A Legwork on Every Run, Three Credits on Each Sale [Startup]

bowlsley 665

Midnight Sun has been officially out for all of two full days and we’re all full of our takes on the new meta. “Check out my sick Ob skateboard tricks,” or “I’m going to keep hitting myself until your Archives gives up the goods,” or “Boat is unstoppable, we’re all doomed,” yada yada.

Well here I am to chuck another flaming hot opinion onto the pile: The Twinning might be one of the most powerful cards in the entire set, and it’s so easy to exploit the “once per turn” restriction by triggering it on the corp’s turn. That’s a free Maker's Eye or Legwork for you to use each turn.

But why settle for just one cute interaction when you can make an entire deck out of it?

I started exploring this archetype almost 18 months ago, in the format that birthed Startup, and the premise is simple: install cheap hardware as often as possible and then sell that hardware to Aesop's Pawnshop at the start of your next turn. Sometimes that hardware even has text you might actually need in your game! But most of the time it just nets you a profit of 2-3c.

So when Cezve was spoiled during the buildup to Midnight Sun’s release, and it was pointed out that its recurring credits could be used to pay for Masterwork’s) install ability, I knew this plan would be worth revisiting. Every first hardware is now basically free, and the entire cycle of triggers that this deck produces is even more efficient.

A typical turn will looks something like this:

  1. Make a run on HQ or R&D (with Bravado or Red Team for even more value)
    • Use Masterwork to install a hardware from hand using Cezve credits to do so.
    • Put a counter on The Twinning for using Cezve.
    • Look at the top two cards of the stack using The Class Act and draw one, because of Masterwork’s second ability.
    • Look at the next two cards of the stack using Q-Loop.
    • Break any ice that’s in your way (did you install a Boomerang with Masterwork? Sorted).
    • Use Twinning counters to access extra cards in that central.
  2. Make another run somewhere else.
  3. More runs! Did you know that Cezve credits can be used to trash cards you access with Pinhole if you run a central? Neat, huh!
  4. I dunno, install a resource I guess? They’re likely clogging up your hand at this point, so you probably should.
  5. On the corp’s turn, use Mantle to fire the second ability of Q-Loop and reveal the top card of your stack. Is it a hardware? Install it! (Draw a card with Masterwork, look at two with Class Act) Is it a program? Install it! Neither? Who cares, put another counter on The Twinning anyway.
  6. Sell one of the 50 new cards you’ve installed to Aesop.
  7. Go to 1.

Repeat this loop until you’ve seen almost every card in the corp’s deck and snaffled every agenda in hand, every agenda they were about to draw, and even the agendas they left at home in their binders.

And this concludes my deck list. Please remember, a vote for Bowlsley is a vote for stability and prosperity. Thank you.

6 comments
25 Jul 2022 Larrea

I'm definitely copying this deck, playing it horribly twice, and dropping it forever. Looks really fun!

25 Jul 2022 staniach21

Why Revolver instrad of Bukhgalter?

25 Jul 2022 staniach21

@bowlsley never ever question your choice. This deck is awesome!!!!! And getting back fully loaded Revolver witch Chip is so satysfying that now I understand your choice :P

26 Jul 2022 bowlsley

@staniach21 glad to hear it :) switching to Bukhgalter is probably the sensible choice, but Revolver is so cheap to use, and ties in to the Aesops engine quite nicely.

27 Jul 2022 bowlsley

Update: I'm now trying PPVPs and Laundries over the mostly useless Flips Switches/Charms, seems decent.

19 Aug 2022 awildturtok

Switched -2 Revolver for +1 Mutual Favor and +1 Bukghalter, -3 Lucky Charms, +1 PPVP, +2 Dirty Laundry, -2 Aesops, +2 Environmental Testing.

Aesops didn't feel right in this list, and Envrionmental Testing can give burst really quite fast, for just playing the Id.

Flip Switch I'd keep as people are playing very taggy decks, and having a free way out of Ganked! is neat.