[Startup] Arasaka Deadlock

cryotube 74

Built and tested for Startup format.

Basic idea of the deck is to create a deadlock for the runner such that you as the corp benefits in some way regardless of what they end up doing (most of the time.)

  • if they steal Send a Message you get to rez strong ICE that will give you a strong tempo boost

  • if they run you tax them like crazy with taxing ICE

  • if they don't run you get to use Subliminal Messaging and you get the drip credit from your ID as well.

  • if they don't steal Send a Message by the time we're set up we can score them with Regenesis and get the insane tempo boost on top of 3 more agenda points.

The ideal ICE setup for this deck is to have a decently protected Archives as well as a single decently protected scoring remote. R&D and HQ will also need some level of protection to prevent the runner from generating too much credits/accesses for free while we're getting set up. This deck runs mostly porous central servers until we have the resources to make them prohibitive to run.

We have a number of milestones that we want to achieve in each game, not necessarily in order:

  • Bathynomus can help secure Archives so we can get the drip credit from the ID. Whitespace can also serve as a decent tax if the runner chooses to run Archives to prevent you from getting the drip credit.

  • Churn out as many cheap code gates as possible early on. (Pop-up Window, and Whitespace) Both of these code gates will tax the runner and prevent them from running R&D or HQ too often, while also making Ivik cheaper to rez in the long run. These ICE are cheap to rez so we aren't slowed down much while setting up some basic defenses.

  • Set up at least one heavy hitting ICE over Archives, and then a remote server. This can be Ivik or Archer. This way if the runner happens to steal Send a Message you can get a massive boost in tempo and secure either Archives or your scoring remote. Alternatively, using Regenesis can help you score a Send a Message that was dumped into Archives, or you can simply forfeit it to help rez your Archer. Ivik is also very cheap to rez by credits for what it is, especially once you've rezzed a couple cheap code gates.

Card choices:

  • Konjin capitalizes on the fact that we will have at least one dangerous ICE out on the board, protecting either the remote or Archives. If you pass the psi game this is effectively another copy of Ivik or Archer, whichever has been rezzed.

  • Hansei Review is just a great operation to gain a massive amount of credits while also activating the ID ability if it's been deactivated. You can use it to drop agendas into Archives without needing to overdraw your hand.

  • Subliminal Messaging is a decent drip credit, and can be used to coerce the runner into running through taxing ICE on central servers, especially since we don't have a remote until later on. This card also recurs itself from Archives into HQ, making it decent fodder for Hansei Review or for trashing when your hand is over the limit.

  • Kakurenbo is just a solid card to play once our defenses have been set up in order to deploy any agenda stashed into Archives in order to close out the game. Added bonus of turning on the ID effect once played.

  • Moon Pool is a strong utility card that can be used to either clean HQ if you are agenda flooded, clear out Archives if you dumped too many agendas in there while simultaneously scoring, or just recur strong ICE/Operations such as Red Level Clearance

  • Anoetic Void is a tech card to truly make the scoring remote impassable once it's been secured (The runner will have a hard time finding credits to run your secured remote twice.) It can be used to bluff the runner into running your remote server if installed alone, since the runner will be looking to stop Regenesis. The downside of trashing cards from HQ doesn't hurt since Archives should be heavily protected as well.

  • Mavirus is just an anti-virus tech card that can make it very prohibitive to run Archives for virus oriented decks, which will secure the drip credit once it lands in Archives.

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