NEW YORK CITY VTES LEAGUE RULES (UPDATED for 2013!)
Introduction: So what do you do when you have a small play group, not many tournaments and are trying to make things not stagnant for your players? You start up a league that's what! This is a description of what the New York City VTES league rules will be. Other people are free to use this idea, or hopefully use this idea to spice up this great game in other ways.
Disclaimer: This is not a "official" tournament in terms of VEKN records and rulings. This is an exercise to have fun while being competitive and hopefully to encourage my New York players to try out new decks.
Background: The New York VTES crew is about 8 consistent players and 6 inconsistent players. We play every Wednesday and Friday. It is a good group of people with interesting decks and varying play styles. Okay, enough of this, on to the League!
LEAGUE RULES
The rules are simple.
OVERALL RULES
1) First person to Five Game Wins (GW) wins the league.
2) If someone gets a GW, THAT PERSON Victory Points (VP) in that game are NOT counted.
3) If someone gets VPs but does not get a GW, those points ARE COUNTED.
4) Half points (.5) are not counted.
5) If the is NO game win, then Victory Points (VP) are counted.
6) FIVE Victory Points equal one Game Win
7) In 6 player game (see below), X effects (ex: Conservative Agitation, Parity Shift, Slave Auction) are capped at 5.
8) When a deck has won a Game win (not due to 5VP = 1GW), that deck cannot be played again BY THAT PERSON for the rest of the League.
RULES IN TEST
1) No 3-player league games
2) 4 player - time limit: 1 hour 30 minutes
3) 5 player - time limit: 2 hours
4) 6 player - time limit: 2 hour 30 minutes
5) 1 League game per day per player
Common questions asked in development:
1) Q: Why have a league?
A: To add a bit of competitiveness with some actual prizes.
2) Q: Why only to 5 Game Wins?
A: I want the leagues to be short, to test out some League rules and to get prizes in the hands of the people who play. If someone wins early... okay next League! So far in the first two leagues we have averaged about 4 months, which for me this is just about right.
3) Doesn't the people who go to Wed and Fri games have an advantage?
A: Technically... yes. But the purpose of the League is to encourage people to play. And the person who plays the extra day still needs to win of course.
4) Q: Are you still going to have tournaments?
A: Yes. A smaller tournament is in the works but I want to try and get out of towners to come.
5) Q: What is the prize support?
A: Currently the prize support is 10 packs. In addition, for those who RSVP AND show up (obviously) for a night of gaming will get a bonus random pack. The winner of the league can choose to trade 1-pack for a rare (not-super rare) of my collection.
6) Q: Why allow 6 player games?
A: Because I don't want to penalize people for showing up. RULE: If we have 7 players, 1 person will play two games but can only win on one table (decided randomly and hidden to that player).
Week 1: (12/30/12 - 1/5/13)
ReplyDeleteWed: Adam H. 1 VP Ray R. 1 VP
Fri: Ray R. 1 GW Sonam A. 1 VP
Totals:
Ray R. 1 GW 1 VP
Sonam A. 1 VP
Adam H. 1 VP
[Something NEW- going have the winners (when there is a Game Win) give a brief description of what happened in the game.]
ReplyDeleteSince this was decided after Week 1, I will put Ray's description down here for him as I remember.
Week 1: Description of Game Win
Ray R. -> 1-2 cap anarch vote
Ray L. -> Tremere Anti Toolbox
Sonam A. - Saluot and friends
Adam H. - Anarch Asamaboul Ghoul
Peter K. - Obf Pre Ser with splash of Aus
Ray R -> Ray L. -> Sonam -> Adam -> Peter K
Ray started off stong with 2-3 KRCs hitting Ray and Sonam. Early on also dropped Uncoiling which go rid of my Unmasking. Sonam started strong with Dreams, Zillah's and Heidlberg.
Adam had a slow start and got Corrine Marcon blood stolen via salout. Peter blocked an Army of rats of Adam and Extortion him. Which led to his eventual doom with Sonam's pressure and being unable to bleed to get edge to burn Extortion.
Ray R. was stuck for a little while while Ray L. had an archbishop and was blocking and torporing Ray R little guys. So Ray R. Played the rescue-bleed-for-one game, while Peter whittled away at him with Bleed and Enticement.
Adam tried talking Ray R. into cross-table killing Sonam in exchange for war ghoul rush consistently on Ray L. but to no avail.
Sonam ousted Adam. And Ray R ousted Ray L when Ray L. ran out of wakes.
In the last 3 minutes, Ray R. barely managed to kill Sonam getting the first game win of the League.
Week 2: (1/6/13 - 1/12/13)
ReplyDeleteTuesday - Sam - 1VP
Friday - Selen 1 GW, John W. 1 VP
Selen's Report - [slightly edited]
It was a five player game.
From start to end: Kym, Ray (with the vest), John, Peter and me.
Kym was playing Force of the Will Gangrel deck, Ray had his Tremere anti largish cap bleed for 2 with bonding and keep bouncing with Deflection deck. John was playing a new deck with Matthias being his star vampire. John's deck's main idea was to steal vampires Spirit Marionette and bleed. Peter was playing his serpentis poretian deck with Gangrels.
