Origin of Words (Twilight Rebellion Edition)

As a non-American, non-native English speaker I usually have to look up what the cultural background of VtES cards are. I have compiled a more or less short list of cards from the “Twilight Rebellion” expansion which background is not self-explanatory (at least from my point of view). The information below is my best guess what’s the explanation behind these cards, but since I have not asked LSJ himself about the cards’ background, I am not 100% sure.

Anarch Manifesto

Anarchist Manifesto is a work by Anselme Bellegarrigue, notable for being the first manifesto of anarchism. It was written in 1850, ten years after Pierre-Joseph Proudhon became history’s first self-proclaimed anarchist with the publication of his seminal “What Is Property?“.

More information:

• Anarch Manifesto on Wikipedia.
• Another Anarch Manifesto on “flag.blackend.net”.
• Another Anarch Manifesto on “anarchy.net”.

CrimethInc.

“CrimethInc.” is a decentralized anarchist collective composed of autonomous cells which act independently in pursuit of a freer and more joyous world. On of their mottos is “The Future is unwritten“.
“CrimethInc.” cells have variously published books, released records and organized large-scale national campaigns against globalization and representative democracy in favor of radical community organizing.
They say about themselves: “Crimethought is not any ideology or value system or lifestyle, but rather a way of challenging all ideologies and value systems and lifestyles – and, for the advanced agent, a way of making all ideologies, value systems, and lifestyles challenging.” — Crimethinc.com

More information: CrimethInc. website

Constant Revolution

A revolution (from the Latin word revolutio, “a turnaround”) is a fundamental change in power or organizational structures that takes place in a relatively short period of time. Some Marxists ideologists, especially Maoists, believe that it is not sufficient just to overturn capitalism and establish a new government, but that a further constant revolution is required: a continual process of self-criticism is needed to correct mistakes.

Garibaldi-Meucci Museum

The “Garibaldi-Meucci Museum” is the historic home of the pioneer inventor, Antonio Meucci, and legendary hero, Giuseppe Garibaldi. The museum is located on Staten Island (New York). Antonio Meucci was an Italian-born inventor who developed a form of voice communication apparatus in 1857. Many people, especially the Italians, credit him with the invention of the telephone before Alexander Graham Bell. Giuseppe Garibaldi was an Italian military and political leader. Garibaldi contributed much to the independence of Uruguay and the political unification of Italy in the 19th century. He is considered an Italian national hero.

More information: Garibaldi-Meucci Museum website

Hell-for-Leather

Adjective
1. with all of one’s energy, will, etc.; with wholehearted or reckless determination
2. at full speed or with great speed a hell-for-leather chase

Robert L. Chapman’s “New Dictionary of American Slang” (Harper & Row, 1987, ISBN 0-06-181157-2) says: “hell-for-leather or hell-bent-for-leather” adv “from late 1800s British” Rapidly and energetically; all out, flat out. “You’re heading hell-for-leather to a crack-up” [origin unknown; perhaps related to British dialect phrases “go hell for ladder, hell falladerly, hell faleero“, and remaining mysterious even if so, although the “leather” would then be a very probable case of folk etymology with a vague sense of the “leather” involved in horse trappings.]”

The World’s a Canvas

“The World is my Canvas” is a promotion campaign initated by Nokia to promote the smartphone N82 in 2007. The concept of “The World is my Canvas” is to use GPS tracking devices to create positional art, i.e GPS drawings which are then made visible on maps or satellite photos. Stavros, self-proclaimed “Position Art Genius“, is the advertising character of the campaign.
For another/the correct explanation see the comment below.

More information: The World is my Canvas website

Monky Wrench

The monkey wrench is an adjustable wrench, which is rarely used today. Its use has generally been replaced by the adjustable-end wrench, which has a compact head and so is more easily used in confined places.

Again, for another/the correct explanation see the comment below.

More information: Monky Wrench on Wikipedia.

"Twilight Rebellion": Top Five Crypt & Library Cards

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 “Twilight Rebellion” expansion, at least from my point of view:

