Followers of Set Newsletter
Vol. 5
Issue  5
Author: Daniel Figueiredo

Table of Contents:

1)Introduction
2)Strategy: 10th Anniversary Goodies
3)Vampire of the Month: Kemintiri ADV  
4)Sign-off

Introduction:
Long time no Set? Yes, unfortunately the last months have gone by
without a newsletter. I was part in writer's block (whatever that
really means) and part waiting for the new cards from KMW to show up I
guess. But the wait has finally ended! Today Kemintiri ADV shows her
face in the KMW preview. More about her later though. Since my last
newsletter the 10th Anniversary Edition was also printed, and although
it doesn't quite have anything that is really interesting for our clan
in particular, I will also go over some of the new cards in that set
and an idea or two about using them in Follower of Set themed decks.

Is it just me of does it seem like ages since Gehenna was released? I
missed the shake-up that Events promised (but didn't quite deliver),
and the rush of logging into the WW site 3 times a day to check the
preview. To me the months immediately before and after the release of
a new expansion are the best for the game, at least they are when I
get most excited about it. KMW is shaping up to be quite interesting
so far. The first Bloodline pre-constructed deck, a change (a good one
I think) to the infernal rule, some meat for the independent clans in
group4 (sadly if the number of the other new indy vamps follows the
number of new Assamites, we still won't have a full group 3+4 crypt
for them), the new Red List rule and another still-mysterious new
rule, an even MORE mysterious TBA vampire (or vampires) in the preview
list… wait... let me go check and see if the TBA hasn't been revealed
yet… :)

Strategy: 10th Anniversary Goodies
10 years of Jyhad! Nine-something years of V:TES! Our game couldn't go
without some sort of celebration right? And it comes with lots of
reprints and a few new cards, all with the new layout to match more
recent releases. None of our vampires get reprinted in this set, and
only one of our clan cards (Tainted Vitae) does. Only a couple of our
in-clan discipline cards get reprinted as well, Vanish from the Mind's
Eye and Business Pressure neither very good cards at that. No
Serpentis card gets reprinted either, so as you can see in the reprint
department, the Followers of Set gain very little with this edition,
less than most other clans even.  The best we get is the revamped
Invitation Accepted, which now gives us the option of entering the
Camarilla even after the card is played if we influence out a new
vampire. Other independents each get a card from their unique clan
discipline reprinted, some good (Spiritual Intervention) and some not
so good (Veiled Sight), and all get at least one clan card as well.
Almost all disciplines get one card reprinted as well, with the
exception of Vicissitude (already all got reprinted since Sabbat War),
Dementation (who knows why they didn't reprint Wave of Insanity to
have all Dementation cards reprinted as well) and Serpentis (nothing
worth reprinting perhaps? Hehe….).

So what about the new cards? Channel 10 and Bowl of Convergence make
things even harder for Obfuscate alone to pass actions. With 6
locations that grant permanent intercept, having to use one of them
from the second action of each turn onwards hardly is any serious
drawback, especially when you have Reatiners and Equipment that also
grant permanent intercept so easily available for any deck. Having 6
locations that grant intercept also makes it pretty much impossible
for contesting to occur, from now on you can be sure that only
contesting on purpose of these locations will happen. With so many of
them, the chance that someone else already controls the exact one you
will play now is very small. Add the Bowl in as well and the days of
stealth-powered actions are practically over in any metagame that even
mildly uses permacept (stealth alone has already been dead against
"wall" decks for some time). You must use "block fails" or "block
cancel" cards to help any stealth deck these days. Gladly the
Followers of Set have Elder Impersonation and Approximation of Loyalty
for that end, these two cards become more vital with each new
expansion. Polaris Coach you say? Maybe. But it has too many
restrictions, the constant blood loss, the fact that it is unique, a
vehicle AND a haven at the same time all add up for a tad too much
restriction in my opinion. It is better left for clans with
exceptional blood management like Fortitude Thaumaturgy offer. Carlton
Van Wyck and Caiaphas Smith are both interesting allies, one with
built-in intercept (notice the theme?) the other with a built-in brain
teaser. Insurance Scam can help a little, but is vastly inferior to
the Khobar Towers in terms of pool gain, sure, you are not losing
minions, but any Caitiff or Embrace can give you as much pool as one
location you lose. Only really good if you are sure Arika will come up
sooner or later. The Powerbase LA offers a cool new cycling option for
Setite Anarchs, but nothing that a simple Barrens can't do, and The
Barrens does not have inherent steal-ability. Orb of Ulain isn't that
much of a problem because of it´s restriction to allies, but if/when
it does see play it can be a major hassle for the clan, effectively
neutering 2 of our 3 clan disciplines against such ally. Liquidation
can be good for Corruption Decks when you have a hand full of
Corruptions/Venenations, or in any deck that uses many copies of the
same few cards. If you use Reformations, then Powerbase L.A. and the
Barrens together should be more than enough cycling power for you to
never need this card. And last but not least, Rastacourere (anyone
know what that actually means???) is perhaps the most interesting card
in the Anniversary Edition, since it helps Followers of Set in many
ways, by reducing the power of titles that could be used against us or
hamper our own voting power, and by reducing the capacity of our
enemies, to make them easier to Tempt/Corrupt.

