed - I don't remember the exact block attempt, if there was one, but the action went through. Kelly took three more damage, and I destroyed his Parthenon. I agonized over the last move - I felt like he was holding something back to prevent my last vote from going through and wasn't sure I had what I needed to squeeze it by his potential blockers/scobaxs. I called a KRC, it wasn't blocked - 3 to him, 1 to me.

And that was the game. 3VP

Lessons Learned

To know the deck, you have to play the deck (a lot). I don't think there is anything especially magical or special about the deck I played. In fact, I can think of at least two things it is missing and probably should have. But I played it a lot, and in a lot of different situations. I knew what to expect from it. I had a good sense of what I might see based on what I had already seen. And I knew that because I had played it a lot.

Staying composed matters. I made what felt like two unforced errors in the final. I could have let the embarrassment take hold, given in to despair, and just been grateful that I got to sit at the table - but I didn't. I tried to be kind to myself, accept the mistakes, and keep playing. Unless you accidentally oust yourself, you're still in the game. And as long as you are still in the game, you may still have a chance to recover or, at the very least, play the best game you can.

Wash wins games. This isn't really a new lesson, but Wash was a new addition to the deck. I swapped them in on Friday out of two other decks I had with me. I was never sad to see a Wash in my hand instead of something else. In the final, they helped stop Kelly from completing a set of Tablets on back-to-back turns, and that mattered.

Honorable mention: While I didn't have any meaningful seating decisions in the final, but I recognize how important my seat was to my ability to play the game I played. Having Enkidu and Cybele cross-table meant I didn't have to directly interact with either of them for most of the game. Interacting with Enkidu meant sitting out for two hours. Interacting with Cybele meant having a bunch of empty vampires.

I thought I was out after round one. I decided to keep playing my best even though I didn't think I had a real finals chance. In the final, I made mistakes, stayed composed, played the best game I could from the table position I had, and eventually found the path to the win.

Sometimes that is all you get: a narrow path, a little time, and one turn where the math finally works out in your favor.

[I’m the Face in Your] Dreams of Glass
Aka
Ravnos G7 BtB SB w/ Defensive Reactions

6/18/2026 WoN Thursday evening tournament

3VP in finals

Finals table: Me -> G6 Tremere dominate bleed -> Oblivion Lasombra vote / bleed -> Dementation Malkavian stealth bleed -> G4 Toreador Vote

Somehow it seems appropriate that the deck I managed to win an event with this week included Week of Nightmares as a key component.

This post is intended more for a beginner player or someone who has never played Group 7 Ravnos before and wants to see the thought process behind card choices. Experienced players can probably just skip reading this entirely, as it’d be fairly apparent to them why certain cards are chosen.

Regarding the deck name: it’s lyrics from the Smashing Pumpkins song ‘Zero’. In addition to stealth bleed (normally) being a sharp, albeit brittle strategy (like glass), there’s also a line that mentions “a sinking ship”, which I managed to play in the finals. And besides the lone copy of ‘Dreams’ (of the Sphinx), we also have various Visions (‘dreams’) cards and Night Terrors; “Bullshit fakers” (Elder Impersonation); “Enchanted Kingdoms” via Entrancement. Of course, the main departure from the all-in aggressive builds is the use of Visions of Zapathasura, which reduces bleeds to ZERO. Idk, I also just like the band and that song, and the music video kinda looks like what I’d imagine an Elysium event for vampires in the WoD to be like. Billy Corgan also might actually be a vampire. Judge for yourself:



For the crypt: I love Hafthor and Phabun. Gathi is good as well. Sreelehka is actually very underrated, as both of her specials are extremely powerful and more than justify the 8 pool imho (the extra discard can really help fix situations where you’re stuck with the wrong portion of the deck in hand, and the +1 bleed really adds up over time) — I know a lot of players understandably feel like she’s too slow for this kind of deck, but that’s why she’s often a later influence rather than the initial choice (as you absolutely want to prioritize having a vamp out by the second turn at the latest, so you can immediately start the BtB onslaught). Point being here is that running 2x copies of any of these minor ‘stars’ is justifiable, but you really want diversity as you’d much prefer to see 4 unique vamps from the outset, rather than needing to buy a new one until it’s absolutely necessary. Another way I’ve seen it done successfully is by playing some number of Anarch Convert or even New Blood instead, in order to cycle the crypt easily (and sometimes, just having a lower cap can be helpful to block rushes on your Ravnos, or to perform various tasks like rescuing from torpor); alternatively you can think about playing some number of effective management and perhaps also wider view. Prioritize superior presence over the other 2 disciplines as you really want to be able to play Visions of Gehenna at superior, but in any case, so long as you have variety you can’t really go wrong.

Master module is basically solved: 4+ Villein, 4+ Dabbler, 1-2 Week of Nightmares, 1-2 Club Illusion. **NOTE**: don’t forget that dabbler triggers regardless of whether the action gets blocked or is successful, so long as you used 3 disciplines. I’m a firm believer in playing the +1 Stealth locations, as some blocky tables will practically require them (and in longer games they ensure you can preserve your stealth cards so you don’t run out of deck), and in other tables that don’t demand as much stealth you can just pitch them on the end step if they’re deemed unnecessary. To fill out the Masters (approximately 17-19 in 90 cards), you can then add various options in as you see fit (DI, AI, Pentex, Dreams, Jake Washington, PB Los Angeles, Park Hunting Ground, Garibaldi, Wash/Sudden — of which I prefer the latter, 1-2 Effective Management, and even more fancy/exotic stuff like an Anarch Revolt, Momentum’s Edge or From a Sinking Ship, etc. — basically it’s all to taste, and none feels particularly required over another choice, as each can and will find niche uses).

The offensive portion is also essentially solved: 16-18 BtB + 10-12 Memory Rift, 8-11 Rumors of Gehenna, and then tweak the stealth package from the selection of usual suspects for delivering bleeds (though I definitely love having at least 4 Spying Mission, and 2-4 Elder Impersonation to deal with certain otherwise frustrating scenarios — used selectively, these help with not inadvertently ousting your grand prey). Power of One also becomes really useful if you’re playing a lower number of Visions of Gehenna, but be aware that anything that costs blood needs to be carefully considered, as even with Dabbler you can quickly deplete your blood and run into issues in the late game after dropping Week of Nightmares. Some number of Entrancements for the occasional ally thievery option. Some number of Field Training (2 copies has seemed like plenty as of late). Don’t forget: Visions of Gehenna can always be cycled by selectively playing it at Basic — so if you need to move cards despite getting blocked or having the bleed bounced, it’s still something you can play, even preemptively if you are trying to dig into more stealth. And don’t forget about how it denies allies being able to block the action in both modes. Hide the Mind is a card I haven’t tried playing in this archetype yet, but I can see how it’d be really powerful on plenty of tables.

