Written by Keith Lee, National Coordinator of Singapore:
On August 1st and 2nd, 2026, a team of four volunteers from the VTES community ran a demonstration table at Tablecon Quest, the largest dedicated tabletop gaming convention in Singapore. Two months of work had gone into preparing for this event, and the results exceeded our expectations. Here follows a brief report of the event, for the benefit of others planning to demo VTES to a wider audience.
Our goals
- Introduce as many people as possible to VTES and the World of Darkness.
- Focus on creating an engaging experience as opposed to a focus on rules and mechanics.
- Leave a strong positive impression of the game within the span of a 30–45-minute demo.
- Encourage demo participants to join our local community channels/chat group, for continuity.
Preparations
A couple of months before the convention, we began looking into the best ways for us to enter the event. The cost of a full exhibition booth was of course prohibitive for a team of volunteers, so we instead felt it best to rent one of the tables that the event was offering in their Demo Area. In the end however, we had the good fortune to receive support from HammerHouse, a local game store and the Asian regional distributor for VTES. As they themselves were planning to exhibit at the event, not only did they sponsor the costs for our demo table, but we were able to place the table within their large booth, benefitting from their presence as a much more well-known entity in the local tabletop scene.
With the largest cost out of the way for us, we turned our attention to the following prep work, which took the remainder of the two months we had before the event:
- Creating and testing five beginner-friendly decks, featuring five of the iconic clans.
- Ensuring all cards used had the latest text and were V5 or Print on Demand cards.
- Deciding on a sculpted opening hand for each deck, starting ready vampires, and table seating.
- Printing banners, flyers, standees, and t-shirts – Artwork courtesy of BCP, thank you!
- Printing playmats with player aids included – Designed by the Australian VTES community.
- Preparing promo cards as an incentive for participants to join our local channels/chat group.
- Preparing a waiting list in case of large crowds.
Sculpted demos
To ensure a mostly predictable opening round where the bulk of explaining the rules would take place, we decided on a fixed opening hand for each deck, consisting of at least one of each type of card (Master, Action, Modifier, Reaction, Combat), and 1-2 ready vampires with a total capacity of 8 already in the ready region. In addition, to keep demos swift and to let the participants have a good chance at experiencing an oust, each player’s pool was set at 15 (we later further lowered this to 12 upon review). Also, we determined an optimal seating for each deck to prevent any one player from too easily overpowering another or creating a negative play experience by removing the player’s agency.
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The results
Over the course of the two days, spanning 20 hours of convention time, we ran a total of 16 rounds of demos, for a total of 42 people. Out of these, we had 25 signups for our local group chat, and are already planning follow-up sessions to introduce these players to the full game, in the hope of converting them into long-term players of VTES. While these numbers may be modest for a convention, we ultimately feel that the event was a great success, considering our small team and single table.
Key observations
- The majority of participants had positive reactions to the game.
- Presentation was crucial – People were drawn to the banners and overall table setup.
- A waiting list is important, both for managing crowds and also combining smaller groups.
- Groups of friends were the best targets – the existing rivalries and relationships within the group made for the most enjoyable experiences and the most unexpected interactions.
- The most successful demo games had 3-4 participants, with 2 volunteers guiding them along.
- Short game introductions and quick explanations of game mechanics were crucial in maintaining participants’ interest. By quickly getting into the first round, and giving them advice on good first-round options, we kept participants invested.
- People with knowledge of popular trading card games were the easiest to demo to, as they could grasp game mechanics faster.
- People who played the Vampire: The Masquerade RPG, or who were aware of the broader V:tM lore, were easy to onboard too, as they understood some of the vampire politics and terms used.
- Thematic Clan cards and beautiful vampire artwork really helped players’ interest.
- Drawing parallels with other mainstream TCGs such as Magic helped many players to grasp certain concepts in VTES (e.g. “Govern the Unaligned at superior is something like a Dark Ritual”).
- Associating particular card types with each phase of the game helped break down the rules into smaller chunks (e.g. “In your Master Phase, only look at cards labelled Master in your hand”).
- Many participants got frustrated trying to understand long card texts, and we smoothed it over by giving them the gist of the card (e.g. “KRC is basically distributing 4 points of pool damage among 2 or more players")
- Combat was the largest stumbling block – Many struggled to grasp combat; they also often assumed that bleeding was combat, and tried to play combat cards like action modifiers. Combat should be kept simple in demos to prevent overloading players, and not explain every combat step unless they had cards to be played in those steps.
- Giving out promo cards was a great incentive to get signups to our VTES messaging groups to continue engagement – Everybody loves freebies.
Notable words from participants
- “This game is really fun, and it’s 30 years old?! How did I never come to know about it??”
- “We were drawn to your table over the other games because the banners look really nice.”
- “The table interaction is very unique, the political element of the game.”
- “The mechanics and cards are really aligned with V:TM lore, I can feel the same atmosphere.”
- “If you hit me with that vote, I’m taking you down with me!”
- “Oh wow, it’s a really affordable game! Especially with no booster packs! I can buy a deck just to try it out.”
