Kit + Nexus + Escher = (╯°□°)╯︵ ┻━┻

ycombinator 789

All I see is Ice<T>

(MWL-Legal)

The deck is based around three simple observations:

  1. Rielle "Kit" Peddler: Transhuman makes the first ice into a code-gate. has the best code-gate breakers.
  2. Security Nexus is amazing, if expensive. It turns an ice per turn into "pay some to bypass".
  3. Once the corp gets more than 2 ice on each server, Escher invalidates all that hard work.

To get the boat-load of money required to get Security Nexus out, with sufficient , and an efficient breaker suite, we'll rely on Magnum Opus.

A side-effect of this deck's construction is that it side-steps many of Rielle "Kit" Peddler: Transhumans fundamental weaknesses, but this is another topic, for another day.

Security Nexus

Security Nexus is expensive. Modded and Magnum Opus to get it out.

To use Security Nexus effectively, we have to have a significant amount of , and our base is 0 . Thus, we have 3x Rabbit Hole, and 1x Dyson Mem Chip.

Other options for more that could replace Dyson Mem Chip include Access to Globalsec and The Helpful AI, but neither of these combo with Modded. Additionally, Dyson Mem Chip's extra helps early game if we don't draw into our Security Nexus to enable Magnum Opus + cheap decoder + Self-modifying Code.

Decoder package

We want to be streamlined, and not rely on much , so we'll rely on Torch rather than Refractor. To get the Torch out, we're cheating it out with the Test Run/Scavenge combo.

This combo is not fast enough to provide enough early pressure, so we have ZU.13 Key Master for a cheap face-checking answer on any server, and Cyber-Cypher to consistently threaten R&D early, and to threaten the remote. The latter combos with Scavenge well.

To stretch the investment we make in Torch further, and further empower the "one breaker to rule them all", we add the Paintbrush late-game.

Target Rig

Late-game, we're shooting for some subset of:

Threats

Early game, a Cyber-Cypher on R&D or the remote does work. Tinkering adds remote threat early on. Stimhack adds quite a bit of burst that adds threat that normally isn't present in an Magnum Opus deck.

When using Security Nexus, the threat is contingent on us having more s than the corp. If not, they can cause the Security Nexus to fail. This is another motivation behind Magnum Opus, and is the hardest constraint to play with in the game.

R&D is a consistent threat, and getting an early R&D Interface with a strong The Maker's Eye run is common. Late game, 2x R&D Interface and The Maker's Eye runs win the game. Early R&D and HQ attacks serve the second purpose of getting scouting information for which ICE are possible where. This is essential for the next item...

Escher is used for one of two things.

  1. Open up a closed R&D for a final push of R&D accesses (often after 2x Jacksons have been used).
  2. Open up the remote to prevent the corp from scoring out, and increase the pressure on HQ, and on using Jacksons.

These are used in different situations. We err toward the latter if the corp is on game point. We err toward the former if they're far from game point, or if we believe they don't have the agendas in HQ.

Phases of the game

I've been playing this deck for 1.5 months, and I've found that this deck plays in a number of distinct phases:

  1. Get Magnum Opus. If this goes beyond turn two, you're in trouble.
  2. Early pressure. Find either an Self-modifying Code, or one of the 3 cheap decoders and apply pressure on as many servers as possible, but with a focus on R&D and the remote. Trash econ assets, unless they're going strongly horizontal (Turtlebacks are a good sign of this), in which case you need to focus on the centrals.
  3. Econ up. This is not a rush deck. It goes late. Knowing when to econ up is key to winning. Magnum Opus economies broadcast scoring windows like no other. If you don't have Stimhack, then you simply need to up. Given the Security Nexus math, you likely want as many s as the corp. The point of this is to threaten the remote. An easy way to lose is to not go to this step early enough, or to put too much econ pressure on yourself by hitting R&D or the remote too hard. If R&D is still open, goto 5. If they attempt to push assets into the remote, goto 4.
  4. Remote Snipes. Clear out the remotes when possible. Tinkering is there to help out with this somewhat early game. Certainly clear out econ assets, but it is worthwhile to also clear out upgrades that will cause you problems later (Caprice, I see you!). We need to clear out Jacksons to enable 5. We should always have enough money to snipe the remote at least once. We often don't play key pieces of our rig until we believe an agenda is in the remote, then throw it down.
  5. R&D. A strong focus on R&D to make sure that they ice up, and spend their limited money to defend. This often includes a single R&D Interface with a The Maker's Eye with the threat for more.
  6. Escher. If we are threatened with a loss in the remote, then open up the remote, and goto 4, while keeping the R&D threat open. If not, open up R&D, or put all the un-rezzed ice on it if they are poor and goto 7.
  7. R&D Lock. Now we need at least 2 R&D Interfaces, and we hammer R&D. Remember to goto 3 to maintain a threat on the remote if they can draw past the lock.

