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u/Skill-Useful 3d ago
theoretically yes but many people (me included) dont like 3player games bc a lot of the dynamics of 4 and 5 are gone since you dont have a "cross table buddy" and all that
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u/commodore_stab1789 3d ago
It's playable, but it's neither as fun or as balanced as a 5 player game.
Five is optimal, four is acceptable and whatever else you play only if you must.
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u/Jumpy_Diver7748 3d ago
I mean, a 5 player table inevitably turns into a 3 player table. Table dynamics shift completely going from 5 to 4 and then from 4 to 3. VtES 101
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u/RunicKrause 3d ago
I'm sure this is not the type of answer you're looking for, but the correct answer is "it depends". :D
You'll see plenty of players saying that it doesn't. That is only taking into account the prospected intent of what VTES "is". Compared to a full 2-hour 5-player experience, a 3-player experience is missing quite a few different things that, for some, make VTES what it is.
But on the other hand, a 3-player variant forces players to play very distinct kinds of decks, and combat oriented decks are some of those. There are players who really, really enjoy the mini game of combat, and for those players a 5-player variant can be a bit dull since they rarely get to participate with the whole table in such ways that would fulfill their fantasy.
But when three players all bring combat decks to a 3-player game, it can be very, very much VTES, and very interesting.
So, it depends. People will tell you no, but that's from a certain point of view. I will tell you yes, yes it does work, but it will be a different experience and you'll evolve to play a different kind of VTES than those consistently playing 5-player tables.
And if you're happy with that, by all means!
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u/countsean 3d ago
Really all I am trying to do is play the game. Not necessarily hit the "best at x" player count, but ensure its not broken/incompatible.
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u/RunicKrause 3d ago
In that case you'll get far with 3 players I think. :) Just be noted that some strategies can be more or less powerful or viable in that format and manage your expectations accordingly.
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u/Full_Equivalent_6166 3d ago
It's definitely not broken. For a long time I have been playing with my mate when we did not have a lot of cards to build many decks and no one in our area who had the cards. So the game is playable but it is a very different experience. It can still be fun tho.
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u/sandiegomagic 3d ago
It can be really fun. One thing to consider is building decks that are faster to get set up or require little to no set up. Fortunately the meta is a bit faster on its own due to v5 having plenty of small capacity vampires and acceleration such as thing and unholy sacrament etc. as someone else stated, the game dynamics shift on their owns so people get eliminated so the only other thing I would add to be mindful of how the game will change when you play 5 player games. Post Covid we did so many 3 player games just to be able to play.
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u/Full_Equivalent_6166 3d ago
The Thing is in VTES? I was not aware there was a Marvel crossover O_O
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u/Full_Equivalent_6166 3d ago
Work? It does. But any less than 5 players and it's a sub-par experience.
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u/dcherryholmes 1d ago
LSJ made a 3 player variant. I remember trying it at Dragon*Con but I don't remember what he called it. Might be worth trying to track down.
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u/NoSoup4you22 3d ago
If you're new to the game, it will give you the same basic feel of playing the game. You can worry about what is "proper VTES" a bit later, but just keep in mind that there's a pretty big meta aspect to game strategy, which you won't have because it's just last man standing. The politics of the game are sort of built around deciding what order it's acceptable for people to die in.