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Demo decks design
The demo decks used were from a broader collection of “Rookie decks” that we had earlier designed and tested extensively. These “Rookie decks” came from a desire to have on-hand a number of rookie-friendly decks that newer players could borrow and enjoy playing during our regular game nights. The decks were exciting and clan-specific to establish theme, and allowed anyone who knew the broader Vampire: The Masquerade lore to find and identify with any one particular clan.
Furthermore, the “Rookie decks” should not need too much handholding in understanding what they do, while also helping players learn the different aspects of the game. Finally, we wanted the deck-lists to be easily replicated by newer players buying from BCP and/or print-on-demand only, so that they would not have to scrounge for older cards in the secondary market.
Thus, the demo decks were built with these goals in mind:
1. The decks were clan-specific, focused on their in-clan disciplines, and had to showcase what a typical deck of that clan does well. They should be of mainline clans that would be familiar to players who are aware of V:tM lore.
2. The decks had to be simple and clear in their game strategies, without using esoteric card combinations or niche card interactions that newer players would be overwhelmed.
3. The decks had to use cards that are easy to parse and their usage obvious.
4. The decks had to be robust enough to survive and maybe win, when played at a table with typical non-demo decks.
5. The decks should not skew too hard in any one aspect, and had to participate at least somewhat meaningfully at most major parts of the game
6. The decks are limited only to cards that are actively in print, i.e. V5 cards, plus print-on-demand cards.
Demo decks overview
1. Camarilla Malkavian Stealth Bleed: Typical OBF DOM V5 stealth bleed archetype. Actions were Governs, Dominate Kine, Conceal and KRC. Pool gain was Governs, bleed defence was Deflections, vote defence was inherent titles and Malkavian Rider Clause. Combat was just Target Vitals. This was the most straightforward deck that we directed the participant with least experience with card games or the Vampire lore to.
2. Anarch Gangrel Thing & Block: A well-known PRO-focused V5 Gangrel archetype with weenies. Actions were Thing, Rewilding, and bleeds boosted by equipment/retainers. Pool gain was Thing, bleed defence was Bait & Switch, vote defence was inherent titles, intercept was Org Resist, Protection Racket and Eyes of the Wild. Combat was Claws, Donnybrook and Earth Meld. This deck showed what heavier intercept and swarm-based decks could do.
3. Camarilla Ventrue Multi-act: G5/6 titled Ventrue archetype that could multi-act with Freak Drive. Actions were Governs, Dominate Kine, Fifth Tradition, KRC and Consang Boon. Pool gain was Governs, Consang Boon and Voter Cap. Vote defence was inherent titles, intercept was Second Tradition. Combat was Majesty and Rolling with the Punches. This was the most complicated deck among the four, the participant playing it needed extensive guidance. But it also showcased most clearly the political aspect of VTES and hence could not be swapped out.
4. Camarilla Lasombra Prince Toolbox: G6 Lasombra prince archetype that could do a little of everything. Actions were Governs, Dominate Kine and Umbrous Clutch. Pool gain was Governs. Vote defence was inherent titles, intercept was Second Tradition and Truth in Darkness. Combat was the most involved of the four, with Torn Signpost, Immortal Grapple and Shadow Shift. This was the most combat heavy deck, so it needed guidance in handling combat phases.
Acknowledgements
- Hugh Angseesing & Black Chantry Productions – Thank you for the support with the collaterals.
- Gerentt – Demos, Playtesting, Logistics, Event Prep
- Fauzi – Demos, Playtesting, Public Relations
- Zen – Playtesting, Event Prep
- Nono – Public Relations, Promotion
- HammerHouse Singapore – Special thank you for the overall event support.
Signing off,
Keith – NC Singapore
Greetings fellow Methuselahs,
Welcome to this newsletter. As has become custom, we start off with an art and card preview. Chave de Braço ("armlock") is a card from the upcoming Noites Brasileiras set, in stores in October. The illustration is by Carlos Diaz, truly great stuff, check out more of his work on his Instagram @shogunkamyu
South American Championship coming up
Welcome to the SAC 2026! The tournament will be played at Utopia Games & Food in Brasilia, Brazil on October 10. A special full art version of Luana do Lago is awarded to all participants. More information is in the VEKN Event Calendar.
The schedule for EC 2026 is ready!
There are only a couple of weeks left now until the largest (?) VTES event of the year, the European Championship in Vilnius, Lithuania. The main event is on weekend, but the "Week of Nightmares" tournaments run daily September 14-17, and new for this year is that the Friday event is a full-fledged three-round Grand Prix tournament! And not only that: all five finalists from Friday automatically qualifiy for EC Day 2 AND the winner qualifies for a seat at the Grand Prix final played on Saturday night! Keep up to date with the latest news on the official EC website.
Heimo Wurzer wins Grand Prix Vienna 2026!
74 players from 16 countries attended this event in Austria on July 18.
Read the full report: Grand Prix Vienna 2026
Joey Theriot wins Grand Prix Biloxi/Gulfport 2026!
This tournament was played with 19 attendees in Gulfport, Mississippi on August 8.
Read the full report: Grand Prix Biloxi/Gulfport 2026
Vladislav Ignatenko is the 2026 champion of Russia!