Top Five Library Cards

1. “Monkey Wrench” — so the card looks very costly at first glance, since you “only” get +1 bleed for each blood spent, especially when compared to cards like “Conditioning” or “Eyes of Chaos“. But there are several very distinctive advantages:
   • the card has no requirements other than being an anarch.
   • the card is very versatile. If you do not want to bleed for more than four to avoid an “Archon Investigation“, you can easily adjust the amount of pool damage.
   • the card has a huge threat potential. Your prey has to fear huge damage from each anarch he faces, equal to the amount of blood the anarch has (up to four pool damage).
2. “Twilight Camp” — beside the “Anarch Convert” this is the second most important card in this set to make a vampire an anarch. I also quite like the card not only because it as a defacto hunting ground/short term investment for the anarch later in the game, but also that it has distinctive way of making anarchs when comparing it to “Seattle Committee“.
3. “Hell-For-Leather” — this one is probably not the strongest of the new anarch three-way cards, but IMHO the most interesting one. Each of the effects cannot be achieved at all with the same disciplines (at inferior). The most interesting effect is the “Obtenebration” effect which makes another pay two pool if his minion is not ready and your minion is after a combat. Therefore this provides an effective mechanism for ousting your prey in addition or as an alternative to “Fame” or “Tension in the Ranks“.
4. “Constant Revolution” — if the master card “Smiling Jack” (SJ) has a sibling, it’s the action “Constant Revolution” (CR). Though cards are comparable in terms of effects, they are quite different in other aspects.
   • SJ is a master card, so it can be “Washed” or “Sudden Reversaled“; CR is an action card, so it can be blocked or “DI“ed.
   • SJ requires to move a pool to SJ; to CR you move a counter (from the blood bank).
   • SJ forces other players to burn pool or blood from vampires; CR forces other players to burn pool or discard cards from their hand.

   I don’t regard “Constant Revolution” as substitute of “Smiling Jack“, but rather as a complement/alternative to “Smiling Jack“. Both have their advantages and disadvantages, but none is superior to the other one.

5. “Crypt’s Sons” — this is one looks very strong. Practically when recruiting this retainer, you get two “combat ends” and “action continues” for the cost of one action and a pool. Which is a really good bargain. You can expect “Crypt’s Sons” in many anarch based decks, since they can be used universally (i.e. they have no requirements other than being an anarch).

Top Five Crypt Cards

1. “Anarch Convert” — this card really revolutionizes the way you can play anarch based decks. Instead of packing 6 to 10 library cards to make your vampires anarch (like “Galaric’s Legacy” or “Seattle Commitee” and hoping to draw them early, now you can add 3 to 4 “Anarch Converts” to your crypt and your almost guarantueed to make one of your vampires an anarch very early in the game. The special ability to either gain a pool or draw another card from your crypt makes sure that you do not suffer a significant disadvantage by adding “Anarch Converts” to you crypt. And you can narrow down your crypt choice like some tournament players already do by adding a couple of “Tupdogs“.
2. “Toby” — “Toby’s” special ability, i.e. giving an anarch +1 bleed by burning a blood, is really making up for his lack of disciplines. With his special ability he can be the cornerstone of any anarch bleed deck. In our draft tournament he was frequently drafted and put into decks, and contesting was also seen once or twice. The argument when prey and predator where contesting Toby was given by the prey as: “The contest is cheaper than being bleed by 2 by each of the anarchs“.
3. “Jack Drake” — since he’s the only anarch (next to the “Anarch Convert“) makes “Jack Drake” a likely candidate for the top five list. But not only that fact, but also his +1 strength and of course the ability to allow other vampires to become an anarch when they move to your ready region, makes him the first choice in an anarch based combat deck, e.g. based on “Diversion” and “Hell-for-Leather“. Even if he’s really inferior to “Appolonius“. ;)
4. “Sean Rycek” — also here his ability makes him so valuable. With only inferior “Demenetation” and “Auspex” he’s rather weak 4-capacity vampire. But he can either burn a blood or tap to gain two votes in a referendum. So he’s a valuable low cap vampire in any vote based deck or as vote defense. You can even put both “Sean Rycek” (group 4) and “Michael Luther” (group 3) in the same deck, and built an anarch based vote deck based on these two vampires. You may need some vampires with capacity of 5+ since, Sean and Michael cannot become anarchs without increasing their capacity by at least one first.
5. “Jacob Fermor” — although this “Gangrel” is missing the in-clan discipline “Fortitude“, he’s a most valuable addition to any “Werewolf” based deck. His special ability gives each ready werewolf you control +1 bleed. For examples this would a “Renegade Garou” a bleed of 1, and an “Ananasi Vampirephile” even a bleed of 2 (too bad there’s not much synergy between the “Guruhi” and the “Gangrel“).

Disappointments
But where’s light there’s also darkness (or was it the other way around in the “World of Darkness“). While theresome some subpar cards (e.g. “Shoulder Drop” or “Stealing Years“, there is only one really disappointing card from those cards when shown in the preview or spoiled on the Usenet newsgroup.

• “Power for All” — the card has a powerful effect, canceling any library card when it is played is not too shabby. But the cost (in constructed play) for playing this card is just too high. In the mid- to end game you often do not have two untapped anarchs in play, or you don’t want to tap them since otherwise you’re open to attacks from your predator. In addition the two blood cannot often not be spared by the small- to mid-cap vampires which are often the basis of anarchs decks.

Summary
“Twilight Rebellion” expansion gives the anarch based deck a boost they really needed. Especially the two cards that enable players to make vampires anarch more easily and effectively, should give players an incentive to build anarch based decks and actually win some tournaments. It’s about time!