Equipment: I think the deck tends to flow well enough on average that Heart of Nizchetus isn’t required, though needless to say it’s always very strong and sometimes might be worth equipping it if even just to contest it to jam your prey’s hand and hinder their ability to find bounce/wakes/intercept and pool gain (or similarly, to slow down your predator’s forward momentum). You can also consider the Tarot if you want a similar effect but want to reduce the likelihood of contesting. Samadji is fine, but the game has felt too fast as of late to be able to afford taking too many turns off by equipping — it seems like a better fit for the variant build that plays British Museum. However, beware that a minion with an equipment becomes a very juicy target for a cross table rush or Banishment.

Events: I really like having Narrow Minds in this deck, but I can see the argument in eschewing it due to the possibility of unintended consequences elsewhere on the table — if you find it super early, you might even want to consider holding onto it for a turn or two before dropping it to see how the table situation evolves. Unsure about Bitter and Sweet Story; it seemed a bit ‘Win More’ to me when I tested it. Other possibilities include Scourge of Enochians or even The Uncoiling (but only if you know for a fact that you’d expect to see The Imbued or some sort of deck that’s trying to put Veil of Darkness into play — the Unmasking is not that much of a problem for this deck thanks to Visions of Gehenna and Force of Personality).

Now, the main thing that makes this deck a ‘toolbox’: Having some sort of defensive module is honestly a really good idea for this archetype imho for a variety of reasons.

1. There is so much bleed in the format that you can’t expect that relying on your Villeins alone will grant you enough pool to survive between successive ousts. Thus: 6 Visions of Zapathasura.
2. There is also the possibility that a really strong start could be counteracted by the table conspiring to bounce large bleeds into you (and not simply your predator doing it). If you’re on a roll, it’s possible that you might simply not care and be able to tank those bounces anyways, especially with enough Visions.
3. The bleed reduction makes it a lot easier to afford the first four vampires, and then continue onto buying the fifth and perhaps even sixth (if the game is going exceptionally well for you). So somewhat paradoxically, this defensive element actually increases the offensive potential output of the deck. Because opponents will also be Villein’ing back pool, you need to maintain a lot of forward pressure to outpace it. If you haven’t made an oust within the first hour of the game, things are going south and you might be looking at the sort of game where you’re ultimately just playing for a half point.
4. On the other side, Night Terrors allows for cross table meddling on key actions (which can also grant some leverage with the fragile and temporary relationship you have with your cross table allies), and also can surprise your predator/prey with blocks they’d normally not be expecting to come from such a deck (made quite a lot easier if you got lucky with also having Hafthor in your initial crypt). Be judicious with it; for example, a prey’s Parity Shift is a much more important thing to stop than a KRC.
5. Dogged pursuit is thus the perfect wake that allows you to plow forward and still be capable of reacting to stop actions as necessary, and use Dabbler triggers for the blood gain rather than unlocking. 4-6 copies thus feels right, as you generally want to end a turn with at least one in your hand. The only reason this TWD had 3 (and an on the qui vi in the fourth slot) was because I hadn’t purchased another NB deck yet and was lazy about requesting to borrow more.
6. Throwing a couple standard S:CE in is also useful, but not necessarily required. Your meta situation may or may not require it at all (and if you’re next to potence grapple or psyche celerity, you were likely screwed regardless — Maybe a Secure Haven would be a better random fun-of one-of if you expect to see this). I don’t really have a super strong opinion about which S:CE is ideal, as there are merits to running any combination of Majesty, Force of Personality, Staredown and even Unholy Penance. FoP has the advantage of being easily cycled on tables where it’s not needed, and can also sometimes matter in later game scenarios where blood is exhausted.
7. 1-2 copies of Confusion of the Eye/Delaying Tactics are decent considerations if you have reason to expect a lot of politics, but otherwise seem too narrow. Another one you might even consider is Vox Domini. YMMV, but I feel like this might be an area where you’d rather just plan to race any political decks, or block their key votes with Night Terrors.

Finally: unless you’re knowingly playing into it, or encounter a bizarro deck that you know plays a ton of copies, don’t play in fear of Archon Investigation. Juice every bleed to the max if it looks like it’s going to land and not get bounced, especially if you’re holding a Spying Mission and have superior obfuscate. Your vamps are mostly interchangeable to begin with, and sometimes the 3 pool and tempo loss (from the opponent being unable to play a Villein or whatever on their following turn) might actually be better for you in the long run than intentionally keeping bleeds at 3 or below.

PennyBridge - Charisma III
Örebro, Sweden
May 23, 2026
3R+F
12 Players
Tim Karlsson
www.vekn.net/event-calendar/event/13048

-- 0GW2 + 3vp in final

Deck Name: Hecata swarm
Author: Xtikar27
Description:
About the deck in general:
Try to get a vampire out on turn one, preferably with superior oblivion. Your first action should always be to recruit a Spectral Servitor and start bleeding – the deck can’t afford to fall behind on bleeds.
9 times out of 10 you want to pay the upkeep for your Servitors and keep bleeding with them to maintain pressure. Try to avoid going down to 0 blood on your vampires, keep bringing out new vampires top to keep playing Servitors. Vampires on 1 blood can bleed like a servitor.
Notes from the finals:
Kalle Blomgren (!Nosferatu Cathari bleed) -> Tim Karlsson (Hecata swarm bleed) -> Magnus Söder (Malkavian stealth bleed) -> Marcus Berg (Lasombra princes bleed & vote, top seed) -> Helena Löf (!Malkavian kindred spirits bleed)
I drew Dreams of the Sphinx in my starting hand and could bring out Alek König on turn one. My early pressure forced my prey to bring out lower cap vampires in order to not fall behind. All decks went aggressively forward and Kalle was ousted on turn 5, then Magnus and Helena were ousted on turn 6. I had paid upkeep for every Servitor during the game and Marcus could not handle my swarm of minions in the heads up.


