Barf 101: A Comprehensive Guide [7-0 & 5th @ APAC]

Overview:

Wasn't planning on posting the list. However, had so many fascinating games I wanted to share them along with some updated guidance for players interested in the list.

I'm happy to answer any questions in the comments you might have, either about the list, writeup, or any of my thinking within the replays.

A Comprehensive Guide:

Basics:

For anyone unfamiliar with the list, I'd still suggest looking at the previous posts on basics. Although, things really have shifted with Orbitals:
- 2nd CoS [NO ICE!!] Barf Thule 🤮 (4-1)
- "Oh... wait? What does that do?!?" 👀🤮 2nd & 6th @NANPC

No Mercy! Always Kill!

Use your MCA for kill lines!

This deck does not score out! The goal is to set up a board state where the runner loses the game if they steal, and/or trash any of your cards. Killing with Orbitals if they don't.

With Orbitals, False Lead, and being able to stack MCA, the runner will die before you reach 7 points.

General Strategy:

I won't typically expend resources if I'm only landing the first core.

Landing 2x core is extremely high value though, to achieve a prison state where any tag + End of the Line is game over. This is usually done through a combination of Riot and/or Hypoxia. That said there will be many instances that you kill the runner from a 0-1x core state (see linked replays: R2, R3, R8, C1).

Unrez'ed Power:

This deck works off of a toolbox of threats + taxing out the runner's clicks.

To this end, the unrez'ed cards have a lot of power within this deck:
- They act as a click tax if the runner is checking your board, while additionally being a tool at your disposal.
- Protecting/hiding Gaslights is extremely important.
- To this end I value a board state of unrez'ed cards, and will even leave cards like Wage Workers unrez'ed at times.

MCA is something I will also rarely rez the turn I install it:
- The best time to rez + click an MCA, is on a turn that you've just installed 2-3x additional new cards, splitting the runner's focus.

Spin Doctor is also an extremely powerful card to have unrez'ed on board:
- It allows you to trap archives while protecting agendas there. You can ditch Ikawahs there with any Hyperloop basically leading to this safe state on your agendas. If they run archives, you get to choice what they're going to access/force a steal.
- Against Maw it's extremely important for recurring pieces, and with a Gaslight paired on board allows you to have access to any operation even if it's in archives.
- Allows for a burst of card draw if you need to search for punishment.

Hendrik:

Beyond Riot, I think this is one of the most interesting cards in the list.

I used to simply place them as isolated remotes, which I think is a generically fine way to use them. They'll slow down runner tempo while checking the board.

I still typically use the first one in this manner. However, I've found them to be quite useful while making an Orbital death remote:
- With a False Lead scored + MCA ticking, this makes a 1-2x Hendrik + Orbital remote extremely dangerous.

ICE Placement:

I usually like putting 1x ICE on a remote for feeding Rashida, MCA, False Lead, and/or Orbital through.

The second ICE will usually be put on the most concerning central.

This makes you at times have to flip your comforts on its head and trust the threats/tax you are presenting to protect and slow down the runner instead. For instance, the normal practice of ICE HQ vs Crim doesn't really play out here. Regos are meant to help bouncing back from DoF instead.

Shaper is actually the faction I feel has the most concerning central pressure/disruption at the moment for the deck, through Burner HQ, and Conduit/Cataloguer R&D.

All this said, it does still really depend upon your opponent’s deck and play patterns. This is just the typical approach I've found. Sometimes there's enough concerning pressure within the centrals you need to look at protecting there first.

Deck list choices:

There is 1 floating slot in this list (flavor to choice):
- Currently filled by Skunk [good at protecting centrals, arguably better than Hendrik]

For ICC, I changed to:
-1x Skunk
-2x Ikawah Project
+3x Ontological Dependence
The theory here is to help with the Esâ matchup, and I've found when the deck loses it's typically to an Ikawah steal. 3 points being stolen in one agenda is pretty rough for the list.

There are multiple other options I'd consider:

• Lady Liberty [if you do want to threaten score outs]
• 2nd Malia Z0L0K4 [this card is just good. Hitting a newly installed Daily Casts to slow them down, or a Bones when they are wanting to trash are even fine tempo targets]
• Restore [restoring Spin Doctor for recursion vs Maw]
• Cerebral Overwriter [I actually think this fits the deck really well now, as I've been playing to Orbital lines a lot now, with multiple advancements on them whilst just sitting on the board]
• Active Policing [I've found myself playing tempo Riots more than I used it. Theory is this could fit similar tempo]
• Corporate Hospitality [recursion vs Maw]
• Nightmare Archive [this -1 might actually be helpful, as keeping runner points below 4 is important so you still have time to land the kill]

Fun tricks:

• An unscored Luminal on the board with Wage Workers is an extra click on your kill turn. [Every time you advance it is a free Biotic Labor on a future turn]
  

Replays:

Swiss:

R2 (Win): vs enkoder on Kit [Replay]

• Interesting instance where I was debating Malia'ing Nuka to prevent overdrawing with Aniccam on board. However, think that possibly telegraphs the kill line in hand too directly.
  
• For those interested in how to play into this deck enkoder and I talk through some of the lines after the match.

R3 (Win): vs ValeNetrunner on Ari [Replay]

• This game the deck came together beautifully, if you want to see the deck operating well vs someone teched with hand size.
  
• #puzzlerunner: see if you can find the guaranteed flatline at the end to deal with:
  
  • 5 cards in hand
    
  • 2x Stoneship Chart Room
    
  • LilyPAD + Simulchip
    
  • 1x tag
    

R6 (Win): vs pearl 2.0 on Lat [Replay]

• Absolutely wild game. Scored out 2x False Lead early, but also extremely low on credits.
• Ended up using the False Leads for value core, leading to 5x core. The main reason for doing this was to make my Riot Suppression basically turn skips.
• Was eventually able to close with Public Trail + End of the Line

R8 (Win): vs jfoley on Hoshiko [Replay]

• Dicy low credit game, but was able to score out 2x False Lead and setup a turn skip flatline.

R10 (Win): vs Maninthemoon on Seb [Replay]

• Playing against Cups I was pretty sure this was going to be an Orbital game. However, it actually went quite different.
• I did blunder pretty early playing the 2nd Riot, which I needed to help land core later.
• Got to a dicy position with maninthemoon at 4 points (you typically want to be killing the runner around 4 points).
• However, was able to make up for it by reading my opponent, and knowing maninthemoon would run an install click one, which feeding an agenda with MCA + False Lead was a core and kill line. At that point if maninthemoon had taken any other action I could have cycled the False Lead in my score area with the newly installed one, turn skipping (see replay).

Cut:

C1 (Win): vs tvaduva on Kit [Replay] [Streamed]

• #puzzlerunner: see if you can find the click & credit perfect guaranteed flatline, where the runner has stolen an agenda:
  
  
• Solution

C2 (Win): vs Toron4 on Hoshiko [Replay]

• With how the game was progressing I felt this could easily be a Public Trail game, with low runner econ, and drawing it relatively early.
  
• Recognizing Public Trail lines is super important
  
• Took an interesting line leaving a 4 advanced Orbital on board, forcing the runner to clear it, while also developing a Rashida.
• Ended up resulting in the flatline.