Official V:EKN Clan Salubri Newsletter Vol.1 No.1 (March 2002)
Ben Peal
Of interest to Scholars and Slanderers
Editor: Ben Peal
In this issue:
1. Introduction
2. Miscellanea et Demonica - strategy
3. The Dwinding Few - featured vampire
4. The Powers of the Righteous - featured card
5. The Hosts of Heaven - featured deck
6. Conclusion
---------------------------------------
1. INTRODUCTION
---------------------------------------
Welcome to the first official V:EKN newsletter for the Salubri! In
this and the coming months, I'll be spotlighting the cards and
strategies of this mysterious clan. While they are healers who walk
the path of Golconda, they have been reviled and hunted by other clans,
who view them as diablerists. They seek to clear their name, and the
name of their founder Saulot, which has been slandered by the works of
the Baali. The Salubri also seek to free vampires from the bonds of
the inner beast, and lead them to salvation.
---------------------------------------
2. MISCELLANEA ET DEMONICA
---------------------------------------
The Salubri have a number of very strong cards available to them, such
as Renewed Vigor and Spirit Marionette. The problem that they face,
however, is getting these actions to succeed. With only Repulsion for
stealth, they can typically only generate two stealth on an action.
Given 2nd Trads and light intercept, two stealth often isn't enough.
Looking at the Salubri themselves, they can pull the same tricks with
Fortitude that the Ventrue have been doing for years. They can make
their actions unblockable with Day Operation and Daring the Dawn, with
the added advantage of having Renewed Vigor's ability in the outferior
to get them out of torpor. The trouble there is that a Salubri provides
a tempting target for diablerie, as they can be a obvious lynchpin for
your deck. You'll have to account for the extra defensive overhead in
your deck that may be required to protect your vampires, such as extra
wakes, intercept, and damage prevention.
Another option available is the "bruise 'n act" strategy. Matthias and
Blanche Hill can play Kiss of Ra at superior, which can be a substantial
threat to those considering blocking. There's also Dawn Operation,
which can help accomplish much the same thing. The problem here, apart
from the possibility that your opponents will have Fortitude as well, is
that the actions can still be readily blocked if your opponents feel
it's important for them to do so, or if they feel they can get away with
it.
The better approach lies with the vampires with whom they're teamed.
It isn't typical for a Bloodlines clan to operate by themselves, so one
should look at what other vampires can offer. Harbingers of Skulls and
!Ventrue immediately come to mind, as they share both Auspex and
Fortitude as in-clan disciplines. The Harbingers of Skulls, however,
have Necromancy, which provides a little extra stealth. One can include
a few Necromancy skill cards, as well as Matthias (who has inferior
Necromancy), to help supplement the stealth. The !Ventrue have some
stealth available to them as well as three !Ventrue (Quentin, Gustav,
and Gerard) have Obtenebration. Again, include a few skill cards, and
that can give the help you need.
One rarely talks about stealth without talking about Obfuscate, and it's
a discipline that can help the Salubri, as well. Vampires with superior
Obfuscate can help actions get through via Cloak the Gathering, and
again, skill cards help, too. Malkavians and !Malkavians are an obvious
choice, given that they share Auspex with the Salubri. The Samedi
provide an intriguing option, providing superior Obfuscate along with
the shared discipline of Fortitude, as well as Necromancy.
---------------------------------------
3. THE DWINDLING FEW
---------------------------------------
Matthias
Salubri
Capacity 7
AUS FOR OBE nec
Independent: While Matthias is ready, Baali and Followers of Set get
-1 bleed when bleeding you. +1 intercept. Scarce.
While he doesn't have a title, his special abilities more than make
up for it. Matthias can be the cornerstone of a very solid defense.
What I find most intriguing, however, is his inferior Necromancy.
He's the only Salubri with a second discipline that provides stealth.
The ability to play Spectral Divination and Call of the Hungry Dead
(even at inferior) can go a long way towards getting his actions
through. It also lets him team up nicely with his Cappadocian
colleagues, the Harbingers of Skulls.
---------------------------------------
4. THE POWERS OF THE RIGHTEOUS
---------------------------------------
Repulsion
Action Modifier
Obeah/Presence
[pre] Only usable when the acting vampire's action is announced. If this
action is blocked, the acting vampire gets 1 optional maneuver, only
usable to maneuver to long range, during the resulting combat.
[obe] +1 stealth
[OBE] Put this card on this vampire. This vampire gets +1 stealth. Burn
this card if this vampire goes to torpor. This vampire cannot have or
play another Repulsion.
