Santa's List [5th @Worlds]

"Is this my exact list" - Sokka
"No, I changed something..." - Me
...
It just might be the exact recommended change in Sokka's writeup.

The List

I won't go into detail on this list, since I obviously just took Sokka's list with 1 swap. However, I do have things to say about world's within retrospection, appreciation, and looking into the future. Plus, I made a world's list of my own:
- ✅ Decide in August Ag should be my worlds list, with zero games on it
- ✅ Play your first 2, and only, games of Glacier Ag the Wednesday before worlds
- ✅ Lockin Glacier Ag for worlds
- ✅ Clone up maninthemoon's runner
- ✅ Make day 2
- ✅ Make cut
- 🚫 Make zero mistakes (easy, right?)
- 🚫 Win worlds

Should have checked it twice...

Full credit for my actual decklists go to Sokka, and ManintheMoon

Retrospective

I feel really good about worlds, and also like there are still areas of growth, which excites me so much for the future.

I feel like my decks were on point this year. I wouldn't change more than a card slot in either if I were to run it back. This felt like a massive improvement over last year.

The Lead Up:
- Going into worlds I really wanted a corp that felt in control of the gameplan.
- I found playing Thule, it was very possible to lose off random accesses, plus folks have gotten a lot better piloting into it, making some games I could win on experience less favorable than I'd like.
- I also explored Azmari, Ob, NEH, Sports, Earth Station all within the week before worlds, settling on Ag after feeling its raw power to control the gameplan, and setup unlosable positions.
- For runner, Bost was brewing a Freedom for a while which I was pretty confident I'd play. Although, after Ari dominated for me across multiple tournaments I was up in the air on the choice until the day before worlds.

I'd feel ready to go for the next worlds if it was tomorrow, and I have never been at that level of excitement before within the game.

Mistakes

I wanted to dedicate a special section of the writeup to briefly discussing mistakes, as I think it's something we can all relate to.

In ICC 2023, I had some misplays which rocked me a lot, and for a short while had me feeling like pulling away from some of the more serious competative play.

I made a few major misplays across worlds this year. Although, I'm sure there are more I'm not as cognizant of. You also may not necessarily know when your opponent is misplaying and ends up allowing you to capitalize on it.

It can be easy to envision ourselves as being capable of winning it all if we just play our lists the way we know we can, in every single game. However, we are then confronted with a grueling weekend of upwards of like 18 games of Netrunner. At some point the brain melts, and to err is human.

Be easy on yourself, brush it off. Mistakes are how we learn. Netrunner is such a complex game, and I think it's incredible how much depth there is to improve within the game. Something I've come around to as a learning experience, and recognition on areas of growth. All lessons to keep on learning.

Shouts!

• Bost!
• It was so wonderful seeing, and meeting everyone!
• All those I've met who weren't able to make it out to worlds as well!
• All the NSG Volunteers!

Love this community, and it's lovely, complex, and exciting game! ❤️