Seeing Red (3-1 @ London CO, 3rd)

Meathir 6

It's Bankhar Steve! Kikai's got a better write-up for the basics, so I'll focus on the changes. Some I feel are very correct, others are... eh. Note that this is technically based off the second iteration of the list here. Getting 3rd at my first tournament and winning a mat when my goal was to buy one was pretty awesome (thanks CableCarnage, I'm pretty sure they both used to be his). I guess Jnet grinding has its perks.
Tremolo -> Curupira
There's a couple of really small barriers that ruin DoF and you have to be able to break ICE ASAP in the modern meta. Curupira is super punishing to unsavvy Corps, and if the Corp chooses to jump through hoops dodging the charge that's still great. You just cannot afford to break these for 2-3c, nor can you sit around waiting for Cybernetics imo. If Corps slow down a bit, I can see myself going back, but I mean, I broke a Tree Line manually 3 times.
Zenit Chip -> 2nd WAKE
I hate Zenit Chip, it was consistently the worst card in the deck. Eating 3 draws and handsize reduction to slowly recur that value is too slow, and WAKE is mission critical for winning the game.
2 Boomerang -> 1 Boomerang, 1 Physarum Entangler
I think this is actually the big innovation, Physarum solves so many issues with problematic ICE, saves you Revolver counters, doesn't shuffle the deck, sticks around to be a thorn in the Corp's side and may even force a purge. MU's not an issue although maaaybe Mavirus could be. The only reason I haven't taken Boomerang out is for having both on board at once and the 6c barriers.
2 Career Fair -> 2 Miss Bones
One Miss Bones is necessary. Career Fair is another card I find awful; cards are money and break ICE with Bankhar. The deck isn't short real credits to pay 4 and hard install TCA/Earthrise. That said, the 2nd Miss Bones has been awful too; I'm trying to replace it.

Went 3-1 with the deck, beating Raksha on Thule (kind of a free matchup; deck is impossible to kill and they can't defend HQ), MotionBlur on PD (kinda sniped agendas but it's a good matchup) and Bowlsey on Rush Ob (the credit hole is deep!). Lost in top cut to the National Champion himself (just didn't draw a way to break Gatekeeper for like 5 turns despite opening TCA and playing some Steelskins, it happens).
Corp
, despite being a deck I love and have played to since I started the game 6 months ago, was sadly lacking and went 1-2 (I mean, only lost to CableCarnage and theo is still leagues better than I thought I'd ever play). Shoutouts to a certain snek that I got into the game with and playtested with the day before. He wobbles!

2 comments
6 Dec 2024 Kikai

Have you considered Malandragem?

I slotted it (instead of Boomerang) for UK nats and I am super happy with it.

6 Dec 2024 Meathir

@Kikai That kind of surprises me. I don't have trouble with Drafter or other small ICE usually, I'm saving the Boomerang/Physarum for the big stuff. I'm pretty happy to break small ice manually or Bankhar it. It does give you more early aggression and make rezzing Gatekeepers better though, so maybe if my second Bones was Malandragem I stood a chance in the Asa matchup, but HB is the matchup where blind Boomerang is always good.