Life Imagined Re-Imagined

This deck is derived from this excellent decklist and its slew of comments, which I positively adore and have given my own special twist.

Life Imagined: Re-Imagined

Again, at its core, this is a rush deck. The penultimate goal is to score a very early Nisei MK II, at which point you can set up a gnarly scoring server and deny the runner access to it for pretty much the rest of the game.

However... this deck gives you a few options. Let's explore them, shall we?

Option #1: F*** You, Noise

The Tank is not especially awesome under normal circumstances. Archives will rarely be an integral part of the runner's strategy - if it is, they're either playing Noise or Keyhole, or they've already lost. Advance your agendas while they waste their time digging around in nothing.

However, if they are playing one of those annoying Anarch decks that loves digging for gold in your Archives, feel free to just start with The Tank and let it sit until you're in danger. Resetting the game to turn one against decks like that is often worth a turn.

Option #2: Nisei Mk II Turbo

This is the typical option that the deck will choose - say hi to your new best friend, The Greenhouse! Nisei is the optimal agenda to advance out with your effect. In fact, I'd say that it's only worth flipping your ID if you have a Nisei to score out. Otherwise, wait for a Nisei. Catch my drift?

Once you've scored a Nisei, you can set up a scoring server three deep with a Valley Grid in it, and suddenly the game gets nearly impossible for the runner. If they run through three pieces of ice, their max hand size is decreased to 2. Then, you can either psi-game them out with Caprice, or just end the run with your Nisei. Either way, the run ends, and if the runner runs there again, their max hand size decreased below zero and they flatline. Put minimal ice in front of R&D to discourage them fishing for answers, and watch them flail around doing nothing on their turn as you sit calmly with a Braintrust waiting to be scored out.

Of course, sometimes the runner has gall. Sometimes, they go right for the Agenda you have waiting to be scored out. If they do, rez your Edge of World and deal them three brain damage. Whoops! They flatline because of Valley Grid. That should teach them not to mess with Jinteki Biotech.

Option #3: The Turn-Two Kill

Sometimes, you just don't want to play a fair, fun game of Netrunner. Sometimes, you just want to blast the runner to smithereens. It's okay, we all get like that sometimes! This deck has just the thing for you.

If you have an opening hand with a Cortex Lock or two, or a Gyri Labyrinth and a Chairman Hiro, say hello to The Brewery. If the runner hits a Cortex Lock on their last click, chances are they're dead. If you put a Gyri Labyrinth in front of Chairman Hiro and they run on it without 6 credits, congratulations, you've killed them. Let their hand size go down to 1 and flip The Brewery to say goodnight to that pesky runner.

Chances are the runner will play timidly just knowing you have The Brewery as a possibility. Use that to your advantage by slow-rolling agendas and playing the game at your own pace. Just one mistake for the runner and their game is over - you can afford one or two before things start to look worrisome on your end.

The Mind Tricks

Turn one, you draw a card. Pausing for a second, you ice R&D, install a card in a remote, and ice that remote. Seems fairly innocuous, but it's a big headache for the runner.

Say the runner just runs on R&D flat-out. Feel free to let them in! They're wasting clicks, because you have a Nisei MK II ready to be scored. They hit an agenda, then whiff on run #2. They have two clicks to deal with the Nisei you have. Unless they happen to have the perfect icebreaker and play it before running on Nisei, which is an unlikely scenario, you flip The Greenhouse and score out a Nisei. This game just got much easier.

So the runner attempts to prevent that. They install a Decoder, and they die to Cortex Lock/Chairman Hiro. They install a Killer, and die to Gyri Labyrinth/Chairman Hiro. They install a Fracter, and die to pretty much your whole deck. If for some reason they click up a credit and run on your remote, no fear - you have a Chimera there anyways. Perfect protection.

There's no obvious way for the runner to play this first turn. Obviously, they can make the right play, but who's to say they will? Get in their head and make them sweat. If they start to play passively, your ticket to victory couldn't be more clear. If they start playing aggressively, suit up an Edge of World and let them kill themselves.