Match ups

The worst match-ups, given the setup speed of the entire rig, are against rush decks. It is not uncommon to use a Self-modifying Code for a Cerberus "Lady" H1, and draw for one of the decoders. Together, these provide most of the necessary access and disruption to slow down the rush. Against astrobiotics, we have the money to trash the sansans, and we need to. If they score the early astro, winning will be hard, but is possible. R&D Interface and The Maker's Eye win it for us. We don't focus on getting Security Nexus out against these decks. The rig is often just conventional breakers.

Similarly, -rush is tough. You have to be OK losing the first 3 points and focusing a little more on rig. The up-side is that while constantly forcing rezzes, these decks often don't have enough money. Just make sure that you can switch to remote sniping on a dime if they drop an Oaktown.

SYNC and Spark aren't that bad to play against due to Magnum Opus and high .

Haarp is often a loss. 24/7 is annoying. I don't like Plascrete Carapaces. If you don't want to lose against these decks, then include 2.

I don't see RP being played that much, but I can only imagine this deck does not fare well at all against it (i.e. normal Rielle "Kit" Peddler: Transhuman). GS Shrike M2 is a key card if they are on Komainu/Tsurugi. Self-modifying Code for GS Shrike M2 early on is typical. If RP gets popular again, we'll need Film Critic and likely Councilman.

IG is a decent matchup due to Magnum Opus and Chronos Protocol just means that you need to sit back before key pieces are out so that they aren't sniped. ZU.13 Key Master remains useful (as a cloud program) as good Power Shutdown protection.

The best current match-up is against foodcoats. They will likely get an early Eve or Adonis, and that is fine. It has the effect of buying us time to get our rig up. Force rezzes everywhere, and don't let them get econ after the initial tick-down. These decks have so much expensive ice, that Escher is often gg.

Influence and NAPD Most Wanted

The most wanted list obviously hits Rielle "Kit" Peddler: Transhuman as she has such a small pool of influence. This deck only uses Cerberus "Lady" H1, making Rielle "Kit" Peddler: Transhuman's influence effectively 9.

The necessary uses of influence are

This leaves us one additional influence that is effectively a flex slot. Options are:

  • Stimhack because it is one of the best cards in an Magnum Opus deck, and provides one more way to get the Torch out, along-side Self-modifying Code.
  • Utopia Shard which applies a little more HQ pressure, and helps against kill decks
  • Corroder could replace Cerberus "Lady" H1 if the new hotness is small barriers (i.e. if super-modernism comes back)
  • Power Tap or Compromised Employee to help with the traces, and get a little auxiliary econ
  • Copycat because comboed with Escher, this is a "get in cheap" pass to a remote. Without recursion, I don't think this gets a slot, even in jank decks.
  • Mimic if there is some sentry ice at strength 2 or 3 that takes over the meta. This is actually less necessary now than it was before the most wanted list as Architect will be less common now. If strength 2 becomes quite popular, then Net-Ready Eyes would likely replace Dyson Mem Chip before +1 Mimic.
  • Scrubber if the new hotness is must-trash horizontal, though I'd likely try Paricia first as it is tutorable.
  • Femme Fatale which turns Test Runs into Tinkerings.

