🔥Swift-Stitching (1st in Swiss, 2nd @WORLDS'22STARTUP)

FireRL (aka xFWx FIREBIRD) 1052

🔥 Swift Sable 🔥

This deck was undefeated on the day, and can be seen twice in action on Null Signal's twitch here (07:43:00 for R1 of cut, and 09:21:07 for lower bracket final):

https://www.twitch.tv/videos/1619547525


🧠 Core game plan: steal 1 agenda (or more) in the early stages of the game, then snag 2-3 more on the Dive🤿 turn.

Strategy & key aspects:

  • Stall until Dive🤿
  • Run your Mark (preferably with Swift too)
  • Pressure centrals early with Boomerang, Backstitching, and Cezve to cripple the Corp's economy, establish your own economy, AND scout their ice to know what you need for that Deep Dive🤿 magic turn
  • Pressure remote with Boomerang, Inside Job, and Pinhole to interfere with the Corp's economy and reaching game-point (don't be afraid to let them score. Avoid overextending on the remote, and pressure only enough to force resources to be spent and/or reach 'Deep Dive🤿 game-point')
  • Once you know what it takes to Dive🤿 AND you're on 'Deep Dive🤿 game-point', secure your win (...EXCEPT IF you suspect Vacherons, then Dive🤿 asap)
  • Remember to have 5+ credits (preferably 10+) for Diving on NBN
  • You need to get through a lot of your deck for it to perform, so you will have to click to draw a lot (welcome to Startup where your other options are less than worth it for Sable, unless you import Diesel. If Deep Dive🤿 didn't require 10/15 influence, ProCo is actually perfect for this deck - except RIP vs Drago...)
  • Against asset spam, only control the board if your economy is better than the Corp's. Otherwise, just Dive🤿 for the win

Inspiration: Runner is strong in the current Startup cardpool, so I brought a deck that would be fun to pilot and be able to snag wins easily even if put in strained/hopeless situations. With Swift and Sable, Deep Dive🤿 is extraordinarily good at giving you early and decisive wins, or hijacking wins from behind (especially if you Dive🤿 twice in a turn allowing you to access 3 cards between 2 sets of 8).


🏆 PERFORMANCE:

Swiss (3-0):

  • R1 (Clupea) - W vs Bladderwort NEH
  • R2 (Patrick "Scorpi" Sklar) - W vs PD (tough match having both Deep Dives🤿 sniped turn ~3 to a lone and unrezzed Engram Flush while pressuring the remote)
  • R3 (Banknote) - W vs NAPD Prav
  • R4 (Tim, aka Worlds 2022 Startup Champ) - ID @ Table 1
  • R5 (Functor) - N/A (241)

Cut (2-0):

  • G1 (Rotage) - W vs Vacheron PD
  • G3 (is44ru) - W vs Cerebral Nuerospike Prav

🃏 Card choices:

  • 2x Deep Dive🤿... Winning is fun
  • 1x Cleaver... Gold Farmer is good, you'll break it for less. If a barrier's higher than 4 strength, just break with Boomerang or Bypass
  • 1x Hyperbaric... Like mentioned with Cleaver, I used to be on Cat's Cradle and break any high-strength code gates with Boomerang or Bypass, but Engram Flush is too devastating and easily the best and most common code gate. There's also enough other high-strength code gate threats to easily warrant a good decoder (and remember, you have to be running a lot to slow down the corp and stall them from reaching game-point so that you can Dive🤿 to win... You can't afford a bad decoder). Plus, you get to boost it with Cezve while running your Marks
  • 3x Backstitching... Most people are sleeping on or trash-talking Backstitching. Let me be clear: I'm not saying that it's better than Inside Job in a vacuum. However, if you need the effect for things like Deep Dive🤿 or Apocalypse, or you just want to pressure centrals/economy (as Criminal does - especially Sable with other Mark cards), this effect is more than 'good'. At its worst, it's effectively a nestled Inside Job ability that can be used with run events (and not just on the outermost ICE). At its best, it could pave the way for several free and fearless runs on centrals. Since this deck intends to win off of a single or double Dive🤿 turn, Backstitching enables you to run and pressure the Corp's economy without subroutine interference or gear checks. Bonus Points if one's still installed on Dive turn!
  • 1x Pinhole... I cut a 2nd Pinhole to slot a Security Testing for a bit more economy. Pinhole has high utility in this deck, and with only 1, you should save it for confiscating a Void, Drago, or another critical factor. Or even better, use Pinhole during a Dive🤿 turn to trash a Crisium or Cayambe, or another threat in the remote (just pause here for a moment and imagine having a 6-click turn during which you trashed a remote upgrade/asset from and never even ran it. Or better: click 1 Pinhole a Void, click 2 install Boomerang, click 3 run remote and spend clicks 4-5 for the Manegarm, AND STILL having a click left! 🤯)
  • 1x Red Team... Don't think too much about Red Team. I don't think it's a good card, or even a card that's alright (though, it is 'alright' when you're Sable AND have 3 Career Fairs), but I did need 1 more economy slot that didn't tax my run events, so I have 1 (just know, you should never have more than 1)
  • 1x Swift... Swift is amazing for this deck, but economy card slots are at a premium. You don't have to have Swift, it's just better if you do. Well, actually it's insane if you do... Gaining 2 clicks on your Mark run where you're probably also netting value already allows you the ability to click for credits/cards/runs and round out whatever the weakness of your matchup is, or even just suboptimal card draw