Results "Twilight Rebellion" Launch Event in Bochum

These are the results of our local Launch Event on June 1st, 2008 for the new VtES expansion “Twilight Rebellion” in Bochum, Germany after 3 rounds (no final round played):

# Name GW VP TP

1. Sebastian K. 1 7 150
2. Ralf L. 1 5,5 162
3. Yuri N. 1 4 102
4. Michael B. 1 3,5 120
5. Didi R. 1 3 102
6. Hardy R. 0 2,5 114
7. Herman J. 0 2 108
8. Thomas K. 0 1 96
9. Jörg E. 0 0 66
10. Debbie N. 0 0 60

Congratulations to Sebastian for winning the tournament (and a laser-etched Edge Marker).
We have been drafting 5 “3rd Edition” + 4 “Twilight Rebellion” boosters. Of course the player who is most fond of the Anarchs won tournament, IMHO since he had drafted the most combat cards of us all. His game winning card was “Hell for Leather” which used many times for making his prey pay two pool after he dunked an opposing vampire.
There we two factions of players, those who played the mix of Anarchs and Sabbat vampires and those choose Sabbat only. The Anarchs decks we largely driven by the many bleed cards the TR expansion offers. But also equipment was heavily favored, especially the “Baseball Bat” and “Anarch Manifesto“. The strongest vampire was definitely “Toby” whose special ability to burn a blood to give an Anarch +1 bleed often proved to be very effective. The Sabbat-only players choose mid- to high-cap vampires with titles and therefore the political route. In the end the Anarch faction prevailed, since the many bleed cards like “Power for One“, “Steely Tenacity” and “Monkey Wrench” had too much ousting power to cope with.

Twilight Rebellion Full Library Spoilers

Here’s the full spoiler list of library cards from the “Twilight Rebellion” expansion: The spanish players also made pictures of all cards and put them into the spanish VtES forum.

#01: Anarch Manifesto, An [TR:C]
Cardtype: Equipment
Equipment.
The anarch with this equipment gets +1 stealth on actions that require an anarch. Titled non-anarch vampires get +1 strength in combat with this minion. A minion may only have one Anarch Manifesto.
[DRAFT]: As above, and a vampire becomes Anarch when he or she equips with this card.
Artist: Heather Kreiter

#02: Anonymous Freight [TR:C]
Cardtype: Action
+3 stealth equip action. Requires a vampire.
Equip this vampire with a non-location equipment card from your hand (requirements and cost apply as normal).
[DRAFT]: As above, but ignore requirements of the equipment.
Artist: Brian LeBlanc

#03: Baseball Bat [TR:C]
Cardtype: Equipment
Cost: 1 pool
Melee weapon. Do not replace until the end of the action.
Strength+1 damage each strike. If the action to equip with Baseball Bat is successful, untap the acting minion at the end of the turn.
Artist: Brian LeBlanc

#04: Blade Clot [TR:R]
Cardtype: Action Modifier/Combat.
Requires an anarch.
Only usable when this anarch diablerizes a vampire with a capacity above 6. Put this card in play with three clot counters. When an anarch you control inflicts hand or melee weapon damage, you may move a clot counter from this card to the opposing minion. A minion with a clot counter goes to torpor or is burned during his or her untap phase. If an older vampire rescues the vampire, burn the clot counter.
Artist: Heather Kreiter

#05: Blood Turnip [TR:R]
Cardtype: Master
Unique master. Requires a ready anarch.
Put this card on any minion. When this minion enters combat, he or she moves this card and 1 blood (or life) to the opposing minion. If the opposing minion is an anarch, that anarch can move this card onto any minion instead (but it must move).
Artist: Tom Biondillo

#06: Chameleon [TR:R]
Cardtype: Action
Cost: X blood
+1 stealth action. Requires a baron.
(D) Take control of a younger vampire with capacity of X who entered play since your last minion phase. That vampire becomes anarch (and independent).
Artist: Jim Parilec

#07: Club Illusion [TR:R]
Cardtype: Master
Cost: 1 pool
Master: unique location.
When any anarch vampire declares a bleed action, he or she can 1 blood to get +1 bleed on that action (only usable once each action).
Artist: Tom Biondillo

#08: Constant Revolution [TR:R]
Cardtype: Action
+1 stealth action. Requires an anarch. Unique.
Put this card in play with 1 counter. During your untap phase, put a counter on this card. During each other Methuselah’s untap phase, he or she must burn X pool and/or cards at random from his or her hand, where X is the number of counters on this card. Any vampire may burn this card as a D-action that costs 1 pool.
Artist: Brian LeBlanc

#09: CrimethInc. [TR:C]
Cardtype: Action Modifier.
Disciplines: Protean/Quietus/Thaumathurgy
Requires an anarch. Play after resolving a successful action that requires an anarch or makes this vampire an anarch.
[pro]: Untap this anarch.
[qui]: Untap another ready anarch.
[tha]: Put this card in play. During your minion phase, you may burn a pool to untap a ready anarch you control.
Artist: John Bridges

