Tournament Report: HNC Veszprém

Hi folks!

I played my Toreador deck again to test it for the EC. I made some minor modifications in it. We were only 10 players this time so we decided to make it 2R + F only. Here is how it went:

On the first table Robi was my prey who played a Dmitra bloat deck. I made him loose 20+ pool and we timed out with him having 4 vampires and 20+ pool. There was also a Khazar deck at the table with an endless amount of ever returning Delaying Tactics. Everybody had good defense in his decks, so even though there were many actions on the table nobody got ousted. The funny thing is that the other table timed out also with only one player being ousted. 

2 tables x 2 rounds = 4 Game Wins altogether, but both tables timed out. So we knew that getting just one vp in the second round might be worth a final. Yay! 

The second table was a little bit faster though we were pretty close (5-10 minutes) to the time out. My prey was a Renegade Garou deck, who had a terrible start. I had a good crypt and hand so I could set myself up for the oust. My predator was a new Salubri deck with the well known Heidelberg + Spirit Marionette tech, but the button line says it was a stealth bleed. My deck has plenty of reaction cards, so I was safe for a while. I offered my grand predator, who also was a vote deck to cooperate with me. I would have helped him to make his vp. This would have most likely meant that I take the Game Win, so he said no. I had gathered enough Aire of Elations meanwhile so I made my vp with bleed actions. Meanwhile my new prey the Khazar deck was out of control and ousted the guy cross table and a few turns later he made the sweep.

Finals 

1. Khazar deck

1. Dmitra bloat

3. Me

3. Renegade Garou

3. Trujah Bleed

1-1 had same 1GW 4,5 VP

3-3 had same 1,5 VP

The dice lead to the order above. Seating went like this:

Me - Dmitra bloat - Trujah - Garou - Khazar

I was very unhappy with this seating since the "endless Delaying Tactics deck" was my predator and the bloat deck my prey. The game developed only very slowly. The Garou deck was the only one who never during the game had any chance to do anything, since once a Garou hit the board it got removed with a Chair of Hades. I knew I can't really achieve anything by votes. I drew 2 Entrancement so I got myself and Ambrosius and Carlton. With this and all my reaction cards I could slow down the Khazar deck a little. There was a situation when the Trujah could have made a vp but a Direct on his bleed modifier prevented him from doing so. A little later I had a window open to make my vp with bleeds, but the Khazar deck realized this also and Pentexed me. I still could bleed my prey down to 2 pool, but he started his turns with 2 Villeins and some pool gaining votes so my chance was gone. Then he ousted his prey. A few more minutes and the Khazar deck would have ousted me, but we timed out again and so the Dmitra deck won the tournament.

I am back to were I was. Playing with a non combat deck again I reached the finals 3 out of 3 tournaments, but just can't win them. Why is it impossible for me to win a tourney with a non-combat deck? Damn, this really annoys me...

Congratulations to Róbert László for his tournament win. He really needed this, since he will come to the EC and wasn't qualified yet. So I am actually happy for him! Well done!

by: Mephistopheles