Here is the report of the Belgian European Championship Qualifier,
which took place in Brussels on Sunday, May 4th.

16 players gather at the Outpost shop, which provides once again an
ideal location. Methuselahs from Belgium and four other countries have
come to dispute the first Belgian ECQ title since 2004. Every player
receives at least one Lords of the Night booster and a set of 11
promos, and more prizes and qualification T-shirts are awarded to
finalists.

The old Belgian glories are all unfortunately in torpor, so the local
delegation is made up of players of good will but little tournament
experience: the final ends up being a Dutch/German affair.

But let us proceed with order!

* The players *

Ed Trollope (Germany), Tzimisce wall with Raptors
Emile Bosman (Netherlands), Giovanni Khazar's Diary allies
Jeroen van Oort (Netherlands), dom/for bleed with Sticks and Target
Vitals
Jörg Alten (Germany), Gangrel Renegade Garou
Laurent Sweert (Belgium), Tzimisce intercept/rush with Horrid Forms
Luc-Olivier Lambermont (Belgium), Giovanni fortitude rush starring
Lorrie
Maciek Bernart (Polish from the UK), Ventrue old school with g3/4
vampires
Michael Heyder (Germany), Tremere/!Tremere necromancy Shambling Hordes
Olivier Mailleux (Belgium), Follower of Set Temptation toolbox
Paul Wiggers (Netherlands), weenie Animalism with Camera Phones
Pierre Tran-Van (France), Eurobrujah with Beast support
Remko van Hierden (Netherlands), !Ventrue with Rico Loco and Bombs
Roel De Coninck (Belgium), Hektor and Armin rush and politics
Ruben Maddens (Belgium), Tremere/!Tremere toolbox
Simon Eisen (Germany), Eurobrujah with Assault Rifles
Sven Helmer (German from the UK), aus/obf Black Hand with Marijava
Thuggees

* Round 1 *

Table 1
Ed (Tzimisce wall) -> Paul (weenie ani) -> Michael (Tremere Shambling
Hordes) -> Roel (Hektor)

The game starts with Ed playing Smiling Jack on turn 1 (it will get
removed by Hektor when there are 3 counters on it). Roel's Hektor
starts quite strongly and hammers Ed with votes, until an anti-Priscus
coalition is formed and Hektor receives the coup de grace by
Rötschreck. After that, Paul's star rises and he manages to oust
everyone in order with his horde of animalism weenies.

Results: Paul 4 VP + GW

Table 2
Jeroen (dom/for bleed) -> Remko (Rico Loco) -> Laurent (Tzimisce
toolbox) -> Pierre (Eurobrujah + Beast)

Jeroen starts by bleeding Remko heavily, until Pierre starts killing
his minions one by one, giving Rico Loco and friends the time to
breathe and regroup, also thanks to the amazing card flow of Remko's
deck. Remko tries to keep Jeroen alive while he ousts Laurent. Jeroen
is ousted soon afterwards, then Remko wins the final duel, also thanks
to the fact that Pierre has exhausted his library.

Results: Remko 3 VP + GW, Pierre 1 VP

Table 3
Olivier (FoS toolbox) -> Ruben (Tremere toolbox) -> Simon (Eurobrujah
Assault Rifle) -> Sven (aus/obf Black Hand)

I do not remember many details here. Ruben snatches his only VP of the
day managing to kill his Eurobrujah prey. Olivier distributes
Temptations back and forth, but can't resist Sven's overwhelming
numbers, so that the Black Hand ends up taking the table.

Results: Sven 3 VP + GW, Ruben 1 VP

Table 4
Jörg (Gangrel Garou) -> Emile (Khazar's Diary) -> Maciek (Ventrue g3/4
old school) -> Luc-Olivier (Giovanni for)

Weird table. Jörg has an amazingly fast start with permanents,
locations and werewolfs, getting basically all his pack of masters out
by turn 4. Maciek also begins very offensively with bleeds, votes and
a Hostile Takeover, and ousts the Giovanni before they can set up any
defense. After an all-killing Ancilla Empowerment gets neutralized,
the table balance starts to shift towards the Gangrel. Maciek thinks
he has no chances against his prey's werewolves and basically decides
to hand his own VP to his predator (Emile is happily surprised) and
give Jörg a less "full" game win.

