European Championships 2012 - First Chance Qualifier report

So - no Day 2 tournament for me and I should probably play one of my more relaxed and/or aggressive decks for the First Chance Qualifier but I had this one prepared for the weekend with Day 3 in mind and it has been my favourite deck for a time so why not play it? It is based upon a deck by Emiliano Imeroni and I have played another take on his concept on a smaller tournament before but I have changed it into something more similar to the original.

Deck Name : Mar Ghouls
Author : Stefan Karlsson

Crypt [13 vampires] Capacity min: 2 max: 9 average: 5.53846

5	Maris Streck	9	AUS OBF ani dem dom	justicar	Malkavian	3
2	Horatio	2	vic		Tzimisce	2
2	Piotr Andreikov	2	aus		Tzimisce	3
1	Corine Marcon	6	AUS VIC ani		Tzimisce	2
1	Devin Bisley	5	ANI AUS vic		Tzimisce	2
1	Elizabeth Westcott	5	AUS ani cel vic		Tzimisce	3
1	Wendy Wade	3	ani aus		Tzimisce	2

Library [62 cards]

Action Modifier [6]
  3x Cloak the Gathering
  1x Lost in Crowds
  2x Veil the Legions

Ally [10]
  1x Muddled Vampire Hunter
  2x Ossian
  7x War Ghoul

Combat [7]
  3x Fake Out
  4x Trap

Equipment [1]
  1x Heart of Nizchetus

Event [4]
  2x Dragonbound
  2x Unmasking, The

Master [12]
  1x Fame
  6x Jake Washington (Hunter)
  1x Pentex(TM) Subversion
  1x Powerbase: Montreal
  1x Rack, The
  2x Smiling Jack, The Anarch

Political Action [4]
  1x Anathema
  3x Parity Shift

Reaction [15]
  2x Delaying Tactics
  2x Eyes of Argus
  6x On the Qui Vive
  5x Telepathic Misdirection

Retainer [3]
  1x J. S. Simmons, Esq.
  1x Mr. Winthrop
  1x Tasha Morgan

Round 1

1	2	3	4
Niina Stenberg	Stefan Karlsson	Ferenc Koczka	Julien Ohler
Setites with Potence	Mar Ghouls	Shalmath multiact	The unnamed Shatter the Gate

