We recruited our best asset! The runner 😂 - Montréal CO

is44ru 271

Tournament Preparation log:

2022-08-05 ➡️ See Midnight Sun spoilers. 🌙☀️

2022-08-06 ➡️ Brewed a few decks to try things up. 🧑‍🍳🥘

2022-08-07 ➡️ Played casually with varying success. 📈📉

2022-08-15 ➡️ I have a early version of this "Undefeated on jnet" 💪😎

2022-08-20 ➡️ See that APAC is already here. 👀

2022-08-20 ➡️ See that Sokka’s have made an unbeatable list with Boats. 😵

2022-08-21 ➡️ Test a few runners with the Boat, very conclusive. 🛥🥳

2022-08-22 ➡️ Test several corps to find the Boat’s weaknesses. 🛥🎯

2022-08-23 ➡️ It appears this Boat can be crushed with a bat . 🛥🏏

2022-08-23 ➡️ There’s more Boats than the eye can see. 🛥🛥🛥

2022-08-23 ➡️ Brought all the bats. 🏏🏏🏏

2022-08-23 ➡️ It appears the Boats were just a trick to get in faster while they look for real breakers. 🛥🥷

2022-08-24 ➡️ What If their breakers are removed from the game ?❄️🔨⛔️

2022-08-25 ➡️ Too slow, not good enough, also dies to Anarch. ⌛️📉

2022-08-25 ➡️ Boat is expensive, I'm sure I can exploit this weakness! Try a fast Rush Corp. ⏩

2022-08-25 ➡️ Try a faster Corp. ⏩⏩

2022-08-25 ➡️ Try the fastest Corp I can think of. ⏩⏩⏩⏩

2022-08-25 ➡️ Doing a break, I was clicking so fast it made jnet lag. 🥵

2022-08-25 ➡️ What if we kill them? I heard Neurospike was a thing a long time ago. 🧠✍️

2022-08-25 ➡️ Chartrooms, I need to find another way. 🕵️

2022-08-26 ➡️ What if having remote servers was the issue? No Remote, No problem, right? Let’s go full FA! 🏢⏩⏩

2022-08-26 ➡️ Nope! 🚫

2022-08-26 ➡️ Tried PE. 🔪

2022-08-26 ➡️ Remember that I’m bad at bluffing. ♠️📉

2022-08-26 ➡️ Back to square 1. 😞

2022-08-26 ➡️ Choose with which Corp I want to lose to Boat with. 🪦🛥

2022-08-26 ➡️ Decks (and shirt) sleeved. 🎴

2022-08-26 ➡️ Water ready. 💧

2022-08-26 ➡️ Snacks Ready. 🥨

2022-08-27 ➡️ Go to the event. 🚊

Decklist choices

Prav

I went with this ID because I liked the idea of advancing thing during runner’s turn.

I tried it for fun stuff, but the sheer value of click and money is really good.

The ID incentivize not to run, which is good for the first turns, then they will trigger the ID most turns, which is incredible because each turn we get 1 click and 1 credits value.

Converting that value is hard because it varies a lot on the situation but think it's incredible because it helps with clicks which makes the game faster if the runner runs.

Variants

During testing against Lat: Ethical Freelancer, I tried a Neurospike version of this deck and it’s worse because you need the defense from Degree Mill, Beale was then awkward in the deck and finding spike at key moment is hard, also if lat is at 6 card at the end of their turn, stoneship save them which is bad. Neurospike should be in a deck with 5/3 agendas or PE to combo kill.

I tried a hybrid version with moderate success as well.

The vegan way with no BOOM! isn’t good enough I think because you need a game ending threat otherwise they won’t remove tag and clot your Big Beale dreams. 😭

Bellona

Bread and butter of this deck. the deck is heavily taxing on money, the fact it gives us 5 credits back is the best touch, try to score it after degree mill if you can.

Degree Mill

Best second defensive agenda, Send a Message don’t change tempo, Food is just awful in this slot, Reeducation doesn’t work with the 45 min deck size.

