Medtech - Expedited Test Results

chasertalk 46

Like decks in HB that use Biotic Labor and NBN using SanSan/Psychographics, this Medtech decks uses a small combo of cards to score agendas from hand.

The combo is Mushin No Shin, any asset, and Trick of Light. Ideally, you use Mushin No Shin to install and advance an asset; on their turn, the runner either hits the trap and suffers its consequences or lets you use Trick of Light to score a 3-cost agenda from hand. PAD and Mental Health Clinic both provide the drip economy which though small, is only really needful for rezzing ice (Mushin No Shin takes out the economic burden of advancing and scoring). Archived memories allows you to put the combo back together on later turns.

The ice is the most fluid part of the deck and I'm most interested in play testing this particular selection and seeing how it fares.

The big weakness to this deck would seem to be a runner that's prepared to recklessly run into your traps and so as clear out the advancement tokens. However, I think this threat can be mitigated by the Junebugs and Plan Bs's, especially if you spend your final click each turn to give them a 4th advancement token - no one wants to prepare for and suffer 8 net damage.

6 comments
1 May 2014 MisterLovejoy

One thing to consider might actually be Mushin No Shin and trick of light on the same turn. That way if they run the plan B they're letting you score, and that's a 10 damage Junebug if hit.

1 May 2014 chasertalk

That would be pretty epic if I could pull it off, but it would require another advanced card. I think I could see myself doing something similar when I have Mushin No Shin, Junebug, but no agendas in hand - I could just load up the June bug and keep it stacked with 5 or more counters. This would mean the runner can't run in and hit the Junebug to clear it after I use trick of light to score an agenda

3 May 2014 primeape

Nice deck, I like this style of trap deck, and I'll be trying something similar. Do update if you learn anything from testing about the ice mix, with all the new ice it's a lot to test out.

One question I have is why medtech as the id? Is it for the smaller deck size or the reduced agenda target? Why not out of RP for instance? In RP your assets would get a little bit more protection and you could use sundew.

4 May 2014 romanoSoprano

Well, it's also a race deck, and in such, I at least believe there is no place for Unorthodox Predictions (would at least swap one for the 3rd Clone Retirement, which you can score from hand on its own or swap 2x for 1x NAPD contract and you cut an agenda).

I definitely like the usage of Plan B and Junebugs. But relying only on those is also this deck's weakness, as if they get accessed before installed, they are so cheap to trash (or right after you use the combo and there is only 1 token on them). Would probably swap: -1x Hive -1x HimitsuB, +2x Ice Wall. Those in turn are vulnerable to parasites, but hey, who said you have to rez them? :)

Only drip economy seems to be the other vulnerability - think Imp or Whizzard.

A question regarding Shi.Kyu - you use it mostly for securing the archives?

6 May 2014 chasertalk

Update: I tweaked the deck (added NAPD contract for the two Unorthodox Predictions). I tested the deck out with one match at my local game store. It won. Narrowly.

The good - the combo works beautifully. An early Mushin No Shin into a Junebug, with a fourth token for good measure locked the game for me. It was the only source I had for two tricks of light which gave me my first agenda and later the game winning agenda.

Shi.Kyu also bought me some beautiful room - the runner had taken four agenda points and he hit a Shi.Kyu in my hand. I made it painful enough that he chose the -1 agenda point. That's exactly what I wanted Shi.Kyu for, to make the race that much harder for the runner. It also combo'ed with a philotic entanglement for an extra net damage.

On the downside, I did feel the vulnerability of all my assets. Although the runner didn't touch my economy (he felt safer with my Mental Health Clinics), he was able to trash a number of my trap assets. I also ran into the problem of needing a Trick of Light to win the game and having no option but to keep drawing for it. I really want to get a precognition or two into the deck, most likely by cutting some trap assets. I think I'll also replace the pad campaigns.

On using Harmony Medtech - I really liked the identity with the build. Although RP would make remotes safer, I felt the added pressure worked in my favour and meant I only had to pull of my Trick of Light scoring twice, and got the final agenda out with a plain bluff.

SHORT CONCLUSION: I think I can drop 2 trap assets for 2 Precognition. Replace Pad Campaigns with some operation economy. Sadly, very little ice was rezzed so I'm not sure what I think of what I've got already.

8 May 2014 primeape

I played a couple of games with this last week, I think I won once and lost once, but I never used the combo, it was more bluffing and mind games type shenanigans. Which is actually really fun :). Both very close games I think 5-6 both times.

I found I was using mushin just for the Econ effect, makes me wonder if a little bit cheaper ice or maybe a little bit more Econ could also be worth trying out. Often I was totally unable to rez any ice and just had to click for credits. Unfortunately for ShiKyu, my opponent was running data dealer so it became a bit of a liability, I guess we'll have to see how popular the data dealer becomes.

The runner also left my assets alone and didn't hit R&D and HQ as much as he probably should have, since with only the one snare and lots of trashables, it's not as dangerous to access as Jinteki can be. Against more aggressive runners, this might be a problem though. Maybe extra shocks instead of the precogs? Fast track is another idea to get that last medical breakthrough, not sure where it would go though.

I totally back your decision on Harmony now, once you race to 6 once, it's hard to go back to having to score 7 :)