Peter's plan was to get bleed equipments on vampires and could have been scary but John got going pretty quick and ousted Peter in the first hour.
One memorable moment was John stole Peter's vampire who was anarch (don't remember the name of the vampire) and bled with monkey wrench. Ouch!
Another memorably annoying moment for me was Kym removing Pentex on the same turn that I placed on John's star vampire.
John had amazing hand of Telepatic Misdirections when both Kym and Ray was bleeding.
When Kym's 3 bleed got bounced to me and I was in danger of getting ousted, Ray played a DI which saved my game.
John ran out of his deck.
The game timed out.
Totals:
Ray R. 1 GW 1 VP
Selen 1 GW
Sam 1 VP
Sonam A. 1 VP
Adam H. 1 VP
John W. 1 VP
Week 3: (1/13/13 - 1/19/13)
ReplyDeleteWed - Adam H. - 1 GW, Elan R. - 1 VP
Friday - Kym A. - 1 GW, Selen. - 1VP
Wednesday Tournament Report - Adam
Adam - Theo and Beast and weenie pot
Sam - Istarri multi act
Dan - Gwendolyn bruise bleed
Elan - Ventrue Anti - aus for dom
Ray R - Nos Group 1 with stakes
Adam -> Sam -> Dan -> Elan - Ray R
Started off well for Adam. He brought out Theo and computer hacked. Sam thought he must of had no combat (otherwise would have rushed). Did have combat and torporred Ubende. That left Dan to start bringing out Gwendolyn. Elan started with some governs down and Ray started bringing out guys.
Sam was on the ropes for a while but without intercept on both sides he was able to do a bunch of actions.
Dan started bleeding Elan heavily, elan was not drawing in deflections, he blocked and was quickly torporred.
Adam eventually got Sam. Dan lunged on Elan and missed by 1-2 pool. Which forced elan to lunge on Ray R. and got him by one pool.
Adam then duked it out with Gwendolyn and Crusher, taking a long time to get around all of Dan's maneuvers and dodges. Elan meanwhile built up again.
The funny moment was when Adam's 3 cap inferior pot guy went against mighty Appolonius, but fight was a draw because both could only play torn signpost at inferior and neither was torpored and put to zero blood. The next rush put Appolonius down and dan was eventually ousted. Elan held on for a while, but too much of the fortitude was used early and the extra 6 pool allowed Adam to survive some bleeds. Elan eventually was ousted as well.
Adam H. 1 GW (4Vp) , Elan - 1 VP
-----------
Friday tournament report - (Pending via Kymia A.)
Totals:
Ray R. 1 GW 1 VP
Selen 1 GW 1 VP
Adam H. 1 GW 1 VP
Kymia A - 1 GW
Sam 1 VP
Elan 1 VP
Sonam A. 1 VP
Adam H. 1 GW 1 VP
John W. 1 VP
[Minor Week 3 error - Game was on Tuesday, not Wed)
ReplyDeleteWeek 4: (1/20/13 - 1/26/13)
Wed - Sonam 1 GW
Friday - No game played
Wednesday Tournament Report - Sonam A.
[had to do some edits to get it under the 4096 count]
So, the table was as follows:
Me (Sonam) -Saulot toolbox
Sam -Unnamed Bleed/bloat
Ray Ramos - Francois Villon vote
Kym - Horseshoes with gates + AR
Adam -Ishtarri Tap/stealth bleed
I had a Dreams to get Saulot by turn 3. Adam brought up Ganhuru, I got Saulot, Sam got The unnamed, Ray Francois, and Kym 3 or 4 Potence weenies. Kym dropped a couple of AR's. Everyone but Ray went Anarch, and Sam started bleeding Ray, while Kym poked away at Adam's minions with horseshoes. Adam called off a couple of ARs, mainly for Ray, while I tried to a) figure out what to do about Sam and b)not get ousted by the 4 presence minions. I brought up martin Frankel and Maris Streck. However, Saulot was running low on blood: I had drawn Heidelburg, but no Spirit marionette to refill him. I gave Kym intercept against Adam a couple of times, but meanwhile Sam almost ousted Ray.
So, after the opening, Ray was in dire straits with only one minion, whom he used to steal blood from Sam's vampire ( Arishat I believe) a couple of times. Kym torpored Arishat in anticipation of him being his new predator soon (and to slow down his oust). On the turn when it looked like Sam would oust him next turn, he said he had a Con Ag. He asked whether I could kill Sam if he hurt him for 4. I looked at my hand, and told him honestly that I didn't have the oust in my hand, but I had a bunch of cards I could cycle to try to draw into the oust. I also said that even if I failed to kill Sam, I could probably save his (Ray's) life. So we made a deal that he would hit Sam, and I wouldn't hurt Ray for 2 turns after I got my VP. Kym pinged Adam again, doing a good job of keeping Adam scared. Adam blew up my ivory bow with his Anarch troublemaker, and he contested my Heidelburg. He also dropped Aranthebes on his turn, shutting down Kym's bleed potential.
