Ahrimanes Newsletter #5 [long]
Jazzbeaux
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[ AHRIMANES NEWSLETTER ]
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1.0 - Editorial
1.1 Word From the Editor
1.2 Pack Alpha Poem
1.3 Next Issue
2.0 - Concepts
2.1 Crypt Card Focus
2.2 Library Card Focus
2.2.1 David Quinonero Santiago's Tournament Winning deck
3.0 - Deck
3.1 Pack of Wolves deck
3.2 Sign Off
--[1.1 - Word from the Editor]-----------------------
Well once again I have managed to scrape together another newsletter.
Hopefully this one will be legible, after last month's trials, I don't know
if that was the reason for the lack of feedback, or perhaps the newsletter
was just perfection so didn't need any! :)
Either way I am sure someone will let me know what I am doing soon.
--[1.2 - Poetry Time]---------------------------------
In a change to the usual bloodletting, we have a poem written about the card
of the month, so here it is.
"The Puppy Poem" to Pack Alpha with Wolves by Fred Scott
There's a Setter in your sweater and a Bulldog in your briefs,
there are Boxers in your boxers and they never wanna leave.
There's a Shih Tzu whose inhabiting your filthy dungarees,
and when you drop your drawers there's that nasty Bichon Frise.
How 'bout a Schnauzer in your trousers and those Terriers in your togs?
And the baying staying playing's from a Chinese Crested Dog.
What with foxes in your soxes and the Shar Peis in your shoes,
and that Collie in your collar so you're never gonna lose.
Know your duds are filled with Pugs, know there's Chow Chows in your chaps,
and your sportswear's full of Shorthairs, and there's Huskies in your hats,
Akitas in your speedos, Springer Spaniels in your spats,
and an Afghan in your caftan, there can't be too much of that.
When your neck is on the line and the shit has come to pass,
when you realize you're hurting and you need to fix it fast,
when you're waiting for a godsend and you want to make it last,
just reach down low, make a fist, and pull puppies from your ass.
I hope Fred Scott doesn't mind me putting it here - bit late now.
--[1.3 -Next Issue]---------------------------------
Well that all depends on time, enthusiasm and caffeine levels - that sort of
thing. Anyway I am making this all up as I go along!
--[2.1 - Crypt Card Focus]-------------
Back to Jyhad for this one, yes it is the return of
Bear Paw
Clan: Gangrel (group 1)
Capacity: 5
Disciplines: ANI for pre pro
Camarilla.
Rarity: Jyhad:V VTES:V Tenth:B
Now Bear Paw may not be female, but he has got the skills, and more
importantly lower capacity than last issues Una. This means that you can
reduce your average crypt capacity, and hopefully pull out more minions.
Other Clans can of course use the various breed cards, but with the Ahrimane
Sterility that is not an option.
One thing Bear Paw brings is protean, which two of the Ahrimanes share, and
gives access to some combat prevention/protection which is usually a
problem, especially if you are trying close range combat. Of course he also
has fortitude but as only one Ahrimane has that skill, it is more difficult
to graft on unless you further diversify the crypt, or use the Seal of
Veddartha, which would be quite slow to build up.
--[2.2 - Library Card Focus]-------------
Pack Alpha. Kindred Most Wanted brought a card that helps to accelerate
Animalism decks in the same way as Concealed Weapon does for Gun decks.
Pack Alpha
Type: Combat
Requires: Animalism
A vampire may play only one Pack Alpha each round.
[ani] Employ an animal retainer from your hand before range is determined.
Pay cost as normal.
[ANI] Burn an animal retainer employed by this vampire and put this card on
this vampire. The minion with this card gets +1 strength. A minion may have
only one Pack Alpha.
