Greetings fellow Methuselahs,
This month we have the privilege to begin the letter with this exquisite artwork by Kim Aldau for a new card in the upcoming Path of Power and the Inner Voice Sabbat preconstructed deck. This is the card:
NAC 2025 UPCOMING – WITH VERY SPECIAL PREVIEW EVENT!
Time again for the North American Championship and the Week of Nightmares! Welcome to beautiful Columbus, Ohio and the Origins Game Fair. 13 touraments, including a special pre-release.
Sun June 15: Week of Nightmares event 1
Mon June 16: Week of Nightmares event 2 + 3
Tue June 17: Week of Nightmares event 4 + 5
Wed June 18: Week of Nightmares event 6 + 7 (<---This is the special event!)
Thu June 19: Origins Thurday 1 + Thursday 2
Fri June 20: Origins Friday 1 + Friday 2
Sat June 21: Origins North American Championship
Sun June 22: Origins Sunday
Please, check the VEKN Event Calendar for details about each of these events.
The Week of Nightmares Wednesday evening tournament is a pre-release event for the new Sabbat preconstructed decks. The time is 6 PM, the place is R Bar Arena, 413 N Front Street. Pay $20 entry fee and you’ll randomly receive one of the four new decks:
– Path of Caine
– Path of Cathari
– Path of Death and the Soul
– Path of Power and the Inner Voice
See the original announcement for more information.
REGISTER TO EC 2025 BEFORE JULY 31 – GET A BONUS GIFT!
To give an extra push for early registration (which helps ease event costs), Black Chantry Productions is offering a special bonus: Everyone who registers before July 31 will receive 1 copy of The Unaligned 1 + 1 copy of The Unaligned 2! Yes, that is the bundles from the 2021 crowdfunding, found in the lower basement of the most remote storehouse. This bonus gift in addition to other perks and surprises we’ll be revealed in the coming weeks and months.
Register at vtes-ec2025.org
Again: The early bird deadline is July 31!
MARTIN WEINMAYER IS THE 2025 CHAMPION OF SERBIA!
This event took place in Belgrade on May 3 with 23 players.
Read the full report: Serbia National Championship 2025
RATHPEX WINS GRAND PRIX SYDNEY 2025!
This tournament was held at Good Games Town Hall in Sydney on May 18 with 17 players.
Read the full report: Grand Prix Sydney 2025
KARL SCHAEFER WINS GRAND PRIX MADISON 2025!
This leg of the North American Cup was played with 14 players in Madison, Wisconsin on May 17. It was the first event in the city in 10 years!
Read the full report: Grand Prix Madison 2025
The North American Cup so far:
• Gap, Pennsylvania January 18: Winner Albert Presto with Tzimisce G6 stealth-bleed.
• Los Angeles, California February 16: Winner Mark Jasper with Unmada stealth-bleed.
• Dallas, Texas March 23: Winner Matt Hodsdon with Banu Haqim Haqim's Law: Retribution stealth-bleed.
• Montreal, Canada April 26: Winner Alexandre Bustros.
• Madison, Wisconsin May 17: See above.
The cup final will be played sometime during the 2025 Week of Nightmares in Columbus, Ohio.
FIRST ATHENS TOURNAMENT EVER!
We normally show CC, NC or GP level tournament here, but we make an exception for this one: Athens, Greece, has held their first ever sanctioned VTES tournament. This happened with 20 players from Greece, Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary and Denmark on May 31.
The final table was Malkavian Dementation stealth-bleed -> Ministry Nonu Dis stealth-bleed -> Malkavian wall -> Baali The Unnamed stealth-bleed -> Toreador stealth-vote/bleed.
Congratulations to the winner Jan Kočí!
The tournament winning decklist: “Oldschool wall”
Crypt (12 cards)
2x Victoria 5 AUS cel obf Malkavian:2
1x Aleph 4 AUS dom Malkavian:1
2x Zöe 3 AUS cel obf Malkavian:2
1x Dollface 3 aus obf Malkavian:1
1x Isabel de Leon 3 AUS Toreador:2
1x Watenda 3 obf Malkavian:2
1x Brazil 2 aus Malkavian:1
3x Anarch Convert 1 Caitiff:ANY
Library (70 cards)
Master (13; 3 trifle)
1x Anarch Revolt
1x Asylum Hunting Ground
2x Direct Intervention
1x Erciyes Fragments, The
2x Madness Network
1x Powerbase: Montreal
1x Rack, The
1x Smiling Jack, The Anarch
3x Vessel
Action (2)
1x Aranthebes, The Immortal
1x Constant Revolution
Ally (3)
1x Carlton Van Wyk
1x Muddled Vampire Hunter
1x Ossian
Equipment (6)
3x .44 Magnum
1x Bowl of Convergence
1x Ivory Bow
1x Sniper Rifle
Combat (4)
4x Disguised Weapon
Reaction (42)
2x Delaying Tactics
6x Eagle's Sight
4x Enhanced Senses
8x Eyes of Argus
4x Forced Awakening
3x My Enemy's Enemy
4x On the Qui Vive
2x Precognition
1x Spirit's Touch
8x Telepathic Misdirection
Good luck with future organised play Athens!
RECRUITMENT EXCERCISE: WELCOMING NEW METHUSELAHS IN NIORT, FRANCE
Reported by Christophe Baltazar, VEKN National Coordinatior of France:
Welcoming new players is always a highlight for any gaming community. Thanks to the Virtuel association (association-virtuel.fr) in Niort, 17 new Methuselahs were initiated into Vampire: The Eternal Struggle, facing off in the eternal conflict in an atmosphere that was both friendly and strategic.
Among the participants, several came from the world of role-playing games, which made it easier for them to dive into the gothic universe of the World of Darkness. After a brief introduction to the setting and core mechanics — taking down one’s prey while protecting oneself from a predator — the tables were set and ready for battle.
