NEXT Game

helianthus_paradoxum 35

This deck has a blazingly fast start and quickly builds an impenetrable server to gain the early lead. It severely taxes the Runner in the late game and provides the ability to fast advance in an unusual, but very potent way

1). Early Game - Gear Check

You have lots of cheap "end the run" ice, including the anti-AI check Wraparound and the ultimate gear check Chimera

Successful Demonstration all but guarantees that you have enough money to raise the defences and do the important early agenda scoring

Adonis Campaign behind some spare ice gives you a stable future and masquerades as a 3/2 agenda

Bioroid Efficiency Research can barricade a server early with the mighty Wotan or strengthen it with any other expensive bioroid

Jackson Howard is the same all-star as always. Besides the usual routine he makes your early Accelerated Beta Test failproof

2). Middle Game - Transition to Taxation

Try to play and rez as many NEXT Bronze and NEXT Silver as you can: they'll be as strong in taxing as they were strong in early game access denying

Trashing an icebreaker with a surprise Rototurret or Ichi 2.0 returns the Runner to early game state, in which you simply rule

Priority Requisition pretty much always has some awesome target to turn an already daunting server into a nightmare

3). Side Plan - Fast Advance

Mushin No Shin + Haas Arcology AI: feels like cheating, but it ain't. Put some blocking ice to protect the server, and you have a beast of a FA mashine

Early Mushin No Shin + an agenda is also great. When you feel confident, you can even score Mandatory Upgrades in mere two turns + three credits and know no bounds after that

4). Possible Variation - Total Program Destruction

Aggressive Secretary, Ichi 1.0

Tyr's Hand or Awakening Center + program trashing bioroids

Corporate Troubleshooter + any trashing ice

5). Possible Variation - Flatline

Nice for regular play with someone who knows the deck's contents

Project Junebug, Cerebral Overwriter

Fenris, Janus 1.0, Zed 1.0 - to name only just the best candidates

4 comments
14 Aug 2014 Fruggles

Have you considered playing Mother Goddess for the NEXT synergy?

15 Aug 2014 helianthus_paradoxum

I tried it. Yes, it significantly boosts NEXT Bronze and NEXT Silver, so the deck's credit taxation angle becomes stronger.

But early the plan is to building a server that cannot be invaded by a Runner without a full rig. And Mother Goddess never demands a new gear check if you have at least one other ice rezzed (which you will).

It's not a bad late card, I think it can replace Heimdall 2.0 and be sometimes better, sometimes worse. It feels more luck-based (greatly depends on how many NEXT ice you get), but also more swingy.

I suppose I just aim for a more stable playstyle with this deck, but I approve the suggestion.

15 Aug 2014 Jashay

Nice idea! How does the money pan out? My NEXT deck is significantly different to yours, but in general terms I found successful demonstration too limited once they've scoped out your ICE, and Adonis too easy to trash.

Why three Wotans? You can never have more than one in play, as they're unique. Also on the ICE front, I found the repeating rez cost of chimera difficult, but I can see it being a lifesaver from time to time

16 Aug 2014 helianthus_paradoxum

Sure, Successful Demonstration works almost exclusively in the first turns. But I find it's the most important phase with this build. Hedge Fund can take this slot as a stronger choice for the late game.

Adonis Campaign, in my practice, survives often enough and performs better than the influence-free alternatives. But I'm not completely happy with it. One thing I'm still trying is a swap to operations economy: Green Level Clearance and Blue Level Clearance for a money + draw engine.

Besides that, Mushin No Shin and the free rez cards help to survive with, admittedly, pretty poor money engine.

A Wotan rezzed by Accelerated Beta Test, Priority Requisition or Bioroid Efficiency Research is so strong that I want to see him as often as possible. I can't and don't plan to play every ice I draw anyway, so no big trouble in some empty draws.

Chimera can eat a hole in your budget, that's true. But it oftenly wins games :)