Tl;dr: Nyashia is once per R&D breach (3rd Sunset AMT)

sealgo 38

I want to take you through the process of building this deck, if you find any flaws, please let me know! It's my first real deckbuild, so I'm happy about feedback.


Sunset Deckbuilding Philosophy

My assumption was Standard decks > specific Sunset decks > Standard decks w/ replacements for Daily Casts etc

Also, the latter is a bit against the spirit of the format :) With that in mind, i started to look for some alternative runner engines and stumbled upon a long time pet card of mine, Aesops.

Start of deckbuilding

I began with the shell from Pichacao, i choose you, since Startup doesn't know a lot of the banned cards and seemed like a reasonable starting point. Swapped banned cards, K2CP for Takobi, added Aesops, 3x Simulchip and a Q-Loop, removed the Fermenter (Aesop hates them), a few more minor changes. I even added a Clot (because that's what you do in Standard). Finally, to make my (really) janky engine work, i removed one Hermes and added 3 Penumbral Toolkit

That deck is probably crap, trying to rely on the Penumbrals for some weird HQ pressure and econ.

Changes after playing it a few games and feedback from the meetup group

1x Hermes is just a chance element and not worth it. Same goes for 1 Q-Loop. The whole Penumbral plan is prime Jank (and trying to be way too efficient). Removed the Penumbrals, added 2nd Q-Loop and Hermes. Also, i think i tossed the Clot for a Docklands Pass around here.

What Aesops is really about

During the next games I finally realized how to maximize Aesops more. Be opportunistic, not only efficient. That goes both ways, sell him smth (and your grandma) if you're probably not going to use it in the next 2-3 turns. But also, Install something for 1-2 credits if you might use it in the next few turns, it creates a boardstate out of 2-3 creds that can be turned back into 3 creds at will. And ofc, Sell him the 1 Charge Teleworks and Q-Loop at the end of the deck. Bottom Line of this, Aesops creates strategic options. From maths, we know that these have non-negative value :)

Last minute changes

I had this nagging thought that Conduit and Pichacao are not ideal in combination with Aesops, since you don't really want to sell either of them. So i looked through the available choices and stumbled upon Nyashia, which seemed to do everything i wanted (and more). Install it for 2 creds, dump all the counters on an R&D run, sell it. Don't think i need to mention that this isn't how the card works, but you can see live on stream how i tried to summon exodia. Card is still good, i think.

Specific Card Choices

1x Aesops I started at 2x, but really don't want to find it until the mid game. The deck seems to draw quick enough.

3x Diesel and 3x Nuka Here's the necessary draw, to make up for no SMC, 1x Aesops and find those inf heavy Hermes/Q-Loop. Also, Nuka is bonkers with Aesops. People complain about it being 3clicks+1cred to draw 6, but with Aesops it can turn into 2 clicks for 3 cards and 2 creds at will. That's Diesel and a 1x Magnum Opus use, pretty good!

2x DZMZ Can be installed by Q-Loop, increases Aesops Value. Also, we can do quite some things with the extra MU.

1x Docklands and 1x DJ HQ pressure (w/ Steve)

3x Propeller What a power card in this deck. Good by itself, but w/ one DZMZ installed, it becomes a click for three credits, or for +1 Echelon strength (3 creds+3creds=6creds). And you even get to use it in between.

3x Nyashia Kind of our wincon, even w/o dumping everything at once. You have to be more opportunistic about using it, but that just fits the spirit of this deck. Maximize DZMZ value :)

1x Paricia For those asset matchups. But also it's just a click for 3 credits :)

1 comments
3 Mar 2024 awildturtok

I saw some of these boardstates yesterday and had a good laugh. Congrats on the placement!