SG+SU21 duel – Episode 4: Built to Last (vs Kit)

These decks are assembled from the System Gateway + System Update 21 card pool and designed to play well against each other, but are also solid standalone decks. See the runner deck here: SG+SU21 duel – Episode 4: Rielle “Kit” Peddler (vs BTL)

Punitive counterstrike by John Smith and the NSA (scene from Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045)

Flexibility is the name of the game with this Built to Last deck. Score agendas or flatline the runner? Rush to the finish or slow down and glacier up? YES.

Specifically, you have three win conditions to choose from:

1. Scoring agendas normally (either 3/2/2 or 2/2/2/2),
2. Advancing Clearinghouse to 6 tokens (protected by multiple layers of ICE), or
3. Playing 2x Punitive Counterstrike after Send a Message is stolen (less common, but presents a viable threat)

Economy

• 3x Hedge Fund – staple burst economy
• 2x Government Subsidy – better yield than HF (but higher threshold to play)
• 2x Regolith Mining License – great way to kickstart your economy in the early-game

Agendas

• 3x Oaktown Renovation – synergistic with BTL, and provides better economy than Offworld Office; benefit of positive tempo (gaining credits whenever you advance it) outweighs the disadvantage of playing it face-up
• 2x Project Atlas - over-advancing this agenda unlocks the ability to pull any card from R&D into your hand clicklessly, which is very powerful (e.g. another agenda, Seamless Launch, or a second Punitive Counterstrike)
• 2x Send a Message - included to reduce agenda density (8 out of 44 cards) and threaten the use of Punitive Counterstrike
• 1x Above the Law – more situational agenda since it trashes resources but not programs; could be swapped out for a 3rd Project Atlas

Utility

• 2x Seamless Launch – always a welcome sight, particularly when trying to score Send a Message, over-advance Project Atlas, or even Clearinghouse

Damage

• 3x Punitive Counterstrike – in addition to its damage potential, this card also helps fill out your hand (since you typically want to hold 2x copies, and it’s not trashable without specialized runner cards)
• 2x Clearinghouse – pressures the runner to run the gauntlet on your heavily-iced remote, and at 3, puts a dent in your opponent’s economy
• 2x Snare! – dissuades the runner from running with fewer than 3 cards in hand and/or on 4th click (be sure to keep at least 4 in hand to utilize the ability)

Upgrades

• 1x Corporate Troubleshooter – taken as the 15th influence point; a one-time use server upgrade, but worth it if you can afford to spend credits to boost ICE strength beyond the runner’s reach (e.g. when trying to score the final agenda)
• 1x Malapert Data Vault – different trigger, but similar effect to Project Atlas (except you can’t pull another agenda from R&D)

ICE (15 in total)

• 6x Barrier – nice mix of cheap/medium/expensive ICE; Ice Wall and Pharos are synergistic with BTL, and a triple-advanced Pharos is incredibly strong
• 6x Code Gate – Magnet is included to defend against Botulus; Hortum is generally not worth advancing, but both of these have End The Run properties
• 3x Sentry – Ballista at 5 is expensive as you have to choose between trashing a program or ETR; Archer is powerful but costly, as we don’t have any 1-point agendas to sacrifice (use Send a Message to Rez); hence this deck only includes 3x Sentry versus 6x of the two other ICE types

The math behind Punitive Counterstrike and Trace[5]:

• Assuming the runner has a base hand-size of 5, and does not have any special cards to soak up damage, you need 2x Punitive to inflict 6 damage to flatline
• Each Punitive costs 3 to play, i.e. 6 for both
• The runner only needs to break Trace[5] on one Punitive (not both) to escape; since corp goes first in the Trace mechanic, you need enough credits to finance both Trace attempts beyond the runner’s ability to match just one
• Specifically: if the runner has x credits, you need 2 * (x - 5 + 1) to ensure both Punitives land; and this is over and above the 6 cost to play both cards
• The above assumes that the runner has 0 base link strength (like Kit)

SG+SU21 duel episodes

Episode 1: 🟢 Tāo Salonga -vs- 🟪 Precision Design

Episode 2: 🔵 Zahya Sadeghi -vs- 🟨 Near-Earth Hub

Episode 3: 🔵 Steve Cambridge -vs- 🟥 Personal Evolution

Episode 4: 🟢 Rielle “Kit” Peddler -vs- ⬛️ Built to Last