bswai...@my-deja.com#
This is a game variant our group has been playing. The basic idea is
that each game represents a single battle in an ongoing war for
supremacy. The rules are designed to provide for a strong sense of
continuity between the games.
I'll list rules and then some analysis below:
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Clan War Chronicle Rules:
Each Methuselah (hereafter referred to as M.). chooses 2 clans in a 2
round draft. Order is determined randomly, players proceed in order
picking clans for round one, and they reverse the order to pick round 2.
In any of the following games each M. may use any of the Vampires in
their clans, but only those vampires. M. may include Vampires from both
clans in a single deck.
Panders are considered a clan but Caitiff are not and are banned from
the War.
All games are 30 pool / 6 transfers. In each game transfers start at 1
and increase by 1 to 6.
There are no crypt limitations. A crypt can be as small or as large as
desired for any game, and can contain Vampires of any age.
Deck size is limited to 80 cards. Cards that start the game in play
(whether controlled by the M [as in locations or other masters and
allies] or part of a minion) do not count against this 80-card limit.
The War is to 10 victory points. 1 point is earned by ousting your prey
in a game. A second point is earned by being the last man standing at
the end of a game.
You must be the last man standing in a game and have 10 or more victory
points to be declared the winner of the war.
There is no contesting. A second copy of a unique Vampire or card cannot
be brought into play.
Everything is permanent. Vampires retain all Masters, equipment,
retainers, etc... between games and have access to them in subsequent
games with no cost of blood, pool, or actions. Vampire effects are
permanent for the duration of the war: Gangrel De-evolution, Aching
Beauty, etc.
Master cards, political effects, and allies in play at the end of a game
(or when you're ousted) begin the next game in play at no cost. Each M.
may take control of them at the beginning of his first turn.
Allies heal to full health between games and may act during the
Controller's first turn of the game.
The M. who wins the previous game (last person standing) starts the next
game with the Edge and chooses his seat.
The M. with the most Victory points goes first each game. In the case
of a tie, the winner of the last game goes first. If none of the
players who tie for the most points won the last game, a roll of the die
is used to determine who goes first.
The M. with the fewest Victory points chooses the seating order. In the
case of a tie, the first person ousted in the previous game chooses the
seating order.
Once a unique card (regardless of whether its a Vampire, Master,
Location etc...) has been burned, it is gone permanently from the War
and may not be brought back into play in a subsequent game. Except...
Necromancy and other cards that bring Vampires and cards out of your ash
heap may be used to bring burned Vampires or cards burned in any game
back into play.
Only cards and Vampires that are actually brought into play and then
destroyed are considered permanently burned. Unique equipment is not
permanently burned if the equip action is blocked and unique masters are
not permanently destroyed if they are canceled by a Sudden Reversal.
Unique Equipment, Retainers, and Locquipment that are on a minion when
that minion is destroyed are also destroyed. This applies to burning a
minion in combat as well as Master effects like Vulnerability. Note:
when a vampire is being destroyed by diablerie, the diabolist has the
option of taking the equipment. If the diablolist does not take
possession of these items, they are considered destroyed.
Non-minion Master effects that can not be destroyed by any other means
can be burned by any minion as an action.
When bringing a vampire into play, it must be at full capacity. If it
has additional master disciplines, it costs more than it did originally.
If a vampire permanently changes controllers during play, it can be
included in the new controller's deck in addition to the two clans
allowed. The original controller can no longer include it.
Titles can still be contested as normal.
No more than 5 pool can be spent on X cost cards with effects that could
extend beyond the current game (see Secret Horde below).
No more than 5 pool can be lost from card effects that extend beyond the
current game (see Mark of the Damned below).
Card Specific Rulings:
Sensory Depravation -- Minions affected by this card cannot untap as
normal whenever both the affected and casting minions are in play. If
the casting minion is burned, then the card is burned.
Secret Horde -- No more than 5 pool can be spent when bringing out
Secret Horde.
Mark of the Damned -- The number of burned vampires refers to the total
number of vampires burned in the War.
Life Boon -- The effects from Life Boon only last during the game in
which Life Boon was played.
Otherwise, all DCI rules apply, no repeat actions, vote cards burned for
votes not replaced until end of minion phase, etc...
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Wars can run 10-12 games easily, so to play you need a group or 4-5 that
all get together regularly. Also, there's a bit of bookkeeping required
to keep track of the final status at the end of each game.
There's a built-in gang-up-on-the-leader effect, which you need to be
ready for, and factor into the mega-game. Some players would bide their
time, focus on investing in their minions in the early rounds, letting
someone else take the lead and get pounded on, and then hope for a
strong finish. This collusion against the leader can only last so long.
Eventually more than one player is within striking distance of winning
the war, and alliances start to collapse in a tight finish.
This variant has been very good from bringing out all those cards that
don't see the light of day very often. Weapons, retainers, allies, and
clan hosers suddenly take center stage, and can be well worth the
investment. Consequentially, their counter cards start to show up as
well. Also, those odd-ball Vampires that are generally ignored, suddenly
show up more often. When you're trying to surprise your enemies who
think they know how a clan is played, you don't have to build them into
a 12 Vampire crypt, or everyone else is burned, and you still need to
make a deck..then you have to get creative.
The games results in a nice balance between trying to build up powerful
vampires and other resources, trying to take down you're opponents'
resources, and then trying to go for the VPs with which the war is
ultimately won.
We've played 2 full wars, and some other variants along this theme, and
generally found them to be quite fun. If anyone plays out a war, drop me
a line and let me know how it went...
-Ben Swainbank
swai...@mediaone.net
Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Before you buy.