Vampire of the Month: Kemintiri ADV
Wow, what responsibility! The first Advanced Follower of Set! The
first Red List minion as well (not counting the outdated preview we
had of Valerius Maior a few weeks back). Appropriate, since she is the
head of the Red List. Kemintiri has long been a part of V:TES, but she
never really lived up to her name. Her normal version is very weak for
a 10cap vampire. In fact, if there are no ready Ventrue when she is
around, she is a 10cap without any special power whatsoever (the only
such one?). Granted, when she was released it was pretty difficult to
sit at a V:TES table and not see any Ventrue, but since then came the
whole Sabbat, and all of the Bloodlines as well. So paying 10pool for
one vampire that does nothing at all without help from cards unless
there is a single other clan in play is not exactly something to be
proud of.

Not anymore! Now she comes right out of your uncontrolled region with
inherent +1stealth. Currently the overwhelming amount of easy
intercept, permanent or no, makes this ability almost a must in many
decks. Especially for her since she is a Red List minion. As we
discovered a few days ago, any Methuselah can target Kemintiri with D
actions at a cost, and given the fact that the Followers of Set aren't
the most difficult vampires to beat up in the game, she pretty much
begs to be targeted. So while she is ready, her +1stealth helps a lot
in making sure all of the actions she attempts actually pass. So while
she isn't a fantastic-oh-my-god-how-powerful-Arika-scoot-over vampire,
she is still good in my opinion. And when she merges….

Now we're talking! Suddenly Kemintiri becomes a pseudo-Justicar with
almost all the advantages of being one (she can still be PTO´ed), and
none of the drawbacks (she isn't afraid of Mekhet for example). Her 3
votes and inherent stealth, along with her superior Presence and
Obfuscate make her a fantastic voter, one that can even call Alastor
votes to prepare for the hungry trophy-hunters that will be coming
after her. And let's not forget all the traditions. And if any Ventrue
does show its face after Kemintiri is merged, she can bleed their
controller for 2 at +2stealth now! Just hope said Ventrue is not
Lucinde, who will be able to triple-rush Kemintiri with enough Freak
Drives in the same turn. :P

Her superior Thaumaturgy lets her use her inherent stealth twice per
turn after a Rutor´s Hand and her Magic of the Smith actions are even
harder to block, should she choose them as a way to prepare for combat
instead of Alastor votes. Not a vampire that is easy to use, no
brainless influence-Arika-win-game action here, but the best thing
about her is her potential, being almost a vampire with two clans, two
titles and two sects at the same time. The change in Invitation
Accepted makes Follower of Set Camarilla decks more viable, and should
they become Camarilla, Kemintiri´s powers can make your other
Followers of Set all titled Princes in no time. And if all else fails,
if Kemintiri is low on blood, is declared Anathema and Lucinde after a
lot or rushes doesn't look like she will be giving up so soon, you can
always send Kemintiri to the Khobar Towers for a last ditch, glorious
10pool contribution to the clan! :)

Although it's quite ineffective, the [Serpentis Master] [Temptation]
[Mummify] [Diablerize / Sac. Lamb] combo is certainly amusing, when it
works.

--

David Cherryholmes
david.cherryhol...@gmail.com

"OK. So be it. It's not my view, but whatever makes you
happy, right? I'm all about making you happy, Dave.  :-)"

Perhaps something like a "better" The Summoning:

Dead and Loving It
+ 2 Stealth Action.
Requires a Follower of Set in torpor.  Usable by a tapped vampire.
Search your library for an ally that requires a Follower of Set. This
vampire recruits that ally (he or she must meet the requirements, if
any, of the ally). Reduce the cost of the ally by one pool.  Shuffle
your library afterward.