[Startup] Cards=Credits

LGetlander 58

So this decks aim is to print money using operations + the ID ability to pay for all the big ice and The Holo Man advancements in a single huge remote. No Punitive Counterstrike here, we win off points!

So going through each card type and the notable cards from these groups:

Agendas: We aim to score out 7 points using a mixture of NA and FA tools, and whilst we do have 11 agendas in the decko, we have more tools than most corps to mitigate flooding, and half of them have useful expend effects if we can't score them. They grant us strong tutor+recursion tools, which can help with getting whatever is the card we need (generally more money and recursion)

Assets: We only have 1 real asset with Hearts and Minds, being in the deck mainly as an ok "random" in-faction asset to be trashed by the runner for the cards that care about there being assets in archives (as Spin Doctor almost always RFGs rather than being trashed). And if the runner ignores the Hearts and Minds, you can get great value out of the free counters and NA potential it has.

Operations: This is the core of the deck, along with the ice. You want to play one of these a turn for the ID ability, which combined with these are all of your economy. The only non-transaction operation is the Seamless Launch, which is in as a last influence dip and great tutor/recursion target as an NA tool. Armed Asset Protection is generally better later, often ending up as a net 5 from 2 credits, so waiting to use them if possible is generally worth it.

Upgrades: Theres more than strictly needed so that at least one of these gets in archives for synergies. The Holo Man is one of the cornerstones of the deck as its very strong, especially in a deck that can afford to use it many times. Tucana is nice tutor, mainly for the Descents as that's cheapest. Isaac Liberdade makes your ice even taller and generates counters, and Crisium Grid is a very strong tech card atm with the current startup meta runners. Put it on whatever central server messes with the runner faction the most when you have a free click and let them suffer.

Ice: This is the other cornerstone of the deck, comprising mostly of large advanceable barriers with Pharos, Logjam and Tree Line. You want at least one of these on every server, preferably as many as possible.

The Descents are in the deck as additional tools against flooding, and are great ways to fetch agendas out of archives, along with gearcheck etrs/dummy outer ice vs Crim bypass. The Valentão are chunky pricy code gates that leverage your high credit total and occasional tags from your other ice. Its also quite good vs Seb. The Bad publicity can also be avoided with a scored Eminent Domain.

Hammer is just one the best Weyland sentries in startup atm, and Archer is a one of just for the Eminent Domain score. Otherwise, try to avoid drawing/playing it. (It can be ok if you have an already scored Domain to spend for it).

The Identity Nuvem SA: Law of the Land: Yes I'm giving this its own section, as the ID effects nearly your every turn, and getting the max value out of it is how you win games. Namely, taking advantage of not just trashing undrawn, potentially unwanted cards for money now, but also the information is grants by allowing you to peak at your next draw. It allows you some safeguard vs single accesses on R&D, and knowledge of what will be trashed/shuffled away using The Basalt Spire,Project Atlas.

Keeping a strong poker face and not taking too long deciding whether to trash or not is important as well, as if you hesitate to trash with an un-iced archives, the runner may suspect an agenda. Don't be scared to trash potentially good cards/agendas, money is also good and you have many recursion tools.

The deck overall is very good at manipulating where it's cards are, and a lot of that is at Paid Ability Speed. To abusing this to mitigate risk of losing agendas is key in closer games.

In terms of matchups, Valentão has already been said to be good against Seb, and all your tall ice can last a bit vs Arruaceiras Crew if you play it right and purge the Leech. Many tall ice is also good vs Mercury and Crim in general, making their econ suffer. Kit is annoying but slowish, and Hammer can be real nasty if they neglect their killer. And almost all of Arissana's tools get bullied by the barriers and Descents ability to return to hand, trashing hosted trojans.

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