Official VEKN Ravnos Clan Newsletter - October 2005
Graham Smith
Written by Graham Smith
Introduction
Another month, another newsletter. This month I include 2 decks,
exploring the options made available by Tatiana Stepanova's special,
and discuss another card from Kindred Most Wanted and how it makes
Chimerstry so much easier to use.
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Card of the month:
Fatuus Mastery
Type: Action
Requires: Chimerstry
+1 stealth action.
[chi] Put this card on the acting vampire. During your untap phase,
add one counter to this card. The counters on this card may be used
to pay some or all of this vampire's blood cost to play cards that
require Chimerstry.
[CHI] As above, but put a counter on this card when you put it on
this acting vampire.
Rarity: KMW:C
The biggest drawback for the Ravnos has been the blood cost of
Chimerstry. But with the release of KMW we got the card every Ravnos
has always wanted - Fatuus Mastery. Now the smallest to the largest
Ravnos can play Chimerstry cards as if they where Gabrin. Another
benefit is it gives those non Ravnos vampires with Chimerstry
Genina, The Red Poet, come to mind) a way of actually using Chimerstry
without having to worry to much about blood cost. You can also play
more then one Fatuus Mastery on the same vampire to really bring down
the cost factor. Combine this card with the Path of Paradox,
The Coven or Perfectionist for complete control over the cost of
Chimerstry.
Deck of the month:
This month I feature two decks that both use Tatiana Stepanova's
special.
The first deck was sent to me by Luis Duarte, I will let him explain
it in his own words.
Deck Name: Gipsies in the Dark
Deck Comments: It's a Chimestry toolbox supported with Obfuscate, Al
Army Apparatus, to fetch the aggro weapons, and Ecoterrorists as
off-clan cards. These two cards can both be played by Tatiana Stepanova
and Mata Hari. It's not fundamental to bring controlled the Gangrel;
it's players choice depending on the game. Danielle Diron has basic
Chimestry.
The nine combat cards are supported by Occlusion (dodge) and Mirror
Image (S:CE). Draba mostly used to stop +1 stealth only actions
(like PA's and equip). Since it doesn't deflect bleeding
(with heavy stealth), the defense relies on actions to stop predator
vampires (just like a Nossie rush deck). Mr.Winthrop or other
intercept cards can be added depending on game environment.
Use Perfectionist to hunt for 2 blood.
Crypt (12):
1 Alexis Sorokin, 8 CHI OBF CEL PRO for Ravnos:4
3 Mata Hari, 7 CHI OBF aus for qui Ravnos:4
3 Tatiana Stepanova 7 CHI PRE ani for obf Ravnos:4
1 Callirus 5 CHI FOR ani Ravnos:4
2 Danielle Diron 7 chi ANI PRO for Gangrel:3
1 Bothwell 3 ani for Gangrel:3
1 Sarah Raines 2 for Gangrel:3
Library (90):
Masters (16):
4 Blood Doll
1 Park Hunting Ground
1 Ecoterrorists
1 Al's Army Apparatus
1 Fortune Teller Shop
1 Week of Nightmares
1 Path of Paradox
2 Perfectionist
2 Society of Leopold
2 Vampiric Disease
Actions (20):
6 Edged Illusion
6 Sensory Deprivation
3 Fatuus Mastery
3 Reality
1 Hidden Pathways
1 Army of Rats
Action Modifiers (29):
5 Cloak the Gathering
5 Forgotten Labyrinth
5 Fata Morgana
5 Occlusion
5 Mirror Image
2 Permanency
2 Red Herring
Combat (9):
3 Illusions of the Kindred
3 Skin of Steel
3 Soak
Equipment (3):
1 Blow Torch
1 Ivory Bow
1 Sengir Dagger
Reaction (13):
7 Wake with the Evenings Freshness
6 Draba
The second deck is a Ravnos bash/bleed toolbox that I've been playing
around with. It uses Tatiana's special to get out Dog Packs so that
the Ravnos can get down to some serious bashing and bleeding without
having to worry about S:CE.
Deck Name : Ravnos Bash and Bleed.