This tournament was played in Saint Petersburg on August 1 with 16 players.
Read the full report: Russia National Championship 2026
Meet the VEKN: Alexandre Bustros, National Coordinator of Canada
Firstly: BIG thanks to all who volunteer for the VEKN! Without your work this organisation would not function, so we will try to put the spotlight on you, for example in the newsletter.
Hello Alexandre! Let's take it from the beginning: When did you start playing VTES?
I started playing in 1994 ... The first game I played was awful because I was playing with a starter deck which was, back then, a mostly incompatible mix of cards. After a while we all had enough cards to build some playable decks. I had a Malk and a Gangrel deck.
In the first month that my playgroup and I were introduced to the game, we had to figure out the rules without access to the web because in the 90s there was no internet like there is now. There was a typo in the Auspex card Read Intentions; the text was "Dodge" instead of "Strike: Dodge". We assumed that it was free dodge, one that does not require a strike. I remember a game in which Ozmo was in combat against Masika equipped with a Flamethrower. Masika played Blur and Ozmo managed to dodge 3 times with 3 Read Intentions! Epic game :)
I have to admit that, to me, this game is partly nostalgia, partly strategy. I like to play with the old cards from the 90s and early 2000s. In a tournament another player was playing Basilia and Wynn, I had a lot of respect for that - it made my day!
What do you like most about the game?
I like playing the game. It’s challenging! The World of Darkness was a great fictional universe to build a card game on. Aside from that, I think it’s a very balanced game. There is no perfect combo; you always have a flaw. I also enjoy the "full hand" mechanism that makes you redraw when you play a card. Also the multiplayer predator/prey aspect of the game is just well thought out. It's a great game design. And I also have to mention that I like the endless deck-building possibilities of this game.
Do you have an all-time favourite deck?
That’s a tough question. I like to try random mechanics! I still like to play Gangrel and Malkavian both old school and V5. When I want to win, I like to play the new V5 decks. My current favourite is the new Tzimisce with Dominate, Protean and War Ghoul (War Ghoul is a discipline, right?) Aside from that, I have to admit that I like to play Blood Brothers, even if it’s not an easy play. I also built a !Salubri deck as a bet and I enjoy playing it more than I thought.
Anything else you have cooking in the deck workshop right now?
I am trying to build a deck with the new Gilbert Duane and Magnums. I thought after all these years it would be nice if he could have a more functional weapon than a water pistol.
Do you think you have a special style of playing?
I see deck building as a part of the game. I enjoy making decks with an original twist, something that you do not normally see at a table. It’s my pleasure to build decks where I can surprise other players with an unexpected card. That being said, when I want to be more competitive, I like to play tap and bleed.
You are the newly appointed National Coordinator – congratulations on this honourable assignment! What do you currently do, and plan to do, to spread VTES in your country?
I organized the 2024 Canadian National Championship in Montreal and I was happily surprised that 24 players showed up for the event. From then on I realized that there was a lot of interest in the local playgroup.
This year has been a great year for VTES in Canada: there were TWO tournaments on the same day! One in the west in Calgary and one in the east in Montréal. The game is gaining momentum in the Great White North! I hope we have more tournaments in the years to come.
It would be fun to have more Canadian cities organize official tournaments. Perhaps one day we could have a Canadian coast to coast Grand Prix event with an online final.
That sounds like an excellent idea Alexandre, good luck with making that happen, and with everything as the National Coordinator.
We urge all National Coordinators who could endure being interviewed for the newsletter to contact the editor at . If they are too shy to speak up, we perhaps need to talk to Princes instead! :)
Reminder: New Archon and Judges’ Guide
As presented last month, there is a new Archon and also a new VEKN Tournament Conduct & Infraction Guide. Check them out! Because of this, we continue our little article series...
Rule reminder: How to act as a spectator
Sure, VTES is a rather relaxed game with not much but glory at stake, but still: it is a competitive game. At big tournaments, people might have traveled a long way to attend and enjoy their time. So as a spectator, you are generally to keep quiet. Even if you don't understand it yourself, what you say can affect the game, maybe by reminding a player of something, or by distracting or disturbing.
The relevant section in the Tournament Rules is “2.4. Spectator Responsibilities”: "A spectator of a game is defined as any person other than a judge or an organizer who is not playing in that game. A player who is ousted from a game is considered a spectator for the remainder of the round. All spectators are expected to remain silent during the course of a game and are not permitted to communicate with players in any way while a game is in progress. Spectators who believe that they have observed rules violations should inform a judge, but they must not interfere with the game. Players have the right to request that any spectator not observe their game. All such requests must be made through a judge, who may grant or deny the request as he or she sees fit. The judge or organizer may choose to prohibit all spectators at any table(s) or round(s) of the tournament."
The fresh Judges guide states in section 1.1.4 that "Disqualification may also apply to non-players (spectators, staff, etc.) whose behavior compromises the event."
And also in section 3.2 about outside assistance: "A player, spectator, or other tournament participant commits Outside Assistance if, after a game has started, they provide or receive strategic, tactical, or hidden information input that could influence decisions in an ongoing game, or if they reference pre-prepared strategic materials while the round is in progress." That section then goes on with philosophy, examples and guidelines for penalties.