#10: Crypt’s Sons [TR:R]
Cardtype: Retainer
Cost: 1 pool
Unique mortal with 3 life. Requires an anarch.
Whenever this anarch is blocked, he or she may burn a life from the Sons to cancel combat and continue this action as if unblocked. The Sons inflict 1R damage each round of combat during normal strike resolution.
Artist: Brian LeBlanc

#11: Detect Authority [TR:C]
Cardtype: Reaction
Disciplines: Animalism/Serperntis/Thaumaturgy
Requires an anarch.
[ani]: Only usable duringa a (D) action directed at this minion or location you control. The action ends (no cost is paid), unless the acting minion burns 2 blood immediately.
[ser]: +1 intercept.
[tha]: Reduce a bleed against you by 2.
Artist: Peter Bergting

#12: Elixir of Distillation [TR:C]
Cardtype: Equipment
Weapon. Requires an anarch.
Ranged strike: burn 1 blood from the opposing vampire and reduce his or capacity by 1 (capacity cannot be reduced below 1). That reduction last until that vampire’s controller uses a master action to tap that vampire. Burn this weapon after use.
Artist: Tom Biondillo

#13: Exclusion Principle [TR:C]
Cardtype: Political Action
Successful referendum means each methuselah gains 1 pool for each ready independent vampire he or she controls.
Artist: Eric Dechamps

#14: Failsafe [TR:R]
Cardtype: Master
Master: unique trifle
Put this card in play. If you have fewer than 3 pool, you may use a master phase action to burn this card and gain 4 pool.
Artist: Tom Biondillo

#15: Final Loosening [TR:R]
Cardtype: Reaction
Disciplines: Auspex/Dementation/Fortitude
Requires an anarch.
[aus]: Play when an action vampire would gain 1 or more blood. The action vampire and this reacting anarch each gain 1 blood instead.
[dem]: Gain 4 votes.
[for]: Only usable when an ally is acting. The action fails and the ally takes 1 damage. Tap this reacting anarch.
Artist: Peter Bergting

#16: Framing, The [TR:R]
Cardtype: Action
Cost: 2 blood
+1 stealth action. Requires an anarch.
(D) Put this card on the acting anarch and choose a ready minion. If the anarch with this card is blocked, this card is burned. The blocking minion enters combat with the chosen minion instead of this anarch (or the action ends with no combat of that combat cannot occur).
Artist: Brian LeBlanc

#17: Garibaldi-Meucci Museum [TR:R]
Cardtype: Master
Master: unique location
Tap and burn 1 pool during your untap phase to exchange a card in your ash heap that requires an anarch for a card from your hand. Tap before range is determined to end combat between an anarch you control and another anarch.
[DRAFT]: As above, and you may tap this card to make a vampire you control an anarch.
Artist: Brian LeBlanc

#18: Grey Thorne [TR:R]
Cardtype: Ally
Cost: 2 blood
Unique ghoul with 2 life. 1 strength, 1 bleed. Requires an anarch.
Grey may play cards that require Celerity or Potence as an anarch vampire. During your untap phase, if grey has only 1 life, any ready anarch may burn a blood to add 1 life to him.
Artist: Matt Dixon

#19: Haven Hunting [TR:C]
Cardtype: Action
+1 stealth action. Requires an anarch.
Put this card in play. At the end of a combat involving an anarch you control, if both combatants are still ready, you may burn this card to have the two combatants begin another combat.
[DRAFT]: (D) Enter combat with a ready minion.
Artist: Matt Dixon

#20: Hell-for-Leather [TR:C]
Cardtype: Combat
Discipline: Animalism/Celerity/Obtenebration
Requires an Anarch. Only one Hell-for-Leather may be played at a given Discipline each combat.
[ani]: Strike: dodge, with and additional strike.
[cel]: Additional strike (that doesn’t count against the limit).
[obt]: Play if this anarch is ready and the opposing minion is not. The opposing minion’s controller burns 2 pool.
Artist: Peter Bergting

#21: Keystone Kine [TR:C]
Cardtype: Action
Disciplines: Celerity/Necromancy/Obfuscate
Requires an anarch.
[cel] and/or [nec] and/or [obf] (D) Bleed. If using [cel], he or she gains one blood. If using [nec] the bleed is +1 bleed. If using [obf], you many burn an ally controleld by your prey whose cost is not greater than the bleed amount.
Artist: Peter Bergting

#22: Lam Into [TR:C]
Cardtype: Combat
Disciplines: Fortitude/Potence/Vicissitude
Requires an anarch. Do not replace until after combat. Strike: hand strike or use a melee weapon strike..
[for]: This strike is at +1 damage with an optional maneuver.
[pot]: This strike is at +2 damage.
[vic]: This strike is at +1 damage, with an optional press. If another round of combat occurs, range is automatically close.
Artist: Brian LeBlanc