Because I'm old-school, and have been playing Magnum Opus for all of the times, I'm taking the simple answer and going with Stimhack.

ICE Analysis

The breaker suite of this deck is odd. You run through most ice with a single breaker and a console, regardless of the type of the ice. However, the corp catches on to this, and will triple ice servers. At that point, you need an answer to the third ice. The difficulty with most decks is that it is quite difficult to ice 3 deep on 3 servers, especially when 1/3 or more of your ice is effectively blank (all code-gates).

Sentries

Sentries bin into five categories, each with different answers.

  • Trace 'em - Assassin, Gutenberg, Caduceus, Data Raven, Resistor, Troll. These popular(ish) sentries are dependent on trace. We should have 4 or 5 (with Dyson Mem Chip), which makes most of them have significantly less bite. Gutenberg is the exception that will still require 3 s if not boosted by the corp. On the other hand, it only costs a + to get rid of the tag if you have to run through it. With Magnum Opus out, paying the 3 for the trace effectively saves a (since = 2 ).

  • Natural protection - Ichi (1 and 2), Cortex Lock. through the Ichis. Magnum Opus and some rig provides good protection against the Lock. GS Shrike M2 is quite expensive for Ichi 2.0. Again, if that is quite common, then Net-Ready Eyes is the answer.

  • Kill 'em - Komainu, Rototurret, Tour Guide, Errand Boy, NEXT Gold. Most of these is relatively cheap to pay through with GS Shrike M2, and some are OK to run through.

  • Kill 'em with a tear in your eye - Grim, Tsurugi, Lancelot are all the magic +1 strength over what GS Shrike M2 makes efficient, thus costing 2 s more than you want. If these dominate the meta, then Net-Ready Eyes is a reasonable include. Security Nexus these, if possible.

  • Cry - Architect, Archer, Susanoo-No-Mikoto. You can get through. It'll cost you. Good Security Nexus targets.

The thing about this deck is you don't have to have an efficient answer to all eventualities, and you don't need it. You have the ability to get through two ice of any type each turn. The preference for most of the expensive ice is to Security Nexus through them. This is the plan for their first encounter. If they are in a compromising position (or stacked), you have three options: 1. Tinkering which effectively act like inside jobs, 2. Escher - an essential card in this deck, and 3. Paintbrush.

Barriers

We have three options here, regardless which barriers are played.

  1. Security Nexus through them.
  2. Torch through them if they are outer-most.
  3. Escher them somewhere else.
  4. Tinkering to get a surprise access on a remote.
  5. Paintbrush them into a code-gate.
  6. ...oh, did I mention Cerberus "Lady" H1?

To be clear, we make the cost/benefit analysis for rezzing code-gates quite bad for the corp, and Cerberus "Lady" H1 does the same for barriers (especially combined with Scavenge and Test Run).

Code Gates

Kit. Need I say more?

...Yes? OK, how about Torch. Done yet?

As noted above, we have 4 decoders to speed up the deck, and pressure remotes early.

There is a single code-gate that we don't want to deal with with Torch: Tollbooth. We want to try and use the Security Nexus on it, if possible.

Notable Omissions

What typical cards are we missing here?

