I Need a Hiro

greyfield 3915

The deck is pretty self-explanatory: Cybernetics Division + Chairman Hiro puts the runner's max hand size at 2. So if they don't pick up any cards before they go in, a single Self-Destruct (or Punitive Counterstrike, since all the agendas are 3s) is lethal. What's better, because Cybernetics Division is a 40/15, you can run these off-faction cards (like three Executive Boot Camps for discounting Adonis Campaigns and finding your Hiro) with a lean agenda package.

Treat Hiro like an agenda - defend him carefully, and put him in a secure server. Think about him, specifically, as an NAPD Contract - something the runner will want if he finds it, but something he can't take easily. Since Imps and Whizzard are unpopular these days, he's even more secure than an NAPD in many circumstances.

7 comments
24 Jan 2015 Kroen

What about Gyri Labyrinth?

25 Jan 2015 Lumin456

How does Hades help the deck? Aren't there better options for your points that are still 5/3 for Punitive? Why is Mother Goddess here? Might not self-destructing hardware (the 1/3 agenda I cant remember the name of in Chrome City) be a good include?

25 Jan 2015 greyfield

@Kroen Gyri is an interesting option. I think one might be worthwhile, especially now that there are two Punitives (and thus you have a more proactive option for killing your opponent than just Self-Destruct). I ultimately decided, however, that you need to play a longer game, and taking cards out of their hand only once isn't as good as patiently setting up the Hiro.

@Lumin456 The agenda mix could go any number of ways, though in HB for 5/3 agendas you're pretty much limited to things like Project Wotan, which aren't bad but don't excite me all that much. Your mileage may vary; I just like Hades generally, as an occasional "fourth Jackson".

Mother Goddess isn't there for any particular reason, but it does diversify your ice holdings and occasionally can be totally frustrating to a runner that's weak to a particular type of ice/doesn't have AI breakers. Dropping Mother Goddess as your only rezzed ice in front of a Hiro server seems pretty nasty. Then you can basically lay unrezzed ice in front of your centrals and either Self-Destruct the centrals when your opponent goes digging, or bait them into a Punitive. That seems just fine to me. But again, YMMV.

I didn't include Self-Destructing Hardware to make the agenda mix as intimidating as possible; while it's not a bad effect, I think the deck does better by forcing your opponent to take three of your six agendas to win, and then going for the kill. If Cybernetics was a 45/15 ID instead of 40/15, I'd consider Hardware.

25 Jan 2015 Kroen

You know there's nothing stopping you from playing this ID as if it were 45/15 right? true, it would defeat a lot of its purpose, but still.

25 Jan 2015 greyfield

But then you're giving up at least half its upside. This is one of the few IDs that lets you play 18 agenda points. And this deck is built to maximize the gains from that to the end of flatlining the runner. If you want a more traditional approach to this deck, I think I've already seen half a dozen prospective builds with multiple Ryon Knights, full sets of Hardware, etc. I don't think those cards are good enough, but if you think otherwise, I'm sure those deck designers would appreciate the patronage.

25 Jan 2015 Kroen

What do you mean by Hardware?

25 Jan 2015 greyfield

comma Self-Destructing