Event overview: Duration: 8:30 AM to 2:00 PM. Number of tables: 4. Total games played: 4. Participants: 20. Format: New Blood decks with 25 pool – no time limit.
Each table had access to six New Blood decks, allowing players to choose the clan that suited them best. Every game was guided by an experienced player who helped the newcomers learn the rules step-by-step. A big thank you to Black Chantry and VEKN France for generously sending these introductory decks!
The games started at staggered times, beginning at 9:30 PM for the first table and around 10:30 PM for the last. In total, four tables of five players each kept the night lively.
Table 1 – Hosted by Pierre
Antoine (Nosferatu) hunted Antoine (Banu Haqim), who targeted Samuel (Ventrue), who went after Caroline (Toreador), who hunted Fabien (Malkavian), who closed the loop by pursuing the first Antoine.
Caroline (Toreador) made smart use of political actions early on and quickly scored a victory point. Later, the Nosferatu managed to score two points, but the Toreador ultimately dominated with three, showing strong control over political scheming.
Victory Points: Toreador 3, Nosferatu 2.
Table 2 – Hosted by Teil
Jade (Gangrel) hunted Valentin (Nosferatu), who targeted Olivier (Tremere), who went after Lucie (Malkavian), who pursued Jérémy (Ventrue), who in turn targeted Jade.
The Malkavian gained the upper hand over the Ventrue, while the Nosferatu, with their rat army, slowly weakened and eliminated the Tremere, already worn down by constant revolts. After letting the Gangrel shine for a moment, the Malkavian seized the tempo and won the final duel.
Victory Points: Malkavian 3, Gangrel 1, Nosferatu 1.
Table 3 – Hosted by the author
Pierre (Tremere) hunted Patrick (Ventrue), who targeted Romain (Ministry), who chased François (Banu Haqim), who pursued Thomas (Nosferatu), who tried to reach Pierre.
The Nosferatu had a rough start, getting intercepted on every action — even the smallest ones, like recruiting a Underbridge Stray or an Owl Companionl. The Tremere and Banu Haqim punished them severely. Despite being reduced to just 1 pool, the Banu Haqim managed to eliminate the Nosferatu.
Patrick (Ventrue) then used Misdirection smartly to oust Romain (Ministry). After a tense duel with the Banu Haqim, the Ventrue faced the Tremere wall — well-prepared and resilient to the end. The game concluded in a draw.
Victory Points: Ventrue 2, Tremere 2, Banu Haqim 1.
Table 4 – Started Later, With Experienced Support
This table included experienced members to round out the initial two players. Telly (Malkavian) hunted Jonathan (Nosferatu), who went after Alexandre (Brujah), who targeted Stoof (Banu Haqim), who pursued Thibault (Toreador), who circled back to Telly.
Telly quickly took control by eliminating the Nosferatu with a well-placed vote and severely weakening the Brujah (down to 1 pool). However, this aggression raised suspicion, and his subsequent votes were all blocked. Alexandre (Brujah) seized his opportunity, won his confrontations with the Banu Haqim, and eliminated the Toreador. As the night wore on, the game was called, with the Brujah ahead.
Victory Points: Brujah 2.5, Malkavian 1.5.
Looking ahead
To keep the VTES momentum going, a WhatsApp group was created to connect all interested players and help organize future sessions.
A huge thank-you once again to Virtuel for the event organization and promotion. Given the enthusiastic feedback from many participants, the association’s board is now considering setting up a dedicated VTES section. This activity would complement the regular Friday board game slot, with the medium-term goal of hosting competitive events.
Credit photo: Telly_Shoot
REMINDER: WELCOME TO THE OPEN PLAYTEST OF TWO-PLAYER VTES!
There is a playtest of 1-versus-1 duel format of Vampire: The Eternal Struggle, and YOU can join! Anyone can test and report results and thoughts, and everything you need to know – rules, tournament rules, decklists, lists of cards allowed and feedback form – is at this dedicated playtest site. After some tweaks, we hope this will be both an easy way to get into “real VTES” and an interesting game in itself – please, give it a try, and report what you think!
BLACK CHANTRY SUMMARY: MAY 2025
• New Blood Hecata and Lasombra should be in stores when you read this! There was a last minute delay at the print shop, but packs were for sale at the UKGE and should appear close to you now or anytime soon.
• Hugh Angseesing, Luke Greensmith, Mikey Ferguson, Beth Powell and James Freimuller staffed the BCP booth at UKGE, Birmingham. Thanks to all who dropped by for a friendly word, demo or purchase!
• Another spoiler season has launched – see the top of this newsletter. The fourth playtest round of the Sabbat precons was quick and bloody, and now all the new awesomeness are off for a first printrun to appear at the Week of Nightmares in Columbus. The big European printing will be sometime this summer. Look forward to a steady flow of more previews.
• The New Blood packs for Ravnos, Salubri and Tzimisce will be in stores AFTER the Sabbat precons, some time in late 2025.
• Please try out the 1-versus-1-variant of VTES in the open playtest – see above in this newsletter!
