ENGLISH VERSION: Fear is the Key

Whats up Jyhad Players? Well, this blog was kind of dead (like me to Vtes) but I promisse that I’ll try keep things a little more vivid around here. And one of my ideas is to increase the number of ENGLISH VERSION posts. I’m already a god in Brazil (not) and I want to conquer the world hhuhuhuhauahuahauhauHUAHAUHAUHAUAH (neither). Let’s start the articles itself…

So, you are a post-neofite that already got few GW’s and maybe won some tournament here and there. For sure you already have a couple of decks that are your favorites and, with some help of other players you tweaked the cardlists to fit your game style. You trust that pile of cards your early reputation as player on big tournaments.

In competitions you play well, win some VP’s but get some hard time against the Mathuselahs. Mathuselahs are that players that already got a lot of time on Vtes, tournament wins, respects and – the most important of all – the FEAR from other players.  

Every time you start a game with one or more Mathuselahs, you consider yourself already dead and start to think how to last more time playing against them.  But why do you think like that, If you trust your cardlist and you know how to drive your deck?

Because, my friend, the Mathuselahs knows how to use a combination of three psychological fears that should brake the will of other players. These fears are: Comunication, Apearence and Fame. Let’s talk about each one.

You Shall not Fear Comunication

My friend, go through you playgroup and see if I’m right: every Mathuselahs have a sharp and convincent table talk. The communication could be aggressive like: “Man, if you vote against me, I will cross the table and send all your dudes to torpor”, or even languid like: “your game, your decisions, but if you want to know what I would do…”.

The fear of communication also takes part on deals and agreements. Almost every time, the person that propose the deal will receive the best part of it or at least thinks that way. Do not accept abusive agreements or false advices that will castrate your deck only because a dreadful Mathuselah is proposing it. If your are piloting a Malk 94, hardly accept a deal like “you won’t bleed me for six turns and then… “ Do not let others lead your decisions because you fear them.   

And always remember, in most of the times if a player is talking too much is because he/she is trying to avoid something. A Mathuselah with a combat deck that promises every time that will beat the hell out of everyone, probably has a hand full of master cards and its bluffing and trying to avoid a crappy confront. Also, a voter Mathuselah, threatening his/her predator with a turn of four KRC, may have only one at hand. If you trust your deck and your strategy, face the menace!

You Shall not Fear Apearence

Some years ago, here in Hell de Janeiro, there was an annoying deck based on our beloved justicar Jaroslav. The deck was a wall based on melee weapons and Second Traditions. There was about twelve Second Traditions and the player won several tournaments. Jaroslav was almost unbeatable in combat. His inferior fortitude not only protect him from Kiss of Rá, but also helps on damage dealing. You can imagine that, when the Brujah justicar was equipped with a Sengir Dagger or a Crimson Sentinel, the fear was so huge that we not would even try to take an action. This feeling was improved by the serious face of the player piloting the deck.

To avoid scenarios like that, not fear the appearance my friend.  Theres no such thing as a unbeatable deck. Even if your predator is running four Lasombras against you in a B&S deck and you have nothing but ten blood pool, don’t give up. His hand could be jammed or even his predator may bring you a little help. Don’t leave the table before your pool is gone. Stay calm and analyze every possibility to remain on the game.

You Shall not Fear Fame

This last fear is a resume of every factor that makes a player a good one. Fame means experience in most of the cases and every point of Fame acquired by a Mathuselah brings him/her an advantage. We are leaned to think that only because a player already won a thousand GW’s, that him/her will win this one too and you don’t have not even a small chance. I’m not joking. Over the years I saw some games that only the picture of the Mathuselah above the deck would be necessary to bring him/her the GW’s. It doesn’t matter if Cain himself is bleeding you, do not fear Fame.

This is and Advice for the Young at Heart (I love that song). For you to be aware of that powerful fears but also to show you the force of them and how you should learn how to use them. And to end this article I want to write something that James Cameron said once in a motivational talk at NASA: 

Luck is not a Factor, Hope is not a Strategy and Fear is not an option.

Bye!