This is not a Ravnos Newsletter! v.2
FVicentini
Finally the Terms are over and more time available to spend on V:TES
So i found some time to create a new Newsletter after all (even tho
its already well into february). As always, feel free to send comments
or suggestions to my E-mail: felix_v...@gmx.net.
This Newsletter will focus on some of the remaining Cards from Lords
of the Night i failed to include in the last one , some more Minions
and another Deck, so lets begin:
Mirror's Visage
Type: Action Modifier
Requires: Chimerstry
Cost: 1 blood
[chi] Only usable when this acting vampire is blocked (play before
combat, if any). Untap this vampire and end the action. This vampire
cannot act again this turn.
[CHI]+2 stealth if this is an undirected action, otherwise +1 stealth.
Ill be frank: not a good card in my oppinion. The basic version is a
bad Red Herring, and the superior gives you the same as many other
Chimestry cards , but without the Combat side-benefit that makes Cards
like Occlusion or Mirror Image shine. Granted , the +2 stealth on
undirected is something Chimestry was missing until now, but its still
not enough to get your Mass Reality over the critical Second Tradition
border. So , you can run one or two of these in your Deck , but
generally , youd be better off with false resonance , mirror image or
occlusion.
Sympathetic Agony
Type: Combat
Requires: Chimerstry & Fortitude
[chi][for] For the remainder of combat, when any damage is
successfully inflicted on this vampire in a round, the opposing minion
becomes unable to use presses that round.
[CHI][FOR] As above, and if any damage is successfully inflicted on
this vampire in a round, the opposing minion becomes unable to use any
additional strikes that round.
This Card just makes me ask: Why run this when i can have Strike:
Combat Ends or good Preventers with a single of those disciplines? So
again i fail to see any use here. Might be good against celerity gun
decks , but there again , a Mirror Image would be better.....or a Skin
of Steel. Please , send me your ideas regarding that card , maybe im
overlooking something.
Mantle of the Moon
Type: Action Modifier
Requires: Ravnos
Cost: 4 blood
Only usable as the action is announced.
This action is unblockable.
A slightly worse version of the infamous horrific contenaunce, Mantle
of the moon is a horribly expensive Card. First: unless your prey has
ABSOLUTLY no Auspex or Dominate , dont use this card on a bleed.
theres nothing worse then ousting your grandprey with and unblockable
bleed, and you spending 4 blood on it. And with all the other stealth
options available (Rom Gypsy , Fortune teller , the allmighty Mirror
Image and Occlusion , and so on.....) you should rarely be in need of
this Card. One exeption exists although: Mata Hari, equipt with an
Ankara Citadel. 2 blood is a much more reasonable cost and being
unblockable on actions like concert tour or warghoul recruitin is
actually rather nice. In all other cases the bloodcost is just too
staggering.
Talith
Type: Equipment
Requires: Ravnos
Melee weapon.
Strength+1 damage each strike. A Ravnos may use this weapon to strike:
destroy weapon with first strike instead.
Short Answer: its a melee weapon.
Long answer: Melee weapons in general are one of the weakest concepts
in V:TES at the Moment, with zero to non accses to defy Strike: combat
ends , dodges or preventers. (and none of these methods are playable
with the Ravnos). I also predict that unless your Meta is highly
unusually, the only weapons you will ever want to destroy are long
range guns, and since the Talith does not work on long range , and the
average celerity deck easily outmaneuvering us you wont have the
opportunity to make good of that ability. So save your precious
actions and dont play the Talith.
Shattering
Type: Action
Requires: anarch Chimerstry/Dementation/Protean
Cost: 1 blood
Requires an anarch.
[chi] +1 stealth action. (D) Look at another Methuselah's hand and
discard a card from it.
[dem] +2 stealth action. Burn an event (undirected, no matter who
controls the event).
[pro] (D) Inflict 2 unpreventable damage on a ready minion.
A very nice card , similar to basic revelation at the Chimestry
level , but it can target any methusala, to bad its restricted to
Anarchs....But if your running a Ravnos Anarch Deck (which is an
entirely solid concept by the way) It can never hurt to remove some of
your preys blook or bounce capacities before bleeding for lots. basic
Cgimestry is very easy to come by even with breeded tumnimos after
all. And since several of the new Ravnos also have dementation, Ally
decks that have been poisoning your life can be put back on theire
place with a timely burned unmasking.
Well thats it with the New Toys Lords of the Night has provided to us,
so here are several more illusionists worth of notice:
Kiradin
Clan: Ravnos (group 4)
Capacity: 8
Disciplines: CHI DEM FOR ani pot
Independent: Once each round, Kiradin may burn a blood to get an
additional strike.
Another Vampire with CHI DEM , so the basics i outlined with Ganesh in
the last Newsletter also apply to her, (and the artworks nice)
however ,the higher poolcost might force you to find a way to use her
to her full potential , which in my oppinion lies with Mass Reality.