  • Clone Chip - This is often used as an additional Self-modifying Code, or to recur expendable programs (Parasite, Sharpshooter, etc...). It is obviously useful to hedge against program destruction as well. It isn't very effective at either here. We don't have the to recur Self-modifying Codes. We don't have cheap enough programs that we want to pay their install cost multiple times (Hi Torch!). We don't have the influence or for Parasite. Though we'd like Sharpshooter, we have Security Nexus for the same purpose.
  • 3x Sure Gamble - This is often seen as an auto-include (in all but a few Noise: Hacker Extraordinaire decks). Factoring in the cost of draw the card, it isn't significantly more efficient than Magnum Opus, thus it is often a wasted slot in an Magnum Opus deck. However, it is validly used in some decks to smooth out the variance of the first two turns. If this is a major concern for you, then -2 Tinkering, -1 Dyson Mem Chip, +3 Sure Gamble. The question is do you want to smooth the variance in the first 2 turns, or the variance on being able to pressure in the mid-game?
  • Mimic - This card is a staple in many decks, including decks. It could be nice to have here, but the main package can often avoid the ill effects of Architects in many cases, and other Sentries are dealt with using other means (see the Sentry analysis below).
  • Vamp - Vamp Kit is a thing. It is awesome. It doesn't work that well here for two main reasons.
    1. Influence. We need an answer to barriers, and with the NAPD Most Wanted List making Cerberus "Lady" H1 an influence, we're even more influence pressured. We need a sentry answer. Taking 2x Vamp means no Femme Fatale which means you have to slot for Creeper...sigh. 1x Vamp increases variance on the Vamp plays.
    2. Anti-synnergy. Vamp is great because it lets you get into remotes. Vamp 'em to 0 s, then run into the remote trashing all the upgrades, and stealing all of the things. This plan is often reliant on not enabling the corp to rez many ice on the remote. If they have, then it is difficult to make it in post-vamp, as your Kit ability and perhaps your Security Nexus have already been expended on HQ. We often need to force rezzes on remotes to trash assets early on so that the corp can't run away with the econ game. We're somewhat slow to set up, so we don't have the luxury of letting remotes go uncontested early on.
    3. Redundancy. We are already attacking the economy of the corp. We force ice rezzes quite frequently while not spending much to get through. Then we make that ice near worthless with Escher.
  • Stealth. The consensus seems to be that stealth Kit is the best Kit. Zeromus aside, most seem to be on the stealth train. That's fine, but there is a lot of merit in cheap Torches, and Magnum Opus economies. This is just another Rielle "Kit" Peddler: Transhuman prototype that I believe is quite valid.

Best Card in the Deck

This brings me to the crux of the deck, Escher.

The corp works so hard throughout the game to build their three-ice servers to keep us out, which often requires large commitments of , and the use of code-gates as outer-most ice. After doing this on R&D (often 4 ice thick), and on a server, it is hard to do so also on HQ, and have the money to rez all the ice. After all this hard work, Escher essentially says:

(╯°□°)╯︵ ┻━┻.

A great game against ETF culminated in 4 deep ice on R&D (2 rezzed), 3 deep on HQ (none rezzed), and 3 deep on Remote (all rezzed). An Escher later = concede. The 30+ s valuable investment they worked so hard to Eve and Adonis disappeared in a single run. Put another way, Escher makes you happy to see Popup Window. No sigh. No groan. Just a smirk knowing what will happen with that Popup in 6 turns.

With Escher, small ice is a liability. With Security Nexus and Torch, large ice is an unfavorable exchange.

  • Escher in many cases replaces Parasite. Small (especially porous) ice will help you soon to open up the remote or R&D. This ice is often the target of Parasite due to low strength.
  • Escher replaces Vamp. Want to open up a remote? Stack porous ice on it. Want to make the corp poor? Force rezzes that don't cost you much, then make that investment worthless with stacked expensive ICE on archives and HQ.
  • Escher enables sustained R&D lock. The corp understands that R&D is a long-term liability. Stacking 4 ICE is common. If two code-gates can be moved from elsewhere, then you can reinvigorate your R&D runs.
  • Escher produces the highest number of rage quits. Work hard on your walls? Invest time and sweat in them? Nothing as demotivating as watching all that work go to waste.

Drawing the Combos

Yes, this is a combo deck.

As with most combo decks, we need to draw into our combos. Given this, we have the ability to draw 27/40 cards for 14.5 s (converting 2 s = 1 ). This comes from

  • Quality Time - 5 cards for + 1.5 with Magnum Opus.
  • Diesel - 3 cards for .
  • Rabbit Hole - essentially 2 free draws or, viewed another way, a shrunk deck to 38 cards for + 3 s for the to conversion, and making the simplifying assumptions that we don't draw two rabbit holes in our starting hand, and that once we draw them, we use them. Note this actually is more expensive than just clicking for cards, but we obviously get the benefit of + 3 .

