SlySquid's Replicating Tentacles

SlySquid 4751

Ahoy hoy, For anyone that has been a fan of Bad Publicity from the start you'll already know how much I love Jinteki as a faction, even more so that I'm a Replicating Perfection player since it's release, with that in mind know that this deck has gone threw every posable phase a deck could, from shell game goodness to the powerhouse taxing deck it is today...

Every choice has been in the interest of taxing the runner all the way down to the ID itself, it's prop the most abused card in the deck and really guides the play style which is "force the runner to play on your terms, and tax him on the way", something that is easily done because the ice I've chosen for the most part is something that must be dealt with and there for will cost credits to do so. Let's talk about my choice of ice for a sec and let's start with my fav #Yagura, simple, cheap and very flexible for me, it does everything this deck wants to accomplish, first being "making sure all my centrals have an ice that must be broken when interacted with" because that one damage will add up over time but also it allows me to control what you'll see and to a greater existent what I'll draw, it's great at the start of the game because it makes people not want to hit R&D at all (which 95% of the time it's on) until they have an answer for it (which always cost them more in the long run) and at the end of the game when the runner is frantically trying to score the agendas I'm advancing in my remote they have to make a choice, save the money breaking this small ice so I have a better chance getting to that agenda or let him get a controlled draw, it's a no win scenario for the runner... Most of the other ice fits in that bracket except #tollbooth, #Snowflake and Susan which I almost strictly use in remotes...

The economy is super high in this deck and at any given time be over 50 credits, if your facing denial just buckle down, and ice up all centrals and most importantly KEEP PLAYING THE ASSETS! Never let them stop you from playing and make it cost them an arm and a leg to trash them, because there will be a tipping point where they can't stop your income from flowing and once it does it's unstoppable...

Let's talk about some of my weirder choices... -Snowflakes has three main uses are, remotes (eaither early scores or sundew protection, but I almost never protect my assets), HQ for early Syphion protection (its best when it's the last peace of ice on the server so they can't just run it with no risk, it's just great to plug small holes) and lastly to tax (norm 2 credits) the runner on the servers they are most likely to run...

Gone are the days Jinteki was turning tricks for credits, we are loaded now, richest corp in my opinion, that means if the runner wants to waist clicks to make me spend a credit I'm over the moon. Think about an asset that said "pay a credit and the runner loses a click" THAT WOULD BE IN EVERY DECK!

It also let's me gage the runners "psi style" before we hit the all important Futiure Perfict later on in the game...

At the end of the day it is for all intent and purpose a wall of static that rezes of a credit, because you can't reliably pass the psi test....

It's a great ice and I never regret seeing it!

-Medical Research Fundraiser is a personal choice over Hedge Fund, and does what I want it to do better than HF, first of all it's easier to get out of Syphon lock because you only need 3 credits and i because you get 5 credits back it really helps late game to rez some very high ice... But I guess if you'd like to try this deck you could swap but I love the card...

This deck is no nonsense and has won every game but one I played in the last 3 tournaments, I'd say with the right pilot it's as top tear a deck can be...

37 comments
3 Aug 2014 thewbert

I see why you included Snowflake in this deck, but I think I would replace it with Himitsu-Bako just because I love that little puzzle box. Curious about Medical Research Fundraiser over Hedge Fund though. What's your reasoning on that one?

Anyway, I love where this is going. I might try something very similar.

3 Aug 2014 SlySquid

I ran Bako first but found everyone was using Corroder and inti so I figured I'd tax them more with an ice that's cheaper to rez...

As for my fundraiser I really just like only needing to have 3 credits over 5 to use it, it's easier to recover...

3 Aug 2014 x3r0h0ur

The best part of snowflake, besides it's 1 less to rez cost, is that people will sometimes try to psi through it, which is often a waste of a click when they bounce.

3 Aug 2014 SlySquid

Right!? It's even more after they run threw my centrals to get to it to bounce off...

4 Aug 2014 TheRobin

Did you never have the problem, that you had to put down snowflake early and they could run it for zero all the time, to either get free access or make you constantly pay? Or is it more used as a remote or lategame-only kind of ice?

