SanSan South: Vince's Standard Stronger Together Deck

Card draw simulator
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None. Self-made deck here.
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I Can Haas Cheezburger?
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theodorelogan 247

Over the last year or so I have been playing one variety or another of Stronger Together. While this is not the deck I am currently running, it is sort of the "typical" deck I run. I would be 100% comfortable taking this deck with me to league night next week.

Why Stronger Together?

I built this deck in response to the Same Old Siphon decks that were dominating a year ago. Thought the deck was different back then, it stopped criminal cold (the deck used to have more straight ETR ice that would go on HQ). But even today, nothing makes me happier than seeing a blue identity across the table from me.

The goal of this deck is to build up HQ, R&D, and one Remote to the point that the runner doesn't feel like he can successfully run anywhere. You do this by amassing huge amounts of money, free rezzes with Pri Req and ABT, and putting Caprice on the least iced of those servers. Except against Shaper, if you make it to the late game, your opponent will often not feel like he can get in anywhere, or if he can, it will be paying 14 credits to look at one card.

When people compare Stronger Together to EtF, they look at the "one credit per turn" and think there is no way that +1 strength can make up for it. IT DOES. You can't just look at a straight economic analysis (though the runner repeatedly paying one more credit for each bioroid does add up). For example, the fact that Viktor 1.0 is unyogable is HUGE. Yog is pretty much a dead card against this deck. Heimdall 2.0 being unknightable has also led to quite a lot of brain damage. And you should never discount your opponent's ability to miscount how much he needs to get into a server (which has happened many many times.)

I use several different "packages" of cards that allow the deck to do different things

1) Project Vitruvius/Biotic Labor: When I put biotic in this deck, it is a one of. But if I can get an overadvanced Vitruvius (3 counters), then once I have 17 credits and a 3 pointer and biotic in HQ, I can score the 5/3 out of hand. Pretty nice way to win when at 4 points. Haas Arcology AI can make this combo work with only 2 vitruvius counters (and doubles as a fake agenda that can force the runner to pay to get through your remote for no agenda points.

2) False Lead/Heinlein Grid. This is actually what I am running now. Heinlein Grids are great for defending a Adonis behind a single Eli/Viktor (usually you want to put your Adonis in your scoring server.) Heinlein with a false lead scored pretty much means that that server is not going to get run.

Other thoughts

Runners almost never click through a facechecked Eli. They usually click through a facechecked Viktor 1.0. They always click through a facechecked Viktor 2.0. Use this to your advantage when choosing which ice goes over R&D and which goes over HQ on your first turn.

Protect your Eve Campaigns! Viktor 1.0, Architect, Data Raven and Ichi are all great cards to put in front of an Eve Campaign. Don't worry about protecting it til it is rezzed, but as soon as the counters run dry, put another campaign or a Jackson Howard behind that ice. No more than one ice should protect Eve Campaign.

Don't be afraid to risk an agenda in your remote if you have another in hand. IAA in your scoring remote is a strong play even if the runner scores, since you can IAA again next turn and they won't be able to get it most likely. Especially because...

...Legwork and Sneakdoor Beta are murder against this deck. Against Criminal, Caprice almost always goes on HQ. Ice Archives with something painful like Ichi or Data Raven.

The other card you need to watch out for is Magnum Opus. A player running opus will build up money midgame to the point that they can run any server and get in, and be able to do it again next turn. In this matchup, Caprice goes on your remote.

16 comments
23 Nov 2014 Jashay

Interesting! I'm just starting to test a HB:ST deck; it's nice to have a rough template to work from. A few questions, though, if you don't mind:

Why Grim? Is it not just a worse Ichi in this deck? It doesn't have the click vulnerability, but it also doesn't end the run, or do brain damage.

8 influence on Caprice, when Ash is in faction, seems excessive. Is the cost justified?

Only one Heinlein Grid? Seems like it would be awesome in this kind of deck.

Also, have you tried either Lag Time or Enhanced Login Protocols to make life even more difficult for the runner?

Cheers, look forward to trying this out.

23 Nov 2014 pastorn

Hi! This seems pretty cool. I started getting serious with ST a few months back, this is where I'm at right now (used in tournament yesterday): netrunnerdb.com

From your deck I'll probably steal the idea of Eve Campaign. The rez cost is early siphon protection in itself, which is neat.