This month's featured card is a staple item of the Salubri, as it
provides needed stelath to their actions. The only reason to use
it at inferior Obeah is if you're using Miriam Benyona, as it's
obviously better to have permanent stealth. Note that you can use
Repulsion at superior even when you don't need the stealth, much like
you can attempt to block with a minion who has a Sport Bike when the
intercept isn't needed. So, don't forget to play Repulsion when you
have it. Also, don't forget to burn the card when the vampire goes
to torpor.
---------------------------------------
5. THE HOSTS OF HEAVEN
---------------------------------------
I was going to build a deck with Salubri using Obtenebration, as
Quentin, Gustav, and Gerard from the !Ventrue have both Auspex and
Fortitude, as well as Obtenebration for stealth. I figured I could
throw in a few Obtenebration skill cards to retrofit the Salubri
and get that extra stealth I wanted for the Obeah actions. Alas,
I've run out of Obtenebration stealth cards, so here's another idea.
I noticed that there are a few Assamites with Auspex, Fortitude, or
both. Why not team them up with the Salubri, using superior Obfuscate
for Cloak the Gathering to help the Salubri get their actions through?
This deck needs some fine-tuning, but I think it illustrates the idea.
Crusaders and Saracens
1 x Tansu Bekir (4): OBF, cel
1 x Badr al-Budur (5): OBF, qui, cel, dom
1 x Yusuf, Scribe of Alamut (5): CEL, obf, qui, aus
1 x Fatima al-Faqadi (8): OBF, CEL, QUI, aus, for
2 x Tariq, The Silent (7): OBF, QUI, FOR, AUS, cel
2 x Bajazet al-Nasir (8): OBF, QUI, cel, for, pre
2 x Matthias (7): OBE, FOR, AUS, nec
2 x Blanche Hill (6): OBE, FOR, aus
1 x The Barrens
1 x KRCG News Radio
1 x Information Highway
2 x Heidelberg Castle, Germany
3 x The Stranger Among Us
2 x Fortitude
1 x Obfuscate
2 x Sudden Reversal
2 x Blood Doll
4 x Minion Tap
1 x Sight Beyond Sight
1 x Market Square
2 x Kali's Fang
1 x Tasha Morgan
1 x J.S. Simmons, Esq.
8 x Wake with Evening's Freshness
1 x Lost in Crowds
1 x Swallowed by the Night
1 x Faceless Night
8 x Cloak the Gathering
2 x Pulse of the Canaille
2 x Eagle's Sight
2 x The Spirit's Touch
2 x Enhanced Senses
6 x Telepathic Misdirection
3 x Telepathic Counter
6 x Repulsion
5 x Spirit Marionette
5 x Renewed Vigor
4 x Skin of Steel
4 x Skin of Rock
5 x Daring the Dawn
---------------------------------------
6. CONCLUSION
---------------------------------------
Well, that's all for this month. Hopefully I'll get some more
Obtenebration stealth cards so I can explore that angle. If you
have any ideas, comments, or suggestions of your own, feel free
to send them to me at fu...@optical.mindstorm.com.
See you next time!
- Ben Peal
LSJ
> Repulsion
> Action Modifier
> Obeah/Presence
>
> [pre] Only usable when the acting vampire's action is announced. If this
> action is blocked, the acting vampire gets 1 optional maneuver, only
> usable to maneuver to long range, during the resulting combat.
> [obe] +1 stealth
> [OBE] Put this card on this vampire. This vampire gets +1 stealth. Burn
> this card if this vampire goes to torpor. This vampire cannot have or
> play another Repulsion.
>
> This month's featured card is a staple item of the Salubri, as it
> provides needed stelath to their actions. The only reason to use
> it at inferior Obeah is if you're using Miriam Benyona, as it's
> obviously better to have permanent stealth. Note that you can use
> Repulsion at superior even when you don't need the stealth, much like
> you can attempt to block with a minion who has a Sport Bike when the
> intercept isn't needed. So, don't forget to play Repulsion when you
> have it. Also, don't forget to burn the card when the vampire goes
> to torpor.
As someone recently asked in email, you can also play this card from torpor
so long as you are the acting minion (when taking an action from torpor
like Regeneration or Rapid Healing, or when an effect like Day Operation
plants you in torpor) and keep it.
It isn't burned by you *being* in torpor - it only burns when you go to
torpor.
