VTES 3rd Edition
VTES 3rd Edition (3rd) is the fifth base set of White Wolf's trading card game Vampire: The Eternal Struggle released on September 04, 2006. The expansion is the third release of set based on the Sabbat sect, hence the name of the set. It contained a whole new set of vampires, but mainly reprints of library cards. Due to insufficient quality management the distribution of the cards in the boosters and the overall printing quality was significantly worse than in previous expansions. In addition the card backs are printed upside-down (in comparison to all other expansions). De-facto it is now required to use card sleeves in tournaments when a player uses cards from the 3rd Edition set mixed with cards from other expansions. These flaws caused some resentment towards the 3rd Edition set in the player community. Nonetheless the expansion won the InQuest Gamer 2007 Fan Awards for best trading card expansion.[1]
Contents
Part of the expansion are 4 different pre-constructed decks with 89 cards each as well as boosters with 11 cards each (5 common, 3 vampire, 2 uncommon and 1 rare). There is a total of 390 cards in this set, of which 136 cards are new, i.e. 10 new common, 10 uncommon, 10 rare cards, 6 fixed cards (from the starters) and 100 vampire cards; the rest of the 254 library cards are actually reprints from older sets. The pre-constructed decks are:
The vampires White Lily and Duality (also included in this set) were given as promo cards in a number of magazines. Simultaneously White Wolf released a players kit which contained half of each of the four pre-constructed starters as well as counters and a extensive example of play.
Mechanics
- Trifles -- It is now allowed to play a second trifle master card if the first master card played was also a trifle. Before this the second master card couldn't be a trifle master card.
- Draft Effects -- a number of library cards contain a draft effect, that the card can be played during a draft format game, usually with a lesser effect and other requirements that the base version of the card.
Notable Cards
- Heart of Nizchetus -- an equipment which provides a very good card drawing/replacement ability that does not waste the currently unwanted cards.
- Helicopter -- an equipment card which allows a vampire to untap once each turn after a successful action, similar to the Freak Drive card.
- Mirror Walk -- an Thaumathurgy action modifier, which gives stealth to the vampires actions, denying any combat if the action is blocked.
- Yawp Court -- a master card which allows a Sabbat vampire to block a political action without regard to the stealth/intercept ratio.