Bloodlock v3.00: Cutting down rough corners

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Bloodlock: v2.00: (Tie)breakers and the Batty Barrage
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Erik_Twice 2044

This is the last build of Bloodlock. It's not substantially different from the previous build, it's simply a bit leaner and a bit more polished.

First, I took out Chronos Project because I have never, ever, managed to put it to use. It's either overkill or too late or pointless and after a dozen games I've never been any happy with the card.

I realized that I could run a 2-pointer in its place because it's every bit as useless as a 1-pointer so tried Nisei MkII. But Nisei MkII didn't do anything either because if I could score it I could score any other agenda. I ended up slotting up Fetal AI because that way I have 2.5 Snares in the deck.

The main benefit of this change is that you can cut one of the Vanities and put the amazing Hades Shard in its palce.

Second, Assassin replaces some of the previous pieces of ICE. It's a great card which does wonders for Genomics as it can be rezzed turn 1, it's extremely taxing and both of its subroutines can be a huge slap in the face which makes Batty better.

Talking about upgrades cutting some influence here and there has allowed for a second copy of Ash which significantly fastens the deck and makes it significantly less prone to last turn glory runs. Old Hollywood Grid would be better, specially against Noise but it's useless against the omnipresent Film Critic so Ash it is.

Third, I've replaced the PAD Campaigns with Mental Health Clinic. Early on you are going to be forced to protect them with Crick or another small piece of ICE so the lower cost is preferable.

If you like jank you can run Victoria Jenkins in this build (Use Tech Startup as your second copy). It doesn't do anything except making the deck more unfun so be sure to try it.

4 comments
29 Jan 2016 moeljartin

@Erik_Twice Not sure if you're checking this lately, but wondering if you've got any thoughts on post-MWL. Switch Eli for Markus? Or something else in mind?

30 Jan 2016 Erik_Twice

@moeljartin I get an email when a comment is posted so feel free to tell me what's on your mind.

My first thought is to replace one of the Elis with a second Rainbow. Markus costs 4 and provides no turn 1 defense so before running it I would consider running Tsurugi or Komainu, that are stronger now with less Clone Chips in the meta.

Still, the most important change is the addition of Museum of History I would cut 2 cards (One of them an Interns, the other probably Snare!) to make room for it. It seems extremely powerful here!

21 Feb 2016 moeljartin

@Erik_Twice I've been trying the deck out and wondering provide some insight on a few questions.

1.) So far Whizzard seems like an auto-loss. I'm 0-3 and none of them were even close. They just trash all the assets even if it costs a couple regular credits and I can never get going.

2.) What's your ICE approach? Is early ICE going on centrals or over assets? Of course there are obvious things like HQ vs. Criminal, but what is your general approach beyond that? Which assets are you icing vs. which do you leave bare?

3.) What's your strategy with Hostile Infrastructure? So far I'm feeling like early on it's so expensive that rezzing more than one is very hard, but later on once the econ is going their not as important.

4.) What's your strategy with Susanoo-no-Mikoto? It's seems almost useless against Anarch because of D4V1d, and against everyone else it seems good but not great. I suspect I'm not getting the situation right because you must feel it's strong to include it at 9 cost.

5.) I'm playing with a 56 card build, -1 Hades (cause of museum), -1 Fetal, -1 Ash, +1 GFI, +1 Vanity, +1 Caprice, +2 Celebrity Gift. Little more money, couple extra cards, same number of agendas. The extra money has been nice, but obviously losing an Ash is not trivial. Have you tried an even larger deck like this? Thoughts one way or the other?

21 Feb 2016 Erik_Twice

@moeljartin

1) Don't play your assets naked! Put your first economic asset, no matter which one behind a Crick, Cortex Lock or similar. Focus on getting money to rez your first cards then, when you are safe fill up a Crick-protected archives and start playing Hostile Infrastructures.

Ideally, you put a Melange behind an Ashigaru, Susanoo, Assassin or equivalent and then coast from there. Remember every single one of your pieces of ICE can be an Assassin, Crick or Cortex Lock so you can get away with a lot.

2) Eli/Rainbow go on centrals. Cricks defend Archives, small remotes and often R&D. Everything else are generic "big pieces of ICE" that can go anywhere, just try to punish facecheking early on. Keep in mind you don't need more than two, perhaps three pieces of ICE to score.

3) Don't rez them unless you can spare the money. Get the money first (click for credits) and then play them when they go for an asset. Don't be afraid to rez them for a single point of damage if you can instantly replay them.

4) I just treat it as any other piece of ICE. For me it's a third Assassin or a fourth Ashigaru. Remember that D4v1d tokens are finite, if they spend them on Susanoo they are not spending them on Assassin or Crick.

It does have a certain affinity with R&D, since it's the most traversed server (making D4v1d weaker) and is a pain when backed by Caprice. It's also hilarious with Batty.

5) I would not play any more cards. You suffer a lot by watering down your Jacksons and Shocks and I even considered paying influence for Museum of History so I could go for 49 cards.