Lasombra Newsletter February 2007 INTRODUCTION Well, not a huge amount has happened since the last newsletter. Sword of Caine has been delayed and is now expected in March I believe and so this month I shall take a look at Potence as I promised last month. PLAYING WITH THE LASOMBRA Potence. The discipline that lets you beat other Methuselah's minions into torpor more efficiently then any other. Potence is obviously an extremely focused discipline; of 41 cards that require Potence in one form or another, 31 of them are combat cards and the majority of those that aren't are either bloodline discipline cards or combo discipline cards. In fact, the only thing you'll commonly see Potence doing outside of combat is location destruction. The upside of all of this? Well, if you want to send someone to torpor you'll find that Potence gives you plenty of options. Top cards include: Disarm Type: Combat Requires: Potence [pot] Only usable at the end of a round of combat in which this vampire successfully inflicted more damage at close range than the opposing vampire. Not usable by a vampire being burned or going into torpor. Put this card on the opposing vampire and send that vampire into torpor. The vampire with this card has -1 strength. He or she may burn this card by burning 3 blood. A vampire can have only one Disarm. [POT] As above, but the vampire with this card has -2 strength. Rarity: Sabbat:R SW:R CE:PB BH:PN KMW:PAl Third:R The use of Disarm is obvious enough; it increases the ease with which your minions can torpor other vampires. On top of this, the combat efficiency of said vampire will be limited by a reduction in strength. Although this reduction is easy enough to escape, the cost of three blood may well cause them to risk another trip to torpor. In my experience Disarm is not a card that should just be tossed into any combat deck; if you're able to torpor a vampire directly then there's no need for disarm (which has the disadvantage of not beating the blood off of your victim). Disarm finds its place in decks that are either unable to torpor minions in a single combat, or in decks that can naturally expect to deal more damage then the opposing minion, due to something like a natural +1 strength or a Flak Jacket. Fists of Death Type: Combat Requires: Potence Cost: 1 blood Only usable before range is chosen. [pot] This vampire gets +1 strength for the remainder of the combat. [POT] As above, but with +2 strength. Rarity: Jyhad:R VTES:R CE:R Alongside the cool name the merits of this card are obvious; your vampire gets stronger and thus hits harder. As it lasts for the remainder of the combat it's best used alongside presses or additional strikes for increased efficiency; though the Lasombra as a whole are somewhat lacking when it comes to the latter. The only real disadvantages to using Fists of Death are that it has to be played before range is determined, so it's possible the opposing minion will escape to range (though Shadow Strike helps there) or, worse, make use of S:CE. The second (real life) disadvantage is that Fists of Death is a rare card and is therefore hard to collect enough of to make it a card usable as a core strategy. In the end the free (and more readily available) Torn Signpost is probably a better option...Unless you play with both. Hourglass of the Mind Type: Action Requires: Temporis/Potence +1 stealth action. [pot] Draw three cards. Discard afterward. [tem] Draw four cards then put four cards from your hand on top of your library in any order and untap this vampire. [TEM] Put this card on this acting vampire. During your untap phase, this vampire may burn 2 blood to add a counter to this card. While this vampire is ready, you get +X hand size, where X is the number of counters on this card. Rarity: LoB:R Yes, I know, it's not *really* a Potence card. Who cares? Hourglass of the Mind is interesting because it offers Potence hand-cycling options, which can seriously help if you've jammed up on masters or just have a terrible hand. This provides interesting options to the Lasombra and a valuable action for some of their pot weenies to take. Immortal Grapple Type: Combat Requires: Potence Only usable at close range before strikes are chosen. Grapple. [pot] Strikes that are not hand strikes may not be used this round (by either combatant). A vampire may play only one Immortal Grapple each round. [POT] As above, with an optional press. If another round of combat occurs, that round is at close range; skip the determine range step for that round. Rarity: Jyhad:R2 VTES:R Sabbat:U SW:U/PB FN:PG CE:U/PB2 Third:U The card that makes Potence based combat not only possible, but also the most dominant form of combat available. So long as you can ensure that combat is at close range, Immortal Grapple ensures that the opposing minion will be unable to dodge your strike or (more commonly) make use of S:CE. Immortal Grapple also eliminates the possibility of any weapon based strikes or nasty attacks such as Coma. Build your deck so that these self-limitations aren't a problem and Immortal Grapple will help ensure that your prey's minions go down; even if you can't torpor them in the first round, the press at superior will help you finish them off. Increased Strength Type: Combat Requires: Potence Only usable before range is determined. [pot] For the remainder of combat, all damaging strikes that require Potence made by this vampire inflict +1 damage. [POT] As above, but those strikes inflict +2 damage. Rarity: AH:C2 FN:PG2 CE:C/PN3 BH:PN2 LoB:PO2 Third:PB2 I generally prefer Torn Signpost to Increased Strength, as it doesn't require you to have a Potence-based strike in your hand, but Increased Strength is a better option if you're making