Results: Jörg 2 VP + GW, Emile 1 VP, Maciek 1 VP

* Round 2 *

Table 1
Pierre (Eurobrujah + Beast) -> Ed (Tzimisce wall) -> Emile (Khazar's
Diary) -> Simon (Eurobrujah Assault Rifle)

Simon has Volker with an Assault Rifle and makes Pierre's minions'
lives quite difficult, despite some help coming from Emile. Ed saves
Pierre's life with an Eagle's Sight, but the result is that Emile gets
his two preys in succession. However Ed has put a Smiling Jack in
play, stays at two pool for ages thanks to The Rack and 2 Vessels, and
when Jack reaches six counters there is not much that Emile can do to
avoid getting ousted.

Results: Ed 2 VP, Emile 2 VP

Table 2
Sven (aus/obf Black Hand) -> Jeroen (dom/for bleed) -> Paul (weenie
ani) -> Maciek (Ventrue g3/4 old school)

The first of Jeroen's two sweeps of the day, but I cannot add details
because I have not followed this table much. Anyone wants to expand?

Results: Jeroen 4 VP + GW

Table 3
Luc-Olivier (Giovanni for) -> Olivier (FoS toolbox) -> Remko (Rico
Loco) -> Michael (Tremere Shambling Hordes)

This table is the "fair of unfaithful vampires". Luc-Olivier's only
two Graverobbings hit play at once, stealing two of Olivier's Setites.
Olivier does not hesitate in playing his own part and stealing
vampires continuously with Temptations. There is a lot of fighting
between Michael and Remko, and the latter is weakened until he has to
capitulate to Olivier. At that point the Hordes start taking control
of the table and Michael gets the game win.

Results: Michael 3 VP + GW, Olivier 1 VP

Table 4
Roel (Hektor) -> Jörg (Gangrel Garou) -> Ruben (Tremere toolbox) ->
Laurent (Tzimisce toolbox)

This table results in total domination by  Jörg and his Garous, which
nobody is able to contrast. A quick and smooth sweep for the Gangrel
player.

Results: Jörg 4 VP + GW

* Round 3 *

Ed has to leave after the second round (a problem concerning keys,
rental cars and girlfriend...), so the remaining 15 players are
rearranged in three tables of five.

Table 1
Ruben (Tremere toolbox) -> Luc-Olivier (Giovanni for) -> Maciek
(Ventrue g3/4 old school) -> Pierre (Eurobrujah + Beast) -> Paul
(weenie ani)

One of the most exciting tables, and the only Belgian victory of the
day. Maciek starts strong as usual, and puts Pierre in very bad
conditions with Parity Shift and Kines. However, the turn before
Pierre's probable death, Ignazio Giovanni and Lorrie Dunsirn's
surgical rushes, immediately followed by a Dragonbound, annihilate all
of the Ventrue's thrust, and Luc-Olivier gets his first VP of the day
thanks to Fame + Dragonbound. Paul in the meanwhile can build up
freely and gets rid of his prey without too much difficulty. Pierre
tries to convince Luc-Olivier to leave him alone for a while to face
Paul's menace, and Paul is finally ousted. In the subsequent duel,
Pierre plays with confidence, but fortitude helps the Giovanni and the
Brujah's final attack is hampered by a Direct Intervention on a
crucial Conditioning.

Results: Luc-Olivier 3 VP + GW, Pierre 1 VP, Paul 1 VP

Table 2
Laurent (Tzimisce toolbox) -> Michael (Tremere Shambling Hordes) ->
Simon (Eurobrujah Assault Rifle) -> Jörg (Gangrel Garou) -> Jeroen
(dom/for bleed)

Jeroen sweeps again, this time a 5-player table, and ensures his entry
in the final as first seed. He keeps Jörg's Garous at bay with a wise
use of Target Vitals (as if Assault Rifles were not enough...), and
manages to kill all his preys in succession.

Results: Jeroen 5 VP + GW

Table 3
Remko (Rico Loco) -> Roel (Hektor) -> Olivier (FoS toolbox) -> Sven
(aus/obf Black Hand) -> Emile (Khazar's Diary)

A very "locked down" table. Olivier, his own vampires progressively
killed by Hektor, puts plenty of Temptations in play but he does not
use them until the very end, when there is not enough time to put them
to good use. The clock rings when the table is just about to collapse,
and the half VPs are exactly what Sven and Remko need to access the
final.

Results: everyone 0.5 VP

* Final *

After choosing the seating, the order of play is:

Sven (aus/obf Black Hand) -> Remko (Rico Loco) -> Paul (weenie ani) ->
Jörg (Gangrel Garou) -> Jeroen (dom/for bleed)

I really took a lot of notes during the final, but honestly the slow
and boring pace does not make for a good report. Jeroen chooses his
position certain to be able to keep the Garous in check, as he has
done in round 3, but has not forecast Remko's horrible moment (no
intercept locations, no Rico Loco, all crucial masters Washed or
"Vesseled") that gives Sven an almost free ride (he keeps the edge for
turns and turns). Paul attacks Jörg many times, with the only result
of impacting on his apparently endless series of Earth Melds. The odds
are not in favor of fortitude players, and both of them get ousted in
the last 45 minutes. Paul would probably follow soon, but the two
hours are over and the victory goes to Jörg, who is seeded higher than
Sven.

