Haarpsichord Doomsday

Isvan 682

< Initiating Hades Protocol >

< All available executives have been sacrificed to enable the project. >

< Research is now complete. >

< Setup is complete. All that is now required is participation from the Runner. >

< And so we wait. >

This is a rather strange combo deck.

The plan is to use the Jackson Howard + Power Shutdown + Accelerated Diagnostics combo. You need 8 credits and those three cards to get it going, with the following results:

  • Install Jackson
  • Shutdown the deck.
  • Jackson: Interns, Reclamation Order, Biotic Labor
  • Accelerated Diagnostics: Interns for Jackson Howard, Reclamation Order for Accelerated Diagnostics.
  • Jackson: Interns, Interns, Shipment from SanSan
  • Accelerated Diagnostics: Interns for Jackson Howard, Interns for Hades Fragment, Shipment to advance.
  • Jackson: Shipment from SanSan, Shipment from SanSan, anything.
  • Accelerated Diagnostics: Shipment twice to score Hades Shard. Flex slot is whatever you want- if they have Clot, Interns up Cyberdex Virus Suite. Otherwise, you Reclamation Order something (probably Midseasons).

Now, you have 0 cards in your deck, and a scored Hades Shard. This means that if the runner wants to win, they have to run Archives where all your agendas are. Including two Explode-a-Paloozas and three TGTBTs, and they can only steal one agenda per turn.

So you wait for the Runner to muster up the courage to run Archives, and gain a load of credits and tags. Hopefully they waited a couple turns - if the went straight away, don't worry about it. Either way, they have at least a couple of tags and you have plenty of money. They can only get two agenda points per turn, so you should have a few opportunities to return cards to your hand via Hades Shard + your mandatory draw. You want to collect:

  • Closed Accounts
  • Midseason Replacements
  • Psychographics
  • Biotic Labor

Once you have these four, put Cyberdex on Archives if you need it. Then get back AstroScripts and Biotic them out until the Runner gets off their ass and starts digging. If they go before you're fully set up, just go for Closed Accounts into Midseasons for about 10 tags, then get back Psychographics and Beale them next turn.

If you have all 4 and they make a steal, go for Biotic:

  • Closed Accounts
  • Midseasons for 7
  • Install Beale
  • Psychographics for 7 into victory.

You lose to:

  • Turntable. They get rid of your Hades Fragment and you lose.
  • Interestingly, not Film Critic. They can put every agenda in Archives onto it, but you still gain credits and give them tags, so just trash Film Critic and stick the agendas back in your bin, and wait for them to go again.
  • Leela doesn't affect the combo at all.
  • Sometimes you get Hades Fragment stolen. You can still combo into an 8-advance Beale (9 if you have Biotic in hand, or Jackson installed at the start of the turn).
  • Take note: Noise does not have a paid ability window in which to trash the top card of your deck before you draw it
  • Laramy Fisk and Fisk Investment Seminar will screw you pretty badly when they come out.

If you can get a Jackson pre-installed or a Biotic in hand, the combo gets a lot easier. You can just Shutdown + Diagonostics into 4-advance Hades, advance the last time and score. That means you still have two Jacksons in your deck, letting you pull off the Beale combo much faster with Diagnostics.

26 comments
29 Jul 2015 trustworthym

This is some wild stuff, I love it.

29 Jul 2015 ANRguybrush

This deck just gets wrecked by archives interface.

Just kidding, nice combo. If only there would be something to make it consistent enough?

29 Jul 2015 anr_marsellus

This deck just gets wrecked by Turntable.

And THAT is a card that sees play. But I love the idea.

29 Jul 2015 Isvan

@mcpbaThe nice thing about the combo is that it's just three cards, each of which is a player in the deck, so it's actually reasonably consistent. Also, if the deck can't go off for some reason, you still have a perfectly good astrotrain plan which works fine. @anr_marsellusi think the solution to Turntable might be Old Hollywood Grid or whatever it's called - the one that stops the runner from stealing agendas unless they already have one of them. You can also sometimes survive without Hades Fragment for a turn by use of Jackson.

30 Jul 2015 Isvan

A couple of changes to be made:
- 1 Project Beale, +1 Explode-a-Palooza
- 1 Subliminal Messaging +1 Psychographics

This gives you a stronger follow up if the runner takes 3 tags from Archives. You can actually keep one Jackson in your deck when you combo if the runner doesn't have interaction: do the first Diagnostics as normal, then Interns + Shipment + Shipment Hades Fragment for the second and use your last click to advance once more and score. You also still have a Diagnostics in hand here, allowing you to get back Jackson and combo again next turn. If the runner has 3+ tags you can win with Interns + double Psychographics for a six counter Beale, advancing last clock to 7 for 4 points. If they didn't run, you can return Astronomy and Shipment it with a spare operation for emergencies, meaning you have a scored Astro ready to return another 3/2 next turn.

