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2 Credits Written by: Peter D Bakija, Todd Banister, Norman S. Brown, Jr., Michael Courtois, Robert Goudie, Ankur Gupta, Matt Morgan, Ben Swainbank, David J Tatu, and David Wilson. Developed by: Robert Goudie Project Coordinator: Stewart Wieck Editor: Tracy Simmons Bitonti Art Director: Mike Chaney & Becky Jollensten Layout & Typesetting: Chet Masters V:TES Design: Richard Garfield, with contributions by Matthew Burke, Skaff Elias, Andrew Greenberg, Rhias Hall, Bob Kruger, Jim Lin, Chris Page, Paul Peterson, Dave Pettey, and Mark Rein•Hagen V:TES Developer: L. Scott Johnson V:TES Kindred Most Wanted Design: L. Scott Johnson and Robert Goudie Original Design for Vampire: The Masquerade: Mark Rein•Hagen ©2006 White Wolf Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduc- tion without the written permission of the publisher is expressly for- bidden, except for the purposes of reviews. White Wolf, Vampire, Vampire: The Eternal Struggle, and Vampire: The Masquerade are registered trademarks of White Wolf Publishing, Inc. All rights re- served. All characters, names, places, and text herein are copyrighted by White Wolf Publishing, Inc. Wizards of the Coast is a registered trademark of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. All rights reserved. Deckmaster is a trademark of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. All rights reserved. U.S. Patent #5,662,332 and used under license from Wizards of the Coast, Inc. The mention of or reference to any company or product in these pages is not a challenge to the trademark or copyright concerned. This game uses the supernatural for settings, characters, and themes. All mystical and supernatural elements are fiction and intended for entertainment purposes only. This game contains mature content. Reader discretion is advised. For a free White Wolf catalog, call 1-800-454-WOLF Check out White Wolf online at http://www.white-wolf.com and rec.games.trading-cards.jyhad 1554 Litton Drive Stone Mountain, GA 30083 USA Sample file

Transcript of Sample file - Wargame Vaultwatermark.wargamevault.com/pdf_previews/12403-sample.pdf · Assamite 8...

  • 2

    CreditsWritten by: Peter D Bakija, Todd Banister, Norman S. Brown, Jr., Michael Courtois, Robert Goudie, Ankur Gupta, Matt Morgan, Ben Swainbank, David J Tatu, and David Wilson.Developed by: Robert GoudieProject Coordinator: Stewart WieckEditor: Tracy Simmons BitontiArt Director: Mike Chaney & Becky JollenstenLayout & Typesetting: Chet MastersV:TES Design: Richard Garfield, with contributions by Matthew Burke, Skaff Elias, Andrew Greenberg, Rhias Hall, Bob Kruger, Jim Lin, Chris Page, Paul Peterson, Dave Pettey, and Mark Rein•HagenV:TES Developer: L. Scott JohnsonV:TES Kindred Most Wanted Design: L. Scott Johnson and Robert GoudieOriginal Design for Vampire: The Masquerade: Mark Rein•Hagen

    ©2006 White Wolf Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduc-tion without the written permission of the publisher is expressly for-bidden, except for the purposes of reviews. White Wolf, Vampire, Vampire: The Eternal Struggle, and Vampire: The Masquerade are registered trademarks of White Wolf Publishing, Inc. All rights re-served. All characters, names, places, and text herein are copyrighted by White Wolf Publishing, Inc.Wizards of the Coast is a registered trademark of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. All rights reserved. Deckmaster is a trademark of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. All rights reserved. U.S. Patent #5,662,332 and

    used under license from Wizards of the Coast, Inc. The mention of or reference to any company or product in these pages is not a challenge to the trademark or copyright concerned. This game uses the supernatural for settings, characters, and themes. All mystical and supernatural elements are fiction and intended for entertainment purposes only. This game contains mature content. Reader discretion is advised.

    For a free White Wolf catalog, call 1-800-454-WOLFCheck out White Wolf online athttp://www.white-wolf.comand rec.games.trading-cards.jyhad

    1554 Litton DriveStone Mountain, GA30083USA

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  • PG#Vampire: The Eternal Struggle Player’s Guide 3Vampire: The Eternal Struggle Player’s Guide

    Table of Contents

    Introduction 4

    Section One: Most Wanted ClansAbomination 5

    Assamite 8

    Baali 11

    Followers of Set 13

    Gangrel antitribu 16

    Giovanni 18

    Ravnos 21

    Section Two: Most Wanted Strategies

    Red List Roundup 24

    Trophy Hunter 36

    Kindred Most Wanted: Draft Format Play 40

    Getting Started with Preconstructed Decks 43

    Appendix: Resources 46

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    With the release of Kindred Most Wanted, Vampire: The Eternal Struggle players were rewarded with perhaps the most engaging expansion setting yet. We became acquainted with the members of the Red List—the Kindred world’s most notorious creatures—and learned of their immense power as well as their crimes. We were also introduced to those who hunt these mon-sters in pursuit of trophies—the exceptional rewards offered for the killing or capture of these criminals. Whether you are a new player or a seasoned veteran, the Kindred Most Wanted expan-sion presents an exciting world to explore.

