Jinteki (PE) - Shell game (Deck from Single Core Set)

Trypios 2268

Just like everyone else, I started learning to play A:NR with Jinteki Vs. Kate (as the rulebook suggests). I played too many games as corp only with a single runner friend (playing Kate of course) and I always felt so poor. Not many ways to make credits other than clicking for it or Hedge Fund if I'm lucky enough, while on the other side there was a juicy Magnum Opus for up to 8cr per turn. Frustrated as I was, I started researching for my first deckbuilding. Rules were simple enough regarding Agendas and Influence, but I still couldn't make my core Jinteki deck rich enough. How can I protect myself if I can't pay 4 for a Snare! or advance a Project Junebug? I figured Jinteki mindgames are not for beginners and went exploring other factions. The glacier approach seems like the safest most reliable route, build an ICE fort and advance. HB] became my favorite, followed by Weyland. NBN feels very awkward, no traps for shell game, no money for big forts...lots of tags and little punishment....

Jinteki is a different beast. It's all about taking risks, lots of bluffs and trying to flatline the runner. It doesn't need much ice, just a few punishing ones for central servers and a lot of unprotected remotes; there could be traps or agendas.

There are plenty of assets in this deck for a shell game to work and there are two types of runners. Those who check everything and those scared to fall prey to a trap and wait for a cue, or play infiltration. If they run everything, don't install open agendas and set a small scoring server with 1-2 ETR ice. They won't have enough credits because they've been occupied trashing all the assets or recovering from trap damages and/or they didn't set up the breaking suit yet. For those scared to run naked remotes, you can bluff agendas and advance them alongside Project Junebug or Aggressive Secretary. Advancing & scoring isn't Jinteki's go-to move though. Whenever I focus on winning by scoring with PE, I lose.

There are a few combos you can use to kill the runner, keep the flatline plan as a priority.

etc....

Even if they steal an Agenda, that's 1 net damage and you can seal the deal with Neural EMP. For the runners that don't respect tags and keep them upon hitting a snare or by siphoning you, there's a surprise Scorched Earth in the deck that goes really well with EMPs and Private Security Force.

Unfortunately, Jinteki along NBN are the poorest corporations. I splashed a couple of Beanstalk Royalties and an Adonis Campaign to help the situation. Hopefully you can use Melange Mining Corp. 1-2 times before they get to trash it. PAD Campaigns work like a charm. Even if they trash it, they lose 4. Archived Memories can recur a bit of economy, but they're mostly for bringing back traps or trashed Agendas by that Noise vandal.

There are a few in-faction cards I left behind, as they never helped me won a game. Cell Portal...what a useless card. Jinteki can't pay 5 to force the runner pass Neural Katana for a 2nd time...and all this hustle for an expensive ice to be derezzed again. Precognition is an awesome card, especially if you get R&D locked but we're not going for scoring and it seems like a waste of clicks. Play the shell game and the combo pieces will slowly come.

Not much ICE in this deck, focus more on the traps than protecting/advancing and if you don't like the flatlining plan, use the following deck or a different faction:

Agenda (9)

Asset (13)

Operation (10)

Barrier (7)

Code Gate (7)

Sentry (3)

15 influence spent (max 15)
21 agenda points (between 20 and 21)
49 cards (min 45)
Cards up to Core Set

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