Jinteki Matchpoint Run v2

rpgdmcash 11

Target deck when HnP comes out. The object of the game is to get to match point as soon as possible. This would threaten the runner to run almost anything you install and advance. Allowing you to play the Junebugs and the Overwriters with more efficiency.

I'm thinking one doesn't need big Ice as games should be short and done before the runner can set up his rig.

What do you guys think?

Edit: Modified the Agendas to make the game really reach match point when one scores an agenda.

Changed the ice mix in order to have more versatility and keep the runner guessing.

4 comments
19 Mar 2014 rpgdmcash

Edit: Wall of thorns is too expensive for this deck. Remove that and a quandary and add two Chimeras.

19 Mar 2014 bubo

This deck presents an interesting high pressure scenario. I'm a Jinteki player, and I like the overall feel to this deck, but I do see a few tweaks that can be applied. One thing to keep in mind that in this kind of compressed rush deck, a key philosophy during game play is to convince the Runner to waste clicks on trivial targets. Your Agenda density is only 15% so R&D becomes a low priority possibly needing a single ETR ICE, you should focus the ICE on HQ to protect credits and hand held Agendas, and your Agenda remote.

Let's start by discussing Economy. What you've built is a rush deck without fast advance. There is nothing wrong with this strategy, but to maximize it you need to be able to finance the rush. In this case we have Green Level Clearance, Hedge Fund, and..... that's it. 5 cards out of a 40 card deck limits you to an economy bump every 8 draws. This feels like the economy is going to bomb after the first big rush. In my opinion, this deck would benefit more from Celebrity Gift than Green Level Clearance. I would switch in EVE Campaign or Sundew over Zaibatsu Loyalty for an additional economy bump as well as giving the Runner a moving target away from your Agendas. GRNDL Refinery also would see some value here, if you can spare the influence. Dropping a Mushin plant outside of the ICE remote while playing Jinteki just screams TRAP, which will allow you to pull off a GRNDL economy bump more often than not. However, I think the real economy increase you need is to switch Executive Retreat for Corporate Warfare. If you can land a Celebrity Gift in front of Mushin No Shin to plant a Corporate Warfare, then you should be well in hand to score that Corporate Warfare to setup the winning Agenda play.

On the subject of Agendas, you are really taking a risk here. I see exactly what you are aiming for with your two choices, and I stand by my recommendation of Corporate Warfare over Executive Retreat. Just be aware of how much risk you have here, and don't be afraid to revisit your Agendas with an eye on Medical Breakthrough after playtesting this build a bit.

Moving on to Assets, as hard as it is for a Jinteki fan to state this, I think you are overplaying the trap cards. In this style of rush, the trap should be a secondary win condition rather than a run deterrent. In your ideal matchup, the game is just never going to last long enough for the Runner to even realize you have traps in the deck. Instead, you'll ideally have a Project Junebug in hand when the Runner scores their first Agenda out of the remote. They'll be chomping at the bit after hitting the halfway mark on a single card, and will likely not expect the second Mushin install to be a 3 point Project Junebug. 6 Net in early game should be enough to flatline the Runner. I would keep the Project Junebug, but lose the Cerebral Overwriter.

Zaibatsu Loyalty may appear to help land a trap, but has always been a dead play for me. The only benefit that I can see from this in the current meta is to help stop the Blackguard combo, which likely won't start with this deck's speed. Instead, I would continue with the trivial targets theme. To me, Chairman Hiro is an ideal addition to this deck. 2 credits to rez, 6 credits to trash, and an effect that will panic the Runner into taking care of Hiro over Agendas. What's more, the Runner benefit for trashing a Hiro will always force the Runner to score 3 cards to win the game versus your 2 cards! With your Agenda mix, it always takes 2 Agendas to win, and it will take the Runner at least 2 Hiros with 1 Agenda to win!

