Noticias

What is a Bloodline? A bloodline is a small “family” of Vampires, usually an off-shot of one of the main 13 Clans, with some common characteristics, history and/or outlook. Sometimes it is more complicated than that!

HARBINGERS OF SKULLS

When a Bloodline is not an off-shot? When they are the main tree of the “family”. The Harbingers are what’s left of the Capadocians, one of the original 13 Clans, which was “usurped” by one amongst them, Augustus Giovanni, who killed the clan Founder, all but hunted his progeny to extinction, taking his place as the head of the new clan Giovanni.

As things usually go, some managed to survive in secrecy, some of them by traveling literally to the Underworld, and they want vengeance! Few in number, but powerful, they allied themselves with the Sabbat, taking positions of power within the sect, and occasionally with the Followers of Set (now The Ministry) in order to take revenge from their betrayers, the Giovanni, and the Camarilla who looked the other side.

As mentioned, there are very few Harbingers, who usually are quite old. In game terms this means they expensive; the youngest Harbingers (and there are just a couple of them) have a blood capacity of 5. This means you won’t usually see more than 2-3 on the table. On the other hand, they are quite  powerful. As a results you will usually either see Harbingers as Crypt support to other Clans, or maybe in a dedicated deck which plans to put just a couple of heavy-hitters on the table with which to assassinate the opposition away!

There are 21 Harbinger characters. Due to their Cappadocian legacy, they have a corpse-like appearance. Most of them are aligned with the Sabbat (except for 2 Independents and 3 Laibon). They have one single member with votes, but Gisela Harden packs quite the political punch as one of the prisci council!

Harbinger have the same signature Discipline as the Giovanni, Necromancy. Again, they were the originals wielders of this power, and their knowledge only augmented during their travels to the Underworld, so 2 of them have it as inferior, but the remaining 19 have it as superior. Other common Disciplines are Auspex (3+17), and Fortitude (5+15). While he has no voting power, the mysterious Capuchin, seems as close as the Harbingers have to a leader.

On the Library side, several Harbinger cards have effects allowing them to selectively burn enemy cards, taking them from the equation for the remainder of the game!

FINAL NIGHTS/V5

An end and a beginning. Among all the big upheavals in these coming end times, maybe the Family Reunion is maybe the most unexpected! The Giovanni and the several Capadoccian related bloodlines join together to form the new Hecata Clan. After centuries of mutual carnage, will these be able to really stop killing each other, even for mutual preservation? If nothing else, it’s going to be interesting.

The upcoming release of the V5 Hecata starter will seal the “end” of the Harbingers as a mechanically separate faction. We will eventually get an Advanced version of some ex-Harbinger character. Also, Necromancy disappears as a separate Discipline, its powers to be subsumed into the new Oblivion one. Probably the more characteristical Necromancy effects will be presented as Hecata/Oblivion.

Look for all available Harbinger of Skulls related cards right now at the VTES Store!