[Startup] Vig Deal: "Just. Make. Money."

This deck went 2-1 at the Phoenix Ash Gaming Society Startup GNK in Miami, Florida.

Lalo Salamanca: "JMM? What's that?"

James Morgan McGill: "Oh that's my motto: Justice Matters Most."

(Discussion continues. James is hesitant to accept the ethically dubious deal Lalo is offering.)

Lalo Salamanca: "Quieres ser amigo de el cartel?"

James Morgan McGill: "I'm sorry, I don't un--"

Lalo Salamanca: "You wanna be a friend of the cartel? Time to get yourself a new motto: Just. Make. Money."

Better Call Saul, Season 5, Episode 7: JMM.

The Game Plan

Make money and do whatever's convenient to score points:

• Big Deal 1-2 agendas for 3-6 points.
• Catch the runner tagged to machinate 1-3 points.
• Use a trick to score 2 points or setup machinations.
• Leave a project cooking on the table for a later 2-7 points.
• Put an agenda behind ice for early points a poor or breakerless runner can't easily contest.

Force profitable runs with 2-3 remotes trickling value. If the Runner doesn't contest these remotes, it becomes easier to pull off 2 Big Deals and a Light Drago Machination for 7 points. Usually, the Runner will spend time and money contesting remotes, triggering advancement value and making other combinations of the above scoring plans easier.

Spin Doctor improves the flexibility of all your angles by shuffling back whatever you need, helping this deck more comfortably run only 1x of potentially key cards.

Agenda Choices

Lots of good Big Deal and Trick of Light targets: Message and Bellona for Big Deal, Tomorrow's Headline for Trick of Light, and Beale for both.

Beale provides tremendous scoring pattern flexibility: My favorite pattern is 3x Backroom Machinations and a 7-advanced Beale for 7 points.

Thinking about which scoring patterns make sense as the game state evolves and adapting on the fly is what makes this deck fun to pilot.

Influence Choices

2x Big Deal: This is how just making money can win you the game. I like running 2 to find them easier, safeguard against one being trashed, and make playing both possible, though if the Runner is contesting your remotes you may only be able to afford to play one.

1x Trick of Light: Easy Beales or Dragos. Almost always spun back into RnD. -1 Big Deal to instead run 2 Trick of Light might be better.

1x Sprint: This deck's situational combos benefit from extra HQ flexibility.

1x Retribution: Wrecks boats and sets up gear check scoring windows.

Other Considerations

Remastered Edition makes Drago, Beale, and Headline bigger threats.

Superconducting Hub makes it easier to hold combos in HQ.

NAPD Cordon is great with Bellona, Vasilisa and Mestnichestvo.

Tollbooth is great with Bellona and Send a Message.

Pop-up Window is a less bursty moneymaking companion or alternative to Congratulations! and Loot Box.

Vladisibirsk City Grid can score agendas or threaten Drago from hand.

Mavirus (1 influence) can stop the Runner from clotting your schemes.