Tournament play requires precision on cards and effects announcement. The following sections detail these expectations. Players failing to meet them are liable for Misrepresentation (also known as misplay), as per the Judge's Guide.
Players are encouraged to always call for a judge in case of misplay. Even if the situation is clear and looks like it could be solved by the players themsleves, tracking Misrepresentation offenses is important to ensure a fair tournament experience to everyone, and discourage dishonest behaviours.
A clear declaration of cards and effects is the cornerstone for fair play. Therefore, what a player declares in terms of effects is binding, with the exception of misplays.
Because declarations are bindings, any discussion about hypotheticals must be made clear by the players. In case of any double-entendre or possible misinterpretation, a declaration always stays binding.
Touching a card, a stack (library, crypt), or locking a card, is not a declaration by itself.
Exception: Locking a minion after having announced an action is considered a binding declaration as soon as the player's hand leaves the minion card (see Action declaration).
Examples:
-
The acting player says "I play Govern the Unaligned at inferior to bleed you". Their prey tries to dissuade them: "If you bleed, I can unlock and block, I will take down your vampire in combat". It is too late for the acting player to change their mind: the action has been announced.
-
The acting player says "I bleed for one", their prey says "well, in that case I will block with Carlton van Wyk". It is a binding block declaration. The use of the future "will" to declare a block is too ambiguous to be considered a clear hypothetic.
-
The acting player says "I bleed for one, do you block?", their prey asks "If I let you pass, can your promise you won't augment the bleed?". It is a clear hypothetic, it does not amount to declining the block.
-
The acting player bleeds. Their prey declares "I use Eyes of Argus to unlock with Andi Liu". Because Andi Liu does not have superior Auspex, it is a misplay, so they are not bound to play the card.
Shortcuts in declarations are permitted, some are customary, as long as they procure no advantage to the player making them. A shortcut is binding as long as no opponent wish to play a card or effect during the window that was cut short. If they do, the shortcut is voided (does not bind the player who made it), and the game sequence resumes at the point where the opponent plays their card or effect.
Example:
-
The acting player was blocked, combat just finished with "No press - no press". The acting player starts announcing their next action: "So, I hunt with Modius". It is a typical shortcut, but the opponent can intervene: "Wait, before you move to the next action, I use Cat's Guidance to unlock". In that case, the game resumes after Cat's Guidance has been played, and the acting player can decide not to hunt with Modius.
Some shortcuts are forbidden, because their ambiguity may provide an advantage:
- Cards declarations are mandatory, with the discipline(s) used, their level, targets, and any choice required.
- Explicitely passing after declaring an action is mandatory. Asking for blocks amounts to passing.
- Explicitely declining to block for the target, in case of a directed action, or the prey and the predator, in case of an undirected action, is mandatory.
- A card with no delay in its replacement must be replaced before the next card is played: playing multiple cards and replacing them all after is not allowed.
- The terms of a political action, when there is a choice, must be confirmed after the action succeeds, before moving on to the referendum.
- Explicitely declaring one's end of turn is mandatory.
Example:
-
The acting player announces: "I bleed with Platinum Protocol". It is incorrect: they must announce what disciplines they use for it.
-
The acting player announces: "I play Villein" and replace the card. It is incorrect: they must announce the target vampire, and the amount of blood they take, before replacing.
-
The acting player announces: "I hunt". Their predator immediately says "I block". It is incorrect: the prey must decline to block first.
-
The acting player bleeds, their prey declares a Deflection immediately. It is incorrect: they must announce they decline to block before they can play Deflection.
Playing a card or effect that requires a change in phase or step amounts to a shortcut to that phase or step. An opponent may ask to get the impulse for a card or effect prior, in which case the player takes the card back in their hand, and can change their decision to play it.
Arranging for an opponent to interrupt such a shortcut to be able to correct a mistake is not allowed.
Examples:
-
A player forgets to take pool for the Edge and plays a Villein. This amounts to passing on the unlock phase, they cannot take it back. They cannot either arrange for an ally to use some effect at the end of the unlock phase to take it back.
-
A player is finished with their minions actions, forgets their influence phase, and discards a card. This amounts to passing to the discard phase: it is too late to take it back and do the transfers.
-
A player is finished with their minions actions and starts to influence a new vampire. Their prey says "Wait, at the end of your minion phase, I use Enkil Cog to act". This is allowed, and the game sequence starts with the Enkil Cog action, after which the initial player can decide to either move to their influence phase, or take a new action with one of their minions.
