Apex's Pawnshop

Nick! 144

This is my first stab at an Assimilator/Aesop's Pawnshop build out of Apex.

Events: Deuces Wild provides versatility with draw, econ, etc. Dirty Laundry and Sure Gamble are here for econ. Interdiction, Mad Dash, and Stimhack as pseudo econ, preventing extra runs being necessary. Making an Entrance to dig a little deeper in the deck to find a program or part of the Assimilator/Aesop's combo.

Hardware: Heartbeat: there's a reason it was in the 2nd Place Deck at world's. It's good!

Resources: Assimilator/Aesop's is the fuel of econ and card draw (once Reaver is installed). Hunting Grounds is a versatile card. It can be your econ/draw if you have nothing to install facedown and can pair nicely with Making an Entrance if you can stack the deck precisely. Turning Wheel for multi-access and Wasteland because....gaining 4-6 with Aesop's is better than 3.

Programs: Aumakua=GOOD BREAKER! With the new Assimilator/Cyber Cypher ruling preventing the selection of a specific server, Cyber Cypher is the best decoder in this type of build. Na'Not'K and Paperclip speak for themselves. Harbinger for Aesop's/Heartbeat fodder and Reaver for the card draw.

The beautiful part about this deck is how many of the pieces you need in the early game, serve as late game fodder for Aesop's. How does installing Reaver for 2, getting its card draw power, and then selling it for 6 later, sound? Same goes with Assimilator: once you have Cyber Cypher and Aesop's flipped face up, you can sell it. This deck is very fun. Obviously, it's not tier 1, but with strong piloting can do some damage.

(JNET tip for using Assimilator... just lose 2 clicks, add the facedown card to your hand, install it, add the install click back, and add the install cost back to simulate Assimilator, until the awesome folks at jnet get it implemented. You'll have to type "/close-prompt" once Cyber Cypher asks you to pick a server.)

9 comments
30 Dec 2017 Finster

How can you install Aesop's Pawnshop? It's not virtual... Forgive my ignorance if I'm missing something, as I'm still very new to Netrunner.

30 Dec 2017 dawspawn

Could some of those Interdictions and Mad Dash’s potentially be Sports Hoppers for more draw and Wasteland money?

30 Dec 2017 psudo

@Finster, Apex: Invasive Predator is able to use Aesop's Pawnshop thanks to Assimilator. You use Apex's ability to install the card face down, and then Assimilator to turn it right side up. The UFAQ on Assimilator gives this the okay.

30 Dec 2017 Nick!

@dawspawn I think that’s a fantastic idea. I was only using 3x of each due to the low number of useful neutral cards. Probably +3 Sports Hoppers -1 Interdiction -2 Mad Dash

30 Dec 2017 Nick!

@dawspawn Totally! That’s a great idea to speed of the draw of the deck. +3 Sports Hoppers -1 Interdiction -2 Mad Dash

30 Dec 2017 Nick!

@dawspawn Great idea! +3 Sports hoppers -1 Interdiction -2 Mad Dash

30 Dec 2017 Restartt

Don't forget to remind people that harbinger can be used infinitely with assimilator.

You've got your aesops and rig up, you've got some wastelands and reavers, but you're running out of cards to sell. how about losing two clicks to turn harbinger back up, so you can keep selling it for 5-6 and a card or two? Seems like a good trade.

30 Dec 2017 Nick!

@Restartt yeah wouldn’t be a bad trade off. In 6-7 games so far though, I’ve not had any issues having things to sell. 2 extra of Heartbeat, Aesop’s, Assimilator, and Ainsley not to mention 6 trashes of Harbingers, all before selling off pieces you don’t need anymore. I doubt you’ll be out of things to sell.

30 Dec 2017 Nick!

@Restartt yeah wouldn’t be a bad trade off. In 6-7 games so far though, I’ve not had any issues having things to sell. 2 extra of Heartbeat, Aesop’s, Assimilator, and Aumakua not to mention 6 trashes of Harbingers, all before selling off pieces you don’t need anymore. I doubt you’ll be out of things to sell.