Clicking hell v1.3 - Store Championship winner, Chicago, IL

Daine 3742

Just won a store championship with this deck in Chicago so I thought I'd share.

This deck plays differently from many decks you've probably seen. A normal turn is installing a single card and clicking for 2 credits. Don't be overly concerned with forcing a pace onto the game unless the runner is pressuring you in a very specific way you can't handle. You'll score an agenda or two early, but your winning doesn't require it, so don't force it if it's not happening for you.

Set up a remote after you have an ice or two over R&D and HQ and begin filling it with upgrades. If you install and click for 2 credits every turn, the runner will either burn a lot of resources checking your remote every turn or you'll have your window to sneak out your false leads or ABTs. Fire your ABTs if you have a Jackson on the board or if you're in trouble. False leads are the key to winning with this deck, so don't hesitate to sacrifice some board state to get a few in your score area.

The heart of this deck is the Heinlein Grid. I've won dozens of games with this deck based solely on rezzing a Heinlein, rezzing an Ichi 1.0, and sacrificing a false lead. People will get used to running on click 1 or 2 so they can break your bioroids, and sacking a false lead in front of a Grid makes them lose all of their money and bite at least 2 of Ichi's subs. It's a powerful enough combo that it's worth building around. And even if you never pull this combo off, the Heinleins masquerade as Ashes or Crisium Grids such that they'll dissuade runs and keep you safe, even if you never rez them.

Biotic labor is a safety valve for when the runner locks you down. It's best used for your final score or an ABT if you need to throw a Hail Mary.

The evolution of this deck has led me to take out almost all of the money cards from this deck. They weren't really helping, and you're pretty consistently getting 3 credits per turn thanks to your ID ability. The games you'll lose with this deck will be because you can't find enough ICE, not because you don't have enough money. Trust me on this.

Change the ICE to fit your meta. I built my version to punish the new glut of anarchs, Eater MaxX in particular. Swordsman has been great for me, but I do miss the second troll I traded for them. Victor 1.0 is great unless Yog is really popular in your area (the 2.0 version should be substituted if it is). You should keep the enigma even if Yog is endemic, however. People will face check against HB and an enigma + Heinlein can really hurt the runner's flow.

Feedback is welcome.

39 comments
23 Feb 2015 whuppo

Thank you for winning a tournament with a click taxing HB deck. Thank you.

23 Feb 2015 benticurus

You have my like just for playing Rework !!!

23 Feb 2015 Daine

Rework is absolutely clutch. It lets you dump a 5/3 if you're not ready to score it yet. I'm still not sure why that card doesn't see more play.

23 Feb 2015 Disturbed1

Any issues with having enough money? Looks like you wouldnt have much to play with, despite the credits being earned through the ID.

23 Feb 2015 Disturbed1

Sorry, missed that paragraph of the description... still looks light on cash, but otherwise, it really looks fun!

23 Feb 2015 Daine

Just because I haven't had issues doesn't mean you won't want more money based on your style or comfort with the deck. If you want more money cards, I'd cut the strongbox(es), archived memories, and an hourglass first.

23 Feb 2015 Lemonbrick

if I could like this deck more I would. I experimented with Heinlien Grid a lot when it first came out , sadly to not much effect, great to see doing work.

23 Feb 2015 x3r0h0ur

reading everything but the upgrades I was thinking, "This shit better run strongbo..." then I saw it. Melted a little inside. I want to hug you.

24 Feb 2015 Dunhere

If you plan on clicking for creds twice a turn on a regular basis, perhaps a Gila Hands or two.

24 Feb 2015 travisrchance

How many people attending this event, out of curiosity? What was your record on the day with it in terms of losses?

24 Feb 2015 LSK

@travisrchance There were 17 or 19 people (I don't remember exactly, there were different people reporting those numbers.) I beat this deck with my Stealth Kate but it definitely won at least three games in the five prelim rounds; his record was 8-2 in prelim games.

24 Feb 2015 Wookiee

I just tried to build a very similarly themed deck in Weyland, to try to get Argus Security to fire. This is so much better.

I'm thinking I'll put in a Shell Corporation or two as well, to make the click for credit a bit more efficient, and to add another upgrade to the mix. But so awesome.

24 Feb 2015 Facecheck

What do you mean you're getting 3 credits per turn for your ID ability?

24 Feb 2015 djackman

@stalkerb he probably means install a card (gain credit), click twice for credits.

