Big Breakers, Full Hands, Can't Lose 2.0

Months of toggling have yielded this: my take on big-rig Chaos Theory. It's nothing too flashy or tricky, but it can get into any server efficiently and sets up faster than most big-rig decks. Once you're set up, you should be able to keep a credit advantage while threatening multi-access runs on both R&D and HQ. You can often clear out traps in the central servers before they find their way to a remote.

Cards you want in the opening hand: 1) Magnum opus (or self-modifying code to get it). 2) Personal workshop. 3) Diesel and/or modded.

Gameplan has got to suit your opponent but generally, run both servers (unless vs Jinteki), then install opus and dig for breakers &Box-E. If they're building significant stacks of ice, try to get the cyberfeeders/interfaces out in the mid-game. With a Personal Workshop or two, you should be getting them at half-price if not better. Box-E cheaply gives you the last two memory you need for your bulky programs as well as two extra hand size for all the cards you'll be drawing with diesel and Quality Time.

Generally, you want your programs first and a workshop, hoping your hardware comes later. If you get test run + scavenge in hand (and you will), use it to get that expensive Torch out. Hopefully you'll draw into Garrote or Battering Ram and can use self-modifying code to get the other one.

Since it's a big-rig deck, it's natural weaknesses are turns two through six. It's quite likely the corp will score their first agenda before you've got all your breakers out. The order tends to be Garrote, then Torch, then Battering Ram. Sometimes it's best to feign that you can't find your barrier breaker to provoke them into putting an agenda in the scoring remote. In response, you test run or self-modifying code that Battering Ram out steal it, signaling a shifting of the tides. From there, work your way back down the production line, hitting HQ with an interface to clear out agendas there before going heavy on R&D to try to get the agendas before the Corp can draw them.

Modded lets you install your breakers cheaper if you are lucky enough to draw them, or Box-E or the interfaces for a single credit otherwise.

An early Personal Workshop will save you ten to fifteen credits, not to mention be a convenient place to host cards if you haven't found Box-E yet (though beware Breaking News and Snatch and Grab).

A note on the much maligned Replicator - it's main use is to provide you with the Cyberfeeders and interfaces to host on personal workshop and make your rig even more efficient. With one of these installed you have no reason to draw past the mid-game. Just click for 6 credits and make a run on their scoring remote or a multi-access on one of the centrals.

Battering Ram doesn't get enough credit in the modern meta. Weyland uses barriers as much as the other two ice-types combined and often will double stack them. Battering Ram's strength retention can make hitting a Curtain wall and an Orion 20% cheaper than Corroder. It's also the cheapest barrier breaker for Eli, probably the most splashed barrier ice in the game.

Once Torch hits the table, they tend to give up on rezzing mid-strength code gates like lotus field.

An obvious trick that took me a couple weeks to learn about Cyberfeeders on personal workshop - you only need to get them down to one counter. Then, on a run, you may as well pay 1 to install the Cyberfeeder, which will conveniently give you a credit for an icebreaker (and hopefully trigger replicator if luck has shown on you.

Even though you're running Test-Run, you do not want to lose any of these programs so run rich and anticipate Archers and Ichis. Will O' The Wisp is not your friend.

I don't run Plascrete so vs Weyland kill decks you've got to keep a credit advantage to protect vs Sea Sources but also don't let them leave double advanced cards in remote servers in case of Posted Bounty. It's tough but doable. Box-E's extra hand size helps protect vs thousand cut Jinteki, though they may be packing Sweeps Week to benefit that way.

All in all this deck is consistent and can get intimidating very quickly. I've had Corps notice what I'm assembling and decide they have to try to score all their agendas before turn 8 or die trying. This provocation to aggressive play can work in the Runner's favor for once, as a well-placed test run is all you need to grab that last key breaker, snatch the agenda, and keep the Corp player scrambling.