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[ AHRIMANES NEWSLETTER ]
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1.0 - Editorial
1.1 Word From the Editor
1.2 Next Issue
2.0 - Concepts
2.1 Library Card Focus
3.0 - Deck
3.1 Anarchic Ahrimanes
3.2 Sign Off

--[1.1 - Word from the Editor]-----------------------
Well a new year, and a new season of Vtes. The local league has started, and the current numbers are good - even managed a session of seven players the other week. Plus there is a lot to look forward to on the horizon. First there is Blood Shadowed Court, which is a reprint of the Camarilla only vampires - I mentioned this in more detail in NL 32, plus there is the small release called Twilight Rebellion - which features the Anarchs, and sounds like it will bring the Anarchs up to the level of the other concepts in the game. How this will impact on the previously mentioned Storyline Event I am not sure. Perhaps it will be come clearer as time goes one. Then after that there is a Camarilla based set, due for release in August. This sounds like it is a large set, and should help to restore some of the Camarillas power, which has slipped over the past few years. This all looks quite promising, although I am not sure that there will be much Ahrimane stuff in the near future, we will have to see.

--[1.2 -Next Issue]------------------------------------
Next issue there will be yet another tournament winning Ahrimane deck, this time from Erik Torstensson. It is a tweak of his previous Ahrimane decks, however it is still successful and worth a look - we can see which cards have made the new version.

--[2.1 - Library Card Focus]------------------------
The observant amongst you will have noticed that there is no Crypt Card focus this month. This is because I have gone through all the current Ahrimanes and a number of their obvious allies, and so the Crypt Card focus will now be an irregular rather than regular feature. Anyway this month the Library Card is:

Underbridge Stray
Type: Ally
Requires: Animalism
Cost: 1 blood
Animal with 1 life. 0 strength, 0 bleed.
[ani] The Stray may burn 1 life to give a minion you control a press. During a (D) action directed at you, you may burn the Stray to untap a ready minion you control (not usable if the Stray is blocking). [ANI] As above, but the Stray has 2 life and 1 strength.
A very nice ANI ally, with a couple of good options. First it is a cheap ally at only 1 blood, the cost of which can be covered by Perfectionist or Charisma. Also costing blood means that you don't have to repay their cost if a Kindred Segregation is played. Now the Stray gives you the option of a press at the cost of a life, which as I mentioned in the LotN overview is very handy, especially if you pair it with Vagabond Mystic to top the Stray back up. Of course Presses are very useful in the usual Ahrimane combat package, giving more rounds to apply the Carrion Crows. You can also use the Stray for additional blocking, by burning him to untap a ready minion you control, again this fits very nicely with an Ahrimane Wall and with a bit of planning you can get two uses out of a Stray with a press in a previous combat, then the untap afterwards. Further uses are as a chump blocker but given you can burn him to untap someone else this seems unnecessary, given the Stray will most likely die in a combat. However if you are using Target Vitals, the Stray could have quite a bite! Alternatively there is nothing to prevent you arming the Stray with .44 Magnums and the like, although the cost of such items on a soft minion is a little high. Another card to use of the Stray is Vultures Buffet, as this will allow you to profit from the death of each Stray - at SPI Vultures gives you two blood, a pool and untaps your minion. Ready to get another Stray, which will set you up for the next round of blocks. Something that could be used as a surprise with numerous Strays, and some Target Vitals is Bloodlust, or Frontal Assault. Frontal Assault is the better option, as it has no blood cost, although you need to watch out for the penalty for failure. Anyway after sending Howler and other Ahrimanes into the fray a couple of Strays could help finish off your Preys minions.
Something else to use with the Stray is The Summoning, as this gives you the option to search your library for an ally card. This also helps if you are using a variety of allies, and can then search for the one you need - Vagabond Mystic, Mylan Horseed or Ossian.

--[3.1 - Deck: Anarchic
Ahrimanes ]---------------------------------------
Deck Name: Praxis Seizure: Turku XXXVII
Author: Otso Saariluoma

Crypt (12 cards; Capacity min=4 max=8 avg=6.75)
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4x Siamese, The 7 ani pro PRE SPI Ahrimane:2
1x Nettie Hale 5 ani cel pre spi pro Ahrimane:2
1x Juanita Santiago 4 ani pre spi Ahrimane:2
4x Howler 8 obf ANI PRE SPI Ahrimane:2
2x Cynthia Ingold 6 ani for pre SPI Ahrimane:2

Library (88 cards)
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Master (17)
1x Powerbase: Los Angeles
1x Presence
1x Seattle Committee
1x WMRH Talk Radio
1x Pentex(TM) Subversion
1x Galaric's Legacy
1x Anarch Railroad
4x Anarch Revolt
5x Blood Doll
1x Anarch Free Press, The
Event (1)
1x Break the Code
Action (8)
1x Fee Stake: Perth
1x Fee Stake: Seattle
1x Fee Stake: New York
1x Fee Stake: Corte
2x Entrancement
2x Engling Fury
Political Action (10)
5x Kine Resources Contested
3x Firebrand
1x Disputed Territory
1x Banishment
Equipment (2)
2x Stolen Police Cruiser
Retainer (2)
1x Raven Spy
1x Mr. Winthrop
Action Modifier (12)
4x Voter Captivation
2x Squirrel Balance
2x Bewitching Oration
2x Awe
2x Aire of Elation
Reaction (14)
8x Speak with Spirits
3x Falcon's Eye
3x Cats' Guidance
Combat (12)
4x Leapfrog
4x Chameleon's Colors
4x Carrion Crows
Combo (10)
10x Swiftness of the Stag

The thing I find surprising about this deck is the limited number of ways of Going Anarch. Indeed there is only two, with one Galarics and one Seattle Committee. I guess that Otso must use the default action, which admittedly frees up card slots but can be costly and of course blocked. Of course this deck could now have a power up, with Reckless Agitation, although the costs of that can add up quickly.

--[3.2 - Sign Off]-------------------------------------
I have noticed that the recent Vtes news has been coming from online retailers rather than directly from White Wolf. This seems to be the wrong way around to me, as White Wolf should be telling people what is coming and what will be included, rather than the rumours and suspicions that occur from mysterious names appearing online. Of course fan hype can be a sales model, with the Cloverfield film excelling at it, but equally it can be good to have some facts when planning purchases, tournaments and other Vtes related events.

Sam
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