Training Season [2-1, 2nd @ Atlanta November CO]

I got completely flattened by a djupstad sports list by a jnet user (whose handle I can't remember, sorry!) and decided to try brewing my first deck ever.

I believe this is a legitimately strong archetype, especially in a meta that isn't teching hard against FA or asset spam. The combination of core damage, Amani bounces, Powers recursion, and Sportsmetal econ can snowball into decisive wins against unsuspecting runners.

Gameplan

This deck deals core damage, but isn't necessarily trying to win by flatlining. Your ideal gameplan is to get the runner to two core damage, then FA two or three Ontological Dependence. The other couple points are scrounged from FAing Élivágar Bifurcation, FA other agendas via Biotic Labor, or NAing from unprotected remotes.

Core damage

Ideally, the first core damage comes from FAing Élivágar Bifurcation on a Djupstad Grid. The second core damage can come from a handful of places, either by mistakes from unsuspecting runners on their turn or from forcing the issue on your turn.

Runner mistakes (i.e. core damage that might not land against prepared runners):

• Facechecking Jaguarundi
• Eating Nightmare Archive as core damage
• Last-click-running (or just straight up eating) Mr. Hendrik

Forcing the issue (i.e. core damage you can land more easily):

• Scoring on a Djupstad Grid
• Stacking 2x Mr. Hendrik on the same server

What the cards do

Our non-trap installables (Amani Senai, Djupstad Grid, The Powers That Be) are expensive to trash. The runner can run out of money if they're too trash-happy early, and Ablative Barrier and The Powers That Be help you recur them back. If they don't get trashed, Amani and Powers let you gain heavy tempo advantage over the runner.

The traps (Nightmare Archive and Mr. Hendrik) work in tandem your agendas. If the runner gets early steals off the board, they can get baited into traps. Conversely, if they don't run the board out of respect for your traps, start jamming and scoring.

In general, don't be afraid to jam agendas. You're happy to feed the runner Megaprix Qualifier, Hyperloop Extension, and even Project Vitruvius in a pinch. Be more careful with your Ontologicals and Bifurcations.

Our econ is pretty thin. Nico Campaign is great when it stays alive, Rashida Jaheem and Greasing the Palm also add some money, but the primary econ engine is +2c from Sportsmetal's ID text. In practice, I almost always choose the credits over the draw.

Our ice is limited. Ablative helps recur our expensive cards, Jaguarundi is a mean facecheck threat, and Gatekeeper is just a good card all around.

Mulligan for installables, ideally a Djupstad and an econ asset to enable an early bread and butter combo. Try to figure out how willing the runner is to run remotes and/or trash assets, and plan accordingly.

Remember you don't need more than two core damage to win. The positive feedback loop of scoring Ontologicals on an untrashed Djupstad is a nice aspiration (and feels very good to do), but you can and will win with scrappier tools.

Notable combos

• Bread and butter (6c, Djupstad installed) -> Rez Djuspstad, install Bifurcation, advance, advance to score + deal one core damage.
• Reverse bread and butter (8c, agenda installed) -> RLC to clicklessly install Djupstad on the agenda, rez djupstad, 3x advance to score + deal one core damage.

Bad matchups

Clot - we're just not in a clot meta right now, if you run into one I guess just hope Mavirus takes care of it for you. Spending a turn purging isn't the worst thing in the world.

Miss Bones - this is bad, but most lists are running 1x and you can tax them out hard enough by recurring your important installables with Ablative and Spin.

Paricia - easier than Bones, since Djupstad still costs the full 4c to trash.

Hermes - if you can get an early start to your Amani/Powers engine, Hermes isn't enough to stop the snowball.

Imp - our worst matchup. Try to sneak out core damage early, then hit 7 points fast. Sometimes these lists are tag-me, which opens FA lines with Greasing.

Slots are hard

14 influence isn't intentional, this is just my first homebrew deck. I'm sure a more talented deckbuilder could optimize this list. Mavirus is a tech slot that could be another Powers or some other interesting ice.

Greasing the Palm doesn't do a ton for our gameplan aside from some econ and smoothing out big hands, it could be cut for Hedge Fund, Regolith Mining License, or even more copies of Biotic Labor.

Nico Campaign over Marilyn Campaign is also up for debate, I ended up choosing Nico for the +1c on rez and the faster/larger potential payoff, but Marilyn might be safer against trash-happy runners.

Previous iterations of this list had 1x Ikawah Project to lower agenda density, but we're never scoring it and it's game losing for the runner to steal 3 points off one agenda.

Other notes

I brought this list to Atlanta's November CO and finished 2-1, with wins by scoring and a close loss on time. With some retrospect and more skillful piloting it could have been a 2-0-1. I believe in this deck and you should too.

Much credit to jan tuno for its Amani sports list, which was heavy inspiration for this list.

Shoutout to the Atlanta meta, especially @syth for organizing the CO and @Choux for being a great help for iterating on this list (and taking 1st!).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZjBZ8MUnB0E