I cycled with a Dreams, trying to draw a Spirit Marionette to steal Sam's +1 bleed annazir, and secure the oust. Failing to draw one, I used the troublemaker to tap Annazir. I bled with Saulot, and contested Sam's Enkil cog. I finally drew a spirit marionette off the cog, but it was too late, since Annazir was tapped, and there were no untapped +bleeders around. So I bled with maris streck for 2 with the outferior, dropping Sam to 2. Thus, as promised, I save Ray's life, since Sam could only spend 1 pool between all of his costs (contesting cog, his 2 ready infernals).
Sam untapped the unnamed, and rallied a bit, gaining pool. Ray meanwhile "punished" me for failing to oust, by playing Fear of Mehket on Maris and stealing a blood off of Martin Frankel. At this point, I had 3 blood on Maris, 2 blood on Saulot, and Martin was empty. So I could theoretically save Maris... but only if I emptied all my vampires and spent a turn hunting. As Ray had brought himself down to 3 to Fear me... I felt this would give Sam the VP (and likely the GW). So instead I spent off Maris like there was no tomorrow. I woke and bounced with her and (if memory serves) gave Kym an intercept. When my turn rolled around, Enkil cog came back, and I stealth bled Sam down to 1 pool with Saulot. His unnamed was untapped, so I just had to hope that he didn't have the bleed modifier to kill Ray (at 3 pool), so that I could kill him at the end of his minion phase. He indeed didn't have the modifier, so he stayed up and tried to block me, but I had the stealth, so I got a VP.
Ray was at 3 pool, but we were short on time... so the next time around the table, after only 1 of my turns, I bled Ray out with a Enkil bleed. After that, the table timed, since no one was going anywhere in a hurry.
----
Totals:
Sonam A. 1 GW 1 VP
Ray R. 1 GW 1 VP
Selen 1 GW 1 VP
Adam H. 1 GW 1 VP
Kymia A - 1 GW
Sam 1 VP
Elan 1 VP
Adam H. 1 GW 1 VP
John W. 1 VP
WEEK 3 01/18/13
ReplyDeleteKymia A. Tournament Report
[He had over 5000 characters so had to trim it down to 4096]
6 Player Game
Ray Lambert – Theo Bell + Brujah Bruise Bleed
Sonam Adinolf – Aabt Kindred Bloat/Lunge Vote
Kym Alishahi – Cock Robin Deep Song
Peter Kapsalis – Large Cap Toreador Vote
Nick Fofonoff – Small cap vampires with equipment
Selen Turkay – Mid-cap dementation bleed
Early-game everyone got their vampires out without any serious problems Sonam definitely felt Ray’s early dominate bleeds and was in immediate trouble. Peter brought out his Toreador and by turn 4 he gave Nick a dose of presence bleed. Nick’s usual aggressive posture faded away after this at the worst moment possible because it was at that point that Selen, started putting the boots to Ray kindred spirits style. Early-game ended with three players Nick, Ray and Sonam being defensive.
Later, my Enkil Cog allowed me to pressure Sonam into not voting for Peter’s pool damage on Nick for fear of getting his minion backrushed by Cock Robin right after the vote resolved. Meanwhile Peter continued to pressure Nick. Nick saw that Peter’s stealth was costly and not abundant so he elected to keep people up to try and block Peter’s minions. This freed Selen’s kindred spirits to pressure Ray but Ray was able to bounce some of these bleeds to Sonam putting him in an even more precarious position. I hit Peter's main vampire with a Pentex to save Nick and eventually an enkil cog rush by me on Peter's turn put vote lock in the hands of me, Nick and Ray right before Nick’s turn commenced.
I urged Nick to eat Peter’s minion since a rescue would put votelock back in Peter and Sonam’s hands. Peter countered that if Nick did this he would just have me as a stronger predator. Nick wisely asked him for concessions in exchange for not diablerizing his vampire. But Peter and Nick couldn’t come to terms. The transition from mid-game to late-game brought about a virtual collapse of the table as Selen got Ray despite my attempt to save him with a Parity shift. I then ousted Peter and two turns later ousted Nick. (2VP Kym.) In hindsight, a key play by Selen definitely facilitated my 2nd VP as right before the turn I killed Peter she bled Nick backwards once in the hopes of giving him to Peter. Fortunately for me, that didn't happen and I got both of them
It was now Selen -> Sonam -> me. Sonam had vote lock and 5 minions but 4 were Aabbt Kindred which meant no bleeds. Selen could more than make up for that deficiency and to make matters worse Sonam started festivities by calling and passing 2 KRCs putting 6 of the damage on me and two on Selen. Then two Con Boons came which I had no choice but to let him pass which gave him the capacity to weather a turn of Selen’s bleeds.