• Currently these Black Chantry products are available through Gamepod, Drivethrucard
Lost Kindred bundle (Drivethrucards and Gamepod only)
Keepers of Tradition Reprint Bundle 1 (Drivethrucards and Gamepod only)
Keepers of Tradition Reprint Bundle 2 (Drivethrucards and Gamepod only)
Heirs of the Blood Reprint Bundle 1 (Drivethrucards and Gamepod only)
Heirs of the Blood Reprint Bundle 2 (Drivethrucards and Gamepod only)
Den of Fiends Preconstructed Deck (Also Spanish, French) (Drivethrucards and Gamepod only)
Libertine Ball Preconstructed Deck (Also Spanish, French) (Drivethrucards and Gamepod only)
Pact with Nephandi Preconstructed Deck (Also Spanish, French) (Drivethrucards and Gamepod only)
Parliament of Shadows Preconstructed Deck (Also Spanish, French) (Drivethrucards and Gamepod only)
Anthology I bundle
VTES Card Creator (Drivethrucards only)
25th Anniversary
First Blood: Malkavian (Also Spanish, French) (Drivethrucards and Gamepod only)
First Blood: Nosferatu (Also Spanish, French) (Drivethrucards and Gamepod only)
First Blood: Toreador (Also Spanish, French) (Drivethrucards and Gamepod only)
First Blood: Tremere (Also Spanish, French) (Drivethrucards and Gamepod only)
First Blood: Ventrue (Also Spanish, French) (Drivethrucards and Gamepod only)
VTES Legacy Card Singles (Drivethrucards and Gamepod only)
Promo Pack 1 (Drivethrucards and Gamepod only)
Promo Pack 2 (Drivethrucards and Gamepod only)
Promo Pack 3 (For promotion only)
Promo Pack 4 (For promotion only)
VTES "Parity Shift" playmat
VTES card sleeves
Vampire: The Eternal Struggle Fifth Edition (Stores only)
Vampire: The Eternal Struggle Fifth Edition Latin (Drivethrucards only)
Fifth Edition: Malkavian (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
Fifth Edition: Nosferatu (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
Fifth Edition: Toreador (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
Fifth Edition: Tremere (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
Fifth Edition: Ventrue (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
Promo Pack 3 (Event promos only)
Fifth Edition: Banu Haqim (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
Fifth Edition: Brujah (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
Fifth Edition: Gangrel (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
Fifth Edition: The Ministry (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
New Blood: Malkavian (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
New Blood: Nosferatu (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
New Blood: Toreador (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
New Blood: Tremere (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
New Blood: Ventrue (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
The Fall of London (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
Echoes of Gehenna
Shadows of Berlin (Also Spanish, French)
New Blood: Banu Haqim (Also Spanish, French)
New Blood: Brujah (Also Spanish, French)
New Blood: Gangrel (Also Spanish, French)
New Blood: The Ministry (Also Spanish, French)
Fifth Edition: Ravnos (Also Spanish, French)
Fifth Edition: Salubri (Also Spanish, French)
Fifth Edition: Tzimisce (Also Spanish, French)
30th Anniversary (Also Spanish, French)
Fifth Edition: Lasombra (Also Spanish, French)
Fifth Edition: Hecata (Also Spanish, French)
New Blood: Hecata (Also Spanish, French)
New Blood: Lasombra (Also Spanish, French)
Do you have opinions or questions for Black Chantry? Start a topic on the VEKN forum, or contact the company by e-mail, Facebook, Instagram
RECENT NEWS IN THE WORLD OF DARKNESS
Things are happening! Let us share this message from WHITE WOLF unedited:
White Wolf Returns, Freshly Embraced as the Official Licensing and Publishing Entity of World of Darkness
White Wolf Working Alongside Paradox Interactive as a Co-Publisher for Vampire: The Masquerade–Bloodlines 2; Tabletop Role-Playing Game Development Moving In-House
STOCKHOLM – MAY 23, 2025 – World of Darkness today announced that it is rebranding to White Wolf and is now the official licensing and publishing entity for all its transmedia properties, including Vampire: The Masquerade, Werewolf: The Apocalypse, and Hunter: The Reckoning. As part of the rebrand, White Wolf and Paradox Interactive are working together as co-publishers for Vampire: The Masquerade–Bloodlines 2, launching in October 2025. Additionally, World of Darkness tabletop role-playing game and IP development will move in-house, enabling the studio to expand and deepen its commitment to games and gameplay systems that complement its story worlds.
This marks a new era for White Wolf, empowering the brand to work closely with partners to create interconnected stories and develop more products for fans. White Wolf is unifying its vast story worlds and building on its legacy of celebrated entertainment properties that resonate with its audience.
Operating as an independent entity within Paradox Interactive, White Wolf oversees products set in World of Darkness story worlds across all major media, including video games, tabletop role-playing games, board games, streaming shows, and more. All White Wolf projects, licensed or published, will have direct access to the brand’s development resources and marketing support. White Wolf has access to a global network of distributors and partners, ensuring that World of Darkness fans worldwide can experience the brand’s compelling stories.
"The Wolf is back, baby! I’m incredibly excited and proud to bring back White Wolf as an independent business entity, taking the legendary World of Darkness IP portfolio into the future. Establishing a dedicated publishing wing for our internally developed tabletop role-playing games strengthens our already successful licensing business. This lets us develop both classic and new IPs faster and with a clearer long-term transmedia vision, always in collaboration with our passionate fans and partners," said Marco Behrmann, World of Darkness Executive Vice President at Paradox Interactive. "The White Wolf name echoes in eternity, with strong brand recognition across entertainment sectors, including game makers, licensing partners, retailers, and distributors. This rebirth is a huge win for our fans because it empowers us to create the products, experiences, and worlds they want to explore."
White Wolf is led by Marco Behrmann (World of Darkness Executive Vice President), Jason Carl (Brand Marketing Manager), Nikola Filipov (Director of Licensing), and other key members who have been instrumental in World of Darkness’ ongoing success.
Originally founded in 1991, White Wolf pioneered deep, narrative-driven, and mature role-playing games with the launch of Vampire: The Masquerade, which became a breakout hit. After Vampire: The Masquerade’s success, White Wolf continued to expand its profound lore and worldbuilding, creating more standout properties, including Werewolf: The Apocalypse, Hunter: The Reckoning, and more. As White Wolf enters a new era, the brand maintains its roots with products that are high-quality, mature, and contemporary experiences.
