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Assamite Clan Newsletter |
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I hope the New Year finds you all healthy, wealthy, and wise.
I'll start off this month's offering with a look at some of the fringe (that is, not specifically Assamite or Quietus, but perhaps relevant) cards for Assamites from Legacies of Blood. Following that you will find Part 2 of my essay, "Managing Assamite Combat," and a decklist that hopefully demonstrates some of the points I've discussed.
Legacies of Blood Honorable Mentions:
Kamiri wa Itherero
Clan: Akunanse (group 4)
Capacity: 10
Disciplines: ABO ANI FOR OBF pot qui
Laibon: Younger vampires must burn 1 blood to attempt to block Kamiri. If an ally blocks Kamiri and combat occurs, burn the ally at the end of the action.
Here's another option for that OBF/QUI/ANI crypt, though a pricey one. Kamiri's FOR also makes him(?) an option for inclusion in a crypt with Antara, Joe Hill, or Janni. His special combines nicely with Dawn and Day Operation, which will make blocking very unpleasant for vampires and a 'last hurrah' for Allies.
Ubende
Clan: Ishtarri (group 4)
Capacity: 7
Disciplines: CEL PRE for obf qui
Laibon magaji.
Ubende joins Jack Dawson and Joaquin Murietta in the non-Assamite obf/cel/qui club. His PRE and [for] make him an excellent co-conspirator for Joe Hill, Antara, Janni, and Vardar. He can also assist Olugbenga in Laibon politics with his title. A quality vampire at a fair price, I'd pick him over any given 7-cap group 1 Prince.
Aversion
Type: Reaction
Requires: Valeren/Celerity
Cost: 1 blood
[cel] Reduce a bleed against you by 1.
[val] Burn X pool to reduce a bleed against you by 2X+1.
[VAL] Only usable when a minion is bleeding you for 1 or more. Put this card on the acting minion. You still control this card. This minion gets -1 bleed when bleeding you. Any minion may burn this card as a +1 stealth (D) action.
This is a very nice card for the !Salubri, and the outferior provides a large percentage of Assamites with access to bleed reduction. While not nearly as efficient as having AUS, it might be more useful than grafting AUS on with skill cards when using group 3 and 4 Assamites (only Antara has it, and at inferior). Confusion of the Eye [obf] is free, and, despite its capacity limitation, is probably the better card for most Assamites in Group 3-4. Still, having a universally applicable bleed reducer available to the majority of the clan is an improvement over Banner of Neutrality, balanced nicely with a cost of 1 blood, thus assuring that neither of them see much play in our decks. Thankfully, there are no Assamites with [val], so I won't have to re-visit high school algebra to try to figure out the inferior application of this card.
Death of the Drum
Combat
1 blood
Only usable at long range.
[cel] strike: 1R damage
[mel] Strike: 2R damage, only preventable by cards that require Fortitude or Visceratika.
[MEL] As [mel] above, and the damage is aggravated.
While this card gives Daughters of Cacophony a much-needed combat boost, I don't think it does anything for the Assamites that Projectile doesn't do better. With access to Quietus and Taste of Death, this card just isn't for us. Note that the [MEL] application of this card is actually better than Taste of Death. I may have to declare shenanigans...*
Healing Touch
Type: Action
Requires: Obeah/Celerity
Cost: 1 blood
+1 stealth action.
[cel] Untap a younger vampire you control.
[obe] Add up to 2 life to an ally, not to exceed his or her starting amount.
[OBE] Rescue a vampire from torpor, and that vampire gains 1 blood from the blood bank.
Reminiscent of Precognizant Mobility, and probably just as useful. I would like to find a way to use this card to improve the usefulness of Fida'i, but I can't.
Leapfrog
Type: Combat
Requires: Spiritus/Obfuscate
[obf] Maneuver, only usable to go to long range.
[spi] Maneuver.
[SPI] Strike: combat ends.
Assamites commonly fight their battles at long range, and if that is your plan, here is the card for you! Since Selective Silence and Behind You! are both only good for the first round of combat, Leapfrog can be useful with the "new look" Assamites ("Look, mom, no Celerity!") if you intend to try press combat. Combine with a Trap to help ensure you get to round two and beyond.
Squirrel Balance
Type: Action Modifier
Requires: Spiritus/Celerity
Cost: 1 blood
[cel] Only usable when the action is announced. If blocked, range in the first round of the resulting combat is automatically set to long.
[spi] Minions without flight or Spiritus get -1 intercept when attempting to block this action.
[SPI] As [spi] above, but those minions get -2 intercept.
Squirrel Balance will be very useful in long-range combat builds, or builds that just want to avoid being Grappled and punched for 18. It costs blood up front, but the utility of your potential blocker knowing range will be long could be advantageous if it causes more "no block" responses than your actions would otherwise warrant. An excellent card choice for a deck designed with Pool-damaging D actions and streamlined combat. Keep an eye out for Janni, with a mouthful of acorns and a Sniper Rifle, running along your telephone wire...