Rarity: KMW:C
Currently there are seven animal retainers to choose from; Dog Pack, Jackal,
Murder of Crows, Owl Companion, Raptor, Raven Spy & Wolf Companion. Of
those only four are worth having multiples of on a single minion, although I
assume multiple Jackals would stack if you were bleeding Assamites or
Followers of Set. Now the most obvious retainers to employ via Pack Alpha
would be Murder of Crows as they do environmental ranged damage, Raven Spy
which add permanent intercept (permacept), and Raptor which like Raven Spy
adds permacept, but at superior depletes your opponents hand while in
combat. Wolf Companion loses out a little; as it is close range only, which
although reasonably easy to achieve normally results in taking damage in
return.
The two options I would go for would be Trap, Carrion Crows, Pack Alpha &
Murder of Crows combat, where you would literally peck away at minion's
blood. This could be done with Rush Combat, or perhaps as an Animalism
Wall, in which case adding Raven Spy to the mix would up the permanent
intercept.
The other option would be Pack Alpha, Raven Spy & if superior Animalism is
available, Song in the Dark, which will punish blocked vampires. Blocking
gives the advantage of choosing strikes after the acting minion, so you
shouldn't waste the card unnecessarily. Of course grafting on other skills
gives different options, as we will see.
Now the following deck looks like it would benefit from Pack Alpha, but I
can't see what you could actually take out to fit them in - obviously the
sign of a well honed deck! This is borne out by the fact that it is a
Tournament Winner at a fairly big event. I have played this deck, and while
it has caused problems to the other players I have yet to do much with it -
different play styles perhaps? An earlier version of this deck appeared in
Ahrimane Newsletter # 3.
Friday night in Atlanta - SERQ2k4 night before
Atlanta, Georgia. May 21st, 2004.
21 players. 2 rounds and a final.
Deck Name: Ahrimanes
Created By: David Quinonero Santiago
Crypt: (12 cards, Min: 19, Max: 31, Avg: 6.33)
----------------------------------------------
3 Howler ANI obf PRE SPI 8, Ahrimanes:2
3 Siamese ani PRE pro SPI 7, Ahrimanes:2
3 Cynthia Ingold ani for pre SPI 6, Ahrimanes:2
2 Juanita Santiago ani pre spi 4, Ahrimanes:2
1 Nettie Hale ani cel pre pro spi 5, Ahrimanes:2
Library: (90 cards)
-------------------
Master (15 cards)
2 Animalism
3 Blood Doll
3 Direct Intervention
2 Guardian Angel
1 Heidelberg Castle, Germany
1 KRCG News Radio
1 Powerbase: Montreal
1 Rack, The
1 Sudden Reversal
Action (20 cards)
2 Army of Rats
8 Enchant Kindred
2 Engling Fury
1 Entrancement
2 Legal Manipulations
5 Nose of the Hound
Reaction (24 cards)
6 Cats` Guidance
4 Falcon`s Eye
6 Forced Awakening
8 Speak with Spirits
Combat (14 cards)
4 Aid from Bats
8 Carrion Crows
2 Majesty
Retainer (9 cards)
1 Mr. Winthrop
6 Murder of Crows
2 Raven Spy
Equipment (2 cards)
1 Flak Jacket
1 IR Goggles
Combo (6 cards)
6 Swiftness of the Stag
Something else that could be good in this deck is Neighbourhood Watch
Commander, as that will help punish blocked minions. However it would
require quite a bit of reworking to get a number of them in there - an idea
for next issue I believe!
--[3.1 - Deck:]--------------------
Deck Name: Flock of Birds
Attritional combat, this is where this deck hopes to succeed. Using the
various 'until end of combat' cards, and building up the Murder of Crows you
should soon control the table, as you will have permanent intercept and
ranged damage. I haven't been able to test this deck yet, so if anyone
tries it let me know how it plays.