Crypt (12 cards, min=11 max=24 avg=4.5)

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2x Alek König 3 OBL Hecata:6
2x Gebeyehu Abdu 5 AUS OBL for Hecata:6
2x Monica Giovanni 6 AUS FOR OBL Hecata:6
1x Aitana, The Unholy 6 AUS OBL for tha Hecata:6
1x Hiromitsu Asano 4 aus for obl Hecata:6
1x Holliday "Burgundy" Hall 5 FOR OBL aus Hecata:6
1x Lenelle, Mambo of Birmingham 6 FOR OBL aus Hecata:6
1x Nadezhda 3 aus obl Hecata:6
1x Peter St. John 2 obl Hecata:6

Library (63 cards)
Master (13; 8 trifle)
1x Cappadocian Crypt
1x Direct Intervention
2x Dreams of the Sphinx
5x Family Gathering
1x Powerbase: Munich
3x Villein

Action (5)
2x Computer Hacking
3x Shroud of Decay

Ally (10)
10x Spectral Servitor

Equipment (1)
1x Heart of Nizchetus

Action Modifier (15)
2x Leverage
4x Shadow Cast
3x Shadow Cloak
3x Stygian Shroud
3x Where the Veil Thins

Reaction (14)
2x Delaying Tactics
2x Eyes of Argus
2x My Enemy's Enemy
2x On the Qui Vive
2x Shadow Sentinel
4x Telepathic Misdirection

Combat (4)
4x Pass Through Shadow

Event (1)
1x Unmasking, The

From Nikica:"Thanks to everyone who showed up and to those who wanted to but could not. We had only 3 guests from abroad, all of whom are fluent in Serbian*, so the communication was smooth. The point is that the community has grown nicely, but we need to do more to promote Belgrade as a destination for playing VtES. Players from Serbia have won the Zagreb GP (⅘ finalists were from Belgrade), and hold the titles of Slovak, Croatian, and Serbian National Champions. The Ottoman Empire moved out some time ago, so it’s a fun place and you don’t even need a visa. But if the mountain won't come to Mohammed … we will meet you in Vilnius!

*It’s a joke on the whole nomenclature of what was known as the Serbo-Croatian language.
Look it up on Wikipedia.

Otso said in the description of his 2024. 6th Tragic Love Affair winning deck:
“My take on Nina's barons with Slow Withering. If the draw and the table work out, it should be able to build to an overwhelming position in the late game. It's also rather hard to interact with the build-up as it's mostly masters, transfers, events, and concealed magnums. However, the list felt clunky as it is, and a hand size of six hurts.

After the tournament, I would cut Flames of Insurrection (felt like a win more card), Smiling Jack, and Constant Revolution (low impact during the day), as well as one of each of Organized Resistance, Diversion, and Dust Up (just to smooth out the draws). Might double up on New Carthage.”

I did all that and a few touches here and there for personal preference and style.
Papillon is too expensive for my tastes, so Poachers Hunting Ground goes in instead.
It will get a counter if somebody else has a Papillon or Carfax Abbey, or any kind of plain hunting ground.
Dark Influence over Direct Intervention. 1 pool extra is worth canceling your predator’s Organized Resistance for the turn, and keeps me safe from a random DI. The infamous Gangrel packs 3 DIs.
Elder Library, Otso said: “The list felt clunky as it is, and a hand size of six hurts,” so I fixed it
Not paying for Papillon and Club Illusion saves some pool investment for this and Dark Influence
Nightmares Upon Nightmares - Bane of existence for Hecata ally decks. With 4 Gehennas on the table, 3 caps will burn blood for Thirst, and 4 caps will burn cards for this one, so weenies are handled.
Club Illusion - removed because I’m more confident I’ll have New Carthage with 2 in the deck, and I can Villein everyone for 5, as no blood is needed. Ultimately slower on the attack angle, but more comfortable bringing in more vampires. Somebody somewhere will have Club Illusion
Finding a room for the 3rd Dreams might be a good idea. Instead of Info Highway, perhaps.
Rumors of Gehenna never saw the light of day, and passing it on one stealth is iffy.

Round 1:
Carthage Withering -> New Lasombra B&B -> Princes Politics -> Path of Power politics (Melinda Galbraith) -> Masika & Aneke

Playing first with Dreams in hand, but I’m confused by all the masters, and I’m never sure what to discard. Bringing a deck I played once was a bold strategy. I discard Dark Influences, and a turn later, my Lasombra prey bounces Masika’s bleed of 5 back on me. I’m on the back foot and stay there till the end of the game despite having 3 vampires eventually. I never have enough OR or Bait and Switch in hand to confidently go forward. Masika has Sniper, and Aneke has The Rack and a gun, and each exchange hurts unless I have Diversion. Not many of those in the deck, though. Lasombra rushes and bleeds forward, and with 2 VPs has no good reason to crash into a wall, especially with increased cost on relevant combat cards due to Slow Withering. With 2 cards in hand and an empty library after triggering Ashurs, once the game ends with a timeout and 0.5VPs

Round 2:
Ministry Stealth&Vote -> Carthage Withering -> Oblivion power bleed -> DEM weenies -> Path of Power weenies

I have Montreal and Villein in my opening hand, and with no combat in sight, I’m not feeling Saku’s absence in the crypt. The game revolves around balancing cross-table politics so that DEM does not sweep through 2 people and jump on me. Balancing means I support it all as damage goes to my prey and pred and it’s even easier when Bribes are played. I have no pressure and all the time in the world to grind my prey out. PoP weenies slow down and fail to kill my Ministry pred despite my support. DEM weenies take 2VPs with 2 actions, paying extra for Slow Withering and enjoying 11 cards in hand with Bitter and Sweet story on the board. My prey is on 2 pools and has a chance to kill DEM weenies, which would leave me fighting for 2 VP and a tied game. Not good. His first Govern + Bonding goes through, and I play Dark Influence on his 2nd Govern. No more Governs, yay! DEM weenies try nothing(?) I kill the prey with Revolutionary Council, and the remaining 4 damage goes to my new and last prey. We shake hands as I’m on ~30 pool, 4 vampires out with Carthage, and the rest of the master in front of me. 1GW 3VPs
Round 3:
Banu Haquim vote -> Brujah Barons (punchy ones) -> Thucimia Deathstar Bleed -> Cartage Withering -> Toreador midcap bleed

I’ve seen what Thucimia with Blind Spot and Deed the Heart's Desire does to people, and I’m hoping for enough bounces and early Slow Withering to make it costly. Gods of random deliver, and I have Garibaldi, Thirst, and Slow Withering in my opening hand! I bounce a couple of bleeds of 1, taking back my Bait and Switch each time. The crypt draw is not ideal, but there is no chance of contesting it, it seems. I get Saku, and his maneuver will be relevant for future and inevitable combat. Banus wants my votes and a deal to kill my prey in exchange for no aggression till the other Brujah are dead. Sounds sensible to me. We’ve seen Toreador go through their first prey like a lightsaber through some unsuspecting children. The other barons are progressing nicely with their Carthage (free Carthage is the best Carthage) and leave Thucimia at 6 pool, at which point DEM kicks in, and Kindred Spirits show their teeth by bleeding back for 6. Phew! I easily deal with my prey, who has 1 out of 3 vampires that who needs to hunt due to Thirst, and no one has AUS for bounce. Now my new Banu Prey has some time to kill the inferior Brujah. I let him have a couple of Boons, as in the end, the pool will not be important if he can’t get to the referendum, and with all his guys having inferior OBF, it’s gonna take some resources. Saku with a gun is enough to dispose of Atiena and Lumeah and survive Alina’s rush over a few turns. Diablery on Atiena brings my handsize back, and I bring in my own Atiena. When we’re down to 1vs1, I have all 5 brujah barons and Maximiliano, so not even Black Throne and Camarila Conclave are enough to pass votes over that and Carthage. 1GW 3VP