use of ranged strikes or a combination of both long and close range strikes. Finally it should be noted that you can make use of multiple copies of Increased Strength in a single combat (which is not true of Torn Signpost) allowing the setting up of truly terrifyingly powerful strikes. Rampage Type: Action Requires: Potence [pot] (D) Burn any location. If you control the location, this is a +1 stealth action. Rarity: Jyhad:U2 VTES:U CE:U/PB Rampage is the only card I can think of that completely lacks any ability at superior. Rampage allows you to get rid of any pesky locations that are annoying you, and often functions as a rush if you get blocked. Locations are common, so it unlikely that you won't find a use for Rampage, which is strictly superior to Arson if you're running Potence. In a deck making use of smaller Potence vampires I like to include one or two copies. Tangle Atropos' Hand Type: Action Modifier Requires: Temporis/Potence Cost: 1 blood Only usable when a minion is attempting to block. [pot] Cancel the action and untap the acting minion. (The blocking minion is not tapped.) [tem] As [pot] above, and take the action card, if any, back into your hand (discard afterward). [TEM] As [tem] above, and this vampire gets +1 stealth on his or her next action this turn. Rarity: LoB:R Another Temporis card? Tangle Atropos' Hand offers an ability that's utterly unlike anything else available to Potence users; though its applications are probably better suited to decks that aren't combat based it's very useful to the Lasombra, allowing you to cancel an action that's gone wrong at the low, low cost of one blood. This makes an interesting option for responsible bleeding. Note that since the action is cancelled the NRA rule does not apply as far as I'm aware. This is the only real difference between Tangle Atropos' Hand and Change of Target, but is probably worth the one blood as you aren't "trapped" unable to perform the action you want. Thrown Gate Type: Combat Requires: Potence [pot] Strike: 1R damage, with an optional maneuver. [POT] Strike: 2R damage, with an optional maneuver. Rarity: Jyhad:C VTES:C Sabbat:C SW:PL4 FN:PG2 CE:C/PB4 BH:PN3 KMW:PAn4 LoB:PO4 Thrown Gate is a staple of Potence ranged combat; it provides a maneuver to reach long range and decent damage output, especially when combined with Increased Strength. I like to see Thrown Gate as a defensive card; though not as efficient as S:CE the maneuver may actually keep your minion safe while giving the opposing minion a bruise for their troubles. This works particularly nicely against Shambling Hordes or Escaped Mental Patients. Torn Signpost Type: Combat Requires: Potence Only usable before range is determined. [pot] This vampire has a strength of 2 for the remainder of combat. [POT] This vampire has a strength of 3 for the remainder of combat. Rarity: Jyhad:U VTES:U SW:PB CE:U Anarchs:PAG KMW:PAl2 Third:PB2 A staple close range combat card and quite a simple one, Torn Signpost allows your minions to hit that much harder. Combine with additional strikes and/or presses for maximum effect (as well as Immortal Grapple of course). Undead Strength Type: Combat Requires: Potence [pot] Strike: make a hand or melee weapon strike at +1 damage. [POT] Strike: make a hand or melee weapon strike at +2 damage. Rarity: Jyhad:C VTES:C Sabbat:C SW:C/PB4 FN:PG4 CE:C/PN5 Anarchs:PAG3 KMW:PAl4 Third:C/PB5 The traditional close range Potence strike of choice. Given that the Lasombra tend to lack additional strikes they need to make each strike count. Undead Strength combines nicely with Torn Signpost to do just that. Although Undead Strength can be combined with melee weapons this tends to be unreliable as melee weapons cannot be used under Immortal Grapple, making it much harder to prevent the opposing minion from dodging or using S:CE. Obviously, Potence offers the Lasombra significant combat abilities; most importantly a solid and reliable way to counter S:CE and back it up with damaging hand strikes. The primary disadvantage of Potence as a discipline is that it cannot allow you to directly damage your prey's pool and you must therefore have a plan to oust your prey. Traditionally this is achieved through the use of cards such as Dragonbound, Fame and Tension in the Ranks. The Lasombra of course have Dominate as an in-clan discipline and can therefore lay down significant bleeds once potential blockers have been removed. An alternate approach would be to include a number of cards such as Conditioning and simply announce a bleed of one, forcing your prey to decide whether or not to block risking either a potentially dangerous combat, or a pumped up bleed. The second most obvious disadvantage of Potence is that it typically needs to be paired with another discipline to be truly effective. This secondary discipline can provide maneuvers, damage prevention, or additional strikes. Herein lies the chief difficulty of Lasombra- based combat; though Obtenebration provides a number of combat options they are not typically that destructive and perhaps most importantly the Lasombra have no real access to damage prevention meaning that hit back is a serious concern. Taste of Vitae may replenish your blood supply but it is no use if your vampire is sent to torpor. To my mind combat decks can be broadly divided into "weenie" decks that take advantage of a combat based discipline spread to field a large number of smaller capacity dangerous combatants (such as the Brujah) wherein damage prevention becomes less important (as minions cost less) and those decks that tend to take advantage of a particular vampires natural affinity for combat. I find the Lasombra are better suited to the latter type, as the combination