Boat Blaster (1st @ Philly Startup CO)

SkoolKnight4 41

Second time poster! This was the Corp deck I won my first, admittedly small, Startup CO with. It is heavily inspired by @Rongydoge's "HAVE YOU SEEN THIS MAN???" that won Cascadia, as the list loses very few key cards in the translation to Startup. We do feel the loss of Project Ares and Bellona, which hurts the agenda suite bad, but gain the banned in standard Archived Memories and Drago Ivanov - so its not all bad.

The deck's strategy is, as @rongydoge so succinctly put it, to "just kill 'em dummy!". The list goes wide fast, hides the wrong agendas while feeding the Runner the right ones, has a ton of card draw and selection, and then presents so many angles to produce a flatline that almost no Runner list is entirely safe. You present them with a false choice to slow way down or to take risks, either way you probably have a line to kill them.

The presence of Endurance means that Corps are forced onto alternative game plans that eschew merely scoring agenda's behind ice. Captain Padma Isbister: Intrepid Explorer decks also present immense central pressure and can easily R&D lock any Corp looking to fast advance or rush agendas, so with that in mind I tried to brew something that could combo flatline boat decks while reducing the value of Endurance - Tag and Bag asset spam felt like a good answer in that circumstance. While I'm sure the list could be improved, that assumption proved true on the tournament day as this deck didn't drop a game, winning via flatline each round.

The Combo Kills - Between Drago, Gaslight, Reaper Function, Archived Memories, End of the Line, Mindscaping, and Mutually Assured Destruction - there are tons of lines to do 6+ damage on a turn in this list if the runner floats even 1 or 2 tags. Archived Memories in particular is phenomenal (thanks Deer and Pouchsurfer) for doing some really flashy turns with 8+ damage or brutal tempo plays.

Daily Balanced Fundraising - The card selection, economy, and advantage offered by assembling the combo of Balanced coverage, Daily Business Show, and Federal Fundraising is unreal. The value of netting creds while simultaneously burying agendas and producing combo pieces cannot be understated.

Retribution - I initially included this card for Boat, but found as I tested the deck that Retribution was actually for removing tech cards that might prevent you from flatlining the runner. Blow up Hippocampic Mechanocytes, Chart Rooms, and No Free Lunches, and the Endurance will go down with them.

Gaslight Tool Box - Much like Katorga Breakout in my Esâ write up, Gaslight turns all the one of's in this lists into a playset toolbox. If the Runner leaves these on the table assembling the combo becomes relatively trivial.

Mad Psychobeale - As a backup plan in case flatline failed or the Runner was just too cagey, I included a single Psychographics, Project Beale, and MAD to give me a way to leverage the asset spam into a 4-7 agenda point swing in a pinch. I loved running Midseason Psychobeale back in the FFG days and, though it didn't come up on the tournament day and probably could be cut - I was glad to have this little kickflip in my back pocket in case the Runner went tagme.

Ice Suite - The limited Ice in this deck is really just there to threaten tags and force the runner to spend credits on breaker installs. Most pieces were picked to invalidate popular breakers and Endurance but still force the Runner to burn tempo to install them. Remember, ETR's are for protecting Drago and all the other ice is largely for reducing pressure on your Centrals.

Matchups - Assumptions - There would be alot of Padma, and few Loup or Mercuries (both of which are rough matchups for this deck)

Round 1: W vs Sable: In testing, Sable was one of the most disruptive decks for my game plan, since the extra clicks really help them manage my asset spam so long as they can keep their money up. I left a Drago on the table and ended the turn with End of the Line in hand. My opponent took a turn off to install several cards but critically didn't run the Drago or stay above 4 cards in hand, so I crossed my fingers and hoped for no Steelskin Wammies and got the flatline.

Round 2: W vs Kit: Kit's ID ability doesn't generate a ton of value against a deck with this little ice. My opponent had an incredible start with tons of card draw and econ at first, but seemed not to draw into their answers and the credit started to dry up. I got the full Daily Balanced Fundraising combo up and eventually drew in to Reaper Function, Mindscaping, Archived Memories, and End the Line to flatline the Runner.

Round 3: W vs Padma: Even though this deck was made to sink boats, Captain Padma is still a tough matchup - Especially when they R&D dig you turn 1 with a Conduit! I sweated it out for a few turns, kept Psychobeale in hand, and when my opponent floated a few tags I rushed to assemble the creds and card draw needed to threaten a flatline before Hippocampic Mechanocytes, Chart Rooms, and No Free Lunches could hit the table.

Thanks to Pouchsurfer again for organizing a great event and in general for being the fulcrum of our wonderful Philly scene. Thanks to Deer for being the best mentor someone could ask for as they get back into the organized play. Thanks also to Siejai, Books&Board, and Voltaic for being awesome opponents, I had such a good time joking and running the net with all of you! I appreciate so much this community and how welcoming it has been, and all the Philly people like Functor, Pouchsurfer, and Sanjay who played earlier iterations of my decks and helped me hone something I was really happy with. Keep Running.

3 comments
19 Sep 2023 DeeR

3 Send a Message. 6 ICE. I have failed you. :P

But seriously, congratulations on your performance! Very proud to have you as my mentee

20 Sep 2023 SkoolKnight4

@DeeRHahahaha Thanks DeeR! Thats so real, the Agenda suite in this deck is so bad ;) In hindsight I think this list is solid in swiss but pretty awful in any sort of top cut.

20 Sep 2023 SkoolKnight4

@DeeR: "It was said that you would destroy the asset spam, not join them!"

@DeeR: "To bring balance to the board state, not leave it covered in remote servers!"

@SkoolKnight4: "You underestimate the power of my flatlines, my master"

@DeeR: "I have failed you SkoolKnight, I have failed you. I will do what I must"

@SkoolKnight4: "You will try"

(Sorry, I watched the prequels too recently and I think my brain is still mush. - Your ever grateful and appreciative padawan learner ;))