My pool dangerously low, with two decks that could bloat faster than I could bleed and with my own prey capable of backousting me with bleeds if her cause was lost. I decided upon a strategy of making sure to deny Selen her 2nd VP at all costs. I figured if I could take enough of her guys down while gradually giving ground to Sonam I could prevent another VP from dropping on the table in the time remaining and as a result I would get the Game Win. To ensure this I made sure to leave Selen's pool alone, even as I slaughtered her guys, bleeding only if it would guarantee me the edge. Eventually her pressure on Sonam was gone, freeing him up to lunge at me but true to my calculations the lunge came too late. A minute left Sonam had two KRCs and two Revolutionary Councils to oust me & walk away with 1 VP but I had almost 10 pool, a 12 card hand size thanks to Shahid, a Direct Intervention & the intercept to attempt blocks on two of his votes. These blocks while failing were nevertheless damaging to Sonam's cause as they used up precious time. Sonam passed the 2 KRCs and had me in range of the revolutionary council but he ran out of time
The take away lesson for me here is time. It's very important to know whether the clock is your friend or foe.
Week 5: (1/27/13 - 4/2/13)
ReplyDeleteTuesday - Adam 1 GW Kym 1VP
Friday - No game played
Tuesday Tournament Report - Sonam A.
So, the table was as follows:
Sonam - Hardestat tool box combat (*)
Adam - Group 1-2 Celerity Bruise Bleed
Ray Ramos - Francois Villon vote
Shawn - Harbingers of Skull Wall
Kym - The unnamed bleed deck
*Sonam bravely trying a Hardesdat - Taking the skin: minion deck
So it was Adam -> Ray -> Shawn -> Kym -> Sonam
Everyone's game moved right along. I got out Bianca, Rigby, Sarah Brando. Ray for Francois and wennie guy. Shawn did not get his Mordechai Ben-Nun but got some others. Kym brought out the unnamed and Sonam got out a mid cap and Hardestat.
It started out rough because Shawn played Smiling Jack turn 2 or 3 and it lasted almost the whole game. Ray started out strong and hit shawn with 1-2 votes. Shawn lacking blood dolls had to wall up, which was just as well (being a wall deck). Kym started bleeding Sonam and sonam never drew a deflection at first.
My deck drew well and surprised everyone with the amount of presence bleed. Ray was at 10, but a fame dunk and 2 bleeds for 3 killed him unexpectedly. Sonam was not fairing well either, Smiling Jack and stealth bleed working hard to oust him. Sonam could not even go backwards agaisnt the the unnamed due to the annoying Unleash Hell's Fury.
I made a deal with sonam that he could burn my anarch convert to gain trophies to survive if he sent the first bounce to Shawn, who actually didn't mind because he couldn't get into a fight with the unnamed either.
By now Jack was at 4-5 and I was at a dilemna. I wanted shawn to kill kym, but the only way that was happening was by jack. And when Kym killed Sonam, that 6 pool would help pay for Jack, and then I would be quickly dead afterward. So I had to play a game of "chicken". I needed to not go too forward (bleed of 1 one to get edge from Kym I think) and just get blood by hunting. I had to hold out until Kym, with all his stealth took the actions to get rid of Jack. Whatever actions shawn blocked I made sure to dodge so to make him unable to cycle fortitude.
And that was what happened. Kym killed Sonam and then took remaining actions to get rid of Jack. Stealth versus intercept. Eventually succeeded. Shawn was tapped out and although was a wall deck, I tested the waters with some bleed. He was out of wakes so I ousted Shawn. Then Kym was at low pool with no blood on his guys. His actions were limited. I rushed the unnamed and torpored him. After that I managed to oust him and took the rest of the VPs. Adam 4VP (GW) Kym 1VP
[Fixing some missing information]
ReplyDeleteWeek 5: (1/27/13 - 4/2/13)
Tuesday - Adam 1 GW Kym 1VP
Friday - No game played
Tuesday Tournament Report - Adam H.
So, the table was as follows:
Sonam - Hardestat tool box combat (*)
Adam - Group 1-2 Celerity Bruise Bleed
Ray Ramos - Francois Villon vote
Shawn - Harbingers of Skull Wall
Kym - The unnamed bleed deck
*Sonam bravely trying a Hardesdat - Taking the skin: minion deck
So it was Adam -> Ray -> Shawn -> Kym -> Sonam
Everyone's game moved right along. I got out Bianca, Rigby, Sarah Brando. Ray for Francois and wennie guy. Shawn did not get his Mordechai Ben-Nun but got some others. Kym brought out the unnamed and Sonam got out a mid cap and Hardestat.
It started out rough because Shawn played Smiling Jack turn 2 or 3 and it lasted almost the whole game. Ray started out strong and hit shawn with 1-2 votes. Shawn lacking blood dolls had to wall up, which was just as well (being a wall deck). Kym started bleeding Sonam and sonam never drew a deflection at first.
My deck drew well and surprised everyone with the amount of presence bleed. Ray was at 10, but a fame dunk and 2 bleeds for 3 killed him unexpectedly. Sonam was not fairing well either, Smiling Jack and stealth bleed working hard to oust him. Sonam could not even go backwards agaisnt the the unnamed due to the annoying Unleash Hell's Fury.
