You just have to know where to look! V 1.1

Personally, I'd cut Diesel, and either add 1 Freelance Coding Contract or Modded x2. IMO, with Dinosaurus and Leprechaun x2, you're probably good as far as being able to display a good rig on the table. If anything, Aesop's Pawnshop could be replaced by CyberSolutions Mem Chip. I'd definitely try to fit in one more Self-modifying Code code, though.

Oh, and 2 Datasuckers, so you max out your influence.

Hmm. I'll try to explain what I think about your suggestions below. However, I am still a noob, and deckbuilding is more theoretical exercise, as I do not have the option of regular gameplay (and testing my decks). So I'd be very happy about any further advice, or if you think my reasoning might be faulty or something... :)

• I added "Diesel" to cut through to the important stuff quickly, as well as getting a more ideal hand for "Freelance Coding Contract". I don't know how useful it will be in a long run, as the whole engine is built on specific card draw, not random fast-draw, so you might be right.
• Adding one more "FCC" is probably a good idea.
• I don't know if "Modded" might not be a little too circumstantial. The whole deck (or persona) is build for targetted rig construction, and "Modded" can only take advantage of what is in your hand. That said, it could be useful for the hardware. But cutting "Aesop" is even more of a no-go then.
• Mem Chips are, of course, very helpful, but then I just cut "Akamatsu" in favor of "Leprechaun". Granted, Daemons are dangerous in that they can easily be targetted, but they fit in this deck like a glove - especially since the programs hosted on them don't count against mem limit. Two "Leprechauns" boost memory from 4 to anywhere between 6 and 10. Also, I don't think that more long-term memory solutions would benefit this deck, as it is constructed around the idea to tailor the rig to the situation, fitting and refitting quickly. So I think keeping "Pawnshop" is probably the better plan, even though I wanted to cut down on easily targettable Resources...
• Do I need another "SMC"? With 3 "Clone Chips" and 6 Events to get the programs needed, I feel like I already have multiple redundancies built into this deck...
• I'm not sure about "Datasucker". I tried to limit Viruses to the bare minimum, as they can be wiped. "Chakana" is only here because I cannot fit in 2 or 3 "The Source", and "Imp" comes with two counters, rather than accumulate them. Granted, wiping Viruses takes up a whole turn of the Corp, and that could help in creating even more advantage. But do they make sense as bait? Thing is, if I have "Datasucker" out, I can be pretty sure that the Corp will at some point wipe the Viruses...
• And why 2 "Datasucker"s? Yes, I didn't use my influence, but I already decided against a second "Femme", as they are unwieldy and costly. However, I think a second "Femme" would be more helpful, would it not?

How big should the deck be? Granted, usually the idea is "as small as possible", especially with Runners. But with the professor, the targetted installation approach could probably make a slightly bigger deck still workable... ...reason I am asking is: if I add 4 more cards (1 Freelance, 1 SMC, 2 Suckers, and with Modded replacing Diesel), the deck becomes 50 cards big. I am very hesitant to cut anything else from it, so the question is - do these 5 additional cards make a huge difference?

Any further comments are greatly appreciated...

Well, I'll start off where you left off... :)

• 2 Datasuckers are way better than 1. It's better to have a greater chance of one showing up early game, than not knowing if you're even going to get one to show at all. You don't have a Djinn for specific virus tutoring, and even if you did, 2 would still be ideal, IMO.

• This just me, but I don't really see a burning need for Chakana. Yes, it'd be a nice luxury to have the Corp paying more for their progress throughout, but you can accomplish various forms of lockdown if your breaker/access rig was the focus, rather than indirect taxation. If Datasucker is out, and the Corp knows that you're going to get successful runs, wiping virus counters becomes futile. I've found that, as Corp vs. Datasuckers, unless I have an absolutely flawless setup as well as amazing econ (which is pretty impossible to accomplish vs. most runners anymore), they're going to make successful runs and those virus counters are going to keep popping up no matter what. The virus that's more suited for blowing a turn wiping counters is Parasite.

• Your argument for Pawnshop is sound. I have no counterpoint for that one. :)

• Your point about Modded is well seen, also.

• Diesel, however, could be cut for Quality Time. FCCs basically demand the most out of your card drawing abilities. If you have a Gamble, an FCC and at least 1 Quality Time in the opening hand, you'll instantly draw into a huge econ advantage. :)

First, thanks a lot, again. Your answers provide very valuable insights to me, and help me understand the game better. I won't be playing better, but I can certainly learn a lot regarding deck construction... ;)

A few thoughts to what you were stating:

• Chakana is in it less for the taxation and more for the slowing down. If I play against a FA deck, the whole thing of course becomes more of a gamble than it already is. Targetting cards in servers that get advanced is one thing, hoping to find Agendas in HQ or F&D is really iffy. Especially since I do not have any cards in this deck that help, here (F&D Interface, Indexing, etc.). NBN FA could build an engine that the Prof will never crack if he is unlucky. However, if you see this differently, and can give advice as to how to tackle this more effectively, or differently, I'd very much appreciate that...

