Offworld Skunkworks [Tranquil Edition] (14-1 over 3 SC)

Kikai 1585

This list (or close variations on it) went 14-1 over 3 tournaments, won me Stevenage SC, and is, apparently, part of the reason why VLC has been banned.

Being at least partly responsible for the banning of a netrunner card is a life goal that I didn't know I had.

The only loss was to Rotomappliance (arguably the world's best criminal player) on 419.

Results

4-1 at Chatteris SC (3/28) with wins against Steve Cambridge: Master Grifter, 419: Amoral Scammer and Hoshiko Shiro: Untold Protagonist, and a loss against 419: Amoral Scammer. <3 RealityCheque

5-0 at Stevenage SC (1/32), with wins against Steve Cambridge: Master Grifter, Zahya Sadeghi: Versatile Smuggler, and Hivemind MaxX: Maximum Punk Rock. <3 RealityCheque

5-0 at Ntscape Navigator SC (22/70), with wins against Az McCaffrey: Mechanical Prodigy, Hoshiko Shiro: Untold Protagonist, Rielle "Kit" Peddler: Transhuman and Lat: Ethical Freelancer. <3 NetscapeNavigator, <3 Cluster Fox


Premise

This is the Skunkworks/Void Asa list that I took to 3rd place at Chatteris SC, and 1st place at Stevenage SC - but without Violet Level Clearance.

The basic premise is that the Manegarm Skunkworks + Anoetic Void interaction is pretty disgusting, and the synergy with Asa allows us to build an impenetrably taxing remote very very quickly.

Matchups

This list is reasonably well positioned against criminal, because the same upgrades that can be used to defend the remote are also effective at defending HQ.

As long as we hold some ICE back in hand, this list also has game against Apocalypse, because we can use Asa to quickly rebuild our board state (hopefully faster than the runner can rebuild their side of things). (In theory, I've not actually tested this matchup).

Against virus spam: Cyberdex Sandbox is MVP. We should prioritise scoring this agenda first, but we also need to be 100% sure that it is safe in the remote before pushing. Scoring Cyberdex Sandbox is the difference between winning and losing in this matchup.


Card choices

We're playing this list as a rushy glacier list, rather than a clever asset/combo list - so out with the tempo neutral/negative Project Vitruvius and in with the tempo positive Offworld Office.

Since Stevenage SC, I realised that I wasn't feeling particularly confident about Apocalypse matchups, so I swapped Cyberdex Virus Suite for Crisium Grid, and Slot Machine for a 2nd Macrophage.

The VLC ban put me off Asa a bit, but, fortunately, Rotomappliance convinced me that swapping in Tranquility Home Grid to replace Violet Level Clearance was perfectly fine (and he's right, ofc).


Piloting

Mulligan for econ and ICE. T1 rashida behind ICE, ICE HQ is a great start. Leaving R&D open is fine. We will lose some agendas this way in the opening few turns, but that is perfectly fine and okay.

Hold on to Spin Doctor for Violet Level Clearance turns. We should be aiming to create VLC turns whenever possible in the early game, and leaning on Fully Operational in the mid to late game, when the number of remaining Spin Doctor starts to reach zero.

Against Shaper and Anarch we can rush out hard in a remote. We should aim to win around T10. Against Criminal we will need to go slower - ICEing centrals against Aumakua, and protecting HQ with either Manegarm Skunkworks (recommended), or simply more ICE. Aim to win around T15.


Match Reports

Chatteris SC (28 players: most of them sharks)

One thing I noted in the Chatteris SC is that Drafter fired (sometimes multiple times) in 4 out of the 5 games I played. When it does fire, we really want to have a good target for it in archives - so we might be tempted to include a third Manegarm Skunkworks, but probably the better thing to do is to just make sure that you have a high value Drafter target in archives at any point (rather than recur them all back with Spin Doctor).

Stevenage SC (32 Players)

Lots of criminal matchups again, but with less Drafter fires, and some hivemind MaxX games thrown in for good measure.

