NEXT Tech Support Hotline V2

Contrast 1848

A new NEXT strategy that I've been testing with brutal results.

The objective is simple: Get IT department online quickly. Keep hands with a good amount of cheap ice and tutor or play IT department ASAP.

Using operation econ and before the Runner can set up, accumulate counters on IT department. As the game progresses, keep stacking ice above IT so the Runner can't get in with Inside Job, D4V1D or other dirty tricks.

Once you're around 7 counters or higher, you can start focusing on protecting the centrals with ice that the runner doesn't want to mess around with. Fenris, Rototurret and Architect are perfect in centrals, because if the runner intends to "bait you" to spend IT counters they are going to regret.

Once you are sure the Department is completely safe, start scoring agendas behind a decent remote, and you're set.

You can also play rush and IAA a 3-pointer in front of a Paper Wall early on. If that's your thing, the deck is built for it.

Executive Retreat provides a form of milling protection in the late game. Ash is there to protect the IT server, and maybe the scoring server if you have an ash to spare.

5 comments
24 Dec 2014 Humanoids

Why do you have 3 executive retreat? There are better 5/3 agendas...

24 Dec 2014 Contrast

@Humanoids If you read this game report, you will see why :P

www.reddit.com

I'm curious though: Which 5/3 agendas do you think are better? Priority Requisiton isn't good in this deck (all ice is very cheap) and Wotan is literally useless. I have the three fragments already, so I'm not sure which one you mean!

25 Dec 2014 king_mob

I like this a lot. Im an HB player myself, and i really dig decks that focus on what HB does better than anyone - punishing glacier. My only concern is that a runner can force you to waste counters protecting fenris and rototurret from parasites, and then force you into using clicks to get back to the point where IT dept is a threat. The tempo hit could be hard to recover from.

14 Apr 2015 cmcadvanced

you can't really protect rototurret from a parasite, and fenris would only last 1 turn really. I use next gold, guard and grail for my IT department shenanigans. This deck looks a little faster than mine though, and I'm interested in how consistent it is. Also, ETF

15 Apr 2015 rnishimura

Great deck! What do you think about substituting NAPD Contract by Efficiency Committee? Not only it doesn't anti-synergize with Fenris, but you can also used the extra clicks to boost IT Department.

Also, what do you think about including some Tech Startup to tutor IT Department saving some influence to put some Jackson Howard?