Another important mention is the role of Toshiyuki Sakai in this deck. Normally I dislike Toshiyuki because you can rarely get him off a second time, but in this style of Rush I have a feeling that Toshiyuki may be key to scoring that second Agenda by throwing off the Runner's tempo. If they run against Mushin planted Toshiyuki and you switch a Project Junebug in and you'll probably flatline them if they access it (a big if), but if you switch in a GRNDL or EVE campaign then you'll benefit if they don't access it or throw off their tempo if they do access it (since they'll think you are playing a slower game at that point). There's also the possibility of a Toshiyuki into Plan B, but this seems really tenuous with 5 cost Agendas (also why Plan B won't work by itself, since you're only running 5 cost Agendas).

I've recommended some changes above that modifies the role of Operations in this deck. With the loss of Executive Retreat and Green Level Clearance, we really need to introduce some card draw back into the deck. With Cerebral Overwriter out as well, it's a toss up for influence to bring in Jackson Howard or Anonymous Tip. In my opinion, the game is going to move to fast to get full use out of Jackson's ability (2 clicks for 2 cards on the first use to cover the installation), so I'm leaning more towards Anonymous Tip for this deck. Trick of Light is usually a solid card for Jinteki, but I'm questioning the usefulness with this deck. We're not going to heavily trap due to speed, and we have no advancable ice, which leaves the question of where we are moving tokens to and from? In addition, Mushin No Shin will not let you score the ice the turn that you plant it, so you can't even gain a fast advance with ToL here. Instead of ToL, I would look more for Precognition to control the few turns the game will last, Lag Time to give the Runner an additional road bump, or Cerebral Static to disrupt the Runner's tempo. Personally, I would lean more towards Precog in this deck, being able to accurately predict when cards come out can be game changing.

The last item is the ICE selection for this deck. I like Himitsu-Bako, Quandary, and Guard in this deck. I was educated yesterday on how much of a loss Inside Job is with Guard, so Guard is very well positioned here. Wall of Thorns just costs to much for a deck this fast to ever pay for, Fenris costs too much in influence and bad publicity just to add a brain damage to ETR, and Komainu..... this isn't a primary flatline deck. Komainu just doesn't fit. Instead, I believe that the ICE should focus on low cost, ETR, and forcing the Runner to pull out a breaker suite. Chimera is a must have in this kind of fast deck, just for it's morphing capability. Enigma is a little pricier, but the loss of a click aligns with the philosophy of this playstyle and earns it a place here. Caduceus and Draco both would help force the Runner's hand into a Sentry breaker, but I think the real value to add here is Viper. Viper is a 3 rez, 4 strength, 1 influence Code Gate that generate credits and ETR plus slows down the Runner to collect credits to defeat the trace since Mimic can't handle this by itself.

Part of the reason why I'm emphasizing the speed of this deck and importance of single clicks is because this deck has the potential to win in 5 turns under ideal circumstances.
Turn 1: Lay ICE - Turn 2: Celebrity Gift and Mushin No Shin a Corporate Warfare - Turn 3: Advance and Score Corporate Warfare - Turn 4: Precog and Mushin No Shin The Future Perfect - Turn 5: Advance and Score The Future Perfect for the win

19 Mar 2014 bubo

I just realized that Corporate War is only 4/2. For some reason I thought it was 5/3. If we want to keep the Agenda density in this deck, then we should keep Executive Retreat. However, this means that the other economy cards are even more important.

19 Mar 2014 bubo

I just did a quick rebuild based on my observations, and ended up with these changes:

-3 Cerebral Overwriter, -1 Project Junebug, -3 Zaibatsu Loyalty, +3 GRNDL Refinery, +2 Chairman Hiro, -2 Green Level Clearance, -1 Hedge Fund, -3 Trick of Light, +2 Precognition, +3 Celebrity Gift, -1 Wall of Thorns, -1 Quandry, -2 Fenris, -2 Komainu, +2 Wraparound, +3 Viper, +3 Chimera