The finals:
I’m the top seed, so I choose to sit behind the 2 aggressive bleed decks with a clear strategy of playing for 2VPs and a draw. That means I’m not going forward too harshly, not that I can with this deck, and making sure my predator dies. The cross table Juliet and I have the votes. Slow Withering is gonna annoy everyone decently. Excellent!

Juliet Par -> Lasombra B&B (from round 1) -> Carthage Withering -> Toreador midcap bleed (from round 3) -> Thucimia Deathstar Bleed (from round 3)

I get excited for having “a Ruben pair” in my opening hand and Villein, and forget to play the Wider View before the Dreams :/ Oh well, at least I don’t look too strong and/or lucky The game goes somewhat predictably, except that my ORs are not that frequent. I prevent the 1st Govern from my pred, and Saku, with .44, deals some damage to Gnaeus Aemilius Augustinus, leaving both on 1 blood. I patch it up with Giant’s Blood. My second vampire is Aline, but again, given the lack of OR, I’m not confident about going forward with more than 1 vampire. With Carthage in play, at least the bleeds are double the usual. Thucimia dies without a single action taken due to a timely Mind Numb by one of the Tor and a bunch of bleeds, obviously. Juliete passes a Parity Shift. Weakness in my defenses is exposed, but ultimately not exploited, when I take 2 bleeds for 2 from my prey while Saku is unlocked, as it bounces around the table. Well, 4 is much less than whatever 3 Lasombras with DOM can do when I have a single bounce and no ORs . Lasombra seems to think I’m baiting them, and they are low enough on pool and decide to go back, sending Juliet to torpor. 3 Gehennas are in play, and I’m balancing my pool with Vessels and no hunting ground and no OR. Why do I keep forgetting to take it to hand via Garibaldi? 3rd Ashur is Washed, but Montreal instead will do. Saku gets Mind Numbed, and my predator bleeds me for a total of 2, although I’m completely defenseless. Phew again! Pretty people with roses steadily go forward with their 5 minions, undisturbed by my occasional bleed to take the edge off them. Juliet passes the Camarilla Iron Fist for 4 dmg on Lasombra and Dominica with Guiding Wisdom, and Andi Liu and Gilbert finish the job. Prey has 1VP, pred has 1VP. We’re halfway there, and pretty much living on a prayer. Nightmares Upon Nightmares are affecting 1 vamp of both of my opponents, so they have discards to do. A neat feature of NUN is that once you replace, you’re implicitly in the master phase, so it’s very, very easy to forget stuff in the unlock. Toreador and Malks strike a deal to give Malks a turn to try to kill/cripple me at my 5 pool. I have 3 vampires with Carthage and the Elder Library. Saku has Mr. Winthrop's help, and I feel somewhat comfortable with 2 OR in my hand. Malks play Dreams and go down to 3 pool. Juliete calls for Alastor to get the Helicopter. I don’t mind the Helicopter, but 2 more cards from Juliete’s special is a no-no. She manages to jump over Saku’s 2 intercepts. I dare not chase her all the way with the last OR. Helicopter goes on Andi, who calls Camarilla Iron First. Uh-oh! Winthrop and OR are enough for the block, and Andi is in torpor after an additional strike. Close call. Details are fuzzy on what I play in my master phase, but I end up with 3 ORs in hand, including the one from Garibaldi, and 6 pool. Toreador makes an easy job of Malks and bleeds me for 1 with few dudes in hopes of exhausting my ORs. I block them 1 by 1, but the last little pretty bastard bleeds for 5 with Propaganda. Titled vampires can’t block. No subtlety with that guy! Let’s hope he did not draw into more of those. I start my turn at 1 pool and Vessel and Villein, and later I’m at 7. Phew! again. I end my turn with 4 OR in hand again, and by playing them to block hunts, I draw into two more. I’m also out of reach for another Propaganda + Air of Elation. Toreador players offer me a handshake, and it’s 2VPs, a draw game, and the tournament is won. It took the wisdom of two people, Otso and Nina, and the luck of one to win this.

The lesson here is to prepare for Gangrel Barons and hope never to meet Gangler Barons, and you’ll do fine(?) Maybe test the deck a few times before taking it to the tournament. I’m so used to playing Deflection that Bait and Switch locking a vampire confused me.
Ban Garibaldi-Meucci Museum."

No Joke with War Ghouls
Online
2026-04-26
2R + F
14 players
winner: Aitor Candelas (#8870005) 3 VPs in finals

www.vekn.net/event-calendar/event/13230

Deck Name: Oblivion de la muerte
Author: Aitor

Crypt (12 cards, min=17 max=28 avg=6.08)
========================================
3x Frau Schädel 7 OBL THA aus dom for Tremere:6
3x Sakura, The Merciless 7 DOM OBL THA aus pot Lasombra:6
1x Parijat, the Dark Oracle 7 AUS DOM FOR OBL Hecata:6
1x Tommaso Sforza 7 AUS OBL THA dom for Hecata:6
1x Aitana, The Unholy 6 AUS OBL for tha Hecata:6
1x Zbigniew, Hunter of Mekhet 5 OBL aus dom tha Lasombra:6
1x El Monseñor 4 OBL dom Lasombra:6
1x Yurena, The Boor 2 tha Tremere:6

Library (90 cards)
==================
Master (16; 5 trifle)

---

1x Burial Site Hunting Ground
2x Charisma
1x Dark Influences
1x Direct Intervention
2x Dreams of the Sphinx
4x Perfectionist
4x Vessel
1x Wider View

Action (12)

---

2x Dance of the Dead
3x Putrescent Sustenance
6x Shroud of Decay
1x Split the Veil

Ally (21)

---

1x Fiorella, Empty One
10x Freakish Conglomeration
1x Heartrender
1x Ponticulus
8x Spectral Servitor

Action Modifier (22)

---

6x Gifts From Hereafter
6x Paths in Two Worlds
3x Shadow Cloak
3x Stygian Shroud
4x Where the Veil Thins

