Intercept, vanish, repeat: A Gangrel story

The Gangrel in the tabletop RPG are wild survivors: nomadic, instinctive, and fiercely independent Kindred who feel closer to beasts and wilderness than to courts and etiquette. Known for their shapeshifting powers, feral resilience and tendency to outlast enemies through grit rather than intrigue, they embody the raw, predatory side of vampirism. Yet beneath that savage reputation lies a clan defined by freedom, adaptability and a deep suspicion of authority, making them as likely to disappear into the countryside as to haunt a city's forgotten edges. Over the years, I met many Gangrel in tabletop games. Some of those encounters were distant, others genuinely unnerving, but all of them were memorable. One of my best friends was a dedicated Gangrel player, so my Tremere characters often ended up face to face with his wildlings.

During the early 2000s (when I spent many nights playing VTM) the Gangrels were dedicated members of the Camarilla. However as the metaplot progressed, they left the Camarilla because, in the end, the clan grew tired of being treated as the sect's expendable hunters and watchdogs; after Xaviar's return and his rupture with the Inner Circle, their resentment toward Camarilla authority finally turned into open departure.  

I'll admit it: I never fully bought into that decision. One day they're loyal(ish) watchdogs of the Camarilla, the next they collectively grab their coats, mutter something about "freedom" and vanish into the night. It always felt a bit like a group chat where one person says "I'm leaving" and suddenly everyone else replies "same" and disappears. The Brujah leaving? That made perfect sense: rage, rebellion, dramatic exits. The Gangrel? I expected at least a bit more… growling beforehand.

From a VTES perspective though, this created a rather fun situation. You can either go full nostalgia with G1–2 Camarilla Gangrel, or embrace the modern, slightly more feral lifestyle with G6 Anarch Gangrel. And if the tournament results are anything to go by, the latter clearly packed their bags better: 32 wins for Anarchs in 2025 versus 3 for their Camarilla cousins. Turns out freedom, claws, and a disregard for authority are a winning combination. Who knew?

When I first got into VTES, I followed the Codex of the Damned buying advice like a disciplined Tremere apprentice. I already had the V5 Gangrel precon, so naturally I added the Stanislava 25th Anniversary deck to my collection. And while I was at it, I grabbed a Gangrel New Blood as well. You know… for "options".

Those options then sat quietly in their boxes for quite some time.

Every now and then I would look at them, consider building something… and then get distracted by shinier toys. Banu Haqim with their precision. Lasombra with their shadowy politics. Path of Power whispering promises of influence. Meanwhile, the Gangrel decks just sat there, patiently, like wolves watching from the tree line. Not complaining. Not asking. Just waiting.

Eventually, curiosity (or perhaps instinct) won.

My plan was simple: go low-cap, go wide, and let the pack do the work.

The first vampire that caught my attention was Kuyen. Superior Animalism and Protean? Yes please. In my head, I immediately imagined her surrounded by Raven Spies, turning her into a feathery surveillance system. Less "vampire aristocrat", more "Hitchcock documentary gone wrong". Intercept everything, see everything, and when something actually does happen, just vanish. Because that’s the beauty of Gangrel. Someone blocks you? Fine. Combat starts? Also fine. Things look dangerous? Earth Meld, goodbye.

From the opponent's perspective, it must feel like trying to argue with someone who just walks into the woods mid-sentence. One moment you're mid-conflict, the next you're alone, confused and slightly embarrassed. And if Earth Meld isn't enough, there's Form of Mist, which is even better. Not only do you escape combat, you just… keep going. It's the VTES equivalent of stepping out of a bar fight, dusting off your coat and continuing your errands like nothing happened. Peak Gangrel energy.

Of course, not everything is perfect in the wilderness.

One thing I'm still adjusting to is the lack of explosive bleed. Coming from Dominate-heavy decks, I'm used to bleeding for 5 like it's a casual Monday morning. With Gangrel, it's different. You don't overwhelm your prey with a single decisive strike. You wear them down. Slowly. Patiently. Like nature itself. It's less "political assassination" and more "you wandered into the wrong forest and now something is following you". A thousand small cuts instead of one grand gesture. I'm not saying it's worse, it's just a different mindset. One that requires patience, positioning and a certain appreciation for inevitability.

As for the deck itself, I'm still very much in the planning phase. No polished list to share yet, just ideas, instincts, and a growing appreciation for life outside the ivory tower.

Also, real life has been a bit intrusive lately. The past couple of months haven't offered many opportunities to play, which is also why things have been a bit quieter on the blog since Cambridge. But the pack is forming. And sooner or later, it will hunt.