I made a deal with sonam that he could burn my anarch convert to gain trophies to survive if he sent the first bounce to Shawn, who actually didn't mind because he couldn't get into a fight with the unnamed either.
By now Jack was at 4-5 and I was at a dilemna. I wanted shawn to kill kym, but the only way that was happening was by jack. And when Kym killed Sonam, that 6 pool would help pay for Jack, and then I would be quickly dead afterward. So I had to play a game of "chicken". I needed to not go too forward (bleed of 1 one to get edge from Kym I think) and just get blood by hunting. I had to hold out until Kym, with all his stealth took the actions to get rid of Jack. Whatever actions shawn blocked I made sure to dodge so to make him unable to cycle fortitude.
And that was what happened. Kym killed Sonam and then took remaining actions to get rid of Jack. Stealth versus intercept. Eventually succeeded. Shawn was tapped out and although was a wall deck, I tested the waters with some bleed. He was out of wakes so I ousted Shawn. Then Kym was at low pool with no blood on his guys. His actions were limited. I rushed the unnamed and torpored him. After that I managed to oust him and took the rest of the VPs. Adam 4VP (GW) Kym 1VP
Totals:
Adam H. 2 GW 1 VP
Sonam A. 1 GW 1 VP
Ray R. 1 GW 1 VP
Selen 1 GW 1 VP
Kymia A - 1 GW
Sam 1 VP
Elan 1 VP
Adam H. 1 GW 1 VP
John W. 1 VP
Week 6: (2/3/13 - 2/9/13)
ReplyDeleteTuesday - Ray R 1 GW Adam 1 VP
Friday - No game due to Storm
Tuesday Tournament Report - Ray R. [Details by Adam H.]
[Adam H.] Ray R. kindly has provided a different type of report where he explains how this deck won. I will add some details of the game itself for reference.
Ray R. - CEL pre Group 1 Sewer Lid
Shawn S. - Nadima Wall
Sonam A. - Leandro w/ Anarch Banishment
Kym A. - Potence Rush starring Nana Baruku
Adam - Group 4 Tzimizce Asasamban Ghouls
Sam N. - Group 2-3 Black Hand Domiate Potence
Shawn S. -> Sonam A. -> Kym A. -> Adam H. -> Sam N. -> Ray R
[Adam H] - The game started very quick with some mash ups. Adam against Kym. Ray against Sam. Shawn against Sonam.
Adam asked me to write about the six person table I won with a pre/CEL sewer lid deck. Maybe it was just Brujah anger that saw it through but I'll share some thoughts I had while playing it.
Firstly, I chose combat as the mechanic. Because you can never win with combat. Or something. The entire deck is some Legal Manipulations (aka classy Bum's Rush) and a boatload of maneuvers, additional strikes, Psyche( cue Mortal Kombat "get over here!"), and every master card is Haven Uncovered.
[Adam H.] After Ray dealt with Sam, these Legal Manipulations put Shawn on the Defensive very quickly.
What defense?
The question I get most frequently is "but what is your bleed defense?" Someone can answer that better than I can. When they get out of torpor. My predator Sam had his vampires pruned down to what I felt was enough for him to defend and bounce but no more.
[Adam H.] Ray's deck was the kryptonite to Sam's close range combat deck.
"But then can't your grand predator can easily get a VP?"
I've got another Haven Uncovered for him too. This game Adam caught a Haven from me for exactly that reason and only got one VP.
"But who will attack your grand predators minion?"
His predator or my predator. Both have the incentive. Of course, they might be dumb, like losing or both. In this case, Adams predator Kym took advantage.
"But then wouldn't your prey get away easily because there's no pressure on him?"
Most people consider losing s minion every turn a fair amount of pressure. Shawn had a fair amount of combat. But against a deck whose sole purpose is to wreck from a distance and press until you are in the dirt it wasn't enough.
"But then your grand prey isn't hit at all, how do you handle that?"
My prey, Shawn, didn't know he was doomed. So he did take action against his prey, Sonam. And another Haven is always a way to make friends.
What makes this style fun to play is mashing vampires into torpor all game long. In This game there was a lot if combat on the table but celerity dictates what kind of combat. A grapple deck with two maneuvers if not enough. Crows or Torn Signpost mean nothing when Psyche makes a new combat. Magnum versus three Sewer Lids is fail sauce.
The cost of this strategy is a heavy reliance on table imbalance. It's your job to unbalance the table in the way that maximizes your chances. This is a topic best written about separately, that involved losing friends and alienating people.
[Adam H] - So this game fell to Ray, who got 3.5Vp, and Adam 1.5vp. (half points removed) which is more then enough for the Game Win. Congrats to Ray R!
Totals:
Adam H. - 2 GW 1 VP
Ray R. - 2 GW 1 VP
Sonam A. - 1 GW 1 VP
Selen T. - 1 GW 1 VP
Kymia A - 1 GW
Sam N. - 1 VP
Elan R. - 1 VP
John W. - 1 VP
Week 7: (2/10/13 - 2/16/13)
ReplyDeleteTuesday - Adam H. 1 GW Sonam 1 VP
Friday - No game. (What's up guys?)
