Social Silhouette

Whrrrrr 173

"Show me the money!"

The core of the deck is basic Blackguard shenanigans. Get Snitch and Blackguard out as soon as possible to force the corp to rez ice and make your runs risk-free. Use Lucky Finds and Sure Gambles to quickly build up the credits for installing that beast. Then run everywhere! Sneakdoor Beta will help get you into HQ for extra exposure effects, courtesy of the badass in charge of this whole operation. After using Crescentus or Emergency Shutdown, you can get in for free again or force a new rez and put pressure elsewhere.

Now here's the really fun part. Silhouette has to take off her helmet and be friendly for once, but the benefits of Social Engineering definitely make it worth the sacrifice in dignity. When the corp has no choice but to rez ice, you can use that power to fuel your own economy. Let the corp recoup some funds, then play Social Engineering, followed by Infiltration, a run with Snitch, or triggering Silhouette's ability. All the exposure effects work like Forged Activation Orders thanks to Blackguard. But it's even better than FAO for this purpose because the corp has no option to trash the ice and prevent your income!

This works best on an expensive piece of ice that you have already seen, which is possible in multiple scenarios: could have Blackguard+Snitched earlier when the corp was too broke to rez, exposed it without Blackguard, or derezzed it. Derez and repeat your Social Engineering (I guess you came up with a new bribe?), or derez and use actual FAO to get rid of problem ice. And don't forget to thank the Compromised Employees who made the payoff even heftier.

Why not build a Nasir Meidan: Cyber Explorer deck instead? Because gaining credits off a rez cost is so much sweeter when the runner is in complete control. Nasir has no choice but to lose credits (which can be painful without perfect knowledge or preparation), whereas with this deck, it's the corp that has no choice. I much prefer it this way. ;)

Singleton suite of breakers because of low risk running and lengthy setup before they're absolutely necessary. Hopefully you can keep the corp broke and often get in the servers you really want for free. Social Engineering, Account Siphon, and Kati Jones will help pad your pockets for breaker installs and runs in the mid and late game.

I am certain there is a competitive version of this deck, but this is just a draft and mostly for giggles. If only I had room for Escher....

Thanks for reading my ramble.

20 comments
1 Aug 2014 esutter479

Escher would be more than willing to slip its way into your life...all you have to do is let your Gordian Blade rest and sub in a ZU.13 Key Master. :)

1 Aug 2014 esutter479

And of course, drop the Lucky Finds...I hear Dirty Laundry isn't terrible...

1 Aug 2014 caesar

I'd be nervous about only running one of each breaker. Sure, you can safely face-check with Snitch, but you could lose one to a Personal Evolution net damage or a Snare! and then you're in trouble.

1 Aug 2014 Whrrrrr

@esutter479 The purpose of the Lucky Finds is to help me build toward big installs like Blackguard early or Femme Fatale later on. Dirty Laundry only nets me 3 credits and relies on a successful run, which is harder to do before getting the rig out. So I think I'll keep them for now. However, dropping Gordian Blade and Corroder (adding crappier in-faction breakers) frees up the 5 influence for Escher. Might try that as an extra silly alternate build.

@caesar That's a fair point! I guess I'm willing to take the risk, but a more competitive verision of this might include multiples.

1 Aug 2014 Whrrrrr

@esutter479 On second thought I really like your Key Master substitition. I may drop Gordian Blade for ZU.13 Key Master, then use the 2 free influence for a third Lucky Find. I could drop 1 Compromised Employee to get back to 40 cards.

1 Aug 2014 Whrrrrr

Crap, I thought ZU.13 Key Master was only 1 influence but it's 2... Scrap that then.

2 Aug 2014 mtblocks

Parasite instead of Lucky Find :D You've got -heaps- of economy already, and you need something to get around ice that has been exposed. Also Satellite Uplink would essentially be free to play with one Compromised Employee out - perhaps worth a look instead of Infiltration.

I would be tempted to take out one Snitch and the Faerie to put in two Inside Jobs too, but that's just me :D

2 Aug 2014 iceim

@Whrrrrr I like this deck. But find that I can't control it well. Can you tell me some knack ? I have to find the Blackguard first or without Blackguard is OK ? the corp is too rich And I don't know which is the first thing I have to do .... yes I seldom use the blue ^_^

4 Aug 2014 Whrrrrr

@mtblocks Good ideas! I need to do some playtesting and find out what's more important. I definitely like Parasite, though I'm not sure about the Satellite Uplinks.

