Jyhad to Keepers of Tradition: The expansions so far…
An overview of all the Vampire: The Eternal Struggle card releases, from the initial set of Jyhad right up to the future as-yet-unnamed releases. It is intended as a starting point for any new player looking to buy cards, and hopefully an interesting history to the game with key changes listed.
For a good idea of how all the cards work, read the Description to this game, which has been updated to include all the of the various cards in the game.
Jyhad
This was the original base set launched using the Jyhad name, rather than Vampire: The Eternal Struggle. It contained the seven original clans of the Camarilla, those being Brujah, Gangrel, Malkavian, Nosferatu, Toreador, Tremere and Ventrue; it also had Caitiff who are clanless. It was a large set with 111 vampires and 326 library cards, and these were sold in random starters and boosters. It was called the "limited base set", but it was produced in a massive quantity as it was the second ccg Wizards of the Coast produced after the runaway success of Magic: The Gathering CCG However the darker theme and more complex rules meant that sales were not so high; in fact you can still find complete boxes of it online. Although these are the original cards, a lot of the library cards still see regular play, as they still remain competitive and are regularly reprinted in later sets. The backs of these cards also have Jyhad on them, but they are still tournament legal.
Vampire:The Eternal Struggle - VTES
This was the "unlimited" base set, and it was launched under the new Vampire: The Eternal Struggle name, or V:TES as it is commonly written. This tied it more closely to the roleplaying game (RPG) it was based upon: White Wolf’s Vampire: The Masquerade. Also, given the contemporary political situation of the World, a game called Jyhad would probably no longer be printed. Again it contained the seven original Camarilla clans. The card set was tweaked: seven cards were dropped and six were added. This set also updated the card layout into what many players consider the classic frontage, and was still sold in random starters and boosters.
Dark Sovereigns - DS
A European based booster-only expansion; this introduced more vampires for all the original clans (and clanless) and also brought the Ravnos and the Giovanni clans into the mix. Another thing that DS brought was the Inner Circle, who are the biggest vampires in the game with many powerful effects. This was a smaller set of 51 vampires and 122 library cards. There were also two promo vampires available during this release that came via offers from novels based on the RPG.
Ancient Hearts - AH
A Middle Eastern based booster-only expansion; this introduced more vampires for all the clans so far and brought the Assamites and the Followers of Set. This release had one of the smallest print runs so far, so the cards within are comparatively rare, also it featured some very powerful cards which have subsequently been reworded and reprinted or just banned altogether. This set was otherwise comparable to DS with 55 vampires and 124 library cards.
Sabbat
This large booster (28 card boosters) only set introduced the Sabbat equivalents of the Camarilla clans, and two Sabbat only clans - the Lasombra and the Tzimisce. It brought combat to the fore, which befitted the Sabbat whose outlook tended to be confrontational compared to the dealings and concealment of the Camarilla. It contained 110 vampires, and 300 library cards, and was the last set produced by Wizards of the Coast.
Sabbat War - SW
This was the first set produced by White Wolf after the reversal of licensing agreement (before Wizards of the Coast licensed the setting from White Wolf, now White Wolf licenses the game mechanics from Wizards of the Coast). As previous sets had done a little, in this set White Wolf tied a lot of the cards, in particular the crypt cards, to the ongoing RPG history (called the backstory). It was also the first time that there were preconstructed starter decks including Brujah Antitribu, Lasombra, Tzimisce, and Ventrue Antitribu. The set contained four starters and the boosters also contained card reprints (from Sabbat mostly), making a total of 99 vampires and 338 library cards.
Final Nights - FN
This set was a follow up to SW, and it also featured a lot of reprints from previous sets, this time from DS and AH. It also had four preconstructed starters, which are a feature of White Wolf releases. These were Assamite, Followers of Set, Giovanni and Ravoes. It was a set that contained 106 vampires and 280 library cards. It is quite a diverse set in that it has vampires from nearly all clans, and cards for all of those various clans and skills.
Bloodlines - BL
This was the first completely new set from White Wolf, and was their first boosters-only expansion. It focussed on the Bloodlines, smaller and more unusual clans, which lead to all sorts of different abilities, and as such is more for experienced players. It has dual skill cards, and also has cards that feature two different basic skill levels. It was a booster-only expansion and featured 63 vampires and 133 library cards.
Camarilla Edition – CE
This was the first of White Wolf's base sets, and is considered a good starting point as it focuses on the Camarilla who hadn’t had an expansion since V:TES. It covers the six current Camarilla Clans, as the Gangrel had left by this stage in the RPG backstory, each with their own preconstructed starter - Brujah, Malkavian, Nosferatu, Toreador, Tremere and Ventrue. Another thing introduced in this set was the grouping rule, which limits the vampires in your crypt by placing them into different groups, and when constructing a deck you can only use two adjacent groups. Also featured was a major reworking of the card front, into something slightly more modern. There were 154 vampires and 393 library cards, in starters and boosters.
