I got an upgrade for you: Flying, Stimmed Chameleons

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When Hayley's hopper arrives, I've gotta deal for her
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Stimmed, Flying Chameleons! V3
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ycombinator 795

Welcome to the Jankshack of the Merchant of Breaker Bay

Hayley! Hey, Hayley! Come over here to my Jankshack. I've got a little something to show you. Take a deep breath. Sit down. Get ready for this: Flying, Stimmed Chameleons. That's right. Flying. Stimmed. Chameleons. Time to get amped up!

Last we talked (http://netrunnerdb.com/en/decklist/13214/when-hayley-s-hopper-arrives-i-ve-gotta-deal-for-her), I had quite the package of kit for you. I hope you've been quite happy with it. No, I know you've been quite happy with it. After all, you know you can always trust this humble merchant of Breaker Bay. There's nothing in the world, or on the 'stalk like tossing out programs rapid fire that can answer any ice.

I'm offering you an upgrade to your existing package! Why, you ask? Don't get me wrong; the kit I gave you last time is primo-grade, top quality, industrial-level kit. More a tool-box of splendid answers. You can take it to the Heinlein on the moon and back. But if you want to let your combos sing, this package adds a g-mod Injection of consistency right in the forearm.

First, you'll have to excuse me, yet again: as I'm always dealing in exotic wares, and I couldn't find my Chameleons to demo ( http://i.imgur.com/E0HhyFa.jpg ). I know, I know. Soon. I just need to talk to my friend @alciende. See these Creepers? Lets pretend for now, that they're the rare Chameleons that have been seen wandering around the draft starter packs. You know you love them from the last set of kit, don't you. What, you don't quite recall? Well, here you go:

  • Strength 3, , costs two s.
  • "When you install Chameleon, name sentry, code-gate, or barrier. Add Chameleon to your grip when your turn ends."
  • "1 : break a subroutine of the named subtype."

Remember now? Good. Are you sure you've been running with the previous rig? Probably not. I suppose that the action hasn't really come to San San yet. Oh well, now you remember.

Wait, what? You're complaining that you could never get them set up in time? Sure, the package I gave you last time was a little slow, but, damn was it beautiful!? Your inner Shaper was singing a glory song whenever you got the infamous Chameleons flying, wasn't it? We'll this upgrade is just the thing to solve all of your problems! I've focused the package on consistency around the blissful core:

Hopefully I have you interested. Lets talk shop:

