Sunny Days Keep the Clouds Well-Paid

Umbreomancer 156

To explain this deck, I need to admit something: I HATE playing runner. Well, hated. Up until about a couple weeks ago I always had trouble with my runner since I just didn't like the play style of any of them. I couldn't bring myself to trash cards from my hand, which ruled out Anarch, I really didn't like taking tags or running without breakers, so Criminal was a no-go, and Shaper just felt too gimmicky and complicated. I liked playing Apex, but I think Apex is just too subtle for me to understand how to win with him. I'd spend so much time trying to get my Heartbeat, Endless Hunger, Overmind, Chop-Bot, etc. that I missed every Apocalypse opportunity. And Adam? Well, I'm no Adam player in any sense.

So what was I to do? The more I thought about it, the more I realized that my preferred runner play-style was thus: LRP (Least Risk Possible). I didn't face-check ice without breakers, didn't run until I had plenty of money, and above all, Scorch decks were to be avoided at all costs, because I could never seem to avoid their traces and boom, there went my house. Or I'd spend so much time digging for Plascrete that they'd score out from under me.

I never considered Sunny. Ever. I'd tried out Nexus in both Andromeda and Reina Roja several times, but it and all the other cards needed (Rabbit Hole, Underworld Contact, Data Folding) took up too much influence and felt way too slow for Crim or Anarch. Well, as you can probably guess from the long and rambling monologue that is this description, Sunny matches all of my preferences. Set up, play your tanks and Nexus, and avoid EVERYTHING. If your opponent tries scoring out quickly, Inside Job their server. Draw out your deck by playing Deuces, SOT Deuces, Career Fair/ Earthrise, and other such shenanigans. Once you've got the rig, you are unstoppable.

And then you get hit by The All-Seeing I.

And now Citadel Sanctuary is in here. Stops meat, stops tags, and fires laughably weak traces to buff you with Power Tap. Win-win-win. Also helps if your opponent has the audacity to buff the Nexus trace and keep you out. How dare they.

Now, for things I DON'T include:

Another Day, Another Paycheck: I tried this card, and it never felt impactful. The couple times it was used, the stolen agenda was the only one on the field, or I was already so far ahead that it was unnecessary. ADAP is very much a "win-more" card IMO.

Aumakua: It's good, yes, but there are several cards that make it too much of a liability (read: IP BLOCK. CHIYASHI.) If there's some annoying ice that I can't just blast through with my tanks, I'll Nexus it. The turtle just felt very unnecessary.

Inside Job: It's not that I don't run it, but I've seen a lot using it as a 3-of. 3 is nice, but I felt that they used too much influence that could be used elsewhere. I swapped out the third for the Power Taps.

So yeah, there you go: I've finally found a runner deck that I both enjoy playing and understand instinctively how to play it. The only real troubles it has are against true fast advance or CI-combos. I slotted in two Turning Wheels to help with that, but if you have any other suggestions, by all means let me know.

And whatever you do, DO NOT LET THE CORP SCORE A NET QUARANTINE. It destroys your entire strategy.

Now, last question: Can you tell me how to get to Globalsec Street?

3 comments
12 Oct 2017 mawa

If you want to beat FA, CI combos, and also never-advance shenanigans, have you considered The Source? You don't have any restricted cards, so you could keep it alive with Fall Guy and Film Critic - a card that would be very useful given that there's that nasty Obokata Protocol/Data Loop deck that stuffs your plans. Alternatively, Sacrificial Construct + Clot + Tapwrm (which you may or not play depending on the matchup) would synergise with Peace In Our Time and fight Skorpios Defense Systems: Persuasive Power which could theoretically lock you out. do you maybe want Jak Sinclair if you're using The Turning Wheel, or Globalsec Security Clearance?

13 Oct 2017 Bloel

I agree that Another Day, Another Paycheck is a bit of a win more card but I've found it's ability to stop a pesky current like Scarcity of Resources really useful. I agree that you can certainly find room for a Film Critic or two in here, other than that though a great looking list.

13 Oct 2017 TKMaximus

I agree with Bloel, getting hit by a Scarcity with no counter-current to turn it off is crippling.