| R Back |  |
Ahrimanes Newsletter #20 |
http://anarch.co.uk |  |
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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