(Link to original press release)
CALENDAR
Major events coming up:
June 7: Brazil National Championship, Rio de Janeiro
June 7: Philippines National Championship, Manila
June 15-20: Week of Nightmares Columbus, Ohio
June 21: Grand Prix Brisbane
June 21: North American Championship Columbus, Ohio
June 28: National Championship Spain
July 5: Grand Prix Warsaw
July 6: National Championship Poland
July 12: National Championship Switzerland
July 20: National Championship Belgium
August 9: National Championship Norway
August 16: Grand Prix Herne
August 23: Grand Prix Biloxi/Gulfport, Mississippi
August 30: Grand Prix Auckland
September 6: Asian Championship, Mandaluyong, Philippines
September 6: Grand Prix Sul Americano (Campina Grande, Brazil)
September 13: Grand Prix Harmelen
October 4: Grand Prix New Orleans, Louisiana
October 13-16: Week of Nightmares Aarhus
October 17: European Championship Aarhus
October 25: Oceania Championship, Melbourne, Australia
December 6: Grand Prix Vidor, Texas
December 14: Grand Prix Cearense
Upcoming tournaments for the coming month (registered so far) are in:
Australia x3
Brazil x8
Chile
Czech Republic
Finland x2
France x2
Hungary x3
Italy x2
Mexico
Netherlands
Philippines
Poland x2
South Africa x2
Spain x5
UK
USA x18
For details about these events, see the VEKN Event Calendar. Also, check out the World of Darkness Community Map.
Remember: Online tournaments are possible - just check the box "Online tournament" when you add the event to the calendar!
CONTACT VEKN
You can contact the VEKN Inner Circle members using contact forms at VEKN.net. Also follow the official VTES Facebook page Vampire: The Eternal Struggle, the official VEKN X (Twitter) account @VEKN_VTES and the official VTES Discord server.
He who opens a school door, closes a prison.
This tournament was played in Canning Vale, Perth, Western Australia on April 12 with 14 Methuselahs. Information provided by Steve Harris, VEKN National Coordinator of Australia:
Pre-finals standings:
1. Ben Szymkow 2 GW 8 VP
2. Nicolas Small 2 GW 6 vp
3. Steven Wong 2 GW 5 vp
4. Mark James 1 GW 5 vp
5. Elliot Barker 1 GW 5 vp
Final Results: Mark won with 1.5 vp. Nicolas was ousted, and everyone else got 0.5 vp.
The tourament winning deck: !Ventrue Grinder
Crypt (12 cards)
4x Owain Evans, The Wanderer 8 AUS DOM FOR cel pre Ventrue antitribu:3
4x Blackhorse Tanner 7 AUS DOM FOR Ventrue antitribu:3
2x Jefferson Foster 6 AUS DOM for tha bishop Ventrue antitribu:4
2x Neighbor John 5 AUS dom for Ventrue antitribu:4
Library (90 cards)
Master (15; 4 trifle)
2x Anarch Troublemaker
1x Corporate Hunting Ground
2x Direct Intervention
1x Information Highway
1x KRCG News Radio
1x Pentex(TM) Subversion
1x Powerbase: Barranquilla
1x Powerbase: Montreal
1x Rack, The
2x Villein
2x Wider View
Action (10)
10x Govern the Unaligned
Equipment (2)
1x Bowl of Convergence
1x Heart of Nizchetus
Retainer (1)
1x Mr. Winthrop
Action Modifier (7)
4x Conditioning
1x Daring the Dawn
2x Seduction
Combat (22)
2x Psychic Assault
5x Rolling with the Punches
5x Soak
4x Target Vitals
6x Weighted Walking Stick
Reaction (33)
6x Deflection
2x Delaying Tactics
4x Eagle's Sight
6x Enhanced Senses
8x Eyes of Argus
2x On the Qui Vive
5x Telepathic Misdirection
The event was sponsored by Black Chantry Productions (GP promos and playmats), Australia’s distribution company (MotS Imports) and myself.
Thanks Steve, and thanks to all organisers, sponsors and participants!
Greetings fellow Methuselahs,
Two new Vampire: The Eternal Struggle packs will be in stores on May 31, 2025: New Blood Hecata and New Blood Lasombra. Note that this will be both the official release date and the official tournament legality date for the new cards in these packs! The preview season has hereby begun, with Mark Kelly´s illustration for Psychophagia, a card found in the New Blood Hecata pack. The actual card:
REGISTRATION FOR EC 2025 IS OPEN!
Are you planning to play the VTES European Championship in Aarhus, Denmark, on October 17-19? Registration is now open, so please sign up as soon as possible, to help the organisers know how many will attend.
Visit the website: /www.vtes-ec2025.org
FREDERIC PIN WINS GRAND PRIX MODENA 2025
70 Methuselahs played this tournament in Modena, Italy, on March 1.
Read the full report: Grand Prix Modena 2025
RODINEI CAMARGO IS THE 2025 CHAMPION OF PORTUGAL
This tournament gathered 57 players in Lisbon on March 15.
Read the full report: Portugal National Championship 2025
VADIM GRIGOREV IS THE 2025 CHAMPION OF LITHUANIA
This event had 44 participants in Vilnius on March 1.
Read the full report: Lithuania National Championship 2025
HUGH ALDOUS WINS GRAND PRIX MELBOURNE 2025
25 players battled it out in Melbourne, Australia, on March 1.
Read the full report: Grand Prix Melbourne 2025
DESTYN BOWERS WINS GULF COAST ROAST DALLAS 2025
16 players turned up for this event in Dallas, Texas on March 22. Note that a second GP event, in the North American Cup circuit, was played in Dallas on March 23.
Read the full report: Gulf Coast Roast Dallas 2025
MATT HODSDON WINS NORTH AMERICAN CUP DALLAS 2025
This event was played in Dallas, Texas on March 23 with 15 Methuselahs.
Read the full report: GP Dallas North American Cup 2025
REMEMBER: PROMO CARDS ARE AVAILABLE ON PRINT-ON-DEMAND
If you are a VEKN volunteer, for example organising a tournament or demo games, remember that you can have your National Coordinator order promotional cards on print-on-demand from Drivethrucards (USA) or Gamepod (Spain). The selections on the two sites are a bit different, for example on Gamepod you can get some German language promos. Ask your National Coordinator to get hold of the special links needed to have a look! Some examples are depicted above.
