Speed Kills: Cybernetics Division Scorch

DrunkenGineer 854

Here's an untested decklist for the new HB identity, Cybernetics Division. Its main goal is to rush a Self-Destruct Chips to lock the runner's max hand size down to 3, then leverage the hand size decrease into the age-old SEA Source-Scorched Earth combo.

Because of your small hand size, you can't keep many combo pieces around. This is counteracted by needing one fewer piece to make the kill combo happen (which you also acquire faster thanks to the smaller deck size). The deck's ice are mainly used to drain the runner of his money.

Chips are integral to the deck's strategy, so we want 3 to see them early. NAPD Contracts are more tax, and Project Wotans are around just to keep agenda density down.

Biotic Labor can be used to FA the Chips, mostly. Subliminal Messaging is just around to bait runs. Archived Memories can bring back a Scorch in case you weren't able to blow the runner up and can tag them again.

5 comments
19 May 2015 Trypios

yet, everybody runs Beach Parties in the current meta...

20 May 2015 Saan

I would hazard to say that no one good is running Beach Party.

20 May 2015 Saan

My one criticism is that this deck might be a bit light on cash to reliably get off the SEA trace with enough cash left over for the Scorch, especially after using 7 bucks to FA out the Self-D Chips. However, I absolutely love the idea.

I guess another problem is that if you can't find an SEA in time (or the Scorches), the game gets a lot harder.

20 May 2015 DrunkenGineer

@Saan, I'd probably agree with you on not having enough money, especially against a runner that doesn't let you tax them with ice. Against a more patient runner, I'd be inclined to rush SDC out behind Paper Wall and/or Enigma rather than burn a Biotic. I just think that between the draw and the small deck size, you'll be able to hit SDC and some way to score it early, then Sea-Scorch soon after.

And you never know; if someone builds a tier 1 hand size strangulation deck, people might just start running hand size boosters.

20 May 2015 Trypios

@Saan Yeah, no good Shaper plays Beach Parties now days...especially not Adjusted Chronotype and Game Day to draw the whole deck in a few turns, not a single good player...I wonder what defines a good runner? Same old archetypes I guess.

First of all, it's this narrow minded thinking that ruins the game. I played enough games in the past with Andy + Theophilius Bagbiter to draw the whole deck by turn 5-8 and had a good score over OCTGN by the element of surprise. Same thing happens with BP and GD now, with Shapers.

Second of all, not everything has to be top Tier. I already gave my like to this deck prior to my comment. Still, I don't think this is top Tier... just casual play. If the runner plays a good deck, he will destroy this one with his SMCs and what not. The corp won't manage to sneak out a single SDChip, without Biotics. If the runner plays let's call it tier2 according to you, with BParties, he will still destroy this deck.