1.0 - Editorial
1.1 Word From the Editor
1.2 Next Issue
2.0 - Concepts
2.1 Crypt Card Focus
2.2 Library Cards Focus
3.0 - Deck
3.1 Ahrimanes 2007
3.2 Sign Off

--[1.1 - Word from the Editor]-----------------------

Well it came and went in the blink of an eye, but there seems to be a new promo on the horizon:
Argent Baton
Unique melee weapon.
Strike: strength +1 damage. If the opposing minion is a werewolf, the bearer can make a ranged strike to burn 4 life from that werewolf. Seems reasonable enough and really takes a chunk out of a werewolf, but does this mean we might get a werewolf Nights of Reckoning? Or are the Internet rumourmongers completely wrong? Only time will tell.

--[1.2 -Next Issue]------------------------------------

Well I have been talking about it for quite a few months, so next issue will finally have some Anarch Ahrimanes. I will look at the best Ahrimanes to go Anarch, and which of the various Anarch cards to add into a deck.

--[2.1 - Crypt Card Focus]--------------------------

The last of the in print Ahrimanes is
Aiyana, The Wolfcatcher
Clan: Ahrimane (group 4)
Capacity: 3
Disciplines: pre spi
Sabbat: Aiyana gets an optional press each combat when opposing a werewolf, and she can burn a blood each round to prevent all damage a werewolf inflicts on her that round. Sterile.
She is well named, as with her special text she can catch a werewolf, and potentially kill it. There are quite a few werewolves in the game, but not all of them see play as their costs are quite high. The most common ones would be Ossian and Renegade Garou, both of which can cause a lot of damage to vampires, however with the usual Carrion Crows and Aid from Bats Ahrimanes can normally kill most werewolves with ease.
So what else does Aiyana bring? She brings the smallest capacity spi in the game, and it is paired with pre - which is quite rare at that capacity. Sure she lacks ani at any level, but that is something you can get from a crypt filler vampire like Stick. The pre will allow you to put in some big bleeds via action cards. If you have battered your prey's minions with the larger Ahrimanes, then Aiyana will be there to get that unblocked action through. She can also do a few things with spi, mostly blocking, although she could use Squirrel Balance to force those actions through.

--[2.2 - Library Card Focus]------------------------

Outferiors
These are often forgotten or overlooked, but they shouldn't be as they can give options that aren't available from the full skill cards. Sure, if you are just using the outferior then you feel like you are only using a third of the card but if it works, it works. First up we have:
Armor of Caine's Fury
Type: Combat
Requires: Valeren/Presence
Cost: 1 blood
[pre] Prevent 1 damage.
[val] Only usable before range is determined. This vampire may prevent 1 damage from the opposing minion's strikes each round. Frenzy cards cannot be played on this vampire; cancel the effects of any Frenzy cards that have already been played on this vampire this combat. [VAL] As [val] above, but this vampire may prevent 2 damage from the opposing minion's strikes each round.
Simply pay one blood to prevent one point of damage. This is great, especially if someone is wielding an Ivory Bow or similar. Yes you could now use Glancing Blow, but the do not replace clause on that card can be quite restrictive, especially in any sort of deck that needs a full hand of cards - such as block and combat decks. This could be used along side Guardian Angel and Leather Jackets to ensure that the Ahrimanes don't get a scratch on them. Indeed The Wildebeest could make a comeback, as with the above prevention (excepting the Leather Jacket) you could survive close range combat - especially with a Song of Serenity.

Internal Recursion
Type: Reaction
Requires: Temporis/Presence
Cost: 1 blood
Only usable by a vampire who successfully blocks.
[pre] This blocking vampire can end combat as a strike during the resulting combat. If he or she does so and the acting minion is an ally or a younger vampire, this blocking vampire untaps.
[tem] This blocking minion sets the range for the first round of the resulting combat. Skip the determine range step for that round.
[TEM] The acting minion doesn't untap during his or her next untap phase.
At first glance I thought that this card would be of use, but then looking back over the usual cards available there are quite a few options that duplicate this or even improve upon it such as Cats Guidance, for untap when blocking or even Majesty for SCE and untapping in combat. So not all outferiors are of use as this card shows.