No early War Ghouls but I have Jake and Ossian on my starting hand (thanks Adam Esbjörnsson for talking me into fielding two copies of Ossian). Ferenc’s first discard is a Muddled Vampire Hunter and when he has 7 blood influenced to his first vampire and I have 4 on Maris I ask him if he is bringing up a Malkavian. He sais yes and when I tell him I will influence out Maris Streck he sighs and looks down. I am thinking to myself if I should contest or not and decides to go for the contest influencing 4 more pool, having a stealthy deck that can contain Entrancements as my predator. Ferenc influences out Shalmath and I have just been a fool at one of the most beautiful bluffs I have seen as a Vtes-player.
Niina’s first vampire is Shemti and I played a casual game against her and probably that very deck two days earlier so I am guessing she is playing Potence. An early Pentex Subversion backwards solves that temporary. Julien starts to act with the unnamed and get both Homunculus and Enkil Cog early and I figure he is playing some iteration of the standard unnamed deck so aiming for a duel against him feels reasonable.
My biggest problem is Shalmath. He will probably recruit allies with Summon History after getting Ankara Citadel and worst case Remnant of the Endless Storm can easily destroy my game. I rush Shalmath with Ossian first opportunity I get and plays a trap but Outside the Hourglass x 3 (superior for two damage, inferior for a dodge and superior for two more damage round 2) kills Ossian leaving Shalmath unharmed. Maris also attempts a Parity Shift but that is cancelled by Rewind Time.
Shalmath tools up a little but doesn’t get anything devastating. Niina takes some bleeds and I defend Pentex Subversion. I have Cloak the Gathering, which is needed because Niina has influenced Bupe Kuila as her second minion, when I recruit my first War Ghoul and I am ready for my second attempt at Shalmath. This time it goes much better and a Trap is all that is needed to put Shalmath in torpor.
When it is Julien’s turn I ask him to diablerize Shalmath but he instead goes for the rescue. It is looking tough for me now having lost quite some pool to Tension in the Ranks played early by Ferenc. I let Niina remove the Pentex since she is also low on pool and needs to defend against Julien. I manage to get Shalmath to torpor again and diablerize him myself this time.
In Ferenc’s turn Julien taps Enkil Cog and plays Shatter the Gate. Niina doesn’t have any untapped minions and I offer as much intercept from Maris’ special as she needs (Maris is at 7 or so blood) but she doesn’t have any wakes. The second Shatter the Gate is played in Julien’s own turn and when it is Niina’s turn we try to discuss a solution. I tell her that she needs to stay untapped with both her vampires and block with help from Maris but she wants to cycle cards and burn one of the Shatter the Gates and cycle in to a wake or two and when I know she won’t change her mind I let her bleed for the edge, stealthing some and then she manages to remove a Shatter. Julien plays another Shatter in Niina’s turn and she have no wakes. I try and rush the unnamed but one of Julien’s members of the Horde wakes and blocks and the third Shatter the Gate is a fact.
Now I have to cooperate with Julien to be able to grab a victory point (and a theoretical game win) since I am the first to go by the new element of 3 pool damage each untap phase. I have played Anathema on Bupe Kuila before so my best hope is to rush him to 0 blood and gain 7 pool but Niina has a strong combat hand and my War Ghoul is dead doing almost no harm thanks to multiple Typhonic Beast. I am at three pool and I don’t realise that I have the opportunity to bleed Ferenc for the edge, ask Julien not to bleed at all and block Niina’s both actions for a victory point in Ferenc’s next untap phase.
That mistake costs me that point and Julien his game win and we both blame ourselves for not seeing that possibility. Me and Ferenc gets ousted and Nina fights hard in the duel but lots of Majesties and a late Giant’s Blood makes Julien grind the duel to a win.
Niina 2 VP
Julien 2 VP

Round 2

1	2	3	4	5
Danilo Tomisi	Olivier Roure	Boglárka Bóna	Stefan Karlsson	Tibor Spada
Lutz and Maris	!Toreador breed and boon	Kiasyd stealth bleed	Mar Ghouls	Nosferatu princes and trophies

Danilo’s first vampire is Maris Streck and I have to do without her. I get an early War Ghoul and manages to rush Boglárka’s Arcadian to torpor at the first attempt so I might do just fine without Maris. Tibor is my main problem since he is packing both combat and stealth. He also plays Red List on a War Ghoul and it that isn’t confidence, what is? Olivier gets a good start and is able to gather both minions and pool not pressing for an early oust.
Nikolaus Vermeulen manages to kill the Red List War Ghoul and gain a Trophy but I rush with two more War Ghouls and diablerize him. Now Danilo has his back free and can use all his resources ousting Olivier who no longer is able to vote with no help from Tibor. Tibor is on his knees but Danilo grows stronger and soon has his third vampire.
I bleed Tibor down so he is supposed to die from my Smiling Jack in his untap phase but I have forgotten that Danilo has Madness Network in play. He removes Smiling Jack easily. He also attempts to play First Tradition but I play Delaying Tactics.
When it is Danilo’s turn anew he plays Kine Resources contested and deals 3 damage to me leaving me at 4 pool. He then plays First Tradition. Third action - another First Tradition. If this vote is passing no one else is going to be able to play any more turns and I desperately tell Danilo that I will self-oust if he votes it trough but he is fine with that. I give Boglárka a victory point as compensation for her hopeless game and Danilo wins the table from very clever play.
Danilo GW 4 VP
Boglárka 1 VP

Round 3

1	2	3	4	5
Csaba Pál	Máté Vaka	Stefan Karlsson	Martin Major	Matthew Boon
Ravnos breed and boon	Stanislava	Mar Ghouls	Eze vote and bleed	Reanimated Corpses and Anu Diptinapta