Reaction (14)

---

6x Deflection
2x Delaying Tactics
3x On the Qui Vive
3x Shadow Sentinel

Combat (3)

---

3x Pass Through Shadow

Event (2)

---

2x Unmasking, The

Dear all,

Now, let's see a bit more info of that tournament.
The tournament announcement:
www.vekn.net/forum/event-reports-and-twd/82920-twd-charity-event-liga-catalana-21-march-2026

Other finalists decklists:
Xavier, 1GW6, then 2VP in the Final round
Lasombra Nocturns (2025)
Author: Xavier Macias Pozo

Crypt (12 cards, min=16 max=28 avg=5.58)
========================================
1x María del Toro 7 DOM OBL POT prince Lasombra:6
1x Parijat, the Dark Oracle 7 AUS DOM FOR OBL Hecata:6
1x Rinaldo Albizzi 7 DOM OBL POT pre primogen Lasombra:6
1x Sakura, The Merciless 7 DOM OBL THA aus pot Lasombra:6
1x Aintzane Arriaga 6 DOM OBL POT Lasombra:6
1x Kamaluddin 6 DOM OBL for pot primogen Lasombra:6
1x Rasha Tarabzouni 6 DOM POT obl pre bishop Lasombra:6
1x Azucena 5 DOM OBL pot Lasombra:6
1x Zbigniew, Hunter of Mekhet 5 OBL aus dom tha Lasombra:6
1x Braden White 4 dom obl pot Lasombra:6
1x El Monseñor 4 OBL dom Lasombra:6
1x Araceli "Celia" Rivera 3 dom obl Lasombra:6

Library (90 cards)
==================
Master (12; 3 trifle)

---

1x Coven, The
1x Dark Influences
3x Dreams of the Sphinx
1x Elysian Fields
1x Giant's Blood
1x Life in the City
1x Pentex(TM) Subversion
2x Visit from the Capuchin
1x Wash

Action (20)

---

15x Govern the Unaligned
5x Shroud of Decay

Ally (8)

---

8x Spectral Servitor

Action Modifier (31)

---

5x Bonding
4x Conditioning
2x Foreshadowing Destruction
5x Shadow Cast
5x Shadow Cloak
5x Stygian Shroud
5x Where the Veil Thins

Reaction (14)

---

5x Deflection
2x Delaying Tactics
3x On the Qui Vive
1x Redirection
3x Shadow Sentinel

Combat (4)

---

4x Pass Through Shadow

Event (1)

---

1x Unmasking, The


Perrine, 2GW5
She made Top Traveler too!
Deck Name: Carolina vote
Author: Perrine Ketlas

Crypt (12 cards, min=25 max=36 avg=7.83)
========================================
5x Carolina Vález 9 DOM OBT POT PRE aus archbishop Lasombra:5
2x Charles Delmare 8 DOM OBT POT cel cardinal Lasombra:5
2x Lord Leopold Valdemar 8 OBT POT cel dom obf priscus Lasombra:5
1x Shawnda Dorrit 6 CEL obt pot pre priscus Brujah antitribu:4
1x Virginie, Prodigy 6 DOM POT obt bishop Lasombra:4
1x Andrew Emory 5 OBT aus dom pot bishop Lasombra:4

Library (75 cards)
==================
Master (16; 3 trifle)

---

2x Dreams of the Sphinx
1x Elysian Fields
1x Monastery of Shadows
1x Power Structure
2x Privileged Position
1x Secure Haven
5x Unholy Sacrament
1x Wash
2x Wider View

Action (6)

---

1x Entrancement
5x Govern the Unaligned

Political Action (17)

---

1x Anarchist Uprising
1x Ancilla Empowerment
1x Cardinal Benediction
2x Cold War
2x Empires Fall
6x Kine Resources Contested
2x Neonate Breach
1x Political Stranglehold
1x War of Ages

Ally (5)

---

5x Nocturn

Action Modifier (17)

---

3x Amici Noctis
1x Blanket of Night
2x Dominant Personality
4x Magnetic Authority
1x Seduction
2x Shadow Play
2x Shroud of Absence
2x Unthinkable Humiliation

Reaction (10)

---

7x Deflection
3x On the Qui Vive

Combat (4)

---

1x Entombment
3x Oubliette


Jose Luis, 1GW5
Servitors of Jose Luis - Mollet 2026

Crypt (12 cards, min=11 max=24 avg=4.42)
========================================
2x Aitana, The Unholy 6 AUS OBL for tha Hecata:6
2x Lenelle, Mambo of Birmingham 6 FOR OBL aus Hecata:6
2x Holliday "Burgundy" Hall 5 FOR OBL aus Hecata:6
1x Gebeyehu Abdu 5 AUS OBL for Hecata:6
2x Alek König 3 OBL Hecata:6
2x Nadezhda 3 aus obl Hecata:6
1x Peter St. John 2 obl Hecata:6

Library (90 cards)
==================
Master (14; 5 trifle)

---

1x Biotech Company Hunting Ground
1x Cappadocian Crypt
1x Charisma
1x Coven, The
2x Dreams of the Sphinx
4x Family Gathering
3x Perfectionist
1x Powerbase: Munich

Action (20)

---

16x Computer Hacking
4x Shroud of Decay

Ally (13)

---

1x Fiorella, Empty One
12x Spectral Servitor

Action Modifier (39)

---

8x Gifts From Hereafter
4x Leverage
8x Shadow Cast
8x Shadow Cloak
3x Stygian Shroud
8x Where the Veil Thins

Reaction (4)

---

4x Shadow Sentinel


Rémi, 1GW2
I didn't plan to play, I've just replaced one player during the last round.
I ended my final game alone with a big deckbuilding mistake and a deadly missplay. My full camarilla deck had 1 Crusade: Atlanta, bad move right. During an early discard phase, I discarded a Praxis card and kept the Crusade card. Deadly move, for sure.

