Rootcamp--Stimhack's Last Chance Qualifier 1st Place

Card draw simulator
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Derived from
None. Self-made deck here.
Inspiration for
The Walrus and the Carpenter
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falseidol 436

This is the corporation deck I played to 1st place in Stimhack's Last Chance Qualifier this weekend, taking heavy inspiration from Bblum's Blue Sun list. In hindsight, I wish that I had perhaps strayed further from the path he blazed for me, as there were cards in the deck I don't feel I played well enough to justify their deckslot, or didn't mesh my strategies as well, and keeping them for the sake of consistency didn't end up serving me well in the end, because I took a spanking from a well-oiled and well-piloted Andysucker that I just wasn't practiced enough to manage (we split in the finals, and I took first from a higher seed).

I'm really bad about using Atlas tokens to aggressively punish runners, as I most often try to hold onto them as panic buttons. But without the combo pieces for a scorch kill, or FA jank, there often isn't anything you CAN fetch in a pinch, except maybe a hedge fund or restructure if you need to get your economy back into fighting shape. I think nine out of ten times, the right play is simply to catch the runner low on credits and go fetch an agenda.

All told though, this deck performed admirably in getting me to the finals, without giving up a loss until the last match, and is a strong competitor for what I continue to play in future tournaments.

MVP's

Priority Requisitions

Getting to rez curtain wall with this guy is often game, as its 14 credits to the bank, or just a rock solid remote. Even a free Tollbooth is a big deal--and the deck usually has at least 1 derelict Hive on the table for me to scoop up for 5 credits, and I've yet to whiff with PriReq.

Interns

This is a card I've always loved once it was relevent, but found that they often sat in hand too long to generally justify the deckslot. This was actually the impetus for opting to include The Root, was having stronger targets for Interns, and having them quicker.

The Root

Worked exactly as well as I had hoped, and I'm glad I adjusted the list to make room for it. You play more ICE than you ever hope to get installed and rezzed, and putting down Root let's you leverage them into economy with EBC, or just net 3 credits every turn doing old fashioned stuff.

I did notice that runners can kind of combat The Root with less aggression and more precise running, since when I'm not rezzing ICE, it makes it harder to utilize those 3 credits every turn. That being said, I can't say whether that's the smartest play (for the runner), I just noticed that less trigger-happy runners made my roots a bit less effective, but I still won those games so maybe alls well that ends well.

Sadboys

Datapike

I always flip-flop between Enigma and Datapike, ultimately going with Datapike because without any real punishment, I wanted the first subroutine to always be relevant, and there have been games where I've been able to repeatedly bluff them as other ICE and net a lot of credits from the runner. End of the day though, its an underwhelming card, its overcosted, and Reina making you pay 5 for it is gross.

Corporate War

This deck obviously takes inspiration from Bblum's list (and because of time constraints, I went with a version much more like his list my own brew) and I kept the corporate war in, because 20 points is cleaner than 21, but priority requisitions won me at least 2 games, and I think I would have preferred a 3rd copy even at the risk of more points in R&D.

ASH

Is mostly a security blanket, tbh, I very rarely actually rez it and use it, and for 2 influence, I wonder if that influence can't be better spent.

In fairness, ASH makes a lot of sense for the deck, because it gives me a way to turn my bank account into a problem for the runner, and there is no other upgrade/ICE (besides cell portal, I GUESS) that gets me as much value as sending the runner back through my tollbooths or curtain wall. Nonetheless, it was 4 influence I never used all tournament, and I will have my eye out for options. I've used Ichi 1.0 in this slot before, because Ichi is really strong right now, dodging D4v1d and mimic, and costing 2-3 clicks or 2-3 for a 4 strength Atman is a reasonable compromise.

Closing Thoughts

For a long time now, I've gotten away with playing a neutered Weyland, simply letting the fear of scorched earth and archers do a lot of work, but the increased popularity of purist glacier decks out of Blue Sun meant people weren't really fearing repercussions for their moxie, and I plan to pack at least a few punishment cards in future lists to punish such hubris. I'm not sure I could find the space for a kill package, but some heavier program trashing is probably doable.

I flip-flopped about adding a 3rd Crisium Grid, opting to go with just 2, and all but my last game, this wasn't an issue. I'm not necessarily going to go running to mommy after one bad game, but what became evident was that I'm often too rich to combat account siphons (I can't rez assets to empty the coffers), and while I can eat a couple just fine, primarily, the issue is letting the runner get 10 credits so cheaply. For that reason, I think a 3rd Crisium probably makes more sense than committing strong ICE to HQ. Not only that, but there are just so many cards that Crisium Grid turns off, that a 3rd copy would probably be welcome.

Between OAI, Priority Requisitions, and The Root, I had Curtain Walls online much more often than I have in previous builds without the Root, which not only helps to rez curtain walls obviously, but just does a fantastic job keeping my economy where it needs to be to justify rezzing The CW.

You reach an eventuality with this deck, like many glacier decks, of 5 ICE in HQ that probably aren't ever going to get installed, and Blue Sun in particular has a knack for burdening HQ with bounced cards. While you don't necessarily mind bleeding ICE into archives at that point, it is kind of leaving money on the table. I've included a singleton Reuse before, and been entirely lukewarm about it, but might keep testing Reuse, though part of me would also like to play The Twins and make those ICE in HQ relevant that way, and you can always pick up and move the Twins to whichever server you have the most ICE to defend with.

10 comments
6 Apr 2015 Thike

Having played a plethora of no-bad-pub Blue Sun builds, I'm always happy to see it getting more wins.

-Do you see the PriReqs as being that much better than High-Risk Investments? The less setup and generally bigger payouts have made it my go-to 5/3.

