Vulcan Canopy (Titan Power Shutdown Flatline)

Card draw simulator
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Derived from
Keystone 4: Total Keycall
Inspiration for
Vulcano
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Devencire 146

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Ever wanted to destroy an entire bank in order to cover up murdering the entire population of New Angeles in their sleep, thus guaranteeing that some pesky Runner is dead (without knowing who they actually are), all for the low cost of 2-3? This is the deck for you.

Step 1: Score a Vulcan Coverup. Score it as early as possible while your gear-check ICE still slows down the Runner; turn 2 is perfect even if it leaves you with 0. Your dream first turn (unless you expect Account Siphon) is play Beanstalk/Hedge, install Vulcan Coverup, and install a cheap enough ETR ICE protecting it. If you don't start with it, use Fast Track or even Project Atlas to find it.

Step 2: Keep the Runner occupied until you have your three key cards in hand: Power Shutdown, Accelerated Diagnostics, and (of course) Jackson Howard.

  • Attempt to score agendas to keep on the pressure; in particular, try to score Project Atlas, as Titan gives you a free counter for using its tutoring ability.

  • If you draw any 24/7 News Cycles, overdraw to discard them (you need them in Archives). If the Runner sees them, try to convince that you think extra High-Risk Investment counters are worth the forfeit (and just leave them more confused).

  • Pretend you are aiming to trace the Runner by eyeing their credit pool at the start of each turn and asking them what their current link is - neither nor will protect the Runner, but it's better if they believe otherwise.

Step 3: After a turn in which the Runner made a successful run, execute the combo: execute the Runner.

The key point here is that Accelerated Diagnostics ignores the additional cost of 24/7 News Cycle, allowing you to repeatedly resolve it even if you have no other agendas scored!

Of course, sometimes 6 damage isn't enough; we can do more, but we need Jackson Howard to already be installed when our turn begins.

Since all the damage is dealt two at a time, I've Had Worse is an issue. Salem's Hospitality is included to be played either pre-emptively from hand, or as part of an Accelerated Diagnostics stack (just remember it costs 2 to play).

I played this at the Reading Regionals last weekend and got 3 wins by flatline (and 4 losses). With better piloting, I think that one of those losses could have been a win by scoring out, but it's hard to say.

I am quite certain that this deck is not, and can never be, Tier 1 - anything more than a single Sports Hopper, Plascrete Carapace or other damage prevention/out-of-turn card draw ability card leaves you with no way of winning, barring unforced errors by the Runner (or miraculously hitting the offending cards with spare Power Shutdowns). All 17 influence and many card slots are accounted for by the combo, leaving almost no space for other strategies (except Shattered Remains, maybe?). Nonetheless, it was a delight to play and a surprise to those of my opponents who saw the combo, all of whom were a pleasure and an honour to play against. Thanks for reading!

11 comments
2 Aug 2016 Handsome Jack

I think this is quite good, but your whole PsiOP strategy is kinda useless online, where their credit pool, link, etc. are clearly displayed on the UI. Fantastic list though, might have to give it a spin!

3 Aug 2016 Cyberzack

How often have you pulled this off? Do you try to rush to set up the combo or do you just try and play 'normal netrunner' long enough until it's ready. If your first 2 net on some of the versions hits i've had worse your kindof screwed but i suppose that's somewhat rare.

Fun Jank man!

3 Aug 2016 Devencire

@Cyberzack I won by flatline in 4 of 5 test games before taking it to the Regional, and I've lost a game with it since, so I think my record is 7 flatlines to 6 losses (scoring out is almost impossible with this ICE and such limited economy). I tend to rush a bit - drawing when you haven't got agendas in hand to score is fine - it's hard to judge, though the combo being cheap to fire helps a lot. I've Had Worse is indeed a problem; assume all Anarchs run it, and if they aren't in the heap, put Salem's Hospitality targeting them into your Accelerated Diagnostics pile (e.g. Salem's + 24/7 + 24/7 is adequate if they have 3 cards in hand). Or just play it the turn before and hope, or both.

3 Aug 2016 The Real C

Amazing idea. I love Weyland flatline to death, but struggled when everyone I played against was playing full anti-tag thinking it countered Controlling the Message (while it really just countered me). If only I had thought of this back then! I'm probably still going to take the time to learn this deck though, it seems super fun...

3 Aug 2016 Shockeh

I am so, SO happy people are running with the Accelerated Diagnostics / 24/7 News Cycle tech. This is a glorious piece of work, bravo.

4 Aug 2016 Boogie

Can you extend the combo at all using a subliminal messaging? I think at least with 2 diagnostics in hand you can

Jackson Shutdown Shuffle in 24/7, subliminal, and interns

Play diagnostics ( getting a click, 2 damage, and a Jackson)

Then just Jackson 3 24/7 for 6 more. I am pretty sure there are other things this adds to, but maybe as a 1 of this should be considered. And that is 8 damage with no pre-installed Jackson.

Also, maybe housekeeping should be in the list? Rumor mill completely invalidates this combo, it would be nice to have a counter.

4 Aug 2016 Boogie

Sorry for the double post, but you could add posted bounty for use with 24/7 and have a hybrid scorch combo too, the 24/7 could activate the bounty, which you forfeit, with interns for Jackson and a subliminal. With another ad in hand, Jackson gets scorch and you have 12 damage, or 8 if just 24/7 scorch scorch.

More expensive, but it would allow you to win with either agenda scored, so you aren't so reliant on vulcan. Also lets you 24/7 outside of combo with bounty and another agenda scored, just playing out the scorched from hand.

4 Aug 2016 Mechanoise

Nice! Well done on the combo, I like it. I'm going to slot Hades Shard in my decks now, and pull it at the Power Shutdown phase ;) Seems like the best counter.

4 Aug 2016 Devencire

@Boogie Subliminal Messaging is something I hadn't considered and sounds like a great include. Posted Bounty, 24/7 News Cycle and when-tagged kill ops is a potent combo - possibly even a better combo seeing as you don't need to run all 3 24/7s - but requires some more slots (and money) than this deck can easily fit, so is probably just better in its own list, of which there are fun examples around.

4 Aug 2016 mawa

I think if you need to go faster, you need Consulting Visit. If you can keep a Howard on the board for one turn it enables you to combo off for 6 with only one combo piece in hand.

4 Aug 2016 The Real C

@Mechanoise, I was actually able to "counter"-counter a Hades Shard as follows:

Have a Jackson installed, draw a lot of cards, dump a lot of cards - even agendas - into Archives, just not enough that you instantly lose.

Look confident, then pretend to be horrified when the Runner uses Hades Shard immediately.

Sure it sucks, but 99% of all Runners will go for it. Of course, winning from there on out is not easy...