Lasombra Praxis Charity Event Mollet 2026
Crypt (12 cards, min=16 max=31 avg=6)

---

2x Braden White 4 dom obl pot Lasombra:6
2x María del Toro 7 DOM OBL POT prince Lasombra:6
2x Yewon Ong 8 DOM OBL POT for prince Lasombra:6
1x Araceli "Celia" Rivera 3 dom obl Lasombra:6
1x Azucena 5 DOM OBL pot Lasombra:6
1x Dafina Hanganu 8 DOM OBL POT for prince Lasombra:6
1x Kamaluddin 6 DOM OBL for pot primogen Lasombra:6
1x Rinaldo Albizzi 7 DOM OBL POT pre primogen Lasombra:6
1x Warmaksan 5 THA cel obf prince Banu Haqim:6

Library (80 cards)
Master (13; 3 trifle)
1x Barrens, The
1x Coven, The
1x Creepshow Casino
1x Elysian Fields
1x Elysium: The Palace of Versailles
3x Oblivion
1x Political Hunting Ground (-1 => +1 Kine Ressource Contested)
2x Power Structure
2x Wider View (-1 => +1 Kine Ressource Contested)

Action (7)
1x Embrace, The (-1 => +1 Third Tradition: Progeny)
6x Third Tradition: Progeny

Political Action (25)
5x Camarilla's Iron Fist
4x Consanguineous Boon
1x Crusade: Atlanta (-1 => +1 Praxis Seizure: Atlanta)
3x Kine Resources Contested
1x Lasombra Justicar
4x Parity Shift
1x Praxis Seizure: Boston
1x Praxis Seizure: Cleveland
1x Praxis Seizure: Dallas
1x Praxis Seizure: Houston
1x Praxis Seizure: London
1x Praxis Seizure: Rome
1x Praxis Seizure: Venice

Action Modifier (23)
5x Amici Noctis
4x Shadow Cast
6x Shadow Cloak (-1 => +1 Kine Ressource Contested)
4x Stygian Shroud
4x Where the Veil Thins

Action Modifier/Reaction (10)
10x Ominous Chorus

Reaction (2)
2x Deflection

Special additional prize:
- Top Traveler: Perrine
- 6th: Javier
- Lucky Loser: Jonatan
- Fair Player: Alexandre
- Sorteo del Ataud de Víctor: Joel
- 1st Oust of Round 1: Xavier
- 1st VP of Round 1: Ruben
- 1st Oust of Round 2: Joel
- 1st VP of Round 2: Tomàs
- 1st Oust of Round 3: Guillem
- 1st VP of Round 3: Javier

Thank for reading, a few pictures are coming too.

See you all for the next event of Khan Jugar or, at the 2026 Vienna GP Weekend, whichever your availability allows first!
Regards,
Rémi.

Diana Iadanza
Fortaleza - Ceará - Brazil
22 February 2026, 10:00 – 18:00
Standard Constructed
2R + Final
16 Players

www.vekn.net/event-calendar/event/12888

Winner: Johnson Gonçalves (#7300065) with 4 VPs in Final

Deck Name: Governando o Oblívio
Author: Johnson

Crypt (12 cards, min=27 max=38 avg=8.08)
========================================
2x Ashur-uballit, Son of the Abyss 10 AUS DOM FOR OBL THA cardinal Hecata:6
2x Marchesa Liliana 9 ANI AUS FOR OBL dom Hecata:6
2x Damian 8 DOM OBL POT for pre archbishop Lasombra:6
2x Yewon Ong 8 DOM OBL POT for prince Lasombra:6
1x Dafina Hanganu 8 DOM OBL POT for prince Lasombra:6
1x Parijat, the Dark Oracle 7 AUS DOM FOR OBL Hecata:6
2x Kamaluddin 6 DOM OBL for pot primogen Lasombra:6

Library (90 cards)
==================
Master (17; 6 trifle)

---

1x Anarch Troublemaker
1x Archon Investigation
1x Biotech Company Hunting Ground
3x Dreams of the Sphinx
1x Giant's Blood
1x Papillon
1x Pentex(TM) Subversion
1x Perfectionist
1x Powerbase: Munich
2x Vessel
4x Villein

Action (18)

---

6x Govern the Unaligned
4x Scouting Mission
8x Shroud of Decay

Ally (2)

---

2x Spectral Servitor

Action Modifier (31)

---

4x Bonding
2x Conditioning
2x Consign to Oblivion
2x Foreshadowing Destruction
5x Freak Drive
4x Shadow Cast
4x Shadow Cloak
4x Stygian Shroud
4x Where the Veil Thins

Reaction (18)

---

5x Deflection
3x Obedience
3x On the Qui Vive
3x Redirection
4x Shadow Sentinel

Combat (4)

---

4x Pass Through Shadow

Torneio Fagoc UCM
07 february 2026
Ubá - Minas Gerais - Brasil
2R + F
10 players
Lázaro Rodrigues

www.vekn.net/event-calendar/event/13011

-- 1GW+5VP + 3VP in final

Deck Name: Essa família é muito unida
Author: Laazz

Crypt (13 cards, min=17 max=31 avg=6.15)
========================================
1x Marchesa Liliana 9 ANI AUS FOR OBL dom Hecata:6
1x Huldu, The Desecrator 8 AUS FOR OBL obf tha Hecata:6
2x Parijat, the Dark Oracle 7 AUS DOM FOR OBL Hecata:6
1x Mora, the Death Seer 7 AUS FOR OBL ani Hecata:6
1x Tommaso Sforza 7 AUS OBL THA dom for Hecata:6
2x Lenelle, Mambo of Birmingham 6 FOR OBL aus Hecata:6
1x Aitana, The Unholy 6 AUS OBL for tha Hecata:6
1x Monica Giovanni 6 AUS FOR OBL Hecata:6
1x Gebeyehu Abdu 5 AUS OBL for Hecata:6
1x Alek König 3 OBL Hecata:6
1x Nadezhda 3 aus obl Hecata:6

Library (90 cards)
==================
Master (23; 9 trifle)

---

1x Archon Investigation
1x Biotech Company Hunting Ground
1x Cappadocian Crypt
1x Charisma
1x Creepshow Casino
1x Cursed Abattoir
1x Direct Intervention
1x Dreams of the Sphinx
5x Family Gathering
1x Giant's Blood
1x Jake Washington
2x Perfectionist
1x Powerbase: Munich
1x Sudden Reversal
2x Vessel
2x Villein

Action (9)

---

1x Aranthebes, The Immortal
2x Dance of the Dead
2x Shroud of Decay
4x Split the Veil

Ally (16)

---

8x Aggressive Corpse
1x Carlton Van Wyk
1x Fiorella, Empty One
3x Freakish Conglomeration
1x Ponticulus
2x Rotting Behemoth

Equipment (1)

---

1x Heart of Nizchetus

Action Modifier (16)

---

4x Paths in Two Worlds
3x Shadow Cast
2x Shadow Cloak
3x Stygian Shroud
4x Where the Veil Thins

Reaction (16)

---

2x Delaying Tactics
2x On the Qui Vive
4x Shadow Sentinel
8x Telepathic Misdirection

Combat (4)

---

3x Pass Through Shadow
1x Touch of Oblivion

Event (5)

---

1x Dragonbound
1x FBI Special Affairs Division
1x Scourge of the Enochians
2x Unmasking, The