Vulture's Buffet
Action
Requires: Spiritus/Obfuscate
+1 stealth hunt action. If this hunt is successful, the acting vampire untaps.
[obf] Remove a minion or retainer in any Methuselah's ash heap from the game to move 1 blood to this vampire from the blood bank.
[spi] As [obf] above, but move 2 blood.
[SPI] As [spi] above, and you gain 1 pool.
The untap clause here is nice, but the qualifier could be troublesome. Provided you intend to burn at least one minion or retainer early in a game, including a Vulture's Buffet in your library could be beneficial. If you are running multiple copies of a unique ally or retainer, you can definitely plan to use the Buffet for some multi-action support, confident that those extra copies of your unique Ally will end up in the ash heap. An excellent card choice for self-destructive allies and retainers like Ghoul Escort, Zombie, and Escaped Mental Patient. It's a hunt action, so you can use Succulent Vitae, too! A nice rare. Don't read the spi/SPI part - it'll only depress you.
And now, the long-awaited sequel: Managing Assamite Combat, Part 2
Defense: It wins championships.
It is a commonly heard sports cliché that the best defense is a good offense. This is not necessarily true in the early stages of a V:TES game, where your predator and prey are not the same opponent. Putting extra pressure (in terms of minion removal) on your first prey will not affect your predator's ability to pressure you. It is important to be patient, as I discussed last month. Since it might be a few turns before you push left, you'll have to survive in the meantime. Consider the following:
1.Your predator is not your target. It is important to defend yourself against your predator's devious schemes, but always remember that you need him there. If you destroy his ability to defend against HIS predator, you will soon face his newly-fortified ouster. It is highly likely that you will have to run at least one of his minions through the cheese grater at some point, probably early on (depending on how many minions he has in play and what they are trying to do to you). Many players will rush their predator first almost as a rule. I prefer to see what his intentions are first, unless his vampires have Dominate, in which case they simply must go.
Your deck should be built to bloat at least a little, and unless you are fighting to stay in the game, you should concentrate more on posing a threat to your predator than actually crushing his will. After you block and atomize one of his vampires, or rush and liquefy one of his pesky bleed-bouncers, be sure to point out to him the various threats he faces from HIS predator. You want to keep him at a minion disadvantage with regard to his predator, but with enough ready minions to be able to survive. This is where the contract mechanic can shine. Many decks focus on the abilities of one vampire, and if you can lock that vampire down with a contract, you put your predator on the ropes and get him playing defensively. If he steps out of line, that permanent rush is available for the judicious distribution of what for.*
Don't feel like you have to block everything your predator does, or avoid taking pool damage at all costs. Unless he's trying to oust you, your predator is merely your last prey, and one more victory point for you. Remember - your actions have the most profound effect on the game in that they remove minions from the ready region. Managing your predator properly can be the difference between winning the game and handing it to another player. You want to SURVIVE your predator, not OUST your predator.
2. If you can be bought, be sure to advertise your price. You might be the only combat deck at the table. This likelihood increases significantly if you are playing in a tournament. Surrounded by streamlined ousting machines, there may be a player at the table whose deck is trumped, and whose presence at the table only serves to build steam for his predator. It might be in your best interest to prevent this from happening. It will depend upon your assessment of your ability to deal with the strong deck, to sacrifice an action or two to do something about it, and your strength relative to your predator and prey. If you think you can trash a vampire controlled by the dominant methuselah, be sure you get your money's worth. The player you are helping might be able to give you a beneficial referendum, allow you access to his KRCG, offer to rescue your prey's Famed vampire for you - who knows. You might also get a juicy counter-offer, too.
Some players simply don't make deals. In this case, you do what you have to do to get your best advantage. You want maximum VPs, but if in giving one up you don't compromise your ability to oust your prey, that's okay, too. You don't HAVE to set the table up for a cascade oust and a table sweep. Often with combat decks, you will be better served by letting the big bleeders or anti-combat builds leave the table. If you think you can cause a stalemate with surgical cross-table minion removal, AND it works to your advantage, consider it.
3. You need to be able to block. Especially true in tournaments, the ability to stop your predator's key actions is, well... key. In a casual game, you may have the fortune of sitting next to a player who is experimenting with a trick bloat build, and is content to just survive until heads-up play while accumulating minions. You will do better to not count on this, and instead plan to block some actions, likely with some stealth on them. Since your combat build has little room for transient intercept, you will need some permanent sources. Market Square is our clan specialty, and any of the media locations and the staple Sport Bike will aid in this endeavor. Whether it come from master cards or equipment, permanent intercept will afford you the opportunity to block actions at crucial junctures, notably political actions and vital non-directed actions taken by your predator or prey, such as rescues and mandatory hunts. If your opponent is packing stealth modifiers, you are likely NOT going to catch him anyway, and might be doing him a favor with a block attempt by allowing him to cycle stealth. If you played patiently early on, you will know this already, and can concentrate on removing the offending vampire from the ready region instead.
