Clan Assamite Newsletter, July 2008

Written by Jaakko Liemola

Greetings.

I'm Jaakko, the new writer of this newsletter. Also, I'm a relatively
new player, 3 years being an overestimate I think. But nonetheless, I
hope I have something to give to you readers, about our beloved clan
Assamite, and hope to learn something myself in the process of writing
these newsletters.
I'll try to live up to those names, who have written this newsletter
before me, they've thought me much of this game, and the clan Assamite.


I'll try to keep a concept of the month in these newsletters, and
provide a decklist for the concept. Tested or untested.

First of these concepts, is a wallish bleeder. Quite surprising
wouldn't you say? Given the toys we have access to, this isn't
something to sneeze at. We just need a few cards, and a few selected
vampires for the deck. Tom Duncan has also written a newsletter about
this, but I feel that so much has changed that it's worth going back
to. I recommend reading it, it's the March 2006 newsletter. Some
things I say will propably overlap with him, and on some things
we propably disagree. But, lets get started shall we? :)

First, we'll need this:

No Secrets of the Magaji

+1 stealth action. Requires a ready magaji.
Put this card on this magaji and untap him or her. The magaji with
this card gets +1 intercept when attempting to block vampires. If this
magaji is tapped, he or she may attempt to block a vampire as
if untapped. Burn this card if this magaji attempts to block a vampire
but is not successful. A vampire may have only one No Secrets From
the Magaji.

What's not to like it? Untap, +1 intercept, and can block a vampire as
if untapped. You'll still need a reaction module of some sort to help
against those pesky allies which you most likely will bump into sooner
or later. We'll get back to that later on. Several copies of it
are needed, so you'll get one early on.


Secondly, we need this:

Olugbenga

When contesting a vampire, you may use the blood on that vampire or on
Olugbenga as pool to pay for the contest. Olugbenga gets +1 intercept
against bleed actions. (The blood curse does not affect Olugbenga.)

Keyword here being the +1 intercept against bleed.
Given the +1 from the No Secrets, it's already 2 permanent intercept
against bleeds. Against some decks, it's enough, and against some
decks, it really isn't. However, his secondary ability regarding the
contesting of vampires isn't likely to be of help. Though it's
happened to me once, in an earlier version of this months deck, which
goes through it's third overhaul version. But when it happens, the
look on your preys face when you influence Olugbenga out, is closely
priceless.


Another great card for this sort of a deck:

Powerbase: Tshwane

Master: unique location. Requires a ready Laibon.
Tap this location to reduce the cost of a card you play by 1 pool
(this location is not tapped if that card is canceled as it is
played). Any Laibon may steal this location for his or her controller
as a (D) action.

This card is golden. It works on every card you play, that costs a
pool, and in this deck, those cards are many. You play a Direct
Intervention on your predator's blockfail? Tap Tshwane, and it's a
free DI. You play a Sport Bike for more intercept? Tap Tshwane, and
it's free. And so on and so on. An early copy of it will save you
much pool. Possibly even enough for one more guy in your support
group to help on ousting. So it's worth of adding 2 copies of it in
the deck.


Other cards, that will help you getting on the intercept, are the
media outlets, and retainers. Namely Shaman and Mr. Winthrop. I'm not
too sold on raven spies in a deck like this, even though Olugbenga is
the star. If you draw an early No Secrets, and a media
outlet or two, you're quite safe from what I've experienced. And, you
are running Direct Interventions right?

So how are we going to be able to play all those poolcosting locations
and equipments? By gaining pool of course. Luckily, Lords of the Night
added the wonderful card Haqim's Law: Leadership to our relief :)
Running a few copies of it should be enough of pool gain during the
course of a game to help you stay healthy with the other pool gaining
there's gonna be in the deck. I'd run Blood Dolls in this sort of a
deck, even though are going to be running rather high amount of
masters. The tools of the trade are expensive in total costs, and you
are going to need all the pool you can get to not get ousted before
you oust.

Let's do a quick comparison, over 3 turns, BD will give you 3 pool, or
you can add a blood to the vampire instantly, if you're in the dire
need of it. Vessel, would only give you 2 pool, and starts to
function only on the second turn. If you get 2 pool from the BD, or
push back 1 pool to prevent something, you're already on the better
side of Vessel.

Then there's Alamut, and with it comes votes, and with votes, comes
ConBoon, for the third part of bloating engine. Not really much to
explain here, most people should know how that operates, and if they
don't, well, they're in for a surprise :)

Then for the ousting part.

At the basic, you'll need only 1 card for the boost on ousting.

Loss

Blood Cost: 1
[qui] (D) Burn an equipment or location on a minion controlled by your
predator or prey.
[QUI] (D) Bleed at +2 bleed.

And even the inferior is useful. Blow up the Heart of Nizchetus from
your prey, and just smile when they wonder what that was. Or just
bleed them away. Which is the biggest part on the oust method of this
deck.