That's almost a draw ratio of 2 cards/ while using the draw cards. Considering we will (on average) need to to draw the remaining 13 s, we have 40/(13 + 14.5) = 1.45 cards per on average. For a simple assumption that whenever we are spending our s on getting resources, we spend 50% on Magnum Opus, and the rest of drawing, we have 1 /, and 0.77 cards/. This is comparable credit efficiency to Prepaid Kate, and slightly better draw efficiency pre-Levy AR Lab Access. See http://stimhack.com/a-comparison-of-event-based-runner-economies-in-anr/. Post-Levy AR Lab Access, is likely analogous to no draws for this deck (i.e. it has the desired board state), thus every resource click is simply 2 per which rivals post-Levy AR Lab Access Prepaid Kate (which, if lucky, averages around 7 s per turn). Note, of course, the well-known Magnum Opus tempo hit for install is the main downside of the economic engine.

Unfortunately, that's never the whole story. the deck has a large number of dead draws. These include:

  • 2x Magnum Opus
  • 1x Security Nexus
  • 1x - 3x Decoders (depending when you draw them)
  • 1x - 2x Self-modifying Code as once our rig is complete, we're out of .
  • 7 draw cards that aren't a real "quality" draw themselves (see http://stimhack.com/a-comparison-of-event-based-runner-economies-in-anr/)

This totals a maximum of 15 dead draws. Factoring this into the draw efficiency, we have 40/(13+14.5) * (45-15)/45 = 0.97 cards/. This is really not great, but seems in play-testing to be sufficient.

Note that in combo decks, the variance on drawing what you need is more important than the mean draw efficiency. I'm going to have to work more on the QuantANR simulator to get the variance values. My play testing so far has yielded the following intuitions on this:

  • Waiting for the Test Run + Scavenge combo to be reasonably aggressive and threaten remotes is not viable. Thus, we have 3 low-cost (Self-modifying Code-able) Decoders to threaten.
  • We have enough time to draw into our Security Nexus if we draw aggressively. Were this not the case, then +1 Trade-In.
  • This is the normal Magnum Opus package (Test Run + Self-modifying Code + Magnum Opus) which yields around a 84% chance of Magnum Opus first turn.
  • In some decks Scavenge is a dead-draw after you use it in the combo for your big breaker. Not so here. It is still useful for Cerberus "Lady" H1, Cyber-Cypher, and converting ZU.13 Key Master or Cyber-Cypher into a trashed Magnum Opus or Torch.
  • If we draw the Torch, it is often worth it to just bit the bullet and play it. The amount of time spent drawing the Test Run/Scavenge combo is likely more than the 4 clicks for credits that pay for the Torch. A Modded in hand makes this play a no-brainer.
  • This is the most important observation: Once we get set up, we really don't need to draw much. This means (as with Prepaid Kate), our economic efficiency goes crazy late game as we can avoid drawing, and instead = 2 for days.
40 comments
3 Jan 2016 Dr.Evil

Why dont you tell us something about your amphetamine consumption instead?

This wall of text!!!!

3 Jan 2016 ycombinator

;-) It has grown over a month's time. Or amphetamines.

4 Jan 2016 bubbathegoat

@Dr.Evil I like long write-ups on decks, it helps me learn the thought processes to building decks that other people use. It was very helpful for me when I was learning the game.

But this one is really long, I'll have to finish reading it tomorrow. I recently played against a Kate deck using a superficially similar rig, so I am interested to read more into this one.

4 Jan 2016 internet_potato

Seems like a lot of fun, thanks for the detailed write-up. My stealth kit has been performing really poorly recently, but man do I love that ID. Will give this a shot!

5 Jan 2016 Ranamar

Out of curiosity, why Torch instead of Study Guide? I'd think being able to set it all the way up to whatever you need (the cost differential would get you to 3 tokens to start with) would result in even better breaking performance.

