London League — Week five

The fifth installment of our weekly games. This week we had a new player joining us, Artur.

Game one

Player	Deck	GW	VP	LP
Artur	Weenie pre votes	0	0	1
Fernando	Classic lawfirm	0	0.5	2
Nikki	Group 3 lawfirm	0	0.5	2
Ke	Tzimisce bruise bleed	0	1.5	4
Matt	Giovanni Wraiths	0	0	1
Norbert	!Brujah Unexpected Coalition	0	1.5	4

Artur gets a good start with a charming lobby on his a Kine Resources Contested followed by a Praxis shortly afterwards. The following turn he calls a Rumours of Gehenna, I ask for an extra master phase offering my votes if needed if the future (yes, I have none) and he obliges (I run 11 or so master cards).

Norbert and Fernando start to get nervous as it looks like Artur is running away with things as it's taking a long time for Fernando to bring up his first minions (10 cap Democritus). Nikki still has no minions in play. I have two minions (Guedado & Dr. Morrow) and bleed in to Matt who smartly declines to block with Giovanni del Georgio. On the following turn Matt Villeins del Georgio for 4 and attempts to recruit a puppeteer, I block on the basis of my low cap minions and torporise him. This leaves Matt in huff and puff mode and pretty much from that point on does nothing other than sit there as a pool sack — even after I let him leave torpor and promise that he can play his game. Joy.

With Democritus on the table Norbert is able to call a number of crusades and between him and Fernando effectively shutdown Arturs game. I burn the edge a number of times to help some of Arturs votes pass — but my 1 vote doesn't count for a lot. On Nikki's next turn he brings out Lucinde and contests the Justicar title with Democritus — the first time I've seen Democritus's special kick in and the votes swing across the table in Norberts favour. I continue to bleed into Matt.

A few turns on Artur is now very weak and it's apparent that Norbert is the table threat — he has vote lock with Unexpected Coalition. Fernando giants blood's Democritus and Nikki yeilds the title. Fernando has 3 minions in play and Nikki now has Marcus Vitel, the three of them (Artur, Fernano and Nikki) begin to work together against Norbert — while at some point allowing Nikki to parity from 5 from me. I bleed Matt.

Norbert ousts Artur on his next turn with a combination of votes and bleeds. Fernando stays defensive as he's quite low on pool, Nikki parity shifts 5 from Norbert to Fernando and manages to pass the votes with awe and bewitching operation. Matt is in range and proving I can cycle into one more bleed modifier I believe I can oust him. He allows one bleed through and blocks another with a puppeteer I maneuver to long and burn him with Breath of the Dragon drawing into the bleed boost needed — I bleed Matt out.

The table's close to timing and Norbert launches the assault on Fernando. I can block one of his political actions and decide to let the first Kine through — it passes. From then on Norbert simply bleeds and boosts the bleeds using Miguel Santo Domingo special. Fernando survives with Majesties and a few top deck deflections on 1 pool. The table times shortly after.

Game two

Player	Deck	GW	VP	LP
Fernando	Classic lawfirm	0	1.5	4
Ke	Tzimisce bruise bleed	0	0	1
Artur	Rachel Brandywine wall	0	0.5	2
Matt	Daughters	0	0.5	2
Norbert	Animal Rights	0	0.5	2

This game was an odd one. I managed to get a good start and put a lot of pressure on my prey — however early game Norbert called an ancient influence and  everyone on the table except Matt and I gained six pool or so. Paired with another Villein+Giants blood combo by Fernando my predator had almost 30 pool and two minions now in play. My grand predator had 3 minions in play with 20 pool or so (Stanislava, Ingrid Rossler and ?) — it wasn't look too good. Matt's daughters deck was vote locked — although he manage to get MANY defensives votes through with Madrigal (it's amazing what people will vote for, for a blood).

Who are you looking at?

A Pentex on Rachel allowed me to get a few more bleeds through before Zoe removed it with a Forgotten Labyrinth and Swallowed by the night. I managed to get Artur down to 5 - 6 pool although Rachel equipped with the Bowl, Homunculus and the Palatial Estate was proving difficult to get past or torporise.

A dispute broke out about the blocking / referendum window. With one block of players thinking blocks had been declined as terms were being discussed and the other block thinking it was a pre conversation before blocks — this chewed through a chunk of played but was resolved amicably.

Fernando ousts me after I torporise one of his Minions with the sole copy of fast reaction in the deck (in there because it was funny). On his following turn he plays temptation of greater power on Rachel, Norbert ends up winning paying 11 pool and he's unable to oust Artur. The game ends as we're kicked out of the pub...

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