Last game for this EC and no win yet. Still I have had loads of fun and no dull games at all but a win would sweeten the bitter taste of loss after loss. And this would be the perfect game to do it as I have already faced three of my opponents in the tournaments the days before. Csaba killed me with his Nephandus deck round 3 at the Last Chance Qualifier, Máté walled against my Auspex weenies round 3 at Day 1 and Martin killed me with his Assault Rifles round 1 at the LCQ.
Martin is not drawing Eze in his starting crypt and he lets us know he is in a bad spot. He instead brings Ugadja out and plays Villein for a lot. Meanwhile Máté gets Stanislava and I fear this is going to be another quick game for me. My first War Ghoul rush goes backwards and I manage to torporise her with a Trap. I also torporize Ugadja and it is looking good. Good enough for me to gain three enemies. Matthew plays his game and builds up. Csaba also builds up but he is rescuing Stanislava from torpor in the process and my heavy ally recruiting (now at two War Ghouls, Ossian and Muddled Vampire Hunter) has removed a lot of my pool so it is a critical moment for me. I take a heavy bleed but gets another chance to survive and have to use all my four rushes to beat Stanislava to torpor again and this time I have the action to diablerize her. My only Tzimisce is burned in the blood hunt and I am left with Maris and the allies.
Martin has lots of pool. I put Smiling Jack and Dragonbound in play and Csaba plays Week of Nightmares and bleeds for his victory point. I try and stop him with all my rushes but he is just in time to oust Máté before his ready region is empty.
I have saved several wakes and Pentex Subversion on my hand and those come in handy now when Matthew has also turned against me. Martin talks Matthew into going for removing Smiling Jack and I try to talk him into getting his victory point. Martin has started influencing on Eze and he sais he has loads of Majesties on his hand and will use his political actions to backoust me. Matthew makes a couple of attempts at Smiling Jack but I block him. He then uses the rest of his resources to oust Csaba and manages before I have the time to rush all his minions.
Martin gets Eze to play and I play my Pentex Subversion on him and rush all of Matthew’s minions to their death or torpor. With no ready minions that can act Martin and Matthew gives up and I get my victory at last.
Stefan GW 3 VP
Csaba 1 VP
Matthew 1 VP

I want to thank Budapest, the organisers and all my opponents for three great days of card-flipping at its best. See you in Stockholm next year!

European Championships 2012 - Day 1 report

My first plan was to play my Gerald Windham freak show at this tournament but I didn’t feel all that comfortable with that choice so late in the evening the day before I was still pondering what deck to pick. I was playing a casual game in the lobby with some good Finnish and Swedish players. I was a bit drunk (enough to make a couple of mistakes) but I still managed to win with an Auspex weenie deck and it felt really comfortable.
I have not played Auspex weenies that much but the little experience I have with them has given me a couple of wins so I though to myself to give it a go for real during Day 1.
The deck is built with great inspiration from a similar deck Isak Esbjörnsson Bjärmark used to play for a while and I think he got a tournament win with it. I have changed some cards here and there but basically it is his deck.

Deck Name : AUSylum
Author : Stefan Karlsson

Crypt [12 vampires] Capacity min: 1 max: 6 average: 3.33333

3	Anarch Convert	1		Caitiff	ANY
2	Victoria	5	AUS cel obf	Malkavian	2
2	Zöe	3	AUS cel obf	Malkavian	2
1	Dancin’ Dana	6	AUS cel obf	Malkavian	1
1	Ozmo	6	AUS dom obf	Malkavian	1
1	Aleph	4	AUS dom	Malkavian	1
1	Dollface	3	aus obf	Malkavian	1
1	Brazil	2	aus	Malkavian	1

Library [74 cards]

Combat [13]
  3x Aura Reading
  3x Concealed Weapon
  3x Disguised Weapon
  2x Target Vitals
  2x Taste of Vitae