5 Jan 2016 Ranamar

oh; I just reread the explanation and cheating it out means it's cheaper to get torch than study guide.

5 Jan 2016 ycombinator

@internet_potato: This is the most fun I've had with Kit in a long time. Hope you enjoy.

@Ranamar: 3 s, 2 cards, and 2 s is quite cheap indeed. I've played quite a bit with Study Guide, and it is really just too hard to make quick.

Not that even just straight-up playing Torch is cheaper than Study Guide at the same strength (9 vs 11s). The benefit to Study Guide is that you can pump up the strange to higher than 4 permanently.

6 Jan 2016 phrydephisch

This is perhaps the best Kit deck I have played, and I have played a lot of them.

6 Jan 2016 Lupus Yonderboi

Damn, I thought I was the only one to try a Nexus Kit deck. I failed to make it work, though, so I kept it for myself.

6 Jan 2016 ycombinator

@phrydephisch: Agreed. I basically have only played Kit for 2 years. I've tried all of the public prototypes, and quite a few more. This I vastly better.

@Lupus Yonderboi: Of note, I've tried Nexus Kit builds based around Stimhack + Personal Workshop, and stealth. They don't work nearly as well. The stimshop variants can be slightly faster (but with higher variance), but don't have as many tricks, or as good a sentry breaker. I think this is best.

7 Jan 2016 Ranamar

@ycombinator: The thought was that your later runs get even cheaper, but I'm sold on it not being cheaper when the actual install cost is so much lower in this particular context. It'd be good in a different deck with a different engine, but I missed the engine at first, despite having played around with it before in other decks.

7 Jan 2016 ycombinator

@Ranamar: I'd love to see if you can make it work with Study Guide. The argument could be that the you can get by with the Cyber-Cypher and ZU.13 Key Master until the Study Guide gets up to strength. -1 GS Shrike M2, +1 Femme Fatale, +1 Stimhack could help get it to strength quicker. In my experience, you want at least 2 Study Guides as you don't want to tutor for them. All of this strains the deck slots, quite a bit, for my perspective.

The only decks that I've been able to make were Study Guide worked even a little bit were those with lots of recurring credits (Lockpicks).

So I have not tried to make this work with Study Guide, and I likely don't have the time to try, unfortunately. If I did, I'd start with

Whenever I'm testing something, I like to do so with specific questions. These questions for this new list include:

Thanks for the questions and the thoughts!

8 Jan 2016 voltorocks

Cool deck design, very smart for what is often a very limited ID - though I will say that the write up list my interest when you started getting into the draws/click math that never ends up meaning anything in-game...

One big takeaway of this deck is the power of Escher- it might be the most underrated card in the game if you ask me. Huge ability (as the author notes) to put even great glacier players on tilt and thus single-handedly win the game for you.

All that said, it seems like a tough but manageable FA matchup, and a really weak flatline matchup. Seems to me like this deck would need to suck it up and #slottheplascretes to have a shot at true competitive viability...

8 Jan 2016 ycombinator

@voltorocks: Great comments, minus the dig about a metric that you find meaningless ;-)

I completely agree about a Haarp matchup. From the write-up:

Haarp is often a loss. 24/7 is annoying. I don't like Plascrete Carapaces. If you don't want to lose against these decks, then include 2.

I haven't had as many troubles against other kill decks. Opus solves a lot, but not all, problems.

12 Jan 2016 ahocorasik

Maybe you should consider adding Omega to the deck. It would make 3-iced servers still easily accessible and it could be a cheaper/safer option to use than Nexus. Also it can be springed up quite easily with Test Run + Scavenge.

12 Jan 2016 ahocorasik

Also you could save some influence on another Nexus copy including Trade-In and possibly some cheap and useful hardware.

12 Jan 2016 ycombinator

@ahocorasik: I've used Omega before, and it is really really expensive. The 7 s to get out is a killer, but, as you point out, it might be cheated out. Even in that case, a 0 strength breaker just breaks the bank. 6 s for an Eli; 4 s for a wall of static; 10 s for an Archer; ...

