Chicago Exchange Nordics 2018 (2nd seed. 4-0, 5th overall)

ulrik03 92

Went undefeated day 1 (ID last round), unfortunately 0-2 in the cut.

The idea is to make a "clown car" remote, Prisecs and Lynn behind a Data Raven or two (add Overseer, IP Block and Forced Connection to taste). Score 3-pointers in it, and hopefully one of three things will happen: 1) the runner dives, takes a ton of tags and you can play HPT (using Consulting Visit) 2) the runner dives, removes most of the tags, but you surprise him with Exchange of Information, swapping Standoff for a 3-pointer. 3) the runner knows it's a spiky clown car and lets you have your points.

Other tricks include Sea Source into EoI (requires one of them + a Consulting Visit), triggering a Forced Connection on an RnD dive and using your Outfit money to stick tags. Overseer Matrix is very useful to prevent or punish the runner from clearing your remote, while Forced Connection is a weak fifth Prisec, but can also trigger from RnD.

The deck has a big weakness if runner is on 5 points, as you then can't try to score a Food (tags do nothing if they've won). Sea/EoI is the big out, but you can also bait runs with Standoff/Hostiles. There's also False Flag if you're on 4 yourself - either they trash it and let you HPT/EoI, or you score it and win.

A big weakness is that you have only 5 tag punishment cards (HPT, EoI and 3 Visits). The deck should probably have more HPTs. I lost twice in the cut, once to the winner who played carefully and got a pinch of luck to break a close game, and once to a Maxx deck who Imped one Visit while the rest of the punishment cards hid at the bottom. Extra HPTs could have won me the second game.

It can also be run out of other IDs (notably Argus or Titan), but the Outfit strengthens Sea Source and Forced Connection, making the secondary win condition of Sea/EoI viable.

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