Look mum, no hand! v0.1

Shiiuga 1266

After having a decent amount of success with my Cerebral Imaging: Infinite Frontiers Super Hand Bloat concept (http://netrunnerdb.com/en/decklist/19097/you-saved-my-baby-you-fat-handed-v0-8) I became interested in the ability of Cybernetics Division: Humanity Upgraded to do the literal opposite to the runner.

"How," I asked myself, "can I flatline the runner by making their hand size as negative as possible?"

The answer, so far as I can conceive it without having some of the key pieces to play with before release, goes a little bit something like this:

Agendas

Self-Destruct Chips to bluff out early as Adonis Campaigns or to score during a window, and some 5/3s to reduce density

Assets

Chairman Hiro to deal the killing blow. Preferably to be installed by an Architect and then rezzed when the runner's hand size is 0 or 1 and they're running last click for ~ExTrA CoMeDy~. Standard Jackson Howard and Adonis Campaign for draw/dolla.

Upgrades

Ash 2X3ZB9CY to protect Hiro if required. Awakening Center for a last minute Janus 1.0 rez to deal some brain damage as a nice substitute for/addition to reducing their hand size during the run. Self-destruct as a last resort for if they are going to access Hiro. Valley Grid to make getting to him just as deadly as leaving him on the table.

Operations

Hedge Fund and Restructure obviously to get those phat stacks, and Interns to install Hiro when you need him.

ICE

The only ICE that really needs mentioning is Gyri Labyrinth which can be used either to compliment Hiro or as an alternative if you're struggling to get him out. Put them in front of a Valley Grid and the runner's choice is...lose one hand size or lose 2 hand size! Fun.

The gameplan is to put Hiro in Archives as soon as he comes out to protect him from being trashed and then Interns or Architect him out later on as the situation calls. Unless, of course, you are already set up when he surfaces, in which case go hog wild and play him.

You don't really want the runner to know he's there, though, as that would spoil the surprise when he is rezzed.

I doubt this deck will be very competitive, and I expect that much tightening could be done. It's even possible that it would be more efficient at what it's trying to do WITHOUT Hiro to protect, and some FA/more econ in there somewhere, but I won't know until I can test it out when Chrome City surfaces.

18 comments
19 May 2015 dante77

Great idea to kill runner.

19 May 2015 tuism

I've been messing with Cybernetics Murder too, first with the idea of Punitive Counterstrike and 3 pointers... Which sucked miserably, then with Valley... But stacking 4 deep AND have stuff to finish them off means a LOT of econ OR paper thin ICE. Paper thin ICE didn't work with 3 pointers in R&D and HQ.

The biggest problem, I've found overall, isn't in the gameplan - it's in 3 pointers. Focusing on them means that the runner is in control of the economic pace because they never have to run unless you start advancing. Sure, scoring a few Self-Destruct Chips is great, and guarantees safety in a Valley Grid, but by that time the runner has viable econ and options to multi-access wherever they want.

The biggest problem are 3 pointers. Sigh.

19 May 2015 Shiiuga

@tuism That's interesting, although surely the runner has no way of knowing going in what your agenda spread is?

If it's really a problem, perhaps this deck needs a couple of advanceable traps. A Cerebral Overwriter or Thomas Haas perhaps, to bait the runner in to having a go at the server. If they hit an architect you can install Hiro over the top of the trap from Archives/HQ if it's safe/they don't break. Or just let them keep going and give them the brain damage/take the money/trash a program/whatever trap you fancy.

20 May 2015 tuism

One of the things I really wanted to do was Tech Startup to fetch Chairman Hiro. But that meant protection for the piddly 1-trash startup, on top of the Valley Grid remote (or your agendas are gonna clump and you might as well give up with all the multi-access everywhere... And Legwork destroys a 4-card hand.

20 May 2015 Dydra

THIS DECK HAS NO MONEY !!! ONEo1en1n1on1o1n1no !!

