Eternal Sunshine of the Siphoned Account v1.5

Card draw simulator
Odds: 0% – 0% – 0% more
Repartition by Cost
Repartition by Strength
Derived from
None. Self-made deck here.
Inspiration for
Eternal Sunshine of the Siphoned Account v2.0 fanedit
Include in your page (help)

paddosan 3408

aka Eternal Siphon

A deck by A.C.M.E.

The initial idea for this deck was mine, but my friend b4ralai is doing most of the testing. He's also the creator of the Faust Theory deck, whose modified version (by Marcheva) placed 2nd both at the Polish and the Italian Nationals.

Anyway, back to the deck itself!

As you may have noticed, this is very much like the infamous Anatomy of Anarchy by Steven Wooley, only in Criminal, and with one of my favorite identities, Silhouette.

The idea is to keep using Account Siphon every turn, or as much as possible anyway. So it's obviously a tag me deck, and you would have to rely on Plascrete Carapace to avoid dying miserably, so we added 3 copies of that.

Why Silhouette?

40 cards allow for easier access to what you really need by drawing, but even so, we could have used Andromeda and the difference would be minimal... with a greater chance to actually have an Account Siphon in your starting hand, though.

When you only use the central breakers, though, you need a way to find out if the Corp is trying to sneak an Agenda in a remote. That's where the Stealth Operative comes in handy!

You shouldn't really bother much with remote servers, however, but with Faust and Inside Job, you should be able to snatch an Agenda anyway, if you really need it. Maybe keep a Fisk Investment Seminar in your grip to boost your chances to break through.

And besides Account Siphon?

To really bring down a Corp (and keep it there), you need something more: Emergency Shutdown and Crescentus are the tools that will ensure your way to HQ is clear, and provide a constant pain for the Corp.

When they are on their knees, begging for credits, you'll remind them that rezzing a piece of ice could be unwise. If they do, you'll just derez anyway, and if they don't, you'll play Account Siphon again.

Recurring the recursion

This deck is a sort of field test for the potential of runner-side recursion, and that's why it has Trope. Installed early, it will be your best friend, since it allows for the precise and essential recursion of just the cards you want back. Even if you install it later in the game, and it gets only 2-3 power counters, it could still be valuable since by then your deck will be very thin and the cards you add will be drawn rather quickly.

Basically it goes like this: Trope will shuffle Account Siphon and his recursion back, and the more you go on, the more frequently you'll draw either the AS or his recursion. That's why we call this eternal Siphon.

Déjà Vu and Same Old Thing will ensure you're almost never out of weapons. Sorry, weapon, singular: Account Siphon.

And finally, Levy AR Lab Access is your safety measure in case something goes wrong. Or in case you just run through your deck too fast and you need some food for Faust.

So, how did it go?

The deck has been tested mostly against Argus Security, Near-Earth Hub, Haarpsichord Studios (Butcher Shop), Engineering the Future and Blue Sun. But the testing is still going on, of course. It's version 1.5 because we made a lot of changes, for example initially it was based on Tenma.

Anyway against those it had absolutely no problem.

In a couple games, Argus even started with a near-unbreakable Mother Goddess on HQ, but still got hit by Account Siphon. Again, and again, and again. Getting one more Tag when you're playing tag me is hardly an issue, and Traffic Accident is a very minor issue, when you can even recur your Plascretes.

In another game Blue Sun started with an Oversight AI on a Curtain Wall protecting HQ. Got a lot of money, but getting Breach (3 copies of Special Order ensure you can get what you need fast) was enough to start the Siphon process. And then it was over, since all that derez can guarantee the big Blue won't get any money at the beginning of her turn.

Against NBN fast advance it might get trickier, but they still have quite ridiculous ice, so it's very easy to break through and start siphoning the hell out of them. Just trash their economy Assets with their own money. You just have to watch out for agendas installed out in the open, but Silhouette can find them, and with Doppelgänger you can run once more per turn anyway.

Butcher Shop can't really kill you, not when you install 2 or 3 copies of Plascrete Carapace and keep recurring them. In a game b4ralai managed to install 7 copies of it.

What does it fear?

I would say that Chronos Project is the number one enemy of this deck, obviously, but it's hardly used in our meta and this deck is mostly an anti-meta exercise anyway. Still, they need to use it at the right time, and when they are basically at 0 credits most of the time it can be difficult.