1º Fortaleza V5
Fortaleza - Ceará - Brazil
08 February 2026, 10:00 – 18:00
Standard Constructed
2R + Final
16 Players

www.vekn.net/event-calendar/event/12960

Winner: Valdemir Santos (#7301303) with 4 VPs in Final

Deck Name: Shadow of Deth
Author: Valdemir

Crypt (12 cards, min=25 max=36 avg=7.58)
========================================
4x Gnaeus Aemilius Augustinus 9 DOM OBL POT PRO tha prince Lasombra:6
2x Yewon Ong 8 DOM OBL POT for prince Lasombra:6
3x María del Toro 7 DOM OBL POT prince Lasombra:6
1x Rinaldo Albizzi 7 DOM OBL POT pre primogen Lasombra:6
1x Kamaluddin 6 DOM OBL for pot primogen Lasombra:6
1x Azucena 5 DOM OBL pot Lasombra:6

Library (90 cards)
==================
Master (12; 4 trifle)

---

1x Creepshow Casino
2x Dreams of the Sphinx
1x Elysian Fields
1x Elysium: The Palace of Versailles
1x Political Hunting Ground
1x Power Structure
1x Sudden Reversal
3x Villein
1x Wider View

Action (8)

---

7x Govern the Unaligned
1x Puppet Master

Political Action (15)

---

2x Ancilla Empowerment
1x Banishment
3x Camarilla's Iron Fist
1x Expulsion
3x Kine Resources Contested
4x Parity Shift

Ally (3)

---

3x Spectral Servitor

Action Modifier (28)

---

4x Amici Noctis
2x Closed Session
3x Consign to Oblivion
3x Seduction
4x Shadow Cast
4x Shadow Cloak
4x Stygian Shroud
4x Where the Veil Thins

Action Modifier/Reaction (4)

---

4x Ominous Chorus

Reaction (12)

---

6x Deflection
3x On the Qui Vive
3x Second Tradition: Domain

Combat (7)

---

5x Pass Through Shadow
2x Touch of Oblivion

Path of Caine
Lafayette, Louisiana
November 22, 2025
3R+F
10 Players

www.vekn.net/player-registry/event/12753
--2GW + 7.5VP + 3VP in Final


Deck Name: Water Dog - Lasombra Shift
Author: Kelly Lyons
Description: 2GW 7.5VP (FINAL 3VP)

Why write such a lengthy report???
Because, I had so much fun playing!!!

Oblivion is a powerful discipline. It makes Lasombra very versatile. When it comes to combat, Lasombra has a great combat package. Dafina Hanganu is your star vampire. She is better than Theo Bell because of her title. The ability to play Second Tradition is just unfair. Umbrous Clutch gets you into a combat at +1 Stealth. Then use your Potence setup with Torn Signpost and Immortal Grapple. But, the main combat card is Shadow Shift. The ability to maneuver as much as you need and get an additional strike is money. The deck was built around that card hence, the name of the deck. The payoff card of the deck is Dead Pool. Dead Pool gives you a payoff for all that toporing you end up doing. It is a must have in Lasombra combat.

Round 1: (GW 3.5VP) My predator, Tom, was playing a Brujah combat deck. It was a better combat deck, heads-up, to mine. But, Oscar, playing Path of Caine got Tom’s Saku Pihlajamäki down to one blood. Then Tom made the mistake of taking an action against me, He beat up my Dafina Hanganu but she topored him and Tom was playing from behind the rest of the game. With no predator, I worked my way around the table. Tom lasted and was close to ousting me but time ran out.

Round 2: (NOTHING) Dafina Hanganu was banished twice. Brad just took control of the table. Watching Brad play that round was a treat. He is a great manipulator of his decks. He is playing chess while we’re playing checkers. I watched carefully what he was doing and kept that in my memory bank because I knew we would see each other in the finals.

Round 3: (GW 4VP) Easiest round for me. Everything went smooth. I just controlled the table.

Final Round: (GW 3VP)
Tom: Brujah Anarch Combat
Norm: Path of Caine
Water Dog: Lasombra Combat
Joey: Toreador V5 Vote
Brad: Path of Power

One of the best finals and games of V:TES I’ve been a part of. The politicking and gamesmanship was second to none. Just a lot of fun. Joey took off running with 3 Zillah’s Valleys in a row. Then called a Reins of Power and Tom and I haven’t even gotten a vampire into play yet. Joey had 3 vampires in play with a fourth one fixing to come out, lots of pool, and all the momentum. Brad was a sitting duck and Norm had no predator because Tom was also off to a slow start. By the time I got Dafina to take her first action I was at 10 pool left.

My only chance to stay alive was to crush Joey and help Brad. I just started taking down Joey’s vampires one at a time. VEY-LIN (Villein for the uncultured) and Taste of Vitae kept me a float and allowed me to get out a second vampire.

At this point Brad took control of the game. Joey tried to banish Dafina. Brad owed me a solid and helped vote the banishment down. I was hurting Joey so bad, that I was able to talk him into giving me a pool from his Camarilla's Iron Fist vote. Brad ousted Tom and was moving in on Norm. I had to make my move. Using Dead Pool, I ousted Joey and it became a 3 player game.

Brad’s ability to control the game with votes was just so strong. While he was finishing up Norm I was setting my hand for enters combat. Norm is ousted and Brad and I then go heads up. Learning from Round 2, I prepped my hand and had my strategy.

I had votes on the table. I knew if I could topor Brad’s biggest voting vampires I could at least control the voting when it was my turn. So, I began the process. Topor a vampire. Bleed and get the edge. Diablerize a vampire. Repeat each round. Game win.

I want to thank Norm Brown for Hosting and the great gumbo. Thanks to Dan Boudreaux for housing us again at Sanctuary Games in Lafayette, Louisiana.

Crypt (12 cards, min=28 max=33 avg=7.75)
========================================
1x Gnaeus Aemilius Augustinus 9 DOM OBL POT PRO tha prince Lasombra:6
5x Dafina Hanganu 8 DOM OBL POT for prince Lasombra:6
2x Yewon Ong 8 DOM OBL POT for prince Lasombra:6
1x Egidia Arrú 8 DOM OBL POT pro Lasombra:6
1x María del Toro 7 DOM OBL POT prince Lasombra:6
1x Rinaldo Albizzi 7 DOM OBL POT pre primogen Lasombra:6
1x Aintzane Arriaga 6 DOM OBL POT Lasombra:6

Library (90 cards)
==================
Master (17; 7 trifle)

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3x Dead Pool
3x Monster
2x Papillon
1x Political Hunting Ground
1x Tension in the Ranks
6x Villein
1x Wider View

Action (13)

---

3x Govern the Unaligned
3x Heroic Might
7x Umbrous Clutch

Action Modifier/Reaction (2)

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2x Murmur of the False Will

Reaction (12)

---

2x Deflection
2x Redirection
6x Second Tradition: Domain
2x Shadow Sentinel

Combat (46)

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3x Arms of Ahriman
3x Disarm
2x Earthshock
9x Immortal Grapple
2x Roundhouse
12x Shadow Shift
3x Superior Mettle
6x Taste of Vitae
6x Torn Signpost

Hi

I was building and I got into jack of both sides rulings of VDB:

-Is an action of the appropriate type for the chosen card (recruit/employ/equip). [TOM 19960130]
-Requirements apply but do not count as requirements for the action (eg. you cannot use
CrimethInc.
if the chosen card requires an Anarch).


