Null is the new Zer0 (1st @Diversified Portfolio)

This is my deck that went 4-0 during the Diversified Portfolio online tournament.

Due to the restrictions on ID selection in this format, Null was quite a common runner choice among the participants. And for good reason – regular anarch is still strong, and Null’s ability not only helps you place your bin breakers where they belong, but also significantly improves on the performance of MKUltra and BlOrch.

The problem with anarch in the current meta is the abundance of False Lead / HHN modules among the corps. Without reasonable means to reliably outmoney the corp or misdirect them in two clicks, the natural anarch solution would be to just trash the problematic cards out of HQ just before they become relevant. The usual ways to do that, though, such as Wanton Destruction or Imp just did not seem radical enough. Desperate times call for desperate measures, so I went for the ultimate weapon of hand destruction.

Yes – I requested help from the Martian Clans.

Do not get me wrong – the times of Binder Vengeance Val and Zer0 are long gone, and this deck does not even try to replicate that madness. We are still playing good stuff anarch, but with a 10-card self-damage module that just happens to synergize quite well with what we would have been doing anyway.

So, we have the 3x Clans, to be installed early and bide their time. The plan is to get them to 6 counters and obliterate the HQ just after mandatory draw, but it is quite common that you will need to use it earlier to save your life. The Titanium Ribs are quite essential – consistently hitting IHW with your meat damage gives you insane tempo – but the more significant effect is eliminating the risk that your Stimhacks hit your long-term economy. And with Brain Cage maintaining your hand size, you can go all-in on the Stimhackopalooza.

And now comes the tricky card – Respirocytes. This card in Null gives you some massive tempo! Once you have it installed, just stay low on cards and deplete your hand with a mix of installs / damage / Null ability. Your goal is to have them fully used up and trashed by the time you enter the endgame, because that is when you are going to use…

Trope. This card is absolutely essential here. As you are going through your deck insanely fast, the risk of running out of steam is pretty high. The plan is to have 7-8 counters by the time your stack starts to run low. That is when you pop the Trope, and get a Clan Vengeance + as many IHW, used Respirocities and Stimhacks as you can find in your bin. Whatever had been left in your stack is now just damage fodder while you draw it all while fully charging your Clans within just two turns. This should be just enough to close the game.

Oh, and the Net-Ready Eyes pretty much solve your awkward math against things like Surveyor or Slot Machine.

You can see the deck in action in the video below (game starts at 03:22:10) https://www.twitch.tv/videos/569759620

Big thanks go to the TOs of the Diversified Portfolio tournament – Krasty and Longi – for organizing this amazing event. Rock on!