Rayzeel's Song
Type: Action
Requires: Valeren/Animalism
[ani] This vampire burns 1 blood to untap an ally.
[val] (D) Bleed with +1 bleed.
[VAL] +1 stealth action. Add 1 life from the blood bank to an ally that has fewer life than his or her starting amount.
A nice simple untap for allies. This is really good as Ahrimane decks often include allies such as High Top and Ossian. Fortunately it uses inferior ANI, which is a common skill both amongst the Ahrimanes, and also among the vampires found filling out the crypt. With a few of these in your deck that weenie ANI guy has another use, and your ally gets to act again or even tap again in the case of Vagabond Mystic. Another good ally to untap would be Cry Wolf, which leads into next months Anarch Ahrimanes. There is a card that duplicates this effect, and that is Precognizant Mobility, however that requires AUS and thus is quite difficult to use in a normal Ahrimane deck.

Rigor Mortis
Type: Combat
Requires: Thanatosis/Presence
Cost: 1 blood
Only usable before range is determined. A minion can play only one Rigor Mortis each round.
[pre] The opposing minion cannot use any additional strikes this round.
[thn] As [pre] above, with an optional press.
[THN] As [thn] above, and once each round this combat, you may cancel a maneuver used by the opposing minion.
This works against any deck using multiple strikes, which tends to be CEL guns. Now normally your Carrion Crows and Aid from Bats does three damage vs three strikes of two for six damage, however with this you can stop that plan dead. :-)
Of course it does depend on what is happening in your local game, as this may not be a problem in your group. Equally Terror Frenzy works against guns, but this kills the additional strikes - so CEL POT becomes less of a worry.

Unburdening the Bestial Soul
Type: Action
Requires: Obeah/Animalism
[ani] +1 stealth action. Move 1 or more blood from this vampire to any other vampire.
[obe] As [ani] above, and untap this acting vampire.
[OBE] (D) Put this card on an ally or a younger vampire. The minion with this card cannot take actions, block or play reaction cards. During this minion's untap phase, this card is burned unless this acting vampire burns 2 blood.
This is another card that has similar effects to other cards out there, such as Rave. However Unburdening allows you to move blood to any OTHER vampire, so you can top up a cross table ally. This could prove useful with cards like Smiling Jack, as you can prevent an unfortunate oust. Of course it can also be used to top up your own vampires - refilling Howler perhaps, ready for the next turn of blocking.

--[3.1 - Deck: Ahrimanes 2007 ]---------------------------------------

This deck scored two wins out of two games in the local league, I then used it at the English ECQ, where I managed 7th place out of 33 players. I qualified a with 0.5vp time out in the first game, 1.5vp time out in the second, and then a 2vp GW in a four player game in the third round. I should have gotten a third vp in the final game, which would have then taken me into the final. Oh well, at least I now have a snazzy t-shirt!

Deck Name : Ahrimanes 2007
Crypt [12 vampires] Capacity min: 4 max: 8 average: 6.5
4x Howler 8 ANI PRE SPI obf Ahrimane:2
3x Siamese, The 7 PRE SPI ani pro Ahrimane:2
2x Bear Paw 5 ANI for pre pro Gangrel:1
1x Cynthia Ingold 6 SPI ani for pre Ahrimane:2
1x Nettie Hale 5 ani cel pre pro spi Ahrimane:2
1x Juanita Santiago 4 ani pre spi Ahrimane:2

Library [90 cards]
Action [12]
2x Army of Rats
3x Enchant Kindred
2x Engling Fury
2x Entrancement
3x Nose of the Hound

Ally [1]
1x Ossian

Combat [31]
10x Aid from Bats
2x Canine Horde
10x Carrion Crows
3x Majesty
6x Taste of Vitae

Combat/Action Modifier [5]
5x Swiftness of the Stag

Master [16]
2x Animalism
3x Blood Doll
2x Direct Intervention
2x Dreams of the Sphinx
1x Erciyes Fragments, The
2x Fame
1x Giant's Blood
1x Powerbase: Montreal
2x Smiling Jack, The Anarch

Reaction [20]
4x Cats' Guidance
4x Falcon's Eye
4x Forced Awakening
8x Speak with Spirits

Retainer [5]
1x Mr. Winthrop
4x Raven Spy

This deck was a combination of the decklists presented in NL 27. I think that it needs to be able to apply a little more forward pressure, but the defence is very strong - not yet ousted in five games.

--[3.2 - Sign Off]-------------------------------------

A good month for me, as I have qualified for the Continental Championships. There is a rush of qualifiers around the UK and beyond in the next few months, with Dublin and Swansea to come. Most important is the Bath Mini Qualifier, which is also BloodBATH 2007: Fifth Tradition, the fifth annual BloodBATH, which if all goes to plan will have lots of nice prizes - so if you are in the UK (or further away and keen) come along on 14th of July.

Sam
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