If you choose to run Alamut and ConBoons with it, there's another card
that can greatly help you on your ousting:

Reckless Agitation

Blood Cost: 2
Requires an independent vampire with capacity above 4.
Allocate 6 points among two or more other Methuselahs. Successful
referendum means each Methuselah burns 1 pool for each point assigned.

You just need an independent 5-cap vampire to call for RA. The
downside part of the vote is, that you can't use it when there are
only 2 players left, so at most I'd run 3 RA:s in here. If you feel
that you want to use votes when there's 2 players left, you can always
go with the KRC-route, and be happy for shooting your prey for 3 and
yourself for 1. But at best, you're not running too many independents
in the crypt for this deck, so KRC might be a bit better
option, if even a little less useful, as all the vampires in your
crypt can call it by default. Unlike RA.

Now, earlier I said that you'll need a reaction package against the
evil allies, which you'll most likely encounter. Warghouls and
Shamblers with Khazar's Diary-decks are the first that comes to my
mind. You most likely will want to block some of them. Instead of
Black Sunrises, which are good, no doubt about that, On the Qui Vives
and Fillips, which are easier to cycle, and won't force you to block.
Another part of the reaction module can be Nest of Eagles, which
reduces bleed by 1, or, if it's a 5-cap or smaller, it's reduces by 3.
But, it might jam your hand, so 2-3 at maximum, if even that.

So, here's the deck of the month:

Crypt [12 vampires] Capacity min: 1 max: 7 average: 5.08333
------------------------------------------------------------
4x Olugbenga 7 OBF QUI ani cel magaji Assamite:4
2x Anarch Convert 1 Caitiff:0
1x Kashan 7 CEL OBF QUI obt pre 1 vote Assamite:4
1x Hafsa, The Watcher 6 OBF QUI aus cel Assamite:5
1x Reza Fatir, The Da 6 CEL QUI obf pro Assamite:4
1x Vardar Vardarian 6 OBF QUI cel pre Assamite:4
1x Kamau Jafari 4 QUI obf Assamite:4
1x Alu 2 obf Assamite:5

/* One could always drop the converts, and double up on Kamau and
Vardar, as they are probably the most wanted companions for Olugbenga
to do their dirty work. I didn't include Basir here, as I feel, that
Alu is a much better choice. Last game I played with this, Alu was the
MVP */

Library [90 cards]
------------------------------------------------------------
Action [22]
5x Haqim's Law: Leadership
2x Khabar: Glory
8x Loss
7x No Secrets From the Magaji

/* Not much big surprises here, if I'd change anything, I'd most
likely drop both of the glories, and swap in 1 Loss, and 1 Haqim's */

Action Modifier [18]
5x Cloak the Gathering
5x Faceless Night
4x Lost in Crowds
4x Spying Mission

Action Modifier/Combat [5]
5x Swallowed by the Night

/* Well, what can you say, stealth gets you through. Swalloweds also
double up as maneuver in a bad case */

Combat [7]
4x Pursuit
3x Side Strike

Equipment [6]
3x .44 Magnum
1x Flak Jacket
1x Ivory Bow
1x Sport Bike

/* This should be defensive enough most of the time to avoid some
annoying combat. */

Event [1]
1x Narrow Minds

Master [18]
3x Alamut
1x Barrens, The
4x Blood Doll
1x Channel 10
3x Direct Intervention
1x Guardian Angel
1x Market Square
2x Powerbase: Tshwane
1x WMRH Talk Radio
1x Wall Street Night, Financial Newspaper

/* Yes, the masters are expensive. You'll be low on pool before you
even notice it. One could always drop Wall Street, and add Powerbase:
Montreal instead of it for some poolgain.*/

Political Action [5]
3x Consanguineous Boon
2x Reckless Agitation

Reaction [6]
3x Nest of Eagles
3x On the Qui Vive

Retainer [2]
1x Mr. Winthrop
1x Shaman

*/ Quite basic the rest of it. 3 wakes just in case someone blows up
my No Secrets, and I really need to block that action. */

This is actually a fun deck to play. You'll get to tinker some, and
bleed some forward. You should be able to get 2-3 vampires out,
minimum. Depending on your hand, your turn should consist of bleeding,
or getting your pool up.

It has it weaknesses, mainly the combat section. If you get a rushdeck
next to you, hope that his predator is putting enough pressure on him,
that you'll get free hands. Powerbleeding Giovannis have also proven
to be a problem.

Also, think twice before DI'ing or blocking something from your prey.
One game I blocked the wrong action from my prey, and I lost my No
Secrets. And, be patient. If you got a bad hand, don't go all guns
blazing and bleed your prey if you know they will catch you.

Now, credit to where credits due. Originally I talked about this deck
with Oko, and he told he based his idea on Matt Morgan's Akunanse
Bleed n' Block.


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Next Issue, Anarchism!
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Liked it, hated it, or want to comment otherwise?
Contact me on: akantes_a_hotmail.com
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Remember to visit The Path of Blood, a site dedicated to Clan
Assamite. www.thepathofblood.com
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