Not as fast as a Blue Turtle (4-1 APAC, 19th overall)

ValkyriezGaming 419

So, this deck has a bit of a long history for me. I've been playing iterations of it on and off since I watched a Beyoken Midrange Metal video of Ciara Maxey's "Come on & Slam" Sportsmetal: Go Big or Go Home deck from UK Nats 2018. I really liked it, and decided to tinker with it for a 2020 list. Before APAC I was sitting around 75-80% win rate on Jnet with around 80 games played, but at least half my losses were to 419: Amoral Scammer. So I decided to hit up a good 419 player for some advice, and this happened:

"Hey Miek (@triorph) could you give me some advice on 419 against my Sports deck? I don't think we will be paired at APAC cause I'll be down near the bottom, and you'll be near the top"

"Sure"

"You need to change your ICE, its all too expensive. Slot in Slot Machine and probably drop the Surveyor"

"OK, I've dropped and changed the ice. I got an influence left over, what should I spend it on?"

"Probably a 3rd Slot Machine"

Did I listen? No. I grabbed an Embolus as a "Spicy include". Round 3 rolls around, I've Corp split round 1, swept round 2 and now I'm playing Miek........ I lost that game, but at least it was close and he was right. If you play this list, drop the Macrophage and the Embolus, slot in a 3rd Slot Machine and a 2nd Cyberdex Virus Suite.

This list only dropped that one game to Miek on the day going 4-1 in swisse and winning most games relatively comfortably. The general idea is to just slam something in the remote every turn, either single install threatening the Project Vitruvius or IAA bluffing as an NGO Front. Ideally you get a Remote Enforcement scored early and get a Tyr rezzed on the remote early, if not use the Remote Enforcement trigger on a Border Control. You want the Tranquility Home Grid and Arella Salvatore in the remote, and put your opponent in upgrade hell with the Ash 2X3ZB9CY in there and make it expensive to run the remote whilst you build ICE on centrals.

Couple of other tricks is to use Advanced Assembly Lines into the remote on your turn for Tranq grid credits, then pop and install another card on the Runner turn for more corp credits. MCA Austerity Policy is there to put the runner on a timer to score out an SSL Endorsement or just do the 3rd token on MCA, click trash it and score a 2 pointer,use Arella to put another one in there or drop an NGO/Rashida in there.

The list is fun, and the Tranquility Home Grid credits kind of offset the 419 tax, but its still probably a bit fragile at the upper end. There's no punishment here, just midrange glacier.

Oh, and Hagen killing a Aumakua never gets old. Seems to happen at least one in a handful of games for me.

2 comments
20 Jul 2020 ThePatrician

One day my Smoke deck will get you! Always fun to play :)

20 Jul 2020 ValkyriezGaming

@TheRope rezzing and trashing a CVS just to wipe a Pelangi and Imp on the approach to a rezzed Tyr is also a trick that never gets old. Good news though, you can always click through it.