This Smoke Deck Beat Sokka (9th at Worlds 2022)

Quacktapus 287

Where we're going, we don't need boats.

The Deck

At Worlds I played mao's Freelance Smoke list from the American Continental Championship. I love Shaper, but I'm allergic to playing the "best deck" so anything with the Boat was off the table. As it turns out, Smoke was absolutely the right meta call! Smoke's regular icebreaker suite let me waltz through the anti-Boat tech cards like Saisentan, NEXT Activation Command, and Wake Up Call that were all over the top tables.

Why is it 42 cards? Ask mao—42 might be incorrect, but the deck runs smooth as butter as-is and I wasn't willing to change a single card. Playing 3 SMC and 2 Simulchip makes setting up quick and easy as long as you have enough money, and as clunky as it looks, Telework Contract gives you that money. With The Twinning and two copies of Deep Dive, I never had trouble finding multiaccess when I needed it.

Some Games

Getting to play Sokka in Round 4 at Worlds was a dream come true. Getting to play him on stream and pulling 2 GFIs in one turn was a freaking miracle.

After my sweep against Sokka I was 8-0 and shaking, so I ID'd for three rounds, losing Monarch of Swiss status to Bridgeman based on strength of schedule. That came back to bite me when I played against Bridgeman's PE deck in the 2nd round of the cut. I couldn't have run into a better matchup—Afterimage sailed past all of Bridgeman's ICE, and Aniccam was firing left and right, but I played too slowly and when time was called we were tied on 2 points each. Top-cut ties go to the higher seed, so Bridgeman's decision to play out their Swiss games proved decisive. It was a heartbreaking loss, but the better player won. Smoke's final record: 4-1

How do you like your poutine?

Sincere Thanks and Shameless Plugs

Worlds 2022 was my first Worlds and my third in-person competitive event, so I'm absolutely gobsmacked to have placed as high as I did. A thousand thanks to Null Signal Games for putting on an amazing event, cheers to all my opponents, and congratulations to our new World Champion!

(Plug plug plug I wrote a doc about prepping for Worlds that should be helpful if you're just getting into Standard plug plug plug I'm writing an article about NSG and Worlds and you should be able to find it on TCGplayer soonish under this handsome author's byline.)

8 comments
10 Oct 2022 Diogene

Good meta call! Congratulation on your wins! Cheers!

10 Oct 2022 creditzathotmail

respect for this: " I love Shaper, but I'm allergic to playing the "best deck" so anything with the Boat was off the table."

11 Oct 2022 bing005

Great result, well done! Also, love your works prep document - fantastic resource ! Thanks for linking my Alice deck too!

11 Oct 2022 mao

Amazing result! I am happy you brought my deck and I had no doubt that with the ban of drip economy this deck would have been one of the best choices (because it was also before)! I expected to see more Smoke infact, and I was sueprised when the commentators said that Smoke doesn't apparently have a good matchup against Sports. I always defeated Sports. What do you need more? You have Clot (that can delay Sports at least 2 turns), Tweening, Deep Dive for the closing, Mercur for the draw giving you clicks compression while running and accessing singles, and Sports has easy to break ice for Smoke.

Anyway, 42 cards because exactly as you said there is nothing to cut (and 2 cards more against PE are important).

I wish I could have seen more of your matches! Cheers!

11 Oct 2022 secondskin

Watching that Deep Dive win versus Sokka on stream was something special, well done at Worlds!

11 Oct 2022 Sokka

Congratulations on the great tournament! After you swept me I was forced to work very hard to squeeze my way into the top 16 and even then I was still in the bottom half of the cut. For the rest of Saturday and a good chunk of Sunday, I was heavily regretting not taking the ID against you.

Smoke is a great meta call here. Well done!

11 Oct 2022 Quacktapus

Sokka There wasn't a good moment to tell you at the time, but you're basically my Netrunner hero. Commentating your entire APCC run and still winning?? Your videos made me want to be a better player, and showed me how the best players think.

It was amazing to meet and play you in person. I'm seriously honored I got to add some drama to the story of how you became the World Champion.

11 Oct 2022 Quacktapus

Thanks all! mao thank you for building such a sweet deck!