Replicating Deep Space v2

poorhaus 412

In part inspired by Jesse from the Winning Agenda's post What's Wrong with Weyland, here's the latest version of my RP style Gagarin Glacier Control deck. Of note:

  • The Root + Shell Corp are your Sundew.
  • Government Takeover is your Future Perfect.
  • Off the Grid is (kinda) an in-faction Caprice Nisei.

Yes, this sounds weird but I think this deck has potential, even given Weyland's general weakness.

I'd argue that Gagarin is potentially more taxing than RP in this Upgrade-heavy build because you can concentrate ice more effectively. Its got its own nice flavor and can out-resource essentially any runner, even a fully operational Au Revoir jank deck.

Plenty of holes to be filled. Join me in perfecting this?

Basic thesis: eventually make runs too taxing for the runner to run more than once every 2-3 turns while building a permanent econ lead. Then turn your cash into agenda points. Preferred path to victory: 4 two pointers. Either Atlases masquerading as upgrades or NAPDs too expensive for the runner to score. Devious play: IA an Atlas, masquerading as an NAPD the runner can't afford. Extra devious play: IAA an NAPD so the runner doesn't budget for it. Either way they're looking at spending essentially all of their creds to check, provided they can even afford to run.

Why so few assets?

The powerful thing about Gagarin is that the runner pays one to access each card. If these are Upgrades rather than assets they become much more taxing to trash because they can reliably be behind 1-3 pieces of ice instead of naked. As the Root keeps rezzing them for free and defending itself by rezzing ice the runner is powerless to stop the train. Also, bonus, installing a Project Atlas looks exactly like installing one of your many upgrades. Want to run 3 ice to check? No? OK I'll score it with Root credits.

Also, seeing your cards via Jackson is very important so you might also Ash him early then replace with a Root later.

The Root

Speaking of. Get a root out behind a Quandry, Icewall, or Pup early, preferably with an upgrade in play and unrezzed. If they don't get in to trash you can rez the upgrade end of their turn and the Root essentially pays for itself. With an Ash the Root costs 3 + 1 + trace 4 + 4 + 1 = minimum 13 creds plus running the server. Hope you brought your Singularity.

Shell Corp

Unlike Kati Jones, you can have three at once. That's 9 potential (unrealized) creds per turn. Put them on your AshRoot Server and the runner trashing them is an automatic scoring window. Rez them for free with the Root. They're beautiful.

Off the Grid

Off the Grid is much-maligned, but can create scoring windows. Pair with Crisium Grid if you luck out but either card is worth its 1x deck spot. Install OTG mid/late game, let it sit a turn, then rez it with the Root end of runner's turn and install ice, agenda, and advance with a fresh root credit. Better than RP because you make them make a successful run on a well-defended server. Most runners won't have the 20+ creds needed to make two runs and the 5c needed to steal an NAPD, so you just turned money into agenda points.

Punitive

Punitive is for, in order: gaining tempo via damage, then tax, then the odd kill. Threaten it but this is a deck built to win through agendas. Fire it off, even unboosted, to kill cards or tax the runner several creds.

Government Takeover

Government Takeover may cause losses at times but it thins the deck enough that it's worth it. Variance. Weyland accepts the risk. Yes, I have scored it twice in testing. No, I don't recommend it. Hide it in well-protected places using Jackson.

Tollbooth

is boss. Nuff said. at LEAST 2 belong in every Glacier Control deck.

Operations

You need to get and stay above 15 creds very early, so the operations go for credit density. Medical Research is there instead of Celeb Gift for influence purposes. Even if you have to give your opponent 3c it's worth it. Runners are super rich these days, too, so you'll need your events even mid and late game. Restructure Install advance can be crushing when you'd otherwise dip below 10c and can rez that 'booth and score the agenda.

Testing

Deck's still in testing but I think the shell is totally legit. All the stuff above is what I'm excited for about it. I'll be working on this one pretty intensively as a way to get some variety from RP but use the same play style, which I love. Controlling corps FTW. Help appreciated, especially from those that give the deck a go.

Worried about: D4vid, ice destruction, early Siphon weakness, Imp.

5 comments
6 Apr 2015 Yubinshan

What do you mean by "installing a Project Atlas looks exactly like installing one of your many upgrades"?

6 Apr 2015 poorhaus

Mid/late game looks like this: Centrals are iced. The Root is out. There's a scoring server. Your opponent has seen Ash 2X3ZB9CY or Off the Grid at least once. You install a facedown card behind 2-3 peices of ice. Is it a Shell Corporation that will be rezzed with Root credits or a Project Atlas? It will cost the runner 10-20 credits to find out. You either score or get a scoring window.

7 Apr 2015 Yubinshan

I'm not sure I understand. This may be my Netrunner inexperience showing, but I thought only Agendas and Assets could be installed in the actual server, whereas Upgrades were installed below the server.

Wouldn't the Runner know whether you played a Shell Corporation or a Project Atlas just by its location?

7 Apr 2015 xjohncandyx

They are all installed to the same 'slot'. Upgrades only go 'below' central servers because you cannot install an agenda or asset there. I made the same mistake early on and saw no value in upgrades because of it. In a remote server, ALL CARDS are installed the same way regardless of type.

7 Apr 2015 hi_impact

@YubinshanYou can install the cards in a remote however which way you like. If you install it with a clear orientation it only gives information away. It feels like a dirty trick of a rule if you've been clarifying in the past, but it's more true to the idea of the game to keep it ambiguous.

You can be sure that if two things are installed in a remote, one of them must be an upgrade.

Also, I think you can legally ask in which order the cards were installed. That is public information. Helps for when more than 2 cards come down into a remote.