Ntscape SC (70 players)

Playing on the mid tables meant more esoteric matchups than previous tournaments: including a wild Az, some interesting patchwork Hoshiko lists, inversificator Kit, and, finally, apocalypse Lat.

R1: T13 WIN vs Espatier on Az McCaffrey: Mechanical Prodigy.

After a shakey econ start that leaves me clicking for Jeeves credits for several turns, I manage to stabilise by scoring 2 x Cyberdex Sandbox, and then value purging for 8 credits. Crisium Grid on HQ means I can rely on the typical Manegarm Skunkworks / Anoetic Void remote to push the final agenda.

R2: T11 WIN vs teacake27 on Hoshiko Shiro: Untold Protagonist

I see most of my upgrades early, so I prioritise protecting HQ and building remotes: which leaves me open to quickly losing on R&D, but, fortunately, it holds out long enough for me to draw 7 points into HQ. After my economy stabilises, thanks to Tranquility Home Grid and Marilyn Campaign, I double ICE HQ to protect it from Hippo and start pushing agendas. This leaves R&D open for the runner to drill into with Hippo and Stargate - but I've already drawn the agendas that I need to win, so that's fine.

R3: T16 WIN vs dnddmdb on Apoc Hoshiko - NAILBITER

Incredibly close game where my deck deals me the wrong cards in the wrong order. I draw all 4 sentries as my first 4 ICE, and the the runner patchworks MKUltra into the heap on turn 1. The runner uses Wanton Destruction (twice) to put 4 points, and then 2 points into archives - and I don't draw Spin Doctor until the turn after they run archives to pick them up (on both occasions). Fortunately, I've taken a triple-draw + install Rashida turn before the first Apoc lands: which puts the runner out of credits, and me in the best position possible to rebuild (with lots of ICE and a 2nd Rashida in hand). A Crisium Grid on archives promptly rules out any risk of a 2nd apoc.

It's still a really close game, with dnddmdb keeping the pressure on as I struggle to try and defend centrals while pushing out agendas. Fortunately, Manegarm Skunkworks on R&D takes them by surprise, and allows me to score out with 6 cards left in R&D (2 of them being agendas).

R4: T10 WIN vs rapanui on Inversificator Rielle "Kit" Peddler: Transhuman

I spend most of the game worrying that Kit might be on Apoc, because I've seen no influence spend, but that doesn't stop me from leaving centrals open for 3 turns and pushing an early Offworld Office. After a Conduit comes down for a 4 card dig, I double ICE R&D, and then score a sandbox the next turn.

The Conduit install and run has left the runner behind on credits, so I push another Sandbox and now I am on 6 points. Fully Operational finds the 4th agenda i need to win, and the remote is rock solid - gg.

R5: T13 WIN vs Nem0 on Apoc Lat

I played pretty badly in this game, but fortunately the list was strong enough to carry me. I pushed a Luminal Transubstantiation when I should have pushed a Cyberdex Sandbox, I didn't plan ahead to maximise my Asa triggers, and I didn't protect archives when Apoc was live. The Apoc did leave the runner on 0 credits, though, and I was able to rebuild much much more quickly than they were.

Tournament Afterthoughts

It's difficult to gauge Corp power levels at the moment, because they are all so far ahead of the runner - but I'm confident that this list is up there. It has no bad matchups, and there is almost no tech against it. Losing VLC means that the deck feels a little slower, and less showy, but the results are still completely solid. It's also very easy and straightforward list to play, which is a big plus in a tournament setting.

2 comments
8 May 2021 rapanui

This deck is still a total monster. The Kit deck can sometimes contend with PD, but this matchup felt atrocious.

9 May 2021 dnddmdb

How dare you call my deck Apoc Hoshiko. It's Patchwork Hoshiko--that Apocalypse was a tech card. ;) That was such a fun game! Can't believe I got that close to scoring a win against this behemoth.