Tricky Titan - 2nd Place Halifax Regionals

This is the deck that got me to the top. I didn't intend to play this deck, but after realizing upon registration that I'd accidentally left my decks and most of my cards at home, I pulled this out of my backpack and used it as-was.

Being a die-hard Weyland player since Corporate Troubleshooter was a legit surprise splash and Private Security Force rounded out one's agenda suite, I'd been tinkering with Titan for quite some time, and so was very familiar with the deck, its strengths and weaknesses, and pitfalls to watch out for (#spoiler: Shaper + Clot). I feel like this particular dog has had its day, however: too much FA hate, too easy tutoring to ensure the right breaker type for my scoring server, and all-together too much D4V1D, so I wanted to leave it behind. Unfortunately, I left my other decks behind instead, and I didn't have the pieces to make a Supermodernism on the spot or to recreate the End the Fun I'd been messing around with recently. So, back to what I know.

It's a pretty simple and efficient theory: use the good bits of non-lateral Weyland ice/agendas, try to fill in weaknesses, and pray your opponent doesn't score a Project Atlas before you can start the Atlas / Trick of Light Train.

Round one was a flawless bye as the 25th player.

Round two: jgoahl's Gingerbread/Pancha-shennanigans weren't quite quick enough to win this match. I built a deep server and iced-up R&D, and the rest was history.

Round three: a tough timed win vs. HexNet. It ended 6-4, IIRC: I was down an Atlas, but had managed to score out a Global Food Initiative with a double-Trick of Light, to compliment my early Hostile Takeover and some firmware (IIRC). I don't know how it would have gone if we'd had more time; it was very close.

Round four: I alas cannot recall the name of the dame in this game; she played geist, and was a good opponent (both on a game-play and conversation side). I don't recall many details, alas, other than the deck worked as intended: big ice can be a pain for Geist, and I had a deep scoring server and an Orion on R&D.

With 11 prestige, I sweated bullets until standings were announced: with large swathes at 10 points (rather than a focused few at 12), I was through to the t8 in 6th!

After pulling out a surprise Runner win in E1 (I'd link the deck, but you don't want to see that mess), E2 I'm faced off against my good buddy Josh (Ironcache). Losing an Atlas early in a failed attempt to rush behind a Rototurret hurt, and then I lose a GFI, and then it's game over. The Gingerbread/Panchatantrum is a bit stronger and a bit faster, and is backed up by Sharpshooter.

So then it is back to the purgatory of running, from which I emerge to a do-or-die match against an old friend (Adam) from Toronto. This is the flip side of my E1 win, and it's a short match. The Atlas-train really gets rolling, and though it takes me an extra turn to get to two creds, he can't stop my tutoring for the Hostile Takeover for the win.

Secure in the Top 4 (!!!!), I face off against Josh again. This is a grueling match: I'm a little silly by this point in the day, and Josh is pretty tired too. My hand is protected only by x2 Space Camps, which do some heavy lifting all match, much to my opponent's chagrin. There's some odd mistakes made on both sides, but it is a tight match. Though a Project Atlas sat in Kate (then Kat)'s score area, he'd forfeited a Hostile Takeoverto break in and score a Firmware Updates, so it sat at 3-5 in my favour. I draw into my Hostile Takeover number 2, and mistakenly thought he couldn't get out the Clot from his heap, so rather than rezing/trashing the Mark Yale I's tried to bait a run with, I foolishly play it out in a new server.

Disaster ensues as Josh pounces on my poor choice and even poorer etiquette (I'd rushed through my install-double advance; though I was trying to play quickly as it had been a long game, I should have properly checked for triggers. I also could have then installed, likely not drawn a clot, then Trick of Lighted out the Hostile, as all 3 were back in my deck or hand.) Forfeiting the Firmware Updates for a Clone-Chip and then Clone-chipping for the Clot, he catches my agenda in the open with 1 advancement. Alas, both my Cyberdex Virus Suite and both my remaining Jackson Howards had made themselves scarce, but I installed over hoping with a good old Space Camp to try to bluff a Jackson. Time is called midway through the runner's next turn, and though he picks up the point out of Archives (after running the Space Camp :-)), the game still ends 4-5 for me.

I wish I could regale you with an epic tale of a finals match, hard fought with much bluffing and many more Space Camp tokens being placed, but I never got to play vs. Rob, as he thoroughly trounced my runner in short order.

In terms of improving the deck, Asteroid Belt has got to go. Maybe, and I hate to admit it, Fire Wall is the better bet; I'd likely run Hive instead for Faust hate and to help protect an early Atlas rush attempt.

I'd also drop the Rototurrets: they are a little too pricey, and die easily to Parisites and Mimics. My initial thought was +2 Cobra, +1 Aggressive Secretary, and -1 something (Space Camp?), to give me something advanceable to bluff with (and to disrupt the runner if it sticks). Builder was also mediocre, but I tended to draw it late.

I certainly cannot complain about the deck's performance: I think this is as good as it could get these days.