Another problem is Psychic Field, but it doesn't kill you, so if you can draw some cards back you might avoid dying because of a Neural EMP.

An early Crisium Grid can be annoying, but you just have to trash it and then start siphoning. Caprice Nisei can be much more annoying, making you waste a lot of credits... at least you can keep betting zero, to make the Corp lose money too.

Possible changes?

Faust can be hard to use with so little draw, and since you have a lot of money most of the time, the good old Crypsis could be a valid alternative. With the influence saved you could add the third Déjà Vu.

Same if you remove Levy AR Lab Access, but then you'd have one point of influence left and nothing really significant to add.

Alternatively, one could remove both Faust and Levy AR Lab Access to go with a more standard rig: Corroder, ZU.13 Key Master, Mimic and Ninja... but then you'd have some memory issue too (which could be resolved by switching to Box-E).

Another version that is being tested includes two R&D Interfaces, so that you can increase the pressure even more with some R&D lock.

24 comments
15 Sep 2015 frost-duty

Super fun so far, I will give any more feedback I come up with in due course, but this strikes me as a deck that would love to swap on of those Deja Vu's for a copy of Vamp.

15 Sep 2015 paddosan

Interesting suggestion, I must say it didn't even cross my mind... but Vamp could be a good idea! Will need some testing.

15 Sep 2015 johncraven

the problem for an all in deck like this is that caprice on HQ is pretty much game over.

16 Sep 2015 paddosan

I wouldn't go so far as to say it's game over, because you'll still have a 33% chance of getting in even on your first try, but it sure is annoying.

It could easily translate into wasting a lot of money in an effort to win the damn psi game, but the same goes for the corp, which might be poor to begin with, due to siphoning and derezzing.

16 Sep 2015 b4ralai

HQ caprice problem solved. I removed a copy of crescentus, adding a copy of sneackdoor beta. According to ruling caprice wont trigger, and you are able to access and trash her, than start your merciless siphon chain.

16 Sep 2015 Dydra

If you are going to play tag me why not put in some DLR? Obv u won't be tagging yourself until u have 1-2 PC down, but still ... also don't you get punished hard by DRT , Ice that uses TAGs and Psychographics ....?

16 Sep 2015 b4ralai

Drt is not even an issue, thanks to silo ability. A couple of damage is soakable. Tag ice are: pachinko: easy passed for 4 credit Universal connectivity fee: boring, but one shot. Not really to be afraid of.. Information overload: unrezzable against this deck.. News hound: 2 credit for alias Resistor: break the ice or beat the trace, whatever is cheaper

DLR is pretty useless, since after some fisk's investiment hand or Archives will be flooded since opponent can't hide or protect agendas in a remote server.

16 Sep 2015 Larro

Very cool deck, but why no HQ or R&D multi-access? Sure, you're using FIS to get cards for Faust, but it also floods HQ and gets more cards off R&D for another potential Run. Is Deja Vu required over say, 1-2 TME or RDI? What about 1-2 Legwork or HQI since you're already hitting HQ hard, and it synergizes with FIS?

16 Sep 2015 SlayerCNV

What about Marcus Batty on a trash 1 program Keegan Lane? I think this is the real weakness of this deck...

16 Sep 2015 b4ralai

@Larro: As @paddosansays i play a slightly different version wich include a R&D interface, I'm having a good profit! Is all about playstile

@SlayerCNV : Marcus Batty is a minor issue, since it requires a rezzed piece of ice with trash program sub. Which is pretty hard, because of emergency shutdown and crescentus. Keegan Lane is a problem, but don't forget we are running trope, dejavu, SOT for dejavu and levy, supported by special order+faust. A trash program is sustainable, and we have good tools to recover or replace that dead icebreaker after all, we're not a common criminal deck :)

Despite the straight-forward strategy this deck is not so easy to play, and have really really a lot of option. If you imagine it or play it as a "mindless siphoning engine" you will probably loss. The knowledge acquired from Silhouette is the key to win, they tell you when and if apply your denial, and when and where you can hit harder and safer

This guys, is the closest thing netrunner have atm to a MtG blue control deck :p

16 Sep 2015 Dydra

@b4ralai I don't see how flood archives or hand stops DLR from being useful? Quite the opposite, it further destroys their R&D and let's not get overloaded on the Fisk Seminar , he would discard 9 cards max assuming

1) he can't/doesn't play any for some reason

2) he is always at 5 hand size when you "Fisk" him

3) you draw all of your 3 Fisks

That's a lot of if ...

