G0LD3N 3Y3

rumirumirumirumi 244

This is another operation-heavy Biotech deck, this time using The Tank for a combo doing 5-8 net damage in one turn with no advanced cards required. It uses the Power Shutdown + Accelerated Diagnostics combo to chain Neural EMPs. Neural EMP is by no means the strongest damage card available, but since all the pieces of a Sea Source Double Scorched combo are out of faction it's not a very good option influence-wise for Jinteki. The advantage you get from Jinteki, particularly BioTech, is the weariness the runner might have running unadvanced remotes and how unexpected the combo would be.

The current consensus seems to be that The Tank is the weakest BioTech power to build a deck around, as it's seen more as a counter to Noise or Keyhole decks than a strategic force in its own right. I tend to agree, but that gives The Tank an opportunity to piggyback off the threat of The Brewery and The Greenhouse while serving an important function in this particular deck. Because you need Jackson Howard to properly pull off the combo, you can't rely on Jackson to clear agendas from Archives as you usually would. The Tank gives you a one-time-only way to keep the runner from taking the game in one Archives run. Since you're not going to use either the 2 net damage or the 4 advancement powers there isn't much opportunity cost to The Tank, but there is a lot to be gained from your opponent thinking either of those two abilities are potential threats to their game plan.

In the ideal form of the combo, you'd have 3 Jacksons installed (although you can also have Tech Startups installed instead as long as the other Jacksons are in R&D), a Power Shutdown and 3 Accelerated Diagnostics in hand, and at least 19 credits. Then:

  1. Power Shutdown the entire deck. 1a. Use Jackson Howard's ability to add Subliminal Messaging and 2 Neural EMPs to R&D.
  2. Play Accelerated Diagnostics. You'll deal the runner 2 net damage and gain a click from SM. 2a. Use Jackson Howard's Ability to add 3 Neural EMPs to R&D.
  3. Play Accelerated Diagnostics. You'll deal 3 more net damage. 3a. Use Jackson Howard to add 3 Neural EMPs to R&D.
  4. Play Accelerated Diagnostics. You'll deal 3 more net damage for a total of 8.

Of course, getting three Jackson Howards installed and keeping those four cards in hand can be incredibly difficult, so there are a few cards in the mix to help change the combo around to the precise amount of net damage you need to win:

  1. Reclamation Order can be used to bring Accelerated Diagnostics back into your hand. That means you can complete the combo with only 1 Accelerated Diagnostics in hand at the cost of dealing 1 less net damage.
  2. Interns can be used to install Jackson Howard from Archives or from HQ. That means you can complete the combo with fewer Jacksons installed at the cost of 1 net damage per uninstalled Jackson (this is also an important reason why Jackson shouldn't be removed from the game even if that means the runner will trash him).
  3. Subliminal Messaging is optional if you can do enough damage to kill with only 2 Accelerated Diagnostics (for 6 points rather than 8).
  4. If you are short on the credits needed for the killshot it's possible to use Medical Research Fundraiser or Restructure to give you the appropriate credits.

This is not a strong deck in the least, but it's an interesting thing to see in the design space of BioTech and the potential for The Tank as a combo ID that can take advantage of its hidden nature.

EDIT: The match-up prospects for this deck are awful.

  1. Any deck that plays the Shards can instantly counter the combo in the middle of it firing. Utopia Shard can also snipe the combo while in-hand, so unless you still have the Tank power and the willingness to find the combo pieces again, you'd screwed.
  2. Any deck that plays Feedback Filter and holds an ample number of credits can survive the combo, in which case it's gg.
  3. Any deck that has I've Had Worse has a good chance of disrupting the combo. It's still possible to kill a 4 card hand with 1 I've Had Worse with the full combo, but they also have a chance to draw another I've Had Worse after the first one fires.

You're playing a very silly deck and so you deserve to lose against any of these match ups. Hopefully the game will go quickly enough that you can play a real game of Netrunner afterwards.

1 comments
8 Apr 2015 Dread Sovereign

Have a Like for sticking to L337, and keeping it a thing.