BLACK CHANTRY SUMMARY: MARCH 2025
• The True Brujah and Temporis cards are finally up for Legacy print-on-demand on both Drivethrucards (USA) and Gamepod (Spain).
• “Preview season” of New Blood Hecata and Lasombra is starting! Expect to see new cards here and there in your feeds the following weeks. Follow Black Chantry in social media to not miss anything!
• The third round of playtesting of the 2025 Sabbat cards ended on March 30. Almost all art has been delivered, looking fantastic, a true feast for the eye!
• You are hopefully aware of the general plan forward presented in the roadmap article in December, but product director Ben Peal recently delivered a quick update to the editor: The Sabbat decks will launch BEFORE the New Blood packs for Ravnos, Salubri and Tzimisce, sometime June/July this year. Then those New Blood packs, and then, late 2025, two packs themed around Brazil and New York. Going into 2026, things are more sketchy - New Blood packs for the four Sabbat paths, and most likely another city-based set. Cool, right?!
• Currently these Black Chantry products are available through Gamepod, Drivethrucard
Lost Kindred bundle (Drivethrucards and Gamepod only)
Keepers of Tradition Reprint Bundle 1 (Drivethrucards and Gamepod only)
Keepers of Tradition Reprint Bundle 2 (Drivethrucards and Gamepod only)
Heirs of the Blood Reprint Bundle 1 (Drivethrucards and Gamepod only)
Heirs of the Blood Reprint Bundle 2 (Drivethrucards and Gamepod only)
Den of Fiends Preconstructed Deck (Also Spanish, French) (Drivethrucards and Gamepod only)
Libertine Ball Preconstructed Deck (Also Spanish, French) (Drivethrucards and Gamepod only)
Pact with Nephandi Preconstructed Deck (Also Spanish, French) (Drivethrucards and Gamepod only)
Parliament of Shadows Preconstructed Deck (Also Spanish, French) (Drivethrucards and Gamepod only)
Anthology I bundle
VTES Card Creator (Drivethrucards only)
25th Anniversary
First Blood: Malkavian (Also Spanish, French) (Drivethrucards and Gamepod only)
First Blood: Nosferatu (Also Spanish, French) (Drivethrucards and Gamepod only)
First Blood: Toreador (Also Spanish, French) (Drivethrucards and Gamepod only)
First Blood: Tremere (Also Spanish, French) (Drivethrucards and Gamepod only)
First Blood: Ventrue (Also Spanish, French) (Drivethrucards and Gamepod only)
VTES Legacy Card Singles (Drivethrucards and Gamepod only)
Promo Pack 1 (Drivethrucards and Gamepod only)
Promo Pack 2 (Drivethrucards and Gamepod only)
Promo Pack 3 (For promotion only)
Promo Pack 4 (For promotion only)
VTES "Parity Shift" playmat
VTES card sleeves
Vampire: The Eternal Struggle Fifth Edition (Stores only)
Vampire: The Eternal Struggle Fifth Edition Latin (Drivethrucards only)
Fifth Edition: Malkavian (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
Fifth Edition: Nosferatu (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
Fifth Edition: Toreador (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
Fifth Edition: Tremere (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
Fifth Edition: Ventrue (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
Promo Pack 3 (Event promos only)
Fifth Edition: Banu Haqim (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
Fifth Edition: Brujah (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
Fifth Edition: Gangrel (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
Fifth Edition: The Ministry (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
New Blood: Malkavian (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
New Blood: Nosferatu (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
New Blood: Toreador (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
New Blood: Tremere (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
New Blood: Ventrue (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
The Fall of London (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
Echoes of Gehenna
Shadows of Berlin (Also Spanish, French)
New Blood: Banu Haqim (Also Spanish, French)
New Blood: Brujah (Also Spanish, French)
New Blood: Gangrel (Also Spanish, French)
New Blood: The Ministry (Also Spanish, French)
Fifth Edition: Ravnos (Also Spanish, French)
Fifth Edition: Salubri (Also Spanish, French)
Fifth Edition: Tzimisce (Also Spanish, French)
30th Anniversary (Also Spanish, French)
Fifth Edition: Lasombra (Also Spanish, French)
Fifth Edition: Hecata (Also Spanish, French)
Do you have opinions or questions for Black Chantry? Start a topic on the VEKN forum, or contact the company by e-mail, Facebook, Instagram
RECENT NEWS IN THE WORLD OF DARKNESS
After the latest Dev Diary entry (number 28 about Hunters), we now got a release month for Vampire: The Maquerade - Bloodlines 2. As stated in the video link above, the game will launch in October 2025! Only some fine-tuning is left. If you are very curious, we recommend the rather in-depth article in PC Gamer "Playing a few hours of Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 has put a lot of my worries to rest". Seems promising!
Subscribe to the World of Darkness channel for more news!
CALENDAR
Upcoming tournaments for the coming month (registered so far) are in:
Australia x2
Brazil x7
Canada x2
Chile
Croatia
Czech Republic
Finland x5
France x5
Hungary
Italy x2
Mexico
Online x2
Poland x4
Portugal
South Africa
Spain x9
Sweden x2
USA x5
For details about these events, see the VEKN Event Calendar.
Remember: Online tournaments are possible - just check the box "Online tournament" when you add the event to the calendar!
CONTACT VEKN
You can contact the VEKN Inner Circle members using contact forms at VEKN.net. Also follow the official VTES Facebook page Vampire: The Eternal Struggle, the official VEKN X (Twitter) account @VEKN_VTES and the official VTES Discord server.
If common sense was really common, more people would have it.