4 Aug 2014 SlySquid

Great question TheRobin... Snowflakes three main uses are, remotes (eaither early scores or sundew protection, but I almost never protect my assets), HQ for early Syphion protection (its best when it's the last peace of ice on the server so they can't just run it with no risk, it's just great to plug small holes) and lastly to tax (norm 2 credits) the runner on the servers they are most likely to run...

Gone are the days Jinteki was turning tricks for credits, we are loaded now, richest corp in my opinion, that means if the runner wants to waist clicks to make me spend a credit I'm over the moon. Think about an asset that said "pay a credit and the runner loses a click" THAT WOULD BE IN EVERY DECK!

It also let's me gage the runners "psi style" before we hit the all important Futiure Perfict later on in the game...

At the end of the day it is for all intent and purpose a wall of static that rezes of a credit, because you can't reliably pass the psi test....

It's a great ice and I never regret seeing it!

6 Aug 2014 TheRobin

Thanks for the elaborate reply. That makes a lot of sense. :)

Btw, does this deck take long to win usually? I just ask, cause I played my last tournament with Red Coats and some games just took forever to finish, which can be very bad if there's a time limit, so I'm currently shying away a bit from big taxing decks, (especially if the opponent isn't used to playing these and takes some time to play his side of the match).

6 Aug 2014 SlySquid

You sir are welcome (;,;)

I find it to be right in the middle, some game are really fast and others are a little slower...

This deck is just super consistent and reliable, every move and choice is on your terms, your not waiting to react to what they plan on doing (eg: Midseasons and scorched) because every card has a specific purpose, which is not hard to see when you start playing the deck...

A few other things to say is I feel it's very strong against PrePayedKate, for what ever reason I win every matchup...

6 Aug 2014 Dydra

Do not take much offence in what I say, but there is hardly anything original in this deck.

Standart Ashe+ Caprice deck, that's been around for the past 3 months, that some people like to lable "red-coats" or whatnot ... but the truth is that it's simply an "ashe+caprice deck"

The most original things in the deck are the two Archived Memories and the Shiro, which I don't find as deck defining, because you neither run something like Snare to fully utilize the Shiro, neither have a Scorch that you archive memories for.

Don't get me wrong, the "ashe+caprice" deck is strong ( just open stimhack and see last 8 out of 10 RP that won tournaments), but just not original.

I like the snowflake, nice little twist to it ...

6 Aug 2014 SlySquid

No offence at all Dydra, Your very right it is using a tried and tested combo and I'm not trying to take credit at all with the design, but I know very few people that run Jinteki without traps and feel I have enough small things that I've added to call it my own...

I was just more so happy with the deck and wanted to share my final design, just take it for what it is my friend =) I is just sharing...

But in all fairness I have been growing this deck for months

6 Aug 2014 SlySquid

And 90% of the time people don't even try running my remote, after hitting my centrals a few times people don't even try... It becomes trying to R&D lock me...

6 Aug 2014 TheRyanBurke

I love this list. Great ICE choices and justification. What do you think about Reclamation Order over Archived Memories? Is the additional credit and click worth the possibility of retrieving 2-3 copies of a card? I guess it depends on what you use AM for most often. Seems like Interns perfectly fetch Ashe and Caprice back.

6 Aug 2014 jakechance

Is the ability of Shiro to rearrange R&D that powerful that it's still a good choice without any Snare!s or Shock!s?

6 Aug 2014 SlySquid

Great questions guys!

I'm a huge fan of using cards as soon as I draw them, so I like Archive Memory over Reclamation Order because I don't feel the need to wait to use it, and even more to the point 9 times out of 10 I'm bringing back an economy card, so I want to keep costs down... And ya can't get lower than free! I almost always use AC for celebrity gifts, it's so OP! So to recap, it's free and modular...