    If you are new to V:TES, then you are embarking on a re-warding journey that continues to provide hours of enjoyment to fans around the world. You are playing a game that has withstood the test of time while a host of competitors have fallen by the wayside. This point is important to reflect on, since at first glance the game can be daunting. Once you begin to understand the game’s rules and depth of play, you will be rewarded for your per-severance. To help you in this endeavor, check out White Wolf’s V:TES homepage and other websites listed in the appendix to this guide. Most importantly, use those resources to find other players willing to help teach you the game. A patient teacher is a great benefit and can also introduce you to a group of new friends and opponents with whom to play.

    If you are a savvy old-timer, casual player, or some-thing in between, you will certainly relate to the flood of deck ideas and brain-bending card interactions that spring to mind as you discover the contents of each new expansion. The Kindred Most Wanted set certainly does not disappoint in this regard. As with most expansions, there are a few cards that quickly jump to your attention as being immediately useful for enhancing your existing decks. However, the more challenging and rewarding cards and concepts in Kindred Most Wanted are the ones that are completely fresh. These novel cards and concepts are often overlooked as we make our initial pass through a freshly opened booster pack. As

    well, the subtle strategies uncovered weeks and months after an expansion’s release give us an ultimate impression that is probably quite different from our initial opinions.

    Even now, our opinions about V:TES and the Kindred Most Wanted expansion are still evolving. Yesterday’s recommenda-tions are tomorrow’s warnings and vice versa. Take what you learn here and run with it. And be sure to occasionally ignore even the most sacrosanct advice—for this too is part of discovery.

    Within These PagesAs you might expect, this guide seeks to provide a foun-

    dation for using the cards and concepts introduced in the Kindred Most Wanted expansion. Though, many of the top-ics discussed herein are for the benefit of less-seasoned play-ers, even veterans will discover nuggets of wisdom and some creative new deck ideas.

    In Section One, you will find a complete review of the new-ly revealed Abomination clan. We have also updated the other clans and Disciplines that received big boosts from this set. For each clan, you will find a discussion of the Key Players and Top Clan Cards. As well, we have reviewed the Top Discipline Cards for each clan’s signature Discipline. Finally, we reveal some Uses and Com-binations for each clan and Discipline. Each section also includes a tournament-worthy deck list.

    In Section Two, you will find articles on Kindred Most Wanted strategies. We discuss winning trophy strategies and review each member of the Red List. Again, we have pro-vided deck lists to help get you started. Section Two also includes an update on the impact of Kindred Most Wanted on Draft Tournament Play. We have also included a guide to getting started with V:TES and Kindred Most Wanted Preconstructed Starter Decks.

    In the Appendix you will find an updated list of valu-able online resources that will direct you to a world of activ-ity and information.

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  • 5Vampire: The Eternal Struggle Player’s Guide

    AbominationDescription

    Powerful, deadly and unpredictable, Abominations, or Embraced werewolves, are only a clan in the loosest sense of the word. These unnatural hybrids share few common Dis-ciplines and are rarely found together, but individually they act as powerful adjuncts to many different strategies.

    Clan StrengthsWhile Abominations are few and far between, they each

    possess strong Disciplines and special skills. Abominations are most likely to be included as part of a combat strategy, although their varied abilities often lead to their being used in a bizarre and surprising fashion. Abominations also have a modest capacity, allowing them to be included in most decks without having to include cards specifically to pay for them.

    Clan WeaknessesAs powerful as Abominations are, their many strengths

    are not without a cost. They are scarce and sterile, adding to the individuality of the clan members. Scarcity incurs a significant penalty for bringing a second Abomination into play if there is already an Abomination on the table, and it makes them vulnerable to cards such as Mistrust, which can remove scarce vampires from play. However, scarcity also lets you pull a key Abomination out of your crypt with Stranger Among Us. The biggest flaw of the Abomination clan as a whole is the inherent isolation of these vampires. There are currently only three members of the Abomination clan, and since each of the three has a different group number, it is impossible to include more than two of them in a single crypt. Trying to combine two of them in a single crypt also

    presents the problem that they have almost no Disciplines in common. Given all the roadblocks to using Abominations in a clan-based deck, it is best to focus on their strengths as individual vampires.

    Key Players

    Lorrie Dunsirn. Abomination. Capacity 4. Indepen-dent. Group 4.

    Disciplines: Superior Potence, Basic Fortitude, and Basic Necromancy.

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  • 6 Section One: Most Wanted Clans

    some combat package is not without cost: Lorrie is incapable of maneuvering to long range, pressing to end combat, or using equipment, retainers, or reaction cards; and, any non-hunt action she takes costs an ex-tra pool. Her Disciplines augment her combat power, with superior Potence for even more powerful strikes and access to Immortal Grapple, as well as basic For-titude to help her survive combat and use Freak Drive to untap. Her basic Necromancy, while seemingly out of place, gives her access to many versatile cards. Lor-rie’s most significant disadvantage is the extra pool cost on any non-hunt action she takes; however, this is much less of an issue than it seems. The extra cost is only paid if the action is successful, as with the cost of any action. As long as Lorrie takes actions that an opposing Methuselah will want to block, such as using Harass against an opponent’s key vampire, you will only occasionally pay that extra pool. Her inability to use reaction cards can be problematic, but cards like Anima Gathering and Special Report can help her gain intercept or untap to attempt to block. Lorrie is clearly best employed in combat decks and will work well either as a sideline inclusion or as the focus of a deck. In any limited environment, such as a booster draft tournament, Lorrie should be a primary pick—in such a situation, even taking no actions and simply attempting to block can have a significant impact.

