Harbingers of Skulls Newsletter, Spring 2007 REVISED (Lasombra, please archive this instead of the original, thanks!)
Malone
list of rush-habing or rush-gnerating cards. There's no new content.
THE LAZARENE INQUISITOR vol.1, no1
Harbingers of Skulls Quarterly Newsletter, Spring 2007
CONTENTS
0 About the Newsletter
I Tips for Beginners: Rushing
II Recent Developments
III Deck: Anjimmina
IV What Lies Ahead?
ABOUT THE NEWSLETTER
This issue the newsletter gets a title, The Lazarene Inquisitor, and
moves to a quarterly publication schedule. Monthly or even quasi-
monthly is too frequent for this editor's abilities. (In fact, half
of this issue was written in March and languished on my laptop until
now, mid June.) As a Bloodline, the Harbingers of Skulls only get new
cards once in a blue moon, anyway.
TIPS FOR BEGINNERS: RUSH ACTIONS
Combat is a very important part of Vampire: The Eternal Struggle. In
fact this game has a much richer combat mechanic than most other
CCG's. I often see brand-new players trying to initiate combat just
by tapping a minion. I guess they bring with them habits from other
games and haven't yet fully adjusted to how minions take actions. In
V:TES, combat only happens by default when an action is blocked.
Of course there are cards that do allow one minion to take an action
to enter combat with another. This is often called rushing, although
it's worth noting that "rush" is not a formal term of the game. There
are a few other more unusual ways to provoke a combat, but only an
action to enter combat is properly called a rush.
Choosing among the cards that can give you rush actions, there are
some basic criteria.
1) Who can take the action? Some cards require the acting minion to
be a vampire, or have other requirements such as a discipline, clan or
sect.
2) Who can be the target of the action? Some cards restrict the kind
of minion you can target, such as a tapped minion or an older
vampire. Remember that your minions can never have combat with each
other, only with minions controlled by another Methuselah (i.e.
another player).
3) Does the card have a cost? It could cost blood or pool or have
some other detriment, such as temporarily reducing your hand size.
4) Does the card have any beneficial side-effects? Your acting minion
might get an optional maneuver or press if the action is successful
(i.e. unblocked); there might be some reward, such as blood or pool,
for taking out the opposing minion (removing them from the ready
region by burning or torporizing).
5) Does the action have any inherent stealth? Rush actions at 0
stealth are often blocked. You still get combat, but maybe not with
the opponent you wanted. Also, any side benefits of a successful
action are lost.
6) Does the card have a lingering effect that could allow more than
one rush? There's a whole spectrum here, from one-shot cards like
Bum's Rush, thru short-duration cards like Frontal Assault, semi-
permanents like Archon and Haven Uncovered, to permanents like Shakar
or the various Contracts. A Contract is a permanent rush-granting
effect between a specific rusher and a specific target minion.
Take all of these criteria into account when figuring out how to work
rushing into your deck's capabilities. If you want to multirush,
which means have a minion or minions each take more than one rush
action per turn by somehow untapping between them, you will need
distinct sources for the multiple rush actions - a minion cannot
repeat an action that comes from an action card or a card in play.
Some minions have the Red List attribute, which more-or-less
indicates that they are wanted fugitives. In the game, this allows
other minions to take rush actions against them, but only with the
proper set-up. From the rulebook,
Red List: Any Methuselah may use a master phase action to mark a Red
List minion for the current turn. Any ready vampire she controls may
enter combat with a marked Red List minion as a +1 stealth (D) action
that costs 1 blood. Each vampire can take this action only once each
turn.
Here is a comprehensive list of current rush-generating cards. The
list would be much too long if it included individual commentary or
card text. White Wolf has an index of cards with complete text at
http://www.white-wolf.com/vtes/index.php?line=cardlist.html .
One-shot rush actions useable by any minion: Ambush; Big Game ;
Bum's Rush; Harass.
One-shot rush actions with requirements: Games of Instinct;
Monomancy; Muse of Flame; Nose of the Hound; Purity of the Beast;
Rumble; Sense Death; Taunt the Caged Beast.