How does path of two worlds interacts with it? Can I do jack at both sides, declare a wraith as target then play path of two worlds as action is announced?
Second ruling relates to action requirements rather than path of two worlds requirement, does it apply to this case too?

What about the the summoning? It has the same ruling under. The summoning has no declaration of target, does path of two worlds become playable at any point?

On broader terms: both actions take type (equip on this case), do them take "wraith equip" too?

Many thanks in advance


Jack of Both Sides

+2 stealth action. Requires a ready vampire.
This vampire equips or employs an equipment or retainer from your hand. The cost of that card is reduced by 1 pool or by up to 2 blood.

Summoning, The

+1 stealth action.
Presence Search your library for an ally or retainer. Show it to all players and put it in your hand (shuffle and discard afterward).
Superior Presence Search your library for an ally. This vampire recruits that ally (requirements and cost apply as normal). Shuffle afterward.

Paths in Two Worlds

Only usable as an action to recruit or employ a wraith or zombie is announced.
Oblivion +1 stealth, even if stealth is not yet needed.
Superior Oblivion As above, and if the action is successful, this vampire can burn 1 blood to unlock after action resolution.

TWD - Paz em SP was created by Dk Roots
Paz em SP
São Paulo, SP, Brazil
July 06th, 2025
2R+F
Roberto Mautone Junior

www.vekn.net/event-calendar/event/12412

4 vps in Final

Deck Name: Lasombra Deadpool v5
Author: Pascek Ressurected
Description:

Crypt (12 cards; Capacity min=6 max=8 avg=7.4)
==================
1x Aintzane Arriaga 6 DOM OBL POT Lasombra:6
4x Dafina Hanganu 8 for DOM OBL POT Lasombra:6
2x Egidia Arru 8 pro DOM OBL POT Lasombra:6
2x Maria del Toro 7 DOM OBL POT Lasombra:6
3x Yewon Ong 8 for DOM OBL POT Lasombra:6

Library: 90 cards

Master (18 cards)
==================
1x Fame
1x Giant's Blood
1x Information Highway
1x Monastery of Shadows
3x Monster
1x Papillon
1x Political Hunting Ground
2x Vessel
4x Villein
2x Dead Pool
1x Dreams of the Sphinx

Action (16 cards)
==================
2x Graverobbing
3x Heroic Might
3x Preternatural Strength
8x Umbrous Clutch

Political Action (7 cards)
==================
4x Parity Shift
1x Lasombra Justicar
2x Raising the Portcullis

Combat (35 cards)
==================
8x Immortal Grapple
6x Taste of Vitae
4x Arms of Ahriman
10x Shadow Shift
1x Touch of Oblivion
6x Disarm

Reaction (13 cards)
==================
7x Second Tradition: Domain
6x Deflection

Event (1 cards)
==================
1x Dragonbound

Joensuu had a nice 12 player tournament in the autumn weather. We saw some rare local methusalehs raising from their long slumber and a visitor from Hämeenlinna.

This time our esteemed visitor took the victory after showing how V:tES is played. But it wasn't as cut and dried and the finals were a spectacular show how things can flip even from the most impossible situations.

The finals reveals:

Jani Malmi was the top seed with impressive 3GW10, dominating the prelims! Seating was as follows:
Jonna Immonen - Anarch Stealth-bleed Ministry
Eetu Rautiainen - Combat Wall
Markus Määttänen - Stanislava
Reetta Rautiainen - Anarch Tzimisce
Jani Malmi - Juliet Parr voter

In the first 30 minutes everyone were careful and gearing up. Couple of small bleeds here, few votes there but nothing that would warrant real concern. But then, at the 38 minute mark, Jonnas Ministry ousted Eetu in a surprise attack that nobody saw coming! especially not Eetu! It was really fast and aggressive move that resulted rest of the table allying against Jonna. Early-game alliances shifted drastically, since no-one could vote without help.

It took another half an hour before Jonna bend the knee and was ousted when Jani bled the remaining pool. It was really hard situation, since Jonna had to battle alone against the rest of the table and against two voters. But after Jonna was out, the alliances shifted again. There was 47 minutes left on the clock.

This time Jani and Reetta courted Markus to their side, as no-one had the capabilities to win the game on their own. Markus decided to ally with his prey (Reetta) agains his predator (Jani) in order to gain enough votes to block all Jani's votes and assuring Markus got his votes through. So it was Jani against the rest of the table.

It didn't take long to make Jani's life impossible, as Markus banished two Jani's vampires, leaving only one! And immediately afterwards Stanislava bled 8 pool damage which was bounced in understanding with his prey to Jani! Truly hard hit! But the game isn't over until the game is over! Jani managed to put in play second Camarilla Segregation, making Reettas life that much more uncomfortable. Also Markus brought a third vampire into play, non-Camarilla Hartmut Stower.

Jani was as good as dead, but now the two allies eyed each other in suspicion. If Reetta ousted Jani, she would be tapped out and Markus could bleed her in a single turn and win the game. So the next couple of rounds was positioning for the final showdown between Reetta and Markus. So Jani got to live for a little while longer. Then it happened, the moment that propably turned the situation to its head!

Reetta bled Jani, not an ousting bleed since Jani had 4 pools and it was only bleed 2. Jani bounced it to Markus who also had 4 pool in order to snatch a victory point as two Camarilla Segregations would oust Markus if this bleed would sink. The bleed didn't have any stealth so it would have been a simple block. But Markus used Direct Intervention instead and was in 3 pool and Jani took the damage instead, still alive. When it came to Jani's turn, the only action that Jani could do was a third Camarilla Segregation! No-one could block it and so Jani snatched second victory point and securing victory when there were 25 minutes left!

Immediately after this Reetta ousted Jani, but it was too late now. Jani had won from nearly hopeless situation! Truly a magnificent final!


A few words from the winner and his deck: