BRAAAAAAAAAINZ! (4th @ Net-Giro d'Italia - Stage 1)

Berzelius 301

Mandatory gif

Remember when we first read the manual and believed that the win condition about the runner maximum hand size being less than zero was cool? Cybernetics Division remembers.

This is the jank I've brought to the first stage of the Net-Giro d'Italia. Its goal is simple: kill the runner either by throwing his hand size below zero or via net/meat damage. Spam Mushin as much as you can (but always keep a Vitruvius token or Archived Memories, more on that later) and don't be afraid of install-double advance anything: even two brain damages can be scary enough once they know what your plan is and an Aggressive Secretary may wreck the rig in the right matchup.

The main win strategy is to flatline an already brain-damaged runner via Ronin, Show of Force or repeated Neural EMPs (that's why you need to keep some recursion), but Ryon Knight, Cerebral Overwriter and Brainstorm may also allow you for a surprising <0 hand size victory.

The runner

Ryon Knight is actually better than you may think, given its good synergy with Fairchild 3.0 and Turing. I fired it three or four times during the 4 rounds and it often forced the runner to pay for FC3, slowing him down. Brainstorm was useless, if you plan to play this deck change it with something else.

Small report:

  • Turn 1 win vs @b4ralai: I manage to brim him to 0 maximum hand size thanks to a Self-Destruct Chips and a bluffed Ronin which actually was a Cerebral Overwriter, and proceed with the kill with Neural EMP.
  • Turn 2 loss vs @porkobolo: he was playing Heartbeat, 'nuff said.
  • Turn 3 win vs @BigPopp: thanks to a mix of Overwriter, Ryon Knight and Self-Destruct Chips I manage again to bring him to a maximum hand size of zero, but he was playing Geist. Blessed recursion allowed me to pack enough damage to overcome its ability.
  • Turn 4 loss vs @soulraiden: got flooded badly.

farewell gif

4 comments
21 Nov 2020 Cpt_nice

Very cool that you managed to get Ryon Knight working! I never had any success with him. Do you feel Brainstorm is worth it without any shenanigans?

21 Nov 2020 Berzelius

@Cpt_nice thanks! Brainstorm is definitely not worth it without a proper trick to fire it. In fact, it always ended up in archives. I'd probably replace it with Kamali 1.0.

9 Jan 2021 Enchart

Been playing with your deck for some games now. Traded Brainstorm with Kamali 1.0 and ended up trading one Ryon Knight for MCA Austerity Policy.. less clicks have proven to even more disturb runners game, even if your not that interested on gaining 3 counters with MCA. This deck is fun to play as ****.

9 Jan 2021 Berzelius

@Enchartthat's nice to hear! I will definetely try MCA.