Now, Virtuoso is playing, and my PAN mods are hard at work, so I must go. Please remember 1 rule: CARPE DIEM! 🎻🤿

14 comments
12 Oct 2022 maninthemoon

OMG @Colin you @#$%ing legend! Making everyone you have ever met in this beautiful community so proud. I haven't checked NRDB at all yet and I have to much to do to have any right checking or won't get all these prio things I've been putting off for 3 months done! But I took a peek 😬 and instantly see that! Everyone else's decks will need to wait ✋️for now don't got time for any else on NRDB for at least a day 😅😭😭

12 Oct 2022 Radiant

Amazing showing Colin! We in Seattle are all super proud of you :)

12 Oct 2022 Saan

Amazing showing, my dude =) You absolutely CRUSHED this year

12 Oct 2022 Diogene

Great write-up. Congratulation on being 2nd at World 2022 Startup. Do you think Tread Lightly could give you a better "offense" than Carpe Diem?

I saw your victory against is44ru, it was amazing! Cheers!

12 Oct 2022 Zeebag

Killer job dude! Glad we had a chance to hangout at "Zeebar" in 511 the night before and can't wait to give this deck a spin!

12 Oct 2022 BinkBonkle

Sick run Colin! Deep Dive Good Card

12 Oct 2022 FireRL (aka xFWx FIREBIRD)

@Radiant, @Saan, and @BinkBonkle, thank y'all, and glad to rep our awesome Seattle crew! 🔥


@Diogene, thank you!

I considered Tread Lightly for a while. I landed on Carpe Diem for a few reasons: I wanted to ensure the economy gained (guaranteed 3 credit gain vs potential relative swing of 2 credits, but maybe also -1 against me), because CD's more flexible (I don't have to be pressuring unrezzed ice), needing consistent econ (TL costs me, not gives me), and I actually want them to rez the ICE and not be dissuaded (by the +3 cost).

I believe TL's a good choice as a 1-of or 2-of in this list, but I wouldn't replace CD with it. I'd rather it replace Inside Job or maybe a Career Fair! 🙃


@Zeebag, thank you! And glad I joined 😊! Until next time! 🍻

12 Oct 2022 FireRL (aka xFWx FIREBIRD)

I also want to shoutout the Null Signal Games team for running a PHENOMENAL event - thank y'all for everything you do! This was my first Worlds event, and it was WAY better and more fun than I anticipated (and I expected good stuff!). Also, huge shout out to Tim 'tvaduva' for being a spectacular opponent and champion who was fun to play with and a machine at dismantling my NEH and every other matchup throughout the day, and finishing undefeated! CONGRATULATIONS TIM!

And world, Know that the Seattle meta is now coming for ya! <3

12 Oct 2022 RepoRogue

Congratulations on the incredible performance! It was so exciting to see you in the finals! You put in the work testing and tuning and it absolutely paid off.

12 Oct 2022 FireRL (aka xFWx FIREBIRD)

😁 thank you so much @maninthemoon& @RepoRogue! And like I said above, glad to rep, and thank y'all for the help and support <3

21 Oct 2022 MazeBerlin

Great Deck, really enjoying it! Is there any way to fit a second Swift in there?

21 Oct 2022 FireRL (aka xFWx FIREBIRD)

@MazeBerlin, thank you! A 2nd Swift could certainly be in there. I believe the most likely candidate would be instead of Red Team. The effect of a 6th click sooner is easily comparable to some money from Red Team

11 Nov 2022 Luxiom

Hey! Could I bother everyone with a beginner question? ☺️

I want to try this deck and think I understand how it works, accept how to not loose early until I find the single copy breakers? There is just a single tutor in Mutual Favor, do I just rely on Boomerang and Backstitching until I find the breakers?

11 Nov 2022 FireRL (aka xFWx FIREBIRD)

@Luxiom, hello! Of course you can 😊. Welcome, and enjoy!

That is essentially correct, but I would add that Backstitching doesn’t really keep you from ‘losing the early game’ other than by allowing you to run and pressure the corps economy (which is important early game).

This deck will require you to make some matchup-dependent play calls regarding how to use your boomerangs (although having 3 is a lot in comparison to most criminal lists, so you will see them pretty often). You also have 2x Inside Jobs that are typically for pressuring the remote (also helpful if you still have them for Deep Dive). BUT, keep in mind from the Corp’s perspective: anything getting rushed out behind 1 ICE is easily beat by Boomerang/Inside Job, and anything rushed out behind 2 ICE can be beat by both used together… Or sufficient economy pressure (via central server runs and forcing ICE rezzes)!