Now to talk about Shiro, First things first it's only a one of and I really don't rely on it at all, next it's really more about controlling my draw over punishing the runner because it does that threw making them waits clicks running my R&D and getting nothing but a better draw for me... Another thing I LOVE doing is when I know they are going to attempt a run on my remote and hitting Shiro just because it doesn't hurt them (like all the wall of thorns I have over my centrals) and not breaking it to save money, I love showing them an asset that they really really don't want me to have, like a Jackson or sundew, and forcing them to either lose money (which will more than likely hurt them on the run they want to make on my remote) or let me have a great card for later... It's a solid one of and it just really helps against random accesses on R&D...

7 Aug 2014 TonyStellato

This deck is what knocked me out in the North York Regionals Top 8. I was completely shut out by this thing, and playing against it definitely helped me rebuild and improve my own RP deck. Kudos to SlySquid!

7 Aug 2014 Exo

Would be nice if you could review it with Bad Publicity team :)

7 Aug 2014 SlySquid

Thanks Tony!!! Maybe I will do another Facebook only video soon about it...

7 Aug 2014 rantOclock

Loving the 3x Wall of Thorns, you don't see enough of them around these days.

7 Aug 2014 SlySquid

``@rantOclock` I know right...? They make the deck, until Morningstar hits the table... That card ruins like 40% of my deck lol

8 Aug 2014 Velo

Hey SlySquid, I'm really curious in the thoughts behind your Agenda selection. I find myself running something fairly similar, though because I run 3x priority req 3x future perfect and 3x clone retirement, I can't help but wonder, since you need minimum 2 turns in a remote to score anything, anyway, don't you want more bang for your buck? Sure ninsei's ability is powerful, but it does the same thing as Ash and Caprice do (And I usually find those to be enough, even though I run 1x ash). I run what I do because my deck started as an effort to reduce the variance in Tim's med tech deck, and so far its been great: like having a shikyu scored off the bat, and on top of that I can now run Archer. Anyway, I thought you might find a discussion on agenda selection interesting.

8 Aug 2014 SlySquid

Ahoy hoy @Velo!

I really hadn't put much thought into it, but now that I'm reading your post it makes a lot of sense. It's really hard to argue with you're choices (except Priority Requisition, I don't like giving away what ice I'm using... I feel it causes more problems than it salves, 9 times out of ten I rez a single cost ices) , it really is, but the few things I can say about the ones I've made are are this...

-our agenda density is almost identical (you at 8 me at 9) but I feel with you're choices your left with not many options other than IAA where as I like to instal, advance instal... It seems small but that extra click is huge in the long run.

-my next point is really based around my personal experiences and what a lot of my friends call luck. I'm a huge fan of only putting Yagura and Shiro on my R&D whichs makes digging threw my deck for cards not terribly hard for the runner, but for some reason it's the last place people score from, I just have faith and trust in the odds that I've built into my deck... Now that doesn't come without a few failsafes, the first and my fav being Nisei MK II with it's versatility I can use it to end runs on my remote but your right Ash 2X3ZB9CY and Caprice Nisei do that job fine, it's more for explosive cards like Account Siphon and Indexing ... The second is the fact that 6 of my 9 agendas have a built in failsafe

-I also have a few tricks up my sleeve with my 4/2, I love tossing a few agendas in archives to lower the risk of them being taken from my hand when I have a Jackson Howard on the board. Now more often than not I have some huge ice like Wall of Thorns or Tsurugi so the likely hood of someone running my archives often is slim (even more so when I have a Jackson Howard on the board), so two or three agendas will sit there all the time... Now fast forward to when I'm ready to start scoring and I pull the agenda out with Interns and advance to score next turn or Archived Memories it back, install, advance and score it next turn... This is a play I though would end up being very Edge case but it turns out I use it one out of three games, it's like engineering a Fast Track for the end of the game... It also adds a little insult to injury when the runner realizes he's been focusing on one thing wile I've had my win sitting in archives the whole time =)

I really don't know what else to say other than breaking down each individual agenda but I don't feel like I need to do that with you guys, you all seem to have a great handle on this game and it shows with your fantastic thought provoking questions.

What I will say is I think we both have great choices that could be argued for either way, I also think everyone would be right because it really does impact and reflect your individual play styles, even something that seems so small turns out to be every important.

