Dateline – Charleston, SC
Jeff “The Lasombra” Thompson won the Monkey Wrench: Charleston tournament with a Salubri Antitribu Intercept deck. It was the same deck he played in the Finals of the 2009 Las Vegas North American Qualifier. Jeff got 1GW 6VPs in the two preliminary rounds and 3VPs in the finals. Twelve players were in attendance.
Preliminary Standings:
- James Medors – Malkavian Antitribu Stealth Bleed – 2 GW 8 VPs
- Jeffrey Thompson – Salubri Antitribu Intercept – 1 GW 6 VPs
- Jeff Brandon – Anarch Gargoyles – 1 GW 3.5 VPs
- Greg Mitchell – Huitzilopochtli’s Inner Circle Vote/Bleed – 1 GW 2.5 VPs
- Jason Joy – Followers of Set Corruption Bleed – 2VPs
The table seating was:
Jason (first)-> Jeff T. bleeding -> James bleeding -> Greg bleeding ->Jeff B. ->Jason
Final score: Jeff Thompson 3 VP, Greg Mitchell 2 VP.
While Jeff had a great day, my day did not go so well. I ended up with a big fat zero after two rounds. I chose to play a Salubri Spirit Marionette deck with Saulot. I didn’t draw enough of my key cards in the first round, but I was able to bleed my prey down to 6 pool and knocked one of her vamps into torpor with a Fame on them. But my grand prey said he got a terrible hand and didn’t draw any Vessels and my Kiasyd prey powerbled him out by the next turn.
With no pressure, my predator, Jeff Brandon, was able to beat me up and bleed me out after I tapped out.
Final Score Table 1: Jeff Brandon 3VP, Brenda Joy, 1VP
The second round at first seemed better than the first. I drew a better openning hand, but my predator got out several weenie vampires and he called 3 Kine Resources Contested and bled me for 4 pool before I could get Saulot out. The game was at first in Jason Joy’s hands. He had no trouble bleeding and taping weenie horde. My predator had already got me down to 6 pool, but Jason was able to oust him and me almost back to back. Jeff Thompson was my prey and I was only able to bled him once. I was unable to get past all his intercept and I was stuck on playing defense against Jason before being ousted. Jeff and Jason went back and forth with each other in combat. Jeff was able to send all Jason’s vamps into torpor and diablerized two or three of them before bleeding him out.
Final score Table 2: Jeff Thompson 2 VP, Jason Joy 2 VP.
Other decks I saw played at the tournament:
- Nosferatu Princes
- Giovanni Bleed w/ Shambling Hordes
Deck Name : I am I Author : The Lasombra Description : 1st round, sweep, 4 vp 2nd round, tied, 2 vp / 2vp with prey Final round, won, 3 vps with grand prey taking 2 vps
Crypt [12 vampires] Capacity min: 3 max: 8 average: 5.5 ------------------------------------------------------------ 3x Dela Eden 8 AUS FOR VAL cel dom !Salubri:3 3x Adonai 7 AUS VAL for !Salubri:2 1x Remilliard, Devout Crusader 4 AUS pre !Toreador:2 1x Richard Tauber, Ayelea's Puppet 4 AUS tha !Tremere:2 1x Thomas Steed, The Angry 4 ani aus val !Salubri:2 1x Isabel de Leon 3 AUS Toreador:2 1x Kervos, The Lieutenant 3 aus val !Salubri:2 1x Zoe 3 AUS cel obf Malkavian:2
Library [90 cards] ------------------------------------------------------------ 1x Abbot 2x Anima Gathering 4x Sense Death
Combat [25] 4x Armor of Caine's Fury 9x Blissful Agony 7x Eye of Unforgiving Heaven 5x Soak
Equipment [1] 1x Bowl of Convergence
Master [14] 4x Blood Doll 1x Blooding by the Code 1x Dark Influences 1x Fame 1x Giant's Blood 2x Guardian Angel 3x Path of Retribution, The 1x Rotschreck
Reaction [42] 3x Eagle's Sight 3x Enhanced Senses 4x Eyes of Argus 6x Forced Awakening 2x Forced Vigilance 3x My Enemy's Enemy 7x On the Qui Vive 3x Precognition 3x Telepathic Counter 8x Telepathic Misdirection
Retainer [1] 1x Mr. Winthrop
Jeff Thompson’s Tournament Summary
Round recap:
In the first round, I went first. My prey was playing 2-3 cap Sabbat
vampires that called Crusades and Kine Resources Contested while
occasionally getting Saturday Night Specials and Camera Phones. My
grand prey looked an awful lot like the KoT Toreador starter with
possibly a few tweaks. My predator was playing a Shambling Hordes
deck and he discarded one on his first turn. He didn’t see another
for 7-8 turns though.
