The Dead answer the call

The young necromancer had spent weeks searching for power. Around him lay the accumulated knowledge of countless nights: ancient manuscripts, forbidden rituals, carefully annotated notes and several deck boxes in varying states of disassembly. He had studied the methods of mad prophets, considered the teachings of blood sorcerers and even entertained the promises of aristocrats who assured him that everything would be fine as long as everyone respected the proper voting procedure. Each offered power. Each promised that, in the right hands, they could make him a force to be reckoned with. But the young necromancer wanted more than power. He wanted dominance.

There were whispers of a great gathering approaching, where ancient Methuselahs would emerge from their crypts and travel from across the land to test their schemes against one another. Elders would fall. Alliances would be made and immediately reconsidered. Blood pool would disappear in quantities that would make a neonate uncomfortable. Somewhere among them, one Methuselah would eventually stand above the rest. The necromancer knew he was not yet an elder. Perhaps he wasn't even particularly good at necromancy. There was, however, only one reliable way to find out. He closed the final book, extinguished the candles and looked towards the restless dead gathering around him. "Fine," he whispered. "We're going to Nationals."

Yes, dear reader, the decision has finally been made. The VTES UK National Championship is next weekend, and after weeks of indecision, deck building, practice games and repeatedly changing my mind, I finally know what I'm taking.

Hecata.

There were other candidates, of course. My Juliet Parr Malkavians were briefly very tempting: politics, stealth and Dominate sounded wonderful until my practice games demonstrated that sufficiently determined combat decks could turn my political leadership into a collection of torpor cards. Juliet will return, but perhaps somewhere with fewer Assault Rifles.

The Tremere were another possibility. They remain one of my favourite clans and have answers to almost everything, but I simply haven't played them enough recently to feel confident taking them to Nationals. Rebuilding the deck a week before the tournament also sounded like exactly the kind of overconfidence that gets a young apprentice turned into a gargoyle.

Finally, there were my Ventrue Princes, the safe and respectable choice. They already carried me to a final in Bedford, and I know how to pilot them reasonably well. But I've done that story already. Besides, relying on political actions without reliable stealth at a large tournament makes me slightly nervous. The Board considered the proposal and decided not to proceed at this time.

That left the dead.

The more I considered my options, the more I kept returning to the Hecata. I've played the deck enough now that I understand what it's trying to do. Family Gathering helps me develop my crypt surprisingly quickly, while my allies harass opposing vampires, drain their blood and gradually make life (or unlife) increasingly uncomfortable for my prey.

It isn't a particularly explosive deck. It is patient. It is sinister. And it occasionally solves problems by throwing a corpse at them. I like that. More importantly, I've tested the deck in friendly games and at the Scottish Nationals. I've seen what happens when things go well, and I've also experienced those wonderful moments when the carefully assembled undead machinery produces a strange noise, catches fire and requires immediate maintenance. I know the deck can struggle with certain match-ups, I know the allies don't always arrive as quickly as I'd like, and I've learned which parts of the deck I actually enjoy using rather than merely thinking I should use. So I've made some tweaks. The core remains intact and the dead will still be doing most of the heavy lifting, but some ratios have changed and a few cards have found themselves removed from active service. There is, however, one more significant change. The crypt has a new, secret star.

I'm not revealing who it is just yet. Let me keep at least one mystery until Nationals. This particular vampire has been waiting patiently in my collection for an opportunity, and after looking at the deck again, I think the time has finally come to give them a chance. Consider it a probation period. At the UK Nationals. Against some of the best players in the country. No pressure.

So that's it. No more opening deck boxes late at night and suddenly deciding that perhaps this completely different archetype is the answer. The Malkavians can stop whispering, the Tremere can return to the Chantry, and the Ventrue Board has officially adjourned. Do I expect to win? Absolutely not. This will be my first UK Nationals and I'll be sitting across from players with vastly more experience than me. My goals remain the same: play as well as I can, learn something, hopefully collect a few victory points and, above all, enjoy the games.

But I am excited to see what happens. I've spent months building this deck, playing it, finding its weaknesses and gradually turning it into something that feels like my Hecata deck. Now it gets its biggest test yet. Next weekend, the rituals will be prepared, the Family Gatherings will commence, and the dead will leave their crypts for the UK National Championship. Whether they return triumphant or in several small cardboard boxes remains to be seen. Either way, there will be a story. And you can be certain I'll tell you all about it.

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

Custodian Hargrave