Giraffe-Powered Matryoshka (Joburg Jan Store Champs 4th)

I haven't had time to deck-build for a while, so this is about the only deck in a few months that's original enough to call my own. Also, the deck I took to the Store Champs was short one Biotic Labour for some dumb reason (I was in a rush, sigh), so that actually affected quite a few games negatively. Boo :(

The Foundry is a great identity. Because of the pinpointed draw it provides, you should have a steady of stream of ICE - so the rest of the deck is built to supplement that - Almost ALL the influence is tied up in the biggest surprise economy superstar of the game - 3x Celebrity Gift. This card just gives and gives. Low barrier to entry, + untrashable. The Fabulous Giraffe props this deck up big time - Even if all your traditional HB assets fail to pay out from an aggressive and rich runner, the Giraffe will keep you afloat.

Feeding the Foundry is the biggest problem of Foundry, I've found. Drawing all the ICE is great if A) you can get the ability to fire and B) if you can afford to rez the ICE and subsequently afford to install and rez more.

And that's what this deck is basically about - having an above-average economy content, because you can afford to draw more of your only 15 ICE with the Foundry ability, and leveraging that both early and late game.

1) Russian Dolls

This deck has a really interesting curve. You get your Jinteki: Replicating Perfection glaciers, you get your Haas-Bioroid: Engineering the Future glaciers. You get glaciers that open with ICE, ICE on centrals, Hedge, sit back and start building their ICEburgs. You get your Astrotrain rushers, you get your Weyland tag-threat. They (mostly) have a singular game plan.

This deck must start off as a rush - like the HB rush of old. Then it turns into a taxing monster glacier that plays an economy game. Like the Russian Matryoshka Dolls, this deck grows bigger and bigger throughout the different stages of the game thanks to the NEXT suite.

This is important. If you play this deck like a traditional glacier and start off by turtling, you WILL lose. The runner has no obligation to run on your centrals, and if you don't rez ICE, you don't draw ICE (because you have only 15 in the deck), and if you don't draw ICE, your agendas start to clump in your HQ, and that's deadly.

Rather sacrifice some agendas to the runner behind your NEXT ICE so you can rez them to get more, than to turtle and have them get in eventually and steal everything before you can even start to score. This is especially true against Leela.

Besides the agendas you do want to score, you also have NAPD Contract (scoring this one yourself sucks, but if there's an opportunity, do it), Adonis Campaign, Ash 2X3ZB9CY, Will-o'-the-Wisp and sometimes Jackson Howard to bait them with. So

If the runner doesn't run on your remotes? Score agendas. Even NAPD Contracts. Rush and bait. Agenda Clumping is death. Not triggering the Foundry is death.

The basic flow to the phases of this deck's operation is:

a) Keep agendas out of HQ. Bait, rush.

b) As soon as you are drawing ICE with Foundry, you should be able to afford to ICE R&D too.

c) ICE wherever they might want to run. If they don't run, that's great, keep scoring.

d) If they run and get through, the more they do get through the more taxing your servers become. NEXT ICE are great for that.

e) Close out the econ game with Biotic Labor, Will-o'-the-Wisp, Ash 2X3ZB9CY

2) Account what?

Knowing how to play around Account Siphon is a big thing. I used to suspect Siphons in all factions and will ICE HQ accordingly if I suspect a Siphon splash. Leaving HQ open vs leaving R&D open is a matter of reading the opponent. I'd usually not leave HQ open - but there are options. All your upgrades/assets that cost enough to counter a Siphon is good enough Siphon defence. Not rezzing HQ ICE is Siphon defence.

Same goes for Makers Eye, Indexing, and anything. Try to anticipate and asses the risk of it happening on turn one - and then choose to rush or bait accordingly.

3) Giraffe!

9 influence on the three Celebrity Gift is so well worth it. If you stick to the mantra of clearing agendas from the HQ, showing one or max two agendas from there is no problem. Showing ICE or economy is no problem either. Who cares?

But the turn after a Foundry fire, when you have 6 cards, mandatory draw to 7, with a Giraffe in hand, you can get 7 creds and still keep a card hidden. That's AMAZING. Remember that.

4) Archived Memories and Jackson Howard

Returning a Giraffe is a great idea for credit bounce. Returning a Biotic is great for closing out the game. Returning agendas in case of whatever.

Be careful not to Jackson back cards that you might want to grab with Archived Memories soon.

Remember Jackson can be used early if you get agenda flooded. You don't have to try to score all your agendas.

5) Accelerated Beta Test

There's tha Beta Test Ruling with the Foundry that lets you fire the Test, and if you only install one piece of ICE, you can shuffle the other two cards back into R&D because you trigger Foundry's ability to look for a copy of it. Remember this, but maybe don't abuse it too much. I've still had times when I dumped three cards with no ICE and two agendas. Remember to keep a Jackson on the table if you want extra security.

6) Anti-parasite

Parasite recursion. Next HATES Parasites, as we all well know. That's what Architect and Lotus Field are here for. Not that much else, really.

Stuff I thought about but didn't include in the end:

1) Reversed Accounts

At 1 influence, this was my 15th influence spend. But I found that because it could be trashed out of R&D, I'd rather close out games with Biotic. Although the way this deck taxes at endgame, it does put the runner in a lose/lose situation.

2) Mother Goddess

Adding one to the Next suite is nice and all, but it's anti-synergistic with Foundry for being unique, the gimmicky loner protection is sketchy at best, and I simply have better ICE to choose from (Not sacrificing Eli 1.0, Lotus Field, Architect or Ichi 1.0 for it.

3) Restructure

Barrier of entry too high at 10 creds.

4) More Biotic Labor

This isn't a Fast Advance deck. Nor should it be.

5) Amazon Industrial Zone, Executive Boot Camp

They're interesting and does fit, for sure, but relying on them means changing the game plan to relying on combo pieces (drawing one of three cards for economy OR drawing one of three cards to get more ICE) rather than relying on an entire set of cards (9 operation econ + 5 asset econ cards). Nah.

6) The Grail Suite

I know a lot of people love the Grail suite. They're flexible and interesting, and a lot of people play the Next AND Grails in Foundry. I don't think that works. First, they cost influence, and I'm not sacrificing my Giraffes OR Jacksons to them. Then, they need to be kept in hand. I already have trouble keeping stuff in hand - this isn't TWIY or CI. And if you're keeping them in hand, you're not playing them. If you're not playing them, Foundry isn't firing. No good.

There are enough Tier-One ICE that neither have conditions to being good (having to hold cards in hand) or the influence cost drawback. I choose those.

OK that's all for now, this deck has performed admirably in general, I haven't had an utterly terrible matchup, and usually lose to anomalies (but of course, don't we all!).

Enjoy! Comments welcome :)