Final Scam - 2nd Warsaw CO (4-1)

I really wanted to make 419 work. I tried different versions, including a Mining Accident build, a Swift build, a bypass build and even knives. It wasn't really working out, I won some games but the decks didn't feel smooth, choked on resources a lot and overall felt like I was going out of my way to make the game harder for myself. I looked enviously at Shaper's event suite with Trick Shot/Burner and instant answers via SMC/Muse. I looked at Anarch's recursion and knew that once my DoOFs are gone, they're gone. I also couldn't Moshing away my hand for free, gaining 5 credist and 5 cards as a result. It all seemed pointless.

But then, something clicked. I started to understand more and more that 419 should not be played as a "reg" crim but rather one with a very specific plan in mind. And I came to this build, which went 4-1 on a CO, losing only to Azmari combo after a tense game where I miscalculated by one credit. Of course one CO isn't something to write home about but the deck has a rather solid winrate on Jinteki and I'm convinced it's not a coincidence. It's very solid.

So what's the gameplan? What's the big revelation that I had? Well, it's simple. Play the econ game as long as you can, slowing the game down with 419 and keep remotes in check with Aumakua. Get to 3-4 points. Play aggresively and make the corp spend as much money as possible. Then we set up for one-two final pushes through R&D before we run out of resources. Finality is a key card here, but it might as well be Wake Implant or Twinning. You have enough ways to punch through once or twice, between Aumakua, Boomerangs (or Inside Job) and the DJ Quetzal / Poison Vial combo. Alternatively, we can dig in HQ with Cupellation/Twinning.

The deck is hard to play (at least for me), like CTZ wrote in his "The Worm" writeup, it's like walking a tightrope. One mistake can cost you dearly but executing the "Final Scam" successufly is very satisfying. Your have to manage your resources carefuly, know your deck well and have a good idea of what your opponent is capable of. Scoring early points is very important as in the early game we are at our strongest. Mulligan for Aumakua (Hermes is also important) and start pressuring. Don't be afraid to click for cards, it's the crim way. Deny resources with Pinhole / Miss Bones and keep remotes in check. If you can land a Diversion, do it. We only have Aumakua as our breaker but we don't really need more if they can't rez a lot of ice. If you draw DJ early, conisder Reina to make them bleed even more creds. Take notes on what your opponents show you, information is power. And setup the game in such a way that you'll be able to make a few big R&D runs before the flow of the game slips away from your control.

Why would you play this over Shaper or Hoshiko?

• free Pinhole Threading (always 3x, card is great in this meta) and Miss Bones
• Diversion of Funds is fun as heck and also very good
• once you find some agendas Hermes really does a lot to dismantle the corp's defenses
• it challenges you to think more about your every move and makes you a better runner
• it's a legitimately strong deck and might not be what your opponents expect right now
• unlikely to be hit by bans

If you do decide to try the deck, let me know how it went in the comments! Happy scamming!