Author : Graham Smith
Description : As you might have guessed by now, it bashes and
bleeds! Tatiana gets a Dog Pack and bleeds, rushes or blocks.
Heidelberg Castle is there to move the Dog packs to the other
Ravnos.
Crypt [12 vampires] Capacity min: 3 max: 7 average: 5.09
------------------------------------------------------------
4x Tatiana Stepanova, 7 CHI PRE ani for obf Ravnos:4
2x Paul Forrest, Fals 5 chi for pre Ravnos:4
2x Devyn 4 ani chi pre Ravnos:4
2x Marion French 3 ani chi Ravnos:4
1x Callirus 5 CHI FOR ani Ravnos:4
1x Gharston Roland 4 CHI ani pot Ravnos:4
Library [90 cards]
------------------------------------------------------------
Action [18]
2x Ambush
1x Army of Rats
1x Arson
2x Bum's Rush
1x Edged Illusion
2x Enchant Kindred
3x Fatuus Mastery
1x Heart of the City
2x Sensory Deprivation
1x Social Charm
2x Summoning, The
Action Modifier [9]
4x Fata Morgana
2x Freak Drive
3x Red Herring
Action Modifier/Combat [8]
3x Mirror Image
5x Occlusion
Action/Reaction [5]
5x Draba
Combat [21]
8x Apparition
3x Mayaparisatya
4x Taste of Vitae
6x Trap
Combat/Reaction [1]
1x Fata Amria
Equipment [1]
1x Treasured Samadji
Event [1]
1x NSA Trio
Master [12]
2x Blood Doll
2x Chimerstry
1x Fame
1x Fortune Teller Shop
2x Heidelberg Castle, Germany
2x Path of Paradox, The
2x Perfectionist
Reaction [7]
7x Wake with Evening's Freshness
Retainer [7]
3x Dog Pack
1x Owl Companion
3x Raven Spy
Crafted with : Anarch Revolt Deck Builder. [Fri Oct 07 20:35:28 2005]
That's it for this month, hope you enjoyed the newsletter. I will
return next month when we will know how well the Ravnos are doing
in the Return of Nergal storyline.
Please send any comments, suggestions and contributions to:
graham....@gmail.com
CthuluKitty
> Combat [21]
> 8x Apparition
> 3x Mayaparisatya
> 4x Taste of Vitae
> 6x Trap
This looks to me like a pretty slim combat package for a deck that goes
out of its way to such a huge extent to stop S:CE. Imagine your horror
when you lay down a trap and Apparition, hit for 1, and then watch your
opponent press to end with the Police Department (ok...maybe not the
Police Department...). Trapparition+Dogs is definitely an awesome
combo though, and provided that the above doesn't happen it should be
guaranteed to torporize your opponent. I'd add Drawing Out the Beast
to stop presses to end and annoying equipment use, and either Carrion
Crows for more damage or some combat cards you can cycle to reset the
trap. Indomitability would be a good pick, since it addresses the
aforementioned Police Dept in the absence of DotB. Also, Taste of
Vitae seems kind of pointless if your overall plan in combat is to hit
for 1 repeatedly over the course of several rounds. They'd be better
as Life in the City in the current build.
Graham Smith
CthuluKitty wrote:
> > Combat [21]
> > 8x Apparition
> > 3x Mayaparisatya
> > 4x Taste of Vitae
> > 6x Trap
>
>Also, Taste of Vitae seems kind of pointless if your overall plan in combat is
> to hit for 1 repeatedly over the course of several rounds. They'd be better
> as Life in the City in the current build.
Good point. I will remove the Tastes and up the combat just a little
bit. I guess I'm trying to balance out the combat to bleed ratio.
Graham.
CthuluKitty
> bit. I guess I'm trying to balance out the combat to bleed ratio.
If you want to make the Dog Packs worthwhile you'll need to up the
combat more than just a little bit IMO. Balancing your bleed and
combat abilities makes plenty of sense most of the time, but when
you're investing in Dog Packs and the Heidelburg Castle to move them
around, you're more or less comitting yourself to heavy offensive
combat. Otherwise it's just wasted pool and card slots.