OFFICIAL VEKN GANGREL ANTITRIBU NEWSLETTER VOLUME 5 NUMBER 5 MAY 2002 In this bank-holiday issue ..... EDITORIAL: May rule-team rulings and the !Gangrel FICTION: Return of the Baron DECK/GAME VARIANT: Duelling decks. EDITORIAL: May rule-team rulings and the !Gangrel One of the changes recently made by the rule team has an effect upon the !Gangrel, namely the decision to make allies who are playing cards "as vampires" take damage from Burst of Sunlight. This means that decks such as the Rafastio ghouls a-go-go, and Shadow Court Satyr decks generally, become a little bit less good; these allies WILL now take a point of aggravated damage when they play Burst of Sunlight. In fact, i'm slightly concerned about the possibility that the change may actually make the Burst-of-Sunlight form of these decks completely inviable, since it appears that the logical extension of this concept is that they will not only take the point of damage but, since they are playing the card as a vampire, they will actually respond to the aggravated damage as a vampire would, in other words by going to torpor. i can't think of a mechanism whereby an ally can be rescued from torpor, so this would be a REALLY bad thing for an SCS/BoS deck. But hey, it just means we have to think up new and entertaining ways to make the Shadow Court Satyr do his tricks, and in fact i'm quite looking forward to dismantling my current SCS decks so's to build a new one based on the fantastic multi-discipline cards from Bloodlines. FICTION: Return of the Baron In the moonlight the Wisteria and Clematis writhe round his arbour: and Baron Samedi sighs as he plucks a lilac blossom, trying to recall the colours of things under sunlight. A ghoul comes out of the mansion and stands patiently with his head bent. "Approach, Andrea, you may speak." "Si, Barone. A gentleman to see you, sir - the Noble Lord the Lord Legbiter." "Show him in, and have the maid set out the tea-things in the orchard." "Si, Barone." .............. "Dear brother, how well you look! But then you always were the snappiest dresser." "How kind you are to say so. And to what do i owe the honour and pleasure of this visit?" "It is time to act. All the preparations have been made, the planets are in a favourable alignment and we must move swiftly. Soon, i fear, our enemies will turn from their infighting to move decisively against us. Is this my cup? Please, give me your wrist." The baron complies, and with terrible swiftness Legbiter draws out an american air-force lock-knife and cuts his friend's wrist. He holds it gently over the teacup and the two old vampires watch as the precious vitae drains into the cup. Eventually Legbiter seals the wound with a kiss, and then drinks the baron's blood. He sits back with a sigh, wiping his beard. "An excellent vintage, thank-you! Now, i have a gift for you." He reaches into his coat and draws out a black velvet bag. The Baron takes it, looks at the contents and nods. "Thank-you, brother. i know what must be done." The two old vampires rise up and embrace tenderly; Legbiter kisses the baron on the cheek, wordlessly shakes his hand, and then leaves. "Andrea! Which car do we have tonight?" "The Silver Ghost sir, and Pietro is the chauffeur." "Have him start the machine, and make sure that the tank is full. i am going out." "But sir, it is almost day." "i will be back. The Astrakhan, i think, and a clean silk scarf, if that can be managed." "Si, Barone." Dawn is indeed breaking as the Rolls eases out of the automatic gates and heads away from the estate, and despite the blackened windows of the car there is a faint scent of burning hair by the time they reach their destination, a drug den in a dangerous part of town. North African men regard the vehicle suspiciously as it draws up just outside. "Pietro, you may leave us. i suggest doing so at a run." "Si, Barone." The chauffeur dashes out of the front seat and reaches top speed just as the hollow BOOM! of the exploding car reaches him. A wave of heat, screams and shrieks and burning fragments of his master and the car, and then somehow he is clear. He dumps his uniform in a skip and catches the bus back towards the mansion. It doesn't actually go there, of course, so he has to walk across the fields where the cowslips and primroses are blooming. In the hanger above the estate he pauses for a while to admire the fresh beech-leaves, both green and copper, and to absorb their pleasing contrast with the fresh bluebells and withered bracken understorey. The master would like this, he thinks, and he plucks a few flowers and stems before making his way down to the mansion. Andrea is waiting for him. "Is it done?" "Yes." A naked woman is coming down the stairs, her flesh like alabaster and her eyes like glossy jet. The two retainers bow. "i will need to be shown to the library and the crypt, this body's memory does not help with