#23: Libertas [TR:C]
Cardtype: Master
Cost: 1 pool.
Master.
Requires an anarch. Put this card on an anarch. Allies cannot block this anarch. Cards that require [dom] or [pre] cost other minions an additional blood while this anarch is acting, attempting to block, or in combat.
Artist: Andrew Trabbold

#24: Monkey Wrench [TR:C]
Cardtype: Action Modifier.
Cost: X blood.
Requires an anarch.
+X bleed. X must be 1, 2 or 3. You cannot play another action modifier to increase this bleed amount.
Artist: Brian LeBlanc

#25: No Confidence [TR:C]
Cardtype: Action Modifier
Play after resolving a successful action that requires an anarch.
Put this card on a titled non-anarch vampire controlled by the target of the action (or by your prey or predator if the action is undirected). A vampire with two No Confidence loses the benefit of his or her title. Burn this card if this acting vampire leaves the ready region.
Artist: Brian LeBlanc

#26: Open War [TR:R]
Cardtype: Action
+1 stealth action. Requires a baron.
Put this card in play. Anarch vampires can enter combat with any minion as a (D) action. They can burn a location as a (D) action that costs 2 pool. Any Methuselah may use a master phase action to move 1 counter from his or her pool to this card. When this card has 4 pool, burn it and gain 4 pool. Only one Open War may be played in a game.
Artist: John Bridges

#27: Patsy [TR:R]
Cardtype: Political Action
Requires a baron. Only usable if you control the Edge.
Choose a titled non-anarch vampire. Successful referendum means that you burn the edge to remove that vampire’s title and burn 2 pool from his or her controller.
[DRAFT]: Requires any vampire (and the Edge). Sucessful referendum means your prey burns 3 pool.
Artist: Eric Dechamps

#28: Piper [TR:R]
Cardtype: Master
Master. Requires a ready anarch.
A ready untapped anarch you control employs or recruits a retainer or ally from your hand (requirements and cost apply as normal). This is not an action and cannot be blocked. Tap that anarch.
Artist: Andrew Trabbold

#29: Poacher’s Hunting Ground [TR:R]
Cardtype: Master
Master. Location. Hunting Ground. Derivative.
During your untap phase, choose up to X ready anarchs you control who each gain 1 blood, where X is the number of non-derivative hunting grounds controlled by other Methuselahs. A vampire can gain blood from only one hunting ground card each turn.
Artist: Leif Jones

#30: Power of All [TR:C]
Cardtype: Reaction
Cost: 2 blood.
Requires a ready anarch.
Tap this anarch and one other untapped ready anarch you control to cancel a library card as it is played. Usable even if there is no action.
Not usable during your own turn.
[Draft]: As above, but you do not tap another anarch.
Artist: Eric Deschamps

#31: Power of One [TR:C]
Cardtype: Action Modifier
Cost: 1 blood
Disciplines: Obtenebration/Potence/Presence
Requires an anarch.
[obt]: Only usuable when an action is blocked. The blocking minion burns 2 blood or 2 life (before combat if any).
[pot]: +1 bleed.
[pre]: +1 bleed, or +1 bleed and +1 stealth. You cannot play another action modifier to increase this bleed amount.
Artist: Jim Parilec

#32: Revolutionary Council [TR:C]
Cardtype: Political Action
Requires a baron.
Choose X, then choose X ready untapped anarchs you control and allocate 2X points among one or more Methuselahs, locations and equipment. Successful referendum means each chosen anarch is tapped, each Methuselah burns one pool for each point assigned, and each location or equipment assigned a point is burned.
Artist: Brian LeBlanc

#33: Shattering [TR:R]
Cardtype: Action
Cost: 1 blood.
Discipline: Chimerstry/Dementation/Protean
Requires an Anarch.
[chi]: +1 stealth action. Look at another Methuselah’s hand and discard a card from it.
[dem]: +2 stealth action. Burn an event (undirected, no matter who controls the event).
[pro]: (D) Inflict 2 unpreventable damage on a ready minion.
Artist: Becky Jollenstein

#34: Shoulder Drop [TR:C]
Cardtype: Combat
Grapple.
Play when you sucessfully inflict damage from a hand strike. After strike resolution, if this minion is still readym the opposing minion take 1 additional damage. The opposing minion cannot press this round. A minion play only one Shoulder Drop each strike.
Artist: Efrem Palacios

#35: Smear Campaign [TR:R]
Cardtype: Master
Cost: 1 pool
Unique Master. Requires a ready anarch.
Put this card in play. Tap during your untap phase and choose a tapped non-anarch minion controlled by your predator or prey to burn a card on that minion. Cannot be used to burn an equipment or a retainer. That minion’s controller then takes control of this card.
Artist: Leif Jones