However, putting a DLR and going for some 3x Mills while he scrambles to go from 0 to 2c and trash DLR seems a lot worse in combination with the Fisk

I like the deck, but I'll definitely mod it with DLR and a bunch of other stuff

16 Sep 2015 b4ralai

Make your own tests :D DLR is a great card, and can be really annoying in this deck! I used to run it for really a lot of games, than switched to R&D interface for reasons: 1-when you install DLR you can mill only 2 cards before it is destroyed (first click central run, second click DLR install). with R&D interface you can see those 2 cards every time and clickless with doppleganger run 2-you want the corp never hit 5 credit to sure gamble, so mostly you will siphon for their 3 credit every turn, reducing DLR mill (if is alive) to 3 per turn, while with R&D interface you can see at least 2 cards. If any agenda is scored or asset is trashed you can see up to 6 card instantly. 3-opponent can install rez and use a jh for free, wasting lot of turns of mill. With R&D interface you see the agenda, you take the agenda.

That's why i'm saying is pretty useless for its purpose in this deck. More than that with R&D interface and a cheap ice on R&D you can run it, wait for an eventual ice rez (and consequent payment), run hq, shutdown the R&D ice and run twice more R&D with doppleganger. Wich is denial+multiaccess+a saved account siphon. Lot better in my opinion than 3 click 3 cards with "Our Lord Jackson the Savior" opportunity to ruin our plans :p

See the money, get the money. See the points, get the points. Straight. :p

Anyway, as @paddosansaid this deck is customizable. As I feel more confidant in an R&D interface you can too with a DLR. Just giving my opinion, since i've tested this deck in his all 3 versions :D

16 Sep 2015 linuxmaier

This looks incredibly oppressive, and I think it's a good use of Silhouette: Stealth Operative's ability. Good job!

16 Sep 2015 paddosan

Thanks @linuxmaier

Concerning Data Leak Reversal, gotta admit it's absence is mostly due to my hate for all kinds of milling in card games.

I know it would make the deck even more oppressive, and it's actually fairly easy to splash a couple, just swap Faust with Crypsis and you'll have influence for two copies. Even if it brings you to 42 it wouldn't affect the deck, I guess, but you can still remove a Masanori and a Crescentus, for example, to remain within the 40 cards.

16 Sep 2015 linuxmaier

Sorry, for the second post, but I've got a question about the economy. It looks like if you struggle for whatever reason to land Siphon (Crisium + Caprice) you're basically just relying on 3 Sure Gambles to pay your way through the game, right? It seems like Desperado and Dirty Laundry should be in this deck to provide backup economy so you can pay to Siphon in if your accounts get closed, for example.

17 Sep 2015 paddosan

The first turns are the most important and especially managing your economy correctly, before starting the siphoning process. It has never been much of a problem thus far, though, not even against a Blue Sun starting with Curtain Wall on HQ (via Oversight AI), so it doesn't really bother me.

Desperado was actually in the deck, but it proved useless because once you start using Account Siphon, you don't need any extra money. Doppelgänger, on the other hand, allows you get that extra run that will keep the pressure up.

Some extra economy might help, but I do prefer to keep the number of cards down to 40 for the moment.

17 Sep 2015 Thomas Haas

Considering the 3 Emergency Shutdowns and the problematic Caprice, I'm surprised this deck doesn't run any Sneakdoors as a Plan B.

Other than that, love the deck.

18 Sep 2015 paddosan

Thanks @Thomas Haas, Sneakdoor Beta does presents a little memory problem, but it's certainly a good solution. @b4ralai is already testing a version with 1 copy of it!

19 Sep 2015 LSK

What do you you cut for an R&D Interface? Trope or Deja Vu?

19 Sep 2015 paddosan

For a single copy I'd just remove Faust and switch to Crypsis. You won't run protected remotes much anyway.

21 Sep 2015 instinctive

How useful is the Levy AR Lab Access in actual play?

22 Sep 2015 paddosan

Not so much, @instinctive.

That's why we removed it in the last versions of the deck. Which allows us to add a single R&D Interface and dig for Agenda faster.

26 Sep 2015 O.G.

What about netrunnerdb.com ? It's always ok to play it into Account Siphon against Criminal.

24 Nov 2015 incredibul

How does this deck manage Melange Mining Corp ? Just played against a deck putting Melange Mining Corp in a remote and putting Ice in Front.