Build Script is as good as Deuces Wild(6th @ Hiveworld GNK)

Klopstock 640

I played this deck at the Hiveworld GNK, finishing in sixth place. It is IAMWALRUS' ScamStrike list with two changes. I cut a Maxwell James because the errata made him much weaker to make room for a Caldera. Also, while resleeving the deck before the event I found a Populist Rally in it, which was a stand-in for the third Deuces Wild. This kind of proxying may be okay at a meetup, but it is not at a tournament, so I had to run back to the car and grab the next best replacement, which happened to be another Build Script.

Game 1 against Malte on Sportsmetal Rush: I had a pretty slow start, but fortunately he didn't have the best draw and couldn't capitalise hard enough on it. In the end I won relatively comfortable, with him on six points, but HQ empty and R&D locked. Or so I thought. Talking to him after the game revealed that I had missed the Vitruvius on a 4-card access in HQ (which also revealed multiple Biotic Labors) and my last R&D access, four cards with The Turning Wheel, took me to six points and him to eight credits on the first stolen Agenda. Luckily I found another agenda deeper down in that dig, so I won, without realising how close it actually was.

Game 2 against Thorsten (hlinks) on Skorpios: I had another slow start, even worse than against Malte, did a horrible misplay, which allowed Thorsten to Trojan Horse my Aumakua without trouble and got thoroughly outrushed, without any chance to contest.

Game 3 against This is Gereon (spacehonk) on Argus: I had a relatively good start, but Gereon had a good start too, forced me to steal an Armed Intimidation which was a pretty big tempo hit (the tempo hit of him scoring would not have been much smaller, so I had to go for it) and a couple of turns later installed and advanced an Oaktown which would have taken him to six points. I really didn't like the outlook of him winning instantaneously with a Hostile Takeover, so I went in and stole it, but ended my turn on a tag (I had to run through a Data Raven and Mausolus I couldn't break and in the server was a Prisec), which allowed him to High-Profile Target me twice to win the game.

Game 4 against Rainer on Asa Rush: In this game I had another good start, I let Rainer score two Agendas, but then I was ready to go and locked everything up. When this deck gets set up and rolling it is almost impossible to stop for most opponents.

Game 5 against Nimer (5n00p1) on Mti: Nimer played an early Scarcity of Resources. I dug for a Strike while installing Resources through the Scarcity, paying 14 or 16 Credits, which was absolutely brutal. At some point I got finally set up, but it was too late and Nimer managed to score out behind a Surveyor protected by not only one, but for a short time even two Mumbad City Grids.

I think the day showcases the strengths and weaknesses of the deck quite nicely. Once you are done with your setup, Corps just crumble. Especially Glacier decks that can't stop you from building up (e.g. play Scarcity of Resources) have pretty much no chance against this deck. But it has a couple of weaknesses. It is pretty combo-y in its setup, so it sometimes is just too slow (Game 2). Sometimes everything clicks, but the opponent's rush is just too fast for you (Game 3) and sometimes you just get Scarcity'd and fall too far behind (Game 5).

0 comments