This can of course mean tricky calls for judges, so please help them out by not creating these situations. Please respect these rules and your co-players!
Recruitment exercise: Tablecon Quest 2026, Singapore
On August 1-2, four volunteers ran a demonstration table at Tablecon Quest, the largest dedicated tabletop gaming convention in Singapore. This was a very well-planned and documented event - we highly recommend anyone interested in organising demo games to read the full report from Keith Lim, National Coordinator of Singapore. Goals, preparations, deck designs, key observations, all you need, it's all in there. Great job!
Do you want to help recruit players? Send an email to to see if you can get help with materials!
Reminder: The VEKN Newsletter Contribution Award promo card
To encourage newsletter contributors to send in material on time, a special award card has been produced. This first one is a version of Malkavian Rider Clause, unique with a yellow symbol in the right-side corner.
This card will be printed in very limited numbers, maybe about 50-100 per year. It will be awarded to a) tournament organisers of events at Continental, National or Grand Prix level who e-mail their tournament reports to the editor within 7 days of the event, and b) other contributors of material that has been agreed on with the editor. So no point in sending in random stuff before asking first! Cards will be awarded at the earliest convenient opportunity, maybe at a Continental tournament, otherwise sent to you by registered mail.
We hope this will help motivate volunteers that are already doing heroic deeds for VTES!
Reminder: Please 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. But list 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
Black Chantry Summary: August 2026
• News on print-on-demand: One new art version of Rexton “Savage” Abernathy (for everybody) and two National Championship promos (for organisers of such tournaments) have been made available at Gamepod.es, and Drivethrucards soon too.
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• The full content lists for Noites Brasileiras and Secrets of New York are now up on their respective product pages at Blackchantry.com, as is all of the so far revealed cards. Thanks to all the 20 (!) different content creators that have been helping out with the previews. Note that if you have a special interest in the card artwork and the artists, the Black Chantry account on Instagram is worth a check!
• The second round of playtesting of two preconstructed decks for a 2-player variant of VTES started on August 24. The design team is looking forward to the test feedback!
• Design of "Anthology II" and New Blood packs for the four Sabbat paths continues.
• Want to know more about future releases? Dates are a bit off, but the product roadmap article at Blackchantry.com is still relevant.
• The following Black Chantry products are currently 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)
Path of Caine (Also Spanish, French)
Path of Cathari (Also Spanish, French)
Path of Death and the Soul (Also Spanish, French)
Path of Power and the Inner Voice (Also Spanish, French)
New Blood: Ravnos (Also Spanish, French, Brazilian Portuguese)
New Blood: Salubri (Also Spanish, French, Brazilian Portuguese)
New Blood: Tzimisce (Also Spanish, French, Brazilian Portuguese)
Noites Brasileiras (Also Spanish, French, Brazilian Portuguese) (Upcoming)
Secrets of New York (Also Spanish, French) (Upcoming)
Do you have opinions about 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
As this is being written, the first round of alpha playtesting of a new edition of Vampire: The Masquerade has just concluded. The results haven't been analysed fully yet, but there was a Dev Diary by Creative Director Jess Lanzillo published on August 24. The most VTES-relevant aspects (like change of clan disciplines AGAIN) is not in focus. Some key things:
• The point of releasing such a rough Alpha was deliberately experimental — throw a lot of new mechanics out to see what sticks and what players reject, rather than designing from the team's own assumptions about what Vampire fans want.
• "Maturing" disciplines seem to be a hit. Pairing them with Blood Surge, which lets you push a power to its next tier at a cost, creates a satisfying choice-and-consequence dynamic, and it reduces cognitive load by letting build-focused players invest early in something while still using the power in the meantime.
• The "Drama" metacurrency seems to be a miss, as it breaks immersion and the game already has dread-generating systems.
An Alpha 2.0 round of playtesting is promised to start sometime in September!
Looking for more World of Darkness in your channel of choice? Check out the Linktree!
Calendar
Major events coming up:
September 5: Grand Prix Sydney, Australia
September 18: Grand Prix Vilnius 2026, Lithuania
September 19: European Championship 2026, Vilnius, Lithuania
October Date TBD: Grand Prix New Orleans, USA
November 7: National Championship Sweden, Stockholm
November 28: National Championship Germany, Herne
December 13: Grand Prix Cearense, Brazil
Tournaments for the coming month (registered at the time of writing) are in:
Australia
Brazil x8
Chile
Czech Republic
Finland
Hungary
Italy x3
Lithuania x8
Poland
Serbia
South Africa
Spain x5
USA x3
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 the contact forms at VEKN.net. Also follow the official VTES Facebook page Vampire: The Eternal Struggle, the official VEKN X account @VEKN_VTES and the official VTES Discord server.
When there is no enemy within, the enemies outside cannot hurt you.
New Blood is a collection of 54-card preconstructed decks for introductory games of Vampire: The Eternal Struggle. These decks are simpler than tournament level decks, but showcase all the basic mechanics of the game. They are balanced, for a fun and exciting first try of Vampire: The Eternal Struggle. Some of the cards included are reprints and some are new for this set, all ready to mix with cards from other sets.
