Pure Chaos: Ultimate MU Edition

Strategy

The goal of this deck is fairly obvious: obtain free reign over any server, no matter what kind of ice is protecting it. This is one of the most fun runner builds I've ever used, and while it can be a little slow to set up if your draws are against you, more often than not you end up breezing through Corp servers like you own the place.

And, let me assure you, own the place you will.

Decision Points

There is no Overmind in this deck. I've played dozens of games using it, and I just don't see the need. Sage can break through almost anything once you have MemStrips installed, and a Mimic strapped to Dinosaurus is an unstoppable sentry-slaying machine.

You've probably noticed the lack of Kati Jones as well. She's an amazing card, but this deck doubles down on clickless economy (with one exception), so she just doesn't fit the playstyle very well.

You're not likely to draw into your modest collection of 4 programs if your mulligan fails you, which is where Test Run comes in. It also doubles as a poor man's Clone Chip if you happen to find your programs unceremoniously dumped into your heap and you're not willing to Levy AR Lab Access quite yet.

I have tested Tinkering and Knifed in the past as a way to bust through problematic cards like Archer , but that combo proved too clumsy to rely upon.

Influence

The MemStrips are necessary to keep Sage relevant into the late game, especially if you were forced to install Mimic on your Dinosaurus. And, to be clear, Mimic is better at busting sentries than Overmind even in a deck like this.

Your e3 Feedback Implants are necessary to keep Sage affordable over the course of the game, and the I've Had Worse allows you to leave Plascrete Carapace at home while packing in some additional card draw.

Note: I really, really like Mr. Li in this deck, but my current build can't find the room for him. I replaced him with a combination of Earthrise Hotel and I've Had Worse recently, and the jury's out on whether that change is permanent.

Economy

Once you have Lockpick and Data Folding on the table, you'll have up to 6 every turn to use during your run. Paired with the e3 Feedback Implants to keep Sage affordable, and you have a potent machine.

The recurring credits are supplemented by Daily Casts and Personal Workshop, while Professional Contacts is sort of a "nice to draw, but not required" card.

This deck also packs a ton of card draw in the form of Earthrise Hotel, Diesel, and I've Had Worse -- the latter option also protects you from Jinteki and Weyland shenanigans.

How to Run This Deck

Repeat after me: Though I walk into the valley of the corp, I shall fear no ICE, for the Sage is with me.

In a perfect world, you spend two turns setting up your clickless economy, two turns building your basic rig, and then you spend 3-4 clicks/turn hitting any server that looks at you funny. Prioritize the central servers, because the Corp will learn very quickly that they cannot build a scoring server taxing enough to keep you out of it.

The one thing to watch out for is tags -- they will utterly demolish your economy if the Corp has the cash to make use of them. Never run on your last click unless you're absolutely certain it won't get you tagged, and don't tempt fate by floating tags. Even if you're dead broke, you need those tags gone to protect your resources.

Play around with it and have a blast -- the Corp will be expecting an Overmind that never comes to "finish" your setup, and you'll be surprised at how cheaply you can access almost any server you see. :)