Well, I finally got her! And she's Great! (to look at). I thought some
of you might be curious about her stats and those of Dan Murdock while I'm
at it. (the two Promo cards).
And please don't e-mail me offering to trade or buy her. The answer is
definately NO (NYET, NON, NEIN, IEE, NO WAY DUDE!)
Here's her description:
Mariana Gilbert
Clan: Toreador
Blood: 4
Disciplines: Lesser Celerity & Greater Presence
Artist: Alan Rabinowitz (she's a beautiful dark haired woman with very
lovely legs - I'm assuming two but you can only see the one through the
slit skirt of her long black dress - seems to be dancing with or preparing
to adorn herself with a red cape that she's holding above and behind her
and she's wearing a choker(sp) style necklace. In the background is what
looks to be a old world gothic church - perhaps mausoleum - where she's
just exited through a low green fence. The illustration's slightly tilted
to give it a surreal effect and is beautifully drawn and is very rich in
colour, as if the sun has just only set and there's dying light from the
day.)
How to Get Her: Currently, only available through Caravan Tours - where
W.O.C. comes to your gamestore along with artists and reps who play Magic
and Vampire (badly I hear so they can loose) and give away cards for ante
along with the promo cards like Mariana.
There's a recommendation form at the W.O.C. homepage so you can recommend
your local gamestore. As for those of you who don't have a local game
store or are overseas, I'd recommend that you write to W.O.C. and ask them
to either include Mariana in a product like the duelist, sell her directly
for big bucks or in trade for a firstborn, or just offer her in a promo
similar to the way Dan Murdock (below) was offered. Bon Chance!
Dan Murdock
Clan: None (Caitiff)
Blood: 3
Disciplines: Lesser Auspex & Lesser Obfuscation
Special Ability: "Dan may take an action to allow you to go through your
library, find Giant's Blood, and take it into your hand. Reshuffle
afterwards and discard to your maximum hand size."
Artists: Tim Bradstreet & Grant Goleash (If Mariana's a vision of
loveliness, ole Dan is quite the opposite. I won't give anything away
from the book, but it's kind of hard to picture him looking that way when
you know who is sire is. How do I put this, he's very undead looking -
scraggly hair, ashen pale and has sunken dark eyes and where Mariana
appears very lifelike and colourful - Dan's dead and drab - but still very
cool His background is a bunch of repeating crimson patterns on a black
background, like from a piece of material that's been used as a back drop.
He staring out of the card right at you.)
How to Get Him: He's available from White Wolf Inc (co-producers of
Jyhad/VTES), by buying the Book "On A Darkling Plain" (I think - I loaned
it out and don't have it here for reference) and there's a coupon in back
you mail in along with an SASE and you just wait - sometimes a short time
- sometimes forever (as in my case) until you get the card back in the
mail. I'd send along a card protector as well.
John K. (kel...@cruzio.com)
Well the idea of having these promo cards that only _some_ people can get
has always bothered me a bit but it is what Wizards did with that "other"
game of theirs. If someone is unlucky enough to live in an area that
doesn't have a game store doing a tour appearance for Wizards of the Coast
or if they missed the only one to occur in the area for some reason (work,
school, child birth, etc.) they can forget ever owning the card unless
they want to pay big bucks to the speculators.
I know that they probably do it to insure that the faithful will show up
at their little soire but that doesn't make it any easier to stomache for
the folks who _can't_ go to the store that day.
I don't have a problem with the Dan Murdoch card and how they marketted
it. If you wanted the card you could easily get it. I did. All you had
to do was be able to afford to buy a book for $5.99 ( which was actually a
pretty decent book so the cost is not a big deal) and a stamped envelope.
There was an opportunity available to all who wanted it to get that card.
None of this privileged few BS.
Just my opinion. I imagine the card is quite a stunner and we will no
doubt continue to hear the crowing from those few who have it on the
newsgroup. Once again WotC strikes a blow for the speculator.
Doug Dunaway
I'm hoping that W.O.C. will make a similar effort that they did for their
very first promo card - that of the Nalathni Dragon. At first, the only
way to get one was to go to Dundracon in Atlanta, where you would get a
coupon that was redeemable for a unique Magic card. If you didn't attend
this limited event, too bad. You were S.O.L. I heard of sales of the
card going as high as $100.00 U.S. until W.O.C. promptly (relatively)
issued a Nalathni Dragon card with every issue of a specific Duelist
Magazine.
I think that devices like the Caravan Tours will serve as the vehicle to
distribute these cards and others like it and no doubt the desire to get
one will help generate attendance, which is what W.O.C. wants. However,
the Wizards have always tried to serve the best interest of their gaming
community as a whole - witness the debut of Magic's Chronicles - which,
whether you liked it or hated it, for those who play that game, helped
some acquire some great cards that they wouldn't otherwise have had access
to. W.O.C. took a stand against exclusivity, which angered many; and I
give them credit for it. (And yes, so the value of a lot of my cards came
down. Personally, I didn't buy them for their value.)
I can definately see the issuance of Mariana Gilbert in a Duelist issue -
perhaps after it's served its purpose for the Caravan Tour. However, I
wouldn't wait for something like this to kindly appear when and if someone
thinks about it. Rather than cry about it, WRITE to the Wizards and let
them know your concerns. Take action. Take the time to TELL THEM. Maybe
they will initiate some sort of program as I.C.E. did with their METW
promos - where one can send in an S.A.S.E. and have them send the cards
back for free or include the card in a Duelist, as I've speculated.
Unlike some gaming companies, I can say from personal experience that
W.O.C. has been very ammenable to concerns that I've addressed to them.
ALL OF YOU, if you want the card and feel like it's something worth
pursuing, WRITE!
Write to cust...@wizards.com and tell them your concerns and ask them to
take some sort of action to ensure that anyone who wants one of these
cards can have a means to have one. John K. (kel...@cruzio.com)
[ quoted text not captured ]
cards can have a means to have one. (I did) Also, write to the Duelist
at due...@wizards.com and tell them. Maybe they'll post your letter.
John K. (kel...@cruzio.com)
Because the book that was supposed to have the Mariana Gilbert coupon didn't,
anyone can get one by writing in to customer service for one (and by including
a SASE).
Tom Wylie rec.games.trading-cards.* Network Representative for
aa...@cats.ucsc.edu Wizards of the Coast, Inc.
Tom,
Thanks for the information. When was this decided, by the way? Did our
griping on the newsgroup or our mail actually have an impact? Just
curious.
I will certainly be sending in my S.A.S.E. in tomorrow's post.
Wizards of the Coast strikes a blow _against_ the speculators. Bravo!!
Doug Dunaway
In article <4pq5bl$n...@darkstar.UCSC.EDU>,
Thomas R Wylie <aa...@cats.ucsc.edu> wrote:
>
>Because the book that was supposed to have the Mariana Gilbert coupon didn't,>anyone can get *one* by writing in to customer service for *one* (and by
>including >a SASE).
>
Do the "ones" above refer to Mariana Gilbert coupons or Mariana Gilbert cards?
And the book need not be purchased? I apologize if this is bringing up
any old threads...
ejl