Origins Special Report: US Championships Final Round

As promised earlier, I pulled some strings, called in some favors, and cashed in some markers in order to get a special guest writer to give us the account of his journey to success in the US Championships. Ladies and gentlemen, I'm extremely pleased to present to you: Jay "The Way" Kristoff, our newly-minted US Champion!

Championship Perspective
by Jay Kristoff

It was the date of the US Championship that made it so important for me to try to win. My first child was expected in early July. That meant the US Championship in late June would likely be the last major V:TES tournament I could participating in for quite some time. I wanted to win it, so I chose to use the deck with which I have had the most success in casual play this year. The deck that is now known as "Father To Be" surprised me with how well it had performed in numerous plays against strong, local competition.

About one month before the US Championship I stopped playing it locally, but spent a lot of time with it at my thinking table. Many, many trial draws of the library and crypt shaped the final card ratios. I knew as the Championship drew nearer that the deck was finely tuned and primed for victory. I was concerned that my child would arrive early, and force me out of the Championship. I spoke with my friend and Columbus playgroup member James Messer, who agreed to play my deck in case I was unable to do so. I also spoke with the Queen of the Nosferatu, Robyn Tatu, to see if she had Nos plans for the US Championship (to avoid contesting). My enthusiasm and eagerness to play my deck in the Championship betrayed my usual policy of secrecy about my deck choice before tournaments.

Each preliminary game of the Championship was amazing. In round one, I was decimated before I could take an action with my first vampire when my predator, Matt Green, used Spirit Marionette/Heidelberg Castle/Daring the Dawn to torp and empty my Cock Robin. I was able to rebound from that awful start, oust my prey, and finish with 1.5 vps. That was the first time my deck had ever not won a game. Even with that recovery, I knew that would be my worst game of the day.

Round two was a four-player table with Connor Bell as my prey, John Bell as my predator, and Eric Chiang as my cross-table "ally," playing his Tupdog deck. Eric destroyed Connor (playing DEM bleed with lots of Sudden Reversal) first. He then smashed John (Toreador-anti breed/boon) next. I was soon to follow when Eric torped and then Graverobbed my Josef von Bauren. Connor was wise enough to stay in the game (rather than transfer out, despite my request). His decision to persevere gave him the chance to play S.R. on Eric's Fame that would have allowed Eric to sweep the table. That gave me an extra turn to assemble Eric's oust (with a combo of vote damage, bleed damage, and Cam. Seg. pool loss).

Round three was extra crazy when my cross-table "ally" Kurt Kopp called a Justicar Retribution after a Cryptic Rider. Kurt thought that he would take vote control by burning the two Inner Circle members at the table: Mindy Bell's Stanislava, and my Josef von Bauren. Neither Mindy nor I were Kurt's predator or prey, but Kurt felt it was in his best interest to ruin the games of both of his cross-table allies. Shortly after no blocks were declared on the J.R. vote, I pointed out that my I.C. member only has +1 bleed, and therefor isn't concerned with Justicar Retribution. Later in that game I felt it was time for Kurt and his Renegade Garous to leave the table, so I bled into my prey, Pete Oh, knowing that Pete would Deflect to his prey Kurt. It is rare that I assist my prey in earning a VP, but Kurt was a special case. Following Kurt's ouster, I slipped my deck out of neutral and into drive, raining pool damage down on Pete Oh. I ousted Pete and then John Pattie for the Game Win.

Word travels fast after two Game Wins at a V:TES tournament. Long before all of the round three tables had concluded, I had learned that I was the top seed at the final table. I also learned that James Messer (Lutz/Maris vote), Hugh Angseesing (EuroBrujah), David Tatu (Tzimisce) and Pete Oh (Black Hand AUS/DOM) were the other finalists.

James and I sat down and cautiously spoke. Though he and I are friends and members of the same playgroup, we have a history of betraying each other at the V:TES table. I told him I needed a vote-buddy, and that he should be it. I also
told him that my number one goal was to win the Championship, and that my number two goal was to make sure an American won it. Hugh's two victories the day before were already too much. I think I would have been sick if our British friend had won the US Championship. Despite my great dislike of Lutz von Hohenzollern, James and I agreed to be political partners at the start of the final round.

Being able to pick my seat was a big advantage. When it was my turn to choose, the players were arranged like this:
Pete->James->Hugh->David. I knew that James and Hugh had titled vamps, and would be immune to my Judgment: Camarilla Segregations. I had just finished earning a Game Win with Pete Oh as my prey in round three, so my choice to sit in between Pete and David was an easy one.

Before the round started, I gave several speeches to my tablemates. I congratulated them on reaching this ultimate game. I also thanked them for knocking out several nasty decks that I was happy to not have to deal with again. Finally, I requested an opportunity to play cards during their political actions after terms were set, and before votes were cast. I had been making that request at my preliminary round tables as well. It was a line that I thought important after I decided to include Confusion of the Eye. I like the idea of making that request at the start of games for two reasons. Most obviously, because I would like a window in which I can play Confusion of the Eye, as it is easy to skip past that window when taking political actions. Also, just beyond the surface of that request is, "Hey, I am playing with Confusion of the Eye. You should think twice before you try to screw me with your political actions because I can screw with them".

