Winning with Enkidu

So here is the deal. Enkidu.

Enkidu, The Noah 11 for ANI CEL OBF POT PRO Gangrel Antitribu 4 Sabbat. Red List: Enkidu can enter combat with any minion as a (D) action. If Enkidu succesfully performs an action to employ a retainer, he untaps at the end of the turn. He cannot have or use equipment. +2 strength


People like to play with Enkidu, he's a monster with some great abilities.
I just went to a tournament and someone played a Enkidu - raptor deck. It was the common theme, get 7 raptors on him and deck players. The player seemed to get the ratios down pretty well (earth melds, psyches, pack alpha, raptor etc) but it only got one VP and ruined a lot of peoples games. It was an interesting deck... but it didn't win.

Then there is the combat machine deck. Enkidu runs around destroying vamps. This also does not win. Will get stealth bled out or something.

I find that Enkidu almost has like a curse on him. But what do that mean? Well, there is the obvious table hate. "Oh its Enkidu, he will ruin my game and then get ousted." Or the obvious, "must save pentex for Enkidu". Or even the simple "well he has no intercept, i'll just bleed/vote oust him".

So what to do? This is a fun vampire to play, he has the disciplines to do many things so how do you make a strong deck with him but try and minimize this table hate. This blog is to get you give some ideas of non-standard Enkidu decks.

Deck 1:

Deck Name: Enkidu and the Pussycats
Created By: Adam Hulse
Description: While most Enkidu decks are about going out and destroying you prey, a wallish deck can be made using Ahrimanes as support. Enkidu could not even come out (if you are being heavily pressured) and the deck will still function fine. Just Bring out Muricia out first is possible.
Couple of things to note:
- Enkidu is Gangrel Anti and can actually become Ahrimane.
- Maria Stone and Enkidu share a lot of disciplines. Something to consider even though she doesnt have Aninalism.
- Sabbat and Ahrimanes hunt tech is strong and focuses on retainers which goes with Enkidu's special

This particular deck focuses on untap abilities.
Ironically, Forced March did not make the cut but Maria Stone and Enkidu share it. A possible different deck?


Crypt: (12 cards, Min: 21, Max: 44, Avg: 7.75)
----------------------------------------------
4 Muricia ANI PRE SPI 7 Ahrimanes
1 Gentha Shale pot spi ANI PRE6 Ahrimanes
1 Effie Lowery obf ANI SPI 5 Ahrimanes
1 Maria Stone (ADV) cel obf pre pro spi FOR5 Ahrimanes
1 Maria Stone cel obf pro FOR5 Gangrel Antitribu
4 Enkidu for ANI CEL OBF POT PRO11 Gangrel Antitribu

Library: (90 cards)
-------------------
Master (17 cards)
2 Wider View
2 Dreams of the Sphinx
4 Blood Doll
2 Villein
1 Smiling Jack, The Anarch
2 Pentex Subversion
1 Sudden Reversal
1 Perfectionist
1 Barrens, The
1 Hungry Coyote, The

Action (17 cards)
1 Aranthebes, The Immortal
2 Muricia`s Call
3 Vulture`s Buffet
4 Engling Fury
2 Sanguine Instruction
2 Abbot
2 Charge of the Buffalo
1 Nose of the Hound

Reaction (18 cards)
7 Speak with Spirits
3 Falcon`s Eye
4 Sense the Savage Way
2 Delaying Tactics
2 Ears of the Hare

Combat (21 cards)
2 Earth Meld
1 Wolf Claws
4 Carrion Crows
3 Immortal Grapple
1 Claws of the Dead
5 Taste of Vitae
2 Aid from Bats
3 Canine Horde

Retainer (7 cards)
4 Raven Spy
1 Mr. Winthrop
1 J. S. Simmons, Esq.
1 Tasha Morgan

Equipment (1 cards)
1 Camera Phone

Event (1 cards)
1 Scourge of the Enochians

Combo (8 cards)
2 Swallowed by the Night
6 Swiftness of the Stag

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Deck 2:

Deck Name: Enkidu for President
Created By: Adam Hulse
Description: Another deck where Enkidu is good to draw but not essential.
Enkidu is a fine contender for Regent I say. Along with certain supporting vamps this can be a Powerful bruise and Vote deck.
Why use Enkidu as supposed to some other built in vamp? Can always cycle the combat out of your hand for one and not need a rush.
Also can take advantage of unique Gangrel Anti cards and Sabbat cards.

Interesting note: Note Aeron's special with Disarm

Since this version uses a lot of big vampires, will use standard acceleration package.