It’s the agenda you want to score first if you have the chance.

The tempo you gain if stolen is worth it.

It’s good if they have less than 6 things on the board at 6+ you cant capitalize on the tempo enough to make a real difference.

Trying to install it turn 2 after turn 1 Rashida is the best moment, the turn after might be as well.

Project Beale

This one has two usage and the fact it has, allows it in the deck.

The first one is to act as a 5/3, it’s blank and sad but does the job.

The second one is to win as a 3/2 if you already have 6 points.

The third one that never happen, is scoring that as a 7/4 with a combination of luck, runner mistakes and seamlesses.

Drago Ivanov

This card is very versatile too.

It’s job is to score Backroom Machinations

Other than that it can be install double advance to Seamless BOOM!.

Or just give them tags to force them to run it while trashing key resources.

It’s good fun and I’m not using it to it’s worse potential because I don’t want to play that kind of grindy games even if that work. I played enough potato 🥔 in my life already.

I dont mind degenerate combos, but attrition is not for me. Also, I think it’s bad for the playerbase as a whole.

So, you are perfectly fine if they trash Drago if that costs them, and in fact you might do it before them once drago has given you the value you needed.

NGO Front

I install them with 0-1 counters in the remote or at 1 counter naked. 0 counters when I want to fake an agenda and I dont mind losing it, 1 counter when I need the money.

This deck dont have the time to double advance it. In a pinch I can threaten Drago BOOM! but it’s usually not worth it.

You need to get the second advancement from the runner.

Rashida Jaheem

Pro tip start with this and Mest in your starting hand, everything will be fine for you.

Spin Doctor

It’s great to draw 2 cards on the spot, it helps against Stargate, Chastushka, and agenda flood.

Agenda flood is 3-5 agenda, 2 agendas is good to have during the first turns as you can jam both as quickly as possible in your score area. A second Degree Milll is likely unscorable and can be considered to be spinned back.

Backroom Machinations

People don't like it, and I get it, but it gets the job done.

I used to run 2x , I swapped 1x for Best Defense as last minute change. it’s fine as a 1x.

BOOM!

Kill threat, not your main gameplan but it can shorten your games and makes you enjoy a break.

Everyone pack their Stoneships so it could be a dead card, but as usual, getting them to 2 tags is the hardest.

Best Defense

100% flex slot. Can be anything you'll love in the deck, like NAPD Cordon.

Trash Chartroom if you want to scare them, bonus points if you do it the same turn as HHN 😱.

Economic Warfare

It’s one of the core of the deck, I think you need 3x of this one.

It main use is for HHN obviously.

It can also help scoring.


If you can value remove them 4 credit do it rather than take a credit unless they already have like 103 credits, but in this case the game is already over.

Hedge Fund

Best click 3 for turn 1, Install Rashida, Install Mest or EULA, Hedge Fund is the best pro play.

Hard-Hitting News

Best way to win a turn and make them lose 8 credits.

Is usually best paired with Econ warfare.

It doesn’t matter if they have enough money to clear it during their turn 
Install Bellona, Advance, HHN is a nice fork if they get low in credit somehow.

NAPD Cordon

Ok hear me out, Bellona naked with this costs 13 alone to steal for the runner without the ice like Mest which costs 3 credit each for boat users or EULAs that are very expensive in counters/money.


(Install Bellona + Advance + NAPD Cordon, when they access it you add Prav advancement to Bellona making it more expensive to steal)


This card has only 1 use: score the 2nd agenda (with seamless).


In a pinch you can try it for the first agenda and hope you drew it back with spin.


If the opponent doesn’t know the deck, the best is to reveal them the seamless for the first agenda and NAPD cordon for the second one.

Predictive Planogram

It’s a great and versatile card.


Value Drago -> Plano is sweet.

Seamless Launch

It’s the main core of the deck.

3x is not negotiable, and I think it should be in every corp deck that want to score out.

It allows you to play mind games with every install
.

