Deranged & Unchained 2025

Core idea stolen from Otso Saariluoma, a veteran tournament crusher. I played a version of this through 2020 online, my last stint playing VTES before returning to the game a week ago. I made some changes to include some of the V5 Cam goodness, which both did excellently. The deck plays very smoothly and the core strategy requires making well timed tough decisions, being thoughtful of voting tallies & table balance. After experiencing how the game has shifted over the last five years all in one weekend, I would make many changes to the list if I were to take it again. Here are some key insights: Underperformers: - Cybele - Parthenon + prevalence of trifles does enough work in this regard. Investing so much pool into a non-titled minion makes this almost always my third choice to influence. Could consider seeking a different 3rd fiddle. - Metro Underground & Enkil Cog - hardly utilized this module. Contestation issues aside, with the amount of bleed flick in the meta makes this quite tough to pull off, and often I'd much prefer playing Derange or forcing through a key bloat vote. - Telepathic Misdirection - I think giving up trying to stop bleeds is the way forward. Add in Narrow Minds & Archon to assist Overperformers: - Unmada - Incredible lube. Use discard actions aggressively. - Derange - I consistently found this to be the absolute highest priority and best action to be taking on most turns. Card slaps. If I had more copies I'd play more, maybe something like 8 or 9. Even if they aren't used for the combo they slow down predator/prey by wasting actions or burning blood. - Madness Network - Not the focus of the deck but provided me the out in the final to seal the game win with 2 minutes on clock. Crucial sometimes, othertimes just wastes an action from predator or prey, either way is bueno. - Heidelberg Castle, Germany - Card is a Rolls Royce. So useable in so many situations outside the combo. In the context of the combo: absolutely devastating. - No Trace - This will be meta dependent but having one of your likely two minions get emptied and/or torporized is game ruining. These saved my hide many times throughout the tournament. - Forgotten labyrinth - Usable on Derange & Political actions, still the GOAT stealth card for non bleed happy chappys. Thanks to everyone involved in the Oz VTES Scene, my opponents, & Steve Harris for running a great event. Lastly thanks to my testing buddy Simcof, one of the great VTES builders and players in the scene.