  • Chameleons look innocuous enough. Those little guys couldn't even try and have a conversation with an Eli 1.0, or an Ichi 1.0, let alone an Archer! Don't even let them close to the Danger Zone! And they're expensive, and cost you all of your precious s! Time to hot rod these flying Chameleons!
  • First, lets give them flight! With Savoir-faire, you can throw them out whenever you want without when you face check into ice. You've never felt more like a Shaper! I've thrown three of these babies in there so you never need to even think about tutoring them. They'll be at your hands with a little Diesel juice, and a little deserved Quality Time with that professor guy you keep talking about (by the way, does he ever shut up about all the esoteric programs?).
  • You recall all the problems with this though, don't you? Yeah, it costs an additional two s. Ouch. Remember that Omni-Drive helps out with that as you can host your Savoir-faire right on it, and use its for installs. Also, since you have three Savoir-faires, you can play one early without waiting for you Omni-Drives. I know how you runners hate two-piece-combos.
  • Also remember that you're the coolest runner in town: when you use Savoir-faire, you get to install two programs. Man, you're awesome. Even cooler is the fact that you can do this both during your turn, and the corps! Four -less program installs per turn? I'm not sure that it can actually get more magnificent. What's that? I disagree: in my experience, flattery can get you everywhere.
  • I know, I know, we still need to pay the hefty price of playing the Flying Chameleons. Lets help you out there: I've thrown in three Cybsoft MacroDrives to make installs super-cheap. Your ability makes installing them less painful. Combined with Replicator, you can install two for a single click, even if you only have one in hand!
  • You're sad to see the Scheherazades go? I know, you enjoyed hosting the Chameleons on them, and making -money. Well, you know what? That's the price to pay for consistency! You have your Omni-Drives to host your Chameleons and discount them! Man, I can get those things for cheap! I've thrown a couple of Dinosaurus' in as well that I got from a nauseatingly happy man in a blue blazer. Those were hard to get! I actually had to out-play a child to get them. Long story. Not proud of it. With all of these hosting options, why would you still want your Scheherazades? To be honest, I got the whole idea from the dashing intellectual, @Watzlav, and that gentleman among men, @Jashay. I suppose it isn't too surprising as they both have been hanging around that Nasir Meidan: Cyber Explorer guy recently. Man, he thinks outside of the box. If you really like your Scheherazades, you can replace a Datasucker.
  • Remember the strength problem on those Chameleons? Time to stim 'em up! You remember how awesome those LLDS Processors are with Chameleons? Of course you do. Six strength flying Chameleons have have a serious conversation in the Danger Zone. Archer won't come out of the room without a bruise! Lets make your ability to run earlier a tad more consistent: You didn't want to waste one of those precious Self-modifying Codes on a Datasucker, right? So lets just throw three in there. And lets throw in that Dinosaurus, as I mentioned before (and flying Chameleons don't need Scavenge if you draw Dinosaurus late-game!) Flying Chameleons, stimmed up to strength 8. Show me the ice you can't handle? What, you've been walking in the blue glow of that strange Weyland sun and are worried about Curtain Walls. First, realize how ridiculous that sounds. You're worried about upholstery? Second, have no fear, Datasucker and Atman is here. What's that? You've been talking to @Watzlav, and he preaches the gospel of D4v1d? Don't get me wrong, when I was a kid I loved sling shots too. But if you aren't running Scavenge, I think you want a more permanent solution. Just dive into the net with your trusty Atman and Datasucker!
  • Don't forget about Autoscripter! He's pretty awesome. Just plug him in, and you'll not just be installing your two programs for free, but you'll also be gaining a click! Holy-flying-stimmed-chameleons, Hadian!
  • Don't forget about my connections with @cdwolstenholme who's pretty close to Aesop! @cdwolstenholme suggests that you can Trade-In a useless copy of Replicator, and get the hardware that you really require, be it an LLDS Processor chain, or the Autoscripter. Smooth out the variance a little, why don't you. Remember that you make these trade-ins much better than other runners. You can install two copies of the tutored hardware if you got a Replicator out for a single . If the hardware you're trading Aesop is the second installed in a turn, then it didn't even cost a click either! In total, using Trade-In makes your efficiency like that of a mere mortal like all other runners. Just remember: don't ask Aesop about his arm.
  • While we're going on about suns, lets talk about Inti. Yeah, I know it is crap. I hate it too. I hate that we have to even think about its smug little digital face. But while that annoying ice that just wants to give hugs all the time is around, we might just need some digital shine.
  • Just a couple more touches, and you're good to go! I've added some R&D Interfaces in there to be cool like the cool kids. I know, how boring and un-Shaper-esque. Just think of it as a little back-up for your flying, stimmed Chameleons. Keep your eye on the ball. I also added in a few blogging tools so that you can foster that Public Sympathy that will enable you to keep your Chameleons in your hand with the other goodies, even while spending your Quality Time. You wouldn't imagine how useful these are. Last, you must realize how much installing you're going to be doing by now. I've thrown in three Personal Workshops so that you can not only spend a click for every other piece of hardware or program, but now also pay for every other piece of hardware or program. You got the time to bang away in your workshop, anyway.
  • Don't forget that you'll want to spend your s somewhere, and where better than on this little program I bought from an eccentric artist: Magnum Opus.