    Allonzo Montoya. Abomination. Capacity 6. Inde-pendent. Group 3.

    Disciplines: Superior Obfuscate, Superior Serpentis, Basic Animalism, and Basic Auspex.

    The Wolves of St. August

    by Peter D Bakija

    Crypt3 Victorine Lafourcade (Ventrue)1 Mustafa, The Heir (Ventrue)5 Lorrie Dunsirn (Abomination)2 Katherine Stoddard (Ventrue antitribu)1 Lia Milliner (Giovanni)

    LibraryMaster

    2 Blood Doll1 Bravo1 Creepshow Casino2 Fame3 Fortitude2 Haven Uncovered2 Special Report1 Ventrue Headquarters

    Action2 Blood Hunt2 Big Game4 Bum’s Rush4 Harass1 Whispers from the Dead

    Action Modifier4 Bewitching Oration2 Conditioning8 Freak Drive

    Combat8 Immortal Grapple6 Rolling with the Punches2 Superior Mettle4 Taste of Vitae6 Unflinching Persistence

    Political Action7 Parity Shift

    Reaction8 Deflection4 Second Tradition: Domain4 Wake with Evening’s Freshness

    While Lorrie has a strong Giovanni-friendly Dis-cipline combination for a small vampire, her main appeal comes from her powerful inherent combat abilities. Her +1 strength, free additional strike every round, and mandatory press once per combat mean that she is capable of inflicting 8 damage to an oppos-ing vampire without playing a single card. This fear-

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  • 7Vampire: The Eternal Struggle Player’s Guide

    Unlike his clan mates, Allonzo is usually best employed in a non-combat capacity. With his Disciplines and inher-ent +1 stealth on Serpentis actions, he is an obvious and powerful member in many Followers of Set decks. While his inability to block undirected actions reduces the utility of his Animalism and Auspex, he can still attempt to block bleeds and other damaging directed actions.

    Snakey and the Man-Bat

    by Jon Darbro

    Crypt3 Cyscek (Tzimisce)4 Allonzo Montoya (Abomination)2 Ana Rita Montana (Tzimisce)2 Elizabeth Westcott (Tzimisce)2 Jane Sims (Tzimisce)

    LibraryMaster

    4 Blood Doll2 Dreams of the Sphinx1 Giant’s Blood1 Heidelberg Castle, Germany2 Information Highway1 Library Hunting Ground1 Rötschreck2 Storage Annex1 Vicissitude

    Action1 Army of Rats4 Enticement2 Form of Corruption2 Pulse of the Canaille5 Soul Decoration3 Temptation

    Action Modifier4 Changeling5 Cloak the Gathering3 Malleable Visage2 Spying Mission1 Truth of a Thousand Lies

    Combat7 Breath of the Dragon9 Chiropteran Marauder2 Gemini’s Mirror2 Meld with the Land

    Combination2 Swallowed by the Night

    Equipment1 Book of Going Forth by Night, The1 Living Manse

    Reaction6 Forced Awakening2 Precognition3 Read the Winds2 Spirit’s Touch6 Telepathic Misdirection

    Pariah. Abomination. Capacity 6. Independent. Group 2.

    Disciplines: Superior Obfuscate, Superior Protean, Basic Potence, and Basic Presence.

    Much like Lorrie Dunsirn, Pariah has significant inherent combat abilities, with +1 strength and the ability to attack any other minion as a directed ac-tion. When those are matched with his Protean and Potence, Pariah can be the basis of a powerful combat strategy. Like Lorrie’s, his strengths are balanced with a significant disadvantage. During your master phase, you must discard a master card, or Pariah is tapped. Given an appropriately designed deck, Pariah’s disad-vantage can be circumvented without much trouble. Including a good number of trifle master cards, such as Life in the City, provides regular fuel for Pariah. His disadvantage can be subverted into a strong cycling ability in any deck that uses a large number of master cards. As Pariah is a member of Group 2, he can be matched with the Toreador Anson in a deck loaded with master cards. Pariah can then provide stealth to Anson with Cloak the Gathering, help filter through all your master cards, and pick off weak vampires when convenient.

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    VTES Player's Guide: Kindred Most WantedCreditsTable of ContentsIntroductionSection One: Most Wanted ClansAbominationAssamiteBaaliFollowers of SetGangrel antitribuGiovanniRavnos

    Section Two: Most Wanted StrategiesRed List Round-UpTrophy HunterKindred Most Wanted: Draft Format PlayGetting Started with Preconstructed Decks

    Appendix: Resources