Anarchs
This set introduced an entirely new concept to V:TES, that of Anarchs who are rebels out for themselves. The working of the Anarchs means that it is not recommended for beginners. Also Master card Trifles appeared, which are smaller effect Master cards that allow you to play another Master after being played. Finally, there were Advanced vampires, which were updated versions of older printed cards that can merge in the game to have the combined abilities of both cards. It had three precon starters, and boosters, which contained 82 vampires and 177 library cards. It was the first time the precons were not Clan based, and these were Gangrel, Anarch Barons and Anarch Gangs.
Blackhand - BH
Featuring a sub-sect of the Sabbat, the Black Hand, this small set prepared the way for the next expansion, as in the RPG backstory, the Black Hand have been preparing for the coming Gehenna when the world ends. The Black Hand is also a concept in the game, giving access to powerful and unusual cards. The boosters contained 90 vampires and 196 library cards, while the there were four precon starters which filled in the gaps from Sabbat War - Malkavian antitribu, Nosferatu antitribu, Toreador antitribu, and Tremere antitribu.
Gehenna
This booster-only set brought Events to the game. These represented World events that affected all in the game, such as the approaching Gehenna event that had been part of the RPG since its inception. It was made up of 50 vampires and 100 library cards.
10th Anniversary – 10th
This was a mostly reprints-only set featuring cards that had not yet been reprinted from Jyhad/Vtes, DS, AH and Sabbat. It also contained 10 new cards and was commemorative of the 10th anniversary of Jyhad – naturally enough. The two preconstructed tins contained between them 136 vampires and 54 library cards.
Kindred Most Wanted – KMW
This larger set bought the Red List, vampires that had committed crimes so bad that they could be hunted down by any other vampire. The rewards for destroying them were Trophies, cards that give powerful abilities. Also Abominations made an appearance, these are vampire werewolves that are shunned by all. It was made up of three precon starters - Alastors (those that hunt the Kindred Most Wanted), Anathema (the Kindred Most Wanted), Baali, and Gangrel antitribu, and boosters containing 83 vampires and 231 library cards.
Legacies of Blood – LoB
Another large set, this time it introduced the Laibon, African vampires who had developed separately from the rest of vampiric society. There were also further cards for all of the Bloodlines clans. As such, this makes a set that is aimed at experienced players, and needs investing in to get the maximum potential. It was made up of four precon starters - Akunanse, Guruhi, Ishtarri, and Osebo, and boosters filled with 99 vampires and 362 library cards.
Nights of Reckoning – NoR
A very different set in that it doesn’t feature vampires, but instead Imbued. These are humans that have otherworldly powers, and try to hunt down the vampires that are taking over the World. It is a very small set, which means that those wishing to play something a little different can easily complete it. This booster-only set consists of 20 Imbued and 40 library cards. It also contained Rules Cards, which are tournament legal cards that have each have some of the required rules for the Imbued on them, as well as being a library card in its own right.
Third Edition – 3rd
The biggest set so far, solely featuring the Sabbat clans who haven’t had an expansion since SW, which were mostly reprints. It is called 3rd Edition as it is seen as the third base set after the initial limited/unlimited set and Camarilla Edition. This means it is another good stepping on point as it has all of the basic cards that you will need to start playing. It has 133 vampires and 404 library cards in four precon starters - Brujah antitribu, Malkavian antitribu, Tremere antitribu, and Tzimisce, and random boosters. There is also a players' kit version, which has a playing guide, and four pared down precon starters inside.
Sword of Caine – SoC
Sword of Caine expands upon Third Edition, with more Sabbat but in particular it focuses on the Black Hand. It adds various new cards, while rounding out the power of the Black Hand very nicely. It is another small set, similar to Nights of Reckoning, with 20 Commons, 20 Vampires, and 20 Rares, sold in boosters only, and so it is easy to complete.
Lords of the Night - LotN
Lords of the Night is the second White Wolf set to focus on the four main independent clans. It is a mid sized release with each booster pack containing 11 cards randomly selected from a set of 150 all-new cards (no reprints) consisting of 50 rares, 50 uncommons, and 50 commons. The set also features four new (not Final Nights) preconstructed decks, Assamite, Followers of Set, Giovanni, and Ravnos.
Blood Shadowed Court - BSC
A reprint of each of the 100 Camarilla Edition vampires, in a single deck box. These are differentiated by a silver set symbol in place of the usual icon.
Twilight Rebellion - TR
Twilight Rebellion is an expansion for the Anarchs, with 60 all-new cards to bring them up to the levels of the other V:TES concepts. Sold only in boosters, it is comparable to SoC and NoR as it fills out a concept. There are some non Anarch cards, but the majority are Anarch only.
Keepers of Tradition
This is the next set, which is another base set and will bring the Camarilla back to the game with 100 brand-new vampires in Boosters, 33 new vamps in Precons and 33 new library cards. Due for release in November 2008. It features four precons, Brujah, Malkavian, Toreador and Ventrue.
Next Set - unknown
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