Ebony Kingdom: Top Five Crypt & Library Cards

It’s a little bit late for this article, but since “Heirs to the Blood” is nowhere to be seen (at least officially), what the heck here it is … In reference to the “Legacies of Blood Top Ten” list made by Greg Williams in January 2006, I would like to show you a similar list, namely the top five of the “Ebony Kingdom” expansion, at least from my point of view:

Top Five Library Cards

1. “Bamba” — the long awaited card that let Laibon put progeny into play. In my opinion a well-balanced card when compared with the other progeny cards like “Embrace” or “Creation Rites“. It has a resonable cost, and can be played more a lot of vampires (i.e. requires only Laibon, not Magaji), but on the other hand is restricted to vampires with capacity of 4 or more. Most interestingly other than other cards of this kind “Bamba” keeps the sect of the creating vampire, making “Bamba” an ideal candidate for an “Eldest are the Kholo” based on Laibon Ravnos.
2. “My Kin Against the World” — even outside theLaibon clan this card will get some playtime, especially since most of its effect can be used by non-Laibon clan. The card is especially good, if you have multiple minions which have at least two reasonable actions, e.g. Ventrue Lawfirm (Bleed/Vote) or most Rush decks (multi-rush actions). The only potential problem I see is probably, that this is one of the “win-more” cards.
3. “Powerbase: Luanda” — a very nice tool, that is perma-rush, forLaibon based rush or wall combat decks. As with other powerbases the location can be stolen, but this shouldn’t be a big problem. When another player (tries to) get “Powerbase Luanda, you can either defend it (when playing a wall deck) or you can get it back, effectively having a rush action against that player.
4. “Unholy Radiance” — a very strong vote card, since it acts both as action modifier and reaction card, although it requires three Orun. This can be a good addition to decks like Weenie Laibon Vote (based on Kholo titles), if not for the clumsiness of getting the Orun cards in the first place (see below).
5. “Exile” — the superior version is sort of a “Banishment” variation, but instead of a successful vote it requires a number of “Orun” cards (and a successful action).The reason for choosing “Exile” over “Brutal Influence” is that “Exile’s” inferior version is also good without playing Orun infact so good, that it will find its way into certain decks like “Tap and Bleed” decks, although it works only against younger vampires and allies and costs two blood.

Top Five Crypt Cards

1. “Nana Buruku” — even without a title her two specials — +1 handsize and especially the two master phase actions — make her smoking hot. For a reason she was one of the two main vampires in the NAC 2009 TWD deck.
2. “Cesewayo (Adv)” — the specials of both the normal and the advanced version point to superstar wall deck. Merged he’s a monster with 4 votes and two great special abilities comparable to the Camarilla Justicars or even Inner Circle Members.
3. “Umdava” — a good addition to the dynamic duo of Akunanse magaji, “Uchenna” and “Nkule“. With her superior Presence she might also fit into a Guruhi vote deck.
4. “Arriette Sylla” — Arriette is good news for the Weenie Potence decks, since she’s the smallest vampire with superior Potence (besides “Tupdog“).
5. “Elizabeth Conde” — together with “Sonja Blue” she’s the smallest vampire with superior Celerity and Fortiude making her a very solid 5 capacity Ishtarri.

Disappointments

• The advanced vampires (or at least 3 out 4) are somewhat underwhelming. Their special ability on the advanced version are not top tier quality, not to speak of the merged abilities (or lack of it) compared to the vampire’s capacity.
• Also the overall quality of the library cards is not satisfying and in fact I had a hard time determining even five top notch library and crypt cards for the “Ebony Kingdom” expansion. This maybe is an effect of the relatively low number of 40 new library and 20 new crypt cards, but looking at the “Twilight Rebellion” expansion with a similar size I didn’t have that problem.

