Mindfields

The core of every Never Advance deck is a shell game: Hide your agendas in your remotes and hope the Runner doesn't steal them, while the rest of the deck is built to discourage the Runner from doing so. This deck achieves it by fear of death. It's pretty effective. Combined with the fact that if the Runner is not afraid, it can win you the game.

While not the go-to plan for every game, I've scored a naked Astro several times with this deck. Sure, go ahead and check it, for a chance to lose all cards in your grip, and if it's your last click, or sometimes the second last, for a chance to die.

Psychic Field

Most of the time, you'll want to install Psychic Field on a new remote like any other non-Melange asset, preferably sooner rather than later, because it only works while installed. In late game, you'll want to bait runs on your deepest remote, and don't forget that Psychic Field triggers from exposes, too!

Coincidentally, you'll prefer to install this card when the Runner is poor (not that you should wait for that to happen), just like you do with an agenda: If the Runner barely makes it in, there's a chance they'll be at less than two credits for a guaranteed loss at the psi game.

Most of the time, you won't get to flatline the Runner after Psychic Field hits, but the fact that they just lost their entire grip makes it well worth it, plus they'll now think twice before accessing your next remote... which is good, because there are more agendas in the deck than there are Psychic Fields.

A small thing to bare in mind is that Psychic Field can be safely accessed with zero cards in the Runner's grip, which is why I've included a single Snare! over a third Neural EMP (or possibly an Architect) in the deck. Although... now that I revisit this, if the Runner has an empty grip, I'd be happier with an extra Neural EMP in HQ than a Snare! on a remote.

Biotic Labor

The first iterations of this deck went with SanSan rather than Biotic Labor, but almost always, SanSan was only used to score a single agenda (if any). The thing about Never Advance is that you actually get to score the occasional agenda without FA tools.

Biotic Labor is a much more reliable way to score a single agenda than SanSan is, because it can't be easily trashed and is cheaper to use (click and 2 credits). On top of that, when SanSan is trashed from R&D or HQ, it gives the Runner easier access to more cards. With the addition of Archangel from D&D, the ice suite is pretty solid even with zero influence spent on it, so adding in a second Biotic Labor is also possible.

Melange Mining Corp.

MMC goes hand in hand with ETR ice and with expensive ice. They're BFFs with Tollbooth (and they can even make that long-distance thing work with MMC on a remote and Tollbooth on R&D). Expensive ice slows the game down, which is necessary for you to be able to bluff agendas with assets. MMC helps you rez those expensive ice, or at least forces a run on your deepest remote.

Explode-a-palooza

While the game plan is to never advance, an early Explode-a-palooza can be used to create a tempo swing in your favor by advancing it once behind end-the-run ice while the Runner has no breakers out yet. This forces them to install a breaker, which hurts their economy and boosts yours, even more so if you leave the ETR ice unrezzed. The alternative is that the Runner doesn't install the breaker and you get to score the agenda with three Astros remaining.

Alternatively, you could install it as a new remote and let it sit there untouched so the Runner might mistake it for a Psychic Field. Or just keep it in HQ. Or whatever. It's pretty hard to use it wrong.

Cyberdex Virus Suite

Cyberdex Virus Suite is mostly a meta card that can be swapped for a Blacklist, PAD Campaign, or an extra Neural EMP or Biotic Labor (with some additional changes; see variations below). Your game plan is not completely ruined if your Biotic Labor gets trashed with an Imp, and you have the means to make running R&D expensive against Mediums.

Variations

Data and Destiny

• -1 Breaking News
• -2 Enigma
• -1 Little Engine
• +1 15 Minutes
• +3 Archangel

2nd Biotic Labor

• -2 Architect
• -1 Cyberdex Virus Suite
• +1 Bastion
• +1 Grim
• +1 Biotic Labor

...or...

• -1 Architect
• -1 Snare!
• +1 Bastion
• +1 Biotic Labor

3rd Neural EMP

• -1 Architect
• -1 Cyberdex Virus Suite
• +1 Bastion
• +1 Neural EMP