Greetings fellow Methuselahs,
Next up for release for Vampire: The Eternal Struggle is the New Blood packs for clans Hecata and Lasombra, set for stores May 31. Here you get a preview of a brand new card found in the Lasombra pack: Umbrous Clutch. The VERY nice artwork is by the Italian illustrator Michele Bertilorenzi, who has also already delivered a bunch of pieces for the Sabbat preconstructed decks to be published later this year.
WELCOME TO THE OPEN PLAYTEST OF TWO-PLAYER VTES!
Black Chantry Productions started to test a one-versus-one duel format of Vampire: The Eternal Struggle last year, but decided that much more testing is needed. So therefore, through VEKN, an opportunity for ANYONE to test and report results and thoughts is open. Everything you need to know – rules, tournament rules, decklists, lists of cards allowed and feedback form – is at this dedicated playtest site. A two-player variant could be both an easy way to get into “real VTES” and a interesting game in itself – please, give it a try, and report what you think!
THE VTES RULEBOOK IS NOW AVAILABLE IN ITALIAN!
Finally! The rulebook of Vampire: The Eternal Struggle Fifth Edition is now ready for download at blackchantry.com > Utilities > Rulebook
The translation was made by Alessandro Spataro, Gabriele Giacalone and Arianna Giordano, with assistance from Gianmarco Sferra, Miro Albertazzi, Nicole Marinucci, Simone Martinelli, Simone Zanni and Stefano Padelli. Big thanks guys!
FILIPPO MENGOLI IS THE 2025 CHAMPION OF ITALY!
This event gathered 45 Methuselahs to Vivaro, Italy on April 12.
Read the full report: Italy National Championship 2025
GONZALO ANDRÉS DEL RÍO DÍAZ WINS GRAND PRIX SAN BERNARDO 2025!
16 excited participants turned up for this tournament in San Bernardo, Chile on April 27.
Read the full report: Grand Prix San Bernardo 2025
MARK JAMES WINS GRAND PRIX WESTERN AUSTRALIA 2025!
14 players attended this event in Canning Vale outside Perth on April 12.
Read the full report: Grand Prix Western Australia 2025
16 NEW PROMO CARDS NOW AVAILABLE FOR EVENT ORGANISERS
Yes, no less then 16 new promotional cards have been uploaded for print-on-demand at Gamepod.es, and eventually also to Drivethrucards.com. They are only accessible for VEKN National Coordinators (all listed here) and the cost is €0.19 per card plus shipping. The new ones are:
Anarch Troublemaker (English, Catalan)
Antediluvian Awakening
Benedito, A Lanterna (Full art in Portuguese)
Camarilla Conclave (Full art in Latin)
Diana Iadanza (Full art)
François Villon (Full art)
Gnaeus Aemilius Augustinus (Full art)
Ian Carfax (Full art)
Juliet Parr (Full art)
Loup (Full art)
Marchesa Liliana (Full art)
Molly MacDonald (Full art)
Parijat, the Dark Oracle (Full art)
Rinaldo Albizzi (Full art)
Sense the Savage Way
Shroud of Decay (Full art)
If you are a National Coordinator, ask for the list of codes that unlock these cards for order for your Princes and other organisers!
BLACK CHANTRY SUMMARY: APRIL 2025
• Art Director Ginés Quiñonero was interviewed in the Brazilian channel Gargagem do Nerd TV.
• Preview season of New Blood Hecata and Lasombra is drawing to a close, only a couple of cards remain to spoil when this is written. The full content list and all previews are collected at the product pages on Blackchantry.com.
• The fourth and final round of playtesting of the four Sabbat preconstructed decks started last week. All art is ready and printing is booked!
• VEKN is helping Black Chantry to run an open playtest of a 1-versus-1-variant of VTES - see above in this newsletter!
• The VTES Fifth Edition rulebook is now available in Italian - see above in this newsletter!
• 16 new promo cards - see above in this newsletter!
• Currently these Black Chantry products are available through Gamepod, Drivethrucard
Lost Kindred bundle (Drivethrucards and Gamepod only)
Keepers of Tradition Reprint Bundle 1 (Drivethrucards and Gamepod only)
Keepers of Tradition Reprint Bundle 2 (Drivethrucards and Gamepod only)
Heirs of the Blood Reprint Bundle 1 (Drivethrucards and Gamepod only)
Heirs of the Blood Reprint Bundle 2 (Drivethrucards and Gamepod only)
Den of Fiends Preconstructed Deck (Also Spanish, French) (Drivethrucards and Gamepod only)
Libertine Ball Preconstructed Deck (Also Spanish, French) (Drivethrucards and Gamepod only)
Pact with Nephandi Preconstructed Deck (Also Spanish, French) (Drivethrucards and Gamepod only)
Parliament of Shadows Preconstructed Deck (Also Spanish, French) (Drivethrucards and Gamepod only)
Anthology I bundle
VTES Card Creator (Drivethrucards only)
25th Anniversary
First Blood: Malkavian (Also Spanish, French) (Drivethrucards and Gamepod only)
First Blood: Nosferatu (Also Spanish, French) (Drivethrucards and Gamepod only)
First Blood: Toreador (Also Spanish, French) (Drivethrucards and Gamepod only)
First Blood: Tremere (Also Spanish, French) (Drivethrucards and Gamepod only)
First Blood: Ventrue (Also Spanish, French) (Drivethrucards and Gamepod only)
VTES Legacy Card Singles (Drivethrucards and Gamepod only)
Promo Pack 1 (Drivethrucards and Gamepod only)
Promo Pack 2 (Drivethrucards and Gamepod only)
Promo Pack 3 (For promotion only)
Promo Pack 4 (For promotion only)
VTES "Parity Shift" playmat
VTES card sleeves
Vampire: The Eternal Struggle Fifth Edition (Stores only)
Vampire: The Eternal Struggle Fifth Edition Latin (Drivethrucards only)
Fifth Edition: Malkavian (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
Fifth Edition: Nosferatu (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
Fifth Edition: Toreador (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
Fifth Edition: Tremere (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
Fifth Edition: Ventrue (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
Promo Pack 3 (Event promos only)
Fifth Edition: Banu Haqim (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
Fifth Edition: Brujah (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
Fifth Edition: Gangrel (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
Fifth Edition: The Ministry (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
New Blood: Malkavian (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
New Blood: Nosferatu (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
New Blood: Toreador (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
New Blood: Tremere (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
New Blood: Ventrue (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
The Fall of London (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
Echoes of Gehenna
Shadows of Berlin (Also Spanish, French)
New Blood: Banu Haqim (Also Spanish, French)
New Blood: Brujah (Also Spanish, French)
New Blood: Gangrel (Also Spanish, French)
New Blood: The Ministry (Also Spanish, French)
Fifth Edition: Ravnos (Also Spanish, French)
Fifth Edition: Salubri (Also Spanish, French)
Fifth Edition: Tzimisce (Also Spanish, French)
30th Anniversary (Also Spanish, French)
Fifth Edition: Lasombra (Also Spanish, French)
Fifth Edition: Hecata (Also Spanish, French)
Do you have opinions or questions for Black Chantry? Start a topic on the VEKN forum, or contact the company by e-mail, Facebook, Instagram
RECENT NEWS IN THE WORLD OF DARKNESS: JOIN THE WORLD OF DARKNESS COMMUNITY MAP!
