{% extends "archetypes/_layout.html" %} {% import "archetypes/_layout-erratum.html" as erratum with context %} {% import "archetypes/archive/infernal-princes.json" as deck_json %} {% block meta %} {% endblock %} {% block archetype_name %}
This is a vote deck using {{ arishat }} as a star, and Princes and Barons with {{ obf }} for stealthy votes.
The game plan is to invest massively in titled vampires, getting them out fast with an early {{ information_highway }} and recouping pool from the opponents with constant {{ parity_shift }} and some {{ voter_captivation }}. The Barons offer massive damage thanks to {{ reckless_agitation }}. {{ obf }} provides stealth and {{ pre }} combat defense and vote push.
The deck is small and dense and includes an {{ ashur_tablets }} for recursion: as the game progresses, it can adapt the proportion of {{ parity_shift }} to the situation and forgo {{ reckless_agitation }} before entering the endgame duel (since {{ reckless_agitation }} requires at least 2 opponents to be played).
{{ the_parthenon }} and {{ rumors_of_gehenna }} offer welcome additional master phase actions to get full benefits from {{ ashur_tablets }} and {{ dreams_of_the_sphinx }} for recursion and cycling.
The decks makes heavy use of {{ forgotten_labyrinth }} as the main stealth modifier: it costs blood but it easily gets above a {{ second_tradition_domain }} and votes are undirected so some very widespread intercept reactions like {{ eyes_of_argus }} or {{ deep_ecology }} won't help the opponents. 3 stealth undirected is hard to block. That said, now that {{ protection_racket }} and {{ organized_resistance }} appear more an more (especially now that {{ gangrel_barons }} are a thing), newer variants of the deck tend to include more stealth modifiers on top of it. But it's a delicate balance if one wants to avoid jamming the hand.
{{ arishat }} is a great vampire here but not a necessity. She can bring 3 to 5 votes worth with her ability by disabling an opponent's titled vampire, but she's also the only who can play {{ unleash_hells_fury }}, a great card for defense.
A couple of {{ second_tradition_domain }} offer tactical intercept that can come in handy to surprisingly block a key action from an opponents, while using {{ majesty }} to avoid combat. It adds a bit of flexibility to an otherwise very forceful forward deck.
Pool management is a bit tricky: the plan is to be consistently lower in pool than the opponents to be able to pump it back up with {{ parity_shift }}, only to invest it again in more titled vampires. This is a risky cycle that requires a keen evaluation of the predator's {{ lunge }} power to actually work.
The deck presented here is the original list played by Emilio and devised by Bram, it was built before the {{ v5_anarch_preconstructed_decks }} were published, so the crypt can be tinkered with by adding for example {{ elisha_tucker }} or {{ warmaksan }}. Many variants include a few more cards, mostly more {{ obf }} stealth, {{ majesty }} or {{ unleash_hells_fury }} to adapt to different meta. See for example {{ leonardo_villelas_deck }}, winning the 2022 SAC.
In a sense, the {{ infernal_barons }} archetype can be considered a variation on the theme. The strategy is a bit different since it does not use {{ parity_shift }} of course, but getting access to the Barons {{ bait_and_switch }} makes for a completely different, but also very effective, defense module.
{% endtrans %} {% endblock %}