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Register now to gain access to all of our features. Once registered and logged in, you will be able to create topics, post replies to existing threads, give reputation to your fellow members, get your own private messenger, post status updates, manage your profile and so much more. If you already have an account, login here - otherwise create an account for free today!
1
Tech Talk - Splash
Nov 05 2013 07:10 AM |
Scud
in Android: Netrunner
Android: Netrunner Tech Talk Scud
Worlds will shortly be upon us! Well, upon all of you, anyway. Unfortunately, the Tech Talk Annual Fall Harvest Social and Ranch Muck-Out is scheduled this weekend, so we can't make the trip to Roseville. We can, however, give you a few ideas for cards to splash into your decks as you tweak and twack (if that isn't a word, it should be) in preparation for the big dance.First off, good luck to each and every one of you TechHeads that will be venturing forth unto Roseville this weekend to run the nets and ICE the servers at Worlds. Whatever deck you bring, whether a net-decked Andromeda or a freaked-out Cerebral Imaging, we hope that, more than anything, you take some time to have some fun this weekend - chat with the other players, challenge the designers and developers, and basically enjoy the hell out of getting to play Android: Netrunner, win or lose.
Now we wouldn't be Tech Talk if we didn't give you a little advice about a card or two you might slip into your deck to add a little pizzazz, the Android: Netrunner equivalent of "spirit fingers." (You know, where you hold your hands up and waggle your fingers as the song your show choir just sang and danced its collective heart out to fades and maybe, just maybe, everyone learned a little something about some social issue on top of having their faces and souls rocked by an amazing rendition of Ke$ha's TICK TOCK. Or something.) Without further ado (or explanations of "spirit fingers"), we present one card from each faction (including Neutrals) that you might consider including in your deck...
Runners
1. Xanadu (Humanity's Shadow) (2 Influence): Lots of people underestimate the utility of costing the Corp just one more credit FOR EVERY SINGLE ICE THEY REZ after Xanadu hits the table. Don't be one of them.
2. Doppelganger (A Study In Static) (2 Influence): Desperado (Core) is great. But if you're running Datasucker (Core) + Parasite (Core), Doppelganger can be the difference between killing a piece of ICE this turn instead of next. It isn't for every deck, but give it a try and see if it fits in yours. It'll also get you an Influence per copy back when you trade in your Desperadoes.
3. Net Shield (Core) (1 Influence): Look, there's gonna be a lot of Jinteki at Worlds and almost all of them are going to be trying to stab you in your digital face. Repeatedly. Net Shield may just save your life. (You could splash Feedback Filter (Creation and Control) or Deus X (A Study In Static), instead.)
4. Kraken (Humanity's Shadow) (0 Influence): Yes, it is situational but, if you're packing Same Old Thing (Creation and Control), even one copy of Kraken can cause a huge swing in tempo when the stars align.
Corporation
1. Alix T4LB07 (Creation and Control) (1 Influence): Now any Corp can be Haas-Bioroid: Engineering the Future (Core), at least for a little while. IN the early- and mid-game, Alix can get you double(ish) utility out of your clicks, letting you install AND eventually make a little money, too.
2. Edge of World (Cyber Exodus) (2 Influence): Protect your SanSan City Grid (Core) by perching it just on the other side of Edge of World. In fact, any Upgrade your afraid of losing can be defended this way, keeping it safe and sound until you need it.
3. Invasion of Privacy (Opening Moves) (3 Influence): In terms of Influence, this is the priciest card on the list, coming in at a whopping three pips. However, if your deck is looking to flatline the Runner and has a robust economy, Invasion of Privacy can set up a pretty nasty killshot. Don't think of it as getting rid of pesky Events or Resources, think of it as targeted Meat/Net Damage.
4. Security Subcontract (Core) (1 Influence): In this age of one-size-breaks-all Atman (Creation and Control) and shuffling-yer-$#!7 Escher (Creation and Control), you ca often find yourself with some ICE you don't really want or need any more. Why not get four credits for uninstalling them? A Trash cost of three means the Runner is going to have to decide whether trashing it is worth the trouble.
5. Freelancer (Trace Amount) (0 Influence): Kati Jones (Humanity's Shadow). Professional Contacts (Creation and Control). Even John Masanori (Opening Moves). Everywhere you look, Runners are employing the help of Connections and other Resources. Freelancer can open a surprise can of uh-oh all over the Runner's day, so why not try one out and see if it floats your boat?
We're gonna get out of your hair now and let you get back to testing and testing and testing and...well, you get the point. We'll see you back here (after you win Worlds, of course) in two weeks with a Runner deck sporting goodies from the soon-to-be-released (which will, two weeks from now, be the recently-released) second Data Pack in Spin Cycle, Second Thoughts!
Good luck!
- Midian likes this
12 Comments
I can see using the others in certain decks. However, Xanadu has the problem that you want to see it really early so you have to play multiples. I mostly play Shaper and I don't have any room to run this as three-off, but I certainly can see this working in a criminal denial deck, especially since it combos pretty well wih FAO.
I don't really agree on Doppelganger though. Desperado is almost always better and in a Datasucker + Parasite setup, I would rather splash for Grimoire. I think you really have to build around Doppelganger to get the best utility out of it. It's not really a card you can just splash in a majority of decks and expect it to work properly.
Even just using it on a single resource saves you two credits if you are low on cash and it can cripple a runner or set them pretty far behind.
Closed Accounts is another great one, although I doubt I'd do both in the same turn (having to click for the credit for CA would leave you doing nothing else) unless I also had PAD or Marked Accounts running.
While I agree that Freelancer is a good card, in my criminal deck I am purposefully making tag-floating as good as possible. The only resource I'm running is John Masonori, and if he's trashed it's not really a big deal at all.
How do you handle judicious use of Closed Accounts? Do you run several copies of Magnum Opus? Recurring credits for breakers via Cyberfeeders/Pheromones? Something else?
Finally, Gorman Drip v1 is my favorite runner card from Opening Moves. I often will refer to it as "Closed Accounts insurance".
You're not really used to playing against people who build their decks on the assumption of being siphoned six times in each match, are you?
My point is, once you play someone who both plays Closed Accounts and can do reasonable ICE with 3 credits, you'll be in trouble. When you said "purposefully making tag-floating as good as possible", I thought that's the kind of opponent you're building against, but it seems this isn't the case.
Also, I have played against NBN rush using Closed Accounts and cheap ICE, and I still won. I guess my way of dealing with CA is just that compared to Crypsis-using criminals, I need less money to run. And again, Gorman Drip v1. Seriously awesome card.
All that said, I now want to go back and try some more and re-evaluate the effect Closed Accounts can have on my games. You make it sound much worse than it has been for me, and I want to know why we've had the difference in experience. Could be my opponent, but it can't be now, now that he's seen it. Time will tell.
So finally, thanks. You may have given me an opportunity to make my deck better.