🔥 Arg+ (🥇 & 3-0 @CASCADIA'23STARTUP)

FireRL (aka xFWx FIREBIRD) 1052

🔥 aRgus Plus 🔥

Argus is back (❤️) IN STARTUP (😱) with a yellow hue (🤯)! This is my The Automata Initiative evolution of Arg+ with a few Hard-Hitting changes...


🧠 While the core game plan of rushing and/or tagging the runner into the ground hasn't changed, we now have an absurd secondary tagging tool along with some new friends:

  • Oppo Research… This card is a bomb drop in Startup
  • Your Digital Life… This rapidly replaced Regolith Mining License because of its faster ROI and NBN: Reality Plus's ability to flood HQ while you dig for your key pieces
  • Virtual Service Agent… With Endurance on the loose (as well as other alternative ICE solutions including a new surge of bypass), I wanted additional and cheap early-game tools. This deck can often bridge the early game straight into the late game very quickly, and VSA is a helpful tool for that
  • Starlit Knight… Speaking of late game, this is the cornerstone tag-punishment card. Once the runner has entered tag hell heaven, this has phenomenal stopping power. Because we're on all 2-pointers*, T4 is easily achieved and held, enabling Starlit Knight's endless ETR subs
  • Enigma… While not a new card, it is new to my Arg+ blend (I previously swapped out Enigmas in favor of Whitespace). I just wanted my opponents to know I had a hard ETR on a Code Gate for cut open-decklist mind-games 🙂

🏆 PERFORMANCE:

Swiss (2-0):

Top-4 Cut (1-0):

The cut matches after R1 can be viewed here @ 05:55:00!


❤️ Thank you Radiant & Whiteblade111 for developing & hosting (along with the rest of the incredible staff and NSG's influence/support) the 1st inaugural Cascadia event! It was a Joy Ride to have the American Continental Championship earmark its beginnings, and an honor to have it in our little corner of the world. Truly a Banner year! May Cascadia flourish and be an event that continues to create remarkable memories every year for netrunners of near and far!


...GO BIG OR GO HOME

🪦 Tithonium. While you were hated by most, you were <3ed by me. Your blood may have been spilt, but you will be avenged.

5 comments
15 Aug 2023 maninthemoon

Very fun list! Really well done @xFWx FIREBIRD (aka FireRL)#StartUpKing

15 Aug 2023 FireRL (aka xFWx FIREBIRD)

Thanks @maninthemoon😃

17 Aug 2023 bonzo

Great writeup and congrats on the win! With Endurance being everywhere in startup, any tips for playing against it?

19 Aug 2023 FireRL (aka xFWx FIREBIRD)

Thanks @bonzo! A few general thoughts: - include ice with 3+ subs. Boat’s love spending 4 counters on 1 encounter - ice all servers asap. If your opponent always has to break something early on every run, boat’s still good, but not overwhelming - be “jammy”. Have things constantly in the remote that tax the ~~opponent’s~~ boat’s ability to run. Their attention will be split between centrals and the remote and if you can always have a threat, they likely won’t be able to keep up (this is generally true against any runner, but definitely vs boat) - One reason NBN is very good right now (in particular, in Startup), is because landing a retribution is not too difficult. Retribution that boat! - consider playing a corp that doesn’t rely on ice (and play ice that is annoying for boat beyond the counters to break). Ice like Virtual Service, Ping, and Funhouse (just ice in this list) are all taxing even when boat is cruising through them

19 Aug 2023 FireRL (aka xFWx FIREBIRD)

Oops! 👆Those were supposed to be bullet points after each ‘-‘