Choosing my weapon for Bedford

It has happened again. I have looked at the calendar, nodded thoughtfully like a Ventrue reviewing quarterly results and made a decision that will almost certainly lead to questionable life choices: I am going to the next VTES tournament in Bedford in May. And I am excited. Properly excited. The kind of excitement that makes you mentally replay previous games, rethink deck choices and suddenly believe that this time you will definitely make better decisions. Probably.

My first tournament in Cambridge was an incredible experience. I brought my Tremere deck, which felt like the safe, scholarly choice. It was reliable, defensive, and allowed me to pretend I knew exactly what I was doing while quietly reacting to everything happening around me. It served me well and I had a lot of fun with it. But now… now I feel the pull of something different. The dangerous kind of confidence that whispers, "What if you tried something new?"

The problem is not the lack of options. The problem is that I have too many. Each deck sits there, metaphorically raising its hand, promising glory, victory points and definitely not embarrassing me in front of experienced players. I do not believe them. But I want to.

First, there's the Lasombra voting deck. This one is very tempting. It has everything I enjoy: politics, pressure and the subtle implication that if you disagree, something unpleasant might happen to your vampires. Lasombra feel powerful when things go right. You pass votes, control the table and occasionally remind people that blocking you is a life decision they may regret. Of course, this also means the table might decide that you are the problem. Which is fair. But still inconvenient.

Then there's the Banu Haqim combat deck. The elegant solution to most problems: violence. There is something deeply satisfying about playing Banu Haqim. You don't negotiate, you don't debate, you identify a threat and remove it with professional efficiency. It's clean, direct and occasionally terrifying for everyone involved. The downside is that sometimes you clear the board so efficiently that you forget to actually win the game. It's a bit like perfectly cleaning your house and then realizing you forgot to cook dinner. 

Then we have the Path of Power Sabbat deck. This one is ambitious. It combines politics with that delightful Sabbat energy of "we are in charge now, whether you like it or not." With Aaradhya and Dark Selina in the mix, the deck feels like it could do something truly impressive. Or completely collapse because I didn't draw the right pieces at the right time. It's a bit like preparing a complicated ritual: you're fairly sure it will work, but there is always that small voice asking what happens if it doesn't.

And finally, the wildcard: the Salubri deck. Untested, unproven, and slightly mysterious. This is the deck equivalent of showing up to a formal gathering with someone no one has met before and confidently saying, "Trust me, this will work." It might be brilliant. It might be a disaster. It will definitely be memorable. There is a certain appeal in that.

So here I am, standing at the crossroads. Do I go with something familiar and reliable? Do I embrace raw power and aggression? Do I attempt something ambitious and political? Or do I trust in the unknown and hope for the best? At the moment, I genuinely have no idea. What I do know is this: I am looking forward to Bedford. Another chance to play, to learn and to make new mistakes (hopefully more refined ones this time). To sit at the table with experienced players and try to keep up, one decision at a time. And whichever deck I end up choosing, I'm sure it will teach me something. Possibly humility. But hopefully… also how to get more than half a victory point this time.

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

Custodian Hargrave