Main Strategy: Cost-effective early-game icebreakers are used to gain acquire an advantage early. Disruptive Anarch tools are used to extend this advantage for as long as possible to win before the Corp manages to stabilize the board and start scoring.
Economy: The primary economic piece is Magnum Opus, but heavy card draw and Freelance Coding Contract can provide a quick boost in the economy while allowing Professor to utilize programs from heap. Test Run's first job is to help get out Magnum Opus. After this, the deck is supplemented by the burst of Sure Gamble and Freelance Coding Contract and recurring credits from Sahasrara and The Toolbox.
Icebreakers: The setup is pretty standard, taking the easiest to deploy and utilize. A slight exception would be my code gate solution where I used Cyber-Cypher mainly for remotes and Passport for centrals instead of using ZU.13 Key Master, but it's still up for consideration.
Programs: My primary strategy is to disrupt the Corporation so Keyhole, instead of Medium, became my main choice. For HQ, I use Nerve Agent for the multi-access to be combined and used with Imp to trash key Corp cards for more disruption. This is also my solution for Scorched Earth so this combo becomes more important vs Scorched Earth decks.
As you can see my only memory solution is The Toolbox and Leprechauns. Toolbox helps extend the range of the cheap icebreakers when the bigger ice start coming out and also functions well for opening up MU through +MU and also +2 Link for Zu13.
Update:
- Removed -1 Lamprey, -1 Scavenge, Added +1 Sahasrara, +1 Test Run: there was issues when drawing multiple scavenges and wish they were something else like Test Run. Lamprey was unimpressive when my buddy used 2 of them on me, they lacked a lot of punch. Added Sahasrara is a program that also helps provide an economic boost, combos with Clone Chip and SMC as well.
- Removed -1 Quality Time, -1 Cyber Cypher -1 Passport, -1 Crescentus Added +1 Escher, +2 Magnum Opus, +1 Zu13 Key Master: Magnum Opus is too important to not have 3 copies of to ensure I get it out early especially without having to burn a Test Run (but its still its first main job in deck). Plus additionally drawn Opus's = FCC fodder. Crescentus was a bit situational so it was an easy slot to remove for it then I squeezed my two code-gate solutions into 1 with Zu13 and that frees up another card slot. Peekay's deck helped convince me that Escher could be a huge card to play and I figured with 3x Magnum Opus, I can afford a little less draw power so -1 Quality Time for it.
- Removed -1 Leprechaun, -1 Djinn, -1 SMC, Added +2 The Toolbox, +2 Knight: I didn't like having to put out Daemons early to make good use of them especially because they were my only memory solution. This setup allows me to delegate the 2 Leprechauns left in deck as a later game Memory solution and allows me to just draw for Magnum Opus and put it out ASAP. With The Toolbox, I think this combo works out great and can solve most if not all memory issues that I would run across. The Toolbox also extends the range for using my cheap icebreakers regularly when bigger, harder to break ice start coming out. Knight was placed in deck as an additional solution for big ice in case I run across multiples and increases the chances of me drawing into a big ice solution like Femme Fatale and Knight.
Thoughts? Opinions? Ideas?
Props to Peekay's Professor deck, which pushed me to run 2 more copies of Magnum Opus and an Escher:
Vivat Academia