Crypt [13 vampires] Capacity min: 3 max: 7 average: 5.31
3x Siamese, The 7 PRE SPI ani pro Ahrimanes:2
3x Bear Paw 5 ANI for pre pro Gangrel:1
2x Cynthia Ingold 6 SPI ani for pre Ahrimanes:2
2x Nettie Hale 5 ani cel pre pro spi Ahrimanes:2
2x Juanita Santiago 4 ani pre spi Ahrimanes:2
1x Anastasia Grey 3 ani pro Gangrel:1
Library [90 cards]
Action [10]
3x Engling Fury
3x Intimidation
4x Nose of the Hound
Combat [36]
2x Adaptability
9x Carrion Crows
9x Flesh of Marble
8x Pack Alpha
2x Taste of Vitae
6x Trap
Combat/Action Modifier [5]
5x Swiftness of the Stag
Master [14]
2x Animalism
4x Blood Doll
2x Fame
1x Haven Uncovered
1x Heidelberg Castle, Germany
1x KRCG News Radio
3x Protean
Reaction [15]
2x Cats' Guidance
4x Falcon's Eye
3x Guard Dogs
4x Speak with Spirits
2x Wake with Evening's Freshness
Retainer [10]
6x Murder of Crows
4x Raven Spy
Probably needs to go in one direction or the other really, as at the moment
it can do some combat, and some blocking, but neither very well. However it
brings together the ideas of this newsletter quite nicely.
--[3.2 - Sign Off]-------------
Well by the time I write this for the next letter, there will hopefully be
some previews of Legacies of Blood. I would imagine that the previews will
focus on the new clans, but we can hope for a tasty, and official tidbit.
Meanwhile the potential spoilers on Path of Blood are good, and I am off to
enjoy my Birthday!
Sam
*
Graham Smith
> Pack Alpha
> Type: Combat
> Requires: Animalism
> A vampire may play only one Pack Alpha each round.
> [ani] Employ an animal retainer from your hand before range is determined.
> Pay cost as normal.
> [ANI] Burn an animal retainer employed by this vampire and put this card on
> this vampire. The minion with this card gets +1 strength. A minion may have
> only one Pack Alpha.
> Rarity: KMW:C
>
> Currently there are seven animal retainers to choose from; Dog Pack, Jackal,
> Murder of Crows, Owl Companion, Raptor, Raven Spy & Wolf Companion. Of
> those only four are worth having multiples of on a single minion, although I
> assume multiple Jackals would stack if you were bleeding Assamites or
> Followers of Set. Now the most obvious retainers to employ via Pack Alpha
> would be Murder of Crows as they do environmental ranged damage, Raven Spy
> which add permanent intercept (permacept), and Raptor which like Raven Spy
> adds permacept, but at superior depletes your opponents hand while in
> combat. Wolf Companion loses out a little; as it is close range only, which
> although reasonably easy to achieve normally results in taking damage in
> return.
I do not think you should ignore Owl Companion: 1. Get to look at
opponents hand in combat, this is a good thing as you then know when
its best to play Trap/Crows. 2. Its free and so you can crunch it up
using superior Pack alpha for +1 Strength when no longer needed or when
you have more then one on a minion.
Graham.
Jazzbeaux
> I do not think you should ignore Owl Companion: 1. Get to look at
> opponents hand in combat, this is a good thing as you then know when
> its best to play Trap/Crows. 2. Its free and so you can crunch it up
> using superior Pack alpha for +1 Strength when no longer needed or when
> you have more then one on a minion.
True, and perhaps a mix of them in amongst the other multiple retainers
would be good, but like anything it is fitting them in.
Sam
Graham Smith
>
> True, and perhaps a mix of them in amongst the other multiple retainers
> would be good, but like anything it is fitting them in.
But if you have better "intel" on when combat is going to work, could
you not reduce your combat cards and therefore make room for them?
Graham.
Jazzbeaux
> you not reduce your combat cards and therefore make room for them?
Yes, and it has been noted down in the future newsletter ideas. Certainly
might have helped last night, although it might equally have been depressing
seeing the handful of Earth Melds opposing me...
Sam