CT String Theory/Doubles/Oracle May (It works)

moistloaf · September 17, 2014, 1:14am

Most fun Runner deck I’ve played, too.

x3r0h0ur · September 17, 2014, 12:50pm

If you Test run it to the top then call oracle for it you install it for a net set of actions of 3c (2 from oracle, draw and action to install + 3) If you use the Eureka, you pay 3 for Eureka!, 2 actions including an install. It is a total wash, except 2 things, you get the May power and also, importantly, Eureka! goes into the heap. I think it is always correct to use Eureka!

moistloaf · September 17, 2014, 4:01pm

Hey guys, I have been playing x3r0’s Full Disclosure version and having a blast. I got to thinking about Femme recursion, and thought maybe to use this deck’s template. I don’t normally make decks, because I don’t consider myself a good deckbuilder, but here is the first build. The idea is to get many Boyfriends (Femme’d ICE) in play with Test Run, Scavenge, SOT, and Clone Chip, and Tinkering the rest. I threw Vamp in there cause I really want to try it out. The CT deck, and this deck, too, can make lots of money, and I am hoping it will be easy to get a quick Vamp early game with bypassing. I know the Corp can always trash Boyfriends (Femme’d ICE), but the hope is to Vamp them early or simply out recur them. Anyway, let me know what you think. I plan to try a few games on OCTGN tonight. I know there are more chances to miss with May, and less chance to see her early, but I intend to not have her as essential a part of the deck. Maybe this will prove disastrous. Only one way to find out!

###[Dumpster Sluts 1.0][1] (45 cards)

[Exile: Streethawk][2]

Event (37)

3 [Diesel][3]
3 [Eureka!][4]
2 [Indexing][5]
1 [Legwork][6] ••
2 [Levy AR Lab Access][7]
3 [Lucky Find][8] ••••• •
3 [Power Nap][9]
3 [Quality Time][10]
3 [Scavenge][11]
3 [Sure Gamble][12]
3 [Test Run][13]
3 [The Maker’s Eye][14]
3 [Tinkering][15]
2 [Vamp][16] ••••

Hardware (2)

2 [Clone Chip][17]

Resource (4)

1 [Oracle May][18] •
3 [Same Old Thing][19]

Icebreaker (2)

2 [Femme Fatale][20] ••

x3r0h0ur · September 17, 2014, 4:13pm

Feels like not enough, you can only threaten 1 server at a time if they’re 2 ice deep.

moistloaf · September 17, 2014, 6:25pm

How’s that? I was under the impression the Femme counters stick around even when Femme leaves the field.

Definitely has no chance of being better than CT String Theory, but I thought it might be fun to bypass everything.

stoppableforce · September 17, 2014, 6:32pm

That is definitely not correct. From the FAQ:

If Femme Fatale is uninstalled, the Runner cannot bypass the ice chosen by the Femme Fatale when it was installed; the ability is no longer active since the card is no longer active. Even if that copy of Femme Fatale is re-installed, it is treated as a ‘new’ copy and cannot bypass anything other than the ice chosen when it was just installed.

bayushi_david · September 17, 2014, 6:40pm

There are no “Femme counters” (although people use them, on OCTGN and in real life, for ease of reference). Just an ability on Femme that relates to a specific piece of ICE for as long as Femme is in play.

JohnnyCreations · September 17, 2014, 6:45pm

Although I didn’t get to use it, the mere threat of Chronos Project really hurts this deck. And by threat I mean after you have stolen one. Against @cspieker a timely Aggressive Secretary won me the game (along with a Priority Rec’d Archer).

Nothing earth shattering here, but good to know the hard counters to this deck and what to look out for.

x3r0h0ur · September 17, 2014, 6:59pm

So a deck that slots enough copies of chronos project to be relevant (3), and has the chance to score it, from hand, since its almost impossible to score from a remote, is a threat to this deck? Sure I’ll take it.

Biotic is 7 to score this 1 pointer from hand

Sansan is 9 to score this 1 pointer from hand, if I don’t go trash it

Trick of light is the best, but you have to have advanceable ice, with 3 credits not counting the advancements.

What they’re left with is 1 point and me losing some events. This is even less important if its only a small amount of my deck, and if I didn’t just levy, which comes right around the time of the game that you can afford to have your defenses up AND money on hand to do it. Plus you’re still playing a deck that has 2-3 of these 3 for 1s in it. Nah, I’m not afraid.

cspieker · September 17, 2014, 7:23pm

Chronos is a worry, but what really hurts is Archer. Just played a domestic sleepers -> Archer HB after Johnny Creations, and he had Ichi’s and Archers which really suck up the credits. I think I Femmed one Archer, but another popped up. I might consider Moistloaf’s idea of 2 Femme’s for extra bypasses.