-
A player unlocks their minions and plays a Villein. An opponent says "Wait, as you pass on the unlock phase, I use my Dreams of the Sphinx to draw two cards". This is allowed, but the game sequence starts again at that point: the acting player can play further unlock effects, and decide whether to play their Villein or not.
When declaring an action, it is common to indicate who is acting by locking the acting minion, without necessarily stating the minion's name. In that specific case, and only if the action has been announced, locking the minon card amounts to declaring which minion is acting. This is also unavoidable when a player has multiple minions with the same name (eg. The Embrace). Locking is considered effective when the player's hand leaves the card.
In case the action declaration is invalid, the declaration is considered void. In case the action is valid but misrepresented, the declaration stays binding. In both cases, it is a misplay.
Examples:
-
The acting player declares "I bleed for one" begins to lock Victoria Ash, but change their mind and unlock her, their hand not leaving the card, and says "sorry, not with her, I bleed for one with Modius". This is allowed.
-
The acting player declares "I play Govern the Unaligned superior" and locks Donny Kowalczyk. Because Donny Kowalczyk does not have superior Dominate, this is a misplay, and the declaration is not binding: they are not forced to play Govern the Unaligned with another minion.
-
The acting player declares "I bleed for one" and locks Catalina Vega. The bleed is possible, however Catalina Vega bleeds for two. It is a binding declaration, but a misrepresentation.
When declaring a bleed, the acting player must announce the bleed amount. When modifying it, they must announce the total amount.
When declaring an action, the acting player has the opportunity to play the next effect, like a modifier and, more importantly, any action modifier that is played "as the action is allowed". Therefore, the acting player must pass explicitely when they are done playing inital effects and are waiting for their opponents to declare their reactions and eventual blocks. Asking for blocks amounts to passing.
Examples:
-
The acting player locks a vampire and announces "Hunt. Any blocks?". It is too late for them to play Seduction.
-
The acting player announces "Bleed for one", their prey immediately announces "I block with my vampire". The acting player has not passed, they have an opportunity to play Seduction before the prey declares their block.
-
The acting player announces "Bleed for one" and look pointedly at their prey. The prey should wait for the acting player to declare they pass. If the acting player does not proceed with a play or a pass declaration, this is a misplay.
In combat, a player can announce a pass on any substep: that amounts to passing all the previous substeps.
Examples:
-
A vampire gets blocked, the acting player announces: "Hand strike for 1", hereby passing on the pre-range, range, and pre-strike substeps. The opponent is allowed to declare an effect on any of the substep. If they do, for example they play a maneuver, the game sequence starts again from that point: the acting player can maneuver, use a pre-strike effect, or choose a different strike.
-
A vampire gets blocked, the acting player announces: "No pre-range", their opponent announces "Nothing until strike". The acting player is allowed to either take the shortcut and move to strike declaration, or play a maneuver or pre-strike effect, in which case the game sequences starts again at that point, and the opponent is allowed to play a maneuver or pre-strike.
Some cards allow to cancel another card as they are played. For example, Direct Intervention can cancel a minon card. The theoretical window to play those cancel effects is narrow: they should be played after the card is announced, but before it is replaced.
Asking for a cancel everytime one plays a card is slow, so a common shortcut is to not wait to replace, nor to play the next card. An opponent who wants to cancel a card or effect, or take the time to consider it, can ask the player playing the card to wait before replacing, interrupting the shortcut there, or after the card has been replaced, but before the next card is announced. Once the next card has been played, the window to cancel has passed.
Allowing an opponent to see the next play before deciding if they cancel the initial play is an unfair advantage. Allowing a fast player to offer a reduced window of opportunity to their opponent is not ideal, but a lesser issue. Therefore, the burden of correct play in this case lies on the player wanting to play the cancelling effect. They must pay attention and declare their will to cancel between the card announcement and the next effect.
This applies to playing wake effects in this same cancellation window.
Examples:
-
The acting player declares "I bleed with Govern the Unaligned at inferior", replaces it, then announces "I use Seduction at superior on your vampire". It is too late for anyone to play a Direct Intervention on the Govern the Unaligned. They can only cancel the Seduction now.
-
The acting player declares "Bleed with Govern and I use Seduction your vampire", playing both cards without replacing. This is a forbidden shortcut: Govern the Unaligned can be cancelled by the opponents.
