Mandatory Future - upgrading the Blitz Engineer!

Krams 953

This is a spin-off from my latest deck Mandatory Media - the Upgrade Blitz!.

Any comments welcome! :)

What's different from the original?

  • No scary and uncomfortable hand size reduction.
  • Less consistency due to the increased card pool. (Oh, boy, you can really feel the difference between 44 and 49 cards!)
  • Stronger and more reliable economy - this deck is using the standard ": 1 " action waaay less!
  • Even more glaciery build! The ICE are slightly stringer, slightly more expensive and there are slightly more ICE per card in total. Seriously, this deck can build a huge ICE block on the playfield in no time. The chance of randomly drawing 3 cards and getting no ICE is 18.66% - helloooo ABT!

How to get 4 per turn

  • Feed the runner an early Mandatory Upgrades by leaving it in HQ undefended or installing it naked.
  • Try to score out an early Mandatory Upgrades behind a cheap ETR ICE if the runner didn't catch your bait.
    • If you manage to score it out, congratulations, you now have 4 per turn for the remainder of the game. Your chances of winning just have drastically increased.
    • If you can't score it, well, don't worry. It's actually not in the deck to be scored, but to be stolen.
  • If the runner has a Mandatory Upgrades in his score area, use Media Blitz to copy it. Now you have 4 until the runner scores something. Make use of it while you have it!

What to do with 4 per turn

  • Install (triggering your ID!), rez, use Melange Mining Corp. behind some ICE.
  • Use a preinstalled Melange Mining Corp. and instally an ICE, triggering your ID.
  • Score any 3/2 agenda from hand, triggering your ID.
  • Purge viruses and install a card, triggering your ID.
  • Or, if you want to install more than one card and have a full HQ, but no agenda to FA, why not simply play 4 cards?

What to do if you can't get 4

  • Get some money by clicking for creds or using Green Level Clearance and Hedge Fund.
  • Use Gila Hands Arcology, the poor man's Melange, to gain 3 and then install a card, triggering your ID.
  • Defend your HQ (if there are agendas in there), your R&D and a single remote by laying out some ICE.
  • If you get agenda flooded, try to use Jackson Howard, if not, try to use up your cards in HQ. When you're low on cards, use your remote to score normally or use Melange normally. It's riskier this way, but still possible. A layer of three cheap ICE can work wonders.

Additional notes

  • Media Blitz is essential. If it's gone, get it back! That's what you have Project Vitruvius tokens, Archived Memories and Jackson Howard for.
  • The 3/2 agendas are meant to be scored for points only. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't use them when there's a good opportunity. Jackson Howard can save you against a complete backfire of Accelerated Beta Test and Project Vitruvius can be used as a superior version of Jackson to bring back key cards right when you need them.
  • Cycle the Mandatory Upgrades. You want one copy to be stolen and the rest to be sitting in R&D or (only if you've got Jackson out!) Archives.
  • When everything goes wrong and you're with the back against the wall, use Media Blitz to copy Gila Hands Arcology. It's still better than having 3 Media Blitz in hand and click for creds, just because the runner stole the wrong agendas.
3 comments
22 Oct 2015 ANRguybrush

3 swordsman? You really hate AI, don't you?

22 Oct 2015 x3r0h0ur

I'd find a way to fit fast track or 2, present the runner with the gambit early.

22 Oct 2015 Krams

@mcpba Yes, I do :D Especially Eater and Faust. I just wish D4v1d was AI too :D
Eater and Faust can wreck this deck pretty hard, so getting a Swordsman out as a response as soon as you see them is important enough to make it a 3-of.