Summary
The “Ebony Kingdom” expansion tries to boost the Orun/Aye mechanism heavily with 10 library cards mentioning Aye and 8 library cards Orun (out of 40 library cards total). As initially regarding the “Anarch” trait, the Aye/Orun mechanism has the problem that you have to put considerable effort into your deck putting the Aye/Orun cards into play. While “Static Virtue” and “Nkishi” are nice, what’s missing are cards with effects similar to “Seattle Comitee” or “Twilight Camp” (for becoming an Anarch). Something like “Tap this card to put an Aye or Orun from your hand or library on a Laibon you control with no Aye or Orun“.

And then the question always is: “Is the bonus provided by the Aye/Orun based cards worth the effort“. This question remains to be answered ..

Card Distribution in "Ebony Kingdom"

After having (finally) received my booster display of the VtES expansion “Ebony Kingdom“, and after a little card counting, I came up with the following distribution of cards in the different card slots of a booster:

• 4 common cards
  

  1. card slot: Bamba — Despiral — Dusk Work
  2. card slot: Familial Bond — Reliquary: Trinket — Tunner Runner
  3. card slot: Devil-Channel: Feet — Jua Vema — Taming The Beast
  4. card slot: 419 Operation — Exile — Unholy Radiance

• 3 vampire cards
  

  5. card slot: Abu Nuwasi — Elizabeth Conde — Jibade el-Bahrawi (ADV) — Luanda Magere — Lucian, the Perfect — Nana Buruku — Ngozi Ekwensu
  6. card slot: Aisata Swanou — Batsheva (ADV) — Fode Kourouma — Kamiri wa Itherero (ADV) — Nestor Kaba — Socrate Cidibe — Umdava
  7. card slot: Abiku — Arriette Sylla — Cesewayo (ADV) — Mamadou Keita — Titi Camara — Undele

• 1 rare card
  

  8. card slot: — (rare card)

• 3 common cards
  

  9. card slot: Neebi — Invoke Poison Glands — Supernatural Resistance
  10. card slot: Mundane — Kuta — Pallid
  11. card slot: Brutal Influence — My Kin Against the World — Aye or Orun

"Ebony Kingdom" Spoilers #3

Here are some updates of the information on the new VtES expansion “Ebony Kingdom“. Orange Devil posted this as comment to an earlier post, but for added visibility I put it up here (and did some formatting):

Both “Taming the Beast” and “Devil-Channel: Feet” are included in the boosters as commons. Aye and Orun are both also included in the boosters as rares. Furthermore, each booster display contains 10 Aye and 10 Orun. Each booster contains, from front to back:

• 4 commons
• 3 vampires
• 1 rare
• 2 commons
• 1 rare

for a total of 2 rares per booster. Furthermore, each booster is incredibly easy to open, so yay for that.

Here are the card texts for the two “missing” cards “Taming the Best” and “Devil-Channel: Feet“.

#07: Devil-Channel: Feet (EK:C)
Cardtype: Combat
Cost: 1 blood
[abo] [Reflex]: Cancel a frenzy card played on this vampire as it is played.
[abo]: Frenzy (this vampire). Not usable if the opposing minion has flight. Strike: dodge with an optional press.
[ABO]: As above, and this vampire taps an Aye on him or her to untap.
[Draft]: [cel]: As [abo] or [ABO] above.

#35: Taming the Beast (EK:C)
Cardtype: Combat
[sbo][Reflex]: Cancel a frenzy card played on this vampire as it is played.
[abo]: Strike: Hand strike at +1 damage. This combat, this minion cannot cancel frenzy cards nor press to end.
[ABO]: As above, but strike: burn equipment.
[Draft]: [pot]: Strike: hand strike at +1 damage.

"Ebony Kingdom" Spoilers: Complete Library

Here’s the complete list of library cards of the new VtES expansion “Ebony Kingdom” (as spoilered in the French VtES forum). In addition to the announced 40 new library cards there are copies of “Aye” and “Orun” included.