-
The acting player announces a bleed with Govern the Unaligned, replaces the card, then an opponent says "wait". The acting player puts the replacement card back on top of the library, and the opponent is allowed to cancel the Govern the Unaligned if they desire.
When a card is played, its name must be announced, as well as the disciplines used and their level, all targets and any choice the card requires.
Explaining what the card does or reading its text is not expected. All opponents are allowed to examine any card played to read its text if they desire, before resuming the game.
Failing to announce a card properly does not bind the player to any choice, but is a misplay. Insisting on reading cards aloud or explaining their effects systematically can be arbitrated as stalling.
Examples:
-
After their prey declines to block a bleed, the player announces "Conditioning", without stating the level. This is incorrect. They must choose, and announce their bleed total on top.
-
The acting player announces "I bleed with Flurry of Action", without stating the level. This is incorrect: they must choose. But if their opponents have assumed one or the other and declared they decline to block, that does not bind the acting player to any choice: the choice must still be made.
VTES is a negociation game, and table talk is an important part of it. Players are allowed to posture, bluff, talk about the cards they might (or might not) have in their hand or their deck. They are allowed to negociate before making any definitive declaration. However, table talk should neither devolve to aggression, nor err on the side of stalling.
Players are not allowed to raise their voice, nor use any kind of slur towards an opponent, their deck, or their play, or make any physical threat, even in jest.
Examples:
-
During a player's turn, they start negociating with their predator to ally themselves against the third player. "No, don't listen!" shouts the third player, "sorry I was talking" says the acting player, the third player shouts angrily "I won't let you propose this without saying anything!". It's incorrect: raising your voice is not allowed.
-
During a player's turn, they start negociating with their predator to ally themselves against the third player. The third player says clamly "don't listen to this simpleton, no way they can pull it off with their stupid deck". That's incorrect, they are not allowed to defame a player's character nor their deck.
-
During a player's turn, they start negociating with their predator to ally themselves against the third player. The third player says calmly to the acting player: "if you go with that, I'll rush backwards and make sure your predator ousts you first". That's allowed.
-
A player just passed a strong bleed and is rejoicing. Their prey goes "don't laugh too much, remember I'm a Brujah, I'll come and break all the bones in your body to make sure this does not happen again". Although it might be
in good jest and a tentative at roleplaying a clan, it is a direct physical threat, so absolutely forbidden.
In every case, the acting player is responsible for the discussion pace. They must let their opponents negociate, but may require them to stop discussing and make a decision at any point. If the acting player requires negociations to stop, opponents are allowed a last question and answer, after which they must stop discussing and make a choice.
Example:
-
The acting player is bleeding for 3. Their prey failed to block after they added 2 stealth to it. They start discussing the possibility of using Deflection to send the bleed to next player on the left, who is trying to argue to send it on the acting player's predator instead. After a few exchanges, the acting player requires their prey to move on: "ok, that's enough talk, please play your Deflection or pass." The defending player asks their final question: "so you don't attack me for two turns?", get their answer: "only if you don't bleed me during your turn", and now they must make choice without further discussion.
Referendum terms that present a choice must be explicitely confirmed when a political action succeeds. Even if the terms have been negociated prior, the acting player must confirm them before moving on to the referendum.
As for any table talk, the acting player is responsible for moving a referendum forward. They can let their opponents negociate, but may require them to stop discussing and make a decision at any point. They must however allow their opponents a last question and answer before the discussion has to stop.
To announce their votes, players must always announce the number of votes they commit, and to which side: in favour, or against. If they chose not to commit the totality of their available votes (not counting optional effects), they must announce which vampire is voting.
Examples:
-
The acting players announces a Kine Resources Contested, they add "I will put 3 on my prey and take the last one", both the prey and predator decline to block. The acting player goes "OK, 4 votes in favor". It is incorrect, they must confirm the terms beforehand, even if with just "Terms are as announced".
-
A player has 2 Princes: Modius and Mkhokheli. They can declare either "4 votes against" or "Modius puts 2 votes against". They cannot just state "2 votes against" without indicating which vampire votes. They cannot either state "vote against", without stating the amount of votes.
-
A player has 2 Princes: Alice Chen and Alexa Draper, and an unlocked Ventrue Headquarters. They can announce just "4 votes against", since the Ventrue Headquarters is an optional effect. They need not remind their opponents of the possibility.