Quick Dailies - 1st at Standish SC

Aerosaucer 257

Won 9-person SC in Standish, ME, going 3-1 with both decks (my runner was Stabby FoxX, though I think this variant might be better). The one loss with this deck wasn't really the fault of the deck, it was a combination of agenda flood and getting greedy instead of respecting EStrike against a good Adam player.

Here's where and why I deviated from the standard MTI list:

The core idea for me is the agenda suite. Rather than the classic suite with 4 3-pointers and fast track, I go with more 4/2s so if I don't draw a NM4 I can score a CST (which is a workhorse) instead, and either way it helps me score my next points. I only scored TFP once the entire tourney (but it protected itself many times); generally I win by scoring 4 2-pointers. This lets you apply pressure in remotes earlier, and is less fragile (you can afford to risk trying to score an uncertain agenda or lose one off centrals because if they steal it, that creates a scoring window for you for the next one and it isn't as devastating as losing a NM4 or 3-pointer in the other deck type). Basically, it's rushier, while in my experience the other version of the deck grinds long games foodcoats- or RP-style, and I thought a lot of popular runners would have inevitable lategames but could be pressured by rush.

I went with a lot of cheaper ICE because I expected a lot of destruction out there, both from MaxX and Khumalo. Aiki was an all-star, but Yagura should have been a Crick. I did not actually end up facing Stabby or Khumalo, so who knows if it would have worked for real, but it works a charm on jnet.

Daily Quest: Worst case, it is just a tempo trade where the runner has to eat a cortex lock of slot machine to trash it, or (as happened in some of my games) it just sits there ticking the entire game while you generate pressure in your other remote. If they do go trash it, that's often going to be enough to create a scoring window. Works really well with Cortex Lock, which normally I don't love because it turns off, because by the time it turns off you've probably gotten major value from the Quest. One of the main reasons preemptive is in the deck is to recycle quests if your opponent is killing them (that's a lot of inf to lose if you can't recur it). Maybe once people get used to it, it won't work as well; It's possible the deck is just as good or better if those are NGOs and you use the inf elsewhere, but so far it's made insance money for such a small investment and I haven't felt stretched too thin by the extra remote.

I would cut the Bio Vault for a Letheia or Code Replicator. So many scores were behind a DNA Tracker or Anansi the runner couldn't afford to break multiple times or faceplant through either, but I rarely felt like I had the time to advance the vault, especially since I generally also had NISEI counters, Batty or Border Control already. That might mean it could be a non-upgrade, especially if I freed up inf for a 3rd Border Control.

Favorite plays:

1) Turn 1 Celeb Gift revealing CST, ICE, and NGO. Next turn, IAA CST naked. Opponent thinks it's the NGO and doesn't run, I score it next turn, while drawing a NM4. I then IAA the NM4 naked, and again score it because they thought it was the NGO.

2) Late game, opponent doesn't know I have Susanoo. Runs remote with 6-str turtle and gets turned away, sealing the win.

Thanks to Crossroad Games for running the tourney, and to the Cambridge Pandemonium crew for being the best testing partners and roadtrip mates.

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