NA (never adv) 5/3 agendas is the best feeling because it cost you only 1 click to install your 5/3 then they run whatever other server because they don’t know if it’s worth it to run it and you advance it once thanks to them, but they wasted resources on their first run.

Now do they waste more of their resources to check it? Risking HHN?

On your corp turn seamless + adv + adv + score, it’s great because you gained a click and a credit when you installed your 5/3two full clicks on that critical turn allows you to do things like install a EULA on top of Mest AND hedge fund.

Also there’s a gimmick with Drago Seamless Boom that’s nice when the stars are aligned.

Endless EULA

Boat tech, you want one on the remote one on and against boat decks in that order If you can’t find it you will probably lose to boat.

IP Block Centrals only

Worst Ice in the deck, never on the remote.

Mostly there for non-Lat decks and there's no better ice for this slot.

Mestnichestvo

Remote! Because they will run there often and you can store counters.

It can go on RnD if you don’t find the 2nd Eula.

On HQ for Criminals to ruin their DoF plans.

Turnpike

Centrals only.


It can go on Remote in a pinch because it force them to lose 1 credit.

Notable or Expected Cards not in this list

Ubiquitous Vig

I tried to make it work, it’s nice but it’s so slow, and by the time you have 3 credits a turn with that the runner trashes it.

Icing it is awful, also you don’t have time for that while they are dripping 3 times more credits.

Ice Wall/Akhet/Mausoleus/Masvingo/

Tbh the only one that would be remotely acceptable is Masvingo, but 2x influence is not acceptable, the other ones are not worth it.

Traps like Checklist Scion/Overwriter/Urtica

Not my jam

Red Planet Couriers

“You got like a million adv counters”

No, Prav is there to advance agendas, NGOs and Mest, and most token should be used all the time except when they have exactly 0 credits.

So no, you don’t have this counters available to use that way, it’ll be another deck.

Vasilisa

“It’s literally made for this deck”

Vasilia is not made for Prav it’s made for PE attrition so you can dip below 4 credits consistently for bladderwort while saving clicks on advancing overwriter, clearinghouses or whatever grim agenda your heart desires.

The fact you HAVE to PAY make it unplayable, it’s far too expensive.

After thinking about it, it could work in some weyland decks because they have the money for this nonsense.

I played with it for a while, and every time I wishes it was something else, I tried the gold old turnpike and I never looked back since.

This ice makes YOU lose 1 credit, Turnpike makes the RUNNER lose 1 credit, the subroutine is exactly the same to me.
(Also, Turnpike have a higher strength on top of that)

Funhouse

I actually want them to make successful runs, losing 5 for them to bounce where I get no value is not acceptable.

How to play against Lat

  • 
Step 1 - Get Lucky/Good and have a Rashida and Mest/Eula
  • Step 2 - Go fast and Jam (push for install in a way you can score/use it next turn) your first agenda by turn turn 1-3
  • Step 3 - Cover RnD with what you have for now, get a second Ice on the remote (Mest/Eula only)

  • Step 4 - Jam dragos or NGOs, force them get their Boat out (it still costs 5 for them with Rigging Up) bonus point if it’s with a degree mill and they just have rezekis and boat
  • Step 5 - Tagging time, between Econ warfare + HHN and Drago you should be able to give them the tag needed for Backroom or kill them if they somehow made a deadly mistake
  • Step 6 - Make them lose their money on remote runs, trash padtaps if you have the tempo for it, try to never purge, dipping below 5 is OK for tapwrms if all your ice is rezzed, you can also Value HHN to get under 5, definitely under 10.
  • Step 7 - If you’re fast enough, and they didn’t won already, you can hope for scoring a Bellona with NAPD or with a stack of remote ice like Mest + 2x Eula 😍

The gameplay for non-boat players is roughly the same but far easier as they don’t have the best breaker since 2012.

This AI Breaker is so good, it dodges IP Block's Tag, cost 0 credits to use, recharges itself, can't be trashed by most destroyer sentries and gives you 2 MU!

Opinion on Boat and it’s effect on the meta, banlist changes I wish were true


After having played with and against it.

