Jinteki RP Rush!

The main idea is get Nisei MK II's scored possibly using Fast Track, and then use that Nisei to score more. Score the first Nisei MK II using stacked cheap ETR's and/or Caprice. It's a rush deck, that takes people by surprise who are expecting the popular glacier version of RP.

I've been working on this deck for a while now. For most of it's life it was Jinteki RP Ruhr Rush! With a Ruhr Valley in the remote and a Nisei token you are just about guaranteed another score. Fast track out a Nisei and keep the chain going. Turned out suboptimal though as Ruhr Valley is just such a beast to rez. If you have that much money the game is probably already well in hand. So, after much agonizing I pulled the Ruhrs and whattaya know? I did quite well with it and went pretty far in the Stimhack Store Champion Invitational on OCTGN (7th after Swiss, 9th overall).

Key Cards

Caprice, Nisei MK II, The Future Perfect, Jackson Howard: duh

Excalibur: this card made the Ruhr Valley much more expendable. Unless the runner has an answer for it, put it on your remote and this is as good as Ruhr Valley (though it can't pose as a Caprice, or rez to deny Siphon credits), and cheaper. And not a lot of runners have answers for it. Note that Eater will not do the job.

Fast Track: gets that Nisei MK II out there when the time is right. Great synergy with 4-advance agendas.

Useful Cards

Chimera: gives you that early scoring window. With the RP click tax, ELP, and Excalibur, stopping the runner once with it will often be enough, as there won't be time to install something and run again. Weakness to SMC or insta-parasite. Usually quite the dead card by midgame. Can also be used to protect vs siphon sometimes. It's the only sentry in here so can also be used to kill Faeries if you have a lot of money.

Blue Level Clearance: this and Fast Track get the most expressions of wonderment from opposing players. Good card for rushing out stuff and getting money in the process. You gotta score that first Nisei MK II before your Chimera becomes useless, so Blue Level seems good here.

Other choices

Eli's, ELP, and Successful Demo made it in here with the influence freed up by the Ruhr's. Eli's and ELP are obviously great cards. Eli's subbed in for Tsurugis that got really weak with Switchblade and the resurgence of Anarchs and their Parasites. Also adding the Eli's gives a super heavy barrier mix that seems to help a lot versus Kate, the new hotness. The well-documented synergies with Eli and ELP in RP, make them a worthy include. Successful Demo hopes to hit when runner bounces off a central ETR. It also works well with Nisei token or Caprice stop, though in that case you'll often be spending all clicks to score out the agenda.

Wraparound: Eater hate, plus another cheap ETR to stack with Chimera in the remote.

Celebrity Gift: Obvious great econ card. Downside to showing your Chimeras and Excaliburs, which are easier to subvert if you anticipate them. I think it's still better than Medical Research Fundraiser.

Mental Health Clinic: Though burst seems good for rush, the MHC can help you rush as rush is all relative to the runner. If the runner spends two clicks and three credits to kill this thing, you've gained on her. A worry with the rush, is sustaining it. With an MHC going, it is so much easier to score again (and have money for Caprice and The Future Perfect PSI games).

Lot's of cheap ETRs: Quandary, Himitsu, Chimera, Wraparound, Enigma: So you can set up a rush server in a hurry. Also good to stack barriers vs decks relying on Lady. Enigma is worth at least a one-of as it can combine with RP tax to score you an agenda after a runner facecheck, also doesn't die to insta-parasite like Quandary.

Lotus Field: expensive for what this deck is trying to do, but can be nice to tax an anarch on R&D while you are concentrating on scoring out before she beats you with the dig.

Flex slots

Philotic: good for never advance, easy to score. Fetal was OK when I had Tsurugi in here. I experimented with -1 Philotic -1 NAPD, +1 TFP, +1 Genetic Restructuring (also with NAPD's replaced by Braintrusts) and it seemed OK.

Wraparounds, Successful Demonstration: these cards seem good but not particularly great, they may be inf that could be put to another use.