##01: 419 Operation (EK:C)
Clan: Osebo
+1 stealth action.
Put this card in play. during your untap phase, you may move 1 pool from your prey’s pool to this card or move the pool on this card to your pool. Your prey can burn the Edge to move the counter on this card to his pool and burn this card.
[Draft]: Put this card on the Laibon and untap him or her. The card counts as an Aye or an Orun, even when not in play.

##02: Bamba (EK:C)
Cardtype: Action
Cost: 1 blood
Requires a non-sterile Laibon with a capacity of 4 or more. +1 stealth action.
Put this card in play. It becomes a 1 capacity non-unique Laibon of the same clan and cannot act this turn. If the acting Laibon is a magaji, you may search your library, hand or ash heap for a master: Discipline card to play on this vampire (pay cost as normal) and you may move 1 blood from that magaji to this Laibon.

#03: Bestial Vengeance (EK:R)
Cardtype: Combat
Requires a Laibon
[ani]: Only usable before range is determined, choose a retainer on this Laibon. This combat this Laibon is immune to frenzy cards and the opposing minion takes 1 damage during strike resolution if the retainer is ready. A vampire can only play one Bestial Vengeance each combat.
[ANI]: As above, but for 2 damage.

#04: Blood Shield (EK:R)
Cardtype: Equipment
Clan: Osebo
Cost: 2 pool
Unique equipment.
The minion with this equipment may prevent one damage from an opposing minion’s strike each round. If used to prevent damage from a strike made by a vampire with capacity 6 or less, that vampire burns 2 blood.

#05: Brutal Influence (EK:C)
Cardtype: Action
Cost: 1 blood
[pot]: Bleed at +1 bleed. When the action is announced this vampire may tap X Orun on him to get an additional +X bleed.
[POT]: +1 stealth action. Tap X Orun cards on this vampire to move X blood from the blood bank to a younger Laibon in your uncontrolled region.

#06: Despiral (EK:C)
Clan: Ishtarri
Cost: 1 Blood
+1 stealth action.
Put this card on this Ishtarri and put 1 counter on this card. This Ishtarri get +X bleed, where X is the number of counter son this card. This Ishtarri can add a counter to this card as a +1 stealth action that costs X blood.
[Draft]: Put this card on this Laibon and untap him or her. This card counts as an Aye and an Orun, even when on in play.

#07: Devil-Channel: Feet (EK:C)
Cardtype: Combat
Cost: 1 blood
[abo][Reflex]: Cancel a frenzy card played on this vampire as it is played.
[abo]: Frenzy (this vampire). Not usable if the opposing minion has flight. Strike: dodge with an optional press.
[ABO]: As above, and this vampire taps an Aye on him or her to untap.
[Draft]: [cel]: As [abo] or [ABO] above.

#08: Dusk Work (EK:C)
Cardtype: Action Modifier
Burn Option.
Requires a Laibon ith three or more Aye.
Play after resolving an action (successfully or not). Tap three Aye on this Laibon to untap him or her.

#09: Edge of the World (EK:R)
Cardtype: Action Modifier
Clan: Guruhi
Usable only by a ready Guruhi you control (acting or not). Only usable if you have gained a victory point during this action.
You gain 4 pool. If this Guruhi is acting, he untaps and gains enough blood from the blood bank to reach full capacity. Only one Edge Of The World can be played each action.

#10: Exile (EK:C)
Cardtype: Action
Cost: 2 blood
+1 stealth action
[pre]: Tap an ally or younger vampire and untap this vampire.
[PRE]: Tap X Orun on this vampire to send a vampire or imbued with capacity or cost less than 2X to his or her uncontrolled region.

#11: Familial Bond (EK:C)
Cardtype: Reaction
Cost: 1 blood
Requires a Laibon.
Only usable on an action directed at another Laibon you control or on a bleed against you.
+1 intercept. If this block fails, the acting minion may choose to make the action fail. If the action is successful, this Laibon may tap (after resolution) to enter combat with the acting minion.

