Official V:EKN Salubri Antitribu Newsletter Vol.3 No.1 (June 2007) Of interest to Scholars and Slanderers Editor: Joel Tate In this issue: 1. Introduction 2. An Introduction to the Salubri Antitribu 3. Miscellanea et Demonica - strategy 4. The Dwindling Few - featured vampire(s) 5. The Powers of the Righteous - featured card(s) 6. The Hosts of Heaven - featured deck(s) 7. Conclusion - summary & theme for next issue --------------------------------------- 1. INTRODUCTION --------------------------------------- Hello everyone and welcome to the first of the Salubri Antitribu newsletters for 2007. I was approached by Mercuriel as to whether I would consider taking on the Salubri Antitribu Newsletter. I decided to take up the offer in order to ensure that the Bloodline once again has a voice. The first few issues of the new newsletter shall be targeted at those either new to VTES or those who are looking at trying out a new clan. We shall first look at a very brief introduction to the Bloodline and follow with an analysis of the disciplines, including the strategies they lean to. In Section 4 we shall look at the first Salubri Antitribu to join the Sabbat, Adonai, and then in Section 5, we shall look at the featured card of the month. By way of demonstrating a typical starter attempt at a Salubri Antitribu deck, I have included my first attempt, including all the benefits and flaws, which shall be dissected in a future newsletter. --------------------------------------- 2. INTRODUCTION TO THE SALUBRI ANTITRIBU --------------------------------------- The Salubri Antitribu are a part of the Salubri clan, righteous warriors initially dedicated to the eradication of the Baali. The Founder of the warrior bloodline was Samiel, a childe of Saulot. Since the diablerie of their Antediluvian, the focus of the Bloodline has shifted to include the clan Tremere; those responsible for persecuting the Salubri into near extinction & diablerie of Saulot. Sharing a common heritage of the Salubri, vampires of the Salubri Antitribu possess the disciplines of Auspex and Fortitude. Where the bloodline differs to their parent clan, is that they are more focused on the warrior discipline of Valeren, than of the healing discipline of Obeah. So, if you are after vampires with a significant grudge against other vampires, or really like playing with swords (chainsaws for those familiar with the 2002 newsletters), then look no further than the Salubri Antitribu! --------------------------------------- 3. MISCELLANEA ET DEMONICA --------------------------------------- The first thing to note about the Salubri Antitribu is that this is a clan of warriors, and as a result, they are handy in combat. The disciplines of Valeren and Fortitude mean that your vampires should at least be on an equal footing with those of other combat clans. Three are three main strategies which Salubri Anti's tend to focus around. Each use the Bloodlines combat threat to full effect; strategies are split between intercept wall (supplemented by Auspex), bleed/bruise (Pulse of the Canaille, Retainers etc... else mass weenie horde of Brothers in Arms) or rush combat (with Fame family & lots of rush cards). Many Salubri Anti decks tend to employ a combination of a couple of these approaches, than limit their method of ousting. The typical Salubri Antitribu deck tends to be based around a solid core of intercept combat, with an added bleed threat for end game. Since this strategy leans on all three of the Antitribu's bloodline disciplines, you'd expect them to be very good at this strategy. Add permanent melee weapons, intercept & maneuvers and the deck becomes difficult to displace. These types of deck add bait cards like Smiling Jack (for environmental damage), Powerbase Chicago/Montreal/Washington DC (for bloat) or Eagles Sight (to block your prey's actions). The second approach to the Salubri Antitribu is more aggressive. Those Salubri Anti with superior Auspex go for Pulse of the Canaille to have sizable bleeds if successful, while the smaller vampires go for Laptops and bleed retainers. Your minions then bleed, as inducement for your prey to block, and then you beat them into torpor; simple. Those new to VTES, or wanting an entertaining game should consider approaching this strategy. Rush combat is the last main theme a Salubri Anti deck can take. Using the Fame family (Fame, Tension in the Ranks, Dragonbound - I tend to also include Frontal Assault), the focus of the deck is to torpor, preferably repeatedly when using Fame, your prey's vampires. Luckily for the Salubri Anti, they can cheaply rescue prey vampires using Sense Vitality and then re-dunk them with another rush action. In the next few issues of the newsletter we shall revisit each of the above strategies, going in to more depth, and assessing the advantages and drawbacks (and potential remedies) of each approach to take. Appendix: Smiling Jack, The Anarch Type: Master Requires: none Unique master. Put this card in play. During your untap phase, move one counter from your pool to Jack. During each other Methuselah's untap phase, he or she burns 1 pool or burns 1 blood from a vampire he or she controls for each counter on Jack. Any vampire may burn this card as a (D) action. Powerbase Chicago Type: Master Cost: 1 Pool Master: unique