I did not like getting only one transfer on the first turn. Having no Info Highway in my opening hand was also no fun. All of that was made up for by the fact that my opening hand included two Villein and Giant's Blood. I was so pleased with my hand that I choose to secretly reveal it to the Queen of the Nosferatu who had stopped by to root on her husband. I don't know what she thought, but I saw it as a sign of good things to come.

At the end of turn four I had influenced my first vamp out, Josef von Bauren. My slow start wasn't so bad because my predator, David Tatu, took a while to bring up his first vamp; Lambach. James had told me that David was playing Tzimisce. However, I was surprised to learn that David was playing huge, titled Tzimisce. His slow start minimized the pain of mine, but those fat flesh sculptors were sure to be a nuisance later in the game. My turn five had me Villein Joseph v.B. for 11, trifle: Giant's Blood, followed by Joseph rescuing Lutz from torpor after Hugh's Theo Bell had been mean to my fellow Inner Circle member.

Hugh again torped Lutz on his next turn. He asked me if I planned to rescue him again. I told the entire table that my plan for my next turn was to call Honor the Elders. At James' request, this time David came to Lutz's rescue. James' now ready, empty Lutz meant that Hugh was no longer interested in me calling Honor the Elders. I debated with myself for a while as to whether I should call that vote. In the end I decided to do it because it was the action available to me that helped me the most, and because an American should win the US Championship.

Everyone but my prey benefited from Honor the Elders. I concluded my turn by bringing out Cock Robin. All of the effort that David and I had put into rehabilitating James was soon shown to be for nought. Pete conjured up an onslaught of Dominate bleeds that ousted my vote-buddy. James' departure really altered my game. I said aloud, "Hugh, I need you now." I was down to one partner, the guy I least wanted to win.

James' oust also brought on a mid-game section of the final round that I don't remember very well. Here are some things that happened in that section of the game, in no particular order: David played Powerbase: Montreal, I borrowed it, Hugh borrowed it, then I burned with Conceal. I passed a Political Stranglehold that helped everyone but Pete. We all knew a lot about each others' hands. Pete Oh was making good use of Sennadurek's special ability, I had SchreckNET in play, and David had an Owl Companion on Lambach. At one point Pete Oh called out the contents of my hand, and revealed that I was out of stealth modifiers. David used that info to Eagle's Sight block my next D-action against Pete. In the resulting combat, David burned my Gustaphe Brunnelle with combination of Carrion Crows and some aggravated strike.

My immediate response to the death of Gustaphe was to rescue one of Hugh's vampires from torpor (on whom David had played Rötschreck). David continually bled me for several pool each turn. I blocked only once, when Lambach was bleeding for four with Govern + Enkil Cog. I played my No Trace in the resulting combat. Hugh was not able to do much to David for fear of the agg. combat. I was able to get my Judgment: Camarilla Segregations into play. Pete burned the first one by bringing up Piotr Andreikov and sacrificing him to the J: C. S. Later on, I was able to put the other two in play, and they stayed. Hugh perfectly timed his lunge to oust David. He played Pentex Subversion on the only untapped Tzimisce, and uncorked with Dominate bleeds. The first bleed landed in Pete Oh's lap thanks to My Enemy's Enemy. The next two bleeds hit their intended target and were enough that David was ousted on his untap phase by my 2x Judgement: Camarilla Segregation.

As I untapped at the start of my turn, I realized that David's departure was great for me. Gone was the looming permanent intercept to my right, as well as the fat, titled vamps to which it was attached. I passed a vote to lower Pete's pool, then SchreckNET told me my bleeds were good, and I was able to oust my prey with about ten minutes remaining in the game.

The US Championship had boiled down to Mr. Angseesing and myself. He seemed intent on bleeding me for a lot with Dominate and initially I let him. On my turn, I was able to Banish one of his Princes, steal his hunting ground, and take the edge. Hugh then loaded up for what I knew would be his final onslaught. He pushed as much blood as he could to his two remaining vamps via Blood Dolls. He opened with a Theo Bell Govern bleed, which I chose not to block, but rather play Confusion of the Eye on to reduce it to a two bleed. My replacement for Confusion of the Eye was the the only copy of Second Tradition: Domain in my deck.

I needed that card on Hugh's next action as he bled with Constanza Vinti. I tried to block with Cock Robin, he played Resist Earth's Grasp for stealth, and I responded with the 2nd Trad. and successfully blocked. Hugh later told me that I was dead without the 2nd Trad. because he was holding Foreshadowing Destruction. In the resulting combat, Cock went to long with Aid from Bats, pressed, and torped Constanza in round two with hands for two damage. On my turn I was able to reduce Hugh's pool to zero with a combination of bleeds and votes. The final round had needed nearly all of its two hours. I raised my hands in victory, having successfully completed my first and second goals.