It slows you down so much that the corp can really race ahead, and install enough ice that Omega doesn't really help that much. The appeal of Security Nexus is not only that it breaks through anything, but also that it does it for quite cheap, regardless the ice. This allows you to save it for the expensive ice on a server, making expensive ice very sad.

An argument could be made that with a +1 Escher, Omega could be made cheap, by moving ice it is cheap for to the back. I tried this a year ago, and it was still too slow. I'd be interested if you try it and can make it work! You're absolutely right that it could enable us to cut down on influence.

13 Jan 2016 nemo

Great work!! I want to read the entire analysis when I have time, but I already love it. Really good job and nice deck!!!

13 Jan 2016 ycombinator

@nemo: Thanks!!! I'd love any feedback once you read the analysis, and especially, when you play it!

The current list is great for a glacier-heavy meta with some FA. I'm currently erring toward the following changes given what feels like a FA-heavy meta:

The extra Stimhack helps to Self-modifying Code out a breaker, and to trash the Sansans. Given that Architects are less frequent, Femme Fatale is decent.

This leans quite a bit more on Escher against glacier.

14 Jan 2016 x-factor103

Thank you. Thank you so much for this. I happened to be in between runner decks, testing various stimshop combinations and not being very happy with any of them. Kit has been my longtime favorite runner and I was starting to get tired of doing (no pun intended) the same old thing with her.

I was toying with the idea of playing a different ID for a while, but wasn't really ready to leave Kit. Hopped on NetrunnerDB today, did a quick search for Shaper decks by popularity and here was this deck. Sitting on top of the list. With a hilarious table flip in the title.

This deck is everything I want to try right now. Nice looking suite of breakers, Torch, Kit. Even some new stuff like Nexus! You tossed in a 1x copy of Stimhack, which I LOVE, and you gave a justification for not putting in Vamp, which I also love and had questions about. Such a thorough write-up! I really appreciate it. Thank you. This is exactly the deck I was looking for today!

My only regret is that I didn't think up the concept first!

15 Jan 2016 daytodave

If anything gets me back into Netrunner, it will be a new Kit interaction, and Kit + Nexus just might be that interaction. I've resisted Paintbrush in Kit for a long time because it feels too gimmicky, but sources say that won't be a problem come January 28th.

15 Jan 2016 daytodave

Is Underworld Contact simply too slow? I can imagine how much money we're leaving on the table by skipping it.

15 Jan 2016 ycombinator

@x-factor103: Glad you like it! I'm even more happy that I'm keeping another runner addicted to Rielle "Kit" Peddler: Transhuman ;-)

Thanks for reading the write-up as well! I know it takes a commitment.

@daytodave: I think that this could turn beast mode if the upcoming Panchatantra is what people think it is. Even without that card panning out, this is the best deck I've played for Paintbrush. It just destroys late-game glacier. Torch, Security Nexus, Paintbrush is just painful to deal with.

Crossing my fingers for Panchatantra on the 28th!

15 Jan 2016 daytodave

Ooh! Also! +3 Lockpick, +1 Trade-In for that third copy of Nexus and basically Underworld Contact before the link is up.

15 Jan 2016 ycombinator

If Pancatantra is what we think it is, I'm going to try:

I'm excited.

15 Jan 2016 internet_potato

@ycombinator if Panchatantra is what people think it is, I will squeal with glee. I found Paintbrush + Study Guide + Surfer to be surprisingly usable with some practice, but the clicks spent painting and the requirement for the ice to be rezzed ahead of time really made you cramped for clicks.

17 Jan 2016 ycombinator

@internet_potato: Agreed.

Will guarantee access to a server once per turn with Pancatantra + Rielle "Kit" Peddler: Transhuman (code-gate + barrier), and surf all the way in.

22 Jan 2016 Rejusu

What are possible cards to cut here? I really feel like one Plascrete Carapace and one Film Critic are needed to have a chance against Haarp.