I know, I get overwhelmed by the sheer spender of the entire package too. So lets recap:

  • Installing four programs every round while not spending any , and - in fact - gaining a !
  • Chameleons flying at instant speed for zero , and no !
  • Stimmed-up Chameleons with strength 8 ready to chew up any ice they encounter! If you get in trouble, just get universal and send your Atman in there!

The result:

Flying, Stimmed Chameleons!

I'll take your s now, thanks. As always, nice doing business with you.

PS - If you want to exchange one of your Savoir-faire for an Autoscripter, that's fine. But I figured you wanted to shoot for consistency of your main game plan, not the cherry on top.

23 comments
13 Jan 2015 sruman

Great write-up and I really hope a great deck given how unique it is.

13 Jan 2015 IonFox

This looks so amazing and fun, and your write up made people stare at me from their cubicles (shhhh...). A couple questions I have are have you considered any of the other spoiled cards like beach party and game day for hand expansion and card draw respectively? Also with savior faire and datasuckers in play, wouldn't memory units become an issue with magnum opus and ninja ambush chameleons, which in turn makes his deck's economy a bit shaky? However, this is overall a very fun and original deck, can't wait to try it when I get my tickets to SanSan.

13 Jan 2015 IonFox

Derp. Omni drives. Nevermind this deck just became 5 times more amazing as I read through it again. Personally more excited for the sort of surprise combo shaper awesomeness than anarchs in the box.

14 Jan 2015 cdwolstenholme

just noticed some thing worrying about chameleon - it doesn't gain fracter if you name barrier. therefore it doesn't affect wraparound, i.e. wraparound is 7 strength against this deck - potentially a massive problem

14 Jan 2015 cdwolstenholme

failed to finish before posting because you have to have all your pieces (Dinosaurus and at least 2 LLDS, which probably requires a replicator) before you can break a wraparound. You could use atman, but 7 strength is a bit low if you plan on using it as a Hadrian's/Curtain Wall/Wotan/Janus counter, it could end up requiring too many suckers

14 Jan 2015 ycombinator

@cdwolstenholme: Ahhh, I posted the wrong version! Yeah, this needs Inti. I even wrote the prose about Inti, and then didn't update the list! I believe it should be -1 Quality Time or -1 Personal Workshop, +1 Inti, depending on if you want to be credit short, or draw short ;-)

Wraparound is my least favorite card, to be honest. It killed many aspects of the meta. So annoyed. When we get Clot, perhaps it will become less of an issue as NBN becomes less of an issue.

14 Jan 2015 Dydra

./yawn, please rewrite this after 4 or 5 months when we have the actual cards to play it?

14 Jan 2015 ycombinator

@Dydra: Fair point: this isn't playable. The target of the post is certainly just people who are amused by fun and interesting combos. That's part of the reason why I tried to make the description amusing. That said, as Chameleons are already available in the draft packs, so the only thing we're missing is Hayley.

I think that the Omni-Drive + Savoir-faire combo is fun and playable now!

@cdwolstenholme: Omni-Drives and Dinosauruses! The final set-up is (OD = Omni-Drive):

  • OD 1: Savoir-faire
  • OD 2: Chameleon
  • OD 3: Atman
  • Dino: Chameleon

MU goes to:

14 Jan 2015 bloodyfistyheart

@Dydra if you aren't interested in cards that aren't out, don't click on a Hayley Kaplan: Universal Scholar deck!

Super-cool decklist and write-up, I had not thought of hayley with Trade-In yet.

15 Jan 2015 Meme

Lmao! Well said @bloodyfistyheart...

Great concepts @ycombinator and fantastic write up, keep up the love and forward thinking you have for our game =)

15 Jan 2015 saltytacopanda

Data Folding? Since Chameleon always bounces back, you'd get the credit every turn.

16 Jan 2015 ycombinator

This deck almost never will have 2 free. Magnum Opus + Datasucker or Chameleon (before you get the Omni-Drive + Dinosaurus up). That said, I'd love to see someone make it work!