##12: Guinea-Bissau Carnival (EK:R)
Cardtype: Master
Master.
Put this card in play. Each Laibon gets +X stealth when hunting and gains X+1 additional blood from the bank if successful, where X is the number of Aye he or she has. Burn this card during your next untap phase. Only one Guinea-Bissau Carnival may be played in a game.

#13: Hiding in the Open (EK:R)
Cardtype: Political Action
Requires a Laibon.
If this referendum is successful, this Laibon get +1 bleed.
Cards which require a non-Laibon title cannot be played on this Laibon nor when this Laibon is acting.
A minion can have only one Hiding in the Open.

#14: Ilomba (EK:R)
Cardtype: Retainer
Animal with 1 life. Requires a Laibon
Put Ilomba on any minion (this action is +1 stealth if that minion is controlled by another Methuselah). If Ilomba would burn a life (or would be burned), this minion burns a blood or life instead.
If he cannot, he is burned. A minion can have only one Ilomba.

##15: Impundulu (EK:R)
Cardtype: Ally
Cost: 3 blood
Unique demon with 1 life, 1 strength, 0 bleed.
Impundulu has flight, gets one optional maneuver each combat, and may strike: 1R damage. He may steal 1 blood or life as a +1 stealth (D) action.

#16: Invoke Poison Glands (EK:C)
Cardtype: Combat
[abo][Reflex]: Cancel a frenzy card played on this vampire as it is played.
[abo]: Strike: hand strike at +1 damage
[ABO]: Strike: burn the opposing animal or mortal, or strike: hand strike with +X damage where X is the number of Orun on this vampire.

#17: Ishtarri Warlord (EK:R)
Cardtype: Master
Clan: Ishtarri
Cost: 1 pool
Put this card on an Ishtarri you control. This Ishtarri gets an optional press or maneuver each combat.
A minion can have only one Ishtarri Warlord.

##18: Jua Vema (EK:C)
Cardtype: Combat
[for]: This vampire treats aggravated damage as normal damage this round.
[FOR]: As above, but for the remainder of the action if you tap an Aye on him or her.
[Draft]: [for]: Prevent 1 damage.

#19: Kuta (EK:C)
Cardtype: Political Action
Requires a Laibon.
Choose a younger vampire with a capacity of 6 or less. If this referendum is successful, put this card on that vampire. Directed actions cost this vampire an additional blood. This vampire cannot block older vampire. Any vampire may call a referendum to burn this card as a +1 stealth political action.

#20: Make an Example (EK:R)
Cardtype: Action Modifier
Clan: Guruhi
Only usable by a non-acting Guruhi when an acting Laibon you control is blocked (before combat).
Inflict 2 unpreventable damage on both the acting and blocking minion and end the action (without combat).

#21: Mapatano Utando (EK:R)
Cardtype: Unique Master
Clan: Akunanse
Put this card in play. you may tap this card to reduce a bleed against you by 1. During your influence phase you may burn the edge and tap this card to gain 4 transfer. Any vampire can burn this card as a (D) action that cost 1 blood.

##22: Mundane (EK:C)
Cardtype: Master
Put this card on a Laibon with no Orun or Mundane. Cards that require Disciplines cost this vampire one additional blood. Burn this card if this vampire gets an Orun. Alternatively, when a minion with no Orun plays an action card requiring a Discipline or Virtue, play this card to your ash heap to cancel that card as it is played.

#23: My Kin Against the World (EK:C)
Cardtype: Political Action
Cost: X blood
Choose X younger vampire of the same clan as this acting vampire. If this vampire is a Laibon you may choose younger Laibon regardless of clan. If this referendum passes, untap this acting vampire and the chosen vampire. Only one My Kin Against The World can be called each turn.

##24: Neebi (EK:C)
Cardtype: Combat
Burn Action
Requires a Laibon with three or more Aye.
Only usable before range is determined. Set the range for this round. Skip the determine range step this round.
[DRAFT]: As above, but requires only two Aye.