--
LSJ (vte...@white-wolf.com) V:TES Net.Rep for White Wolf, Inc.
Links to revised rulebook, rulings, errata, and tournament rules:
http://www.white-wolf.com/vtes/
Joshua Duffin
"LSJ" <vte...@white-wolf.com> wrote in message
news:3CA356FD...@white-wolf.com...
> As someone recently asked in email, you can also play this card from
torpor
> so long as you are the acting minion (when taking an action from torpor
> like Regeneration or Rapid Healing, or when an effect like Day Operation
> plants you in torpor) and keep it.
Is there time to play OBE Repulsion after Day Operation
(or Daring the Dawn) sends you to torpor? Daring the
Dawn says something about "after the action is complete" -
can other action modifiers generally be played at that
point?
thanks,
Josh
repulsive
LSJ
Yes. Notably Freak Drive, but Repulsion will fit as well.
Orpheus
very nice letter. Here's a Spirit Marionette deck I made with some Obf ;
it's an "All Stars" deck, as no more than 2 vampires (excluding Salubir) are
from any given clan !!
I've made a few changes by then (like including 2 Precognizant Mobility ;
I'm thinking of dropping Zebulon for a Roxanne.
Deck Name: SM All Stars
Created By: Orpheus
Crypt: (0 cards, Min: 0, Max: 0, Avg: 0,00)
-------------------------------------------
Library: (90 cards)
-------------------
Master (18 cards)
1 Archon Investigation
3 Blood Doll
1 Dreams of the Sphinx
2 Fortitude
2 Heidelberg Castle, Germany
2 Minion Tap
2 Obfuscate
1 Short-Term Investment
2 Sight Beyond Sight
1 Slave Auction
1 Tomb of Rameses III
Minion (72 cards)
2 .44 Magnum
4 Anesthetic Touch
1 Change of Target
1 Changeling Skin Mask
7 Cloak the Gathering
3 Conditioning
3 Daring the Dawn
4 Dawn Operation
2 Deflection
1 Elemental Stoicism
3 Forced Awakening
2 Forgotten Labyrinth
1 Freak Drive
1 Govern the Unaligned
2 Graverobbing
2 Kiss of Ra, The
3 Lost in Crowds
2 Neutral Guard
3 Repulsion
3 Rolling with the Punches
4 Skin of Rock
8 Spirit Marionette
1 Superior Mettle
4 Telepathic Misdirection
2 Unflinching Persistence
3 Wake with Evening's Freshness
CU,
Orpheus
P.S. : I'm not sure the WOD Salubri are as clean saints as you describe
them, though... ;-)
The Lasombra
> Deck Name: SM All Stars
> Created By: Orpheus
> Crypt: (0 cards, Min: 0, Max: 0, Avg: 0,00)
> -------------------------------------------
Amazing crypt!
Mind if I borrow the concept?
How often do you not get the vampires
you want?
Carpe noctem.
Lasombra
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/rgtcjdeckarchive/
--
Posted via Mailgate.ORG Server - http://www.Mailgate.ORG
Orpheus
--
Yours,
Orpheus, Prince of Marseille
http://no.exit.free.fr (onlive novel)
http://cypheranima.free.fr (goth band)
news://news.zoo-logique.org/VTES-francophone
audio...@yahoogroups.com
"The Lasombra" <thela...@hotmail.com> a écrit dans le message news:
f3a8908781acc2e5958...@mygate.mailgate.org...
> "Orpheus" wrote
>
> > Deck Name: SM All Stars
> > Created By: Orpheus
>
> > Crypt: (0 cards, Min: 0, Max: 0, Avg: 0,00)
> > -------------------------------------------
>
> Amazing crypt!
> Mind if I borrow the concept?
> How often do you not get the vampires
> you want?
Ooops, I'm sorry !! :-) Lately I've been in an Internal Recursion loop, my
computer and I thought we were in 2022, so you see, a crypt with 0 vampires
is a normal thing in, comparison... ;-)
Here is the right crypt (last version) :
3 x Matthias
1 x Blanche Hill
1 x Roxanne
1 x Muaziz
1 x Tariq
1 x Ian Forrestal
1 x Peter Blaine
1 x Anatole
1 x Arika
1 x Egothha
Still amazing, ain't it ? ;-)
Orpheus
vermillian
> --
> Yours,
>
> Orpheus, Prince of Marseille
>
> http://no.exit.free.fr (onlive novel)
> http://cypheranima.free.fr (goth band)
What's even more amazing is your .sig appeared above your post...