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

Custodian Hargrave

 

Whispers of the Third Eye

When the New Blood releases were announced, I'll admit it: I got hyped. Not the polite, "oh that's interesting" kind of hyped either. No, this was the "start planning decks before the cards even arrive" type of excitement. But if I'm being honest, it wasn't the whole release that had me excited. It was one clan in particular: the Salubri.

Now, on the tabletop I've never really been drawn to Tzimisce or Ravnos. I respect what they bring to the game and they absolutely have cool cards, but they never quite clicked with me. For me, deckbuilding is a bit like picking a football team: you don't always choose the objectively best one, you choose the one that feels right. Humans are emotional creatures after all, and apparently my emotions say: “Not today, Tzimisce.”

The Salubri, however, are a different story.

Yes, their lore involves that rather awkward centuries-long feud with the Tremere, but honestly, that just adds flavor. Conflict builds character. And besides, this is actually the first clan that grabbed my attention not because of lore, but because of their discipline combination.

Let's look at that trio: Auspex, Dominate, Fortitude.

That is a very spicy combination.

• Auspex: the undisputed king of intercept. If someone tries something sneaky at your table, chances are you'll be the one saying: "Ah yes, I'll block that."

• Dominate:  a personal favorite. Want to bloat with Govern the Unaligned? Done. Want to bleed harder with Conditioning? Also done. Want to send someone else's bleed back where it came from with Deflection? Absolutely done.

• Fortitude:  the discipline I initially underestimated. My experience with it mostly revolved around Freak Drive (because taking multiple actions is always fun) and Rolling with the Punches (because surviving combat is even more fun). My exposure might not be extensive, but what I've seen, I liked.

And the Salubri bring some additional cards that make them hit harder in combat, which never hurts. So when the New Blood: Salubri decks were announced, my reaction was immediate: Preorder three. Think later.

The plan is simple in theory: combine the New Blood cards with the V5 Salubri deck and hopefully produce something functional… or at least something entertaining.

As usual, the first step was building the crypt:

Djeneba

She has all clan disciplines at superior, which is already fantastic. Yes, she also has Animalism and Obfuscate, but for now I'm resisting the temptation to build around out-of-clan disciplines. That kind of deckbuilding wizardry I leave to players with far more experience than me. Her ability makes strikes more costly for opponents, which is funny and annoying. Add some stealth and you have a vampire that's both dangerous and frustrating to deal with.

Verdict: all three copies go in.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Abaddon

First of all, his name messes with my brain. Every time I see it, my brain immediately jumps to Warhammer 40K and the Warmaster of Chaos. I keep expecting him to arrive with a Black Legion. Setting that aside, he's a very solid vampire. His ability to get to close range and continue combat is exactly the kind of thing a combat-leaning deck appreciates.

Verdict: two copies.

Barachiel

His ability to start a fight without playing an action card is extremely useful. Sometimes you just want combat to happen without all the formal paperwork.

Verdict: two copies again.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To round things up, I would definitely include Sakhar, Opikun, Ilonka and Dominica. They give me a nice spread of higher and lower capacity vampires and with the exception of Dominica, everyone has superior Fortitude, which should keep things nice and durable.

The Library (a.k.a. the hard part)

And then came the library.

If choosing vampires felt straightforward, choosing library cards felt like wandering into a massive supermarket while being extremely hungry. Everything looks good. Everything seems useful. And somehow you still don’t know what to put in your basket.

As a relative neonate player, I find it much easier to identify strong vampires than to construct a balanced library from a sea of good cards. Still, there are some cards that will definitely make the cut:

Anticipation: I love this card. Cancelling an opponent's strike is already great, but the alternative (simply hitting them harder) is also appealing. If I understand the rules correctly, this can even cancel combat ends strikes like Majesty. Imagine the look on a Ventrue aristocrat's face when you politely inform them that their elegant escape plan has been… anticipated.

Feast of the Soul's Secrets: More bleed and faster influence? Yes please. That sounds like the dream of any combat deck that also wants to keep the pressure up.

Righteous Blade: This equipment feels like the bread and butter of improving strike damage. Also (and this is an important scientific deckbuilding metric) I really like the artwork.

Touch of Valeren: A lovely multi-purpose card. It can cancel damage or feed hungry vampires. A defensive trick and a snack in one neat package.

Do I have a deck list?

Of course not.

Right now the deck is still in the cooking phase and like any good recipe it might take a few attempts before it tastes right. But I wanted to share the thought process so far. The next step will be to actually assemble something playable and convince people to sit down for a test game. I’m especially curious how this deck will perform against other combat-heavy decks. (Yes, Banu Haqim, I am absolutely looking at you.) 

And, of course, I will need to prepare a very convincing explanation for my Tremere superiors about why I am suddenly spending so much time around the Salubri.

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

Custodian Hargrave