Apart from imposing Phantasmn Kiradin is the only Additional Strike
source for Ravnos, so giving her a Zipgun with a Mass Reality in play
will result in 6 total damage (not bad for only using permanents). She
has fortitude , so she could possibly Multirush or create a Mass
Reality and Rush (recoup lost blood with taste of vitae). Strength
enhancing Permanents like Depravity or Preternatural Strength also go
well with her (and if your Meta is full of S:CE , theres always
immortal grappel with her pot).
Durga Syn
Clan: Ravnos (group 4)
Capacity: 9
Disciplines: CHI OBF THA ani aus dom for
Independent: Durga Syn may steal equipment with first strike as a
strike that costs 1 blood. She does not tap when blocking allies or
vampires with capacity less than 5.
At first look she looks solid enough , but her odd combination of
disciplines prevent her from teaming up very well with other Ravnos,
She can block a little with her CHI ani aus , but this disciplines are
hardly ideal to generate lots of intercept , so her special will not
gain you much unless your swarmed with a weenie computer hacking deck.
Her equipment stealing is nice , but the Ravnos can do cheaper (and
better) in this area with fleejing the gaje or Alexis Sorokins
special. So , at the moment for me shes a no-go. If i could just make
up something solid with OBF CHI THA.....
Genina, The Red Poet
Clan: Samedi (group 3)
Capacity: 8
Disciplines: CHI OBF THN aus cel for
Independent. Red List: If a blood hunt is successfully called on
Genina, she goes to torpor instead of being burned. Genina gets +1
stealth on diablerie actions and on undirected actions.
What, a Samedi? well , nobody would want to miss Genina now would
they? Her Chimestry and Obfuscate go well with Mata Hari and Alexis
Sorokin , the stealth special can be usefull , and diablerys never
hurt you no more. If you center your Deck on her and Mata Hari , you
can even use several Samedi toys like Houngan (which is awesome
bloodgain) and the regenerative blood, and still use Chimestry with
all your Vampires. So this Red List is an excelent addition to our
Ravnos.
So , this is it with Vampires for the moment, heres a Deck i build on
scratch: Its jet in testing phase, but it might have some potential.
Tripple Redlist for Tripple Fun:
__________________________________________________________________________
Crypt:
2*
Alexis Sorokin
Clan: Ravnos (group 4)
Capacity: 8
Disciplines: CEL CHI OBF PRO for
Independent. Red List: Once each combat, Alexis may dodge as a strike.
She may steal an equipment card as a (D) action. She gets +1 bleed
when bleeding a Methuselah who controls a ready Toreador.
3*
Mata Hari
Clan: Ravnos (group 4)
Capacity: 7
Disciplines: CHI OBF aus for qui
Independent. Red List: Mata Hari has 2 votes (titled). You and she may
play cards that require a sect and/or clan as if she were of that
required sect and/or clan.
3*
Genina, The Red Poet
Clan: Samedi (group 3)
Capacity: 8
Disciplines: CHI OBF THN aus cel for
Independent. Red List: If a blood hunt is successfully called on
Genina, she goes to torpor instead of being burned. Genina gets +1
stealth on diablerie actions and on undirected actions.
2*
Paul Forrest, False Prophet
Clan: Ravnos (group 4)
Capacity: 5
Disciplines: chi for pre
Independent: Once each action, Paul can burn a blood to give an acting
Ravnos you control +1 bleed.
1*
Vassily Taltos
Clan: Ravnos (group 4)
Capacity: 6
Disciplines: aus cel chi dom for obf
Independent: Vassily may burn a hunting ground or a Blood Doll card as
a (D) action.
1*
Callirus
Clan: Ravnos (group 4)
Capacity: 5
Disciplines: CHI FOR ani
Independent: During your untap phase, Callirus can burn 1 blood to
burn one card on him.
Libary: 90 Cards:
Master: 16
2* Week of Nightmares
1* Houngan
1* WMRH Talk Radio
1* Giants blood
1* KRCG Newsradio
2* Archon Investigation
2* Major boon
1* Fortune Teller shop
1* Tension in the Ranks
2* Fame
1* Depravity
1* Kumpania
Action: 10
5* Mass Reality
2* Sensory Deprivation
3* Restoration
Action modifier: 12
6* Forgotten Labyrinth
6* Freak Drive
Combat Cards: 24
8* Disguised Weapon
7* Imposing Phantasmn
4* Apparition
4* Fake out
3* Zip gun
8* Taste of Vitae
Equipment: 15
8* Garrote
4* Camera Phone
3* Sport bike
Reaction: 8
8* Draba
10* Forced awakening
Retainer: 1
1* Mr. wintrop
Thats it for this Months Newsletter , i hope you enjoyed reading.
Chris Berger
>
> Mirror's Visage
> Type: Action Modifier
> Requires: Chimerstry
> Cost: 1 blood
> [chi] Only usable when this acting vampire is blocked (play before
> combat, if any). Untap this vampire and end the action. This vampire
> cannot act again this turn.
> [CHI]+2 stealth if this is an undirected action, otherwise +1 stealth.
>
> Ill be frank: not a good card in my oppinion.