To make Vampire: The Eternal Struggle more accessible to new players, Black Chantry will make these introductory decks available to retailers at a reduced price compared to our other products.
Contents are detailed below. The number before each card is the number of copies of that card in the pack.
CRYPT (6 cards)
2 Máddji, Mistress of Szlachtas (NEW)
1 Saankaláxt (NEW)
1 Neserian
1 Clara Hjortshøj
1 Whisper
LIBRARY (48 cards)
2 Blood Doll
1 Charisma
1 Club Illusion
1 Fame
1 Fleshforge Chamber (NEW)
1 Piper
1 Perfectionist
4 Govern the Unaligned
1 Far Mastery
1 The Vozhd of Gravesend (NEW)
1 The Vozhd of Juiz de Fora (NEW)
1 The Vozhd of Szczecin (NEW)
1 Vagabond Mystic
1 Unlicensed Taxicab
1 Femur of Toomler
1 Crypt’s Sons
2 Szlachta Bodyguard (NEW)
4 Szlachta Assistant (NEW)
2 Beast Meld
2 Earth Control
2 Rapid Change
2 Obedient Flesh
3 Form of the Bat
2 Form of Mist
2 Sculpt the Flesh
2 Deflection
1 One with the Land
1 Redirection
3 Sense the Savage Way
PREVIEWS:
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| The Vozhd of Szczecin. Art by Krasen Maximov. |
Preview art for Maddji, Mistress of Szlachtas by Ginés Quiñonero. |
Maddji, Mistress of Szlachtas. Art by Ginés Quiñonero. |
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| The Vozhd of Juiz de Fora. Art by Peter Scholtz. |
Fleshforge Chamber. Art by Konrad Waściński. |
Preview art by Pablo D Hidalgo for Szlachta Bodyguard. |
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| Szlachta Bodyguard. Art by Pablo D Hidalgo. |
Szlachta Assistant. Art by Felipe Headley. |
The Vozhd of Gravesend. Art by Ginés Quiñonero. |
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| Saankalaxt. Art by Sol Devia. |
Copyright © 2026 Paradox Interactive AB. www.paradoxinteractive.com. All rights reserved. Vampire: The Eternal Struggle and Vampire: The Masquerade® are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Paradox Interactive AB. All rights reserved.
Greetings fellow Methuselahs,
Welcome to this newsletter, and welcome to the reveal of the names of the two upcoming 54-card expansion sets: "Noites Brasileiras" and "Secrets of New York". Below you can see the pack fronts and two card previews, with art by the great Krzysztof Bieniawski and Uncle Frank, respectively.
Note also the set symbols. For Noites Brasileiras it is a stylised jaguar paw mixed with the map of Brazil, and for Shadows of New York the torch from the Statue of Liberty.
Both will hit the store shelves in October. Spoiler season will follow, so keep an eye on Black Chantry's social media channels and site. Exciting times!
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Reminder: Register for EC 2026 before August 31!
If you are going to the European Championship in Vilnius in September, PLEASE register before August 31. It helps the organisation a lot! Register at vtes.lt/
Also, pick your t-shirt and "swagbag" before August 10 at vtes.lt/swagbag-choices/
Bram Van Stappen wins Grand Prix Helsinki 2026!
This tournament took place with 48 Methuselahs at the Ropecon game convention in Helsinki, Finland, on July 25.
Read the full report: Grand Prix Helsinki 2026
Jeroen van Oort is the 2026 champion of Belgium!
25 players turned up at Spelfanaat in Mechelen for this event on July 19.
Read the full report: Belgium National Championship 2026
Nick Miller wins Grand Prix Brisbane 2026!
This event took place on July 18 with 17 players.
Read the full report: Grand Prix Brisbane 2026
Walbert Ibarra wins GP2 2026 in Chile!
14 participants braved the winter cold to get to the Tablecat store in Rancagua and battle this one out.
Read the full report: GP2 2026
Tournament Rules update August 2026 preview
The section below will be added to the upcoming new version of the VEKN Tournament Rules for Vampire: The Eternal Struggle, effective when it is published on VEKN.net.
*****
3.2.a Expectations for Sufficient Randomisation
Players are responsible for ensuring that their decks are sufficiently randomised before presenting them to their predator or tournament official for additional shuffling or cutting.
A deck is considered sufficiently randomised when no player can reasonably predict the position or distribution of any card or group of cards.
- Accepted Shuffling Methods: Randomisation must be achieved through genuine shuffling techniques, such as riffle shuffling, sleeve mash shuffling, or other methods that interleave cards in an unpredictable manner. Simple cuts, overhand shuffles, or similar techniques are generally insufficient on their own.
Definitions of Shuffling Methods
- Riffle Shuffle: The deck is divided into two approximately equal halves, which are then interleaved by releasing small groups of cards from each half in an unpredictable manner. This is one of the most effective methods of randomisation.