#36: Stealing Years [TR:R]
Cardtype: Action
+1 stealth action. Requires an anarch.
(D) Diablerize an older vampire in torpor and put this card on the acting anarch. Capacity increases by 1. In the resulting blood hunt referendum, each anarch gets an additional vote.
+1 capacity.
Artist: Becky Jollenstein

#37: Steely Tenacity [TR:C]
Cardtype: Action/Combat
Cost: 1 blood
Disciplines: Animalism/Dominate/Quietus
Requires an anarch. Do not replace until the end of this action. When you would replace this card, you make take this card from your ash heap instead.
[ani]: Strike: hand strike or use a melee weapon strike. This strike is at +1 damage, with an optional press.
[dom]: (D) Bleed at +1 bleed.
[qui]: +1 stealth action. (D) Enter combat with a ready minion.
Artist: Peter Bergting

#38: Twilight Camp [TR:R]
Cardtype: Master
Master.
Put this card in play with 4 counters. When you put a non-titled, non-anarch vampire in play from your uncontrolled region, you may burn counter a counter from this card to make that vampire anarch (and Independent). You may burn a counter from this card to add a blood to an anarch as a master phase action. Burn this card when it has no counters.
Artist: Leif Jones

#39: World’s a Canvas, The [TR:R]
Cardtype: Action
Cost: 2 blood
Disciplines: Dominate/Obfuscate/Vicissitude
Reqires an anarch
[dom]: (D) Burn half the counters in an uncontrolled minion in your prey’s uncontrolled region (round down).
[obf]: +1 stealth action. (D) Burn a location.
[vic]: (D) Burn 4 blood from a ready, titled, non-anarch vampire.
Artist: Brian LeBlanc

#40: Zip Line [TR:C]
Cardtype: Action
+2 stealth action.
Put this card on the acting minion. This minion may burn this card to get +1 stealth.
Artist: Brian LeBlanc

More Twilight Rebellion Artwork

On Ken Meyer Jr.’s website you can see the portraits of a couple of vampires from the “Twilight Rebellion” expansion:

• Calvin Cleaver
• Toby
• Preston Varrick
• Topaz
• Louis Fortier
• Jacob Fermor

Twilight Rebellion Full Crypt Spoilers

Here’s the full (o.k., the artists are missing) spoiler list of crypt cards from the “Twilight Rebellion” expansion.

#01: Clifton Derrik [TR:V]
Clan: Brujah
Group: 4
Capacity: 2
Discipline: cel
Camarilla.

#02: Jack Drake [TR:V]
Cardtype: Vampire
Clan: Brujah
Group: 4
Capacity: 8
Discipline: pre tha CEL POT
Independent. Anarch. When you put a younger vampire in play from your uncontrolled region, that vampire may burn a blood to become anarch. +1 Strength.
Artist: Leif Jones

#03: Marguerite Foccart [TR:V]
Clan: Brujah
Group: 4
Capacity: 6
Discipline: aus pot PRE CEL
Camarilla. Marguerite gets +1 intercept vs. political actions.

#04: Anarch Convert [TR:V]
Clan: Caitiff
Group: any
Capacity: 1
Discipline: –
Independent. Anarch. When the convert enters play, you may remove him from the game to make a non-titled vampire you control anarch and either gain 1 pool or draw a card from your crypt.

#05: Andy [TR:V]
Clan: Caitiff
Group: 4
Capacity: 1
Discipline: for
Camarilla. An older vampire opposing Andy gets one optional press each combat.

#06: Dirk [TR:V]
Clan: Caitiff
Group: 4
Capacity: 1
Discipline: pre
Camarilla. Titled vampires get +1 intercept when attempting to block Dirk.

#07: Calvin Cleaver [TR:V]
Clan: Gangrel
Group: 4
Capacity: 3
Discipline: for pro
Camarilla. Calvin may add a blood to an anarch as a +1 stealth action. Once each turn, an anarch may add a blood to Calvin as a +1 stealth action.

#08: Jacob Fermor [TR:V]
Clan: Gangrel
Group: 4
Capacity: 5
Discipline: ani tha PRO
Independent. While Jacob is ready werewolves you control get +1 bleed. Jacob gets an optinal press each combat.

#09: T.J. [TR:V]
Clan: Gangrel
Group: 4
Capacity: 3
Discipline: cel for
Independent. T.J. may tap and burn 2 blood to cancel a referendum called by a titled Camarilla vampire.

#10: Antoine, The Lost [TR:V]
Clan: Malkavian
Group: 4
Capacity: 5
Discipline: aus cel dem OBF
Camarilla.

#11: Sean Rycek [TR:V]
Clan: Malkavian
Group: 4
Capacity: 4
Discipline: aus dem
Camarilla. Once each referendum Sean may tap or burn a blood to gain 2 votes. He may burn a boon as a +1 stealth (D) action.

#12: Toby [TR:V]
Clan: Nosferatu
Group: 4
Capacity: 5
Discipline: ani obf pre
Camarilla. Once each action, Toby can burn a blood to give an acting anarch +1 bleed.