>
the superior, and being able to use it instead for +1s on directed
means there's no added opportunity cost. And the inferior isn't
*good*, but it gives you another option, especially when playing
against a heavy-intercept deck - I love it when cards have two
completely different uses, especially when the superior is pretty good
on its own.
> Sympathetic Agony
> Type: Combat
> Requires: Chimerstry & Fortitude
> [chi][for] For the remainder of combat, when any damage is
> successfully inflicted on this vampire in a round, the opposing minion
> becomes unable to use presses that round.
> [CHI][FOR] As above, and if any damage is successfully inflicted on
> this vampire in a round, the opposing minion becomes unable to use any
> additional strikes that round.
>
Yeah, I don't know why this card exists. For a dual-discipline card,
it just seems worse than any single-discipline Chimerstry or Fortitude
combat defense. Maybe with Thaum and Weather Control/Trap, but it
seems if you're going to patch on an extra discipline, you could get a
more fool-proof plan... Maybe with Flesh of Marble/Trap (though you
probably don't care about the additionals then - and you end up
playing Sympathetic Agony just to keep them from pressing out - seems
awfully cornercase...), and you *still* might need to pack Skin of
Night / Adaptibility / Rolling with the Punches, to take care of agg
damage.
All in all, I have a few ideas for the card, but nothing that sounds
like it would actually make it worth playing, even in small quantities.
Peter D Bakija
> Sympathetic Agony
> Type: Combat
> Requires: Chimerstry & Fortitude
> [chi][for] For the remainder of combat, when any damage is
> successfully inflicted on this vampire in a round, the opposing minion
> becomes unable to use presses that round.
> [CHI][FOR] As above, and if any damage is successfully inflicted on
> this vampire in a round, the opposing minion becomes unable to use any
> additional strikes that round.
>
> This Card just makes me ask: Why run this when i can have Strike:
> Combat Ends or good Preventers with a single of those disciplines? So
> again i fail to see any use here.
Traparrition; you play Trap, you play Apparition to prevent their
damage. Combat continues till they are dead, unless they can kill you
first or press to end. Not being able to press to end (from inferior)
or additional strike (from superior) will go a long way towards making
sure your opponent dies. I mean, yeah, not like A+ or anything, but I
can see it worth using in limited numbers.
-Peter
Chris Berger
point of damage to kick off the Sympathetic Agony if you think they
might be fixin' to press or add strike... And you can either hold
onto the SA until you're going to decide to take a damage, or else
play it early to cycle... not horrible, I guess.
Peter D Bakija
> Yeah, I suppose with Traparrition, you can always choose to take 1
> point of damage to kick off the Sympathetic Agony if you think they
> might be fixin' to press or add strike... And you can either hold
> onto the SA until you're going to decide to take a damage, or else
> play it early to cycle... not horrible, I guess.
Yeah, it's slightly dubious in that you have to take a point of
damage, but you can, as you note, presumably hold it till you see what
your opponent is up to, and if you are taking a damage anyway (i.e.
you play Apparition at superior and they hit you for 3) or they look
like they might have presses and/or additionals (i.e. CEL), you throw
it out and they are locked in a bad fight.
Again, not the best card ever or anything, but I can see it as not
bad; my current kind of dubious Traparrition deck uses Drawing out
the Beast (as I have a lot of animalism in the deck), but if you went
Chi/For instead of Chi/Ani, I could see this showing up in the slot
that DotB is using.
-Peter
headle...@gmail.com
Agreed that it's horrible as a defensive card, but may occasionally be
useful as an offensive card. Mass reality zip guns come to mind, as
you're guaranteed to take 1 damage to trigger the effect.
It's not just Celerity that has additional strikes. Hell-for-leather
or Arms of the Abyss might show up. Or werewolves, or AK-47s, or
Octopods. Still cornercase, but it's not a one-discipline hoser.
Though I think it's funny that Target Head produces the exact same
results, though is easily cancelled. and if you're worried about the
enemy pressing to end, Target Vitals or Shoulder Drop or even the
lowly Target Leg cancels those with ease.
witness1
Not only can you do all of the above, you can just hold it a couple
rounds and use it to reset your trap. I mean, another Apparition could
do that too, but that costs blood.
-witness
suolir...@gmail.com
It has to be triggered before the press step and only works for the
current round. Having to take damage every round just because the
opponent might be holding on to a press is pretty terrible.
FVicentini
lets compare it to another combo-discipline combat card that requires
you to take damage:
Lessons in the Steel
Type: Combat
Requires: Auspex & Fortitude
[aus][for] Only usable when damage is successfully inflicted on this
vampire. Look at the opposing minion's controller's hand, and this
vampire gets an optional press this round. A vampire can play only one
Lessons in the Steel each round.
[AUS][FOR] As above, and that Methuselah discards a card of your
choice.
if you play this card you also gain a press (which is most often
enough) you may see his hand and discard a card of your choice. thats
pretty awesome and definatly stronger then the sympathic agony effect.
AND superior Auspex and Fortitude are arguably easier to get at lower
capacities.