Ways to give a minion rush ability: Alastor; Archon; Enrage; Eye
of Hazimel; Joseph Pander; Lunatic Eruption; Redline; Shakar;
Stone Dog; Talbot's Chainsaw; Templar; Tracker's Mark.
Ways to make a minion a target for rushes: Blood Hunt; Haven
Uncovered; Highway Haven: RV (negative side-effect); Illuminate
(negative side-effect); Red List; Regent (negative side-effect);
Samuel Haight (negative special ability); Trumped-Up Charges;
Unacceptable Appearance; Vendetta; Veneficorum Artum Sanguis
(negative side-effect); War Party.
Cards allowing one specific minion to rush another specific minion:
Clandestine Contract; Contract; Dirty Contract; Hand Contract;
Haqim's Law: Judgment; Political Struggle.
Cards allowing certain kinds of minions to rush other kinds: Break
the Code; Covenant of Blood; Dogs of War; Frontal Assault;
Imperial Decree; Judgment: Death to the Brujah!.
Crypt minions with inherent rush ability : Adonai; Amelia; Anka,
Priestess of Thorns; Beast, the Leatherface of Detroit; Black
Annis; Count Germaine; Ebanezer Roush; Ellen Fence, the Tracker;
Enkidu, the Noah; Faruq; Ferox, the Rock Lord; Hrothulf; Ignazio
Giovanni; Jacques Molay; Jeremy MacNeil (Advanced); John "Cop90"
O'Malley; Karsh; Kemintiri; Lady Zara Slatikov; Langa; Lucinde,
Alastor; Massassi; Nangila Were; Pariah; Radeyah; Roxanne,
Rectrix of the 13th Floor; Salinger; Tariq, the Silent; Theo Bell;
Tupdog; Uta Kovacs; Wynn.
Non-crypt minions with inherent rush ability: Abomination; Amam the
Devourer; Call the Great Beast; Cry Wolf; Escaped Mental Patient;
Herald of Topheth; High Top; Muddled Vampire Hunter; Order of
Hermes Cabal; Ossian; Renegade Garou; Rock Cat; Shambling Hordes;
War Ghoul; Wendell Delburton.
Minions (crypt or not) that are inherent targets for rushing,
including Red List minions: Alexis Sorokin; Angelo; Count Germaine
(Advanced); Dylan (Advanced); Genina, the Red Poet; Giangaleazzo,
the Traitor; Huang, Blood Cultist; Jayne Jonestown; Kemintiri;
Kemintiri (Advanced); Marcus Vitel (Advanced); Margarite; Mata
Hari; Ossian; Petaniqua; Petaniqua (Advanced); Rabbat, the Sewer
Goddess; Tariq, the Silent (Advanced); Valerius Maior, Hell's Fool;
Valerius Maior, Hell's Fool (Advanced).
WHAT"S NEW(ISH): THIRD EDITION & SWORD OF CAINE
Third Edition is a large base-set expansion consisting primarily of
new Crypt cards and reprinted Library cards, while Sword of Caine is a
small set with no reprints. Both focus on the Sabbat, with Sword of
Caine primarily concerned with the Black Hand. As a Sabbat clan, the
Harbingers of Skulls should be in a position to benefit from many of
the new cards. The most interesting developments, vis-a-vis our clan,
are some new vampires in compatible mainstream clans, which hopefully
will be more exciting when we get a few more vampires in the later
groupings (3/4 and 4/5).
New Crypt Cards
While Necromancy cards are not included in either new set, there are
a few necromancers among the new vampires. Unfortunately they have
huge capacity and little or no synergy with any HoS
Mugur Sabau (3E boosters)
9 !Gan G4 [vic CEL NEC OBF PRO]
Sabbat Archbishop of Pittsburgh: Each time Mugur commits diablerie, he
gets an additional +1 bleed.
Luca Italicus (3E boosters)
10 Las G4 [tha DOM FOR NEC OBT POT]
Sabbat Archbishop of Philadelphia: Once each round after the first,
Luca can strike for 2R damage.
