Ahrimanes Newsletter #20
Jazzbeaux
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[ AHRIMANES NEWSLETTER ]
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1.0 - Editorial
1.1 Word From the Editor
1.2 Next Issue
2.0 - Concepts
2.1 Crypt Card Focus
2.2 Library Card Focus
3.0 - Deck
3.1 Ahrimane Winner
3.2 Sign Off
--[1.1 - Word from the Editor]-----------------------
"People always underestimate the Ahrimanes"
Apparently they do, as this was a statement on one of the photos from
the European Championship 2006. Yet it was an Ahrimane deck that won
the event overall, as played by Anthony Coleman who had previously won
the National Cup (UK) 2006 with almost exactly the same deck! This
surely marks the Ahrimanes as a clan to be wary of in 2007, as they
have achieved much in 2006.
--[1.2 -Next Issue]------------------------------------
Well I have been talking about Millennium Cultists for about five
issues now, so I think that I will have to include something on it.
What exactly remains to be seen...
I will have hosted the Bath event by then, so at the very least I can
comment upon that. Also the full workings of the deck will have been
openly revealed by then, so can look at that in depth.
--[2.1 - Crypt Card Focus]--------------------------
This issue it is the last of the Bloodlines Ahrimanes that we look at
Cynthia Ingold
Clan: Ahrimane (group 2)
Capacity: 6
Disciplines: SPI ani for pre
Sabbat: Cynthia gets +1 strength in combat with a Camarilla vampire.
Sterile.
Cynthia is often overlooked, at least by me, because of her weak skill
base and apparently limited special. However looking again we can see
that ANI and PRE both work well at inferior, and SPI is at superior
which is very important as all SPI cards are better at superior.
Cynthia also has FOR, which she now shares with Maria Stone, and if you
go back to NL 07 there is a Shared Strength deck that uses FOR
Finally we look at her special, and as I said it looks limited, but
looking at the tournament scene I think you are more likely to come
across Camarilla vampires than any other (certainly pre 3rd ED) and so
Cynthia will actually use that special more often than not. This is
good in an attritional block deck, as you can grind down your opponents
quickly, and this is why I believe she has earned her space in this
month's deck.
--[2.2 - Library Card Focus]------------------------
Well as 2007 looms on the horizon I will look at the promos that will
be coming our way, and what use they might be. There are of course
three other promos that have just been released but they are of less
direct use, so we will look at the two that are of more use. First up
is:
Waxen Poetica
Equipment, 1 Pool.
Unique Weapon. Strike: 2R aggravated damage. Not useable against a
vampire
with Celerity, an ally or a retainer. Burn after use.
Now it is not a fantastic card, but I think it will have its place in
an Ahrimane deck. You can easily put one into a deck where you use the
traditional Aid from Bats and Carrion Crows, as this will give you the
ability to burn a vampire going to torpor on zero blood. Of course
there is the drawbacks of not being useable against a vampire with CEL
of which there are 343 of 1037, or 33%. Not ideal, but it does mean
that 67% of vampires can be targeted. Allies could be a problem, but
most of them will go down to the Bats and Crows, as will Retainers if
that is what you want to do. So perhaps use just two Waxen Poetica in
a deck, just for that Fatality Move!
Botched Move
Combat
Only usable as the opposing minion plays a card that requires a
Discipline.
The opposing minion's controller reveals the top two cards of his or
her library (before drawing to replace). If another copy of the same
combat card is revealed, the played card is canceled (cost is still
paid), the opposing minion takes 1 unpreventable damage, and all
revealed copies are burned. A minion may play only one Botched Move
each combat.
This maybe the closest the Ahrimanes will get to an anti S:CE combat
card. Now I haven't tried it yet but again it seems that a couple
against a focused combat package would work well. By that I mean a
combat package such as Torn Signpost/Grapple or Carrion Crows/Aid from
Bats, where the majority of the combat cards are made up of a few
different cards. This also hold true for a lot of S:CE decks, as
Majesty is still the main card, and if you can cancel a few of these
from time to time then it will be worth putting them it.
Perhaps it should be combined with Chiram's Hold? This overlooked
Anarch expansion card can make cards such as Majesty very expensive,
and the only way to get rid of it is by discarding one of the same
cards. I have not personally tried Chiram's but a couple of the
local players have surprised us with it recently and it certainly had
an effect in those games.
Chiram's Hold
Type: Combat
Cost: 1 blood
Requires a ready vampire in combat with an acting minion. Only usable
before range is determined.
Give this card to the controller of the acting minion and move a combat
card from that Methuselah's ash heap to this card. The chosen combat
card costs that Methuselah's vampires an additional blood. That
Methuselah may burn this card by discarding a copy of the chosen combat
card during his or her discard phase. A Methuselah can have only 1
Chiram's Hold.