Results: Jörg 1.5 VP, Sven 1.5 VP, Paul 0.5 VP

* Final standings and qualified players *

1 Jörg Alten 2 GW 6 VP + 1.5 VP final
2 Sven Helmer 1 GW 3.5 VP + 1.5 VP final
2 Paul Wiggers 1 GW 5 VP + 0.5 VP final
2 Jeroen van Oort 2 GW 9 VP + 0 VP final
2 Remko van Hierden 1 GW 3.5 VP + 0 VP final

6 Michael Heyder 1 GW 3 VP
7 Luc-Olivier Lambermont 1 GW 3 VP
8 Emile Bosman 3.5 VP
9 Pierre Tran-Van 2 VP
10 Ed Trollope 2 VP
11 Olivier Mailleux 1.5 VP
12 Ruben Maddens 1 VP
13 Maciek Bernart 1 VP
14 Roel De Coninck 0.5 VP
15 Laurent Sweert 0 VP
16 Simon Eisen 0 VP

The five finalists have qualified for the continental championship.

* Tournament winning deck *

Tournament: Belgian ECQ 2008
Place and date: Brussels, May 4 2008
Number of players: 16
Winner: Jörg Alten
Deck Name: Shape and Gnaw 3.0 (Post-LotN)
Description:
Modified variant with cards from Lords of the Night

Crypt [12 vampires] Capacity min: 3 max: 6 average: 4.17
------------------------------------------------------------

3x Camille Devereux,      5  FOR PRO ani       Gangrel:1
3x Chandler Hungerfor     3  PRO               Gangrel:2
2x Mirembe Kabbada        5  PRO SER ani       Gangrel:2
1x Badger                 6  FOR PRO ani pot   Gangrel:1
1x Ramona                 4  for pro           Gangrel:2
1x Anastasia Grey         3  ani pro           Gangrel:1
1x Ricki Van Demsi        3  for pro           Gangrel:1

Library [65 cards]
------------------------------------------------------------

Action [1]
  1x Army of Rats

Action Modifier [4]
  4x Earth Control

Action Modifier/Combat [1]
  1x Rapid Change

Ally [6]
  6x Renegade Garou

Combat [18]
  1x Body Flare
  1x Boxed In
  10x Earth Meld
  5x Form of Mist
  1x Weighted Walking Stick

Event [2]
  1x Dragonbound
  1x Narrow Minds

Master [17]
  1x Channel 10
  2x Direct Intervention
  2x Ecoterrorists
  1x Fame
  1x KRCG News Radio
  1x Liquidation
  1x Powerbase: Chicago
  2x Powerbase: Montreal
  1x Sudden Reversal
  1x Therbold Realty
  1x WMRH Talk Radio
  1x Wall Street Night, Financial Newspaper
  2x Wash

Reaction [12]
  2x Delaying Tactics
  2x Instinctive Reaction
  1x Keep it Simple
  2x On the Qui Vive
  3x Sonar
  2x Wake with Evening's Freshness

Retainer [4]
  1x Mr. Winthrop
  3x Raven Spy

* Quotes of the day *

"It is such a good card, you should play more!"
   - Jeroen, referring to many a card in his opponents' decks

"Let him learn the hard way"
   - Pierre, referring to Laurent's Caliban "deflecting" a superior
Govern with Telepathic Misdirection and ending up in torpor in the
resulting combat.

* Parting words *

A nice and lively tournament, with many offensive decks and a level of
combat quite unheard of in a European qualifier. Just two tables ended
at the time limit (unfortunately one of them being the final) and just
two tables ended without a game win in the preliminary rounds.

Fame was by far the most commonly played card, I think I have seen it
played basically at every table, and often multiple times! Also, many
players were notably playing several copies of Wash. Finally,
remarkable looks appeared on people's faces at Remko's play of his two
copies of Botched Move (?!?).

Thanks to everyone for showing up and helping me run a smooth event. I
hope you all had fun! Thanks to Pierre and Luc-Olivier for their
reports as well, which I have "vampirized" in order to write mine.

It was great to see old and new faces and I hope to meet many of you
again in the following months, possibly in Prague!

Ciao,
Emiliano
------
Wandering Player - Prince of Brussels