Why not both? Punching and politics with Lasombra

I'm still not entirely sure which archetype I love the most. On some nights, I'm all about political decks: making grand speeches, pulling strings, passing laws that somehow only hurt everyone else and generally acting like the aristocrat at the table who absolutely deserves to win. I've played political decks with Ventrue and Toreador and I enjoy both. If Ventrue had something like Grand Ball, I'd probably never look back. Sadly, without a reliable way to crank up stealth, my blue bloods tend to get stopped at the door, asked for credentials and politely punched into torpor.

Then there are rush decks, which I also enjoy for entirely different reasons. There's something deeply satisfying about pointing at another vampire and saying, "You. Outside. Now." Rush decks go toe to toe with the table, beating vampires down until they're out of blood. My problem with them is practical: once you've removed all your prey's blockers, you often just… stand there. Menacingly. Punching people is fun, but it doesn't automatically win games. At some point, someone still needs to bleed.

That's when the pieces finally aligned. A clan that rules the table not just with words but with bruises.
Lasombra stepped out of the shadows. 

Before getting into mechanics, let's talk theme. Lasombra are cool in that "corporate takeover at midnight" kind of way. They don't just rule from thrones, they rule from boardrooms, shadows and places you didn't even realize were important. If Ventrue are the CEOs giving interviews, Lasombra are the ones quietly buying the company while you're still reading the press release. Their whole thing (control through darkness, intimidation and selective violence) fits perfectly with both politics and combat. They don't ask for permission, they don't explain themselves and when the lights go out, you suddenly realize you should have agreed with them earlier.

 

How to Rush with Lasombra?

Lasombra rush is as direct as it can be. The bread and butter is Umbrous Clutch, which lets you pick a minion and say, "We're fighting now." No small talk. No pleasantries. And then there's Dafina, who can do this without even needing a card. That's not a vampire but rather a standing appointment for violence.

Combat-wise, Lasombra are stacked. Potence gives them access to classics like Immortal Grapple, Torn Signpost and Roundhouse, the holy trinity of "this is going to hurt." After the fight, Taste of Vitae acts like the instant recovery snack of VTES: quick, effective, sweet.

Then there's Oblivion, which adds even more spice. Arms of Ahriman is particularly nasty, letting you either throw out an extra strike or dodge and still hit back. It's like having both a shield and a crowbar in the same hand. Blocking Lasombra actions is always risky, because the resulting combat often feels less like an exchange and more like a strongly worded lesson.

Once the blockers are gone, Dominate steps in and suddenly the bleeding starts. Hard. Turns out people are much worse at defending themselves when they're already face-down.

 

How to do politics with Lasombra?

While I enjoyed Lasombra rush, I had more success when I leaned into their shady nature. So when I think about political decks, I always boil it down to two questions.

First: can I make the action succeed?
That means stealth or block denial. Begging the table not to block your political action is technically an option, but in my experience it's about as reliable as promising to "just look" at one more card on VDB.

Lasombra do this well. Shadow Cast, Shadow Cloak and Where the Veil Thins all provide stealth at inferior, with tasty bonuses at superior. If stealth isn't enough, you can go the "don't even try" route with Stygian Shroud or Seduction. It's hard to block someone when your vampire is too intimidated (or too distracted) to care.

Second: do I have the votes?
Unless you've achieved vote lock (the political equivalent of flipping the table and declaring yourself the Senate), you'll need help. And this is where politics really shines. Deals get made. Promises get broken. Someone inevitably realizes too late that they argued themselves into a corner.

Lasombra politics feel especially good because the threat is always there. "You can vote against me," they seem to say, "but remember what happened to the last vampire who blocked my action." Thrilling, isn't it?

Getting votes can be tricky. Group 2 has cardinals (one of whom is affectionately nicknamed Potato, which is both hilarious and somehow accurate) but since my collection leans heavily toward Group 6, I usually work with what I've got. It's more negotiation, more table talk, more shadowy influence.

That feels exactly right for Lasombra.

In the end, Lasombra scratch a very specific itch. They let me play politics and/or apply pressure. They punish blockers, manipulate votes and operate with an ever-present aura of menace. They're the clan that doesn't just participate in the game, they loom over it. Which, now that I think about it, might explain why I keep coming back to them.

The game never ends, only pauses. I'll see you at the next move.

Custodian Hargrave