Finally there is the following card
Gran Madre di Dio, Italy
Cardtype: Equipment
In play, this is a unique location and does not count as equipment.
When your predator or prey puts a minion in play in any phase except
the untap phase, that minion is tapped. If that minion is a younger
vampire, he or she burns 1 blood.
This is a very powerful card for the Ahrimane Attrition type decks, as
each younger minion will be that much closer to being Carrion Crows/Aid
from Bats into torpor. Also it may mean you can get an extra sneaky
bleed in as players miscalculate their untapping options for blocks.
The main problem for the Ahrimanes though will be getting it into place
quickly enough, as they lack cards such as Magic of the Smith and
Sybils Tongue. Vast Wealth would help, although you will probably need
further action modifiers to ensure that the action is successful.
--[3.1 - Deck: Ahrimane
Winner]---------------------------------------
Now I present Anthony Coleman's multi tournament winning deck. It
has won the Nergal Storyline in Bath, the Sleepy Time tournament at the
NAC (under Hugh Angseesing's guidance), the UK National Cup 2006, and
the EC 2006 as well. I managed to get Anthony to comment on his deck,
so these are included as well.
Sam: What sparked your initial ideas?
Anthony: Wanting to make a deck that is slow, and unassuming not
getting much attention from the table. With strong end game potential.
Sam: How many drafts did it go through?
Anthony: There were a few drafts, but all were pretty consistent with
the main theme and there were never really any major, intrinsic
changes.
Sam: Was it used in lots of practice games - real or JOL?
Anthony: I have played the deck a lot yes, IRL, and in JOL/webvtes
Sam: What are its strengths?
Anthony: Its main strength is that people tend to leave you alone, its
a slow burner and never looks very offensive while being able to defend
against all but the most offensive predator. You can gain significant
end game presence with some of the permanents. The combat is efficient
too, as is the untap/intercept, which is invaluable when making a
toolbox deck.
Sam: What are its weaknesses?
Anthony: It's weak in the early game to a very fast predator, and has
nothing to say against any type of master deck. Its toolbox so as such
suffers from a lack of focus, but I don't think that is a weakness
per se.
Sam: Which cards didn't quite make it into the deck? (Cards 91-100?)
Anthony: I'd like to work in a couple of Magnums, and also it could
benefit with some Enchant Kindreds... What to take out is another
matter though. Ossian and
the NHW Commander are perhaps a minor luxury - they could feasibly go.
Now here it is the Ahrimanes Winner.
2 Cynthia Ingold ani for pre SPI 6 Ahrimane
Sabbat
4 Howler obf ANI PRE SPI 8 Ahrimane
Sabbat
1 Juanita Santiago ani pre spi 4 Ahrimane
Sabbat
2 The Siamese ani pro PRE SPI 7 Ahrimane
Sabbat
1 Dani ani 2 Nosferatu
antitribu Sabbat
1 Gillian Krader ani dem 2 Pander
Sabbat
1 Zip ani 2 Ravnos
Sabbat
Library:
Master(17)
2 Animalism
6 Blood Doll
1 Guardian Angel
1 KRCG News Radio
1 Pentex Subversion
1 Powerbase: Montreal
1 Smiling Jack, The Anarch
1 The Hungry Coyote
1 The Rack
1 WMRH Talk Radio
1 Fame
Action (11)
1 Aranthebes, The Immortal
1 Army of Rats
4 Engling Fury
1 Heart of the City
4 Nose of the Hound
Equipment (2)
2 Leather Jacket
Ally (5)
1 Carlton Van Wyk (Hunter)
1 High Top
1 Mylan Horseed (Goblin)
1 Neighborhood Watch Commander (Hunter)
1 Ossian
Retainer (8)
3 Murder of Crows
1 Owl Companion
4 Raven Spy
Reaction (20)
5 Cats' Guidance
5 Falcon's Eye
10 Speak with Spirits
Combat (18)
6 Aid from Bats
2 Canine Horde
8 Carrion Crows
2 Pack Alpha
Combat/Action Modifier (8)
8 Swiftness of the Stag
Event (1)
1 The Unmasking
Hopefully I have the correct listing for this deck; there are some
variants out there with extra Raven Spys or Dr. Marisa Fletcher, CDC.
Anyway I think you can that the deck runs on quite a knife edge with
quite a small combat package, however the permanents and specials of
the deck keep it going, especially in combat light environments.
--[3.2 - Sign Off]-------------------------------------
Well it is nearly Christmas so I am off to celebrate in the usual
manner. I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas and, of course, a
Happy New Year, when I will return with more Ahrimane NL's for you.
Sam
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