• Regarding Datasucker, I understand where you are coming from. So far I only play against noobs roughly on the same level as me, which of course warrants for less structured gameplay. Purging viruses becomes a lot more possible, and I haven't figured out how to best use a "gifted turn" to the best of my advantage... Anyway, Datasucker is a very good addition, I think... :)

• Huh. You know, I haven't thought about Quality Time. And I think it is really a better fit here than Diesel. I'll switch out Diesel for QT.

• Regarding Modded and Pawnshop - I thought about it and decided that I don't think Modded fits my style in this deck. The circumstantiality bothers me a little too much. On the other hand, Pawnshop is very useful to have since I will frequently trash programs to make way for others. So I'll leave Modded out, and Pawnshop in.

Okay, it all comes down to the question, if a 50 card deck here becomes too big. It somehow seems to me that way, so I am not sure what to do. An additional FCC would again enhance my Econ, and would go even better if I added in two more programs (i.e. 2 Suckers). And the last SMC is not a bad addition, either. Only question: is the addition of four cards really a good idea? And if not, what do you think I should cut?

Thanks for your already very helpful advice. I learn a lot due to these hints.

Add-on to the first item: I totally forgot about Keyhole and using it to trash Agendas, then running on Archives to secure them. Levels the luck aspect a little, but I still feel a little too helpless against FA decks. Maybe I don't need to, but so far I don't have the experience. Which is why Chakana is there - as a safeguard against those FA decks.

Oh, those FA decks... :(

My best friend runs an NBN FA, and another friend runs a Scorched Imaging deck. 2 different corp IDs that basically both do the same thing. They score quick, and hammer you if you try to get aggressive on them. It's so beautifully cheesy...there's just nothing else to say about it, heh.

As for the advice, no problem. :) I'm learning new things just about every day, as well...from the people I play against in addition to folks like CodeMarvelous, x3r0h0ur, Peekay and a few others on this site. I try to be as clear and concise as I can, though sometimes I can ramble on. It just means I'm addicted to this damn game, lol.

Personally, I'd keep the deck down to 45 cards if possible. The whole "you'll likely draw better with a smaller stack" idea couldn't be more true as with The Professor.

On that note, I just realized that I completely missed the fact that you have a Copycat in there. I've not yet seen one in any other Professor deck, and not sure the value involved. What it does is interesting...more or less like the runner version of Bullfrog, only working to the runner's advantage. I don't, however, really believe that it fits in with Professor, and could easily be a deletion to help take the size down to under 50.

Snitch is somewhat questionable, also. There are much more important and lethal cards that you'll be drawing into, and NEEDING to draw into after you Levy and reset.

It's going to be hard for me to say this, but as far as cutting things out goes, I'd even look hard at deleting those Sacrificial Constructs. They add very little to what will likely be somewhat of a Big Rig type concept once it gets rolling. It's not like the corp will be able to wipe all, or even most, of your important pieces off the table once you get them out. :)

I hope that helps to streamline things. I've had a LOT of fun building my Professor deck this past week, and it's now going to be my go-to runner deck for the forseeable future. It's more or less the same thing as Peekay's "Vivat Academia" deck that he posted on here a while back. All I really did was switch up a couple of the breakers, and go -1 Opus for +1 Leprechaun. I really think it has potential, and once I've tested and streamlined it for myself, I'll be more than happy to post it on the site as well for all to see. :)

My other deck is NBN FA, aswell (more or less traditional Astro), which is why I hate them so much. They are darn effective, if played right, and if the runner can't slow them down, he is left in their wake. That said, my other deck is not very good, or I am not very good at playing it, yet. Not sure which... :)

But back to topic. Yeah, I have been trying to get to 45. Before you came along, I had the deck down to 46, which was okay. Now I'm juggling 50. Not your fault, but the problem with good arguments is that they usually tag along the consequence of more hard cuts...

:)

What I am not so sure is if the Prof. really needs the fastest deck possible. In here are (as of now) 21 programs, and 9 of the remaining 25 (plus 2 programs, aswell) are used to get the ones I need in any possible situation. So drawing the PROGRAMS I need is not really a big problem, here. The problem arises if I don't get the Events I need (especially for money). But then, there are also multiple redundancies built in here (Pawnshop, Magnum Opus, etc). Not getting Plascrete can cost the game, though, and that is the only card that I think is in danger of becoming more useless the more cards I put in here. Saurus is good, but not essential, Clone Chip is awesome, but I got Events that can help me there. If Pawnshop is out, awesome. If not, I can manage. Sacrificial is beneficient to have out, but if not, it still can work (although Leprechaun makes it a little more dangerous, then).