If the runner has run but removed the tags, you can still win if you have 13 more credits than them- Interns for Beale, Midseasons for six tags, Psychographics into one more advancement for 4 points.

If the runner has Clot or Hades Shard you still need to be careful. Clot makes you use all three Jacksons to add in a Cyberdex like in the description. Hades Shard is odd depending on when they use it- if they pop it as soon as you Shutdown, you can sometimes get them with Psychographics, particularly if they don't steal Hades Fragment

30 Jul 2015 Isvan

Also, against Noise: you probably just lose. If he doesn't have any way of interacting with you (no Clone Chip or Street Peddler, no Hades Shard, no Turntable) you can probably just combo off for Hades and go from there.

30 Jul 2015 Dydra

Yeah, if I were you, I'd check the new spoilers ... and especially how the film critics are thinking about this NBN production ;)

30 Jul 2015 Isvan

Film Critic only hosts one agenda. They can get two agendas in a single turn with it, but then they aren't removing the tags which means you can Psychographics combo afterwards and/or trash the Film Critic.

5 Aug 2015 Ajar

Film Critic does stop TGTBT and Explode-A-Palooza. And Fetal AI, and The Future Perfect, and so many other agendas.

"On access" effects trigger, but it's the Runner's turn and they have priority; their "on access" effects occur first if they so desire. There's no stack in Netrunner, so once an agenda is hosted on FC -- which the Runner will presumably decide to have trigger first -- that agenda's "on access" ability no longer happens because the agenda is not being accessed.

Film Critic allows the Runner to go faster while also shutting off both your tag plan and Midseasons, so you're basically down to Biotic + Cyberdex to win, which if you have to recur Cyberdex whenever you want to score is going to take you 2 turns per agenda.

So I think an alternative plan will be needed if Film Critic is popular.

5 Aug 2015 trustworthym

@Ajar Is it confirmed to work that way? I assumed TGTBT happens when accessed, but Film Critic happens when you are accessing - like the difference between When The Runner Encounters [x] and Ice You Are Currently Encountering (specifically why you can't parasucker instant kill a Data Raven without taking the tag).

Someone get Lukas. :P

5 Aug 2015 Ajar

We don't have an official ruling, no, but the spoiled wording is different from Imp. With Imp, you have to let "when accessed" effects fire, same as encounter abilities on Ice with Datasucker.

The spoiled wording of Film Critic is "when you access an agenda," so if that's right, then it's an access trigger, same as Femme for encountering ice.

It gets weirder. Film Critic says it can only host one agenda. If you access a second agenda and let FC fire again, what happens to the one that was on there already? We don't have confirmation, but the most obvious answer is that it goes into Archives and gets replaced by the new agenda.

If that's correct, then a Runner with FC can run Archives against this deck and cycle through all of the agendas in Archives, ignoring the access triggers and keeping whatever agenda they chose to access last on the Film Critic. This allows them to steal one agenda per turn without taking any TGBT tags or giving the Corp Explode-A-Palooza money.

6 Aug 2015 Isvan

I don't think you can put a second agenda on Film Critic if it already has one. It's difficult to tell because there isn't much precedent for cards which host, but the hosted card can't be trashed as standard when you install like programs or assets/ice/agendas/upgrades (no need for a ruling on how Dinosaurus hosts, for example). The closest thing I can find is Glenn Station. I don't think Glenn Station lets you host another card if there is already one on there, but there isn't a ruling.

8 Aug 2015 lajcik

You cannot put a second agenda on Film Critic. Cards you can trash by installing over them (programs and ICE) are mentioned in the rules. Since Film Critic allows to host only one, you cannot basically use it again once something is already hosted on it.

Anyway, this idea for a deck is pretty hilarious, I love it. Too bad you basically have to be ahead to pull off the combo :) Still, love the idea.

9 Aug 2015 Lowsow

Much of the discussion here about Film Critic is wrong. Film Critic is a 'When Access' effect and therefore triggers before the Corp's 'When Access' effects.

As for tbe interacion, let us say nothing has been stolen. The runner goes into archives. The runner wants to go for the astros, so one gets stolen and the other goes on Film Critic. So the credits and thee tags happen. The runner clears the tags. Next turn the runner grabs the other astro and prepares to run again. They even can run, score and host on film critic, if they want to stop a fast advance by getting rid of the last 3/2s. You'll loose the film critic though, but who cares? It's all over next turn, if the runner can get into archives.

Things might not happen exactly like that, but film critic is big against this deck.

10 Aug 2015 Isvan

If the runner hosts on Film Critic turn clears three tags, you just got a 21 credit swing. Should be able to just Midseason and trash Film Critic.

