Too Big Two Deal (2nd [3-1], and 4th [3-1] @Vancouver CO)

Santa 1620

Too Big Two Deal

Game Plan:

The ultimate goal for this deck without too much surprise is to Big Deal, a Project Atlas, costing 18, and scoring it with two counters (Too Big Two Deal). This puts an incredible amount of pressure on the runner as the play alone should be a minimum of 5 points, and some potential recouped cost. Can be threatening this by turn 3-4 with the vast quantities of money the deck has.

While getting a Too Big Two Deal, is almost a guaranteed game win, it is 100% not required as there are still many more options to put pressure on and close out the game. Slow scoring behind the Magnet can be simply good enough in some cases. While your ice is usually best used on the central servers as you fast advance almost everything, if you have extra ice you're willing to devote to a remote some additional slow scores are possible.

Muligans/Turn 1:

Most valuable cards to look for:

Jamming a Rashida Jaheem if you have it is highly valuable + remote ice install. Otherwise, icing up centrals is a fine start. You'll draw the pressure you need.

General Play:

Another potential name for this deck would be "There is no price tag", as playing the deck you almost never have to be concerned about the install, rez, or play cost of any of your cards. There's plenty of money within the deck, and many of the ice themselves will recoup you some credits as well.

Hitting 4 bad pub is almost always part of closing out for this deck, due to making Regulatory Capture a 2/2. This makes the ice install locations which give bad pub important, and pulling a Hostile Takeover or two post Too Big To Deal can be a highly valuable play. Although, the deck has a high amount of flexibility, and isn't beholden to any one particular game plan.

SDS Drone Deployment, is not something I typically have ever gone for a score out before a win. It's nice to have a 5/3 available in the deck though, as you can Big Deal it out, and it isn't out of the question to Big Deal twice in a single game.

The main ways I have lost with this deck are:

  • Bad agenda ordering
  • Incorrect Ice install locations, not taking advantage of their most advantageous positioning

Its ability to recovery is also quite high, and makes ever game feel close, even the handful that were lost. There were multiple games in playtesting I was certain I'd lost, but it still had the ability to pull it back.

Overall, the deck feels incredibly strong to play, and most importantly it's a ton of fun!

Record for Tournament Play/CO

Between both players bringing the deck, the only two games it dropped were to 1st place which was running Esâ Afontov: Eco-Insurrectionist, and expected to be the worse matchup coming out of playtesting.

Additional Thoughts:

Clot?

  • Shaper is non-existent
  • You can still Big Deal for one counter if they do not pull Clot into play on the agenda install, as you can directly Big Deal post install. This makes every install an immediate fast advance threat.
  • 1x Mavirus, and 2x NGO Front [to bait out a Clot on install advance]

Playtesting/Refinement:

Early playtesting had been running:

Made the following swaps through playtesting:

  • Global Food Initiative -> SDS Drone Deployment
    • Mostly to allow for the one influence to run Magnet
  • 1x Mausolus -> Magnet
    • Found to be far too good in any anarch matchup to leave out of the deck. Won second game in the cut simply by gear checking remote
  • NGO Front -> BOOM!
    • Mostly a tech against "Tag me Zahya". By leaving one BOOM! in the deck your ability to slow down any Tag Me deck improves dramatically, especially once a Project Atlas has been scored.

Credits:

Thanks to @maninthemoon (4th in the CO [playing the same list]) for helping playtest the majority of the games and refine this deck.

Updates:

Canadian Nationals 2023 (West Coast Edition)
4 comments
1 May 2023 maninthemoon

Huge congrats on you fantastic finish! It's an incredibly aggressive deck you've built! It was a blast piloting it!

1 May 2023 FireRL (aka xFWx FIREBIRD)

Congrats on y'all's 2nd and 4th place finish 🙂. I'm stealing this deck now.

1 May 2023 Radiant

Great work Seattle! Love the pic lol

1 May 2023 Santa

Thanks all for the supportive comments! :)

@maninthemoon, glad you enjoyed the list! For my sake, I'm grateful I rolled corp for our matchups in the CO :)

@xFWx FIREBIRD (aka FireRL), enjoy the list! Let me know what you think! :)

@Radiant, had some fun with the pic! @maninthemoon told me it needed a meme, or gif for the post :)