20 May 2015 Shiiuga

@tuism I feel like that ruins the surprise a little, though! Legwork is a problem, but it's not very common in my (London) meta at least so it shouldn't be too bad.

@Dydra WAT I WILL FITE U!!!!1123one (for real though you're right)

To address the above and the fact I forgot Executive Retreat is a big pile of stinky butt I have made the following changes:

Out: -3 Executive Retreat, -1 Awakening Center, -1 Ash 2X3ZB9CY, -1 Valley Grid, -1 Interns, -1 Viktor 2.0 and -1 Janus 1.0.

In: +1 Eden Fragment, +1 Hades Fragment, +1 Utopia Fragment +2 Cerebral Overwriter, +1 Research Station, +1 Viktor 1.0, +2 Pop-up Window

Hopefully the pop-ups will provide a bit more consistent econ (it was a toss up between them and a couple of Beanstalk Royalties) but I reckon it's still probably a bit light on the old .

20 May 2015 Dydra

Why you don't consider Blue/Green Level clearance ... it is in faction and it will speed up an already fast deck?

20 May 2015 Shiiuga

I did but I don't know where they'd fit. Drop the Restructures, maybe, as they need a strong econ to fire anyway? Possibly get rid of the Jacksons and use the Blue/Greens draw abilities instead?

20 May 2015 ANRguybrush

Needs more mental health clinics.

20 May 2015 Shiiuga

We have a winner for best comment anyone has made on one of my decks :D

21 May 2015 Shannon.L

As a serious question: Valley Grid will reward deep ice, right? - this fires every time a runner breaks something, if my interpretation of the card is correct.

21 May 2015 Axlotl

I made a very similar deck a few days ago. Almost identical influence, but radically different support. I liked the idea of NEXT ice in here, since gold is a potential wincon. I also went with an asset heavy version with Tech Startup to pull Hiro, although I also like the idea of safely depositing him into archives. Potentially a combination of both cards could work. I'm personally not sure 3 Valley Grid is needed, even though my list also had 3. Do note, though, that I haven't built or tested the deck either. netrunnerdb.com

21 May 2015 Shiiuga

@Shannon.L yes, the more ice they break the more punishing. That's why three gyri labyrinths on a scoring remote with valley grid in this deck is painful. You're damned if you do break and damned if you dont. And even more fanned if you let the Corp score out a couple of 5/3s!

@Axlotl a friend also suggested NEXT for this deck and I'm inclined to agree with both of you. I just never thought about it for some reason.

Almost all the bioroids have been replaced by NEXT ice barring the Viktor.

I think the tech startup/exec boot camp method to summon Hiro is potentially valid. I'm just a bit worried that if they know he's there they'll do everything in their power to trash him. Plus I like keeping the coup de grace a surprise!

21 May 2015 reyda

I know it may sound far fetched but I actually had much success with first turn Fenris to force the runner to play with one brain damage early in the game. You just rez it as one of your first ice when Eli is expected and voila. The problem is handling the bad pub afterwards but maybe this deck can do it.

22 May 2015 Shannon.L

The only comment I can add is this - you've got a lot of hand reduction, but no coup-de-grace. Yes, Hiro is there (and I borrowed your Valley Grids for my take on this) ... but the runner's in kill range after almost every run for just the price of a neural EMP or two.

I fear you won't have the ability to stick the flatline, without some kind of direct damage to push past the runner's empty hand.

22 May 2015 Shiiuga

@reyda I think I prefer an early Viktor, but yeah, same basic principle I guess without the bad pub.

@Shannon.L I think that's a good shout. I've dropped a Valley Grid, a Jackson and a Pop-Up for two neural EMPs.

A thought: Shell Corp on the monster server? Even more incentive to run, and makes it much harder to trash.

22 May 2015 Shiiuga

netrunnerdb.com < new version up

12 Jun 2015 TrungusWungus

Wait, how does Chairman hiro and techstart-up work? Since you can only use tech start-up at the beginning of YOUR turn, even if the runner was within striking range, wouldn't they have already passed their discard down to hand size window?