their location, nor with your names." "Si, Barone, i mean My Lady. i am Andrea, and this is Pietro, at your service. Will it please the noble lady to walk this way?" She looks down at her body and traces out the curvature of breast and thigh. "Perhaps a gown, first. The Brides of Legbiter may be asked about the aesthetics of it, but nothing too modern, please." Once dressed, Carlotta proceeds to the library where she finds a book. They descend to the crypt, and many nameless rites later a body rises stiffly from its coffin. It is the Baron. Carlotta extends her hand and the Baron takes something from it, which glows briefly in the dusty gloom. "Andrea! A summer suit this time, i think, and a straw hat. My cane, of course. Pietro, take this draft and look into the purchase of a new car, a Bentley if you choose, British Racing Green if at all possible. O, Bluebells, bracken and beech, how simply splendid! Thank-you so much dear boy, i think we will view the flowers in the snake-garden later." "Si, Barone". *********************************** DECK/GAME VARIANT: Duelling decks. DECK: "Sure Genius is to Madness Near Allied" CREATED BY: Legbiter CONCEPT AND COMMENTS: Marshall MacCrombie has had a big folder of my spare old jyhad cards in his shop [Southsea models] for quite a while and he has been selling them for me, but recently it became apparent that no-one wanted to buy them any more, so to save space in his shop i took the remainder home. i must say i was quite surprised to find how much good stuff was left - fistfuls of Embraces, Psyches and Aching Beauties being amongst the cards still in the folder. And last night i used the residue that not even i can find a constructed-deck use for to build two duelling decks, since Michael was busy playing solo Battlefleet Gothic and declined to join us at cards. i've already talked about our duelling rules, but briefly to recap they are as follows: Both players use the same library and crypt. Having determined who starts, each player in turn draws their hand and opening uncontrolled region. Thereafter, play proceeds as normal. Bleed bounce is deliberately left out, clan hosers deliberately go in, and the best decks are dual-clan decks where the clans have the majority of their disciplines in common - eg Brujah/Toreador and Malkavian/Tremere. i built one of each but last night it was the Malkavian/Tremere deck that we used and we had two fine games [both of which i won - in fact, i haven't lost a game of VTES since the second round at Watford last Sunday]. Here's the deck, not that it really matters - and i recommend this approach to duellers, it's really much better fun than trying to play decks constructed for multi-player fun in duels. CRYPT [28 vampires] Dollface Zebulon Didi Meyers Sabine Lafitte Ozmo Thomas Thorne Merill Molitor Normal Roland Bishop Gilbert Duane Sarah Cobbler Lydia Van Cuelen Aleph Mariel, lady Thunder Jing Wei Roxanne, Rectrix of the 13th floor Cassandra - Magus Prime Syvester Simms Justine, Elder of Dallas Dr Jest Lazarus Astrid Thomas Cardano Dr John Casey Lucian Ulugh Beg - The Watcher Smudge - The Ignored Ignatius LIBRARY [103 cards] MASTER [32] Academic HG Ascendance x 2 Asylum HG Auspex The Barrens Blood Doll x 2 Chantry Dominate Effective Management Elder library Game of Malkav Haven uncovered x 2 Illegal Search and Seizure Letter from Vienna Malkavian Dementia Malkavian Prank Masquerade Endangered Metro Underground Minion Tap x 2 Misdirection Powerbase: Chicago Protracted investment The Rack Short-term investment Thaumaturgy Unnatural Disaster Vast Wealth Vulnerability DISCIPLINELESS [33] Archon Arson x 2 Bastard Sword Boxed In x 2 Bum's Rush x 2 Chainsaw Computer Hacking x 2 Dead End Alley Deer Rifle Dodge Domain Challenge Fake Out Flak jacket Flame Thrower Hawg IR Goggles Grenade Mob Connections Muddled Vampire Hunter Outcase mage Parity Shift Saturday night Special Sawed-off Shotgun Submachine Gun Trap x 2 Thadius Zho (Mage) Zip Gun x 2 AUSPEX [15] Aura Reading x 4 Enhanced Senses x 2 Fast Reaction x 2 Pulse of the Canaille Read intentions x 2 The Spirit's Touch x 2 Telepathic Counter x 2 DOMINATE [8] Bonding x 2 Govern the Unaligned x 2 Seduction x 2 Threats x 2 OBFUSCATE [5] Cloak the Gathering Disguised Weapon Hidden Lurker Vanish from Mind's Eye x 2 THAUMATURGY [10] Blood Fury x 2 Blood Rage x 2 Cauldron of Blood x 2 Cryptic Mission x 2 Movement of the Mind Walk of Flame ********************* And that's it for May! i wish you all the very best of the season and i will certainly be sparing a thought, as i'm sure will ALL Northern Hemisphere methuselahs, for our brethren enduring the Southern Hemisphere autumn/early winter, as i [and we] play with the nymphs [and/or satyrs, depending upon gender and individual preference] upon the flowery sward. In fact, i'll even tell you what the thought will be ..... HAHAHA SURE SUCKS TO BE YOU!!!!!!! ;-)