Tuesday Tournament Report - Adam H.
Ray R. - AUS PRE Group 1-2 Toreador
Shawn S. - Mary Anne Blaire
Sonam A. - Aukunase vote
Kym A. - Potence Rush starring Nana Baruku
Adam - Tremere /Tremere Anti Tool Box - a.k.a. BORING...
Ray R -> Shawn -> Sonam -> Kym -> Adam
So the table just kind of fell my way, but the REASONS why I found interesting and would like to report on.
- So my opening hand was Both of my Pentex Subversion, I wanted to put down ponticulus, which I know would put a stymie on Kym Potence combat. So I got out two 4 caps and Pentexed Kym's Potence minion (whom he promptly villein for everything). I fished for a wake off of Ray, which I got, which allowed me to play my Ponticulus. Then I worked on bringing out Uta Kovacs (8 cap).
Meanwhile, the table started falling to me. Kym played 1 anarch revolt and was telling Ray and Shawn to go anarch. Ray who had a 5 cap toreador could of gone anarch, but he basically got 3 bleeds of 5,5, and 3 uncontested against shawn. It was just bad luck really. Shawn went second so he started on Mary Anne Blaire. So that was Ray's first bleed of 5 on his turn 3. On SONAM's turn, he attempted to play No Secrets of the Magajii, which Shawn had to block as all of his actions are at only one stealth. So then Ray got in another bleed of 5 on turn 4. Then Shawn got out Neighbor John. But then Ray Misdirected the good Neighbor and got another bleed in (note that Shawn can't really cycle cards in any of this).
So now Shawn is almost ousted. Because Ray took those action bleeding, he never went anarch. Then Kym dropped two more Anarch (3 total). And i was in the dilemma of whether I vote off Anarch revolts or try to kill Ray. I ended up bleeding Ray, but didn't draw into the oust, and then voted off two of the Anarch Revolts. Ray couldn't oust Shawn. I then ousted Ray, and after a little bit ousted Shawn.
Kym and Sonam tried to work against me, but as time was ticking away, Sonam decided that he had to kill Kym so he could then kill me. (Having Kym kill me splits the table). Kym realized that he is just in a bad situation and was forced to try to go backwards against Sonam (even though it doesn't help him).
Kym eventually died to Akunase vote. And Sonam was unable to kill me before the clock ran out.
Totals:
Adam H. - 3 GW 1 VP
Ray R. - 2 GW 1 VP
Sonam A. - 1 GW 2 VP
Selen T. - 1 GW 1 VP
Kymia A - 1 GW
Sam N. - 1 VP
Elan R. - 1 VP
John W. - 1 VP
Week 8: (2/17/13 - 2/23/13)
ReplyDeleteTuesday: (Two tables)
Table 1: Adam H. 1VP No Game Win
Table 2: Mark A. 1GW Sonam A. 2 Vp
Friday: Cory S. 1 GW [No report]
Shawn S. - Anson Master Votes
Mark A. - Small vampires with light bleed
Sonam A. - Spirit Marioette Dom bleed
Kym A. - Lasombra Black Hand
Matt S. - Gun and Intercept
Tuesday Report By: Mark A. (edited by Adam H.)
Shawn -> Mark -> Sonam -> Kym -> Matt
Sat down at a tabe with Shawn (votes), me (small vampires with light bleed), Sonam (heavy bleed and salubri stealing your vampires and bleeding with them), Kym (large lasombra blackhand bleeder), and Matt (with a weapon and light intercept deck).
Matt didn't have the intercept to catch shawn's stealth votes which were hitting me for 3-7 each round. I used my one and only superior dom vamp to scout down in order to suck blood back and stay alive as long as possible. Meanwhile this gave Sonam free reign to gear up and steal Kym's vampires as soon as they came out. When you bring out a 10 cap only to have him stolen and bleeding you for 6 you know it is a bad day.
Matt tried to get into combat with Shawn but he'd just majesty and untap. Shawn only had 4 votes on the table and another priscus and a prince in the game would have shut him down.
We did have fun when, on the rare occasion that Shawn would bleed me I'd pass it to Sonam who passes it to Kym who passes it to Matt who would pass it back to Sonam as it looked like it might be his or Shawn's game. Kym got ousted before he had much a chance to do anything and Matt wasn't making much headway on Shawn so Sonam just kept the steady pressure on. Most of the game I had single digit pool and every two rounds or so I would hit sonam for 3 just to feel like I was still in the game.
Then came the moment of truth: Shawn was slowing down (only hitting me for 3 a round and was about to Ashur Tablet to get back his groove but Matt played a sudden reversal which obviously saved me. But Sonam knew he had matt next round and when Shawn called a vote to hit me for the usual 3 and Sonam one (Shawn would spread that one point of the KRC around, sometimes to himself). Not wanting to let shawn finish me off, he made a deal that I would do nothing to him for a round and then he Vox Domini the vote. Now it was a whole new game. Sonam took Matt but Shawn couldn't get the cards he needed. That gave me a couple of rounds and I kept tapping out to use my vampires to hit Sonam for about 4 a round as I simply had more minions than he did.