Appius Claudius Corvus (SoC)
10 Las G5 [cel nec DOM OBT POT]
Sabbat. Black Hand. Seraph: +1 stealth.
There are a few good new playmates for Phagian.
Jefferson Foster (3E boosters)
6 !Ven G4 [for tha AUS DOM]
Sabbat bishop.
Polly Kay Fisher (3E boosters)
8 !Ven G4 [for pot AUS DOM THA]
Sabbat Archbishop of New York.
We should probably also take a quick look at some other new vampires
with both Auspex and Fortitude. Of course, there's virtually all of
clan Ventrue antitribu. The standouts here are Jefferson and Polly,
as listed above; Neighbor John for his affordable permacept; Louis de
Maisonneuve and Titus Camille as a way to add Dominate and Obfuscate
to the crypt; and Konrad Fleischer, whose disciplines have good
overlap with both Phagian and Babalawo Alafin. And it would be wrong
not to mention Elimelech.
Neighbor John (3E boosters)
5 !Ven G4 [dom for AUS] +1 intercept
Louis de Maisonneuve (3E boosters)
5 !Ven G4 [aus dom obf FOR]
Titus Camille (3E boosters)
8 !Ven G4 [for AUS DOM OBF]
Titus can steal equipment from a minion controlled by your predator or
prey as a (D) action. +1 strength.
Konrad Fleischer (3E boosters)
9 !Ven G4 [tha ANI AUS DOM FOR]
Once each round, Konrad may treat 1 aggravated damage as normal. He
gets an optional press each combat.
Elimelech the Twice Damned (SoC)
11 !Ven G5 [pro US DEM DOM FOR OBF]
Sabbat. Black Hand. Seraph: Elimelech strikes with first strike. +1
bleed. +1 strength.
How about the other clans? There are eight new non-Ventrue with
Auspex and Fortitude. None looks especially compatible with the
current G3/4 or G4/5 Harbingers of Skulls. Since we can expect one
more HoS in G4 and one in G5, the eventual viability of cooperation
with this crop of new vampires is a matter of speculation.
Frere Marc (3E boosters)
6 Gangrel antitribu G4
aus for PRO THA
Apache Jones (3E !Mal starter)
5 Malkavian antitribu G4
aus for obf DEM
Marge Khan (SoC)
7 Malkavian antitribu G5
aus for DEM OBF POT
Klaus Konrecht (3E boosters)
8 Toreador antitribu G4
for pot AUS CEL PRE
Sabbat cardinal.
Esoara (3E !Tre starter)
5 Tremere antitribu G4
aus for pot DOM
Lernean (3E boosters)
10 Tremere antitribu G4
for pro AUS CEL DOM THA
Sabbat cardinal: Once each round, Lernean may burn 1 blood to get an
additional strike.
New Library Cards
Abbot (3E)
+1 stealth action. Requires a Sabbat vampire.
Put this card on this acting Sabbat vampire and untap him or her. This
Sabbat vampire gets +1 intercept against (D) actions directed at his
or her controller. A vampire may have only one Abbot.
There's no reason not to use this card, unless you never intend to
block anything. It's cheaper and more durable than a Masquer or a
Sport Bike.
Biothaumaturgic Experiment (SoC)
Cost: 1 pool
+1 stealth action.
[tha] Employ an animal retainer from your hand (ignore requirements;
pay cost as normal).
[THA] Put this card on a minion you control. The minion with this card
gets an optional maneuver each combat and +1 strength.
This could be good in a deck featuring Phagian and some Salubri
Antitribu. It's also a (very expensive) way to get Dog Pack on your
vampires without controlling a Gangrel.
Census Taker (SoC)
Cost: 1 pool
Unique master.
Put this card on a ready Black Hand vampire. During an action, this
Black Hand vampire can tap to give any other Sabbat vampire +1 bleed
or 2 additional votes for the current action. During an action, this
Black Hand vampire can tap to give any other Black Hand vampire +1
intercept.