@iceim The deck works best with Blackguard but it should still work ok without it. Depending on how much you rely on it, you could consider a mulligan if you don't see it in your opening hand. Without Blackguard, you should get out a Snitch or Faerie before running against any ice. Run with Sneakdoor Beta until they put ice on Archives, then you can trash it to get your MU back for breakers. Special Order your breakers, clear piles of money off Kati Jones, and run with a full rig and lots of cash on hand. Use the other tricks like Account Siphon, Forged Activation Orders, Crescentus and Emergency Shutdown.

Feel free to change around any cards from other's suggestions or your own ideas. Everyone has a different play style after all. I'd say the basic knack is just exploiting runs on servers wherever the Corp is weakest, and trying your best to make them pay for ice again and again, especially if you can predict a spot where Social Engineering will work. (Btw, Social Engineering before Forged Activation Orders will usually work, it's just more fun to force the rez with Blackguard+expose.)

4 Aug 2014 PackBenPack

I'm running a very similar deck that I'm going to publish soon. I find that you could probably take out the 2 infiltrations. I used to run them, but the more I played the more I found that I don't need them if I have Blackgaurd and Snitch. I would put in a second HQ interface. I also used to run Queen's Gambit instead of Lucky Find just for the laughs.

4 Aug 2014 PackBenPack

Also get hyped for Bribery, which will make this deck 10x as good. In-faction Vamp that you don't even need to have a successful run to activate!

4 Aug 2014 iceim

@Whrrrrr thank you for your suggestion, I have tried the deck the day before yesterday and find it really interesting. I think I will use the deck again and again and try to do some modify when I know it well. expect your other new deck. Thank you.

6 Aug 2014 Whrrrrr

Wow @PackBenPack Bribery would be amazing! Unfortunately I don't think it works with Blackguard. :( Based on the ruling for Archer, the corp can decline to rez despite Blackguard if there is an additional cost involved. So they can also decline to rez when the runner plays cards like Running Interference and Cortez Chip. By the way, have you ever played Queen's Gambit followed by Exploratory Romp? Laughs for days. :D

@iceim Thanks for checking it out! Hope you enjoy playing it. I aim to post a corp deck pretty soon.

I found the deck was a little too slow for me, so I changed some cards around to be able to amp up the early game and keep the corp on their toes. Current version of the deck: -2 Lucky Find, -2 Infiltration, -3 Compromised Employee. +1 Kati Jones, +1 Special Order, +2 Parasite, +2 Inside Job, +1 Satellite Uplink. I may drop the Satellite Uplink for a third Inside Job, but it is nice to have at least one card for exposing what's installed in a server, without having to run HQ first.

6 Aug 2014 Whrrrrr

@mtblocks I took your advice for a few tweaks. Details are in my previous comment.

6 Aug 2014 iceim

@Whrrrrr Lucky Find give you enough money to install Blackguard and do other things. Infiltration can do some combo with Social Engineering , Compromised Employee is slow but useful. when change them, I am afraid the money is not enough

6 Aug 2014 Whrrrrr

@iceim Playing the new build is the only way to find out. Most of the changes are there to prevent the corp from going unchallenged in the early game. My hope is that finding Kati Jones earlier will be enough extra money for installs - that's why the third copy was added. Social Engineering can still be successful with Forged Activation, and I could Snitch/expose to give me the hint on whether the targeted ice will get rezzed. Once it's rezzed I can put a Parasite on there. Meanwhile I add money to Kati each turn until I can clear enough for Blackguard. You are right, though. It still may not be enough, but we'll see.

6 Aug 2014 iceim

OK , I will try it ,thank you

9 Aug 2014 iceim

@Whrrrrr Yesterday I test the deck again and found a problem. This deck has only one icebreak each type. So how to deal with the Power Shutdown

17 Aug 2014 roninbodhisattva

I don't know if you'd have space, but what about a Legwork? Seems to synergize nicely with Silh's ability while giving you some multi-access

27 May 2015 Clutchpedal

you need tag avoidance (new angeles city hall maybe?) and/or plascrete. And Jackson Howard help you if they have any damage or program trashing. But I've been thinking about a silhouette/blackguard combo, and it's cool (but not worth getting fear and loathing)