- Sleeve Mash Shuffle: A variation of the riffle shuffle commonly used with sleeved cards. The deck is split into two halves, and the corners or edges of the sleeves are gently pushed together so that the cards interleave without bending them. When performed correctly, it provides randomisation comparable to a riffle shuffle.
- Overhand Shuffle: Small packets of cards are repeatedly transferred from one hand to the other. By itself, this method provides only limited randomisation and should not be relied on as the sole means of shuffling a deck.
- Cut: The deck is divided into two or more sections, which are then reassembled in a different order. A cut changes only the position of groups of cards and does not randomise the deck.
Unacceptable Sole Shuffling Methods
- Pile Shuffling: Cards are dealt one at a time into a fixed number of piles before the piles are reassembled. This method is useful for counting the deck but does not produce meaningful randomisation on its own and must always be followed by genuine randomised shuffling.
- Card Weaving: Intentionally arranging cards into a pattern before shuffling (for example, distributing reaction cards every few cards, alternating library card types, or spacing out multiple copies of the same card) is permitted only if subsequent randomised shuffling completely destroys that pattern.
In any case, if the original arrangement can still influence the final card distribution, the deck has not been sufficiently randomised.
*****
Commentary by Henrik Klippström:
Rule reminder: Randomise your deck
We hereby start an article series in which we highlight a rule to remember each time. Maybe this first one is common sense for most of you, but not for all: Your deck needs to be sufficiently randomised. That means no player should know the order of the cards in any deck.
First, the VTES rulebook says this in the Game Setup section: “Shuffle both decks and allow your predator to cut both.”
That's simple – if only everyone could agree on what "shuffle" actually means.
The relevant section in the Tournament Rules is “3.2. Pre-Game Procedure”:
“The following steps must be performed in order before each game begins.
- Players shuffle their decks.
- Players present their decks to their predators for additional shuffling and cutting, if desired.
- Each player draws seven cards from his or her library and four cards from his or her crypt.
All shuffling must be done so that the faces of the cards cannot be seen. Regardless of the method used to shuffle, players' decks must be sufficiently randomised. Each time players shuffle their decks (before the game or during the game), they must present their decks to their predator for additional shuffling and/or cutting. At the judge's discretion, players may request to have a judge shuffle their cards rather than pass that duty to their predators. By presenting their decks to their predators, players state that their decks are sufficiently randomised.
After decks are presented and accepted, players who do not consider their opponents' decks to be sufficiently randomised must notify a judge. The head judge has final authority regarding whether a deck has been sufficiently randomised.
Once predators have the opportunity to shuffle and/or cut players' decks, the cards are returned to their original owners. If the predator has shuffled the player's deck, that player may make one final cut.”
The problem here is also the definition. What is “sufficiently randomised”? This is what the new section "3.2.a Expectations for Sufficient Randomisation" describes.
Many players use pile shuffling – this is when you place cards into different piles one by one. Pile shuffling is NOT randomisation. Sure, you can do pile shuffling to spread out cards and card types, but that means you are in control, so pile shuffling requires other, non-reversible randomisation afterwards.
There are two common ways of shuffling that randomise a deck: riffle shuffling and mash shuffling. Riffle shuffling is hard with sleeved cards, and you risk bending the cards alarmingly. It also tends to show card fronts – in VTES players are not allowed to show or see cards, as the rules section above states: "All shuffling must be done so that the faces of the cards cannot be seen." That means that neither your opponents nor yourself should see the card fronts during the shuffling.
So mash shuffling is recommended. But how much shuffling needs to be done? An old rule of thumb is seven mashes – that’s not a rule, but a recommendation, and something many players seem to be content with as “sufficient”.
This video by MTG player Brian Fediuk is good: it shows proper mash shuffling and explains why other ways are bad.
If you don’t sufficiently randomise your deck at a tournament, and this is brought to the attention of a judge, you will receive a warning or be penalised with a disqualification if the judge determines you cheated. This is not something anyone wants to happen, so start shuffling properly!
New Archon app for tournament management
After an extensive development and testing period, the new Archon is now officially live and ready for all VTES tournaments. This major update brings a modern, faster, and more reliable tournament management platform, with numerous new features for players, princes, national coordinators, judges, and organizers alike.
What's new in Archon
Big new capabilities
- Works offline: run a whole event with no internet; syncs when you reconnect.
- Live multi-device: organizers and players all see updates in real time.
- Event features: several rounds in parallel, an open rounds mode, a live table timer, and a Call a Judge button.
- Discord bot: set up channels, register, check in, report scores, and call a judge from Discord.
- Community hub: resource links shared by players, curated by NCs — plus an officials directory for each country.
- Linked accounts on Discord: distinguish VEKN members, and get the Playtest/Prince/NC roles in Discord automatically.
- Promo inventory management: National Coordinators and princes can track, manage, and distribute promotional cards directly through Archon.
- 5 languages (EN, FR, ES, PT-BR, IT) and an installable phone app. Mobile-first layout.
More new features
- Hall of Fame, country filters in the player rankings page.
- Includes the new Standings Adjustment penalty.
- Decklists shown right in the app.
- Smarter seating: staggered odd counts (6, 7, 11…) and named table rooms.