-Do you often get EBC + The Root up and running? I love the idea, but having a second server is rather daunting for this deck, given the size of the ICE.

6 Apr 2015 falseidol

Hey, thanks!

Honestly, priority requisitions is just a bit leaner if you want to keep your scoring window open , and without SEA Source I don't really need to be able to double the runner's credits on demand, and being able pull up an out-of-position tollbooth or CW, credit value not withstanding, is very helpful. But if it came down to the deck needing more econ, you're right high risk investment is probably the better option.

Yeah I generally don't mind commiting an ice to EBC/Root. With crisisium grids protecting me from powerful central punishment, I just need them taxing enough that they can't be abused.

And with 3 Jackson howard and 2 interns, making the runner repeatedly pay to trash roots behind something like hive is not the worst thing in the world.

8 Apr 2015 sruman

What are your thoughts on the Amazon Industrial Zone as an alternate to the Root? It would seem to alleviate the need for the EBC to be out in order to gain 3 each turn for the pick-up/put-down click. It does not work with Adonis unfortunately but just wondering why you choose Root over it

8 Apr 2015 falseidol

@sruman--well as to the Root specifically, EBC+Root is a niche combo that I am rarely actually using, mostly, you use Root credits rezzing the old fashion way or advancing cards in your remote. However, if at the start of your turn you have Root+EBC in play, and no Adonis Campaign in play (with root you can make 6c per turn from boomeranging Adonis), then netting 3 credits By rezzing and bouncing an ICE is a decent play. But don't underestimate the value of being able to install/advance for free almost every turn.

AIZ would be much less flexible, but with the silver lining of being able to camp it in the scoring server whereas Root has to have its own ICE. However, AIZ is also not reflexive, meaning that I still have to rez the ICE before its needed, which is counterproductive and gives the runner vital information.

You also can't fetch AIZ with EBC.

The "click for 3c" play is one of the more inefficient ways to spend your clicks--it's just in your back pocket on slow turns. This deck has plenty of vectors for making money, so as many clicks as possible need to go towards advancing your boardstate and scoring agendas.

8 Apr 2015 sruman

Points all make sense, flexibility is important. To help maximize the root if a runner is sitting back and crediting up, perhaps a cosmic ice or 2 to have some vectors for spending Root credits. Maybe an Orion as it would be a beefier (if more vulnerable) OAI target coming straight out of the hand. A wormhole might also fulfill the same function.

8 Apr 2015 falseidol

Yeah, in the updated version, I have made some of those changes, though experimenting with the cosmic ICE, I found they left me too exposed early, since 2/3 of them require an advanced board to be effective, simply taking a turn to advance them wasn't protecting me. And Asteroid Belt is a bit unnecessary with Hives, and pound for pound, I'd probably take Fire Walls first without other advancement tricks.

I'm tinkering with Orion, I don't like that its basically a beefy rainbow or that its unique, but the fact that it doesn't get neutered as the interior ICE is actually quite strong, compared to Curtain Wall which loses a lot of its strength. I also like that it punishes face-checking, one thing I'm adjusting in my ICE package is to have fewer ICE that gives the runner something for nothing (I'm counting making me rez ICE that just ends the run as 'value' for the runner). cold hard ETR gave them a confidence that I don't have the deck space to actively punish, so next best thing is ICE with some more teeth.

As much as I love Wormhole, there is only a narrow window in this deck that would make it sing (though with some more destroyer ICE, that is liable to change). It's really only good in the early-mid game, where I have some ICE rezzed, but not so much that they are already locked out of a server--and a 9-cost ICE isn't exactly what you want to be spending at that phase of the game.

9 Apr 2015 Exo

Do you think running one Elizabeth Mills would be a good thing?

I was thinking to running 2x Executive Boot Camp for Adonis and her in Blue Sun. It can turn off Valencia pretty quick(good chance on first turn) and kill Aesop's Pawnshop against Noise. This is basically turning off 2 strong archetype down.

9 Apr 2015 falseidol

I would accommodate a few grim and/or hostile takeover so that she's useful outside being a narrow hate card against a couple decks. but she's plenty good in blue sun decks, it basically boils down to deck slots. To this deck specifically, BP turns off your datapikes and defangs your Tollbooth, while demanding you commit more than just small ICE to your centrals, so I would probably not run any bad publicity, and by extension, probably not run Elizabeth Mills

13 Apr 2015 kojku

Good Deck , I play a version of this in store championship and i win . I play only 2 Datapike , Caduceus and Hive , 1 interns . I included 1 Grim , 1 Fire Wall , 1 Rainbow and , 1 Elizabeth Mills . I reed your changes and i coincide in some , Orion can be very good here and i take 2 Hostile takeover and 1 Archer for psicological play , out Grim and included Sagitarius for 1 Tollboth (in my meta very Mimic , i need sentry stroger than caduceus. Sorry for my englis and i published my deck in the next days. Thx for everythink

13 Apr 2015 falseidol

@kojku -- I've had mixed results from Orion, generally speaking, if I have a couple ICE on a remote, with or without an upgrade, the runner will have enough credits to at least defang Orion.

As for Caduceus, honestly, making the runner use an MU, possibly some program search, and 3c just to handle my caduceus--I'm okay with that. The fact is is that mimic/switchblade (plus atman and eater and d4v1d, too) mean that there just isn't a sentry that is completely resilient to some form of very efficient breakage. I think the best answer is probably to force them to get all 3, with a Grim and an Ichi to complement your low STR sentries. But its still 2 to break caduceus even after mimic is down, so its still ~as good as a pop-up window.