I don't think Boat deserves a ban, it’s nice and allows shaper to be really aggressive which I like, but the corp needs more tools, and they need them NOW, not in a future set.

Boat could be nerfed down to acceptable levels with like 2 counters for 1 subroutine, but it would also be sad. I’d rather let looses a few cards in the corp banlist to balance things out.

For example, I would love Gold Farmer in my deck so I can remove IP Blocks for good, Please!

I’m pretty sure MTI, Sandbox or SSL and maybe even 24/7 can go back (I have a Regenesis deck waiting for it).

Matchups during the tournament

Round 1 - Camanecrozscope - Adam

He stole Degree Mill early, shuffling two directives and keeping Safety First.

I used the tempo gained to IAA a Drago behind ice.

He installed brainship getting the handsize to 6.

Seamless BOOM! for the win.

Round 2 - Weltgeist - Padma

He got money and boat sailing quickly, I didn't found my EULAs and lost to Boat.

Round 3 - Claim - Esâ

He installed Ghosttongue early which helped him a lot with event based econ.

He did a Running Hot Rogue Trading turn which indicated me they were tag-me.

I pivoted for a few turn to drew as quickly as I can for BOOM!

They drew a lot for Obelus on their side and installed a God of War.

I installed an agenda, trashed the Rogue Trading and value Econ Warfare, also discarded 2x Degree Mill with Spin rezzed.

They ran Archives, got 1 Degree Mill shuffling their entire board back in the deck.

I was able to capitalize on this to score two 5/3 before they stabilized back.

Things were starting to look a bit grim when they Counter Surveillance my hand with a Bellona in it, I rezzed turnpike to give them a tag and make them lose 1 cred, they were at 1 cred short of stealing it.

I had Backroom Machinations in Archives, 1 spin on the board, and 1 in hand.

1x Plano was in my 4 cards RnD.

I decided the odds were good enough so I went for this plan:

Use spin to get back the Backroom, Click one Spin Rez to draw 2.

Drew Plano, Click 2 Plano for the remaining of RnD.

Click 3 Backroom.

After calculation my odds to win were 60% chance, while playing I thought it was higher than that. But there was a high chance I would lose next turn to counter surveillance.

Round 4 - Fox Ex Machina - Lat

This was Sokka's List.

My start was not ideal with no Rashida.

Installed unadvanced NGO, he ran RnD so I advanced NGO, he ran NGO and lost a bunch of resources to see it.

He was kinda poor with only 1x Rezeki for most of the game.

He were setting up, and I was able to score a Bellona.

He installed a Boat and ran the Drago I used to trash a 6 cred daily casts.

I had the opportunity then to Econ Warfare + HHN to force him to keep 1x tag.

Which I used to get a value Plano and a Backroom.

The last turn, he was on 3 points, 2 Rezeki credits, I had Mest on RnD and Remote with 2 counters each.

Installed an unadvanced Bellona in the Remote, a naked Rashida as bluff Spin Doctor for Stargate and played NAPD Cordon.

I had 4 credits and 3x Seamless in hand.

The game was locked as he didn't have Mad Dash in hand nor enough econ to score a Degree Mill.

Thanks for reading all of this!

Thanks @Sheshone for Organizing the CO ❤️

5 comments
29 Aug 2022 Clahim

Awesome Writeup and I had good fun facing you, both match felt interesting and very close. Congrats on the 1rst place

30 Aug 2022 cormacaroni

not sure why you'd use Best Defense to trash Stoneship Chartroom; it's a resource so you can just trash for the same click + 2 credits if they're tagged?

30 Aug 2022 is44ru

@cormacaroni you're right, misdirection is a better target, with Drago you can target 1 cost things, but I don't have clear targets in mind

30 Aug 2022 cormacaroni

a Retribution for Boat defense in that slot would be very useful, if only there was 1 INF to spare!

30 Aug 2022 is44ru

I could see a version with -1x Econ Warfare and 2x Retribution, but the target is not Boat but Rezeki.