#25: Nkishi (EK:R)
Cardtype: Equipment
Unique equipment. Requires a Laibon.
You may use a master phase action to search your library or ash heap for an Aye or Orun cards and put that card on this Laibon.

#26: Pallid (EK:C)
Cardtype: Master
Put this card on a Laibon with no Aye and no Pallid. This vampire gets -1 stealth. Burn this card if this vampire gets an Aye. Alternatively, when a vampire with no Aye or a zombie is acting, play this card to your ash heap as an out of turn master to give a vampire you control +1 intercept.

#27: Powerbase: Luanda (EK:R)
Cardtype: Master
Master: Unique Location
Requires a ready Laibon
Tap during your master phase and choose a vampire you control. Once this turn this vampire may enter combat with any minion as a +1 stealth action. Any vampire may steal this location as a (D) action.

#28: Reliquary: Trinket (EK:C)
Cardtype: Equipment
Cost: 1 pool
If the bearer is a ready Laibon, you get +1 hand size.
This Laibon may discard up to 3 cards from your hand as a +1 stealth action. A minion can have only one Reliquary: Trinket.

##29: Remnant of the Endless Storm (EK:R)
Cardtype: Ally
Cost: 6 pool
Unique werewolf with 5 life. 1 strength, 0 bleed. Requires a magaji.
The Remnant gets +1 strength for each life it has. The Remnant may enter combat with any minion as a (D) action. If any effect does more than 2 damage to the Remnant, ignore the excess. If the Remnant has 4 or fewer life during your untap phase, it gains 1 life from the blood bank.

#30: Savannah Runner (EK:R)
Cardtype: Reaction
Requires a Laibon.
[cel]: This Laibon burns 1 blood to have +1 intercept.
[CEL]: Tap this Laibon or an Aye on him to untap another ready Laibon. not usable by a blocking Laibon.

#31: Sense Vibrations (EK:R)
Cardtype: Master
Master: Trifle.
Put this card on a Laibon with Auspex. This Laibon with Auspex may tap this card during a referendum to get 1 additional vote. A vampire can have only on Sense Vibrations.

#32: Supernatural Resistance (EK:C)
Cardtype: Combat/Reaction
Burn option.
Requires a Laibon with three or more Orun.
Tap an Orun on this Laibon to cancel an action card targeting this Laibon or a strike card as it is played. Not usable to cancel a card that doesn’t require a discipline or that requires Celerity or Potence.

##33: Taking the Skin: Minion (EK:R)
Cardtype: Action Modifier/Combat
[abo][Reflex]: Cancel a frenzy card played on this vampire as it is played.
[abo]: Skin. Play when this vampire burns a minion. Put this card on this vampire and untap him or her. This vampire may bleed an additional time this turn and gets +1 bleed and +1 stealth when bleeding. Burn this card during your discard phase. A minion can have only one skin.

#34: Taking the Skin: Vulture (EK:R)
Cardtype: Reaction
[abo][Reflex]: Cancel a frenzy card played on this vampire as it is played.
[abo]: Skin. +1 intercept and put this card on the vampire. he gains Flight. Burn this card during your next untap phase.
[ABO]: As above, and this vampire gets an optional maneuver during each combat.

#35: Taming the Beast (EK:C)
Cardtype: Combat
[abo][Reflex]: Cancel a frenzy card played on this vampire as it is played.
[abo]: Strike: Hand strike at +1 damage. This combat, this minion cannot cancel frenzy cards nor press to end.
[ABO]: As above, but strike: burn equipment.
[Draft]: [pot]: Strike: hand strike at +1 damage.

#36: The Bitter and Sweet Story (EK:R)
Cardtype: Event
Each Methuselah gets +2 hand size for each victory point he or she has.