10 Aug 2015 Isvan

@lajcik you don't actually have to be ahead. You can combo out off of 9 credits and a single Jackson + Shutdown + Diagnostics. The only time you have to worry about needing more than that is if the Runner has one of a few specific effects:

Film Critic makes it significantly more important that the Runner hasn't stolen anything already

Hades Shard is a little awkward if they take Hades Fragment with it. You're fine if they take anything else. If they also stole last turn, you can just win the turn they use it off of Midseasons + Psychographics if you start on ~12 credits.

Clot means you have to use all three Diagnostics rather than save one, and spend 3c extra to rez Cyberdex.

Laramy Fisk / Investment Seminar: you lose. Try to combo to win immediately.

The Source / Chakana: You can score Hades through Source, it just costs you all three Jacksons. Chakana is the same as Clot, just purge immediately before scoring.

10 Aug 2015 Lowsow

@lsvan If the corp uses a turn to Midseason and trash FC that's another turn they aren't scoring agendas. Go in, on the runners turn, now the score is 4-3. (Better hope the runner doesn't have another FC in hand, or some Fall Guys.)

Anyway, in your senario: The Corp must now:

1: get a fast advance tool. Psychographics is probably best then the runner steals the second astro; score is 3-4

2: fetch and score a Beale; win

ok that sounds good. The runner is in trouble then.

How about

1r: The runner goes into archives, steals a beale, and hosts another on FC, then adds it to their score area.

1c: The corp trashes FC and fetches a reclamation order and gets their astros out of archives.

2r: The runner steals an exploda palooza from archives

2c: The corp fast advances an astro

3r: the runner goes into archives and wins

I don't see a winning sequence for the corp there.

10 Aug 2015 Isvan

@Lowsow If the Runner has Film Critic, you can do:

Corp turn:
Jackson, Shutdown, Diagnostics:
Biotic, Reclamation (Diagnostics), Interns (Jackson)
Jackson, Diagnostics:
Interns (Hades), Shipment, Shipment
Last click advance Hades, score.

This leaves you with an Accelerated Diagnostics in hand and a Jackson in the bin, which means next turn you can Jackson/Diagnostics for a scored Astro (if the Runner cleared the tags).
If the runner kept tags, you can combo instead for Interns / Psychographics / Psychographics for a six-advance Beale, advance it once more for your last click and score it to win straight up.
If you're worried about a backup Film Critic and the Runner cleared tags, you can instead just get back Midseasons (leaving Jackson in the bin for now), play it and trash Film Critic. This means that next turn you can Jackson for 2 Psychographics and an Interns for that Beale, since you gave the runner all those tags last turn.

The worrying thing is if you have to play around both Clot and Film Critic. That's where the problem comes up because you have to use all three Jacksons to get the Hades scored to start with, which makes things significantly more awkward.

10 Aug 2015 lajcik

I can't wait to play this tomorrow :D

11 Aug 2015 steveklabnik

They can put every agenda in Archives onto it, but you still gain credits and give them tags,

One comment here, you won't get them from the single agenda they put onto film critic, just the other ones.

12 Aug 2015 Calimsha

Remove the 3rd SfSS (you only need 2) and put an Old Hollywood Grid instead so you can put it on your archive ;). The runner need to run twice to steal any agendas so you hit with 6 tags and get 20 creds instead. If the runner doesn't remove the tag, it means you can directly psychographic out with it :)

12 Aug 2015 Isvan

I was running three Shipments to help with any problems from getting one stuck in your hand, or to make the win a little faster (with triple Shipment, you can score Beale for 5 to win if you have an Astro already) , but it's probably more useful to have a Grid.

12 Aug 2015 lajcik

@Calimsha I disagree, having three shipments allowed me to win a game yesterday by scoring a 5/9 Beale with Diagnostics against a player running HyperDrive/Notoriety deck (which allowed them to score 5 points in one turn).

Generally running three shipments gives you more flexibility if your Hades Fragment gets stolen or you are otherwise unable to fire your combo.

Anyway, I had tremendous fun playing this deck yesterday, One game I had trouble was when Noise topdecked my Hades Fragment first turn. I kinda lost my groove and made some mistakes racing him. I think the flexibility and low cost of the Diagnostics combo is a huge factor in why this deck works so well. Great job!

I think I'd replace Draco with Gutenberg for extra oomph :)

12 Aug 2015 Isvan

@lajcik I've actually been thinking about changing up the ice suite, maybe also dropping the Anonymous Tips. The setup I was looking at is something like:

2 Wraparound
2 Wall of Static
2 Pop-up Window
2 Quandary
2 Data Raven

Gutenberg is fine too but I think Data Raven is more effective at keeping people out.

12 Aug 2015 lajcik

Yeah, but the problem with Data Raven is that it's pretty expensive and the runner can still decide to go YOLO-mode.

I haven't had a chance to play against any Siphon-Spam decks yesterday but I think those would have a pretty good chance of beating this deck into the ground before it goes off.

8 Oct 2015 lajcik

I finally remembered to publish my own version of this deck. Thanks for the inspiration, I had (and have) a blast playing this. :)