Tag Drizzle

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linuxmaier 702

"Do you expect to tag me?"

"Tag you? No, Mr. Bond. I expect you to tag yourself."

This is a variant of Tag Storm I've taken to calling Tag Drizzle because of its difference to your standard Midseason Replacements based tagging. This deck relies on attrition and runner frustration to allow them to start tagging themselves, and then punishes them for it.

Data Raven, Hunter and Information Overload all are standard tagging ICE, and Information Overload doubles as a punishment mechanism, but the really frustration should come from Manhunt and ChiLo City Grid. ChiLo City Grid turns Viper into tagging ICE and doubles Manhunt's punch.

If a runner manages to play it safe and clear everything, that should give you enough space to score out an AstroScript Pilot Program either with an ICEd server or via SanSan City Grid, putting a lot of pressure on the runner to speed up to catch the train.

More likely is that the runner will at some point decide to float tags, and that's when you can start putting the screws on. Tag punishment comes from Psychographics, Closed Accounts, Information Overload and Scorched Earth, all of which have a great chance to darken a runner's day, either speeding you up, slowing them down or blowing them up. Archived Memories allows you to make the Scorched Earth play stick, since this deck doesn't tag on the corp's turn.

Notes: SanSan City Grid is back in. I like the deck a bit less with this set up, as I was forced to weaken it a bit to make the SanSan fit. Namely, I had to pull Big Brother out and stick Melange Mining Corp. in to solve some money issues I was having. Melange is nice because I can stick it in a server intended for SanSan, making the runner pass through taxing ICE like Eli 1.0 or Viper in order to kill it.

4 comments
30 Mar 2015 MTUCache

Nice write up... I'm attempting to bring together my first NBN Tag deck at the moment, and am somewhat overwhelmed by all the great choices out there.

You've gone the ICE route for your tags, which I'm a bit shy to do... I feel like the Asset version is just SO much easier and cheaper to do. For turn after turn you're able to IAA in a naked remote (or behind a Matrix Analyzer and/or Pop-up Window) and the runner ends up in a loop of draw/econ for their first two clicks and then running into a Ghost Branch, Cerebral Overwriter, TGTBT, etc. That way I'm not constantly having to put all my econ into traces (possibly even running NEH then, rather than Making News).

Couple cards I'm wondering about your opinion on, which I'd be curious if you experimented with:

Restructured Datapool - to thin out agendas a bit and then click for tax/tag later.

Private Security Force - replacing NAPDs tax with a little more punishment later.

Marked Accounts - possible econ help, but mostly just for another 5c tax to go with your SanSan City Grids.

Dracō - I'm really digging this ice, since it's completely scalable for early or mid-game, and still has the tag/ETR you're looking for.

I guess in the end I'm going for a somewhat different build than you, with more (or equal) assets and ICE, but still relying on that runner frustration to apply the tags. If they don't run you're scoring agendas behind thin (or no) ice anyway. If they do run, once you get 3+ tags on and close their accounts, your win condition is whatever you happen to draw (Agendas/Psycho or Scorched).

Really wish I could find room for the DBS in my deck though... that card is really nice in this build. I suppose I could replace the Marked Accounts...

Anyway, nice build. I'm really looking forward to getting some games in under my belt with this type of deck.

30 Mar 2015 ericbtool

you got chilo's in there so maybe ditch those hunters for trolls

30 Mar 2015 linuxmaier

@ericbtool Totally would put troll in if i owned it. I don't think i would replace hunter, though; that ice is amazing in this deck. More likely would replace a popup, maybe information overload.

@MTUCache Thanks for the look! Tagging NBN is super fun and under explored so I'm happy to have another fellow traveler.

I haven't tried relying on assets for tags/punishments because they are both harder to make hit and less of a tax. Ghost Branch hits one time for two tags, which the runner can clear if they are being careful. Hunter costs them every time they want to get past it, either by tagging or taxing. Basically, the philosophy here is to pin the runner between two bad choices: be aggressive and spend a lot of momentum on ice and tags, or hang back and risk an Astro getting scored. To that end, i never put real money into any traces; they're there to cost the runner, not me.

Since part of the threat is fast advance, the two agendas you mentioned don't really fit here. I need the Astros to amp up the fast advance threat to make the runner get aggressive and blow time and money on my taxing ice and tags.

Your other suggestions are both awesome and both have been in versions of this deck. I particularly liked Marked Accounts in my midseason version because of the tax trashing it puts on the runner. Draco is also awesome and fits right in the plan, but i don't really need another sentry. I like hunter more because it's cheap for the strength, whereas Draco would cost 5.

22 Apr 2015 Yubinshan

I've been working on a similar style of deck. Have you tried running 3xPsychographics instead of the SSCGs? It doesn't seem likely that they're going to avoid tags forever, and even 2 tags is enough to I-A-Psycho your way into most of your agendas.

It strikes me that if you're playing for tax and attrition, including more Psychographics (and relying less on APP and SSCG) would allow you to thin your agenda density and maybe include some of those elusive Restructured Datapools.

In my (meager) experience, every NBN deck is treated like a rush deck until proven otherwise. I reckon that with this style of "make them tag themselves", a reduced agenda density (plus DBS) could keep you safe while burning them out pretty quick...