#13: Topaz [TR:V]
Clan: Nosferatu
Group: 4
Capacity: 7
Discipline: ani for qui OBF POT
Camarilla. When Topaz successfully equips from your hand, you may look at your prey`s hand, and Topaz may take an equipment from it instead (discard the original equipment card).

#14: Laecanus [TR:V]
Clan: Toreador
Group: 4
Capacity: 5
Discipline: obt pre CEL
Camarilla. Once each combat, Laecanus may press to end combat. He is immune to frenzy cards.

#15: Lin Jun [TR:V]
Clan: Toreador
Group: 4
Capacity: 4
Discipline: aus cel pre tha
Camarilla. If Jun is in torpor, vampires with Thaumaturgy controlled by your predator get +1 bleed.

#16: Preston Varrick [TR:V]
Clan: Tremere
Group: 4
Capacity: 7
Discipline: aus nec DOM OBF THA
Camarilla. Preston gets +1 bleed when bleeding a Methuselah who controls a ready ally.

#17: Tarautas [TR:V]
Clan: Tremere
Group: 4
Capacity: 4
Discipline: aus nec tha
Camarilla. While Tarautas is ready, Blood Doll and Minion Tap cards cost an additional pool.

#18: Juniper [TR:V]
Clan: Ventrue
Group: 4
Capacity: 6
Discipline: ani dom pre FOR
Camarilla. Juniper may steal an ally controlled by your predator or prey as a +1 stealth (D) action.

#19: Louis Fortier [TR:V]
Clan: Ventrue
Group: 4
Capacity: 5
Discipline: aus dom for obf pre
Camarilla.

#20: Reverend Adams (ADV) [TR:V]
Clan: Ventrue
Group: 4
Capacity: 4
Discipline: aus PRE
Camarilla. During your master phase, you may look at the top X cards of your libary, where X is the number of Gehenna cards in play. Older vampires do not tap for successfully blocking Adams.

Preview for "Twilight Rebellion" starts (and ends)

Finally the preview for the next VtES expansion “Twilight Rebellion” has begun and ended it immediately thereafter. White Wolf has opened the preview page today. And for the first time the preview ended the day it started, since all of the previewed (only three) cards have been revealed at the same time. The three previewed cards are the library cards “Hell-for-Leather” and “Power for all” and the Brujah “Jack Drake“. But see for yourself:

“Hell-for-Leather” is a very good card, since all of the effects are not available at the inferior levels for these disciplines (without being an “Anarch“). Especially the “Animalism” and the “Obtenebration” effects caught my eye, since both of them are quite potent. I think the “Obtenebration” will immediately spawn a new deck archetype, since with this card alone you can oust your prey quickly.

“Jack Drake” is the first “Anarch” vampire. So yeah for Jack! His special is also quite helpful when building a “Anarch” deck, since you can easily reduce or eliminate cards for becoming an “Anarch” from your library, if you include multiple copies of Jack into your crypt. “So “Jack Drake” will be a regular addition to all kinds of “Anarch” decks in the future. Also interesting from the same point of view will be crypt card named “Anarch Convert” which may offer a similar effect as Cadet for the “Black Hand” does.

“Power for All” seems to be very powerful at first glance, and in a draft game the effect certainly is, but in regular games the requirement of having two untapped Anarchs and the cost of two blood is too costly. So I doubt we’ll this card very often in constructed games.

Also the complete card list of expansion with rarities (albeit without the cardtexts) has been published. The crypt cards consists of vampires based on the (old) seven Camarilla clans plus Caitiff. So there are 3 Caitiff, 3 Brujah, 3 Gangrel, 2 Malkavian, 2 Nosferatu, 2 Toreador, 2 Tremere and 3 Ventrue in total.

"Twilight Rebellion": First Glimpse

The “White Wolf” eQuarterly for Q2/2008 features an article by LSJ about the forthcoming VtES expansion “Twilight Rebellion” including the first glimpse of three cards featured in this expansion. You can download the eQuarterly directly from the “White Wolf” website. Highlights of the article:

• Better three-way cards for Anarchs.
• No (or very few) vampires with the “Anarch” trait.
• New crypt card mechanism.

And these are the four cards which are pictured in the article:

Failsafe
Type: Master: unique trifle
Put this card in play. If you have fewer than 3 pool, you may use a master phase action to burn this card and gain 4 pool.

Piper
Type: Master
Requires a ready anarch.
A ready untapped anarch you control employs or recruits a retainer or ally from your hand (requitments and cost apply as normal). This is not an action and cannot be blocked. Tap that anarch.

Twilight Camp
Type: Master
Put this card in play with 4 counters. When you put a non-titled, non-anarch vampire in play from your uncontrolled region, you may burn counter a counter from this card to make that vampire anarch (and Independent). You may burn a counter from this card to add a blood to an anarch as a master phase action. Burn this card when it has no counters.