- Raffle / prize draws.
- Payment tracking per player.
- Excel import from the classic Archon Excel files.
- Calendar feeds (iCal) for upcoming tournaments: geo-filtered and customizable.
- Sign in with a passkey, magic link (email), or Discord.
- Shareable results image to post after an event.
- Special flag to mark members as deceased.
- Suspended members are now removed from the rankings and Hall of Fame.
New Judges’ Guide
Along with the new Archon comes a new Judges' Guide that is far more precise, covers cases that used to be left entirely to judge discretion, and better separates "human error" from "bad faith," with fairer mechanisms to avoid ruining entire games over minor mistakes.
Here's a summary of the most important improvements in the modern guide (2026) compared to the 2004 version:
1. New intermediate penalty: "Standings Adjustment"
Replaces the old "Game Loss." Instead of causing the loss of the entire game, it applies a surgical -1 VP, without distorting the dynamics of the multiplayer table. It includes detailed rules on how it affects Game Wins and Tournament Points depending on when it's applied.
2. More gradual penalty escalation
Before: Caution → Warning → Game Loss → DQ (4 steps).
Now: Warning → Warning → Standings Adjustment → Standings Adjustment → DQ, giving more room before reaching disqualification.
3. Full new section on "assessing intent" (1.2.7)
Recognizes that VTES is a political game where suboptimal or sacrificial plays can be legitimate. It gives clear principles for not confusing a bad play with cheating (stalling vs. slow play, collusion vs. political cooperation, etc.).
4. Much more detailed game-state correction procedures
The old version gave only three generic examples. The new one formally distinguishes between full rollback, simple rollback, and partial correction, with precise rules on when to use each and how to handle hidden/random information.
5. Much stricter handling of in-game disqualifications
New extensive section on what happens to the game state after a DQ: adjusting table positions, prohibiting awarding VP as if an "oust" had occurred, restarting the table in extreme cases, etc.
6. Regulated time extensions (1.2.4)
Detailed system with scales based on the duration of the judge's intervention (previously discretionary and vague).
7. Entirely new infractions, including:
- Outside Assistance (external coaching)
- Failure to Maintain Game State (not reporting a visible opponent's error)
- Obscuring Game State (messy table setup that hinders reading public information)
- Public Information Miscommunication
- Rage-Quitting
- Failure to Play to Win (with a clear hierarchy: win the table > maximize VP > survive for 0.5 VP)
- Health & Safety Disruption
- Theft of Tournament Material
- Bribery and Wagering (now explicitly includes betting)
8. Much more nuanced unsportsmanlike conduct
Moves from 3 generic levels (Minor/Major/Severe) to specific categories: Minor, Major (with an extensive list covering harassment, discrimination, non-consensual photos, etc.), Aggressive Behaviour (physical violence), with concrete protocols such as what to do if someone flips the table.
9. The "Proxy Player" role
New formal mechanism for when a judge must fill a vacant seat, with rules on neutrality, random deck selection, and not accumulating points.
10. "Force Majeure" section
Entirely new: protocols for fires, power outages, weather emergencies, or hostile venue staff, including how to score the tournament if it must be terminated mid-event.
11. Reporting to the VEKN Ethics Committee
Formalizes the obligation to report certain serious infractions (fraud, collusion, cheating, harassment) to a specific disciplinary committee, which didn't exist in 2004.
You find the new guide here: VEKN Tournament Conduct & Infraction Guide, and also in the new Archon.
Introducing: The VEKN Newsletter Contribution Award promo card
To encourage newsletter contributors to send in material on time, a special award card has been produced. This first one is a version of Malkavian Rider Clause, unique with a yellow symbol in the right side corner.
This card will be printed in very limited numbers; maybe about 50-100 per year. It will be awarded to a) tournament organisers of events at Continental, National or Grand Prix level who e-mail their tournament reports to the editor within 7 days of the event, and b) other contributors of material that is beforehand agreed with the editor. So no point in sending in random stuff! Cards will be awarded at the earliest convenient opportunity, maybe at a Continental tournament, otherwise sent to you by registered mail.
We hope this will help motivate volunteers that are already doing heroic deeds for VTES!
Reminder: Please 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. But list 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
Black Chantry Summary: July 2026
• Brujah antitribu Legacy Single cards are now available on both Gamepod.es and Drivethrucards.com - check out the announcement at Blackchantry.com!
• 11 new full art 2026-2027 league promos are up on both Gamepod and Drivethrucards, available to VEKN National Coordinators.
• As mentioned at the top of this newsletter, the two Brazil- and New York-themed 54-card sets now have set symbols and names: "Noites Brasileiras" and "Secrets of New York". Final proofing is done and printing is scheduled for September. The release date is sometime in October. Product pages at Blackchantry.com will be up soon up and spoilers will follow!
• The first round of playtesting of two preconstructed decks for a 2-player variant of VTES ends on August 9. If you are a playtester, please give your feedback!
• Of course, the Black Chantry design team is very aware of the Vampire: The Masquerade "V6" edition open playtest. But remember that this is a test, and we do not yet know which of the proposed changes will stick for the actual new edition. It will be a while until things are clear enough to base any future VTES design on.
