Make 'em Pay V 1.3

The latest interpretation of my Jinteki deck, with some serious but subtle changes from the last version. I have been playing some variation of this deck every week at my local tournaments for over a month now, and have been very happy with the results.

The core concept remains the same. Tax them so much they can't afford to steal my agendas. Perhaps the biggest change was dropping all three Punitive Counterstrikes. They have won me games, so I was hesitant to do so, but I wanted the free influence and late game they can be a dead draw. I refocused myself on my original taxation concept.

The economy is strong; probably stronger than it looks at first glance. Sundew is a monster; if you're opponent cannot get it off the field, they are in trouble. Private Contracts fits perfectly with how I run this deck. Celebrity Gift is likewise a monster; I'm not afraid to show an opponent a hand with a Future Perfect or a Fetal AI in it when I have a pair of ambushes in there as well. Subliminal Messaging is a free credit every turn they don't run, plus adding it back to your hand works rather well with Celebrity Gift.

Agendas are exactly what you'd expect. NAPD Contract- that'll be four credits please. Fetal AI- two credits and two net damage. The Future Pefect is just shenanigans. I dropped Philotic Entanglement for a third Future Perfect. I don't run enough agendas for it to ever do much damage (Its effectiveness with Shi.Kyu or against Notoriety not withstanding), and it got scored by my opponent nearly every game where I ran it. I would rather be certain they are paying more.

ICE is the heart of this deck.

Tollbooth is nearly the definition of this deck. Stick it on your scoring server and make sure they are paying an extra 3+ to steal anything.

Tsurugi can be stuck anywhere, to ETR or damage the hell out of them. I often just use it as an ETR ICE on Scoring Servers or R&D, but my opponents will always try and break all four subroutines, costing them as much as possible.

RSVP is possibly the best ICE in the deck, though it doesn't look it. In front of R&D it ensures they can't steal any of your Agendas; but they can still hit ambushes if they don't jack out. It can function the same way as HQ, Asset, or Agenda protection. Stick it in front of another ICE and watch it work as a makeshift Inazuma.

Komainu is more taxing the more cards they have in their hand. I love having it in my opening hand to stick in front of HQ to avoid first turn Account Siphons.

Himitsu Bako is Asset protection. I'll put it in front of Sundew and Jackson, or occasionally an early game agenda. Need it somewhere else? Move it!

Snowflake is a new ICE I'm trying out. I'm hoping it can function as Asset protection when I need it, and at worst it can be further taxation, ensure at least 2 more credits for my opponents to get past it (even breaking it with Corroder would cost 2).

Yagura and Shiro are R&D Protection. Shiro is just fantastic with the number of ambushes in the deck. Yagura can be incredibly helpful as well.

Inazuma is there to give life to a Komainu or Tsurugi after your opponent plays Mimic or another Killer, but it can also just be one more thing they need to break through if you toss it in front of Tollbooth.

3x Shock!, 3x Snare, and 2x Shi.Kyu. I would actually love to fit a third Shi.Kyu back in as well. I always avoid installing ambushes. I don't try and play the bluff game- that's why all the ambushes are advanceless. Instead, I rely on them to punish access of Central Servers.

Caprice Nisei is self-explanatory. Either play the Psi game to kick them out after paying through the nose to get in, or just make sure they need another 2 credits.

Ash is a new addition made possible by dropping the Punitives. Without Links, it's four more credits they have to pay to score something. Time will tell how useful it can be.

The only other card I think I did not mention would be Jackson Howard, who is there as draw power and archive protection as well as recirculating Snares late game, and a lone Closed Accounts, which has become my preferred way of punishing tag floaters or those who run into an ill timed Snare!.

I play the deck slow. I don't try to rush out my agendas. I wait until my scoring server is a gigantic toll. I don't install The Future Perfect unless I am certain I can score it the following turn. I never leave any agenda on the board for longer than one of the opponents turns.

Feel free to tweak this list to your play style, and let me know if you have any feedback.