An Invitation to Die

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Ber 2658

So, typically 'Jinteki MindGames' are limited to advanced cards in remotes - run it or don't run it? A lot of runners deal with this by just slamming HQ and/or R&D, ignoring the remotes, especially anything advanced.

The idea with this deck, is to focus on flatline shenanigans using ice - this way, we bring the MindGames (TM) to the central servers. What now, runner scum?

So, we're trying to build one of several ice combos to flatline the runner during a run, out of the following (each listed outermost ice first):

  • Whirlpool, RSVP, Shinobi ( + Corp Troubleshooter if required, for RSVP)

  • Whirlpool, Chum, Shinobi ( + Corp Troubleshooter if required, for Shinobi)

  • Shinobi, Corp Troubleshooter, MONEY

Hopefully, there is enough variations of kill combos here to be able to build one or two of them reliably.

This is not a particularly cheap combo of ice to rez, and we're going to have to rez all the parts of the combo at once, so we need to be rich. To get there, I've put in 10 transaction operations, plus Subliminal Messaging to hopefully help a bit early, then taunt the runner into making the fatal run later. No Celebrity Gift, as that would spoil the surprise, plus reveal the total lack of Shocks or Snares in HQ.

Jackson Howard helps the deck in 3 ways big ways: digs for combo pieces and money, recycles agendas we don't want to score right now, and recycles economy operations for further profit.

Also, we need a window of time to assemble this combo, during which the runner is preferably not even seeing cards in R&D or HQ where possible (again, don't want to spoil the surprise), so we want some real cheap EtR ice to hopefully occupy them for a few turns. For that, we've got Himitsu-Baku, Paper Wall, and some Quandaries. We don't bother with early-game sentries as the runner isn't likely to run until they have either a killer or AI breaker installed (this should win us a couple of turns too).

An AI icebreaker could really ruin our fun, by letting the runner break Whirlpool, so we have two Swordsmans to help get rid of those. Also the Himitsu-Bakus and Paper Walls are both good at getting rid of Knights.

Lastly, we have a plan B in the Jinteki PE identity, Fetal AI, Philotic Entanglement and 3x Neural EMP - if things are going pear-shaped for our combo, these cards may let us sneak in a flatline from poorly timed Agenda thefts.

(Other cards I think could possibly help but didn't fit in this build: House of Knives and Hokusai Grid are both tools that could add on an extra net damage to a run on centrals.)

So what do you think? Do you reckon you could make it work? Any ideas on how to improve it?

2 comments
23 Apr 2014 bubo

If you take a look at my Finger Snap V.3 deck, you'll see my attempt at making Whirlpool function. The problem that I ended up having was getting that Whirlpool clogs up your tempo in hand during Phase 1. Considering that you are using Honor and Profit cards, I'm really surprised that you don't include a full suite of Inazumi. Inazumi into Shinobi is a really painful turn for the Runner with a serious chance of flatline, and Inazumi into any of the other Jinteki damage Sentries is still a hard turn for the Runner to recover from.

With the fact that you are wanting to entice the Runner, I'm surprised that you did not start with the Jinteki Replicating Perfection identity. While matching PE with Fetal AI does make an alternate win condition, there are other Jinteki plan B combos that work well with Jinteki RP. Mushin no Shin works well with any trap card, even non-advancement traps like Snare! As an added benefit of the Jinteki RP identity is the synergy that exists between the traditional Runner reaction and Success Demonstration for a nice economy pop.

This deck really screams for a Project Junebug or two as a better alternative win condition. If the game drags on into Phase 3, then the Runner is going to know that any card advanced in a Remote will be an Agenda. That's a perfect time to drop a Project Junebug for a surprise flatline (and if you incorporate Mushin no Shin into this deck, then the chances of a surprise late game Junebug flatline gets closer to 95%).

24 Apr 2014 Ber

I started without using H&P cards actually, and didn't reconsider all the H&P cards once I started using them. You're right, Inazuma definitely belongs in this deck. Maybe instead of Chum? Inazuma -> Shinobi plus some money is going to kill a lot of runners.

I've been playing a lot of Jinteki RP for the last month or two, so I was looking to use a different identity but you make a pretty good case for it with this deck. Successful Demonstration is good with RP, but there really needs to be 2-deep ice, or ice that just ends the run + a remote to run before it works. I guess that could work with Jackson if I just install him them not rez him for a turn / until run.

Junebug and Mushin no Shin will be awesome, agreed. Maybe they would be a better alternate win condition, although I was trying to get away from advancable ambushes here. Definitely, Mushin no Shin is going to be a card to try out extensively.