24 Feb 2015 hi_impact

holy hell this is awesome

25 Feb 2015 mjortman

I never thought about the Troll/Heinlein combo. I tried like someone else said to make Heinlein work in a similar deck, but it just never got where I wanted it. Man putting Troll and Heinlein together is crazy good. I'm gonna give something like this a shot, but probably drop the 2 Swordsmen for 2 more Trolls. They can Femme one, but it's not likely they can handle stacked Trolls.

I'm pretty sure you are the one who posted this on BGG as well, so I'll ask here too: how often are you using the Wotan tokens? I'd be tempted to drop 1 for an Eden Fragment, which just does work in an ETF deck with a fair bit of ice. Instead of paying to layer ice, you get paid to do it.

25 Feb 2015 mjortman

Oops - I meant the 2 Swordsmen for ONE Troll, not two. Forgot it's two influence.

25 Feb 2015 Daine

Project Wotan is surprisingly effective. I can't say I use it every game, because I obviously don't score one every game. But I will say that's it helpful in getting the next agenda scored almost every time it's scored. At the very least, it is a 3-credit tax whenever I choose to use it. Other times it'll turn an Ichi into an etr ice for a turn.

Given how relatively unimportant my own money is, I can't see an Eden Fragment being more useful than a PW in this deck. But don't let me dictate to you how to run the deck. I've probably played the deck around 100 times and it's working for me as it is. But it evolved twice in major ways over that span (I got third in a different SC with v1.2).

And as I mentioned above, I sincerely miss that second troll. I only went with the swordsman because I suspected eater would be a thing.

25 Feb 2015 Wookiee

I've found that Wraparound is a better stop for Eater than Swordsman, honestly. Most MaxX Eater decks seem to play at least one Femme, which takes care of breaking Swordsman. And, granted, a number of them are also playing Corroder, but Wraparound shuts them out until they get Corroder, whereas they can just run through Swordsman.

25 Feb 2015 Wookiee

Also, Wraparound is much more useful against decks that aren't running Eater than Swordsman.

25 Feb 2015 clarionx

How about Viper? Enigma will take their credits if they fail the gear check, but viper might provide a much more consistent click/credit tax over the course of the game. If you're running Troll, you're clearly not worried about link ruining your ice :)

25 Feb 2015 PaxCecilia

Wow. I can't imagine how this would work, which is very intriguing. I would love to see this in action to understand the strategy better.

25 Feb 2015 Daine

@clarionx Viper would probably be really good in this. I'll give that a test. Thanks.

@Wookiee wraparound isn't good at all for this deck in comparison to swordsman. Killers are much more expensive to install and use than fracters are, this deck has plenty of ways to stop runs other than ice, and the damage from a swordsman is sometimes really clutch. Again, think of this deck as a taxer, rather than a rush deck. If I can cost you a net damage for you to run through my servers I'm probably winning.

25 Feb 2015 hi_impact

Commenting in to say this shit is awesome.

28 Feb 2015 Yoshi

Cool deck, seems really fun to frustrate the runner by eating all their clicks :)

Question: Why not run Viktor 2 over Hourglass, it seems (almost) strictly better, I have always really liked and wanted to fit Hourglass into a deck, but think there are always better options, here is mu reasoning in this case.

You currently have 8 str 4 ICE (inc. 2 Hourglass) and 1 str 5 ICE (Ichi 2) which gives you a better str spread in swapping Viktor 2 in for Hourglass. Also Viktor 2 is 1 more strength and at the same rez cost.

Viktor 2 also does more in the early game, it ends the run and seems to actually tax clicks more, in case you have a Heinlein in the server Hourglass is same to break in most cases, in case of no more clicks Hourglass does nothing while Viktor etr:s and traces for power counter. I really don't see a case in which Hourglass would be better than Viktor 2 in this deck (except for fringe cases like Atman at 5, and in case of Atman the ICE str spred is even better, or similar).

Again, I really want to make Hourglass work, maybe you do have a great reason to run it over Viktor2 in this case, please let me know :)

28 Feb 2015 Yoshi

@Daine @clarionx I don't think Viper is that good of a swap, it is even more str4 ICE, Viktor2 seems much better, see my previous post :)

28 Feb 2015 SlayerCNV

i've to thank you. thank you a lot for this.

