Designing the rush (6-1 in testing)

HolyMackerel 1495

AGENDAS! SCORE THEM! ON THE DOUBLE!

Is Fastrobiotics too slow for you? Have you never scored a 3/5 in your life and want to keep it that way? Is any deck without Fast Track just not worth it? Is "Glacier" a foul word in your mind? Welcome to NEXT Design. We've got you covered.

This is the most blisteringly fast deck I've ever played (apart from The Flash, but this is more consistent). An ideal game lasts 8 turns, where you score on turns 2, 4 and 6, and use Domestic Sleepers for that last point. Naturally, that's the dream scenario, but it's not unrealistic.

A typical first turn looks like this:

Install Pop-up on R&D, Viper on HQ, Chimera on remote. Draw 3 cards. Click one, play Hedge Fund or Sweeps Week. Click 2, install Hopper. Click 3, advance Hopper. Score it turn 2. You're closer to victory.

Previously, I've been running the Mandatory Media combo, but I really needed the influence for Sweeps Week, and the combo just wasn't cutting it.

In the future, we're interested in adding Corporate Sales Team as another amazing second-turn score, as well as Vanilla as THE ULTIMATE gearcheck ICE. When it comes out, we can finally cut Paper Wall and Wall of Static.

Thoughts and suggestions are always appreciated.

11 comments
3 Mar 2016 Furio

Does this work against shapers? They put down SMC and you're boned.

3 Mar 2016 ren666

-1 Popup +1 Wraparound just to give you that little bit of extra chance to score turn 2 or 4 vs Faust?

4 Mar 2016 HolyMackerel

@Furio: You just need to read the matchup. If you're playing against a Shaper, put down a gearcheck, and on turn 1 another one. Suddenly, an SMC won't get them in, and THEY'RE boned instead.

@ren666: honestly, I'm considering -1 Jackson, +1 Wraparound. Pop-Up is extremely necessary for you to maintain your speed, and I wouldn't go below 3 in NEXT. It allpws you to cheat the high ICE count with some econ. That said, I mulligan for Wraparound or Turing against decks I suspect have Faust.

4 Mar 2016 lolpaca

A 1-of Architect could be good here - on the 'off' turns when there's nothing in your scoring remote they'll likely be hitting R&D or HQ, so Architect will help you pull an agenda to fill the remote/get rid of one from your hand.

4 Mar 2016 HolyMackerel

@lolpaca: nice idea. Nobody installs their sentry-breaker against this deck until it's too late. What do you suggest we cut to get the influence for it?

4 Mar 2016 lolpaca

I'd be tempted to say cut the Jackson and go YOLO :) That'll also bring your ice up to 22, which I think is generally thought of as the sweet spot for a NEXT rush.

4 Mar 2016 HolyMackerel

Here's a thought: What if I cut Sweeps Week for Beanstalk Royalties? I free up 3 influence, and don't skimp on the quality too much.

4 Mar 2016 lolpaca

Yeah, it's definitely worth experimenting with both to see what works best. In a deck like this where every click counts, you could find that extra 1 is clutch. But then again, Beanstalks are more dependable after turn 1.

4 Mar 2016 lolpaca

With the 3 inf that frees up, I'd maybe go -1 Blue/Green Level Clearance, -1 [Advanced Concept Hopper](/en/card/10011 or Efficiency Committee), -1 Paper Wall, +1 Architect, +1 NAPD Contract, +1 Wraparound?

9 Mar 2016 deliveryman

Guard over roto. It can't be bypassed, cost the same, and fits the same roll.

9 Mar 2016 HolyMackerel

Guard is absolutely a possibility, mostly due to the fact that it can't be insta-Parasited. The bypass thing is not that big a deal. Rototurret is there to be a tempo-hit for the Runner. Sentrybreakers are usually expensive to play and use, and with so few Sentries, I can catch some people by surprise with the trash. However, Guard is absolutely worth testing.