I am become…pawnshop? (1st Gamescape SC, undefeated)

Congrats on a great performance and a really nice list! Would you cut the Deuces for a Rachel Beckman? Also, how critical do you find having extra copies of Aumakua and TTW are? It would be fun to squeeze in a PolOp too, although judging by your writeup it doesn't seem like it would have helped in any of your games. (Except maybe for sniping Bankers vs CtM or something, I don't know.)

Odd Question. How are you installing those Aesop's Pawnshops with Apex: Invasive Predator? Other than that, pretty spiffy deck and writeup.

Odd Question. So, is Apex able to enter meatspace now? If so, watch out!

(The better question is why anyone didn't say anything about you installing Aesop's, a non-virtual resource, which Apex cannot do.)

So, uh... When did Aesop's become errata'd to be a virtual resource?

So, Aesop's is virtual now?

@A_Runner_is_No_One Install Aesop's face-down, then flip face-up with Assimilator. Face-down Runner cards aren't anything in particular (thus not Resources), so the install is legal, and flipping Resources face-up doesn't trigger Apex's restriction since the card is already installed.

Sorry about the post spam. Kept getting errors, and didn't think any of it posted.

Assimilator.

@presheaf 1x Beckman's worth testing, cheating her in early would help with setup speed. I like 2 TTW because it's your win condition but 3rd turtle is flexible. Pol Op might help against Aginfusion or Gagarin, plus it synergizes with your whole engine if used on corp turn.

@A_Runner_is_No_One what @wait what said. Apex's restriction is on installing, not deckbuilding, so you can include Aesop's in a list and Assimilator does not install it flips face up. That's why we're talking about Beckman & Pol Op too :)

I'm not sure how to feel about this one, Eric. You won an SC with Apex, but the list doesn't include a single copy of Apocalypse. I'm super proud of you, but I also feel this hollow sense of disappointment =(

I'm not sure how to feel about this one, Eric. You won an SC with Apex, but without a single copy of Apocalypse in the deck. I'm super proud of you, but feel a hollow sense of disappointment =(

This deck is a dream. I've played a handful of games with it or a close, 46 card variant (+1 Endless Hunger, +1 Brain Cage, -1 Prey) and it's ... not won me many games, okay, but it's really fun!

A few ideas and thoughts on your version and my tweaks:

• Hunting Grounds is MVP for this deck, for sure. I can't recall EVER using the trash ability on that card before this past week, and with Assimilator it's just awesome. You get screwed if, like, your Sure Gambles and PIOTs end up getting installed facedown, of course, but then it's just more cards for you to burn.

• Assimilator makes Apex feel like a "flexible Ayla" oddly enough. You can put most anything facedown and just leave it on the table to not get messed with by the Corp for most of the game. When you need to use it, just Assimilate the card and voila, instant tech card. Assimilator is expensive to install but it makes Apex feels like a free-to-use, expandable NVRAM for tech. The only thing I can think of that would even hit the facedowns is a Hunter Seeker, and who's ever going to Hunter Seeker an unknown facedown? I love it.

• The Cy-Cy trick is pretty badass, but I've also tried out including a singleton Brain Cage, primarily for the Obokata matchup. If you're certain you're going to have to steal one, then buffing up your hand ahead of time and leaving yourself clicks to draw a bit back up really neuters any significant tempo loss from losing all those cards. Oh, and with Assimilator, you don't take the damage on install. At worst it's another facedown to burn?

• The addition of a singleton Endless Hunger also won me a couple games, especially vs. rigshooter Skorpios builds. I just put it facedown most games and let it sit there, and when the Corp thinks they're safe to start advancing stuff out in the remote, I assimilate. People still seem to want to play around the nonexistent Apoc, but forget about Endless Hunger for some reason.

My main issue has been churning my deck, to be honest. I often run out of cards. I don't know what I can do to mitigate this other than maybe learning when to Pawnshop the Reavers earlier or something. I can't see any other good options for recursion -- maybe trying to find room for Trope, but is it worth it?

When the deck gets going (thank you Hunting Grounds), it really starts to go through cards fast. I'm going to flirt with a 47 card build as in some ways this reminds me of those slightly chubby MaxX decks.

Thanks for the super-fun deck!

Maybe -1 Aumakua, -1 Aesop's, +1 Trope? That seems like a bad idea, but... maybe?

@Saan it's sad, I know :(

I feel like replacing the Na'Not'K with MKUltra would be helpful, especially if you're willing to add in an Apocalypse (which I think even just 1x of is really useful even just as a threat.) It can be sold (or facedown installed, then sold) and reinstalled clicklessly for a profit. It also doesn't require using an Assimilator activation to reinstall post-Apoc, along with Paperclip. It's less efficient, but you have Aumakua for efficiency. Apocalypse synergizes quite well with Aumakua.

I echo the sentiment that 1x Rachel Beckman would be amazing. It's a single influence, and extremely valuable in the HB matchup (vs MCA Austerity Policy/Enhanced Login Protocol,) and/or for an Apocalypse turn, although the click goes away once you Apoc.

So:

-1 Na'Not'K, -1 Deuces Wild, -1 Peace in Our Time or TTW?

+1 MKUltra, +1 Rachel Beckman, +1 Apocalypse

@scd When your deck runs out, use Assimilator to flip Harbingers so your Aesops has targets. (Of course, you can trash Reavers first, as they're dead when the deck is empty.) This lets you keep on getting money. If you need more cards, yeah, Trope is the obvious inclusion, but I'm not sure that you need it.

I amused and saddened that Apex now plays neither Apocalypse nor Endless Hunger.

Playing with a variant of this list at the moment and, while I still have trouble setting up fast enough against certain builds, this is the smoothest Apex has ever worked for me.

I'm currently using Black Orchestra, Brain Cage, Trope and Apocalypse just to help deal with early damage from facechecks if I don't pull Na'Not'K and for dealing with Obokata. It also helps if my Wastelands are down as I can bin a conspiracy breaker for quick credits and card draw in a pinch and Trope means I usually have a better chance of recovering than an entrenched opponent after the Apoc turn.

Asset spam is still an issue but maybe the Beckman suggestion is the fix for that as it's usually clicks and not credits that restrict cleanup.

You can't Best Defense a face down card, so your breakers were safe.

Great template! I swapped out 3x Peace for 3x Ghost Runner, it's not as efficient in terms of creds but since it is a virtual you don't have to use Assimilator to "res" it and either Pawn it at 1 cred or trash it when it is empty to trigger other parts of the engine, plus you aren't feeding creds to the Corp.

I also swapped out the -3x Aumakua for another +1x Paperclip and +2x Overmind. I figure I will get 2-3 breaks off Overmind in most situations and then Pawn it or trash it for the engine. It's probably just me, but I don't like relying on the trigger conditions for the counter on Aumakua.

I'm going to give it a shot next week and see if it is workable. Maybe swap in 1x Brain Cage, Rachel, or Apoc or Maybe even Global Sec Clearance if need.

What would you replace Cyber-Cypher and Dirty Laundry with for a Rotated build? Mass-Driver might be a valid replacement (it may not be as efficient, but using Assimilator to bypass its cost is effective). No idea what 0-inf econ to sub in for DL.

Please Ignore prior comment.... ive been misreading the Rotation factors the whole time. DURRRR