23 Jan 2016 ycombinator

@internet_potato: Update: Panchantantra is a no go in this deck. Probably for the better ;-)

@Rejusu: Two options:

or

Both slow down the deck, unfortunately. I feel like Magnum Opus is the tech for avoiding Midseason Replacements. I'd prefer +1 Inti more than +1 Film Critic. Wraparound and Resistor are a pain.

23 Jan 2016 Rejusu

@ycombinator Film critic is for attacking the 24/7 strategy. Prevents them scoring out Quantum Predictive Model behind Data Raven or doing cute plays like installing two agendas just so they can score one next turn. If you can aggressively snipe Haarpsichord Studios: Entertainment Unleashed agendas you can stop them dropping a 24/7 News Cycle on a Breaking News for the win.

23 Jan 2016 bubbathegoat

@Rejusu you do know that Film Critic won't stop Haarp from fast advancing Breaking News, right? I agree that Film Critic techs hard against Haarp and Midseason Replacements, but it doesn't turn off 24/7.

As a Haarp player, I can tell you that Plascrete Carapace and New Angeles City Hall that keep runners alive against Haarp.

23 Jan 2016 Rejusu

@bubbathegoat Well aware. But it can help you snipe them from hand or from R&D. It's more relevant in decks with Clot though. Also it makes it harder for them to score the second agenda needed to trigger 24/7.

23 Jan 2016 bubbathegoat

I've done this a lot. Film Critic can let the runner pressure multiple agendas, but after stashing one on the Critic, the second agenda has to be stolen, setting up Midseason Replacements. Magnum Opus can out money Haarp sometimes, but Profiteering can be difficult to keep up with.

At the end of the day, Film Critic is an improvement against Haarp for this deck, but Plascrete Carapace is an improvement against all meat-damage kill decks.

23 Jan 2016 ycombinator

@Rejusu: -1 Paintbrush seems fine now. Just caught up on watching some games, and it seems like people are moving away from foodcoats. We only really need the Paintbrush late against foodcoats or RP, or if people start playing a lot of barriers. None of these seem to be happening now.

20 Feb 2016 Dagguh

You can bypass an outermost piece of ICE with Security Nexus, which would prevent the ID ability from triggering. Then, the ability would trigger on a second ICE. Is this how the timing works?

20 Feb 2016 ycombinator

@Dagguh: Unfortunately, no. This is part of the reason we need Torch as the outside ice we almost always want to be breaking through.

The relevant text is this:

"when you encounter" implies that you've already encountered it. Bypassing the ice doesn't mean you didn't encounter it. This ruling goes back to the days when we had to answer the same question, but for Femme Fatale.

20 Feb 2016 Dagguh

@ycombinator, touché.

Femme Fatale's ability makes the Tollbooth's ability unresolvable (you do not have to pay 3 credits).

I assumed this is analogical, but it turns out that the FAQ states that Rielle Kit Peddler: Transhuman's ability is constant, not triggered, which makes the difference.

25 Feb 2016 Rudge

Great deck! I really want to fit in 2x Plascrete Carapace (due to me being killed) but without changing the core mechanics of the deck, so I am trying the following changes:

-1 Scavenge (less required to due Lady being gone, but still combos with Test Run)
-1 Stimhack (not a fan in this deck without PW and I need the inf for Corroder)
-1 Lady
+1 Corroder
+2 Plascrete

25 Feb 2016 ycombinator

@Rudge: Interesting modifications. Thanks for posting. The -1 Scavenge will make getting the torch out less consistent, which makes you lean on Cyber-Cypher harder, which is difficult with -1 Scavenge. Regardless, I'd be interested in hearing how it works out for you!

To get 2 Plascrete Carapace, I typically just -1 Tinkering, -1 Dyson Mem Chip, but you're obviously also going in the Corroder direction.

Great to see the direction you're taking it. Let me know if you miss the Scavenge, and if you really need the persistence of the Corroder (I rarely repetitively break barriers with a fracter with this deck).

20 May 2016 SavageOne316

Sports Hopper is the scorch protection and Link for this deck.