Weekend At Bernays' - PGS/GG SC - Top Swiss - MWL 2.0

“We are governed, our minds are molded, our tastes formed, our ideas suggested, largely by men we have never heard of.”

- Edward L. Bernays

Took top in Swiss @ Guardian Games SC and second in Swiss at the Portland Game Store, losing only twice across two events. I don't think this type of deck is particularly healthy, but since it's now no longer legal...

This is the way Spark was meant to be played: a Dead Space-ian, prison-like torture chamber. Added points for saying "Buy Now!" every time you rez an ad. At one point I thought that a card like Rebranding Team was in here only to try to satiate my hunger for flavor, but it has absolutely earned its spot in the deck. Highlights include being able to Ad Blitz back MCA Austerity Policy (w/ Reversed Accounts & other nasty assets) in multiple games.

Like any advertising agency, the goal of the deck so to make decisions for the consum.. I mean, runner. Sure, they could ignore all your assets and attack centrals - except you're stealing their clicks and threatening fast advance, annoying them while getting rich with advertisements, recurring nasty cards, protecting HQ with Whampoa Reclamation, and threatening to bankrupt them with Reversed Accounts. A diversity of threats, all requiring a different response, make it difficult for the runner to make good choices.

You have two win conditions. The main one of course is BOOM!. Finding it without a way to tutor it is a bit annoying, but once you find it, hold on it. Leave it in archives to be later pulled back out with the Shannon Claire + Whampoa Reclamation combo. Second is fast advance. Psychographics, MCA Austerity Policy & Project Beale actually make this a considerable threat. Once you're on 4 points, getting to 7 isn't as hard as you might think. Notice how both are made easier once you land Hard-Hitting News? Do that.

KEY STRATEGIES

Early Game -

MCA Austerity Policy: Get this on the table ASAP. Use Tech Startup to get this 95% of the time if you haven't found it yet. Protect it with a #Prisec behind a Pop-up Window.

AR-Enhanced Security: What's better than being Spark? Being Spark AND CTM. Once this is scored winning is significantly more likely. Bait it as an advertisement when the runner has extra threats to deal with. Seriously, turn one put this behind a resistor and go. If they run, HHN and Spark them to death. It's a win win.

Late Game -

Shannon Claire/Whampoa Reclamation: This combo has been discussed before, but it's use with Museum of History is at an end. Remains to see if this shell can survive without all three together.

Reversed Accounts: Another good target for your startup as it starts on the table, making your turn robbing the runner of credits.

Zealous Judge: Follow up with this guy after the runner gets Prisec-ed or a HHN lands. If trashing him means they have to take another tag from AR-Enhanced Security, well then...

Hades Shard: If you can score this with either of your FA tricks, suddenly you can use Shannon Claire with impunity. Hot stuff.

All Game -

Never click for credits. It's fine if you're bankrupt so long as the runner is too. None of your stuff costs money except the Trollbooth (which is mainly used for super-taxing a server late game).

Spark's ability is super solid to get a running into range of HHN. Also useful if they decide they want to clear and have to click for credits back into the 5-10 range. Make sure you get triggers on both sides.

Scarcity of Resources: Against Shapers it's stupid strong, use it ASAP. Against Anarch, hold it until they play Hacktivist Meeting.

The upgrade bois - Never play them on a server where you're going to put a PAD Campaign.

Prisec: One on a remote you want to protect with something good, one on a central that you want to make a pain in the ass. Once AR-Enhanced Security is down these things are monsters.

Product Placement: Bluffs as Prisecs #4 & #5, also can be used late game to troll the runner into losing 1 credit when they need it most. Also annoying with AR-Enhanced Security.

Mumbad Virtual Tour: Bluffs as Prisec #6, also annoying.

I'm thinking this deck might be dead with MWL 2.1, but time will tell.