• A draft of the "Anthology II" reprint set is circulating internally at Black Chantry. We'll see how big this set will be: it may have to be split into more than one product.
• Design of New Blood packs for the four Sabbat paths continues.
• Want to know more about future releases? Dates are a bit off, but the product roadmap article at Blackchantry.com is still relevant.
• The following Black Chantry products are currently 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)
Path of Caine (Also Spanish, French)
Path of Cathari (Also Spanish, French)
Path of Death and the Soul (Also Spanish, French)
Path of Power and the Inner Voice (Also Spanish, French)
New Blood: Ravnos (Also Spanish, French, Brazilian Portuguese)
New Blood: Salubri (Also Spanish, French, Brazilian Portuguese)
New Blood: Tzimisce (Also Spanish, French, Brazilian Portuguese)
Noites Brasileiras (Also Spanish, French, Brazilian Portuguese) (Upcoming)
Shadows of New York (Also Spanish, French) (Upcoming)
Do you have opinions about 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
An open playtest of a new edition of Vampire: The Masquerade was launched at Gen Con! Get the playtest material at Demiplane or Drivethrugames. Read more at the World of Darkness site. Some of the proposed changes have surprised many (removal of the Protean discipline, no mention of Hecata, the return of the Giovanni clan, the new disciplines Corruption and Tellurgy, etc.). Naturally, the Black Chantry design team is in touch with the VTM developers and follows what happens closely. Keep in mind that a playtest is just that – a test – and there's no telling yet which of the proposed changes will make it into the finished edition. It will take some time before the picture is clear enough to build any future VTES design around it.
Related: White Wolf's VTM Dev Diary #1 is available in both text and video form.
Looking for more World of Darkness in your channel of choice? Check out the Linktree!
Calendar
Major events coming up:
August 1: National Championship Russia, St Petersburg
August 8: Grand Prix Biloxi/Gulfport, USA
August 29: National Championship UK, Nottingham
September 5: Grand Prix Sydney, Australia
September 18: Grand Prix Vilnius 2026, Lithuania
September 19: European Championship 2026, Vilnius, Lithuania
October Date TBD: Grand Prix New Orleans, USA
November 28: National Championship Germany, Herne
December 13: Grand Prix Cearense, Brazil
Tournaments for the coming month (registered at the time of writing) are in:
Australia
Brazil x9
Denmark
Finland x3
Italy
Mexico
Online x4
Poland
Portugal
Russia
Slovakia
South Africa
Spain x3
Sweden
UK
USA x3
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 the contact forms at VEKN.net. Also follow the official VTES Facebook page Vampire: The Eternal Struggle, the official VEKN X account @VEKN_VTES and the official VTES Discord server.
Everything is a conspiracy if you don't know how anything works.
New Blood is a collection of 54-card preconstructed decks for introductory games of Vampire: The Eternal Struggle. These decks are simpler than tournament level decks, but showcase all the basic mechanics of the game. They are balanced, for a fun and exciting first try of Vampire: The Eternal Struggle. Some of the cards included are reprints and some are new for this set, all ready to mix with cards from other sets.
To make Vampire: The Eternal Struggle more accessible to new players, Black Chantry will make these introductory decks available to retailers at a reduced price compared to our other products.
Contents are detailed below. The number before each card is the number of copies of that card in the pack.
CRYPT (6 cards)
1 Djeneba (NEW)
1 Abaddon
1 Barachiel (NEW)
1 Malachi
1 Sakhar
1 Opikun
LIBRARY (48 cards)
1 Golconda: Inner Peace
1 Guardian Angel
1 Sight Beyond Sight (NEW ART)
1 Tension in the Ranks
1 Vast Wealth
2 Vessel
3 Feast of the Soul’s Secrets
4 Hunting the Beast (NEW)
3 Touch of Valeren
4 Righteous Blade (NEW)
1 Dawn Operation
4 Freak Drive
4 Angel’s Gift (NEW)
2 Anticipation (NEW)
2 Taste of Vitae
2 Telepathic Tracking
3 Tranquility Shield (NEW)
3 Eyes of Argus
2 Forced Vigilance
2 My Enemy’s Enemy
2 Redirection
PREVIEWS:
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| Anticiption. Art by Raquel Cornejo | Angel’s Gift. Art by Ginés Quiñonero. |
Hunting the Beast. Art by Francisco Tébar. |
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| Preview art by Francisco Tébar for Hunting the Beast. |
Preview art by Pablo D Hidalgo for Righteous Blade. |
Righteous Blade. Art by Pablo D Hidalgo. |
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| Barachiel. Art by Ginés Quiñonero. | Preview art by Paolo Puggioni for Sight Beyond Sight. |
Sight Beyond Sight. Art by Paolo Puggioni. |
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| Djeneba. Art by Noora Hirvonen | Tranquility Shield. Art by Mark Kelly. |
Copyright © 2026 Paradox Interactive AB. www.paradoxinteractive.com. All rights reserved. Vampire: The Eternal Struggle and Vampire: The Masquerade® are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Paradox Interactive AB. All rights reserved.
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