DDoS Monster (1st @ Compleat Strategist SC)

This Maxx went 4-0 at the Compleat Strategist store championship in NYC. While no Apocalypse landed all day, and I think I only levied once, it did promote suboptimal ICE placement and surprised people with obnoxious bypass/ice destruction effects. It feels like a "do nothing" deck because my preferred play style is shaper lock, and I am trying my damndest to prevent the corp from rezzing ICE which will cause problems for me down the line. DDoS, while a problematic form of bypass, is the lynchpin of the deck because rezzed ICE provides consistent value for corps, and ICE destruction can get expensive when you have garbage tier breakers.

Early Game

Generally I mulligan for econ, but an early Patchwork can solve a lot of problems (installing a Daily Casts for 1 credit, netting 7 is ideal when you're broke). If you are a few turns in and realize you will need to apoc soon, you may skip the Patchwork install the first cycle through your deck. If you're playing a rush deck like Mti, you may skip installing it altogether. I think the reason it's a polarizing card is because it's a huge tempo hit. But if you can install early it's a crazy economic advantage (see @skry matchup later).

Typically you aren't running unless you want to contest a remote. Even though it's an older card, people don't usually expect you to waste a DDoS on a remote turn 1. This yielded a lot of agendas on the day when people saw Maxx and wanted to jam. With 3x in your deck and enough econ to support it, this is a totally fine move. Since they can't rez, their board state doesn't improve, and you're only out three credits, which you can hopefully recoup through Patchwork.

In any case, you need to get a Corroder installed if you think you will need to be break ICE. Otherwise, look for your DDoS to set up either The Maker's Eye and/or and Apocalypse. Unlike typical disruptive Anarch builds, you don't want to force too many rezzes because that takes your DDoS offline. That means that contesting remotes is generally good because it forces the corp to spend money on ICE that will eventually be destroyed anyway.

Mid Game

Earthrise Hotel may seem to be an odd include, but Maxx needs even more than the normal draw if Patchwork is going to be efficient. When you draw three per turn, you're more likely to find econ and be able to Patchwork unnecessary tech cards. At this stage of the game you're cycling through your deck, compiling combo pieces and moneying up as much as possible. Letting the corp score once can be okay unless it's something like a Nisei Mk II.

There are a few pitfalls with Maxx that you need to be aware of here: keeping too many breakers in the bin (Chronos Project and Ark Lockdown are gaining popularity recently) and not have a Labor Rights to get back Levy. Same Old Thing is pretty inefficient when you can just Labor back Maker's or Spear or Apoc.

If you can't land the apoc, you want to save your Spear Phishing as a surprise for contesting remotes. This is most effective in conjunction with DDoS but can work on single-ICEd servers when you're running low of credits and the corp smells a scoring window. Often the corp will not rez the innermost ICE during the Spear, which is dangerous because it allows me to to En Passant if I can tell that is an expensive, problematic ICE.

Late Game

Typically your late game attack involves a late game attack turn preceded by a setup turn. Labor Rights for (Levy/Apocalypse/Spear Phishing/DDoS/The Maker's Eye) depending on what you already have in hand. Then draw clicks two and three and install the DDoS if you haven't already. Then the next turn you can Apocalypse, using Spear Phishing on any two-deep server, and/or Maker's if you have enough money and a clear shot on R&D. If you didn't "do nothing" and there is rezzed ICE that will safely let you trash your rig, let that happen so you can Levy back those pieces.

Sometimes landing the apoc can do more harm than good for you. The corp could just ICE back up the next turn, so you want to make sure that you're financially solvent before bringing about the end times. In practice, this deck has so much econ that it works just as well as a lock deck. If you do manage to apoc, a well timed Immolation Run can reduce the board to reasonable levels of ICE to bypass. I think future builds should include a Run Amok to even better handle large stacks of unrezzed remote ICE.

With no Legwork, Wanton Destruction becomes a solid late game way to clear out HQ. The Turning Wheel is too prone to Apocalypse and Top Hat/Insight require too many clicks. The good old Maker's can be played a number of times through SoT and Levy, which makes up for it's slightly lower power level (remember worlds when Maxx could Index??).

Tournament Report

Round 1 - SportsMetal (@BankNote)
This was probably the closest matchup of the day. @BankNote scored an early Remote Enforcement that plopped a Tollbooth on top of a two-deep remote and I was resigned to focus on the apoc plan. He was fast though, and we both got to six points before the most dramatic play of the day. He had seven credits and enough to Biotic Labor out the 7th point, and I was not quite set up for Apocalypse. So instead, I Labor Rights for Immolation Script and luckily draw it on the net click. I use it click three to trash the Fairchild 3.0 on R&D since my Wanton put one in the bin, leaving an unrezzed Architect. Then with the last click I pop the DDoS and Maker's for the win.

Round 2 - Mti (@skry)
Facing @skry was daunting because we often test together and we know our decks inside out. This time, however, I benefitted from last minute changes to my Maxx. So he knew about Apoc, but I don't think he remembered Spear Phishing and he was definitely not prepared for En Passant. An aggressive IAA behind one Ice felt legit, so I Spear Phished and was able to steal an early SSL that set the tone for the game. He was contemplating rezzing on the Spear Phish for Anansi bypass damage but ultimately didn't want to go broke, so I was able to En Passant click four (in hindsight, I think I destroyed the wrong ICE). For the rest of the game, he was trying to ICE up around the idea of Same Old Thing Spear Phishing, which slowed the game down immensely. The Patchwork machine was churning, and near the end of the game I had run out of cards first cycle through with 35 credits to his 16 or so, and I had a full turn to set up the apocalypse. He then Celebrity Gifted his hand to show four agendas had crept it, and single HQ access was enough to finish up.

Round 3 - NEH (@Internet)
I assumed more people would be piloting The famous "InterNEH" deck which was popular all week on NRDB, but the original was the only one at the SC. This was okay for me since I had pretty heavily teched for it, having lost to it at the Philly SC with Apoc Val two weeks prior. He was not anticipating the amount of bypass effects and I was able to decently control the board with Hacktivist Meeting. An early influx of Liberated Account money also prevented the Team Sponsorship/Amani Senai train from leaving the station. Since the usual lightning pace of NEH had slowed down, I was able to Spear a couple more times and keep a threatening DDoS on the table most of the game. A final Labor Rights on an empty deck into a Spear Phishing helped secure the final steal.

Round 4 - Mti (@Redino987)
ID

Round 5 - Mti (@kysra)
ID

Cut 1 - Gagarin (@shiiuga)
This was an unfortunate matchup for @shiiuga since, as 1st seed, I chose to run my heavily teched asset hate deck against his Gagarin kill flavor of InterNEH. The early hacktivist was devastating, and I was able to steal two New Constructions he was trying to use for tempo, but could only keep keep even at a handful for creds because of the single rezzed Turtlebacks. A brutal Wanton Destruction on an open HQ slowed him down even more, allowing me to efficiently hammer centrals for the win.

While my Maxx did great, my Mti carried the day through the last two games of the cut.

I also want to give a shoutout to all the NYC and NYC-adjacent players who have kept the meta alive during the Nisei era. Every tournament is full of surprises and top tier play, but more importantly a bunch of cool people, as evidenced by finishing our SC in first in the basement of a grungy NYC buffet restaurant and then in @skry's living room. The final two cut matches were fueled by a newly patented Netrunner themed cocktail: "Bourbon Renewal." Then, to unwind after a day of overly intense thinking, we played a fun round of Netrunner Code Names, which makes you realize how deep this game has sunk into our collective consciousness.