Diana's Demise

You have to go back to 2021 to find a AAA vote deck in the TWDA. The time for these decks was diminished when Parity Shift was nerfed, but I felt that Camarilla's Iron Fist might be able to give them a resurgence. The goal is to reach the heads-up and bolster your success rate by using the native +bleed vampires. This is also why the core of the deck includes Marcellus, who rarely gets used in this style and serves better than Tatiana Romanov because he's a Zillah's target. The deck focuses on stealth over Toreador Grand Ball, which is useful in those bleeding situations and frees up an action taken by the Ball. All of the stealth is also free-flowing except for the Resist Earth's Grasp, which doubles as combat defense. On top of that, there are multiple Banishment to help solve all kinds of problems, especially endgame problems. The finals was particularly interesting: Jason playing Anarch Tzim toolbox 1 VP -> Billy playing unnamed rush combat 0 VP -> Jeff playing Ira Rivers gun-wall 0 VP -> Me playing AAA 4 VP -> Marcos playing Malk V5 0 VP Billy's deck was rightfully feared as his combat was the strongest at the table. He had some ill-luck with his first rush, a back-rush at Jason. Jason ended up playing Rötschreck and sending the unnamed to torpor. Lacking any follow-up actions and with no one willing to rescue, Billy was dead two turns later, but not before Jason Graverobbed the unnamed and then received 10 pool for it via Golconda, played by Billy, who proceeded to transfer out, figuring Jason earned it. I eat some bleeds, but Jeff is a little concerned about Marcos ending up on his doorstep as Jason is recycling Bait and Switch via Garibaldi. Marcos, however, blew through all 16 newfound pool in one turn. I eat a few more small bleeds and manage to finally hit a large Villein, followed up by Info Highway. I bled Marcos for 1 to move the Edge, leaving Marcos at 5. I use my extra transfers and pool to bring up Anneke and AAA is complete. I'm now contesting the Justicar title with my predator's Madame Guile, which is useful for me as that's one less vampire that can play Second Tradition. Having not hit a second Villein Jeff only has her and Ira Rivers at this point. Jason survives another barrage by Marcos and is at 5 pool. Jason is pleading for help, but also knows he's probably not going to survive the help. Jeff bleeds me and I bounce the bleed of 2, leaving Marcos at 3. On my next turn I play Camarilla Conclave. I'm sitting on two Camarilla's Iron Fist and have vote lock thanks to the title contestation. I call the first Fist with Anson. Ira plays Second Tradition to unlock and attempt to block. I use Alexandra's special to lock him again and fail the block. He's not holding a wake and I am able to oust Marcos while leaving Jason at 3 pool, gaining 7 pool in the process. I decided to wait lest Ira do something untoward to my vampires if I take any further actions. Jason sets up for defense. I eat a bleed for 2 from Jeff's Guile and he leaves Ira unlocked to prevent the lock effect from failing his block as he could follow up with a Second Tradition. I play my third Ashur and a Monastery of Shadows. I managed to get to 5 stealth, bypassing Ira's intercept with titleless Anneke (still contesting), calling Banishment to removes Jason's only remaining vampire. Jeff has more intercept, but it was a Second Tradition, which, if he plays, just gets Ira locked. I follow up with an ousting bleed and the game is mine at that point because of seeding. We finish it formally next turn when I Banish Ira, at which point Jeff concedes.