NEXT Defense

linuxmaier 702

This is a NEXT rush deck powered by a very fast economy. If you try some sample draws, you'll notice that you've got a very good chance to see two cheap ice, and quite a reasonable chance to see three. This deck runs less ice than you sometimes see in NEXT, but that's because the early game ice are a means to an end: draw power.

Think of the ability not as an ice installation ability, but as an early burst draw ability. If you see 2 ice in your hand, you'll draw 3 more cards in your opening plus have your centrals already defended. Three ice is even better; you can get a remote covered.

What's the best way you can take advantage of that quick start? Early game burst economy from hedge fund and sweeps week. The extra draw from the ID lets you see them, and the early defense lets you play them. Then, given that cash injection, you can throw a second ice on the remote and threaten a score or an Adonis.

At some point the runner will catch up and get breakers, which is where Ash comes in.

4 comments
21 Mar 2015 nanoxstatic

I'm playing this deck currently and it's very fun. Strong early game and packs some really dirty tech.

Very nice.

21 Mar 2015 linuxmaier

@nanoxstatic Thanks! I'm still experimenting with it myself. Have you run into any issues? I have a feeling like the deck is going to have trouble in the late game if it can't rush everything through early and am trying to figure out how to mitigate that. I'm debating between trying to fit Caprice Nisei in there somehow to turn the remote into a fortress, or get Domestic Sleepers and Archer in there after changing up the agenda suite to hopefully snipe some breakers and extend the middle game.

21 Mar 2015 nanoxstatic

I think playing for the middle/late game is an entirely different deck. You could change things around to play archer but then it's an entirely different deck and ripping them in the opening leaves you super weak to Forged Activation Orders and sort of defies your whole rush plan. 3/2 and 3/1 is what you want really for rushing as your main stay agendas. NAPD felt slow but I get why it is there. It's likely the better of the slower agendas. Priority requisition doesn't have any amazing targets in this deck due to how flimsy and small the ICE is in general.

ASH and Adonis can also just be great for baiting the runner in to expensive and unproductive runs, creating scoring windows. I liked them alot even when they weren't there for the intended effect. They never felt bad in this deck.

The econ is pretty good. The rush ICE all feels right and there are a few "bigger" albeit porous ICE to slow the runner down.

I think you're probably on to something with this build.

22 Mar 2015 linuxmaier

@nanoxstatic You were right; the Archer version is terrible. I just wish there were some more threatening agendas to score to make the rush more dangerous.