#37: Transcendent Laibon (EK:R)
Cardtype: Master
Burn option.
Unique Master. Put this card on a Laibon with 3 Aye and 3 Orun.
During your untap phase,this Laibon gains one blood. Allies and younger vampire must burn 1 blood or life to attempt to block this Laibon or to target him with (D) action. Burn this card if this minion is not ready or has fewer than three Aye or three Orun.

#38: Tunnel Runner (EK:C)
Cardtype: Ally
Clan: Akunanse
Cost:4 pool
Werewolf with 3 life. 1 strength, 1 bleed.
The Runner may play cards that require [ani] as a vampire and may burn 1 life to get +1 stealth. If he successfully bleeds, you may look at the target Methuselah’s hand. A vampire stealing life from the Runner takes 1 damage for each point stolen. If the Runner has 2 or fewer life during your untap phase, he gains 1 life.

#39: Unholy Radiance (EK:C)
Cardtype: Action Modifier / Reaction
Requires a Laibon with three or more Orun.
Only usable during a referendum. Usable by a tapped Laibon. Gain 4 votes.

#40: Well-Marked (EK:R)
Cardtype: Action
Cost: 1 blood
+1 stealth action. Requires a Laibon.
Put this card on this Laibon. If his capacity is 5 or more he untaps. once each combat this Laibon may prevent 1 non aggravated damage from the minion’s strike. A minion can have only one Well Marked.

"Ebony Kingdom" Spoilers: Complete Crypt

Here’s the complete list of crypt cards of the new VtES expansion “Ebony Kingdom” (as spoilered in the French VtES forum).

#01: Nestor Kaba (EK:V)
Clan: Akunanse
Capacity: 4
Group: 5
Disciplines: abo ani for
Laibon.

#02: Socrate Cidibe (EK:V)
Clan: Akunanse
Capacity: 5
Group: 5
Disciplines: ani ABO FOR
Laibon.

#03: Aisata Swanou (EK:V)
Clan: Akunanse
Capacity: 7
Group: 5
Disciplines: abo ANI FOR VIC
Laibon: During your master phase you may draw a card and move a card from your hand to your ash heap or the top of your library.

##04: Umdava (EK:V)
Clan: Akunanse
Capacity: 9
Group: 4
Disciplines: vic ABO ANI FOR PRE
Laibon magaji: You may use a master phase action to search your library or ash heap for an Aye or Orun to place on a ready Laibon.

#05: Kamiri wa Itherero (ADV) (EK:V)
Clan: Akunanse
Group: 5
Capacity: 10
Disciplines: pot qui ABO ANI FOR OBF
Laibon: Kamiri may inflict two unpreventable damage on a minion as a (D) action.
[MERGED]: Once each action Kamiri may burn a blood to give an acting Laibon +1 stealth.

#06: Fode Kourouma (EK:V)
Clan: Guruhi
Capacity: 5
Group: 5
Disciplines: ani aus pre POT
Laibon.

#07: Batsheva (ADV) (EK:V)
Clan: Guruhi
Capacity: 6
Group: 4
Disciplines: obt pot ANI PRE
Laibon: +1 strength against Malkavian.
[MERGED]: +1 strength.

##08: Ngozi Ekwensu (EK:V)
Clan: Guruhi
Capacity: 9
Group: 5
Disciplines: cel ANI POT PRE VIC
Laibon Magaji: Once each combat she can tap one Orun on her to make her hand strike aggravated for the current round.

##09: Lucian, the Perfect (EK:V)
Clan: Guruhi
Capacity: 11
Group: 4
Disciplines: ANI AUS DOM OBF POT PRE
Laibon: Strikes against Lucian cost an additional blood or life. A minion opposing Lucian may choose not to strike. +3 bleed.

##10: Nana Buruku (EK:V)
Clan: Guruhi
Nana Buruku
Clan: Guruhi
Capacity: 8
Group: 4
Disciplines: ANI POT PRE
Laibon: While Nana is ready, you get two master phase actions (instead of one) each master phase and +1 hand size.