location. During your untap phase, you may move 1 blood from the blood bank to this card or move all the blood on this card to your pool. A vampire controlled by another Methuselah can move all the blood on this card to his or her controller's pool as a (D) action. Fame Type: Master Unique master. Put this card on a ready vampire. If this vampire goes into torpor, his or her controller burns 3 pool. Each Methuselah burns 1 pool during his or her untap phase if this vampire is in torpor. --------------------------------------- 4. THE DWINDLING FEW --------------------------------------- Adonai Salubri Antitribu (Group 2) Capacity 7 for AUS VAL Sabbat: Adonai can enter combat with any ready Camarilla vampire controlled by another Methuselah as a (D) action. He gets +1 strength when in combat with a Tremere. +1 bleed. Adonai is the oldest of the Salubri Antitribu in the Sabbat, and up to the release of Legacies, was the only Salubri Antitribu with all the in-clan disciplines. While not in the Top 10 vampires in the game, Adonai is arguably the best in the Salubri Antitribu (including Grp 3 & 4). With an inbuilt +1 bleed, all clan disciplines, two of which are at superior and a semi-rush, means one nasty vampire. The superior Valeren gives him the combat edge and Auspex for blocking & bouncing. The greatest drawback of Adonai is that he doesn't possess superior Fortitude, a significant drawback when considering that the Salubri Antitribu are most affective at close range, and the best way for them to get to close range is to play Unflinching Persistence (getting the prevent too). Pop a skill card on Adonai and the problem is solved; else ensure you have IR Goggles on him or plenty of Fake Out. Overall Adonai is good as a rush vampire against Camarilla vampires and is one of only two vampires in the clan to get a superior Pulse of the Canaille, making him great at bleed/bruise too. --------------------------------------- 5. THE POWERS OF THE RIGHTEOUS --------------------------------------- Vengeance of Samiel Type: Combat Cost: 1 blood Requires: Valeren/Potence [pot] Strike: use your hand or melee weapon at +1 damage. [val] As [pot] above, and this strike cannot be dodged. [VAL] As [val] above, but this strike is at +2 damage. Vengeance is a one of the main combat offerings of the Salubri Antitribu, circumventing one of the standard combat evasion techniques of dodge. In effect Vengeance acts as an Undead Strength, costing a blood for the anti-dodge ability. Typical Salubri Antitribu decks combine Vengeance with Sword of the Righteous and a melee weapon, to inflict significant levels of aggravated damage (a meat cleaver with both of these cards at superior will cause 5 agg damage per strike)! The historic problem with Vengeance was justifying the 1 blood cost, since most Salubri Antitribu were inherently small, blood management made the card much more difficult to play. However, now that The Path of Retribution is available to the Salubri Antitribu, Vengeance is far more playable, since while the Path is in play, since the cost is reduced to nil to all Salubri Antitribu. --------------------------------------- 6. THE HOSTS OF HEAVEN --------------------------------------- I've included my ever first Salubri Antitribu deck, based around an Auspex - Valeren package for defense, modest pool gain and slow build bleed threat. I will admit that it was built before I learnt to appreciate environmental damage caused by Smiling Jack. In a future newsletter, we shall revisit the deck below, showing how it can be improved to become more effective. Deck Name: My first Salubri Antitribu Deck Created By: Joel Tate Description: Create an Auspex wall, punish your predator & prey to a considered level (not too aggressive), while building permanent bleed threat. Pool and blood management is essential. Crypt: (12 cards, Min: 10, Max: 25, Avg: 4.25) ---------------------------------------------- 3 Adonai for AUS VAL 7 Salubri Antitribu 3 Thomas Steed ani aus val 4 Salubri Antitribu 2 Wolf Valentine for VAL 4 Salubri Antitribu 2 Kervos aus val 3 Salubri Antitribu 2 Doris McMillon val 2 Salubri Antitribu Library: (90 cards) ------------------- Master (13 cards) 2 Auspex 4 Blood Doll 1 Guardian Angel 1 Hungry Coyote, The 1 Powerbase: Chicago 2 Secret Horde 1 KRCG News Radio 1 WMRH Talk Radio Action (11 cards) 3 Blessing of the Name 3 Rayzeel`s Song 3 Sense Vitality 2 Sanguine Instruction Action Modifier (1 cards) 1 Gift of Bellona Reaction (26 cards) 4 Eagle`s Sight 4 Enhanced Senses 5 Forced Awakening 6 Spirit`s Touch 4 Telepathic Misdirection 3 Wake with Evening`s Freshness Combat (25 cards) 6 Concealed Weapon 9 Sword of the Righteous 10 Vengeance of Samiel Retainer (4 cards) 1 J. S. Simmons, Esq. 2 Mr. Winthrop 1 Tasha Morgan Equipment (10 cards) 1 Bang Nakh - Tiger`s Claws 1 Brass Knuckles 2 Laptop Computer 2 Meat Cleaver 2 Meat Hook 2 Poker --------------------------------------- 7. CONCLUSION --------------------------------------- Well, that's it for this newsletter, next issue we shall continue with the beginners guide to the Salubri Antitribu. We shall take a newsletter off from the guide when Lords comes out in September, which I am currently looking forward too already. If you have any ideas, comments or additions please feel free to contact me. Joel Cambridge, UK