Perhaps -1 Legwork :(, -1 May, +1 Hostage, +1 Femme?

Another interesting question:
opening hand: 2x Power Nap 1x Oracle May, 2 other non-memorable cards (1 Diesel perhaps?).
Do you mulligan?

I mulliganned and ended up with double Levy hand. Ouch.

moistloaf · September 17, 2014, 7:29pm

Welp, there goes that. Thanks for the knowledge

bayushi_david · September 17, 2014, 7:44pm

Archer is a killer against it, it was the main reason I was reluctant to lose Garotte but the case for legwork and Femme was overwhelming. I’m thinking 1x Sharpshooter or Atman to cover it.

I think Chronos is a real threat but I also think it has the aggresion and control to deal with it. I also don’t think we’ll see it that often just yet.

I’d keep that hand. Got one last night with all three breakers. Put that one back real quick.

cspieker · September 17, 2014, 8:10pm

I don’t think Sharpshooter would be worth it for only one break. I find Test Run is the most sought-for card in the deck, so I can’t see using it to recur Sharpshooter.

Atman is an interesting idea. Too bad there aren’t more strength 6 ICE. What about a Datasucker? That might help a lot, but again would necessitate dumping a Legwork.

bayushi_david · September 17, 2014, 8:56pm

I’ll defer to the deck’s creator of course, but of the seven or so games I’ve played, Legwork has won over half of them. It is just so powerful when you can lock remotes up so easily. Personally I wouldn’t take them out for anything. Plus I’m going to give Women in the Red Dress a try, and I need Legwork to make that work as a strategy.

I agree Atman is the better bet for Archer, you can also set it to four against non-Archer HB to save money on Eli and Ichi 1.0 (another troublesome ICE if you’re having to run it regularly - I’m less fussed about 2.0 because I don’t mind targeting that with Femme).

Question for @DJhedgehog, do you invariably play Levy? I’ve had the game sown up long before I needed it in all my games so far.

karmaportrait · September 17, 2014, 10:01pm

It can be situational but I’m slightly in favor of Deep Thought. It does take 3 runs to ‘charge’ but maybe I’ve just seen a few games where the corp just says ‘Thank you for the free card draw’ when WITRD is out.

TheBriarfox · September 17, 2014, 10:20pm

I have to say @DJhedgehog, I absoloutely love what you’ve done with this.

The amount of cash it generates is just obscene. I rolled the original version the other day against Jerk in the Box (Big Bioroid/Toybox) and I was cutting thru Archer/ Double Heimdal every turn reliably.

JohnnyCreations · September 17, 2014, 10:34pm

I don’t think you ever mulligan an Oracle May. Right?

moistloaf · September 17, 2014, 10:36pm

I too have won many games with Legwork. not sure the exact count, but you get Remotes locked down so easily many players have no choice but to hold agendas in hand

stoppableforce · September 17, 2014, 10:37pm

Discussing this with @djhedgehog the night I first saw him play it, his exact words were “an opening hand with Oracle May, I keep no matter what.” Dicking around with this deck on OCTGN, I’m inclined to agree. (You could expand it to say “Hostage or Oracle May,” really, since in most builds of this archetype she’s the only legal target.)

DJhedgehog · September 18, 2014, 1:06pm

Levy gets played a good amount, I was going to give you a percentage but it would just be made up. Basically, I levy against any mid to late game decks (RP, HB Glacier) and don’t against fast decks (NEH). NEH games are decided one way or the other pretty quickly and if you’re at a point to play a levy you’re looking for multi-access.

I think you make a really good point about the WITRD working well with Levy. I think it’s at least worth trying.

Archer hurts everyone. There’s a reason it’s the only ICE that costs an agenda to rez. It’s too bad we don’t have influence for emergency shutdown, but it is what it is. At least you can scavenge the femme and target it after you drop that massive 12 on breaking it the first time.

I keep any hand with Oracle May. Getting that engine started ASAP is the key to this deck. 1 click for 2 money and a draw is dynamite.

Thanks @thebriarfox! You are the inspiration for this deck. After you came on “Wait, Wait… Don’t Run Me!” you really intrigued me with the concept of “string theory”. Almost immediately I started testing decks where I wanted to dig and get exactly what I needed. Then, I had the realization that power nap would be good because it keys off of cards in the discard, and I discard a lot.

Here we are. All because of that seed you planted in passing. Thanks for coming on the show!

Yeah, hostage works too. I added it because it was a double and because it’s another copy of oracle may that isn’t a resource to cock-block oracle may.