4. Don't be the bad guy. While sportsmanship is important to any friendly game, it's not what I am talking about here. You want to avoid being perceived as a threat to the whole table. If you jump on your prey as soon as he has three minions but fail to oust him, or beat your predator silly on consecutive turns, every player will be looking at you as a threat to their game. When you block your predator, you don't have to cycle every available combat card you have. Consider the game balance, and your position in it - that is, your ability to survive your predator's strategy while defeating your prey's. While obliterating minions Tasmanian Devil-style is fun and has its own level of rewards, you might find yourself with a hand full of the wrong cards afterward. Often, leaving your predator's vampires low on blood or forced to hunt is sufficient. Save the good stuff for your prey.
5. You have to be able to untap. Taking minion actions is even more important with a combat build, as the majority of your cards will only move on your turn. You probably won't be rushing with every action until you are ready to oust, but you will likely have hunting or gearing up to do until you reach that point. Reaction cards will hopefully flow into your hand while you finish equipping or fighting, but the high number of combat cards in the deck means reactions are few and farther between. When your hand dictates it, you might have to leave a vampire untapped simply because you can't risk combat, and hope that the threat of being able to block is enough to prevent you from having to. Most of the time, if things are going well, you will want to take as many minion actions as you can every turn. It is important to be able to untap, either during your minion phase or with reaction cards. Black Sunrise offers Assamites (any vampire with Quietus, actually) an excellent means by which to untap when an action is announced. Even if you know you can't block it due to inherent stealth, your vampire will be left untapped after the block attempt fails, ready to block those free directed actions your predator thought he was going to be able to take, or to play reaction cards on subsequent actions. Untapping a vampire outside of the untap phase is key to maximizing their effectiveness. Not paying proper attention to this aspect of your build could have you watching the end of the game from the sidelines.
Bring it on
You have three or four Assamites in play. You've managed to get some permanents on the table, and have a pretty good idea what your opponents are playing. You've convinced your predator of the folly of incurring your wrath, and your prey has had to push pool back to his minions with his Blood Dolls instead of using them to bloat, thanks to you. Time to make your move? Consider the following:
1. Do the math. What is it going to take to knock your prey out of the game? Can you do it this turn? If you have Tension in the Ranks and a Fame in play (for example), how much pool damage can you do? One trip to torpor for the famous vampire would cost your prey five pool by the time his untap phase comes around. If you can rescue and dunk the same vampire for a second trip to torpor, you increase the damage to nine pool. Add Dragonbound, and you can do ten pool damage with three minion actions. Are there any weenies you can torporize for pool damage? Is he likely to be able to block? While lunging in this manner is preferred, it will probably take you two or more turns of concentrated effort to get your oust, even if your prey has fewer than ten pool. Remember - he knows it's coming. During this time, your grandprey will likely enjoy a reprieve from any pressure that your prey was putting on him. As he is your next prey, it is important to keep the pressure up until you get the oust. Khabar: Glory can be very useful here, because if your prey is ousted on his turn due to Tension in the Ranks or Dragonbound, you will get your bonus Pool.
2. You will have to survive your predator's response. When you go all-out on your prey, your predator will respond, especially if you don't get the oust. Be prepared to suffer some pool damage, regardless. If you get lucky enough to cycle into some reaction cards, all the better. When you make your move, though, your hand should be set up for combat. If you are within striking distance of being ousted yourself, you must decide if it's better to take the plunge, or try to improve your position. However, giving your prey time to draw into a Giant's Blood or Minion Tap (or both) could just as easily end your game.
3. Stay focused. If you absolutely ruin your prey by putting all of his minions in torpor but don't oust him, you give the rest of the table a chance to decide your fate. They can agree to burn the famous vampire and hinder your ability to do pool damage to your prey. They can agree to steal your locations, sink you with referendums, or choose you as the target of all bounced bleeds. If your prey has enough pool to survive a round of your bleed actions, or can pull pool off of uncontrolled vampires, etc, you might end up sitting at a side table telling the event host how close you came to getting a VP. You don't get extra VPs for burning or knocking all of his vampires into torpor, either. If possible, use one of his vampires as a punching bag and try to maintain the appearance that the poor sod still has a fighting chance in the grand scheme of things right up until you can oust him. This is where a little stealth can go a long way. When you are moving in for that re-dunk on world-renowned spelunker* Isabel DeLeon, getting past the desperation blocker could make all the difference. Swallowed by the Night is one of the most versatile Obfuscate cards for clan Assamite for this very reason. I also find Cloak the Gathering to be useful in crypts where not every vampire has Obfuscate.
