Thoughts on: Combat Decks (1st part)

Hi folks!

When I first started to play v:tes I tried many different decks. I never managed to achieve anything with combat decks, so I developed a negative attitude towards them. For a couple of years I played only bleed and/or vote decks, because it seemed easier to make game wins with them. It took me a long time to realize the power of combat. During this period I played plenty of finals, but never managed to win one (with the exception of one unofficial tournament) . The main reason was maybe our meta-game. For a long time wall decks dominated the Hungarian v:tes scene. I've once been at a tournament were 4 Tremere wall decks sat at one table. An average Hungarian final had 2-3 wall decks. Even worse, those wall decks were played by our best players.

At one point my friend Balazs Sebestyen told me that I should build new decks and try out new ways of playing v:tes. So I started building different combat decks, or toolbox decks that had combat options. I don't know if others share the same experience or not, but I figured that it is harder to reach the finals with a combat deck, but much easier to win them once you're there. It's an interesting statistic: from the ~30 finals I played with bleed/vote decks I could win only one. From the 4 finals where I played with a combat deck I won 3!!!

Looking back at all the games I played I have to draw the following conclusions:

1. The power of combat/rush lies in table control

While bleed decks have only a very limited option to play slow, defend or interfere cross table, rush decks are much more versatile. Vote decks do have this power, but in a different way. Banishment is an excellent card, but you don't always play a big cap voter. With a rush deck you have almost unlimited options to make deals, weaken players or reduce pressure from your predators side. It takes some experience and a good understanding of how a table's dynamic works, but this versatility makes a good rush deck very strong.

2. Don't build combat only decks!

From what I've learned so far I have to say that combat/rush itself isn't enough. You should always have a solid mechanic going on besides the combat part of your deck. A combat only deck, especially all those noob decks that use a bigcap and can only torporize 1 vampire a round will often find themselves stuck with these problems:

a) if I hit my prey my predator will oust me, if I hit my predator I wont make a Vp.
b) if I hit my predator he will get ousted and I will have an even stronger predator.
c) if I kill my preys first vampire, he will stand up leaving behind 20+ pool and I can only bleed for 1-2 each turn.
d) my predator and prey always keep rescuing each other. I use up my resources and can't find a way to win the table.
e) and so on...

To avoid this it is essential to have other options available besides combat! Here are some examples:

a) Nana Buruku + animalism weenie with Ashur tech + Deep Song.

This deck features many interesting things. You have enough vampires to launch multiple rushes in a turn. This is important because: it helps you to defend better and it allows you to "take care" of your prey, once he did his job (weakened his prey). With cards like Fame + Dragonbound and Deep Songs +1 bleed ability you have a very strong ousting power. If your prey refuses to transfer on more vampires you still can easily bleed for 6-7 in a turn. The Ashur tech will help you in 2 more ways: extra pool for more weenie vampires and regaining resources. I've once won a game by recycling more than 20 deep songs in the game!

b) Alastor decks

I still believe that an Assault Rifle + celerity combat is one of the strongest combat techs in the game. You will have a built in rush, maneuver and 4R damage on your vampire. This is incredible efficient! With this combat tech you will be able to save many card slots for cards like Second Tradition, Parity Shift and other goodies. This will make your deck very consistent. Such a deck can answer almost every situation and has a bunch of tactical options.

c) Potence + Dominate

This deck has two important options that make it much more attractive for me than a weenie potence deck. First of all you can bounce bleeds so you don't necessarily have to rush all of your predators vampires if he plays a bleed deck. Secondarily you have that extra ousting power with those Conditionings in your deck.

d) Good Ol' Bitch Fight with Howler

This deck is very good in defence. You can generate extra pool with Vessel + Rack and Enchant Kindred at superior. Howlers special makes her a very efficient. This isn't a classic combat deck, because it is more like a wall, but I like to build my Ahriman decks a little toolbox like. Those Speak with Spirits and Falcons Eyes will help you to keep vampires in torpor, where they belong. Let the Dragonbound and/or Smiling Jack do the job for you.

I could give many more examples of decks that mix combat with another strategy like the Nosferatu princes or Akunanse decks. I still can't emphasize it enough: don't combat only! Have something beside it!!!

3. Resource Managment

Good Resource Managment is the key to success. When building your deck ,take at look at your combat engine. Maybe you have a super combo that can torporize any vampire, but if it takes you 10 cards per combat than it's crap. You need to have the resources to win a table! Try to have as many built in abilities like +strength, maneuver, press, enter combat as possible. Also calculate with the fact that some players will actually hit back! Maybe you can burn a vampire, but if it takes you 3-4 blood for the cost of the cards you will find yourself in torpor soon. I've often seen decks that wasted more than half of their deck + almost all blood on their vampires for their first Vp. They couldn't make another one. It's a joke, but I like to compare combat engines to a Kiss of Ra + Crocodiles Tongue combo: 2 cards will send a vampire to torpor and burn 4 blood on it. It's more efficient than what most combat decks can do.

I am tired know, so this is it for today. I am not finished with the subject, yet. Please feel free to comment this article and share your thoughts. Any constructive criticism is appreciated.

by: Mephistopheles