KGS Cards

With two games in, I wanted to try to play with the British Museum.  I've been hot on British Museum since Fall of London debuted, but have not actually managed to get a tournament win with it yet.  The Museum provides a lot of interesting options, but has a very limited card pool to work with in V5.  Recently, Garou Rim Gazette had a nice article about the card , if you want to understand it more fully. The Deck With the design criteria in place, that is to use the British Museum in V5, what type of deck can we make?  While we can build the Aggressive Corpse-Kevlar designs, the equipment that provides the most power is Living Manse.  Living Manse provides +1 bleed and a pre-range combat ends effect.  So, it helps with ousting and helps with keeping your vampires ready to do the ousting.  Though the latter effect removes the Manse, the vampire can just grab another (and unlock). Let's dig into the deck and talk more about...

While this was the first game in the series, we have released the content second because we didn't have our cameras on and everyone wants to see our lovely faces, right?  Game 1 was short-handed, no Gines...and Hugh cheats, but he runs BCP, so he can get away with it. The Deck I've played various versions of weenie Presence over the years.  Group 1/2 has enough Dominate to work in some bounce, which makes that deck more survivable in the current meta.  However, it's always been a deck that dies when outpaced and has zero stealth.  I re-envisioned that archetype for the V5 format using only Toreador.  This approach grants a bleed boost on Aire of Elation and allows the use of the Loup, the new Toreador stealth card.  Unlike many super streamlined versions, this version is more of a toolbox, having options for many situations.  Let's take a look at the deck and we'll talk about some card choices afterwards. Deck Name: Tore...

Black Chantry Productions is introducing a V5 format.  I was kindly asked to join a series of demonstration games, using the V5 card pool.  The goal of these games is to show off V5 as a format the isn't limited in innovation, challenge, or fun, just in card pool.  Part and parcel with the games, I will be discussing and releasing deck lists that I played in them. The Deck I had already experimented with quite a few Hecata decks.  I played a zombie-rush version for Welcome Hecata 2025 , making the final along side another  Hecata zombie rush deck.  I was able to get set up after the other Hecata deck was ousted, but had wasted too much pool by that point.  Steve had seen a few versions of my Hecata decks and after I mentioned having one that was V5-compliant, was basically told to play it. A V5 ally deck is missing events, most importantly The Unmasking.  Let's be honest it's broken, so not having it in V5 is a good thing....

Tow variants down and one last one to go. As we've seen previously with the Followers of Set and Daughters of Cacophony versions, adapting the Death Star to a new clan opens up new options. My Original Ravnos Version I never played this original version in a tournament. After a test of two and some more experience with the other designs, I realized that I had taken an incorrect approach. I won't make that many updates in the winning version, but what was I thinking trying to play Durga Syn in this deck? Deck Name: Shilmulo Death Star Author: Karl Schaefer Crypt (13 cards, min=4 max=30 avg=4) ==================================== 1x Durga Syn 9 CHI OBF THA ani aus dom for Ravnos:4 1x Alexis Sorokin 8 CEL CHI OBF PRO for Ravnos:4 1x Tatiana Stepanova, Alastor 7 CHI PRE ani for obf Ravnos:4 1x Vassily Taltos 6 aus cel chi dom for obf Ravnos:4 1x Irena ...

In our last post, we talked about the original Death Star design and I shared some of the criteria that I used when determining what clans might be suitable replacements for Banu Haqim in a Death Star variant. In this segment, we'll discuss my Followers of Set variant. They were the first clan I chose to make a variant with. My Original Follower of Set Version This is the first version that I made.  (Keeping all of my versions of decks finally pays off!)  I was able to reach the finals with it, gathering 2GW 7 VPs along the way.  A poor seating choice and a misplay cut my chances to zero.  Let's take a look at the deck. Deck Name: Death Star (Setite Version) Author: Karl Schaefer Description: Original version. Crypt (13 cards, min=4 max=26 avg=3.77) ======================================= 1x Qufur am-Heru 7 OBF PRE SER cel tha Ministry:2 1x Sarrasine 7 OBF PRE aus nec ser Ministry:2 1x Ezekiel, Lord of Montreal...

In our last post, we reviewed our first Death Star variant , using the Followers of Set. Using the criteria from my original post, I decided that the Daughters of Cacophony would be the next clan I tried to create a Death Star variant with. My Original Daughters of Cacophony Version This is the first version that I made.  I earned 1 GW 3VPs, which was enough to make it into the finals.  I was ousted holding an oust for my prey on my next turn.  I had a solid chance of doubling-up and grabbing my grandprey too, but alas never got to take that turn.  Let's take a look at the deck. Deck Name: (Death) Stars of the Stage Author: Karl Schaefer Crypt (13 cards, min=4 max=23 avg=3.31) ======================================= 2x Yseult 6 FOR MEL PRE Daughter of Cacophony:3 1x Gaël Pilet 6 FOR MEL chi pre Daughter of Cacophony:2 2x Angela Preston 5 MEL PRE for Daughter of C...

The idea of a V5-only format has been floated by BCP for some time.  Ideally, this is a way to level the playing field for newer players.  Some folks have, of course, lost their collective minds about the idea.  More ways to play VTES and easier formats to bring in new players sounds exactly like what the doctor ordered to me. Steve has been running several online tournaments this year, a subset of which were in the V5-only format.  I wasn't able to make his earlier V5-only events, but was able to make this last one.  Here are my thoughts about it.  Is V5-only worthwhile?  Let's find out. What I Played I had a few ideas that I wanted to experiment with: Queen Anne + obf/pre Princes, using Banishment (she's one of the oldest vampires available); Malk voters; Banu voters; and Nos Barons.  I'm glad that I didn't pick either of the first two as both of those showed up in the event.  I've previously won with a...

Black Chantry is releasing a new set of demo decks, New Blood.  Like First Blood, there are five decks with the same clans as the Fifth Edition boxed set: Malkavian, Nosferatu, Toreador, Tremere, and Ventrue.  Let's take a look and see how the Ventrue deck measures up for new and established players alike. New Blood: Ventrue Black Chantry describes it as a "toolbox...capable of explosive turns." In a lot of ways, this deck will play like the classic Law Firm. Lots of actions and eventually something will slip through or possibly a lot of things. The lack of a political angle decreases this decks explosiveness. As a Demo of the Game As a demo of the game, this is going to be one of the harder decks to play properly. Turn ordering will be critical to achieve success. Using feints, allowing blocks to lock vampires, determining when to play which card, all of that is going to be tough for new players. Most will probably play what comes into ...

Black Chantry is releasing a new set of demo decks, New Blood.  Like First Blood, there are five decks with the same clans as the Fifth Edition boxed set: Malkavian, Nosferatu, Toreador, Tremere, and Ventrue.  Let's take a look and see how the Nosferatu deck measures up for new and established players alike. New Blood: Nosferatu Black Chantry describes it as a "builds a strong defence with many animal helpers [that] slowly gnaws at its prey" This sounds like a typical Nosferatu build. Like most Nosferatu builds this deck is susceptible to trouble if the permanents don't get into play or are removed from play. Because the deck focuses on permanents, it will be slower to set up than decks using transients, making it weaker in the opening. but stronger in the endgame. As a Demo of the Game As a demo of the game, this is almost a complete opposite of the Malkavian deck we looked at.  This is a defensive-minded deck.  The deck featu...