Equipment [9]
  4x .44 Magnum
  1x Banshee Ironwail
  1x Bowl of Convergence
  1x Ivory Bow
  1x Sniper Rifle
  1x Sport Bike

Event [1]
  1x Uncoiling, The

Master [12]
  4x Anarch Revolt
  1x Direct Intervention
  3x Madness Network
  1x Pentex(TM) Subversion
  1x Powerbase: Montreal
  2x Smiling Jack, The Anarch

Reaction [38]
  2x Delaying Tactics
  5x Eagle's Sight
  2x Enhanced Senses
  8x Eyes of Argus
  4x Forced Awakening
  5x My Enemy's Enemy
  3x On the Qui Vive
  6x Telepathic Misdirection
  3x Wake with Evening's Freshness

Retainer [1]
  1x Mr. Winthrop

 

Round 1

1	2	3	4	5
Martin Randers	Stefan Karlsson	Aleksandar Zivkovic	Daniel Fernandez Rivero	Stefan Salzer
Kiasyd stealth bleed	AUSylum	Mary Anne lawfirm	Auspex weenies with Thaumaturgy	Malkavian stealth bleed

When I realise that both my predator and grandpredator is playing stealth/bleed I feel like I am seated perfectly. Alexandar is having a slow start and my hope is to get the first oust and then fight for a good table presence to be able to beat Daniel in an upcoming duel. I fail to block Martin’s first superior Govern the Unaligned and I think to myself that I at least made him cycle a lot of stealth. I am so wrong. Martin packs (or just draws) silly amounts of stealth and he uses 3-4 stealth for every action. My second problem is that I don’t draw any bounce cards. None at all (except the Telepathic Misdirection I had on my starting hand). Martin bounces some bleeds from Stefan and I manage to block those but the game is not 25 minutes old when I am ousted.
I have cycled a lot of cards (using Aura Reading twice blocking Stefan’s bleeds) trying to block and have seen 1/3 of my library and only 1 bounce card of the 11 I play. If I ever have suffered an unlucky draw it is in this game.
Martin is on the roll and Aleksandar playing Banishment on Pherydima doesn’t stop him from getting his second victory point. Now it gets a lot trickier for Martin and Stefan is looking stronger. Martin makes a mistake and discards his last Deflection and gets bled out. In the early stages of the duel Daniel is equipping and influencing dangerously low but he has the situation in his hand and slowly grinds all of Stefan’s vampires to torpor and a table split.
Martin 2 VP
Daniel 2 VP
Stefan S 1 VP

Round 2

1	2	3	4	5
Helmuth Kaiserseder	Andreas Nusser	Stefan Karlsson	Carl Pilhatsch	Laurent Ribeyre
Lasombra vote and bleed	Ariadne Abactor and Renegade Garous	AUSylum	Nakhthorheb Corruption	Assamite breed boon

The game starts with Andreas and me playing an Anarch Revolt each. I soon also have Smiling Jack and Madness Network in play and draw early cross-table attention and let Jack go. Helmuth is looking strong and I let Andreas recruit a Renegade Garou for defence. Carl slowly influences out Nakhthorheb and I play Pentex Subversion on him before he takes his first action. This means Laurent get his back free and can slowly start to put some serious pressure on Helmuth.
Helmuth’s stealth cards is not showing and Andreas manages to block some actions but when he is almost dead he manages to get a vote to pass, playing Awe and Voter Captivation for a lot followed by a Villein next round. All this time I have tried to talk Helmuth into not trying to remove the Pentex but he makes several attempts and I block all of them. I really want that Pentex to be there because Carl not having any Anarchs, constantly taking damage from the Anarch Revolts, is my main pool damage at this point of the game.
Andreas’ Renegade Garou also makes an attempt at Pentex and I block it with Dancin’ Dana with 6 blood. My plan is to hit it with Target Vitals but Andreas cancels it discarding two combat cards and plays Target Vitals with both his strikes so Dana is in torpor. From now on everything goes downhill for me. That single Garou eventually manages to beat all my vampires to torpor.
Laurent have to many vampires and he ousts Helmuth. He and Andreas start to make some sort of strange table split deal involving withdrawal that I don’t understand but I am not in the position to start to meddle. Andreas bleeds me out and Nakhthorheb is free to start corrupting his environment and he does quite some damage to the Assamites. Lengthy discussions in this game (I don’t swear myself free from them, I have definitely been a part) makes it time out at this point.
I made one great mistake - I didn’t block the Garou. I should have just let Andreas die from Helmuth and then passed Helmuth’s bleeds on to Carl and Laurent. This was a table I should have won but my overconfidence in handling that Garou killed me and helping Andreas protect himself made me not be able to get any victory points. Bad Apache!
Andreas 1.5 VP
Laurent 1.5 VP
Carl 0.5 VP