Please, advertise your VTES playgroup and/or VTES events on the World of Darkness Community Map! This is important to help the game grow. Also, if you are into that, add your LARP events, tabletop chronicles, fan gatherings, conventions and other activities related to the World of Darkness too. But only things that happen in public places where anyone is welcome (nothing played at someone´s home) and no online events.
Check out the map here: World of Darkness Community Map
Submit here: Map submission form
Subscribe to the World of Darkness channel for more news!
CALENDAR
Major events coming up:
May 17: Grand Prix London
May 18: Grand Prix Sydney
May 24: Grand Prix Lafayette, Louisiana
June 15-20: Week of Nightmares Columbus, Ohio
June 21: Grand Prix Brisbane
June 21: North American Championship Columbus, Ohio
June 28: National Championship Spain
July 5: Grand Prix Warsaw
July 6: National Championship Poland
July 12: National Championship Switzerland
July 20: National Championship Belgium
August 9: National Championship Norway
August 16: Grand Prix Herne
August 23: Grand Prix Biloxi/Gulfport, Mississippi
August 30: Grand Prix Auckland
September 6: Asian Championship, Mandaluyong, Philippines
September 6: Grand Prix Sul Americano (Campina Grande, Brazil)
September 13: Grand Prix Harmelen
October 4: Grand Prix New Orleans, Louisiana
October 13-16: Week of Nightmares Aarhus
October 17: European Championship Aarhus
October 25: Oceania Championship
December 6: Grand Prix Vidor, Texas
December 14: Grand Prix Cearense
Upcoming tournaments for the coming month (registered so far) are in:
Australia
Brazil 19
Chile
Czech Republic
France 3
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Italy 3
Online 2
Poland 2
Portugal 2
Serbia
Spain 12
UK 3
USA 5
For details about these events, see the VEKN Event Calendar. Also, check out the World of Darkness Community Map.
Remember: Online tournaments are possible - just check the box "Online tournament" when you add the event to the calendar!
CONTACT VEKN
You can contact the VEKN Inner Circle members using contact forms at VEKN.net. Also follow the official VTES Facebook page Vampire: The Eternal Struggle, the official VEKN X (Twitter) account @VEKN_VTES and the official VTES Discord server.
If at first you don’t succeed, then skydiving is not for you.
This tournament was played with 25 Methuselahs on March 1. Report by the winner Hugh Aldous:
Decklist: “Top of the Pile” (as I only picked this due to it being on the top of my card pile the morning of the GP).
Crypt:
5 Stanislava
3 Xavier
2 Ingrid Rossler
1 Genevieve
1 Hartmut Stover
Library: 88 cards
Masters:
9 Zillah’s Valley
5 Villein
2 Jake Washington
2 Perfectionist
1 Giant’s Blood
1 Monastery of Shadows
1 Ennoia’s Theatre
1 Backways
1 Ecoterrorists
Actions:
6 Govern the Unaligned
Political Actions:
2 Parity Shift
2 Kine Resources Contested
4 Camarilla’s Iron Fist
3 Banishment
1 Disputed Territory
1 Ancient Influence
1 Political Stranglehold
1 Reins of Power
1 Neonate Breach
Allies:
1 Double Deuce
1 Carlton van Wyk
Retainers:
2 Homunculus
Action Modifiers:
5 Earth Control
1 Enkil Cog
5 Forced March
5 Freak Drive
4 Instantaneous Transformation
3 Momentary Delay
Combat:
5 Earth Meld
5 Form of Mist
Reaction:
6 Deflection
Note: This is taken after the final round, a few players had left already.
The early rounds:
The first round of the Australian Gran Prix was held in Melbourne, a southern city in the state of Victoria (It is the mainland part above the tiny island). We had people flying in from all around the country and New Zealand. The organisers had hosted it in our local nerd store, Plenty of Games, with about 25 players in attendance. The first few rounds are always a good chance to catch up with people and get into the groove of playing. Many of the attendees in the Aus scene know each other, as we tend to travel for events. I chose to take whatever deck happened to be on top of my pile of cards that morning, as I had only got permission decided to play maybe two days prior. In my usual style, I could not remember if I had picked up my Daughters of Cacophony Opera deck or Stanislava. Hence round 1 was a blind shuffle and surprise. I think the other players would rather I not poorly sign Carmen while playing, so Stanislava it was. It is not a hugely original build, but taking some inspiration from other games regarding tempo and opportunity cost advantage, it does try to win quickly and efficiently with multiple acting large vamps. It is the same deck that I had taken to the Aus Continentals last year in Sydney funnily enough.
