Now that I’ve tested different Shaper archetypes post-C&C, I’m sharing my updated list, as is often requested. This deck is extremely hard to shut down, and since the meta currently centers around Andy the Anarch, most corps are ill-prepared to deal with the sabotage this deck incurs.
I’m going to keep this thread updated with the Shaper deck I’m currently using.
Chaos Theory: Wunderkind (Cyber Exodus)
Total Cards: 40
Event (20)
Account Siphon (Core) x2 ■ ■ ■ ■ | ■ ■ ■ ■
Diesel (Core) x3
Escher (Creation and Control) x1
Indexing (Future Proof) x3
Quality Time (Humanity's Shadow) x3
Sure Gamble (Core) x3
The Maker's Eye (Core) x2
Modded (Core) x3
Hardware (5)
Clone Chip (Creation and Control) x2
Plascrete Carapace (What Lies Ahead) x3
Program (11)
Battering Ram (Core) x2
Gordian Blade (Core) x2
Ninja (Core) x1 ■ ■
Self-Modifying Code (Creation and Control) x3
Crescentus (A Study in Static) x2 ■ | ■
Imp (Core) x1 ■ ■ ■
Resource (4)
Kati Jones (Humanity's Shadow) x2
Same Old Thing (Creation and Control) x2
Honestly, the deck list speaks for itself. SMC, Plascrete, and Feedback Filter allow me to run early and fear nothing. Account Siphon, Crescentus, and Paricia shut down the corp’s economy and bolster my position.
This deck necessitates extremely quick guerrilla warfare. Even criminals must be wary of net damage, or accumulating datasucker tokens. Hold on to the seat of your pants; you’re in for a hell of a ride.
I think you could probably go to two Escher because the effect is powerful enough that you do want to have access to it a little more consistently.
I really don’t like the Dinosaurus, but especially only as a 2 of. Between 2 Mimic and 2 Dino it just seems like it would assemble together correctly very inconsistently.
What is the reason for the Public Sympathy, thinking specifically for Jinteki?
I agree with the inconsistency of assembling Dino and Mimic, even at 3 apiece. Honestly if I am able to get assembled, great, but if not, I really don’t sweat it - I simply install a Helpful AI instead and discard Dino if I get it later. Honestly, I’m really hoping for a better Shaper console and sentry breaker in C&C, and I think we’re going to get them.
I feel as though I should have either a Plascrete or Public Sympathy, and I went with the latter for more versatility and so that I don’t necessarily have to discard after a QT or Diesel.
public sympathy doesn’t protect you against scorched like… at all. having no public sympathy is the same as having 1 public sympathy vs 1 scorch, and worthless against 2 scorches.
with both sympathies in play you can survive 2 scorches, but not the third.
Did a complete overhaul of what once was my Kate deck (original post updated). This new deck I’ve been playtesting is downright stupid. SMC paired with Account Siphon and Feedback Filter/Plascrete allow me to indiscriminately run anything and everything.
This deck plays faster than the current criminals with fixed breakers, and that’s saying something. I even added a Spinal Modem for shits and giggles, which has nice synergy with Feedback Filter.
The only other Shaper archetype I think can possibly outplay this right now is Kit with fixed breakers/Atman coupled with datasuckers. I’m not sure if it’s better though, since you’d have to sacrifice Account Siphon.
Cool list. Not sold on the Spinal Modem or the feedback filters. What was the reason for filters?
Primarily the prevalence of brain damage. Cerebral Overwriter is an autoinclude in most Jinteki decks now, and it’s not unreasonable to expect HB to pull off a brain damage or two. It also prevents anything valuable from being lost due to net damage.
I’ve subbed out Spinal Modem for DLR, since it had poor synergy with a tag-me strategy.
what would you use in that slot if feedback filter wasn’t a card. Public sympathy? deus ex?
I’d probably use Deus Ex and be forced to switch Battering Ram for Snowball for MU reasons, or run a couple Akamatsu Mem Chips (which I hate using, as they dilute a deck worse than anything).
Perhaps it’s just personal preference - I know Deus and Feedback Filter aren’t “optimal” cards in that I could put an RDI or something there, but the ability to not even think twice if there’s a Snare/Fetal AI/Junebug has allowed me to run indiscriminately and not lose any tempo by drawing back my hand in the process.
so you are paying 9 credits every time you access a snare if you have a card in hand you want to keep? seems like you would spend time making money instead of drawing cards after a snare
With Feedback Filter, it’s more of an “oh shit” tactic that saves me only if I would otherwise be flatlined, and allows me to ignore the possibility of Ronin. I liked Deus X since it allowed me to just discard the damage entirely, but I don’t have the MU to do so, unless I alternate it with Crescentus.
If brain damage isn’t as prevalent as I think it’ll be, I’ll most likely try to work Deus back into the deck instead of Filter.
Well, one less card that I have to test then. How soon are you going to start testing?
I started this morning, actually. I’ll keep this thread updated with any changes I make.
Edit: Apparently db0 isn’t done loading the cards, as I can’t play with the post-C&C cards.
How dare he 
On a serious note: Has he announced updating OCTGN yet?
I don’t think so. He usually releases the update within 36 hours of the spoilers, but he has his work cut out for him this time.
Also, @Chill84, I’d actually recommend you cut Feedback Filter for an extra copy of Gordian and Battering Ram. I need to test first, but I foresee drawing my rig being a bit of an issue, even with draw accelerants and SMC. I predict that’ll probably be the first change I’ll have to make to this deck.
Just keep in mind if you hit a Cerebral Overwriter against a Jinteki player (such as myself), you’re royally screwed.
I have tested battering ram, and I like it in the eli heavy meta we were in last set, probably still great. I’ll rig up a kate deck when I get off work today.
Updated.
-2 DLR, -1 Crescentus; +1 Imp.
Imp is exactly what I need to take out SanSan, pesky operations, and anything threatening.
-1 Levy AR; +2 Clone Chips.
Clone Chips are amazing in conjunction with Imp and Crescentus, and I now feel safe without Levy.
-1 Crypsis. +1 Gordian and Battering Ram.
More consistency and Crypsis has terrible synergy with SMC anyways.
I also made other small tweaks, such as removing the feedback filters and tossing in a third QT, etc. Imp and Account Siphon have proven fantastic, and this deck is very difficult to counter.
I don’t get why you and alexfrog are so eager to spend 3 influence on imps. You have paricia in faction now, is the -3 credits worth 3 influence that you could spend on icebreakers?
Paricia doesn’t help with SanSan which probably is the main culprit calling for Imp support
I had thought Paricia would have a spot as well, but as Sirprim pointed out, it’s only usable on assets. It’s still marginally useful, but its use is limited to mostly econ-generators such as Eve or Adonis (though it would have more use when cards like City Surveillance come out).
I suppose Scrubber merits consideration, however. The only thing that bothers me about it is its install cost. Imp is powerful because for one, it has very good synergy with SMC and Clone Chip in a pinch, and it allows me to get rid of operations (Closed Accounts, SE, Biotic Labor come to mind) as well as SanSan, which necessitates trashing.
I wouldn’t have spent the three influence for just one Imp until I had realized Clone Chip gives me up to three!