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

--[1.1 - Word from the Editor]----------------------
Well I have been enjoying some games of Phased Motion Format recently, however as we normally play with time limits I have found that they have timed out quite often. Has anyone else found this, or have you just played without time limits? Also one or two cards seem to have the possibility to be very powerful in the Advanced version (where you don't draw to replace) in particular Katherine Stoddard with her 'draw up to Hand Size' text. The Imbued continue to make an impact in the local game, with many cards being sidelined by the fact that they only affect vampires. So instead of this issues promised Laibon articles there are details of some cards that will help oust those Imbued!

--[1.2 -Next Issue]------------------------------------
Will probably be about the Laibon, but maybe not it all depends on time available. Either way there will be a newsletter, mostly about Ahrimanes, some time next month, surely you can't wait! :) I may also look at Events, and how to avoid the worst of their pain.

--[2.1 - Crypt Card Focus]--------------------------
This month it is the honorary Ahrimane

Sobayifa
Clan: Guruhi (group 3)
Capacity: 8
Disciplines: ANI PRE aus pot pro spi
Laibon magaji.
Rarity: LoB:PG2

As you can see she has all three in clan skills, she also has PRO like Nettie Hale, The Siamese and Maria Stone, giving us four Crypt Minions with PRO in group 2-3. Of less use is the POT that is only shared with Gentha Shale, and AUS which none of the current Ahrimanes have - and given that Sobayifa is in group 3, and it is unlikely that there will be any more group 2 Ahrimanes, and maybe only one more group 4 Ahrimane it is not likely to change. So what else have we got? We have the Laibon, which gives us access to votes, and permanent Bleed. I have an Akunanse deck at the moment that gains momentum with cards like Ancestor Spirit, and Kduva's Mask. These added to Tier of Souls or Heart of the City can really start piling on the pressure. Also the addition of permanent votes is not to be ignored, especially as the Ahrimanes start with none. Other cards that could be good are The Secret Must Be Kept - combined with Vultures Buffet, Shaman, to stack up your Intercept or Stealth as required, or maybe even Masai Blood Milk to really amp up your Wildebeested Ahrimanes.

--[2.2 - Library Card Focus]------------------------
Well the Imbued can be hard to catch, hard to burn, and annoying good at blocking, so what can be done to stop them? Easy, strike at their weaknesses, one of which is reliance on Equipment, and in particular Weapons. Of course there are other weaknesses, not least of which is their blood/life regain is very limited outside of a few Powers and the unique Vagabond Mystic - so keep hitting them, use cards that do damage, especially damage outside of strikes, such as Carrion Crows and they will go down.

Anyway first up is a card that works well against Vampires as well as Imbued, which is important to consider, as you never know that the Imbued will be played. I was a little surprised that Terror Frenzy works against Minions, as I thought it would be worded Vampire like the similar Drawing out the Beast, however given that it was reprinted in Legacies of Blood, when Nights of Reckoning must have been more than a glint in LSJ's eye I hope that it will remain as it is.

Terror Frenzy
Type: Combat
Requires: Animalism
Cost: 1 blood
Frenzy.
[ani] Only usable before range is determined on the first round. During this combat, the opposing minion cannot use maneuvers to maneuver to close range, cannot use presses to continue combat and cannot use equipment.
[ANI] Only usable before range is determined. Opposing vampire burns an additional blood when playing combat cards this combat. A vampire may play only one Terror Frenzy at superior each combat.
Rarity: Sabbat:R SW:R FN:PR CE:PN LoB:PG

A card which prevents the use of any equipment! That is the most important thing here, however there is the fact that the opposing minion can't maneuver back to close so are unlikely to be able to strike, and can't press screws many combat options. Also using Ahrimanes to go to long range is easy with Aid from Bats, add a Carrion Crows and away you go! This gives you a solid combat package that works against all Crypt Minions.

The next two cards have been a little overlooked in the past,

Centralized Background Check
Type: Master
Master: unique location.
Weapons cost an additional pool.
Rarity: Gehenna:R

Illegal Search and Seizure
Type: Master
Master.
Burn a weapon that costs more than 2 pool or inflicts (with a regular strike) aggravated damage or more than 3 damage. The bearer of the weapon takes 1 damage. This damage cannot be prevented.
Rarity: Jyhad:C VTES:C CE:PB

Both these cards help stall out a Weapon toting Imbued deck. Centralised Background Check (CBC) will even make Cleave cost pool, which in an Imbued deck is most precious, as there are more limited bloating choices. Illegal Search and Seizure works better with CBC as it will make even a .44 Magnum illegal. Unfortunately these cards work less well against non-Imbued, as there is less of a reliance on weapons and equipment. However they cost nothing to play, and nothing to discard.

Looking back to Issue 8, Prophesies of Gehenna, could prove its worth again as you can see what that Imbued Player is planning. Also Anarch Troublemaker has use, with the tap to burn Equipment, shame about the tapping Vampires bit - but someone will be playing them won't they? Then back in Issue 10, when I looked at Approximation of Loyalty (AoL) I noted that it was of limited use in large numbers. However against the Imbued it is golden as there is no age restriction, and with the limited untap Reactions of the Imbued you can focus AoL's on the troublesome ones.

--[3.1 - Deck: Ahrimanes Die Imbued Die]---------------------------------------
A Bruise Bleed, Animalism Presence deck, using groups 2-3, with Sobayifa to give a very nice Crypt spread. Then I have added many of the cards talked about in this issue. I feel that Bruise Bleed is a better option over Stealth Bleed at the moment, as Intercept is quite easy to generate, and cards such as Champion automatically block the action anyway. So rather than sneak past, beat your way through, and scare them into not blocking!

Crypt [13 vampires] Capacity min: 2 max: 8 average: 5.16
2x Sobayifa 8 ANI PRE aus pot pro spi magaji Guruhi:3
2x Siamese, The 7 PRE SPI ani pro Ahrimane:2
2x Cynthia Ingold 6 SPI ani for pre Ahrimane:2
2x Nettie Hale 5 ani cel pre pro spi Ahrimane:2
2x Juanita Santiago 4 ani pre spi Ahrimane:2
1x Shannon Price, the 3 ani obf !Nosferatu:2
1x Dani 2 ani !Nosferatu:2
1x Zip 2 ani Ravnos:3

Library [90 cards]
Action [14]
7x Enchant Kindred
1x Engling Fury
2x Heart of the City
2x Legal Manipulations
2x Nose of the Hound

Action Modifier [5]
3x Aire of Elation
2x Approximation of Loyalty

Combat [33]
13x Aid from Bats
10x Carrion Crows
2x Pack Alpha
3x Taste of Vitae
5x Terror Frenzy

Combat/Action Modifier [4]
4x Swiftness of the Stag

Master [13]
6x Blood Doll
2x Perfectionist
3x Presence
2x Prophecies of Gehenna

Reaction [16]
2x Cats' Guidance
5x Falcon's Eye
2x Forced Awakening
3x Guard Dogs
4x Speak with Spirits

Retainer [5]
2x Murder of Crows
3x Raven Spy

--[3.2 - Sign Off]-------------------------------------
So have the Imbued made in impact in your Play Group? I think that locally we have been lucky so far, in that they have only been played with limited numbers of Event cards, so I have yet to see the nightmare of a full Event deck! Perhaps some of you out there have struggled through it, or thought about creating it? Either way post up a reply with your thoughts.

Sam
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