I was able to block many of my prey’s pool gaining votes and I let the
Toreador deal with the damage dealing votes. I was also able to
consistently bleed for 3-4 as my prey was playing like a shark (i.e.
move forward 100% of the time or die). Blocking the pool gain votes
and out racing him on the pool damage allowed me to take him down when
his prey had ~5 or 6 pool. Eye of Unforgiving Heaven put Thomas De
Lutrius with his Sniper Rifle into torpor, and the Toreador folder
before me.
Zoe blocked and killed my predator’s Procurer, and Dela Eden blocked
Shambling Hordes twice. Once to Soak the 4 damage, the second time to
play Eye of Unforgiving Heaven at inferior to burn and gain me two
pool. Successfully diablerie of all of the Giovanni vampires
completed the sweep of that first table.
In the second round, my predator was playing Saulot/Spirit Marionette
and went first. My prey was playing Followers of Set/Allonzo Montoya
and bleeding large with Revelation of Ecstasy / Revelation of Desire.
My grand prey was the weenie vote deck from the first round. The
weenies jumped out and put an awful hurting on Saulot, but was unable
to seal the deal before the Followers of Set were able to barrel thru
them. The Followers also got Saulot shortly thereafter. When it came
down to the two player, Eye of Unforgiving Heaven again enabled
multiple successful diableries (as the Edge was the only vote
remaining on the table). Two victory points for the Followers of Set,
two for Adonai.
Standings before the finals:
James Medors 2 GW 8 VPs – Malkavian Antitribut stealth bleed
Jeffrey Thompson 1 GW 6 VPs Salubri Antitribu intercept bounce
Jeff Brandon 1 GW 3.5 VPs Anarch Gargoyle intercept combat
Greg Mitchell 1 GW 2.5 VPs Huitzilopochtli’s inner circle stealth vote
Jason Joy 2 vps Followers of Set/Allonzo Montoya Revelation
Seating in the finals:
Jason going first bleeding
Jeffrey bleeding
James bleeding
Greg bleeding
Jeff, who bled Jason
Jason went first. I brought out Zoe and Adonai as my first two
minions, with Dela Eden third. James brought out Blood Feud, General
Perfidio Dios, and White Lilly. Greg started the game with Leandro,
and eventually added Maris Streck and Huitzilopochtli. Jeff brought
out Erinyi and one other Gargoyle who’s name escapes me. James
brought out Allonzo Montoya, Bupe Kuila, and possibly Renenet?
My first master card was Guardian Angel, which was Washed, and I
followed up that same turn with a Blood Doll on Adonai. Everyone paid
Leandro tax for quite a while. My third master card was Fame on
Bloodfeud. Dela Eden Sense’s his Death, and though White Lilly
attempted to block with an auspex intercept card, it was discovered
that she has no Auspex and Bloodfeud went to torpor after seeing the
Eye of Unforgiving Heaven. A combination of bounced bleeds and Fame
ousted James not much later (1-2 turns later).
Leandro was removed by Adonai’s special ability (Adonai can enter
combat with any ready Camarilla vampire controlled by another
Methuselah as a (D) action). Zoe sacrificed herself after the
successful diablerie attempt and her passing was mourned. Maris
Streck was able to call and pass a Parity Shift to oust Jeff’’s
Gargoyles. Maris Streck Banished Adonai, twice. I was happy to
return him to play with 7 blood. Maris was blocked by Dela Eden on a
Parity Shift that would almost have taken out the Followers of Set,
and she met Heaven while Dela gave me two pool with another
self-burning. Remilliard, Devout Crusader diablerized Maris after
Huitzilopochtli had ousted the Followers of Set by bleeding for 5 at
stealth. Remiliard was also burned in the Bloodhunt. So it was down
to two vampires, Huitzilopochtli and Adonai. Huitzilopochtli had
Obedience, but Adonis had Abbot and Mr. Winthrop. Huitzilopochtli
attempted to bleed and Adonai came up with 4 intercept (Eyes of Argus)
to successfully block and torporize Huitzilopochtli. Having retained
the Edge, Richard Tauber was about to join Adonai when Greg realized
that he had too few pool to bring out another vampire and no chance to
stealth past Adonai to have Huitzilopochtli leave torpor.
There were two changes from the Vegas version:
1) Smiling Jack out – Fame in
2) 1 Blooding by the Code out – Rotschreck in
http://groups.google.com/group/rec.games.trading-cards.jyhad/msg/681855b4d16eb092
Nice report!
I’m very interested in the deck design of the Anarch Gargoyle deck in round 1. Is it possible to get a decklist? Thanks.
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Thanks very good for report, I follow your blog:-)