Little Girls on Crack (Stimshop) [2nd GNK]

Stimshop has been in an awkward place lately. It hasn't been fast enough to keep up with quicker corps, and hasn't been big enough to threaten glaciers. It's one of my favorite archetypes to play however, so I have been working for a while on how to solve this issue. The result is a deck that lets you stimhack 5+ times a game and that is beefy enough to have a solid late-game threat. I managed to get 2nd place at a small GNK in Parker, CO with this deck.

For anyone who isn't familiar with how stimshop decks work, the game plan is to abuse the credits provided by Stimhack in order to quickly assemble a rig. Have Self-modifying Codes out, load a bunch of programs/hardware onto a Personal Workshop, and let ol' Magnum Opus give you some gas. Make big explosive runs and get a lot done in one turn.

KEY CARDS:

Stimhack: The key component. Lets you not only assemble your rig, but is a game-winning card that needs to be abused. Easily one of my favorite cards in the game.

Brain Chip: Probably one of the most important cards in the deck. Lets you stimhack as many times as you want and gives you all the late game memory you would ever need.

Hyperdriver: Opus is slow. Really slow. Thankfully, hyperdriver lets you make up for it, and also isn't bad for when you desperately need to draw. 90% of the time I pop this the turn after installing it, I honestly don't think it's worth "saving" until the right time. It is key in buffering the slow setup that comes with stimshop.

Leprechaun: You either get it early, or you don't. Memory is really tight early game, and this guy can make all the difference. Very useful when you've got opus/hyperdriver/SMC/morning star and no brain chip/agenda points. I have used an SMC for this guy before, don't underestimate it.

Bookmark: It seems like a silly pick, but this thing has saved me from more trouble than I would ever like to admit. Want to stimhack but don't want to lose that levy or other important card for later? Drawing furiously for a workshop but don't want to discard your breakers? Need an emergency extra plascrete? Just park it all on bookmark and worry about it later. It won me a game after I faceplanted into a bunch of net damage while it safely held my levy, and stopped a sea-scorch combo in its tracks. But again, like leprechaun, it doesn't do much for you late-game other than be possible stimhack fodder.

Same Old Thing: Speaks for itself. Spam that stimhack.

BREAKERS

A huge problem I had with past stimshop builds was creating an impactful rig that could carry throughout the late game. Sure, you could install a corroder mid-run and get through for cheap/free once, and then be forced to spend entire turns clicking opus in order to get in again... Or you could install Morning Star with those 9 credits and break some of the most popular barriers (eli/hive/spiderweb etc) for one credit each for the rest of the game. Sure it may feel terrible when you've gotta dig for your Torch for just a quandary, but the extra time spent early assembling your big-rig is huge in keeping the burden off of your poor opus. Abuse what stimhack can give you: 9 credits all at once, not spread out over clicks or turns. Both atman and femme help fill in any holes you need (who also use the full potential of the stimhack credits). Deus X is a meta call, i've been drifting between it and sharpshooter.

CONCLUSION

This deck is very much still a work in progress, but I think it has a lot of potential. I like to run recklessly and this deck has a lot to pick you back up when you crash. I'd love to hear any thoughts/suggestions anyone might have.