I'll just open by saying this deck is only one card different from the original Pitchfork posted by Spags (-1 Stimhack +1 Political Operative) so of course thanks to him for the list. I was finding the deck was doing fine for money to make runs but ash or caprice could be a problem so gave it a go. So far it seems to work very well. Running this deck has been some of the most fun I've had playing competitively - you can set up with the ability to answer most situations, get past almost any server the corp is stacking against you and give people some real 'you can DO that?' moments. Come later packs in this cycle I think there will be more causes for concern for Shaper with some hits to in-run tutoring that will require a few adaptions but until then I have my favourite runner deck to work with. My corp was NEH Team Turtles like many others.

The tournament was in Hamilton (a town near Glasgow). We had 33 people attending from around Scotland with representatives from all over including Aberdeen, Dundee, Glasgow and Edinburgh. We had 5 rounds of swiss cutting to the top 8 and I took a few quick notes so will do a brief tournament summary.

Swiss

Round 1: Store Champ Bye

Figured I may as well use it for my 'home' regionals since I won it in the same store (coming 4th to 3 guys who already had theirs...ahem)

2-0

Round 2: vs Jaydee (Blue Sun/Chaos Theory)

Jaydee is one of the Dundee crew and we seem to be destined to play each other in tournaments we both attend. We start with me running and I mulligan into a hand with no econ and little tutoring. Ok, that was not great. The Blue Sun is quite an interesting build running corporate town, Mumbad construction co. and lots of public agendas for fast advance. Underway renovations mills and corporate town trashes start putting the hurt on (2 of my 3 Proco rapidly hit the trash along with some daily casts and tech writers). Fortunately, I see scorch on R&D accesses early and get my plascrete out (got scorched last tournament we played in with it still in hand). A couple points are scored without response and then I clot an Oaktown - Jaydee had cyberdex on the table but didn't use it (I had mainly clotted to force the money spend and open up R&D) so next turn I walk over to grab it. After that I get a Procon and Aesop's out then stabilise. I Levy and then start applying pressure. I get ready for a turn checking HQ when a Jackson gets dropped on the table. After the overdraw and discard I see my chance. I run HQ and then sell a 1-pointer to artist colony to get Pol-Op, trashing Mr Howard and then run Archives for the win.

Follow-up match is NEH and I just get an excellent start and chain agendas out, not much to say other than NBN can sometimes just hand it to you.

4-0

Round 3: vs Jonny (Whizzard/Palana)

Jonny is one of the Edinburgh crew and a strong player (he finished 8th overall). For starters I corped but after a good start scoring two tokened astros, he dropped medium and turntable and things went about as well as you'd expect. I then run against Palana which has generally been an ok matchup for Hayley. I get a Pol-Op on the table early to discourage Caprice and set about getting R&D interfaces running for digs. Jonny gets a deep R&D set up but Atman 4 and D4v1d with chameleon for a swordsman let me in cheaply. He scores a Nisei and then another in his remote but I am locking R&D so leave it unchallenged (a mistake that could have lost me the game). I get to 4 points with the big digs and he has to start using the counters to try and tax me out on the runs. I start scavenging D4v1d/using Sac con to save tokens and keep the pressure up. He installs a GFI in the remote that I had missed on HQ along with 3 other upgrades. I look at his diminishing R&D and decide a 4 card dig is probably my best shot rather than one psi-game (I know there will be 2 caprice in the remote and he'll leave the last Ice unrezzed so I have to face one of them, plus he still has a Nisei token). I run, he Nisei tokens. I scavenge D4v1d, clear Techwriter and run to find the winning points.

I am now on 5-1 needing two more wins to comfortably have a spot in the cut. Ideally a sweep in round 4 will seal it early.

Round 4: Graeme (Sync/Kit)

Another of the Dundee lot, Graeme told me he had only started playing properly this year so I congratulated him on his Round 4 placing (indeed, he ended up 12th which is a solid result for your first regional). We started off with Sync and I knew I would have to be careful until I worked out exactly what the game plan was. Hitting too much tagging ice like Gutenberg could leave me far behind economically as I'd be stuck clearing tags due to my resource-based economy. I have an early Proco so get that running and begin setting up with some Fansites and good old Mr buys-everything-for-3-bucks. An Astro followed by a Beale are scored before I really get going but I manage to get clot/sac con online afterwards and put a stop to the fast advance threat. I begin running R&D which is Data Raven, 2x Gutenberg and a Quandary but hunting grounds/d4v1d keep me tag free and I find all the QPMs and then 4 more points to win it. During the corp game I quickly realise Graeme is playing something like Seamus' stealth Kit list and so try to move rapidly to score knowing it can struggle against heavy asset play. I manage to ASI a Proco, Daily Casts and Same Old Thing which I feel puts me in a strong position but alas soon after he drops 2 ghost runners and then Legworks right when I am a little too poor to get all the HQ ice rezzed. 4 cards in hand, 2 agendas and he takes the win.