I didn't worry about Shawn as I couldn't stop his votes and half my hand was wakes and deflections. Sonam had no choice but to try and get through Shawn before shawn got the cards he needed, but slow and steady i finally managed to oust Sonam with my bleeds for one.
And the race was on! Would I get rid of my hand of 3 wakes and 4 now useless deflections before shawn managed to draw 2-3 vote cards? Apparently not as I had more minions than he had majesties, giving me the game.
Totals:
Adam H. - 3 GW 2 VP
Ray R. - 2 GW 1 VP
Sonam A. - 1 GW 4 VP
Selen T. - 1 GW 1 VP
Mark A - 1 GW
Cory S. - 1 GW
Kymia A - 1 GW
Sam N. - 1 VP
Elan R. - 1 VP
John W. - 1 VP
Week 9: (2/24/13 - 3/2/13)
ReplyDeleteTuesday: Sonam A. 1 GW, Kym A. 1 VP
Tuesday Report: Sonam A.
Table:
Me (Kyasid Song of Pan Deck)
Kym (Lasombra Black hand toolup/bleed)
Shawn (The latest version of his Personal Involvement deck)
Mark (Ventrue Law Firm Tap n Bleed)
I started off with a great crypt, but a crap hand, with 2 of my 5 Songs in hand. I got out the 8 cap Bishop, while Kym got Appius Claudius Corvus, Shawn Anson, and Mark one of the 7 cap princes. I governed out the 5 cap and started on the 6 cap. Kym got his 5 cap, but no govern. Shawn was having a bit of trouble, since Mark got Venture HQ. Shawn got Rake, mark got Ranjan, I got the 6 cap. Seeing that Kym always had an untapped superior dominate, I bled carefully, for 2s (not using the conditioning I had in hand). Even so, Kym played 5 deflections in 2 or 3 turns, so Shawn was hurting. He finally drew a Parity Shift, which Kym DI'ed. Shawn tried a few more plays including Antedeluvians... but that was killing him first. He eventually got ousted by a combination of Kym and his own masters (though he drew very few). At this point, Mark had 5 minions, as did I (I had governed 3 times and Mark had enchanted/governed 3 or 4 times). Kym bled into mark, and got bounced into me at inherent stealth. I in turn bounced some of Mark. I finally got Kym because Mark had to bounce me back, and I played another bleed hoping he didn't have more bounce. In the endgame, I semi-locked Mark down with Faerie Wards.. and took him.
Week 9: (2/24/13 - 3/2/13) (cont)
ReplyDeleteFriday: Kym A. 1 GW
Friday Report: Kym A.
I got the game win last friday in a 4-player game with me preying on Sonam preying on Nick preying on Peter. I was playing a version of my Tzimisce deck with the intercept cut down from 30 to 20, the combat entirely composed of horrid form/kraken's kiss and some Chiro and Body Arsenal agg poke and with slightly more of the Tzimisce bleed/stealth module. Sonam was playing that Laibon deck with all that hunt tech and Abombwe combat. Nick played his Merril Molitor version of get hogs and throw grenades and 2nd round Tremere agg poke with computer hacks. Peter was playing his protean serpentis wall deck with hatch the viper.
The game was very straightforward. Two dreams in my opening hand let me get guys out fast and I pounced on Sonam in early game with bleeds which he blocked leading to early fighting and torpors which I got the better of due to my combat being more card efficient. Basically if I had a horrid form he could do nothing. Peter got a slow start and by the time he got his first guy out Nick was two minions and 2 tool up action up on him since I had effectively taken Sonam off of him. My plan was to force Sonam on his heels from the get go so he couldn't do anything so Nick could play his game with impunity and Peter would be forced to play backwards.
The key turning point was two events. A turn 5 pentex on Sonam's last standing minion. Peter who was looking at a choice between getting rid of the Pentex or getting down his tool up chose to get his toolup. This was understandable as Nick already had two grenades and burning the Pentex risked him into a fight with me before he was ready. So the table very quickly turned into me vs Sonam and Nick vs Peter.
The second event that was a key turning point was Nick actually getting the better of Peter in key fights. This forced Peter to spend far more blood than he could afford in combat and in rescues. Eventually I got Sonam off the table when I famed his last blocker and torpored him off a bleed action that I blocked which ousted him. At this point Nick lay off Peter who was at 4 pool but I easily stealthed by his blockers. A key bounce of one of Peter's governs helped things and I got Nick ff the table 4 turns after Sonam. In a heads up Peter was unfortunately looking at me having 20 pool and his 3 minions had a total of 5 blood between them with him at 4 pool. Given the right circumstances our decks are matched better but the table position and his situation led to me eventually grinding him down with bruise and blocks.
