Gangrel Antitribu Newsletter

OFFICIAL VEKN GANGREL-ANTITRIBU NEWSLETTER VOLUME 7 NUMBER 12 DECEMBER 2004


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In this tinsel-and-balls-bedecked goodwill-to-all-mankind issue
.........
CHRISTMAS CRACKERS: Legbiter's pick of the seasonal games.
DECK: Don't F*** With The Gangrel, by Jován Pavlovic
LETTER TO THE EDITOR AND DECK: Second Amendment by Ankur Gupta.
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CHRISTMAS CRACKERS: Legbiter's pick of the seasonal games.

Christmas comes but once a year, and when it comes it brings Good
Cheer. Plus hangovers, constipation, and the Overwhelming Need to
brutally slay all your relatives. At this festive season, therefore,
you NEED to be able to withdraw into the harmless world of Gaming where
the Slaying Thang does not attract the Wrath of the State so much. So
here are Legbiter's top games of 2004, which you may either get for
yourself or acquire for relatives.

1. Neverwinter Nights. Available for the PC and on Mac if you have
system X, this is a stunningly good game with tremendous graphics and a
LOT of humour and replay value. i am still on the basic game [Antsul
Chopsalotapepl, 11th level LG Dwarf fighter takes a cautious bow here]
but there are two expansions - Hordes of the Underdark and Shadows of
Undrentide IIRC, both of which we have. This qualifies as a 2004 game
because that's the year i discovered it, and thanks to Reyda for the
tip [Reyda is a professional game reviewer as well as a top-class VTES
player and all-round Good Guy, so if you want to know the real dirt on
any given game drop him an email, is my advice]. Note that you should
shed any prejudices you may have about electronic D&D when you think
about NW Nights - this is *NOTHING* like the rather dim and clunky
Baldur's gate and its sequels. If it is like anything then Diablo II is
the closest i can think of. In at least some ways it is better than
Diablo II.

2. Betrayal at House on the Hill. This is a board game in the tiles
tradition [think Zombies!!!, When Darkness Comes] and similar to those
games it is inspired by the pulp/B-movie tradition. While WDC is a
terrific game, i think some legitimate criticism can be levelled at
Zombies!!! for its inordinate slowness in >3-player mode and its
failure [IMO] to be true to the Zombie movie genre [by which i mean
that IMO you ought to become a zombie when you get killed in the game,
rather than going back to the Town Square]. No such criticism can be
made of BAHOTH, which is a truly exhilarating and reverential romp
through the world of crappy and not-so-crappy horror. Of special note
is the basic mechanic which has all the players as heroes at the start,
one of them randomly becoming the Bad Guy once a given threshhold has
been reached in the game, at which point the "Plot" [game winning
conditions for both Bad Guy and remaining heroes] is revealed.
Absolutely tip-top fun, you really, REALLY want this game.

3. Call of Cthulhu CCG from Fantasy Flight. This is a duel game but has
some multi-player potential including a rudimentary predator-prey
mechanic which might stop it degenerating into Kill the Leader [i have
never played the multi-player version, but the rules are online and
they look ok]. Excellent artwork, plays quite well, good atmosphere are
its good points; heavily overpowered rares, execrable flavour text
[except on Thrill Killer - incredibly, there are *NO* quotes from HP
Lovecraft on ANY of the cards] and magic bullet solutions to
card-overpower are the downsides.

4. Pirates of the Spanish Main from Wizkids. This is a collectible card
game with a difference; the plasticated cards are kits with which to
make ships. You get big ships and little ones, and there are three
factions; the British [including, at this epoch, what is now the NE
USA], Spanish [including what is now Spanish-speaking South America]
and the Pirates. This is the cheapest game i am recommending this
Christmas [roughly 7 USD/Euros per pack, about 5 GBP, and you only need
1 pack per player really] and a great stocking-filler, very
visually-pleasing and easy to learn and play.

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DECK: Don't F*** With The Gangrel, by Jován Pavlovic

This deck was played by Jován Pavlovic from Budapest in Hungary at
this year's EC's side event, Silence of Death, a 20-ish player
tournament.  He got 4 game wins from 4 games with it. Containing as it
does 3 copies of Wren and 1 each of the Black Spiral Buddy and Campsite
HG it obviously deserves a spot in this newsletter, and should gladden
the hearts of all old Rage players with its concentration on werewolf
wonderfulness.

