W INT E R HAS C O M E (Edit: winter was cancelled)

sebastiank 1783

This rancid Ag prison filth deck almost carried me into the top cut at EMEA. The key combo of the deck is Cold Site Server + the AgInfusion ID (thought up months ago by William and Brandon). The long and short of it is, when considering a normal 4 click runner turn and no tech, the runner can't get into a Keeling server that is protected by a double counter Cold Site Server and any unrezzed ice to boop with AgInfusion. With pinhole seeing less play, it seemed like a good choice. I played Brandon's deck at the May AMT and had a horrible experience losing a 70 minute game on the last possible access, so I wanted to play a smaller deck that could get the pieces together quicker.

On the day, the deck went 5-2, beating Hoshiko, Esa, Sable, 419, and Arissana and losing to Arissana twice with sick skateboard tricks.

To play, mull for Rashida or Keeling + Ice unless you get a very strong defensive draw, and then throw that asset behind the ice (preferably an "end the run") turn 1. Put more gearchecks protecting Keeling as she gains counters, maybe a biggie as a third ice, until you draw Cold site, which you then install in the remote and click twice. Lockout achieved. Protect HQ and RND with Anansi/Vamp if you can, and shuffle away agendas.

Sometimes the deck plays itself but important edges to get are on ice placement (you're trying to gearcheck more than tax, and if you're not you're trying to place your Anemones in the most lethal places) and Ag boops- the ID still has text outside of the combo, and using it to kill trojans and stop runs is great.

Karuna or Saisentan: I picked Karuna because I expected a lot of Carmen and Ika, and Karuna is more for them to break. However, Saisentan is more in line with the deck's gearcheck plan, packing a nastier facecheck + there is a good bit of Num out there and trying to tax out shaper is a scam, so Saisentan is probably correct.

Ag might not be as strong as HB and has the downside of not having a gameplan if it doesn't draw Keeling, but it can win more uninteractively (which may be appealing to some people), so being aware of this deck is good. If you have Pinhole Threading, even if there is facedown ice protecting all servers, Ag can't boop you twice so you can beat a double counter CSS as long as you run both the remote and the pinhole in the same turn. Wheels and then trashing Wheels to gain clicks also can get you into the remote.

If you don't have Pinhole Threading, the way to win (unless you think Ag can't install an ICE on the remote each turn to boop with, which usually it can) is on centrals. Likely, they won't be protected too much. If you do your multiaccess run first click you fork Ag because if they boop away your central run they can't protect the Keeling. Trash extra Keelings if the Keeling remote isn't a lockout yet. Also, if you can get into the remote early with Boomerang/Botulus when its just protected by 1 ice and no upgrades to trash Keeling or Rashida, that is great.

Shoutout to Leopold and Brandon for the help tuning, and to Porkobolo for cancelling winter. Take care all, see you at worlds.

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