Ok, now what?
After you get your first prey ousted, you can go to work on your next prey in much the same manner. Hopefully, you still have about half of your library and you survived the table response to your push with your minions mostly intact and your pool somewhere around ten. The difference now is that you can be less patient. That's not to say you should throw caution to the wind, but at this point in the game vampires are generally low on blood, and players will be working to get their own VP before they are ousted themselves. You should be wary of your grandpredator getting an oust, as this will give him some momentum. While you would ideally like to systematically eliminate each methuselah's star vampire and then proceed to mop them up in sequence for the sweep, most of the time you will have to look at trying to get one more oust if you can, and then surviving the heads-up duel. Your advantage will be that as resources dwindle and keeping vampires in play becomes more and more important, your ability to survive, and even thrive, in combat will ultimately give you more freedom to act and block.
Of course, stories of your deck's combat prowess and how it ruins any chance anyone else has of getting anything accomplished will have traveled throughout the room, and your situation in round two will be that much more difficult. A majority of players, in my experience, would much rather be ousted with minions in play. Getting burned on an action or referendum is less humiliating than just sitting there, unable to play any cards, while some jerk is repeatedly taking advantage of your lack of combat cards. The player who transfers out of a game is indeed more frustrated than the player who bemoans his lack of a Wake With Evening's Freshness as the reason for being ousted. Players would rather play than sit and watch their game end. If you make it to the finals, be prepared to experience a significant level of that wonderfully intangible "table hate."
As you can see, playing a dedicated combat deck is far trickier than it might seem. I have found that it truly tests a player's overall V:TES skills, and can be the most rewarding style to play when you are able to do it well. It will not always go well for you, that I promise. Arika WILL Kiss of Ra you, Brujah WILL punch you for 8, aggravated damage WILL send your star Assamite to torpor, and stealth bleed WILL oust you by turn seven. It is important to remember that you have chosen what is still the most difficult path to victory, and to maintain the right attitude toward it. Once you develop the proper patience to allow you to assess a table, find the right balance between offense and defense, and learn to recognize when to make your push for the VPs, all you really need at that point, come to think of it, is Kali's Fang and a bunch of Blurs.
Deck Name: No-nonsense Assamite Combat
Author : Tom Duncan
Description : +1 str and weapon Assamite combat with a little defensive help from Auspex.
Crypt [12 vampires] Capacity min: 2 max: 9 average: 6.17
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2x Tegyrius, Vizier 9 AUS CEL FOR QUI pre Assamite:2 2x Tegyrius, Vizier Adv 9 AUS CEL FOR PRE QUI Assamite:2 2x Parnassus 7 CEL QUI aus tha Assamite:2 2x Yusuf, Scribe of A 5 CEL aus obf qui Assamite:2 1x Abd al-Rashid 5 CEL QUI obf Assamite:2 1x Parmenides 4 CEL qui Assamite:2 1x Harika Guljan 3 QUI Assamite:2 1x Kanya Akhtar 2 cel Assamite:2 Library [90 cards] ------------------------------------------------------------ Action [11] 2x Ambush 4x Clandestine Contract 1x Harass 2x Nose of the Hound 2x Truth of Blood Action Modifier/Reaction [3] 3x Provision of the Silsila Combat [43] 8x Blur 5x Concealed Weapon 5x Psyche! 5x Side Strike 5x Sideslip 8x Taste of Vitae 4x Thin Blood 3x Weighted Walking Stick Equipment [7] 1x Meat Cleaver 2x Meat Hook 2x Poker 1x Kali's Fang 1x Sport Bike Master [12] 1x Auspex 2x Contract 2x Fame 1x Market Square 4x Minion Tap 1x Tension in the Ranks 1x Yoruba Shrine Reaction [14] 4x Black Sunrise 2x Forced Awakening 2x Precognition 5x Quicken Sight 1x Telepathic Misdirection
Find everything you need to know about playing Assamites at www.thepathofblood.com!
Comments, Suggestions, and Submissions should be sent to: veknpont...@yahoo.com
Special thanks to John Eno, Official Assamite Newsletter Editor.
*Appendix:
Shenanigan
Pronunciation: sh&-'na-ni-g&n
Function: noun
1 : a devious trick used especially for an underhand purpose
2 a : tricky or questionable practices or conduct -- usually used in plural b : high-spirited or mischievous activity -- usually used in plural
what for - Informal
A scolding or strong reprimand: The teacher gave the tardy student what for.
Spelunker:
Pronunciation: spi-'l&[ng]-k&r,
Function: noun
: one who makes a hobby of exploring and studying caves