Crypt: (12 cards, Min: 30, Max: 44, Avg: 9.33)
----------------------------------------------
2 Greensleeves for pot ANI OBF7 Nosferatu Antitribu
2 Lukas pre ser ANI OBF POT8 Nosferatu Antitribu
2 Ysador the Foul obt ANI DEM FOR OBF POT10 Nosferatu Antitribu
2 Aeron aus pro ANI OBF POT9 Nosferatu Antitribu
4 Enkidu for ANI CEL OBF POT PRO11 Gangrel Antitribu

Library: (90 cards)
-------------------
Master (26 cards)
2 Wider View
3 Dreams of the Sphinx
3 Information Highway
3 Zillah`s Valley
1 Nosferatu Kingdom
1 Giant`s Blood
3 Regent
1 Barrens, The
6 Villein
1 Black Forest Base
1 Powerbase: Madrid
1 Blood Doll

Action (4 cards)
1 Preternatural Strength
1 Eternal Vigilance
2 Abbot

Action Modifier (20 cards)
4 Animal Magnetism
7 Freak Drive
3 Lost in Crowds
3 Faceless Night
1 Enkil Cog
2 Forgotten Labyrinth

Political Action (16 cards)
1 Rumors of Gehenna
1 Political Stranglehold
1 Templar
7 Kine Resources Contested
3 Banishment
1 Ancient Influence
2 Neonate Breach

Reaction (4 cards)
3 Sense the Savage Way
1 Lost in Translation

Combat (17 cards)
5 Immortal Grapple
4 Undead Strength
3 Disarm
3 Alpha Glint
2 Taste of Vitae

Retainer (1 cards)
1 Mr. Winthrop

Combo (2 cards)
2 Swallowed by the Night

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And for those reading this Blog, just so you don't think I'm talking out of my ass. Here is a tournament winning deck with the same theme.

Monday Mayhem XX
Tampere, Finland
September 6, 2010
18 players

Ville Kaijasaari's Tournament Winning Deck

Deck name; Dorkaa ja karmeeta

(a running joke from our earlier trip to Sweden last year.) Allegedly
the deck was made for the local "bash nights" in Pori, and was cut 20
combat cards or so before arriving to Tampere.

Crypt:[12 vampires] capacity min:4 max:12 average:7.41666
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
3x Enkidu, The Noah           11 for ANI CEL OBF POT PRO  Gangrel Antitribu:4
1x Owain Evans, The Wanderer   8 cel pre AUS DOM FOR      Ventrue Antitribu:3
1x Titus Camille               8 for AUS DOM OBF          Ventrue Antitribu:4
1x Blackhorse Tanner           7 AUS DOM FOR              Ventrue Antitribu:3
1x Edward Neally               7 aus pre DOM FOR          Ventrue Antitribu:3
1x Joseph O'Grady              7 aus cel DOM FOR          Ventrue Antitribu:3
1x Jephta Hester               5 aus DOM FOR              Ventrue Antitribu:4
1x Louis de Maisonneuve        5 aus dom obf FOR          Ventrue Antitribu:4
1x Neighbor John               5 dom for AUS              Ventrue Antitribu:4
1x Katherine Stoddard          4 dom for                  Ventrue Antitribu:3

Library: [90 cards]
--------------------------------
Action:[2]
2x Govern the Unaligned

Actin Modifier:[6]
3x Conditioning
1x Enkil Cog
1x Foreshadowing Destruction
1x Threats

Combat:[40]
4x Hidden Strength
6x Pulled Fangs
2x Resilience
10x Rolling with the Punches
2x Soak
4x Target Vitals
5x Taste of Vitae
3x Trap
4x Weighted Walking Stick

Equipment:[2]
1x Heart of Nizchetus
1x Seal of Veddartha

Master:[17]
1x Archon Investigation
1x Campground Hunting Ground
1x Corporate Hunting Ground
2x Fortitude
1x Giant´s Blood
2x Lilith´s Blessing
8x Villein
1x Yawp Court

Reaction:[23]
6x Deflection
1x Delaying Tactics
1x Eluding the Arms of Morpheus
1x Enhanced Senses
2x Eyes of Argus
1x Forced Vigilance
1x My Enemy´s Enemy
7x On the Qui Vive
1x Redirection
1x Telepathic Misdirection
1x Wake with Evening´s Freshness

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So there may be a lot of table hate concerning our friend Enkidu. Just remember, make all the Methuselah's pay attention to something else, and then let Enkidu flutter on in... and destroy everything. "What do you mean everythi... EVERYTHING!!!! (who knows what movie that quote comes from?)

Adam