of Obtenebration and Potence is not really that dominant (though a bruise bleed strategy is possible). Certain individual Lasombra however have interesting discipline spreads that make combat more feasible. On that note: MINION FOCUS This month I thought I'd take a more in-depth look at two of the new vampires from 3RD Edition who strike me as either being particularly suited for combat or being able to offer some interesting combat options. Lord Vauxhall Clan: Lasombra (group 4) Capacity: 7 Disciplines: DOM OBT POT THA Sabbat. Rarity: Third:V Obviously the focus here is Vauxhall's Thaumaturgy. In and of itself, Thaumaturgy is not a particularly effective combat discipline, primarily because its most powerful cards only function on the second round of combat and Thaumaturgy lacks a way of ensuring that there *is* a second round of combat. Potence however does provide this option. Admittedly, Vauxhall still lacks access to some form of damage prevention but I find the combo of Blood Fury, Torn Signpost and Immortal Grapple very attractive, as it prevents most forms of escape. Thaumaturgy also offers maneuvers in the form of Apportation and of course Walk of Flame, which though unreliable can be nasty. If Vauxhall uses Rutor's Hand he'll be able to combine the best of both bruise and bleed, both bleeding and rushing on the same turn. Unless cheaper cards such as Threats and Blood Rage are used Vauxhall will probably risk running low on blood; so Taste of Vitae is a must and can perhaps be supported through use of Theft of Vitae. Such a combat build is unlikely to survive in a combat-heavy metagame due to the lack of damage prevention, but in less prepared environments it could likely do quite well, especially given Vauxhall's impressive bleeding capacity (but then again, everything is made better through the addition of dominate...). Luca Italicus Clan: Lasombra (group 4) Capacity: 10 Disciplines: DOM FOR NEC OBT POT tha Sabbat Archbishop of Philadelphia: Once each round after the first, Luca can strike for 2R damage. Rarity: Third:V The most obvious trait Luca has that makes him an obvious enough combatant is his superior fortitude; Luca is able to engage in combat without fear of being badly hurt himself. Similarly Luca has access to another form of defence; S:CE from Spiritual Intervention which can protect him if he gets into a combat he can't handle. Necromancy actually offers Luca a whole host of options. He can work happily with most Giovanni, possessing all of their clan disciplines at superior as well as fortitude which is found on a number of G4 Giovanni. Combat- wise perhaps the most interesting option is Dead Hand, which combined with Torn Signpost allows Luca to counter fortitude. Luca can be used in a multi-rush deck taking advantage of his superior Fortitude allowing him to make use of Freak Drive (and possibly Rutor's Hand thanks to his tha) or an intercept-based deck taking advantage of Eternal Vigilance, Spectral Divination and the Obtenebration intercept options, perhaps striking with Mercy for Seth. Luca's ability to strike for 2R damage in rounds of combat following the first may be useful if you're unable to kill the opponent in one go, as Immortal Grapple will provide a press to continue at superior. It would also be criminal to ignore the possibilities offered by Daemonic Possession. Although Luca is perhaps not the most effective vampire to use if you wish to burn minions he can achieve it through the use of the combo of Disarm and Amaranth or mass aggravated damage thanks to Dawn Operation. LIBRARY CARDS FOCUS Political Struggle Type: Action Requires: Lasombra +1 stealth action. (D) Put this card on a ready vampire controlled by another Methuselah. The acting vampire may enter combat with the vampire with this card as a +1 stealth (D) action. If the vampire with this card is burned or sent into torpor, this card is burned and the acting vampire gains X votes, where X is the number of non-contested votes the vampire with this card has. Rarity: Sabbat:R SW:R/PL Third:R Political Struggle is the only Lasombra library card that has an obvious focus on combat though it actually does little to improve the combat abilities of the Lasombra themselves. The primary advantage of this card is that it provides a permanent +1 stealth rush for the acting vampire against the vampire the card is placed on. Since the card does not have a burn clause it is relatively durable. The card's real strength becomes apparent when it is placed on a vampire with votes, as it allows the acting vampire a way to increase the votes he/ she possesses. The nature of the card suggests that it would be most useful in a deck that made use of both combat and politics. The most obvious disadvantages of the card are that it requires an action and that for it to have much use there must be other titled vampires at the table (though this is probably a fair assumption). Personally I'd rather include separate rush and vote cards, as they're far more reliable, but in a multi-acting deck Political Struggle might be worth considering, especially if the deck's plan for passing votes involves removing any other voters at the table. It should be noted that the vampire does not need to enter torpor due to combat; and as a result multiple minions can play Political Struggle on a single vampire; increasing the effectiveness of the card. SIGN OFF In the space between now and next month I shall see if I can throw together a Lasombra combat deck to feature next month alongside my look at how the Lasombra can make use of politics in the eternal struggle. As usual I'd like to thank my proof reader DeoqV2 for trying to iron out any of my mistakes. Til next time! The Insane Prophet.