VEKN Official Gangrel Newsletter 02-01-99
Greg Faulkner
This newsletter can also be viewed at:
http://whitestar.ddg.com/vtes/Gan020199.html
VEKN Official Gangrel Newsletter Vol. 1 Number 2 February 1999
FROM THE EDITOR
Greetings from your Editor. It’s been several months since the last Gangrel
newsletter, and the responsibility has been passed on to me. I will do my best
to inform and entertain you all. As editor, I welcome all submissions of
original work. The clan Gangrel is very dedicated to storytelling, and I am
especially interested in including works of fiction every month. Just send me
e-mail, and I will gladly accept it.
Sincerely,
Greg "Wolf Claws" Faulkner
Editor
IMPACT OF VTES RULES TEAM RULINGS 05-JAN-99
There was only one ruling that will affect the play of Gangrel decks
specifically. The Tomb of Ramses, III errata will be useful in bringing out
the big guns, and Gangrels have their share of large capacity vampires.
Stanislava, Basilia, Angus - The Unruled, Wynn, Ingrid Rossler, and Katarina
are all 9 capacity or above. Even though the vampire will come out with only
half the blood, it can easily be replaced by one or two Restorations. However,
don’t think this benefits the Gangrels alone. The card will be much more
deadly with Ventrue and Toreador who can regain the blood with one vote and a
Voter Captivation. Be wary of the vote decks, which were already threatening
enough to the Gangrel clan.
The remainder of the rulings were necessary clarifications of card texts, that
did not hinder or benefit the Gangrel clan.
VAMPIRE OF THE MONTH
Ingrid Rossler
Gangrel
9 capacity
FOR ANI PRO dom
Prince of Geneva: If Ingrid is ready, you get two extra transfers during your
influence phase.
At a 9 capacity, she is a little overpriced compared to the princes of other
clans, but the disappointment ends there. She is superior to Katarina in both
her skills and her special ability. Her combination of skills and votes makes
her the perfect counterpart to Stanislava. Her ideal role would be to use her
in a Gangrel deck accentuated with Dominate cards to add a little bleed
deflection, but she is also a killer addition to the Protean/Dominate sneak and
bleed decks alongside Illiana and Caitlin. Her title also makes her one of
only three Gangrels that are able to play Traditions.
And what about her special ability? It is just as useful as an Information
Highway, but better in some ways. Unlike an Information Highway, her special
ability cannot be stolen, destroyed, or suddenly reversed, and it is unlikely
to be contested. When used together, the scene can get ugly:
Turn 1:
Information Highway, 1+2 = 3 transfers (3 to Ingrid Rossler)
Turn 2:
4+2 = 6 transfers (6 to Ingrid Rossler - she becomes ready)
Turn 3:
4+2+2 = 8 transfers (7 to Illiana - she becomes ready)
... and you are well on your way to a brutal Protean/Dominate deck. Add a TOR
III to Stanislava in the second turn, and your prey could be looking at Ingrid
and Stanislava by the end of the third turn.
LIBRARY CARD OF THE MONTH
Shepherd's Innocence
Action
Animalism
2 blood
(+1 stealth action)
Normal: Take control of a card in play that requires Animalism. If it is an
equipment or retainer card, place it on any vampire you control.
Superior: Take control of all cards in play that require Animalism. You may put
the equipment and retainer cards on any vampires you control.
Rarity: Common
Clearly it’s a double-edged sword. Not only does this card take control of all
animalism retainers (Raven Spy, Wolf Companion, Owl Companion, Raptor, Murder
of Crows), but it can also be used on the Army of Rats and Tier of Souls. This
is the kind of card that can win you the game or make you weep. With so many
other clans out there who depend on Animalism (Nosferatu, Nosferatu-Antitribu,
Ravnos, Tzimisce, Gangrel-Antitribu) it’s guaranteed to come back to haunt you
at some point.
The real fear of the card should be that it can be played from an opponent
across the table. The player may be targeting only your Animalism cards, but
you cannot block the action because it is undirected and you are neither the
predator nor the prey of the acting Methuselah. If this is the case, then you
will unfortunately be stuck hoping that your prey or predator will intercept
the action for you. Don’t count on it. Instead, be prepared to cancel the
action with a Direct Intervention. Better yet, have a means of regaining your
cards (and theirs) with your own Shepherd’s Innocence. At least one Shepherd’s
Innocence is a must in any Gangrel deck, even if you aren’t playing with
retainers yourself.
DECK OF THE MONTH
(Your deck goes here.)
Yes, I do have my own constructed decks, and I am willing to share... but this
is a reminder to all readers that I am looking for a wide variety of inputs.
As editor, I want to manage and distribute the creations of the players.
.....until next time.
Please send all comments and submissions to:
Greg Faulkner
gfau...@austintx.net
LSJ
> [...]
> Shepherd's Innocence
> Animalism
> 2 blood
> (+1 stealth action)
> Normal: Take control of a card in play that requires Animalism. If it is an
> equipment or retainer card, place it on any vampire you control.
> Superior: Take control of all cards in play that require Animalism. You may
> put the equipment and retainer cards on any vampires you control.
>
> all animalism retainers (Raven Spy, Wolf Companion, Owl Companion, Raptor,
> Murder of Crows), but it can also be used on the Army of Rats and Tier of
> Souls.
Note that while you can use it to gain control of Tier of Souls, you cannot
move the Tier of Souls to one of your vampires (since card text only extends
that ability to Retainers and Equipment). [LSJ 11-NOV-1997]
http://www.dejanews.com/getdoc.xp?AN=288590202
--
L. Scott Johnson (vte...@wizards.com) VTES Net.Rep for Wizards of the Coast.
Links to revised rulebook, rulings, errata, and DCI (tournament) rules:
http://www.wizards.com/VTES/VTES_Rules.html
-----------== Posted via Deja News, The Discussion Network ==----------
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Greg Faulkner
>> Shepherd's Innocence
>
>Note that while you can use it to gain control of Tier of Souls, you cannot
>move the Tier of Souls to one of your vampires (since card text only extends
>that ability to Retainers and Equipment). [LSJ 11-NOV-1997]
Thank you for making that observation. So my next question is, where does it
go? I guess it gets put in limbo. I assume the original vampire can still
take an action to gain another Tier of Souls, because he/she is no longger in
possession of the original. And if the Tier of Souls is regained by the
orginal Methuselah, then control does not go back to the original vampire.
Is this correct?
Greg
LSJ
> [Re: Shepherd's Innocence]
> [LSJ wrote:]
The message cited as [LSJ 11-NOV-1997], whose URL
(http://www.dejanews.com/getdoc.xp?AN=288590202) you snipped, includes
the following paragraph:
The Tier remains on the vampire who played it. The Tier is controlled
by you, so the Tiered vampire only gets +1 bleed when bleeding *your*
prey (card text on Tier).