Overall I feel the decks on the table were the deciding factor. Both my predator and prey were shut down in combat by my key combat card since they relied on agg poke as part of their bruise package. My prey and grand prey had little answer for even the slightest bit of stealth and my predator could get his actions past my intercept package only by spending blood for stealth. On top of all that I was the only person who had a title and the one time I lost a key minion on a torpor trade off my predator couldn't diablerize without losing a key minion. I however could diablerize with impunity which I did early on to my prey's blood dolled minion so he could never get back on his feet.
Totals:
Adam H. - 3 GW 2 VP
Sonam A. - 2 GW 4 VP
Ray R. - 2 GW 1 VP
Kymia A - 2 GW 1 Vp
Selen T. - 1 GW 1 VP
Mark A - 1 GW
Cory S. - 1 GW
Sam N. - 1 VP
Elan R. - 1 VP
John W. - 1 VP
Week 9: (3/3/13 - 3/9/13)
ReplyDeleteTuesday: (Two tables)
Table 1: Ray R. 1VP Adam H. 1VP
Table 2: Timeout
Friday: No league game
Totals:
Adam H. - 3 GW 3 VP
Sonam A. - 2 GW 4 VP
Ray R. - 2 GW 2 VP
Kymia A - 2 GW 1 Vp
Selen T. - 1 GW 1 VP
Mark A - 1 GW
Cory S. - 1 GW
Sam N. - 1 VP
Elan R. - 1 VP
John W. - 1 VP
Week 10: (3/10/13 - 3/16/13)
ReplyDeleteTuesday:
Shawn S. 2VP Adam H. 2 VP (converts to GW)
Friday: No league game
Totals:
Adam H. - 4 GW
Sonam A. - 2 GW 4 VP
Ray R. - 2 GW 2 VP
Kymia A - 2 GW 1 Vp
Selen T. - 1 GW 1 VP
Mark A - 1 GW
Cory S. - 1 GW
Shawn S. - 2VP
Sam N. - 1 VP
Elan R. - 1 VP
John W. - 1 VP
rule 5 should read something like - 1 league game per player per day
ReplyDelete-shawn
Fixed.
ReplyDeleteThere was an error!
ReplyDeleteI miss a VP for Kym in Week 5. Fixed below.
Adam H. - 4 GW
Sonam A. - 2 GW 4 VP
Ray R. - 2 GW 2 VP
Kymia A - 2 GW 2 Vp
Selen T. - 1 GW 1 VP
Mark A - 1 GW
Cory S. - 1 GW
Shawn S. - 2VP
Sam N. - 1 VP
Elan R. - 1 VP
John W. - 1 VP
Sooo.... I won! In our quickest season yet (11 weeks) I managed to grab my final GW. Below is the tournament report.
ReplyDeleteWeek 11: (3/17/13 - 3/23/13)
Tuesday:
Adam H. GW Ray R. 1 VP
Kym A. - Guruhi Anarch Bleed
Ray R. - Brujah Anti, Bruise vote
Mark A. - Assamite Obfucate Bleed and Con Boon
Adam H. - Samedi Bruise Bleed
Kym A -> Ray R. -> Mark A -> Adam H.
So I did not expect to win this one. My deck was the second iteration of an idea I've had for a deck. The first time playing it bombed terribly. I didn't have time to change the deck much, so I just streamlined it from 90 to 70. (Which I guess is a big change). I guess you can just say the table and decks fell in my favor (and even then I was lucky).
I started off well with two Dreams of Sphinx in hand allowing me to bring out The Baron and George quickly. The deck is supposed to only work with two minions so that's good. I see animalism as my Prey (Kym) and super stealth as my pred (Mark). And no rushes in hand. I thought I was as good as dead. So my goal was to cycle as much forward in order to draw rushes to go backwards (which is actually the theme of deck).
The Baron with camera phone and george with Tasha Morgan meant that I was bleeding from 3-5 a turn. I was drawing all my stealth and Kym seemed to have no Animalism Int in hand. Kym also went slow on Ray because he wanted Ray to go again Mark (thinking that I was as good as dead, and Mark was not a much better predator for him).
I was taking a lot of bleeds but managed to stay alive because Mark was taking actions like getting web of knives and con boons. I only managed to get one rush which did end up killing one of Marks Minions.
It really game down the very end. I had a hand of combat and one stealth card (swallowed by the night). Mark didn't kill me and the one stealth was enough to kill Kym.
But now was really in trouble. I had a hand of combat and if I couldn't cycle it, Mark would kill me but I would kill Ray. Ray tapped out for two turns going forward and managed to kill Mark.
In the end game, because I had a combat hand, and his actions were not at stealth, I managed to take the table.
(keep reading below)
FINAL SCORE FOR LEAGUE #3
Totals:
Adam H. - 5 GW
Sonam A. - 2 GW 4 VP
Ray R. - 2 GW 3 VP
Kymia A - 2 GW 2 VP
Selen T. - 1 GW 1 VP
Mark A - 1 GW
Cory S. - 1 GW
Shawn S. - 2VP
Sam N. - 1 VP
Elan R. - 1 VP
John W. - 1 VP
For next League (starting this Friday!) I may have some additional prizes for people. Thanks everyone for playing!
Adam