{% extends "layout.html" %} {% block content %}

{{ _('Bloat') }}

{% trans trimmed %} Pool is the core resource of the game. The more the better: more pool means more life and more minions. All efficient decks have at least a basic bloat module: a group of cards designed to get pool back. Getting blood on uncontrolled vampires amounts to bloating, as the blood can easily be taken back using a few transfers. {% endtrans %}

{{ _('Leeching') }}

{% trans trimmed %} Getting pool back by taking blood from one’s minions — commonly known as leeching — is the most widespread way to bloat. This technique makes use of the following Master cards: {% endtrans %}

{% trans trimmed villein=card("Villein"), vessel=card("Vessel") %} It does take some Master cards slots out in a deck, and it leaves your minions somewhat weakened. Still, a vampire may act and use all its disciplines even with only 1 blood left. The two trifles, {{ villein }} and {{ vessel }}, are appealing as they do not use up a Master card slot, but they are a bit less efficient thant their plain counterparts. {% endtrans %}

{{ _('Villein errata') }}

{% trans trimmed villein=card("Villein"), minion_tap=card("Minion Tap") %} {{ villein }} has seen its card text change in June 2018: it now has an upper limit of 5 blood, which was not the case before. Be careful when reading an older deck list, as it may use {{ villein }} where {{ minion_tap }} would be a better fit nowadays. {% endtrans %}

{% trans trimmed hunting_grounds=card("Academic Hunting Ground", "Hunting Grounds") %} Decks that use this technique may improve it by including some cards to regenerate their vampires blood, as it has effectively become a source of pool. {{ hunting_grounds }} can be used – there is one for almost each clan, plus more generic hunting grounds or cards that have a similar effect: {% endtrans %}

{% trans trimmed %} Finally, a handful of cards can augment the blood amount vampires get from hunting, which is another way to regenerate their blood: {% endtrans %}

{{ _('Master bloating') }}

{% trans trimmed %} Another alternative is to let the minions use their blood as they see fit and focus on generating pool directly using Master cards. A few cards allow this: {% endtrans %}

{{ _('Clan masters') }}

{{ _('5 clans give access to a unique location generating pool:') }}

{% trans trimmed momentums_edge=card("Momentum's Edge"), gambit_accepted=card("Gambit Accepted"), golconda_inner_peace=card("Golconda: Inner Peace"), khobar_towers_al_khubar=card("Khobar Towers, Al-Khubar"), redeem_the_lost_soul=card("Redeem the Lost Soul"), govern_the_unaligned=card("Govern the Unaligned"), enchant_kindred=card("Enchant Kindred"), scouting_mission=card("Scouting Mission"), legal_manipulations=card("Legal Manipulations"), social_charm=card("Social Charm"), kindred_spirits=card("Kindred Spirits"), art_scam=card("Art Scam"), reunion_kamut=card("Reunion Kamut"), founders_of_the_ebony_kingdom=card("Founders of the Ebony Kingdom"), khabar_glory=card("Khabar: Glory") %}

Fast decks can rely on the fact they should score their first Victory Point early and use {{ momentums_edge }} and {{ gambit_accepted }}.

Finally, those ready to pay the price can even sacrifice some vampires to get some pool back with {{ golconda_inner_peace }}, {{ khobar_towers_al_khubar }} {{ follower_of_set }} or {{ redeem_the_lost_soul }}.

Action bloating

The last alternative is to use actions directly to bloat. This is excellent if the action has a powerful alternative, like the infamous {{ DOM }} {{ govern_the_unaligned }} or {{ PRE }} {{ enchant_kindred }} and {{ scouting_mission }}, or if the bloat is a side-effect of a useful action, like {{ PRE }} {{ legal_manipulations }} and {{ social_charm }}, or {{ DEM }} {{ kindred_spirits }}.

Actions getting blood on uncontrolled vampires with no alternative are less efficient. They can still come in handy when used in swarm constructs to get many vampiers out quickly, as is the case for Toreador antitribu {{ toreador_antitribu }} {{ art_scam }} and Black Hand {{ reunion_kamut }}, but otherwise they are only used sparsingly. Guruhi {{ guruhi }} {{ founders_of_the_ebony_kingdom }} and Assamite {{ assamite }} {{ khabar_glory }} deserve a special motion, as they are unusually high on blood gain.

{% endtrans %}

{{ _('Vote bloating') }}

{% trans trimmed %} Most standard actions only generate bloats between 1 and 3 points. Some political actions, however, can produce higher bloats if they get through. They are so efficient, virtually every political oriented deck include some of them: {% endtrans %}

{# TRANSLATORS: not tokens, strategies against bloat #}{{ _('Counters') }}

{% trans trimmed sudden_reversal=card("Sudden Reversal"), wash=card("Wash"), bleeding_the_vine=card("Bleeding the Vine"), minion_tap=card("Minion Tap"), liquidation=card("Liquidation"), delaying_tactics=card("Delaying Tactics") %} Most bloat modules are focused on Master cards. This entails that countering those masters with {{ sudden_reversal }}, {{ wash }} or {{ bleeding_the_vine }} is a valid offensive strategy. Technically, they amount to an indirect bleed: preventing one's prey to get three pools from {{ minion_tap }} or {{ liquidation }} is equivalent to removing three pools from her using a bleed. The same logic applies to stopping pool generating political actions with {{ delaying_tactics }}. {% endtrans %}

{% endblock %}