Precision Instruments

Finnbarre 72

I was reading on /r/netrunner about archetypes for runners and one commentator mentioned their view that criminal is the precision runner, who use their superior information (satellite uplink etc) to run less often but for greater effect. While I don't agree that cards like satellite uplink are very good, the idea stuck in my head. I've always played criminals in the style of Andromeda data sucker with desperado. Run fast and run often.

But what if we built a criminal that ran perhaps once per turn, highly efficiently, and always having multi-access?

So I built this deck. It has tested very well on Jinteki.net and I'll be bringing it to game night.

ID: I chose Gabe, because of his ability to gain an economic lead and force corporations to make themselves poor by forcing an ice rez on both R&D and HQ.

Console: Tossed out desperado, because we won't be running as often as others. But what console to use instead? If we're running efficiently then the stealth suite of breakers works great! But stealth breakers and their stealth credit sources are sometimes hard to find. Hence we use Logos. In my games it is not uncommon to score a couple of points early by face checking with just a Faerie on board. Eventually the corp stabilizes and reaches the mid game. When they score out their first agenda Logos helps me find exactly what I need to speed my rig along. I'll also usually have a Gang sign out, possibly with HQ interface. This led to some great moments such as sniping jacksons, contract killers, and caprices, and agendas out of hand immediately after they score. Gang signs stack too, so accessing two cards in HQ, then doing it again for free can be ridiculous.

Icebreakers: standard stealth breaker suite. So efficient. So slow to set up. But logos and special orders help it along.

Econ: Kati, Gabe's ability and security testing. Again this is a deck that runs maybe once per turn. So I always have time to click on Kati. And late game your stealth breakers are incredibly efficient. Break archer for two silencer creds. Etc etc. So you really only need a bit of cash on hand for your Corroder.

Other things Sneakdoor Beta: for the early game pressure. Non-glacier archetypes will sometimes fail to ice up archives. In my style of playing this deck I slam Faerie and face check RND and HQ. It's very taxing for the corp to honor threats on both main central servers and have the creds to rez archives ice as well. It also helps enable emergency shut down shenanigans after they've rezzed a big piece of ice on either RND and HQ, and gets you your gabe money.

Also wow Drive By is good. I think half the time I used it it whiffed (the card turning out to be an actual agenda) but the other half it cut apart caprices, and assassinated ash's. I didn't have to play a single Psi game against the couple of Jinteki opponents I played last night online and it was glorious.

5 comments
15 Jul 2015 FarCryFromHuman

I'd call Drive By revealing an agenda a benefit, not a whiff...

I disagree that Criminals are "the precision runner," that title can just as easily go to decks in any faction (especially Kit and Valencia). That said, I love building Gabe as one. His ability only fires once a turn, so to me one run is exactly what he wants to make. When there's a threat in a remote, you make that extra run, or change your target.

This is a cool deck, you seem to dance on a knife-edge with your includes, taking exactly as much stealth as you need. I'm curious how it will work out for you.

16 Jul 2015 SlayerCNV

@FarCryFromHuman if u can't steal it's not a benefit, at all.

About the deck. I also think that this could be a good build BUT you definitly need something for draw.

17 Jul 2015 Finnbarre

So an update from the game nights. I faced 3 blue suns and beat all of them. The only loss was to a Nisei division deck where on turn three I ran through cortex lock to steal a Future Perfect. Thought I was safe since his celebrity gift had revealed nothing, but he top decked a neural EMP.

All said I'm very impressed with how the deck performed. I never ran out of stealth credits, and late game I was recurring inside jobs to hop over curtain walls, casually switchblading archers for two credits and then scoring agendas.

17 Jul 2015 FarCryFromHuman

That's awesome! How did the Gang Sign + HQ Interface combo fare? Did you find yourself needing your Ghost Runner credits?

18 Jul 2015 Finnbarre

I used anywhere from 0 to 5 stealth credits from Ghost Runner. Gang Sign + HQ interface didn't do much work last night, but I do think it delayed corps scoring in a few instances. I did snipe one contract killer and a Jackson which the corp was going to use to dig his other jackson out of archives. So your results may vary.