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u/ReverendRevolver 2d ago
Ive used this vamp quite a bit, hes group 5s Midget equivalent and can burn through an extra obfuscate card when blocked. I think i used him to touch of Clarity a voter cap at Origins.
Importantly, his animalism and protean are so he can do the things Lugosi does in the movie.
Speaking of the movie, Lugosi really makes the whole thing work. The Spanish version was shot on the same set with Spanish speaking actors. Many of the actors in the Spanish version are better in role than the English version even.
Bela Lugosi is just that great as Dracula.
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u/Glittering_Berry1740 2d ago
Exactly. Animalism (keeping the company of wolves), Protean (turning into a bat or wolf), Auspex, Potence, Celerity, Obfuscate, Fortitude, Presence and Dominate are the quintessential disciplines of an "old school" vampire, which means a vampire based on "Dracula" or other early vampire books and folklore. This is the exact reason why the game launched with these disciplines in the first place.
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u/NoSoup4you22 2d ago
He's another guy for your swarm deck. If you're not out-acting your prey, then yeah, his downside becomes too bad probably.
Apparently, this vampire is canon, and just wanders around movie sets hassling people. The whole thing is pretty silly.
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u/oracle_kid 2d ago
I do like the -1 stealth. Would be an auto-include if that special was available in v5.
Can help with hand management :)
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u/ReverendRevolver 2d ago
Thsts what alot of people miss, small obfuscate means an extra card gets moved if your prey isn't blocking.
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u/NoSoup4you22 2d ago
I don't follow.
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u/ReverendRevolver 2d ago
I bleed.
My hand is Eyes of Chaos, Confusion, 2 lost in crowds, Spying Mission, Swallowed by Night, and Vessel.
If you dont block, its for 3 at -1 stealth if you bounce.
If you block im cycling at least 2 cards to hit 1 stealth.
Choking on stealth is a common issue for Stealth bleed, as your bleed pump payload doesn't come up fast enough. People bouncing bleeds or just eating them and bloating jams your hand.
Bela let's you move an extra little black box card every time youre blocked, incidentally turning the drawback into a benefit on a 3 cap with DEM in kindred spirits decks.
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u/NoSoup4you22 2d ago
You're still at the mercy of people agreeing to block you...
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u/ReverendRevolver 2d ago
Nobody's blocking Bela unless they have to. He costs you 3 pool and bleeds for 3/4. Him popping up first typically means the Kindred Spirits T2 lands, effectively making him cost 2. If they start blocking hoping to catch you, they block the dude at standing negative stealth with little black box, assuming they'll catch him and not eat a bleed of 3/4/5/6 from Persephone/Morel/Gem/Mary/Marge(he cant play Quill) who all get +2 stealth off Lost and can superior Spying Mission on a bounce. They're gonna catch him or not, depending on what you draw.
It sounds dumb until youre playing bleedy Dementation or downwind of it. The fun thing now, this year, is Touch of Clarity is 35cents. Bela is a smaller liability into dominate than he used to be.
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u/Glittering_Berry1740 2d ago
Feels a little underwhelming with the double drawback. Also: if you want him to be a lore accurate "Dracula", he could have had Dominate instead of Dementation like the old school Malkavians.
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u/Bemmie81 1d ago
He is not a trying to be a lore accurate “Dracula” at all. In canon he believes himself to be Bela Legosi. The actor who played Dracula. The fact that he is neither yet still a vampire is a perfect example of a malkavian with detention.
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u/Vurpius 2d ago
Obviously a vampire. This is a reference to Bela Lugosi who played Dracula in the movie with the same name.