Drowning in (fake) Agendas - 1st @ Rain City 2023 H1 CO

Solomir 208

Pretty much the same effective but controversial deck as last time. Turns out that as long as runners don't have ways to forfeit agendas, they'll have to resort to some clever play or lucky accesses to deal with the fake points this deck doles out.

Taking my advice from last time, I cut one Hangeki and spent one of the freed influence on Global Food Initiative and the deck slot on a third Manegarm Skunkworks.

Performance on the day of the Circuit Opener was fair, as it went a total of 2-2 for the day. In a weird quirk of the format (SSS into top 4 cut), 3 of those 4 games were against the same player, the second place Charlie (Santa).

Gameplan is same as before: jam agendas early with click pressure from ice or Mr. Hendrik. It's a win-win situation if the runner contests early by risking core damage and putting an agenda in their score area for Stock Buy-Back and Giordano Field later in the game. In the midgame, you can discourage the runner from contesting the remote by stacking 2-3 upgrades and then scoring on them, then leaning on the Biotic to close out the game (or Ontological Dependence if you've stuck enough core damage).

Special Card Notes:

  • Pulse is the best ice in this deck, as its on-rez ability can force a core damage on an unprepared runner, or even forcefully end the run on a poor runner against Manegarm. Only rez it when the click-tax is relevant, as it has little ability to tax a runner for the long game.

  • Bloop is your most taxing ice, so judicious placement on centrals is key to staving off powerful wincons like Stargate or Deep Dive. Its derez effect can be used to reset a Pulse on the remote as well.

  • Hangeki should not be pointed at Nightmare Archive if you can help it, as you're just doubling down on giving them a negative point.

  • Manta Grid is a bit of a meme include at this point. The slot can be replaced by a Mavirus or Crisium Grid to spend that last influence pip. But it's hella fun if it ever triggers.

2 comments
24 May 2023 clercqie

Do you feel the Harmonic ICE suit is worth it? I can see the appeal, but I've played games were the only ICE I draw for 8 turns was a Boop which is just awful...

Going back to the more standard HB suite of Eli, Fairchild, Magnet etc would play nicer with the upgrades and never-advance threat imo? Otherwise, I've enjoyed the games I had with the previous version of this deck!

25 May 2023 Solomir

Two reasons I'm on Harmonic ice:

  1. Pulse is the best ice in the deck. Runners can more easily plan around spending more credits on a run than they can plan around clicks spent/lost in a run.

  2. Harmonic ice are cheap to rez, and this deck is basically clicking for credits until the first Stock Buy-Back. 6 credits on Fairchild is a lot more to ask for than 5-6 spent over two different turns to rez a Bloop.

There's also little benefits to the harmonic ice choice like Echo forcing a fracter and Bloop resetting Pulse.

I think a classical HB suite can also work in Thule, but probably fits better in a regular glacier build without all the negative point nonsense.