How often do you find that you can use Bioroid Efficiency Research? There's only 4 ICE that can benefit from it, so is it worth having?

23 Nov 2014 theodorelogan

Ichi 1.0 is a taxing ice. It doesn't often trash any programs. Grim is for trashing programs.

The problem with Ash 2X3ZB9CY is that you need to spend money on the trace, and even if the runner loses the trace, he can still get rid of the Ash 2X3ZB9CY. Caprice Nisei says "Spend 12 credits for a 1/3 chance of accessing anything". I want to use my money to rez ice. However, with Heinlein Grid out, that could change. I have used both Ash 2X3ZB9CY and Caprice Nisei together, but I consider Caprice Nisei to be 8 influence well worth it.

Enhanced Login Protocol has been a great card when I've used it and it sees itself in and out of my decks.

It's very infrequent that I have a game where I've drawn and not been able to play Bioroid Efficiency Research. A second one can come in hand too...remember, they might break the ice!

24 Nov 2014 bcavalier

God Damnit Vince, if I see clones of this deck running around the scene, I'm going to strangle you.

24 Nov 2014 CodeMarvelous

This is very interestng. do you feel that caprice is still pulling the weight of that influence with things like ELP in the game?

24 Nov 2014 CodeMarvelous

I just ask because In my experience caprice never seems to survive long

24 Nov 2014 Dydra

Lol ... this is SO FUNNY .... Scored False lead with Heinlein grid means that this server will never get run?

WTF?

Run on 3rd or 4th click bro ... Earth to noob, hello?

24 Nov 2014 frost-duty

@Dydra Any particular reason you have to be so rude?

The point he is quite reasonably trying to make is that running on the 3rd or 4th click means you have no ability to click through the extra strength bioroids, and so you have to break through them all with cash; super expensive.

Also you can wait for them to spend clicks one and two, and then pop the false lead, meaning they don't even get the chance to run on it.

Basically he's saying that if you time to placement of the agenda right the runner is almost certainly not going to get in or will decide against trying.

Please don't insult people for no reason, it's totally unnecessary and makes you come across as a bit of a prat.

24 Nov 2014 theodorelogan

@CodeMarvelousyes Caprice Nisei pulls her weight. As far as non-ice defense, she is what I miss most when I take her out. Her weakness in R&D and HQ isn't so much of a factor since the runner is typically not going to get more than a single run per turn anyway so they are not get to look at another card. Your servers are so taxing that if your Caprice Nisei survives the first run, the server often won't get run again.

That isn't to say that other defensive choices aren't valid, but for me, they come in after Caprice Nisei. Enhanced Login Protocol is not in this particular deck but I have found it to be a great asset. I've used Tyr's Hand and have been happy with what it does for a single credit. But for me it isn't about these things replacing Caprice Nisei. It's about how well they work with her.

24 Nov 2014 Cryoclasm

@theodorelogan, This is really interesting build, however, I failed to find Project Vitruvius, Biotic Labor or False Lead in this list.

24 Nov 2014 theodorelogan

@Dydra

1) See @frost-duty's post

2) In addition, to @frost-duty's points, my decision to not sack False Lead on the Runner's third click after I've IAA'ed something is a deterrent to running. Particularly if the server is 3 or four ice deep (which your scoring remote generally will be). I would recommend getting some experience playing with these cards. My comment was not a speculative one: I have plenty of empirical evidence that supports the claim that "Heinlein with a false lead scored pretty much means that that server is not going to get run."

3) Don't bro me if you don't know me.

24 Nov 2014 theodorelogan

@Cryoclasm Those are different "packages" of cards that I will switch in or out if I want to do something a little different with the deck.

25 Nov 2014 Orpheus

@theodorelogan What do you swap out to make room for the False Lead/additional Heinlein Grid cards?

I'm very new, but this deck looks to make HB more fun than I previously thought it. Thanks for posting it.

25 Nov 2014 Two_EG

waiting for Markus 1.0.....

2 Dec 2014 johncraven

can you explain the data raven? why not archer

3 Dec 2014 triplenine

Neat. I have been trying to make ST functional. I always try to get too tricky with it. I did the non-ICE side of your list. Really efficient.