Transforming the Transformer

This is my revision of Xavier's excellent Transformer deck. Anyone interested in trying out a FA NEXT deck should read his post and the comments there.

My main changes involves swapping one SanSan City Grid for 2 Daily Business Show and a Crisium Grid and then swapping 3 Restructure for 3 Biotic Labor.

The second change is a hesitant one, since this deck can struggle with economy. But I wanted to have a FA option that wasn't reliant on the scoring remote. In this build, the scoring remote is meant to waste the runner's time and credits. Melange Mining Corp. is the main weapon, placing the runner between the rock of allowing you to print money and the hard place of wasting a bunch of clicks and credits to plow through a 2-3 ice deep scoring remote. If you have some credits, then NAPD Contract does the same job. So can a Gila Hands Arcology if you are willing to potentially lose a one point agenda (whenever I install an agenda in the remote, I try to advance-advance to bluff the runner into thinking it might be a 5/3).

While the deck loses economy, it gains a TON of efficiency. Xavier's version of this deck packed 22 ice. I have brought that total down to 20 (and that is probably a mistake--Crisium Grid could easily be a Wraparound, an Errand Boy, or a Lotus Field). The high ice count is essential to ensuring that you get the most out of your ability: you really, really want 3 ice in that opening hand. Otherwise, just play Haas-Bioroid: Engineering the Future. But that means that in the mid and late game you are drawing a lot of ice you don't need. Enter Daily Business Show, which let's you slide some of that ice down to the bottom of the deck. I really wanted 3 DBS, but was scared to lose the second Jackson or to run without Crisium Grid (which, again, feels like it should be a piece of ice!).

[Note: in the published version here, I went with 3 DBS, I am going to try playing it with two DBS and a Crisium].

I am a longtime HB player who piloted a FA deck that didn't play San San. I've been playing Xavier's NEXT deck for a little over a month, and while I like it, I miss the old days of install-credit-credit, install-credit-credit, install-advance-advance (evil grin). I'm going to try running this list for awhile, if only to test out my own theorycraft, but I have been inspired by squash's Streetcar, bblums HBFA Rush, and Darkshift's Director Haas Glacier to return to EtF. Given the coming of Clot, the rise of ice destruction, and the efficiency of runner economy, I think the future of the future involves decks that run traps (Aggressive Secretary) and good ole Ash 2X3ZB9CY to waste the runner's clicks and credits.