Now I am on 6-2 and things are looking a bit dicier for making it into the cut. I begin to consider if I would take an Intentional Draw in the final round. It's a tricky choice as I would feel odd making a cut in a 5 round tournament after only playing 3 but also wouldn't want to miss out on the cut by refusing. I'm torn but decide to see how my opponent felt; if they are also on 6-2 we can raise the topic, get the TO over and discuss. Of course the last round of Swiss I should be paired with someone on a similar record and we would often split anyway. It would depend on who I am facing...

The pairings go up and of course I'm facing Seamus, currently undefeated both in Swiss and dress.

Ah.

Naturally, with the 8-0 record he has no need for a draw and is seeking another sweep to achieve a perfect Swiss.

Round 5: vs Seamus (Argus/Kit)

Seamus and I play regularly in the pub and often travel to tournaments together. We've faced off many times (including the glory days of him playing Silhouette against my Ruhr Valley RP) so have a fair idea of what to expect from one another. He has a good habit of having us playing our tournament decks in friendly games shortly before events to siphon off my wins against him early - should probably keep an eye out for that more.

We start off with Hayley vs Argus and it's a brief one. Turn one he installs ice then something and advances. I know it's an agenda and expect it's probably an Enigma defending it (aka The Best Weyland Ice) so I drop Cy-Cy and go, grabbing a Geothermal Fracking for my trouble. He then scores Hostile and I run R&D hitting a Snare! I clear the tag then Proco twice up to 2 or 3 cards. He SEA Sources, I sell the Fracking to some Artist for an installation getting Plascrete in return but Seamus then double scorches to end it.

Next I have to play NEH vs his updated Kit and I know I may be in trouble - if he gets Clot/Sac Con out things are going to be tougher albeit not unwinnable (Kit can't really keep up with the assets so there are ways and means available to me) and my chances at making the cut are significantly dropped (indeed there were quite a few timed wins resulting on several players being on 13 points at the end of Swiss raising the bubble).

I draw my opening hand - Wraparound for R&D, some assets and a San San. Ok. I know he won't go heavy on trashing so I begin setting up a board. I score an Astro off the San San and then Team Sponsorship out more Stuff. He gets an Astrolabe up but no SMC yet and then trashes the rezzed and an unrezzed San San. I fire a Sensies drawing 2 Breaking News. Score 1 to put the San Sans back out. He trashes them again and I follow up with the second BN, putting them back. I am giving him a lot of Astrolabe draws which will be increasing the chances of him finding what he needs but I look to draw into the win before that. I score a 15 minutes before he finally gets the SMC and then I just need to install CVS, Install and advance a Beale on SSCG to close it out. I breathe a sigh of relief - not only am I in the cut but I've managed to keep Seamus from having two undefeated in the Swiss decks.

Top 8 is announced and I'm in 3rd behind Jonny and Seamus (both of them helping my Strength of Schedule nicely) and we receive our gorgeous Maya mats.

Top 8

Top 8 Game 1: vs David (NEH)

David is also playing Hayley and NEH. His reputation for a certain style of runner deck precedes him so I opt to run (to be honest I'd probably choose to run even if his Hayley was the same as mine). Can't recall too many details from the game (day was long) but he gets reasonably set up with a few scores before I win off of R&D digs.

Top 8 Winners Game 2: vs Alasdair (Noise)

Alasdair is another of the Edinburgh crew and we've been team mates in both Intercity tournaments and a recent team tournament in Lanark. He's a big fan of Darwin (not in his deck on the day sadly) and whale noises. We get set up, he manages to imp a few key assets but noise mills don't hit anything too important and I manage to fast advance to victory, narrowly dodging a Clot on a Street Peddler. Summary: Awoooo

Top 8 Winners Game 3: vs Seamus (Argus)

Seamus has reinstated his winning streak and we go for the rematch. This time I find no tutors early and he just scores out in a 3 deep remote extremely quickly with my pokes at R&D/HQ only finding Snare!s. Was hoping to not lose twice against Argus with Hayley as often she does quite well but any kind of slow start against that deck will not go unpunished.

Top 8 Losers Game 4: vs Tim (Whizzard)

Tim is playing almost the same NEH as me and the usual Whizzard so I know this will be extremely tough. I had not practiced the deck very heavily against Whizzard so it was a bit of a poor time to choose to start working out best plays. He kept on top of my assets and I managed to sneak out a Beale early. If it had been an Astro I may have had a better shot but he shortly afterwards killed my R&D ice and then Medium dug for the win.

Tim then went on to play Seamus in the finals but I'm sure one of them will be able to tell you that story.

Overall a great day and my first time making the cut in a Regional level tournament which I am particularly proud of. Looking forward to the Birmingham Expo regionals - I may try some wilder decks.