The beauty of Magnum Opus is that it allows you to avoid spending too many slots on econ. If you do spend more slots, then it is questionable if Magnum Opus should be there.

18 Jan 2015 ahiskali

@ycombinator it's 5 a.m. in the morning. I just read your articles on stimhack, and reddit got me here. Reading descriptions gave me feeling of excitement, like the one you get when you're buying yourself new PC or big plasma screen and I was just sitting here trowing my tokens at screen.

Despite me being a begginer, I love Netrunner very much and mostly for its seemingly endless diversity. There's so many ways to play and the meta is constantly shifting, so you'll never get bored of the same strong decks, (yes NEH, I am looking at you). And you just caught the spirit of this game, hopefully shaping the post-SanSan meta.

People like you makes me love Netrunner so much, thank you :)

P.S. Have you though about sharing your research tools in your next stimhack article? Or probably making a mini-guide for it. It could lead to more precious data, as people explore different aspects of the game using your mechanisms.

18 Jan 2015 gparmer

@ahiskali: Thanks! The part of the game I like most is deckbuilding, and I think that many share this interest. I hope that the community of creative deckbuilders continues, and I hope I can contribute in my own small way.

I will make the code public, but I really need to clean it up before others can usefully get much out of it.

Thanks again!

18 Jan 2015 pants on head

What about Beach Party as a handsize solution instead of Public Sympathy? I feel like the deck doesn't really need the handsize boost until you're rolling with multiple Chameleons, and at that point losing a click a turn might not be too bad. Also, being able to hold 10 cards in hand is a pretty solid defense against any kind of flatline, so Plascrete Carapace might not be as necessary.

25 Jan 2015 Two_EG

I'd rather replace personal workshop to inside man. I love him in replicator deck :)

25 Jan 2015 ycombinator

@pants on head: I really don't like giving up the click for Beach Party. I'm not convinced that will every be good in Shaper where one often needs to build up board state aggressively. That said, its worth trying out! Magnum Opus is great protection alone against many forms of Scorched Earth.

@Two_EG: Interesting. I've had pretty bad experiences with him, as he's quite hard to make fast enough. He has the significant benefit that you can play things quickly, rather than waiting for the Personal Workshop timer. However, he has a number of downsides. First, he doesn't work for the chameleons, and second, he can't be used to install during the corp's turn (i.e. getting double work out of Hayley Kaplan: Universal Scholar's power).

These are relatively small pros and cons, so I have a feeling this will come down to taste.

17 Apr 2015 homeiss

I'm not so sure you need to worry about hand size. I always thought you had to discard before your turn can end. If that's true Chameleon doesn't bounce back until after your turn ends.

19 Apr 2015 ycombinator

@homeiss: Great point. I certainly missed this! That lets us get rid of public sympathy all-together, which is great! Thanks for the pointer.

23 Apr 2015 krystman

Just tried this and it tanked horribly. I added the Inti because it was in the description and the deck needs it.

Two issues I found:

  • More often than not, Personal Workshop just eats Haley's ability. I want to do the Chameleon play but no, this turn we HAVE to install an Omi-drive. And look, there is no hardware on hand. Sad trombone.

  • LLDS fucks with Atman. I noticed this in the most inopportune moment.

Otherwise, I feel the deck also lacks MU - Magnum Opus, Savoir-faire and a Datasucker and you're full. Where are you going to install all your breakers? Every Omni-Drive or Dinosaurus is a 3+ credit hardware that you need to draw into. And there are all those weird restrictions. Like you can't install an Atman on Dinosaurus.

Generally, it took me ages to set up. There is SO MUCH that needs to be installed. And once everything is out, you're not even that economical because by this time the corp has 2+ ice on every server.

Finally, on a hilarious note, Targeted Marketing is a hard counter. I witnessed it myself. I was on the floor laughing.

25 Apr 2015 ycombinator

@krystman: The merchant of breaker bay strikes again!