None of the Harbingers of Skulls is Black Hand out-of-the-box, but
there are several very compatible vampires that are, and Rico Loco or
Piotr Andreikov look good for a Census Taker in a Harbinger deck that
might include Sennadurek and Blackhorse Tanner and Katherine Stoddard,
or Aredhel.
Cloak of Blood (SoC)
Action. Requires a vampire with capacity above 5 who can commit
diablerie.
(D) Diablerize a vampire in torpor, and this vampire may gain one
level of a Discipline the victim had. In the resulting blood hunt
referendum, this vampire gets an additional 2 votes.
Here's a way to get your prey's disciplines on your vampires so you
can use the cards that Agaitas lets you draw from your prey's
library. There's probably also some good way to use this to, say,
have Gisela diablerize Blanche Hill to grab her Obeah, then you
influence out Matthias and use Possession to bring back Blanche.
Codex of the Damned (3E)
Unique equipment.
While the bearer has Thaumaturgy [tha], he or she is considered to
have superior Thaumaturgy. Each time the bearer with Thaumaturgy
commits diablerie, each other ready vampire you control gains 1 blood,
and each one younger than the victim may receive a master: Discipline
card from your ash heap, hand, or library (shuffle afterward).
Use this one in the Phagian + Archbishops aus-dom-for-nec-tha decks
that must be out there somewhere.
Empowering the Puppet King (SoC)
Cost: 1 blood
Action Modifier
Only usable by a ready, untapped vampire other than the acting minion
you control. After playing this card, you cannot play another action
modifier to further increase the bleed for this action.
[dom] The acting minion gets +1 bleed.
[DOM] As above, but usable by a tapped vampire.
This is a decent bleed enhancer for scattered Dominate, which is not
uncommon for a HoS deck.
Forced Vigilance (SoC)
Cost: 1 blood
Reaction
[for] Only usable by a tapped vampire immediately after he or she
blocks (play after combat, if any). Untap this reacting vampire.
[FOR] Only usable by a tapped vampire during a (D) action directed
against you (or something you control). Untap this vampire.
This'd be strong if it were free, too strong I guess. At 1 blood it
only makes sense if you've got reactions that can't be used during a
Wake, which you probably don't. It seems a pointless addition to
Fortitude, which is not an overpowered discipline anyway .
Framing an Ancient Grudge (SoC)
Clan: Ventrue antitribu
Master.
Choose a prince or primogen, or burn 3 pool to choose a justicar. The
chosen vampire loses his or her title.
Since among the base-set Sabbat clans the Ventrue Antitribu are most
compatible with us, this could be another reason to consider a HoS / !
Ven political deck. Maybe you could pass Brinksmanship without using
Dia de los Muertos.
Psychic Assault (SoC)
[aus] Strike: 1R damage. Any effect which would make damage from this
strike aggravated leaves the damage normal instead. If this striking
vampire is Black Hand, the damage from this strike is unpreventable.
[AUS] As above, but for 2R damage.
This looks like it's worth putting a few in a fighty HoS deck that
prefers close range, for those awkward times that you get stuck at
long - since it's also useable at close it shouldn't clog your hand.
If you're playing a non-combat Black Hand deck that wants a little hit-
back, it becomes a strong enough strike to consider using Unflinching
Persistence / Psychic Assault as your combat module instead of, say,
Concealed Weapon / .44 Magnum.
Veil the Legions (SoC)
Action Modifier
[obf] Only usable by a ready, untapped vampire other than the acting
minion you control. The acting minion gets +1 stealth. Only one Veil
the Legions may be played each action.
[OBF] As above, and this vampire may burn X additional blood to give
+1 stealth to the next X actions your minions perform this turn. Only
one Veil the Legions can be played at superior each turn.
If your deck stars Egotha, why not add Watenda to your crypt, and a
few of these and maybe a Changeling Skin Mask to your library?
Wash (3E)
Master: out-of-turn. Trifle. Do not replace until your next untap
phase.
Cancel a master card played by your predator or prey as it is played
(no cost is paid). That Methuselah gains a master phase action (if the
canceled card is an out-of-turn master, it doesn't count against that
Methuselah's next master phase).