1 Mar 2015 Daine

@Yoshi

In most versions of this deck I did have a Viktor 2.0 instead of the 1.0 version. And I generally liked it. But it was filling a different role than the hourglass. Hourglass is an ice that steals runner's turns on the turn I rez it, and one that motivates the runner to run on click 4 (as does most of the deck, TBH). This means that strongbox scores me more agendas than the card has any right doing. The fact that it's 3 subroutines frequently makes up for the fact that people can ignore it by running click 4. And with a Heinlein grid down, the fact that hourglass immediately steals their clicks (as opposed to Viktor 2.0 which only motivates them to click, but doesn't force it), I just prefer it in those slots.

I haven't had much of a problem with atman decks. This deck is generally weaker to shaper than the other 2 factions, but the 2 swordsmen I have help to curb aggressive shapers. I generally use my early time to score a few false leads or ABTs. If I can gain an early advantage, this deck becomes even harder to play against and I generally roll.

11 Mar 2015 bcavalier

Any thought on NAPD Contract? It would protect itself in a server with Heinlein Grid going off, like a free Red Herrings.

4 Apr 2015 umchoyka

Could Hudson 1.0 be a thing? It would play well with your multiple-upgrade server.

10 Apr 2015 Comfect

Nice. Will you be using Ryon Knight in this deck when it comes out?

13 Apr 2015 banthabolt

I have to say I'm not that impressed...maybe I'm playing it wrong however each of the three games I've tried the runner sees what it is and runs last click. I know that StrongBox would prevent this however the opening game is brutal. No matter what I am ending up down 4-0, 6-0 in the first 4 turns with multi-access opponents. I am going to try swapping up some ICE but just want to say that my meta hasn't really concerned themselves with click tax...but kudos for listing an HB deck that isn't FA.

5 May 2015 dormio

Any thoughts on Turing over Hourglass? I'm on the fence. I like how Hourglass forces the loss of clicks, but it can be ignored running on last click.

5 May 2015 Daine

@dormio Turing is pretty good. I've only got one in the deck but it's doing work and I might go to 2 in my next version.

@banthabolt My deck has changed pretty extensively since I posted this (since so many cards have come out), but I admit that the deck can be an acquired taste/skill. Sorry to hear that you're having trouble to early aggression. For what it's worth, I think the shift towards glacier and slower runners might make some of these tools relevant again soon.

@Comfect Probably not. I don't really have a kill shot in this deck so the brain damage wouldn't be all that helpful. Though I do love a good HB scorch deck, so perhaps I'll readjust this idea with Ryon and scorches when it's out. Cheers.

@umchoyka I tried Hudson a few times after your comment but couldn't get it to work well. I love that ICE with buddy ice (like chum), but I think it lacks teeth in this deck.

@bcavalier I think NAPD would work really well. I'll trade out the vitruvious for a copy.

6 May 2015 lgbiteman

I played against a version of this deck on Monday with 3x Encryption Protocol, it cost me 40 credits to steal an agenda and wipe the server, it was obscene.

6 May 2015 dormio

I found that playing against Hacktivist Meeting was absolutely crippling, so I took out an Hourglass and both Strongbox for 3x Enhanced Login Protocol, just to have a reliable current. But now I have a hard time late-game against runners with good long-term economy, because they can just take credits (with Magnum Opus or something) and just run last click with not too much of an issue. I think I need a way to get the Strongbox back in.

4 Jun 2015 Him

As I am testing this deck - thanks to you - I am wondering how you work around the fact that Ash and Crisium don't work with each other on the same server (A run successful run would not trigger Ash's ability).

Do you keep Crisium for centrals and Ash for the scoring server ?

4 Jun 2015 dormio

@Him This isn't my deck, but I can tell you that you almost always want Crisium Grid in a central to protect against Siphons, Vamps, Keyholes, etc, plus what you said about Ash.

On a side note, I have to say I truly love this deck, but I have a really hard time making a game last under 35 minutes, especially taking so many turns to install and click twice for credits :-/

5 Jun 2015 Daine

@Him Crisium goes on HQ or R&D and never in combination with Ash. Truth be told, I've replaced the crisiums entirely with sealed vaults and have been very happy with the swap (it's better against Reina headlock and I don't see much eater keyhole).

@dormio I readily admit that this deck can be a grind to play. I'd suggest bringing an aggro runner if you're bringing this to a tourney.

ELP is a good call if you're seeing lots of hacktivist. Though I find it's easy enough to bluff out my false leads as upgrades, which kills the runner's currents anyway.