Okay, to the cards you mentioned.

• Copycat: Interestingly, my opinion is the opposite. I think that it ONLY works for decks like the Prof. It is a program that usually is too circumstantial to use, and therefore is a trick up the sleeve that most players will not see coming. It will not be effective often, but when it is, it can do damage like nobodys business. And that's where SMC or Clone Chip come in, of course. Get it out if you need it, trash it for money if you don't. It is one of those cards that most people find interesting but can never really use in a deck. Which is why I want it in here, actually.

• Snitch: Yeah, well, Snitch is a Safeguard. Of course. I don't know yet how useful those cards are, yet, but they can save a runner's hide and rig big time. Especially if your important programs run on Leprechaun, and the Corp so badly wants to Archer them away (a threefer is quite a good hit, I'd say). This is actually one of the cards I'd love to have out early, for precisely this reason. Maybe I'm mistaken, but for now I am quite hesitant to cut it.

• Levy: Now, this card serves a very specific purpose here, and that is to NOT make this a big rig deck. With Pawnshop and Scavenge, the idea is to only install what you need, when you need it. Targetted rigging, if you will. Load them up, do the run, then kick them out for better programs. Which is also why Cyber-Cypher, Breach, Copycat and a few others are here. With Levy, I can go nuts trashing what I want, getting it back with Clone Chips, and when they are done, get the whole shebang back. It's Same Old Stuff in bigger, basically. At least that's what I imagine its function to be in this deck.

• Sacrificial Construct: Yes, I have been eyeing them suspiciously for quite some time, now. Unfortunately, now that I have exchanged Akamatsu for Leprechaun, they are even more important than ever before, protecting the threefers from leering Corps. If I kick them out, Archers and the like will really start to hurt.

There are others. Chakana is there for when it's needed, Imp too. Keyhole is a gamechanger and needs to be in here, as does Parasite. Grappling Hook is fantastic for big ice, and also I love the idea of this card that I would never kick it... So, there I am. I also killed off a few other cards from iteration 1 of this deck, and am pretty confident that the above deck is more or less what I want it to be. But then, the Sucker is a fantastically useful card to have, as you so rightly pointed out. But rethinking Quality Time, I guess that 3 for 2 more cards to draw is too high a cost for me, at the moment. Usually, it is a lot better (especially with Pawnshop and MO), but I am aiming for drawing only what I need. Diesel is there to kick it off early, or to fill the hand back up, and I think 3 cards for 1 click are useful enough, here. And I need the money elsewhere...

Do I need the third SMC? It IS useful, but is it necessary? And do I need the third FCC? The latter would be better than the former, I guess, but I already have a lot of Econ in here. I think I will not put them in, after all.

So the next iteration will be 48 cards with 2 Suckers, I guess...

PS: The rambling part. As it turns out, I'm pretty good at this, too... :D

Well, my first run with my Professor deck went pretty well yesterday evening. I played against a Weyland flatline deck with some Archer action. It was really fun. I ended up getting Sea Scorched late-game, but the only reason the Corp player was able to do that was cuz I didn't draw either of my 2 Plascretes OR my Toolbox or Mem Chip(s) so that I could get out a full pressure rig and bury him earlier. :(

As always, poor drawing luck screwed me in the end...but the deck was certainly working well otherwise. I had a Keyhole and Datasucker out under Djinn, and Garrote and Corroder out under a Leprechaun, which left me room for my Opus. I eventually had to ditch the Djinn in favor of a Gordian, after he got spooked by Keyhole and had 4 ICE on his R&D, heh. So down the remote I went, and of course...Snare, lol. Live and learn.

How's your Professor deck doing so far? Have you had the chance to run yet with it?

Nope. Unfortunately not. But I included the two Suckers and am ready for action... And kudos to your success, even if it didn't result in a win.

On another note - due to my loving the Professor, I have decided to never play against anyone who uses Cerebral Static, and to quit playing against people who I discover to do so, for good. Disregarding the deck I play (or they play), but BECAUSE of the Professor. I hate that this card attacks the identity, and that there is even a NEED to protect against it... ...sorry, just had to let it out, somewhere. Man, I hate cards that make other cards not only less useful, but unplayable...

Actually dude, Static won't affect our beloved Professor. It can only screw the identity of runners whose effects spill over into play after the game has started. Kit, Kate, Exile...actually, Professor will be the only ID besides Andromeda that won't get totally boned by this nasty little Current card. Cheer up, my friend! :)