Blue Kate (Az McCaffrey)

Decklists
1

I already wrote a bunch on the NRDB writeup I did on this deck, so I’ll just copy/paste it here rather than re-hashing it in slightly different language. Here’s the deck it’s referring to, and here’s a decklist for those that don’t want to click the link :wink:

Blue Kate

Az McCaffrey: Mechanical Prodigy (Downfall)

Event (11)

Hardware (15)

Resource (13)

Icebreaker (6)

15 influence spent (max 15, available 0)
45 cards (min 45)
Cards up to Downfall

Deck built on NetrunnerDB.

I’ve been working on an Az list, and I thought I’d publish and talk about it a bit.

How do Az?

At first I was sad because the only 2 Jobs that don’t already cost 0 are Armitage Codebusting (almost always unplayable) and Bank Job (hard to use). Most connections are fairly specialized, and you don’t just want to throw them in any deck without having a plan for them, and it’s hard to have a plan in a deck that is kinda only left with Hardware as a building point. I feel like a large percentage of Hardware is either too niche to see play, too bad to see play, or too much influence to want to import.

I thought the two hardware that were spoiled (Flip Switch and (Lucky Charm) were both decent cards, but it wasn’t until Masterwork (v37) was spoiled that I thought that going in on Hardware might actually be viable. Getting cheap/free installs that also draw you a card seems pretty great.

I started off browsing the out-of-faction Hardware options to see what might become valuable at a discount install. It’s hard, because Hardware that people play a lot are either their Console, which I can’t use in this deck if I’m using Masterwork, or things like Clone Chip, which Crims don’t care that much about, since they’re usually not trashing programs on purpose.

Card Choices

Cyberfeeder was the first card I stopped and said “wait…” as I looked at it. At 2 cost it’s just a little slow for most decks, but if it only costs 1 and probably draws you a card, well that’s just strait value. Cyberdelia is another card that effectively gives you cash for running, so despite it costing 3 inf, I thought it was worth a couple copies. Lastly, on the Hardware side at least, I figured the deck needed some kind of win condition, so finished off with a couple RDI’s. Lucky Charm is a little harder to use, so it’s only a 2-of. Flip Switch allows you to be super aggressive in the early game by just running into whatever you want and still being able to jack out, and in the late game it can help you leave a run that might be more costly than anticipated. It helps ditch tags, it helps avoid HHN… this is clearly a 3-of. I’d play 5 or 6 if I was allowed.

As for resources, I figured I’d just go ahead and try Bank Job to see how it holds up, and it’s been good enough so far, although I could see cutting it for a better economy card. With Diversion of Funds, Flip Switch, and Aumakua pressure helping keep the corp poor, Bank Job can often get in and make money. The Class Act is a very good card here, because it helps you filter for important cards, which can be good in Criminal. I hated Mr. Li, but for some reason I like Retired Andy. Maybe it’s the massive draw she gives at the end of the install turn, but she’s cool so far. Crowdfunding gets the restricted slot because money is good and so’s this card, and the card draw you get turns on Class Act, so there’s some fun synergy there. Kati Jones installs for 1, which is sick, and really helps out the mid to late game in terms of cash. Daily Casts is here because money is still good, and the deck needs it.

Icebreakers and Events are more or less self explanatory, but hey, I’m already in this deep. Diversion of Funds is just a good card to keep the corp in check. Cyberfeeders and Cyberdelia help this actually make some money occasionally, which is nice. Diesel: Code Blue is here mostly for testing, but I found I kinda like it. Especially when running multiple cards you only want to see one of (Masterwork, Kati, Class Act, Aumakua), this helps bottom them so you see more cards you actually want. It’s fun with Class Act too, which lets you see two, bottom one, draw 3, bottom 1. #Aumakua is the early-game pressure tool of choice here, but 2 Special Orders allow you to find the rest of your set. Amina is great in this big code-gate meta we’re in, Bukhgalter is a perfectly reasonable Killer that gives refunds (hilarious with Cyberfeeders and Cyberdelia), and Corroder used to be Laamb, but it feels like every deck is on IP Block, and breaking that shit for 5 after the corp purges is just the worst. Corroder lacks the ability to break non-barriers, though, and if I miss that enough maybe I’ll go back.

So How’s It Feel?

Honestly, pretty good. I can’t overstate how good the Cyberfeeders feel in the deck. Often, you’ll use the first one to help install Aumakua, and then it’s a free credit every turn you run, which should be fairly often. Cyberdelia is similar, although it costs 1 more and gives a refund, rather than helps you get in. If you get all 5 Cybers installed, that’s 5 free credits a run, potentially 7 if there’s a Sentry you’re breaking with Bukhgalter.

Once you get Masterwork and Class Act installed, every Hardware you install costs 1 less, draws you a card, and filters a card to the bottom. If you’re willing to pay full price for the Hardware, you can use Masterwork’s second ability and do all this while running.

I was only running 1 Special Order there for a bit, which is what I usually do in Crim. With Class Act and Blue Diesel filtering cards, sometimes you really need the money card offered, but bottoming a breaker could be disastrous when you need it later, but knowing you’ll never draw it til your stack’s almost gone. 2 Special Order smooths that out. I could also see playing a 3rd Kati Jones instead, because sometimes you don’t see her til the end of your deck and it’s just the worst, but maybe I’d drop another card, rather than missing out on that second Order.

Anyhow, this is where my head has been at in terms of an Az build. I have a couple more ideas for different decks, but I’m not sure they’d be better than this one, after having played it for a bit.

Lemme know if you have any different ideas!

5 Likes
2

I definitely like the way this looks and how Criminal gets an identity as filtering draws rather than just power-drawing like Shaper or Anarch do… I might actually be willing to start trying this one out!