MN: It's Raining Tags (Hallelujah) Version 4

Been having some joy with different versions of this deck (earlier version available to watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32Q-G8ffAbw & https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fpTd2EtkivQ - more coming soon), but I feel like there's still a lot of work to be done on polishing this up.

Deck space is definitely the main challenge of this archetype, you need to set aside enough room for giving tags and for punishing them. On top of that, you need a very solid economy to be able to afford key threats like Midseasons & Psychographics. The idea is quite simple, tax the runner to oblivion with cards like Manhunt and Data Raven until they decide that the only option is to go tag me. Manhunt effectively turns this deck into a taxation nightmare, with a trace4 happening on the first successful run. Either the runner beats the trace (fine for the corp) or the runner takes the tag and spends a click and 2 credits clearing the tag (also fine, pretty much turns this deck into RP!). Stick a Data Raven on a central with a manhunt out and the runner faces the prospect of 2 tags for 1 run (and potentially a counter), this pretty much either turns off central runs for the runner or turns on your tag punishment in the shape of Psychographics and Scorched. For fun and games, you also have the amazing Information Overload for a board wipe (which comes with its own encounter trace) and a closed accounts style ice with Universal Connectivity Fee. 25% of the deck is dedicated to giving tags (3x Manhunt, 2x Midseasons, 3x Data Raven, 1x Draco, 2x Virgo), 25% is dedicated to punishing tags (3x Scorched, 3x Psycho, 2x Information Overload, 2x Universal Connectivity Fee) and the rest is economy and Agendas (with a couple of gear check ice).

This deck isn't leaving out SanSan and Astro just to try and be different. Their inclusion would need a very significant deck restructure in order to get the most out of them. For instance, you would almost certainly want to include more ETR ice, thereby weakening the power of tag punishment due to the forsaking of tagging ice etc. SanSan's require protection in MN, and this deck isn't geared up for that as it currently stands. Don't underestimate the power of having NAPD and Market Research in the same deck, most people will assume that the 1 advanced card you have on the board is an NAPD and assume they can't take it, 2pts might not be as good as 3, but it's still worthwhile if you can establish a scoring remote of some kind. My favourite trick with NAPD is to have a remote server with either Data Raven or Information Overload in front of a Universal Connectivity Fee with NAPD at the bottom. Has the added bonus of setting up the scorch because often runners can't afford to clear the tags either.

This does however, expose the decks biggest weakness, its inability to punish the cautious runner. Having SanSan & Astro in the deck forces the runner to hit remotes, potentially centrals to try and stop the train from starting. The worst match up for this deck is definitely Noise (without doubt) and a skillful runner will sit back and pick their runs very carefully. Midseasons is still there as a threat against them, but if they've sat back, they likely have more money than you, turning that threat off. It's a real problem, and I'm still not quite sure on the best solution (answers on a postcard please!).

It's a vicious deck, well worth trying (I still haven't tested Virgo yet), but it's still not quite there yet, let me know what you have joy with if you give it a whirl and what changes you make!