Urtica NEH (1st at Bern Startup tournament)

lostgeek 3496

A good deck for when you want to do something rude and weird. Often is too reliant on managing to guess correctly on Focus Group to close out games though.

Shoutouts to @pinsel for coming up with rude ideas like this!

2 comments
30 May 2022 Cliquil

Are you using the Vladisbirsk / Urtica Cipher interaction? How's that going/workng? Isn't Focus Group reliant on them not hitting Urtica Cipher so as to have a big handsize?

30 Jun 2022 lostgeek

You just install Urtica Ciphers blank on the board to get your NEH trigger. If they run them, you're just happy either way and often they don't even get trashed. Once you have one on board, you IAA your Vlad Grid on them as a safe haven for it. If they now run it, it's 3 credits to deal 4 net damage for you, which is a fine trade.

If you then have a server that in the best case is even iced a bit, you can score a 4/2 with the Vlad. And then next turn, if they don't go in and deal with the Vlad Grid, score 3/2s using Seamless Launch.

Finally, Focus Group is just another way of finishing the game, when you really need it. Best case, Engram Flushes allow you insight into what they're holding and often you're installing a Beale and playing Focus Group in the hope of ending the game on the spot with 5 advancements (e.g. one really good Focus Group or two decent ones). Worst case, you end up with 2 points, which is still really good.