[Cache Refresh] Mavenlock Ayla (SOCR3 2nd)

I made it to 2nd place in the 3rd Stimhack Online Cache Refresh Tournament, aka SOCR3. This deck went 3-2 throughout the tournament.

Maven got remotes like

The main idea is to use Maven as a primary breaker. It doesn't set up terribly fast, but CR is a slower format and you can challenge remotes really well once it's down. Think of her like an unpergeable turtle that you can't use until like turn 4. Also, Tapwrm doesn't usually do much unless you find the single Sac Con, but at the very least it buys you time while they purge to set up said Maven.

SOCR3 used the Revised Core and MWL 2.0 - hence the various 1-ofs. Bios helps to make up for the inconsistencies present. Still, it's far from a perfect deck. I could see getting rid of the Test Run / Scavenge / Femme package for a Nanotek and some other good stuff. Extra copies of Beth, Top Hat, or Maven would be good too.

I streamed all my games on my channel.

Round 1 vs Ghost Meat's Sol

I was able to follow this plan to the letter. An early MOpus (on Dhegdheer) gets me an early Maven locking down his remote pretty hard. I'm able to stay out of HHN range with MOpus, so the inevitability of the game was strong. Eventually I Femme'd an R&D Tollbooth to get some Equivocation accesses, giving me my 4th 2-pointer. Win

Round 2

Schedules didn't line up for my opponent and I, and he ended up conceding the games to me.

Round 3 vs ryanbantwins' Rewired CI

I did not appreciate how fast he could set up his combo. I did normal big rig things by starting with MOpus and Ubax. About that time, he plays both Biotic Labors and my heart sinks. Combos out a Brain Rewiring and a Show of Force. Loss - Flatline

Round 4 vs thebigunit3000's PU

I was feeling pretty good about my board state early on. I test ran an early Femme, which then went on top of my deck and was then drawn next turn with Ubax. I got distracted by math as I determined if I could afford to break a DNA tracker, forgetting that the Femme wasn't installed. The following Komainu faceplant was most unfortunate, as the House of Knives token killed me. Loss - Flatline

Semifinals vs x3r0hour's CI

I got insanely lucky this game. He rushed out an early Elective Upgrade, which was terrifying. But dedicating his ice to the remote meant I could swipe an early 5 points from his naked R&D. He had at least two vitruvii in hand, and scores out 1 to make it a tie game at 5. I stimhacked HQ to have the money to trash a Bryan and successfully stole the winning vitruvius from a hand of 10. With a different RNG, he could have beaten me 7-0 very easily. Win

Finals, Game 2 vs Internet's Rush Tennin

I had an amazing NVRAM of Ubax, Stimhack, Tapwrm, and HQI. He immediately started rushing out points, so I set up Ubax and HQI to run HQ several times on turn 2. He threw something in the remote unadvanced, and I slammed down an equivocation to see several cards off of R&D on turn 4, nabbing an Obo. He iced up R&D, so I took a turn to set up. The Tennin trigger, combined with Shipment from Tennin, lets him put 5 advancements on an Obo and go up to 5 points. We're both at 5, and he jams into the remote, now with 3 facedown ice. I throw down an SMC and stimhack last click to afford getting the Maven and breaking through the whole server for the winning agenda. Win