Round 3

1	2	3	4	5
Isak Esbjörnsson Bjärmark	Matús Kovalcik	Martin Schumacher	Stefan Karlsson	Máté Vaka
Girls will find	Giovanni Powerbleed	Tremere Toolbox	AUSylum	Fakir al Sidi wall

I am happy and scared to be the prey of Martin. We had an epic game Day 1 last year in Warsaw and he is a very good and determined player. Being on the same table as Isak is also a little funny since we have opted our decks together the week before the championships and know each other’s decks inside out.
I start the game by making a mistake hunting with Zöe, forgetting about her special and get blocked to torpor by Fakir al Sidi. Matús have a good start and gets a lot of vampires in play. I realise I can do no actions against Máté since he is playing a “block everything”-deck with better combat than mine so I have to stay untapped and try to react myself for the win. Unfortunately Martin has about the same approach because his idea of the game is for him to be able to gain any victory points at all Maté has to beat my vampires down.
Matús have played Pentex Subversion on Isak’s Cybele and I sit with the Uncoiling and my own copy of Pentex on my hand and proposes the following deal to Isak; I contest Pentex Subversion and discard the Uncoiling. In return he is to use Anthelios to get his Liquidated Giant’s Blood to his hand, use his second master phase action to play said Giant’s Blood on Zöe in torpor and then rescue her. He declines. Martin manages to block some of Matús actions and send one of his vampires to torpor. My deal with Isak still stands the next round and now he accepts. I get Zöe in the ready region with 2 blood and Isak has one more vampire free to act and a reduced risk of getting Anthelios burned. This is enough for him to be able to lunge at Matús and oust him.
Martin plays the Erciyes Fragments which means his pretty reactive deck gets even more reactive since he can use almost everything in my ash heap. All four remaining players realise this game isn’t going to go any further. Máté doesn’t pack any rushes and there are no actions for him to block at all. I realise that I should probably have tried to deal with Martin earlier but the clock is ticking and it is not any time for anything constructive to happen. If he was telling the truth earlier hoping for maximum 1.5 victory points at this table I should have tried to deal with him helping me getting 3 victory points and later self ousted to him for him to gain 2. Defenately doable if he would have bounced everything from Matús to Maté and then bled me for a lot which I could have bounced as well. The game times out and I enter drinking mode.
Isak 1.5 VP
Martin 0.5VP
Stefan 0.5VP
Maté 0.5VP

Another failure and that in a tournament where none of my tables ended up with a game win. I think I am still not good enough a player to actually field a deck like Auspex weenies on such a big tournament with this very diverse meta. The first game I blame the famous “unlucky draw”, the second game I blame myself and the third game I am not sure. It would be very tricky to win that table but still I had a chance and I didn’t pick it up early enough.
As a great comfort to my failure I at least won the Apache Jones competition (I was the lowest ranked player of all the Apache Jones wannabes) and have had the great pleasure of changing my name on Facebook to Apache Jones for one week. I encourage all of my readers to arrange their own Apache Jones competitions for their tournaments. Rumor has it there is soon going to be an Apache Jones Deck Archive somewhere on the Internet. More info on that will be published on this blog soon.