"The whole is greater than the sum of its parts"

8 Aug 2014 bcavalier

I like it! I think its interesting how our two RP decks evolved so differently. netrunnerdb.com is mine. I'm surprised at your amount of Tax but not Teeth in this deck. I love the mass recursion though, super annoying to the runner when you've got all your centrals Iced up, and keep pulling Sundew's back and then throwing a Nisei II and advance in your Caprice/Ash Server. You can even start doing the Nisei Chain then too. I gotta agree with some of the criticism of Medical Fundraiser, in a taxing deck it seems really counter synergistic with your ICE. What do you think the next evolution will be?

8 Aug 2014 Velo

Wow thanks for honoring me with such a response Sly. I think at this point posting my own deck may give a bit clearer picture: netrunnerdb.com (Specifically, with my Ice I love priority req to death. Oh, and I am actually also running 9 agendas). Anyway, from what I can gather we diverge in that you prefer the extra click when scoring agendas, while I prefer the ability to score my last point out of hand. Would you say that is accurate?

9 Aug 2014 SlySquid

@bcavalier in all honesty, I have no plans to change it anytime soon... Im hoping for cards that are in fraction that do something similar to what I'm splashing for, of all the cards I've seen that I'm most excited for... It would prob be Ashigaru...

I'm going to plug your show again! Everyone should listen too SanSanSouth with @bcavalier It's my Fav Cast ATM, keep up the good work...

@Velo not a problem at all brother! And I'd say your 100% accurate, it's just two paths that lead to the same place, and that place is where all the happy little RP players go after they will all there games!

10 Aug 2014 GammaCodeX

Thoughts on Komainu over Tsurugi? To me it always seemed that Komainu is more taxing, cheaper to rez and hurts more to hit with the face in most cases. I know it "dies to parasite" even more than Tsurugi, and femme is kinda mean against it, but that means they arent femming your Tollbooth I gots to try it out though it looks really nasty :D

10 Aug 2014 SlySquid

@GammaCodeX All great points and all very true, it's the end run I love and the simple fact I don't have any cards to fallow up for the kill with Komainu

14 Aug 2014 Wolf88

If you had to replace the single Shiro, what would be your first choice? Also, what are your thoughts about Rainbow?

14 Aug 2014 SlySquid

Hey hey @Wolf88, Someone suggested replacing it with Lotus Field which I think is a great idea! One I may do myself... Rainbow is great, a nice taxing peace of ice, the reason it doesn't work in here is because it is easy to get threw and seeing as I have no traps 9 time out of 14 they are going to steal an agenda, you got to lock up your servers...

14 Aug 2014 SlySquid

Rainbow is better in an NBN tax deck that dosent care if you access cards or not, they are trying to bait you into running a SanSan and losing all your money anyway lol

15 Aug 2014 lqm

What do you think of Encryption Protocol netrunnerdb.com in this deck to make trashing assets even worse? I think I'd take out a tollbooth + an MHC to add 2 of them.

15 Aug 2014 SlySquid

I like them just fine, but they are not even as close to on par with Tollbooth... The point of the assets are to make the runner want to trash them, it's a damned if they do and damned if they don't, if you start protecting them than the whole balance may be thrown off... Try playing it as is and make small changes, don't start by cutting one of the best cards in the deck...

16 Aug 2014 wilk

Do you think it'd be worthwile to run Enhanced Login Protocols (maybe instead of Archived Memories)?

17 Aug 2014 SlySquid

No, i think Enhanced Login Protocol going to be great in a deck that plans around it using Archived Memories like im sure a fair amount of HB players will do.

Archived Memories is one of the most versatile cards in the deck, i want more not less...

17 Aug 2014 SlySquid

If you really want to try Enhanced Login Protocol (which i don't suggest) cut the Ash 2X3ZB9CY's @wilk

17 Aug 2014 wilk

OK, will do, thanks! I am not convinced that it will work, either, but the idea to make the runner pay 3 clicks to even begin attacking the remotes seems appealing to me. I am definitely going to try it out in RP.

11 Nov 2014 JohnnyMilton

I tried this out tonight and it's killer.

11 Nov 2014 SlySquid

Thanks @JohnnyMilton, glad you had fun!