#11: Abu Nuwasi (EK:V)
Clan: Ishtarri
Capacity: 3
Group: 5
Disciplines: cel for
Laibon.

#12: Elizabeth Conde (EK:V)
Clan: Ishtarri
Group: 5
Capacity: 5
Disciplines: pre CEL FOR
Laibon.

#13: Luanda Magere (EK:V)
Clan: Ishtarri
Capacity: 8
Group: 4
Disciplines: for CEL PRE PRO
Laibon: Luanda gets +1 strength for each Orun he has.

#14: Jibade el-Bahrawi (ADV) (EK:V)
Clan: Ishtarri
Capacity: 9
Group: 5
Disciplines: aus CEL DEM FOR PRE
Laibon: If Jibade is ready, he may burn a blood and tap X Aye to prevent X damage done to any ally or retainer in combat.

##15: Undele (EK:V)
Clan: Ishtarri
Capacity: 9
Group: 5
Disciplines: obf pre ser CEL FOR
Laibon magaji: Undele may call a referendum to move two minion cards from your ash heap to your hand as a +1 stealth political action (discard afterwards).

##16: Arriette Sylla (EK:V)
Clan: Osebo
Capacity: 3
Group: 5
Disciplines: POT
Laibon: If Arriette has no Orun, she gets -1 bleed.

#17: Titi Camara (EK:V)
Clan: Osebo
Capacity: 5
Group: 5
Disciplines: pot AUS CEL
Laibon.

#18: Mamadou Keita (EK:V)
Clan: Osebo
Capacity: 7
Group: 5
Disciplines: aus pot pre vic CEL
Laibon Magaji: Mamadou may call a referendum to do 1 unpreventable damage to a ready minion as a +1 stealth political action.

##19: Abiku (EK:V)
Clan: Osebo
Capacity: 6
Group: 4
Disciplines: cel obt AUS POT
Laibon: Abiku gets +1 stealth when hunting.

##20: Cesewayo (ADV) (EK:V)
Clan: Osebo
Capacity: 10
Group: 4
Disciplines: ani AUS CEL DOM POT THA
Laibon magaij: During a (D) action against you, Cesewayo may tap an Aye on him to untap.
[MERGED]: Cesewayo gets two additional votes.

"Ebony Kingdom" Spoilers #2

The online magazine “Eye of the Vortex” features a preview article of the up and coming VtES expansion “Ebony Kingdom” in its May issue. The article contains two new cards from the expansion, which were previously not known.

#06: Despiral [EK:C]
Clan: Ishtarri
Cost: 1 Blood
+1 stealth action.
Put this card on this Ishtarri and put 1 counter on this card. This Ishtarri get +X bleed, where X is the number of counter son this card. This Ishtarri can add a counter to this card as a +1 stealth action that costs X blood.
[Draft]: Put this card on this Laibon and untap him or her. This card counts as an Aye and an Orun, even when on in play.

#09: Lucian, the Perfect [EK:V]
Clan: Guruhi
Group: 4
Capacity: 11
Disciplines: ANI AUS DOM OBF POT PRE
Laibon: Strikes against Lucian cost and additional blood or life. A minion opposing Lucian may choose not to strike. +3 bleed.

"Ebony Kingdom" Spoilers #1

Here are the first (non-Preview) spoiler cards (1 crypt and 3 library cards) for the next VtES expansion “Ebony Kingdom“. It seems that the cards can be seen in the French trading card magazine “Mana Rouge“.

#13: Luanda Magere [EK:V]
Clan: Ishtarri
Capacity: 8
Group: 4
Disciplines: for CEL PRE PRO
Laibon: Luanda gets +1 strength for each Orun he has.

#18: Jua Vema [EK:C]
Cardtype: Combat
[for]: This vampire treats aggravated damage as normal damage this round.
[FOR]: As above, but for the remainder of the action if you tap an Aye on him or her.

