Dead-Draw Hoshiko (StartUp)

ClosDeLaRoche 763

Dead-Draw Hoshiko is my follow-up to Sneaky Tao. It continues the theme of finely-tuned, straight-forward runner decks that aim to be highly competitive. This deck, similar to Sneaky Tao, is marvelously consistent with 3x and 2x copies of powerful cards.

A key difference is that powerful Anarch cards, such as Cookbook and Paladin Poemu, are best installed as early as possible with extra copies becoming sad dead-draws. Some players will choose to include two copies as balance, but I think this is a mistake. With this deck we are fully embracing the dead-draw!

Fortunately we have a key to make it work: Moshing. Anarchs, drop your Earthrise Hotels, Liberated Accounts and Career Fairs for the incomparable power that is Moshing. Set up as early as possible then Mosh away your dead-draws for three new cards and three shiny credits. Heck, one turn I've I double-Moshed six dead-draws for a brand new hand and six credits! Liberated and Earthrise can't hope to compete with that kind of tempo.

The deck operates in three acts. The first goal is to install powerful cards that get better the sooner you can get them down. Fermenter, Cookbook, Paladin Poemu, DreamNet, and Keiko are your prime targets. Seeing that Rezeki early is a sweet bonus. 3x Boomerang and 3x Botulus are there to contest remotes and trigger your ID before you are fully set up.

Mid-game you want to get your breakers and an Ice Carver down. If you can manage it, Conduit pressure at this stage will go a long way. Now is when your dead-draws are piling up. Mosh that junk away for a tempo-positive transition to the late game!

Use Taka and Conduit to fuel you across the finish line. If you burned your copies of Botulus, any problem ice like Bran, Tollbooth, Colossus and Pharos can be broken by indefinitely recycling a Boomerang with your ID. Poemu and Keiko even makes the install free.

If you are a fan of Sneaky Tao please give Dead-Draw Hoshiko a shot. I believe this deck to be stronger while still playing a consistent game full of powerful interactions. Cheers!

5 comments
25 Aug 2021 valerian32

Why don't you use Leech?

25 Aug 2021 ClosDeLaRoche

It's not needed. The only real problem ice are Bran and a fully advanced Pharos. For those use Boomerang or Botulus. Tollbooth can be a pain too, but Botulus is excellent on it.

In my testing I found Rezeki to pull it's weight more than Leech.

27 Aug 2021 Satoshi

I experimented with conduit in Hoshiko, but I eventually switched out for Stargate. There's a few key advantages:

  • Stargate always shows you 3 cards, doesn't need warmup, can't be purged.
  • Stargate doesn't trigger Snare. Conduit can kill you if the corp has 3 snares.
  • Stargate is good vs Vacheron
  • Stargate run is useful even if you don't hit agendas, you can trash a card the corp needs for free even if it can't normally be trashed
  • Stargate doesn't cost you 4 inf.

If you have Keiko and you don't run leech it seems like you have memory for Stargate and a fermenter and all 3 breakers?

1 Sep 2021 SweetTornaydo

Played this list tonight a couple times and totally died to my Conduit hitting Snares! Definitely think Stargate is the way to go. List otherwise felt amazing though - always felt very rich and like I could get through anything I wanted.

20 Sep 2021 ClosDeLaRoche

Good points! I do like Conduit because of 1 MU and Cookbook synergy but the downsides are probably not worth it. Lately I've tweaked the list like this: -1 Conduit, -1 Rezeki, -1 Moshing, +1 Stargate, +1 Simulchip, +1 Bravado.