My first round consisted of holding off some of our youngest, but in no ways inexperienced, players from beating me to death with Nos. Our Queen does not like being rushed at all. A quick speed dual ousts allowed me to remove two players in quick succession and then proceed to sweep the table. It is worth noting that my prey in the final was on this table, Daniel S.
My second game was by far some of the best VTES I have played. As half of my Stani build relies upon vote, but not beholden entirely to it, seeing three vote decks and a Brujah baron beat face as my predator was not great. Fortunately, some of my cross tables were willing to discuss options, and what followed was two hours of intense negotiations on just about every action being taken. Trust me in that some may find this to be the most piss boring thing to do, but it was some of the best and most nuanced VTES I have played to this day. Big props to all the players in that round especially Dave S and Ke C. My days highlight was that one Disputed Territory was passed in a 35 to 33 vote, and it wasn’t the vote that I intended to need to pass. It took 14 minutes to pass. Of note that Rich A was in this round.
Random titles are a thing apparently.
My third game was a near blur at this point, one of my mates for a long time was my prey, Matthew O N, and flubbed in his crypt draw for Valkyries. Awkwardly, I also was not able to hit the gas and take advantage of this. IIRC I did end up getting ousted in the last few minutes of the game. Of note that Nathaneal was in this round and would be in the final.
Standings before the final:
1. Richard Aumann 2 GW 8.0 VP
2. Nathaneal Zheng 2 GW 7.5 VP
3. Daniel Spivak 1 GW 6.0 VP
4. Hugh Aldous 1 GW 5.5 VP
5. Justin Evans 1 GW 5.0 VP
The final:
With 1 GW and a few VPs I was able to get into the final table. The final itself was held a few doors down at a hotel bar and lounge, a practice we have done before. Out of the other four players, I knew roughly what three of them were running. My predator was a gentleman named Justin, who had travelled to play. This had me a bit wary, as I cannot predict how they will react or their own tells. Dan S paying a stealth bleed thing was fine, as in my mind he could weaken Nathaneal. This was vital to my position as I would be competing with Nathaneal over titles and knowing his cockroach build of flicking everything that comes his way I would somewhat struggle to land a blow at all. Rich A was playing Banu Haqim, a build which I have tried to get to work since V5 dropped but am still eternally going to struggle with. In my experience it is inconsistent, but Rich had his own spin with Infernal Pursuits. This is another that I needed to keep in check as if Rich was able to drain any of my vamps my game plan would be cooked, but inshallah this unknown (to me) Justin can do something. Turned out Justin was playing some Gangrel Wolfpack, another build I have tried and do quite like. I thought that at least I can judge the person unknowingly while having some idea of the deck being played.
And then my crypt failed me. I drew two Xaviers, and Ingrid and Genevieve. Though there was enough Valley to pump a vamp out, being player one with this put me far behind. Early on Nathaneal and I had an agreement to be closer to the friends end of the frenemies scale, as we both needed to pass votes until adjacent. As people knew I was playing Stanis, seeing Ingrid flipped over as my first vamp raised some eyebrows. It was useful enough to then purchase new crypt and villein them to essentially just a flick bank for Deflection. After another four rounds I was able to get Stanis out, and then the game actually began for me at 3 pool.
A cross table Political Stranglehold and cheeky pool gain let me then bring out Xavier. My thinking was that I needed to pick up my infant son from his babysitter, and either I win quickly or just lose. This turned out to be the correct choice, as it allowed me to oust Dan S, and begin to stabilise.
Justin had continuously bled me for one or two with his tiny Gangrel, but he upset the applecart when blocking a political action by Ingrid, and proceeding to burn them with agg damage.
At about the one and a half hour mark, Nathaneal had their pool going up and down like the stock market, and I was able to sneak an Enkil Cog onto Xavier. Rich was not getting through the Gangrel, and they were starting to run out of gas which tends to happen with the Wolfpack build. I was further able to contest the Double Deuce on my back, and get Jake Washington to take a hit for the team.
The entire game I had been trying to line up negotiations with all the players, really discarding the never negotiating with your prey/predator hypothesis out the window. Akin to the second round, having to navigate the game state while accounting for different motivations is one of the aspects that makes VTES unique in my experience. He even encouraged me to break a deal just made with Justin to not block a parity shift that would target Nathaneal, only to then have it target him. I also had to consider keeping Rich alive as my support for votes had him being targeted by Nathaneal, given that V5 Banu Haqim have not an insignificant number of votes. I didn’t understand why exactly people were accepting and then following through on agreements this late in the game, but who am I to correct them. As one player said to the others, ‘Hugh holds grudges for a long time across games’. I have no idea what they mean.
We are playing for sheep stations at this level, and that would be the third deal I broke that day. I am not sorry.
Then, surprisingly, Xavier was able to sneak through a bleed for two. It landed and Nathaneal was ousted. The entire game changed. I honestly did not expect to be able to get through Nathaneal and their Aksinya build.
However, I was not about to count my eggs hatching and with about twenty minutes left on the clock I held and hoped that my pool would be able to hold the wolves at bay until time. In all fairness I played my turns super quick to allow the other players to attempt to get ousts, only bleeding with Double Deuce to move the Edge to affect game state. All my remaining vamps were sent to torpor. Rich got close to ousting Justin, but time was called.
With that, and a victory tawny supplied by the hotel, I ran off to get my son after thanking everyone. Coming from a quite bad position for a build that relies on action economy and efficient resource use to threaten negotiate its way to not being ousted first was good VTES, and the quality of gameplay was very high.
The event was well managed, and support from both BCP and locals was amazing. The next leg of the Gran Prix will be held in Perth, the other side of our country. I eagerly await to see who can claim the WA title, and how many deals Ben S can break in a day.
Thanks for this report, and thanks to all organisers, sponsors and players!
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