Shattering
Type: Action
Cost: 1 blood.
Requires an anarch.
[chi]: +1 stealth action. Look at another Methuselah’s hand and discard a card from it.
[dem]: +2 stealth action. Burn an event (undirected, no matter who controls the event).
[pro]: (D) Inflict 2 unpreventable damage on a ready minion.

White Wolf Quarterly April to July 2008

The new “White Wolf” eQuarterly for April to July 2008 has been released. It contains a 1-page interview with Peter Bergting, who is the artist of several VtES cards like “Monster“, “Last Stand” “Saulot, The Wanderer“. The eQuarterly also contains a one-page article by LSJ with more details of the upcoming VtES expansion “Twilight Rebellion” expansion. You can download the new WW Quarterly from White Wolf’s website.

"Twilight Rebellion" Launch Event

On the White Wolf website you can find more information about the Twilight Rebellion launch events that take place during the weekend after the “Twilight Rebellion” mini-expansion is released, that is on May 28th, 2008.

Basically the launch event is a booster draft tournament, where “White Wolf” proposes to use the “Twilight Rebellion” and “3rd Edition” boosters from the “Twilight Rebellion” launch kit. The organizers of the tournament are then encouraged to send feedback of the tournaments back to “White Wolf“, which is compiled into a news story about the launch events afterwards.

Also the contents of the launch kit have been detailed further; the kit contains:

• 2 booster displays of VTES Twilight Rebellion
• 2 booster displays of VTES 3rd Edition
• 12 Nergal (Advanced) promo cards
• 1 laser-etched Edge Marker from Dragonfire Lasercrafts

I expect the official previews of “Twilight Rebellion” cards on the “White Wolf” to start during the mid of May.

Release Dates for the next VtES Expansions

There has been some minor adjustments to the release dates of the next two VtES expansions “Blood Shadowed Court” and “Twilight Rebellion”

The collectors set “Blood Shadowed Court“, containing the 100 group 3 vampires of the “Camarilla Edition“, is now scheduled for April 16th, 2008. The new Anarch mini-expansion “Twilight Rebellion” is released on May 28th, 2008.

White Wolf Quarterly Winter 2007/2008

The new White Wolf Quarterly for winter 2007/2008 has been released. It contains a 2-page- interview with the new VtES Storyline Event Coordinator, Ben Swainbank, where he talks about the past and future of the Storyline Events, and his background as a VtES player. In addition there are three pictures taken from the next (mini-) expansion “Twilight Rebellion“, but no information about the cards or the contents of the new expansion.
You can download the new WW Quarterly from White Wolf’s website. But be aware, that the PDF is about 24 MByte large.

"Twilight Rebellion" Artwork Preview

On Lawrence Snelly’s Blog you can find the artwork for four of the vampires that come with the next VtES expansion “Twilight Rebellion“. Lawrence took the pictures from some the attendants of the NAC2007 in Los Angeles, and these vampire portraits are the results of it. Great idea, great pictures …

Also Heather Kreiter has put her artwork for “An Anarch Manifesto” and “Blade Clot” on her website.

"Twilight Rebellion" (Update)

The launch kit for the upcoming VtES expansion “Twilight Rebellion” will contain the following for a limited draft tournament:

• 2 booster displays of “Twilight Rebellion“
• 2 booster displays of “3rd Edition“

In addition 16 promo cards come with the kit. The release date is according to the White Wolf (still) set to May 31st, 2008.

"Twilight Rebellion"

“Nothing is safe!

The Anarchs seek to disrupt the resurgence of the Sabbat and Independents. It’s all on the line and the Anarchs have nothing to lose.”

The next VtES expansion is named “Twilight Rebellion” and is a mini-expansion featuring 60 new cards. As usual for the mini-expansions, there are just booster packs, but no starters. On the other hand this means that there are no reprints in this set, only shiny new cards, most likely 20 commons, 20 vampires and 20 rares. The set is scheduled for May 31st, 2008.

The set’s theme is the Anarch movement within the vampiric society, and continues the support for the Anarchs, that started with the expansion with the same name in 2003.

Mr. Peal’s Beast Within

This seems to be the first glimpse of one of the upcoming VtES expansions this year. White Wolf‘s release schedule for in 2008 for VtES looks roughly like this:

• April 2008: “Blood Shadowed Court” — 100 card collector’s set of Camarilla Edition vampires (reprints).
• May 2008: “Twilight Rebellion” — 60(?) card mini-expansion (boosters only) featuring the Anarchs(?).
• Q3/Q4 2004: (Camarilla set) — full expansion with new Camarilla G4/G5 vampires.

Most of this is currently very vague information based on information from White Wolf’s Live Journal, internet card shops, etc. and of course a heavy dose of speculation!

And yes, that’s Ben Peal as a vampire pictured by Lawrence Snelly … my guess: Ben is the first real Anarch vampire!!!