> Here is the right crypt (last version) :
>
> 3 x Matthias
> 1 x Blanche Hill
> 1 x Roxanne
> 1 x Muaziz
> 1 x Tariq
> 1 x Ian Forrestal
> 1 x Peter Blaine
> 1 x Anatole
> 1 x Arika
> 1 x Egothha
That's... weird. :)
Consider Malk mad net and find room for Khobor Towers? :)
~SV
Orpheus
Don't ask.. ;-)
> > Here is the right crypt (last version) :
> >
> > 3 x Matthias
> > 1 x Blanche Hill
> > 1 x Roxanne
> > 1 x Muaziz
> > 1 x Tariq
> > 1 x Ian Forrestal
> > 1 x Peter Blaine
> > 1 x Anatole
> > 1 x Arika
> > 1 x Egothha
>
> That's... weird. :)
Great ! :-)
I love this crypt, all the stars in it. Can U imagine who would be the
Antediluvian behind them ? Probably Saulot on acid (ok for the Salubri,
Tremere and !Tremere, but the Malks, Ventrue and !Ventrue, the Assamite and
the Harbinger...).
> Consider Malk mad net and find room for Khobor Towers? :)
Don't have 'em, and 2 malks and no setite would make this combo a little
hard to get (12 Clan Impersonation ? Sure !!). ;)
Ben Swainbank
So. The Stranger Among Us. Is this card any good? Is it worth the
Master slots?
I will admit to experiencing a bit of crypt screwage when I play my
current Salubri deck. But it seems like its easier to stack your Crypt
to give you a good shot at a good draw, than it is to stack your
library to make up for a bad draw.
I can see using Stranger in a case where I had 1-2 scarce vamps in a
crypt, and they were a nice-to-have but not totally essential
(Nagaraja maybe). But otherwise I don't se Stranger as being useful.
-Ben Swainbank
Curevei
>
>So. The Stranger Among Us. Is this card any good? Is it worth the
>Master slots?
I might play one in a deck. Any other slots I'd devote to the need for getting
a scarce vamp would be taken up with Effective Managements instead. So,
partial stacking of the crypt to give the best odds of EM getting someone who
didn't show in an initial crypt draw.
CurtAdams
>So. The Stranger Among Us. Is this card any good? Is it worth the
>Master slots?
>I will admit to experiencing a bit of crypt screwage when I play my
>current Salubri deck. But it seems like its easier to stack your Crypt
>to give you a good shot at a good draw, than it is to stack your
>library to make up for a bad draw.
There's a limit on fixing such things by crypt choice; decreasing
your chance of too few increases your chance of too many.
Say 3 copies in a crypt of 12: 25% none 1.6% 3 -> 26.6% @#$#ed
4 copies: 13% none 5.6% 3 - 18.6% @#$#ed
Assuming you see 14 cards before you *have* to get out your first
scarce, 3 Stranger Among us with 3 copies gives about the 4 copy
chance of none but the 3 copy chance of 3, so
3 copies + 3 SAU: 13% none 1.6% 3 - 14.6% @#$#ed
So, is 1/6 of your master slots worth a 4% improvement in your
chance of a playable crypt? In terms of winning, probably not
(but I can't calculate that). It does improve your chance of a fun
game - a little. You could argue it's your contribution to a good
game for everyone as if you are left dysfunctional from a bad
crypt the whole game may be thrown off.
There's an additional benefit to 3+3 in that you lower your chance
of a duplicate Scarce; this could be beneficial if you expect to get
out 4 vampires or if you have duplication in your non-scarce crypt.
Again, calculating this is hairy.
Curt Adams (curt...@aol.com)
"It is better to be wrong than to be vague" - Freeman Dyson
Ben Peal
I was just having this conversation with Grant Garvin last night. :)
After playing with my "Crusaders and Saracens" deck a few times, I
agree, The Stranger Among Us really isn't worth it. In decks where
you're using Scarce vampires, you're typically basing the deck around
them, in which case, it's critical that you get one of them in your
initial crypt draw. So, you're better off putting 4 or possibly more
vampires of that clan in your crypt, and then backing it up with
Effective Management to get supporting vampires, rather than playing
the double crapshoot of going light in the crypt and maybe drawing one,
and hoping you draw a Stranger.
Dammit. You forced my hand on this, as it was gonna be part of the
next newsletter. :) Ah well...I guess I can still include it...
- Ben Peal, Prince of Boston
fu...@mindstorm.com