#38: Tunnel Runner [EK:C]
Cardtype: Ally
Clan: Akunanse
Cost:4 pool
Werewolf with 3 life. 1 strength, 1 bleed.
The Runner may play cards that require [ani] as a vampire and may burn 1 life to get +1 stealth. If he succesfully bleeds, you may look at the target Methuselah’s hand. A vampire stealing life from the Runner takes 1 damage for each point stolen. If the Runner has 2 or fewer life during your untap phase, he gains 1 life.

#39: Unholy Radiance [EK:C]
Cardtype: Action Modifier / Reaction
Requires a Laibon with three or more Orun.
Only usable during a referendum. Usable by a tapped Laibon. Gain 4 votes.

Complete Preview for "Ebony Kingdom"

White Wolf has published the complete preview for the next VtES expansion “Ebony Kingdom“, which will be released on May 27th, 2009. The expansion covers the four Laibon clans, and provides new cards for the mechanism that were introduced with “Legacies of Blood” like Orun/Aye or Magaji.

The contents of the mini-expansion are (almost) exactly as expected. The expansion brings 20 new rare and common cards each. And the 20 new vampires are evenly spread among the new four known Laibon clan, so that each of them get 5 new vampires, although one of them is always an Advanced version.

Read the full Ebony Kingdom preview article on the White Wolf website.

Release Date for "Ebony Kingdom"

The release date of the next VtES expansion “Ebony Kingdom” (and the release of the expansion itself) has been announced officially, and it’s May 27th, 2009.

You can read full news article on the White Wolf website. There is also a short mentioning of the Ebony Kingdom expansion in Game Trade Magazine #110 with similar content as the above mentioned WW article.

Next VtES Expansion "Ebony Kingdom"(Update)

More information about the next VtES expansion “Ebony Kingdom” is coming up on the internet.

Blood of Africa!

Some stand outside the Thirteen, ancients who adhere to even older traditions. They are the Laibon, the vampires born in the heart of Africa, inheritors of secrets unknown to Camarilla or Sabbat. They too have joined the Eternal Struggle — and they intend to thrive there.

Various online shops show more details of the expansion, e.g. Fantasiapelit (Finland) and Walch & Nusser (Germany). As expected the new expansion is a mini-expansion with 60 new cards, that is 20 new rares, 20 new vampires and 20 new common cards. The pre-release kit seems to consists of two “Ebony Kingdom” booster display, two “Legacies of Blood” starter displays and 40 promo cards (TBD) . The release date though is still unconfirmed, the White Wolf release schedule lists shows a range of April to June 2009, while Walch & Nusser show a release date of May 13th, 2009.

In addition, White Wolf is going to release a VtES Draft Kit(for 8 or more players). The draft kit will be released in April 1st, 2009 (no joke!) and will contain:

• 1 VTES Lords of the Night Booster Display
• 1 VTES 3rd Ed Booster Display
• 1 VTES Kindred Most Wanted Booster Display
• 1 VTES Sword of Caine Booster Display
• 8 VTES Promo: Rubicon
• 8 VTES Promo: Fourth Cycle
• 8 VTES Promo: Rogue
• 8 VTES Promo: Marrakesh Codex

Next VtES Expansion: "Ebony Kingdom"

Though not officially announced, the next VtES expansion will be “Ebony Kingdom” according to new White Wolf blog (see also post below) . So the expansion will contain new cards for the four Laibon clans, and if this expansion follows the same pattern as in the previous years, it’s going to be a 60-card mini-expansion. With 20 new vampires there would be 5 new vampires for the 4 Laibon clans, Akunanse, Guruhi, Ishtarri & Obsebo.

The actual release date is not yet officially determined, but Potomac Distribution (an online CCG shop) hints that it’s going to be at the end of Q2/2009.

(Please take note, that this post does not have a “Humor ” tag attached.)