Brahmatman 1.0 [ please help / comment ]

OneFabric 98

"In Hinduism, Brahman (/ˈbrɑːmən/; ब्रह्मन) connotes the highest Universal Principle, the Ultimate Reality in the universe. In major schools of Hindu philosophy it is the material, efficient, formal and final cause of all that exists. It is the pervasive, genderless, infinite, eternal truth and bliss which does not change, yet is the cause of all changes. Brahman as a metaphysical concept is the single binding unity behind the diversity in all that exists in the universe.

Brahman is a Vedic Sanskrit word, and is conceptualized in Hinduism, states Paul Deussen, as the "creative principle which lies realized in the whole world".Brahman is a key concept found in Vedas, and extensively discussed in the early Upanishads. The Vedas conceptualize Brahman as the Cosmic Principle. In the Upanishads, it has been variously described as Sat-cit-ānanda (being-consciousness-bliss) and as the highest reality.

Brahman is discussed in Hindu texts with the concept of Atman (Soul, Self), personal, impersonal or Para Brahman, or in various combinations of these qualities depending on the philosophical school. In dualistic schools of Hinduism such as the theistic Dvaita Vedanta, Brahman is different from Atman (soul) in each being, and therein it shares conceptual framework of God in major world religions. In non-dual schools of Hinduism such as the monist Advaita Vedanta, Brahman is identical to the Atman, Brahman is everywhere and inside each living being, and there is connected spiritual oneness in all existence." - Wikipedia

Introduction

When I first realized the AI 'Atman' could be based on the pertinent Vedic concept, I was thrilled as I realized that Atman related very well to the Rielle "Kit" Peddler: Transhuman's personal philosophy.

After looking at the recent decks involving Brahman, and the review by @Zakalwe something clicked. If Atman was returned to the stack when necessary, it could potentially reset Atman as needed. The basic principle would be to use Atman for all ICE, and Brahman when necessary, allowing me to reset Atman so I could continue to use it.

Implementation

When I started making this deck though, I soon realized that this concept wasn't as thematically strong as I thought it was. Aside from Turing and Swordsman, Atman will get pretty expensive, and even having 3 Atman in the rig may not cut it. If I use Brahman in a pinch, I will end up resetting one of my Atmans.

Then I realized Chameleon and Cyber-Cypher will benefit from the resetting provided by Brahman, as well as deal with Turing / Swordsman and make use of Rielle "Kit" Peddler: Transhumans ability respectively. Hosting them on on the Omni-Drive will give me a free credit during each turn to break subroutines.

Net-Ready Eyes is to pump up an Atman if necessary, and John Masanori is to draw the card that goes to the top of the stack.

3 comments
17 May 2016 MTUCache

I'm working on a Brahman deck as well. Cards like Chameleon, Lady, D4v1d, etc all seem to have some level of synchronization with this guy, and being an AI makes it very helpful for Kit if you can pair it with a Cy-Cy. Add in some LLDS Processors and Net-Ready Eyes and you've got a really powerful breaker suite.

(As you mentioned, Atman is an option, for resetting it, but it's expensive. I fell like if you've already got the AI in place with Brahman you probably don't need to double up on that with Kit's ability.)

In order to really capitalize on Brahman's ability I'm attempting to work it into a Apocalypse deck, basically fishing all my breakers back off the board before Apoc, leaving me ready to rebuild faster than the corp... unfortunately, that's a lot of influence. Plus, if you want to make all those clicks work with Chameleon installs, etc, you end up packing a lot of jank (Hyperdrivers, SoT, extra mem) into your deck, along with basically being forced to move to an Aesop econ-engine so you can use those face down cards.

Eh, it's a work in progress, but I really like building around Brahman... it's very satisfying to find a way to make the 'drawback' on cards work as a benefit instead.

21 Sep 2023 noblekeon

A Brahman deck is in the works as well. Being an AI, it works well with Cy-Cy and seems to have some synchronization with other cards like Chameleon, Lady, D4v1d, etc. You've got a fairly potent breaker suite if you throw in some LLDS Processors and Net-Ready Eyes. basketball) stars

26 Sep 2023 timothyferriss

It's clear that you've thought about the thematic and strategic aspects of your deck. However, keep in mind that the immaculate grid effectiveness of a deck in Android: Netrunner can depend on the specific cards available in the game and the strategies used by your opponents. Adapting your deck and strategy as you play and gain experience is often essential for success in the game.