{% extends "archetypes/_layout.html" %} {% import "archetypes/_layout-erratum.html" as erratum with context %} {% import "archetypes/neonate/aching-beauty.json" as deck_json %} {% block meta %} {% endblock %} {% block archetype_name %}

{{ toreador }} Aching Beauty

{% endblock %} {% block archetype %} {% trans trimmed aching_beauty=card("Aching Beauty"), aire_of_elation=card("Aire of Elation"), alexandra=card("Alexandra"), anne_marie=card("Anne-Marie Bourgeois, Inconnu Recruiter", "Anne-Marie Bourgeois"), anneke=card("Anneke"), anson=card("Anson"), archon_investigation=card("Archon Investigation"), change_of_target=card("Change of Target"), charismatic_aura=card("Charismatic Aura"), crocodiles_tongue=card("Crocodiles Tongue"), enchant_kindred=card("Enchant Kindred"), forced_march=card("Forced March"), freak_drive=card("Freak Drive"), judgement_camarilla_segregation=card("Judgment: Camarilla Segregation"), leumeah=card("Leumeah"), majesty=card("Majesty"), mind_numb=card("Mind Numb"), minion_tap=card("Minion Tap"), papillon=card("Papillon"), parity_shift=card("Parity Shift"), scalpel_tongue=card("Scalpel Tongue"), secure_haven=card("Secure Haven"), torrent=card("Torrent"), villein=card("Villein"), voter_captivation=card("Voter Captivation"), bloat=link("/strategy/bloat", _("bloat")), metagame=link("/strategy/articles/advanced/the-game-of-the-game", _("metagame")), fb_toreador=external("https://www.blackchantry.com/products/current-products/first-blood-toreador/", _("First Blood: Toreador")), v5_toreador=external("https://www.blackchantry.com/products/legacy/vampire-the-eternal-struggle-fifth-edition/fifth-edition-toreador/", _("V5 Toreador")), nb_toreador=external("https://www.blackchantry.com/products/legacy/vampire-the-eternal-struggle-fifth-edition/new-blood-toreador/", _("New Blood: Toreador")), v5_ventrue=external("https://www.blackchantry.com/products/legacy/vampire-the-eternal-struggle-fifth-edition/fifth-edition-ventrue/", _("V5 Ventrue")), anniversary=external("https://www.blackchantry.com/products/legacy/preconstructed-decks/product-25th-anniversary/", _("25th Anniversary")), nb_ventrue=external("https://www.blackchantry.com/products/legacy/vampire-the-eternal-struggle-fifth-edition/new-blood-ventrue/", _("New Blood: Ventrue")), anthology=external("https://www.blackchantry.com/products/legacy/bundles/product-anthology-1/", _("Anthology 1")), keepers_of_tradition_2=external("https://www.blackchantry.com/product-keepers-of-tradition-reprint-bundle-2/", _("Keepers of Tradition 2")), aching_beauty_deck=external("https://vdb.im/decks?id=2k7ecday2", _("Aching Beauty deck")), laszlo_walter_s_deck=external("https://vdb.im/decks?id=2012ecsod", _("László Walter's deck")) %}

Highlights

This is a multi-action vote & bleed deck using {{ aching_beauty }}. The idea is to do multiple actions, baiting the opponents to block, only to have them pay pool for {{ aching_beauty }} and avoid combat with {{ change_of_target }} or {{ majesty }}.

The new Toreador {{ toreador }} have an interesting widespread access to Fortitude {{ for }}, and that let them play unlock modifiers like {{ forced_march }} and {{ freak_drive }}. This is interesting in an {{ aching_beauty }} deck, because it makes the opponents conendrum even more tricky: do they block and pay for {{ aching_beauty }}, maybe for nothing if {{ majesty }} is used to unlock, or do they let it through, letting the action having its effect but, even then, there's a chance for unlock because of these modifiers.

The whole point of the deck is to confuse the opponents as much as possible. Because of {{ aching_beauty }} and its support cards {{ majesty }} and {{ change_of_target }}, a blocked action might be as good as a successful action, and sometimes even better. But as the deck also plays a lot of other modifiers, the goal is to make it near impossible for the opponents to discernate what's worth blocking and what's not.

Low bleeds, if unblocked, can be improved with {{ aire_of_elation }}. An innocuous action like a superior {{ enchant_kindred }} might end up being just free blood because of a subsequent {{ forced_march }}. A seemingly non-passing vote can benefit from modifiers to finally get through.

The cost of playing {{ aching_beauty }} needs to be recouped and the deck includes excellent {{ bloat }} devices: the highest capacity vampire should be influenced first, to play superior {{ enchant_kindred }}. Then, after paying for an {{ aching_beauty }} or two, using {{ parity_shift }} on the prey should be possible to get some pool back. {{ villein }} and {{ voter_captivation }} should also be used to generate pool as much as possible, but one needs to be precise with the amounts there to avoid having too much pool to play {{ parity_shift }}.

Tweaks and variants

This is a tournament winning decklist, where we just substituted one {{ archon_investigation}} for an additional {{ scalpel_tongue }}. Do not hesitate to switch back if you have the card.

Aching Beauty is a long-time standing archetype in the game. Ferenc Vasadi won the 2007 EC with an {{ aching_beauty_deck }}. More modern versions tend to favor {{ villein }} over {{ minion_tap }} and the typical AAA vampires {{ alexandra }}, {{ anneke }} and {{ anson }} in crypt like in {{ laszlo_walter_s_deck }}.

The V5 Toreador and their access to Fortitude {{ for }} open a new field for this archetype: their ability to multi-act makes {{ aching_beauty }} more of a threat, since not blocking becomes less attractive. As one can see in the variants, proportions can be altered to include more {{ majesty }} and {{ aching_beauty }}. {{ crocodiles_tongue }} is a common inclusion, but debatable because of the lower capacity of the V5 crypt. Finally, multiple cards can be considered, like {{ papillon }}, {{ secure_haven }}, {{ charismatic_aura }} or {{ judgement_camarilla_segregation }}. There is room to adapt to the {{ metagame }}.

What to buy

You will need two {{ fb_toreador }} for the {{ aching_beauty }}, both {{ v5_toreador }} and {{ nb_toreador }} for most of the cards, alongside a {{ v5_ventrue }}. Then you will have to ask your local prince for {{ leumeah }} as it is a promo card (or wait for the reprint, or replace her with one of the Toreador princes). {{ anniversary }} and {{ nb_ventrue }} will provide the {{ forced_march }} and {{ mind_numb }}. You will miss a couple of cards you can trade (the additional {{ forced_march }}), replace or get from {{ anthology }} ({{ anne_marie }}) and {{ keepers_of_tradition_2 }} ({{ torrent }}).

{% endtrans %} {% endblock %}