Stalking Vampires is more art than science, though science and technology has made the hunt much simpler than it was a century ago. Many of the old ways are still applicable in testing one suspected of being one of the Vampires. The tried and true method of detecting Vampires is observation. A Vampire will betray themselves through their actions, be it their purely nocturnal movements, pallid color, lack of breath and blinking, and an irrational fear of fire. However, mortals can possess traits so the only real way to be certain, using purely observational methods, is to catch a Vampire in the act of satiating its perverse lust for blood. There have been instances of Inquisitors using mortals as bait to confirm their suspicions. This tactic is, in my own opinion dubious at best and immoral at worst. Other hunters have forgone confirmation altogether and proceeded with auto-de-fey. Again in my opinion, these heavy-handed tactics are not only dangerous, they erode the sanctity of our souls and our great commission to purge these monsters by becoming too much like them.
Technology has been our ally in the hunt, but in the information age, it becomes as useful and often as necessary to a successful hunt as the torch and the sword were in the days of Brother Leopold O.P. Technology has made it easier to discover the enemies hiding among God's flock and to cut them away like the cancer they are. One tool I have found immensely useful is the Infrared Camera. They are expensive and ill-suited to the harsh nature of the hunt, but with thermographic imagery, picking out Vampires has never been easier. A Vampire's appearance may lie, but it's body-temperature betrays it into our hands.
The oldest and foremost weapon employed in the hunt is fire. All Vampires fear the cleansing flame to the point of phobia and when used against them, their bodies are quickly consumed. There are aberrations, but Vampires are unable to heal wounds caused by flame. What's more, fire is particularly versatile and useful. When the location of the Vampire's haven is known, as well as all points of egress, it is a simple enough matter to firebomb the place, trapping the Vampire and its minions inside. Just a little taste of the Hell they will soon go to is completely appropriate.
Incendiaries have a wide range of variations in how they can be applied. Napalm has proven exceptional in versatility, application and duration. White phosphorus grenades are extremely useful and I have ended more than one Vampire's pathetic existance with a well-placed grenade. Flamethrowers are somewhat artless, but their useful cannot be denied. And the trusty torch, friend to hunters from time immemorial excels at keeping the Vampire at bay.
Blades are the most useful weapons if one insists on close-quarter combat with the undead. In killing Vampires, decapitation is the most certain way to ensure death. The sword is also useful for severing the Vampire's limbs, which even with its regenerative capabilities, it cannot quickly recover from. Finally, the sword thrust to the heart has stopped numerous hunts as such a blow paralyzes the Vampire. Anyone who would hunt Vampires does himself a disservice iif he lacks skill with the sword.
A word on firearms. Small caliber weapons are useless against Vampires. Some older Vampires are immune to all but the largest caliber of firearms such as .50 caliber and depleted uranium. This is not to say that using guns is a waste of time. Quite the contrary, some guns are indisposable against Vampires. A shotgun to the head of a Vampire has nearly the same effect as cutting its head off with a sword. Large caliber weapons, such as .357 and larger for handguns and 7.62x51 for rifles may not kill a Vampire as easily as a mortal, but to a skilled marksman, enough of well-placed shots will destroy a Vampire as quickly as a sword or fire. Submachine guns can even the odds in any fight against the Vampire, overwhelming even its supernatural abilities with sheer firepower.