Deck Name: Don't F*** With The Gangrel

3 Wren
3 Chandler Hungerford
3 Bear Paw
3 Mirembe Kabbada

Master: 19

2 Ecoterrorist
2 Charisma
4 Blood Doll
1 Campground H.G.
1 Zoo H.G.
1 Fame
1 KRCG
1 Backways
2 Feral Spirit
3 Haven Uncovered
1 Sudden Reversal

Action: 6

3 Form Of Corruption
3 Enticement

Action Modifier: 7

4 Earth Control
3 Rapid Change

Reaction: 10

2 Delaying Tactics
2 Pack Tactics
3 Guard Dogs
1 Speak With Spirits
2 Instinctive Reaction

Equipment: 6

3 Laptop Computer
3 Meat Hook

Combat: 16

4 Earth Meld
4 Form of Mist
4 Lucky Blow
3 Concealed Weapon
1 Claws of the Dead

Ally: 11

1 Werewolf Pack
1 Black Spiral Buddy
2 Cry Wolf
2 High Top
4 Renegade Garou
1 Vagabond Mystic

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LETTER TO THE EDITOR AND DECK: Second Amendment by Ankur Gupta.

Hey,

I have recently been playing the following deck which has done quite
well in the games I've played here, sweeping a table, winning another, and
tying a third. I'm sending it to you in case you'd like to include it
in the newsletter. Anyway, thanks for the great newsletters!

Ankur Gupta
Prince of West Lafayette, IN

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Deck Name : Second Amendment
Author : Ankur Gupta
Description : Scattered Desert Eagle with Marbly Flesh for the WIN!
Swap a Nimble Feet for a Sideslip in a tournament, maybe. Find room for a
Shadow of the Beast.

Crypt [12 vampires] Capacity min: 3 max: 8 average: 5.75
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2x Ellen Fence, the T     8  CEL OBF PRO aus          bishop !Gangrel:2
2x Darrel Boyce, Cons     6  CEL OBF PRO                     !Gangrel:2
2x Skryta Zyleta          5  CEL obf pot pro                 !Gangrel:3
1x Hrothulf               8  CEL FOR PRE dom pot pro         Ventrue:3
1x Zachary                7  CEL OBF PRO for pre             !Gangrel:2
1x Steve Booth            5  CEL pot pre pro                 Brujah:3
1x Scarlet Carson O'T     4  CEL pro                         !Gangrel:3
1x Wren                   4  cel obf pro                     !Gangrel:2
1x Sarah Brando           3  CEL                             !Brujah:2


Library [90 cards]
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Action [18]
2x Arson
2x Bum's Rush
7x Flurry of Action
4x Games of Instinct
2x Harass
1x Sacrificial Lamb

Action Modifier [5]
5x Cloak the Gathering

Ally [1]
1x Mylan Horseed (Goblin)

Combat [41]
4x Acrobatics
2x Concealed Weapon
2x Disguised Weapon
7x Flesh of Marble
2x Magazine
4x Nimble Feet
6x Psyche!
6x Scattershot
4x Taste of Vitae
4x Trap

Equipment [8]
6x Desert Eagle
2x Laptop Computer

Event [1]
1x Dragonbound

Master [15]
6x Blood Doll
1x Campground Hunting Ground
1x Capitalist
2x Fame
1x Hungry Coyote, The
1x Tension in the Ranks
2x Twisted Forest
1x Vast Wealth

Retainer [1]
1x J. S. Simmons, Esq.

Editor's note for non-Americans: the Second Amendment to the United
States of America's Consitution is something about guns, i believe.

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And that's it for 2004! Around the Christmas tree at Legbiter Hall the
Massed Ranks of the Gangrel Antitribu are busy getting Seriously
Stottered. The Black Spiral Buddy is curled up in its new Christmas
basket Dreaming of Slaughter and Incest, blissfully unaware that the
Shadow Court Satyr has tied its tail and tongue together while it
slept. Tiny Tim [who did NOT die, on account of becoming a vampire] is
stomping around on his little withered leg, and all of us are thinking
warm thoughts about all of you. Caine Bless us, every one, and see you
in 2005!

Address for correspondence: chopsalotapepl"at"yahoo"dot"co"dot"uk, or
possibly yahoo"dot"com if that does not work.  ?