This is a lot better than Sudden Reversal if you have your own
Masters to use (like, say, The Slaughterhouse).
Young Bloods (3E)
Cost: 2 pool
Unique mortal with 3 life. 2 strength, 0 bleed.
The Young Bloods can burn 2 blood from a tapped vampire with a
capacity less than 8 as a +1 stealth (D) action. If a vampire
controlled by another Methuselah burns the Young Bloods in combat or
as an action, he or she gains 2 blood.
Use this in combination with Lazarene Inquisitor and Gregory Winter.
DECK OF THE MONTH: ANJIMMINA
Jimmy Dunn will rush and burn your prey's minions, or your predator's
when it's absolutely necessary. The Crematorium can take care of the
ones Jimmy doesn't manage to Decapitate. Vast Wealth should go on
Mina Grotius. She needs the Ivory Bow or Hand of Conrad for combat
strength, and once she has the Erebus Mask and a Laptop Computer she
has +2 bleed at +1 stealth. Minion Tap Mina or move blood and spare
equipment off her with Heidelberg Castle, because she gains 3 blood
each time Jimmy scores a kill and then can use Ghost Eater to gain a
bunch more or Daemonic Possession to bring the burned minion back to
unlife under your control. Angelo can diablerize with impunity (and
even untap afterwards) with Rebirth. The deck is untested, so it's
likely some of the ratios will need to be adjusted.
Crypt
5x Jimmy Dunn
3x Mina Grotius
3x Angelo
1x Sandra White
Library
Master ( 11)
5x Minion Tap
2x Vast Wealth
1x Crematorium
1x Frontal Assault
1x Heidelberg Castle, Germany
1x Joseph Pander
Equipment (7)
1x Erebus Mask
1x Hand of Conrad
1x Heart of Nizchetus
1x Ivory Bow
1x Laptop Computer
1x Sargon Fragment
1x Sport Bike
Action (18)
4x Games of Instinct
1x Ambush
1x Big Game
1x Bum's Rush
1x Harass
4x Daemonic Possession
2x Chill of Oblivion
2x Ghost Eater
2x Rebirth
1x Abbot
Action Modifier (7)
4x Forced March
3x Freak Drive
Combat (45)
8x Immortal Grapple
6x Pursuit
6x Torn Signpost
4x Flash
4x Soak
3x Decapitate
3x Skin of Steel
2x Blur
2x Dead Hand
2x Psyche
2x Rolling with the Punches
2x Taste of Vitae
1x Disarm
Reaction (2)
2x On the Qui Vive
UPCOMING DEVELOPMENTS
The next V:TES expansion in Lords of the Night. It's known that it
will focus on the four mainstream Independent clans, no doubt there
will be something more than that. Maybe some Anarch or Red List
stuff, or maybe the fifth big Independent clan, the Gangrel, will be
there too. The Giovanni starter will no doubt include some welcome
reprints of Necromancy cards, and there's just a slight possibility we
might get a new Harbinger of Skulls vampire in there somewhere.
Next Newsletter is scheduled to take a look back at the Anarchs
expansion and the possibilities that going Anarch can offer our clan.
Maybe we'll see the Imbuebalawopalooza deck that was originally
promised for this issue.
The Lasombra
wrote:
>I corrected the omission of Abomination and Highway Haven: RV from the
>list of rush-habing or rush-gnerating cards. There's no new content.
>THE LAZARENE INQUISITOR vol.1, no1
>Harbingers of Skulls Quarterly Newsletter, Spring 2007
Done.
http://www.thelasombra.com/newsletter/harbingers_june_2007.htm
Malone
> On Sun, 08 Jul 2007 07:41:19 -0700, Malone <kffos...@indiana.edu>
> wrote:
>
> >I corrected the omission of Abomination and Highway Haven: RV from the
> >list of rush-habing or rush-gnerating cards. There's no new content.
> >THE LAZARENE INQUISITOR vol.1, no1
> >Harbingers of Skulls Quarterly Newsletter, Spring 2007
>
> Done.
>
> http://www.thelasombra.com/newsletter/harbingers_june_2007.htm
Thank you.