Giant Sucking Sound

tiedyedvortex 4789

"In the moment when I truly understand my enemy, understand him well enough to defeat him, then in that very moment I also love him. I think it's impossible to really understand somebody, what they want, what they believe, and not love them the way they love themselves. And then, in that very moment when I love them...I destroy them. I make it impossible for them to ever hurt me again. I grind them and grind them until they don't exist. --Ender Wiggin, Ender's Game

Sometimes, it isn't enough to merely win a game of Netrunner. Sometimes you need to awe and cow your opponent, to make them kneel before you and beg for mercy.

The idea is simple. Get down an Aryabhata Tech, or ideally two if you can manage it. Then, either score Restructured Datapool, or let the runner steal it and use Sol's ability to put a Media Blitz in permanent effect.

Then you bleed them dry.

As often as is necessary, spend a click to trigger the Datapool. Maybe throw in one or two credits to boost the trace, but not more than that. This gives them two choices:

  • If they pay through the trace, then they're spending 2 credits more than you (or 1, if they have a base link). Repeat until they go broke.

  • If they don't pay through the trace (or if they can't because you've already bankrupted them), then every time you trace them they take another tag, they lose 1 credit and you gain 1 credit for every Aryabhata Tech in play. At this point, you are essentially clicking for credits, while at the same time taking away what little money they have left, and piling on the tags.

Once you get them in this chokehold, there is essentially nothing the runner can do to escape. There is no way for them to earn enough money to clear their tags AND trash the Techs AND make successful runs through gigantic Resistors and Information Overloads.

The rest of the deck is pretty standard Sol. Paywall Implementation earns you money and turns on News Hound. Ride the AstroTrain. Score out with Biotic Labor or in a server with Ash 2X3ZB9CY. If you get them buried under enough tags, PsychoBeale for the win.

Two notable weaknesses of the deck are Magnum Opus decks and Security Nexus decks (or anybody with 2 or more link). A deck that can consistently go from 0 to 8 credits per turn can outpace your drain, and if the runner can beat the Datapool trace without spending money you can't effectively tax them.

However, these are generally fairly slow decks--just trust in the AstroTrain and score out before they get set up.

10 comments
30 Apr 2016 lolpaca

Really cool, I made something similar with this idea ages ago, but Aryabhata Tech really switches on the World's Suckiest 5/3.

30 Apr 2016 tiedyedvortex

I would disagree that Restructured Datapool is the worst 5/3. Labyrinthine Servers and Executive Retreat are definitely worse.

30 Apr 2016 lolpaca

It was more a reference to your deck name, but yeah I know it's not that awful.

1 May 2016 moistloaf

very mean

1 May 2016 Aesynil

I worry that with Sports Hopper being A Thing now, link will only be more prevalent. I personally am strongly considering running hopper over plascrete, and that is suddenly a lot of runners who have the link to ignore your tax.

1 May 2016 gandrasch

-2 paywall -1 biotic +2 jeeves for extra leech (and +2 sansan)?

2 May 2016 tiedyedvortex

@gandrasch I wouldn't take out the Paywalls without putting in other cheap currents like Targeted Marketing. You need to have a current active to make your News Hounds ETR. Also, Paywall is tons of economy and you'd have to swap it for something else.

Jeeves is hilarious, though. I don't think it enables the game plan enough to be worth including on its own, but you could hypothetically go -1 Biotic Labor -1 Ash 2X3ZB9CY. +2 Jeeves Model Bioroids (paying the full influence cost.)

4 May 2016 Zeromus

What about Primary Transmission Dish? You can essentially turn recurring credits into real credits with Aryabhata.

5 May 2016 cortexjackal

So I have been trying to build a deck around Aryabhata Tech and this thing is the closest I've found in functionality. Everyone wants to trash that asset so you have to protect it. I've been testing this out and it's either a huge failure or a very painful success. You really do just grind the runner into submission. I think I just need more skill piloting it. I like the Paywall Implementation it because it helps you get money while you set up the Arybhata + Restructured Datapool combo. I haven't used the Biotic Labor yet but just the astros and the Fast Track do wonders. Ideally I aim to score a Datappool because it's 3 points and the Media Blitz is a good backup but it's 2 to play it, which can hurt, especially if they are running any currents which turn off your plan. I'm still testing it and having fun. I don't know what (if any) tweaks I will make. So far I always get the cards I need when I need them. I want to find space for Snatch and Grab because I think it would go great with the deck. I also wish Manhunt was not so expensive, because that + Aryabhata Tech would be just bonkers. Anyways, thanks for this list! This is my kinda jank! (also bump for the Enders Game reference).

27 May 2016 ericbtool

both tollbooth and info-overload are ICE that close the game out. I think ditching one of them for another archangel is a good thing to try. Cheaper mid-game friendly ICE that gives you another trace.

Hope this deck works!