Stim Cramming
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| Standard Ban List 23.09 (latest) |
| Standard Ban List 23.08 (active) |
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rwknoll 70
This deck utilizes Kit's identity ability to consistently hit R&D, while allowing you solid access to HQ and remote servers. The deck performs well against glacier decks, as Study Guide becomes increasingly cost effective as the game continues.
Strategy
My favorite first turn is at least one card draw and one burst economy card (e.g., Diesel + Lucky Find), but multiple economy cards is also great. Scoring Comet early in the game results in fantastic click compression and income, and Rachel Beckman dramatically improves game tempo.
Get out Study Guide and use Stimhack to score an icebreaker that can permanently hit strong ICE on future turns. Brain damage is mitigated by Public Sympathy, with enough in here to give a hand size of 11 before Stimhack.
This strategy will generally lead Corp to place multiple ICE per server, especially on R&D. To counter, I included Inti and Pipeline as cheap face-check support. On future turns, use Paintbrush to set up for Study Guide and use it instead.
Other Combos
Stimhack + Clone Chip, Self-modifying Code, or Personal Workshop: Install programs or hardware with free credits mid-run. Particularly useful for R&D Interface.
Modded: Helps with click compression and discounted costs, primarily R&D Interfaces, Comet, and Paintbrush.
I originally scoffed at Power Nap, but realized it's a solid choice for my style and this deck. At worst, it's identical to clicking for credits twice (not including the draw); with 2 other events in your heap, it's tied with Magnum Opus. As the game progresses, double-clicking for upwards of 8-10 credits gives exactly the kind of burst credit potential you want.
Weaknesses
There is currently no hard protection against net/meat damage. This is mitigated by Public Sympathy and excellent card draw (Diesel, Game Day), but watch out for hard-hitting damage and clear tags ASAP.
The deck also lacks tangible pressure against HQ. You can get in just fine, but probably not multiple times per turn unless their ICE protection is low.
Alternatives
In other versions, I tried to fit in Forged Activation Orders. FAO synergizes excellently with Paintbrush, if used on inner unrezzed ICE: Either they trash it, or you put pressure on their economy and can use Paintbrush. However, Lucky Find provides great burst economy for Study Guide if you don't draw into Stimhack, or if you want to install more hardware/programs during a run.
I kept a copy of Levy AR Lab Access in for a long time, but I find myself never playing it. It actually impairs Power Nap, and it only draws 5 cards rather than filling to your current hand size.
I would prefer to have a third Kati Jones, but not sure what to drop and it has a lot of event-based economy.
| 3 comments |
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13 May 2015
Lluluien
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13 May 2015
rwknoll
I have toyed around with replacing some/all of Modded and PW, for the same reason you mentioned. I enjoy PW, because I otherwise have found it hard to squeeze in the credits for R&D Interface otherwise. I tend to play Modded as soon as there's a good target for it, whereas I am more strategic with PW. In my last playtest, I installed two R&DI on my second Stimhack, as my Study Guide was already sufficiently powered and I had the credits to spare. I will definitely consider Lady and more Kati/Clone Chips. It's a neat idea, and one I might test more. I do like that Inti is so cheap, but the credit-less barrier breakers a la Lady is great too. In my very first version of the deck, I ran Study Guide, Omega, and Paintbrush. I found that Omega was difficult to pull out, and even then it was still a costly and restrictive AI breaker due to its low strength. I would say Crypsis is comparable but more versatile for the price. If I used more Clone Chips, Atman might be ok, but she only helps if the ICE you need to get by is rezzed; in that case, I just use Paintbrush anyway. |
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13 May 2015
Lluluien
I wish your answer for Omega was different; I always wanted that card to be cool, but between the cost, positioning restrictions, and strength, it doesn't surprise me to hear that you found it more trouble than it was worth. |
This is a good idea; I think the Stimhack economy was worth revisiting now that Study Guide gives us another place to drain Stimhack into on-the-fly. Study Guide of course naturally leads us to Rielle "Kit" Peddler: Transhuman.
I think this is a solid starting list for the idea, but I have one observation leading to a couple suggestions, and one question.
Observation first: You only have 10 targets (programs/hardware of 3 cost or greater, and Comet can only be played once (barring it being destroyed), so it only counts once) that benefit from Modded and Personal Workshop, but you have 5 copies together of those two cards. It seems to me like it would be hard for both Modded and Personal Workshop to carry their own weight in this circumstance. Modded seems to fit your central theme better, so I would be tempted to cut Personal Workshop.
Candidates for replacement might be the +1 Kati Jones that you mentioned you wanted, but you could consider additional Clone Chips as well, on the rationale that if you are losing Personal Workshops, then you lose one mechanism for installing via Stimhack on the run. More Clone Chips in your deck gives you greater access to Self-modifying Code since you can recur that card via Clone Chip to continue searching and installing from your Stack at paid-ability speed.
Additionally, if you include a few more Clone Chips, then I think swapping out Inti for Cerberus "Lady" H1 gives you a more well-rounded include for your 1-of Fracter. It's more expensive to install up-front, but if you're running into anything with strength beyond 2, then the difference in breaking cost is near or exceeds the difference in the install cost between the two cards, and you're likely to get at least one additional cheap break out of Cerberus "Lady" H1 before the counters are used up.
Now for my question: have you ever tried Omega in the deck? I've always wondered how well this would work in a Kit deck, under the assumption that if Kit beats the first ICE and Omega beats the last ICE, then they have to have servers at least 3 deep to potentially stop you. The biggest reason I can see not to use the card would be the price, but you're already running the Stimhack install engine here, so maybe it would be worth a try?