Semi-Rogue Argus - Preparing for Tournament, need feedback!

slobad31 584

As the description implies, I'm preparing this Argus for a tournament, and I'm hoping for some feedback. I've been playing since the Core Set, but my "meta," if you can call it that, has been limited to our small playgroup. This local tournament is still small (about 12 people), but I'd really appreciate some experienced opinions on this build. Thanks in advance!

6 comments
6 Mar 2015 darwindeez

With 3x Melange I'd probably take an Architect over the Hourglass. And being that they will not run last click, I think Enigma over Quandary. The Housekeepings might not do much with 14 agendas and fairly porous/cheap ICE (mainly the high agenda count). I've always been afraid to run currents in my Argus decks. If you're running 2x Checkpoint and 3x Hostile, you might try throwing in some Profiteerings and replacing the Space Ice and Excalibur with Ireress! I've found Ireress to be quite good in Bad Pub Argus. After all, Archer, Data Raven, and your ID ability are basically just tax. They will be ready for it. Ireress can help you keep your tracing ICE alive into the mid-game despite having 6 Bad Publicity. And I'd probably do 1x Cerebral Overwriter over the Snare since 2 brain damage is awesome when trying to Scorch, and your ID somewhat protects you from big digs, unless they have gone tag-me. Re Excalibur, if they're Keyholing you repeatedly, they're probably on Eater anyway. And if you are worried at at all about Keyhole or Wanton or Ed Kim trashing your Scorched, you might want that 3rd Jackson, but you'd have to cut the Wrap or a Data Raven.

6 Mar 2015 darwindeez

I think the Snare/DRT/never advance thing I think is too easy to ignore in Weyland. NBN can really punish you with Astroscript sneaks, but Weyland can only get a blank Atlas, unless Titan. But to really tax runners, you want them fighting their way through that remote over and over. Melange is good for that but we're mostly use cheap ETRs to actually keep it alive for a turn or two, not always super taxing stuff like Data Raven in addition. IAA'd cards can always be Posted Bounty (and perhaps you should run more than 1x) or an Atlas with 2 counters, sufficiently scary that really must run. Hence I think Overwriter and Shattered Remains or Ghost Branch over the 1x DRT/Snare. But basically it's a whole different deck and different playstyle, IAA vs never advance. I think Argus has to be IAA though, unlike Cambridge PE, which can punish both with IAA'd cards and unadvanced remotes. But yeah, Snare is to Overwriter as SEA Source is to Midseason. A Scorch window that sticks is worth a thousand Snares that you're not able capitalize on because they ran early and recovered or just ignored your remote since you weren't threatening to win just yet.

6 Mar 2015 darwindeez

Also I think you definitely want 3x False Lead!

6 Mar 2015 slobad31

@darwindeez Thanks so much! I was on the fence about Housekeeping, as well, since I just upped the agenda count from a previous build. Hourglass was a random tech I was trying out, but Architect does look good, too. I hadn't even considered Argus dissuading the runner from running last click, so Quandary will definitely get a promotion. I ran GRNDL up until Argus' release, and I was missing my Ireress. I like the Profiteering route with them in it, and False Lead was something I had seen but hadn't tried. My issue is what agendas to drop. I would assume Vulcan Coverup and Veterans Program, if I'm going to be embracing the bad pub.

I also completely agree with Cerebral Overwriter over Snare!. I had one game where the runner Legworked into HQ, took a tag from Data Raven on the way in, and snagged Snare! and an agenda. Seeing them end turn with more tags than they could remove spurred me to keep one Snare!, but I can see how that's situational.

I think I really needed another set of eyes to look this over, and it's much appreciated. I've got some playtesting to do :)

12 Mar 2015 Oisin

You definitely want 3 DRTs here if you are playing 3 Data Raven--that is going to win you a bunch of games. With 14 agendas, I would cut the Housekeeping--I just don't think you will get enough value out of them.

Private Security Force, Vulcan Coverup, and Veteran's Program seem a bit weak. Perhaps the latter is good if you are expecting to see a bunch of Valencia decks. I would cut them for 1 Posted Bounty, 2 Geothermal, and 2 Gila Hands (for more economy).

Hourglass might be a nice surprise here. But if you did think about cutting it, then I don't think it would be a terrible idea to upgrade the Sea Source into a Midseason Replacements. With 14 agendas, that Midseasons will be online for quite awhile. Of course, a 2rd Snare! doesn't hurt, either.

Good luck!

12 Mar 2015 slobad31

@Oisin Thanks! I wasn't sold on Private Security Force, so I think I'll definitely replace those with Geothermal Fracking. In the latest version of this deck (see "Inspiration For..."), I made quite a few changes, but PSF was still there. It's not posted yet, but the latest changes have been to drop SEA Source for a second Hourglass and the Caduceus for one Taurus and one Dedicated Response Team. I want to go up to triple DRT again, so I'll be tweaking it further. I agree that the synergy with Data Raven is great. I'll have to give the Midseason Replacements a shot, too. Thanks again!