Thanks for playtesting, and for the feedback. Lets not presume that any deck based on 1) LLDS Processor and 2) Chameleons will be competitive ;-) This is mainly an exercise in engine building and deck optimization around an idea.

But your comments address this second goal: how can we optimize this thing? As Hayley Kaplan: Universal Scholar is out, it seems worth thinking about. How can we make this deck the best it can be (even if that isn't great)?

Re: Targeted Marketing. Little did you realize exactly how efficient this deck really is! 20 for two ! Unfortunately, it is the corp gaining this, but that's just details.

Let me give it another shot. See: netrunnerdb.com

25 Apr 2015 krystman

@ycombinator Sorry for grumping out on you like that. I really wanted this kind of deck to work ever since Chameleon was spoiled.

How can we optimize? Good question.

  • First, I think we need to give up Workshop here. With Workshop you really want to just drop all your Hardware / Software on it. But then you end up with none of these things on hand so you can't combo them with Haley.

  • I'm also thinking what to do with that Magnum Opus. I feel like this deck should reward us for playing those Chameleons. 2 Sahasrara take up the same MU as a Mopus but we can then Play the Chameleons on a Scheherazade and earn money this way. That should be 2 credits per turn. I feel like Professional Contacts is better here as we don't want to be in a position where we have to decide to whether to keep drawing or bolstering economy.

  • I think we can free up some Influence by dropping at least one Savoir-faire. Perhaps even 2. You can fetch the Savoir-faire with a Self-modifying Code and you will never need more than 2.

  • Not sure if we will need the Datasucker. The LLDS Processor and Dinosaurus are actually doing that job already. And the setup takes such a long time, it will be difficult to charge them with tokens. Better add some in-faction strength booster. We could go with The Helpful AI or simply cover our asses with Sharpshooter and Deus X.

  • What if instead of boosting Chameleons we rather lower the strength of ice? I was thinking Bishop, Ice Carver or Scrubbed. The latter would also be a solution to our Targeted Marketing problem. Dat influence tho...

What do you think?

25 Apr 2015 ycombinator

@krystman: not bummed out at all! Just glad someone else is testing it ;-)

Great deck suggestions. See my next version (the link at the bottom of my previous post) which is along the same path you've taken here.

  • Got rid of Personal Workshop. Replaced with cheaper hardware + Modded.
  • Professional Contacts is worth trying, but I don't like the card (despite my efficiency analysis on stimhack showing that it can kick butt). Here it would be a difficult proposition: you need enough money to install all the hardware. Getting that much for PC would take a year. However, as you point out, we need to draw. See the next version of the deck; I used the mini-PC: Symmetrical Visage. If you go away from Magnum Opus, then you need events/resource econ. If you do that, then you start eating into your hardware list, which makes Hayley Kaplan: Universal Scholar less efficient (I'm a firm believer that you want a majority of a single type with her to maximize her ability). I'd be happy to see a list that does this, but I'd rather deal with the Magnum Opus problem by including Akamatsu Mem Chips which synergize with both Hayley and Replicator. The card draw in the new list is actually pretty strong: SV + Diesel + replicator, and I think that PC would be overkill.
  • I'm ahead of you. See my updated list.
  • Datasucker is there for early pressure that makes your Chameleons effective early on. If you don't have them, then you're relying entirely on your hardware that is somewhat inconsistent to be able to face check. Datasuckers slow the corp down by forcing rezes, and ice on archives while you set up the rest of your rig. You also want some answer to the likes of Janus/Wotan/Curtain walls.
  • That said, Sharpshooter might be a great idea as well. However, if you do so, you really want Clone Chips. See the next version (linked from my previous comment) for that.
  • If Targeted Marketing is ever a thing, then I'd just go with Celebrity Gift. This could be a cool deck: Chameleon + strength reduction, but my thought is this. You're stretching the types of cards in the deck across the different types, which makes Hayley harder to use. I'd love to see the deck, and think that it could focus primarily on programs instead of hardware, which could be quite cool.