[Kate] Redefining Shaper Control Decks

Deck Archetypes
2306

i miss you already kate

2 Likes
2307

This is what I’ve been testing in Hayley recently, but - as always - the question is, maybe it’s better in Kate? It’s a modification from the “Textbook Hayley” (1st Place Medical Research Fundraiser 2015 - Textbook Hayley · NetrunnerDB)

Post MWL Technical Hayley

Hayley Kaplan: Universal Scholar (Breaker Bay)

Event (10)
3x Diesel (Core Set)
1x Modded (Core Set)
2x Quality Time (Humanity’s Shadow)
3x Sure Gamble (Core Set)
1x The Maker’s Eye (Core Set)

Hardware (8)
2x Astrolabe (Up and Over)
3x Clone Chip (Creation and Control)
1x Plascrete Carapace (What Lies Ahead)
2x R&D Interface (Future Proof)

Resource (11)
3x Aesop’s Pawnshop (Core Set)
3x Daily Casts (Creation and Control)
1x Film Critic (Old Hollywood)
1x Symmetrical Visage (The Valley)
3x Technical Writer (Data and Destiny)

Icebreaker (7)
1x Atman (Creation and Control)
2x Cerberus “Lady” H1 (All That Remains)
1x Cyber-Cypher (Creation and Control)
1x Mimic (Core Set) [color=#FF4500]•[/color]
1x Sharpshooter (True Colors)
1x ZU.13 Key Master (What Lies Ahead)

Program (9)
3x Cache (The Spaces Between) [color=#4169E1]•••[/color]
1x Clot (The Valley) [color=#FF4500]••[/color]
1x Parasite (Core Set) [color=#FF4500]••[/color]
1x Scheherazade (Second Thoughts) [color=#FF4500]•[/color]
3x Self-modifying Code (Creation and Control)
9 influence spent (max 15)
45 cards (min 45)
Cards up to Data and Destiny

Somewhat similar playstyle to old PVP Kate, draw a ton and install stuff. Breaker suite is unchanged. The econ is way slower for sure, but you use up only 4 influence.

You can keep NEH somewhat in check with Clot. Sync is a pain if you’re forced to float tags too early. Butchershop on first glance is managable. Needs way more testing against Foodcoats.

2308

Above is an MWL legal Nexus Kate deck that I had a lot of fun with last night.

New Runner Deck

Kate “Mac” McCaffrey: Digital Tinker (Core Set)

Event (16)

Hardware (12)

Resource (5)

Icebreaker (5)

Program (7)

15 influence spent (max 15)
45 cards (min 45)
Cards up to Data and Destiny

Deck built on NetrunnerDB.

2309

With 3x Scavenge already in the deck, why Corroder instead of 2x Lady?

1 Like
2310

No particular reason other than to get it down to 45 cards. 2x Lady would fit happily in a 46 card version of the deck.

2311

Remove levy / corroder > 2 Lady instead. That’s pretty easy.

5 Likes
2312

Yeah, with an econ fueled by Magnum Opus, Levy isn’t really needed. There’s not that much in the deck you really need (or even want) to see a second time around.

2313

I can’t tell if I’m happy or sad that everyone is turning to my (I can say my, right? I’m egotistical enough) Nexus Kate list. I’ve intentionally avoided posting any write-up about it partially because I figured someone else would be on the same track and partially because I don’t want everyone teching against it. Now that the MWL has set everyone’s sights on it anyway and every list I see is basically 2-4 cards different from @ElderMason’s published list, maybe it’s time? That or maybe everyone’s had enough time to figure it out themselves, and no one cares what I was going for when I built it.

3 Likes
2314

I still have very positive results with my Chameleon Kate, and my old Stimhacks/Atmans/NRE and breakers and money Kate

I’ll post a list for each when I finalize them, im like 99% there on both.

The typical ‘I play unusual cards, you guys are gonna wanna change stuff, you guys love lady too much to give it up’ i assume will apply. But maybe one of you wanna try em out XD

edit, ill just post what i got now

Deckbuilder · NetrunnerDB - Chameleon kate.

Dont think I have flex room I wanna change. Really its just whether i wanna keep the FC/Plas combo. Need to test more to decide.

Deckbuilder · NetrunnerDB - Stimhacks kate.

Add tech to flavor. Cut DLs for it. SOT, 1x Armitage are removable for whatever you prefer.

2 Likes
2315

Here’s the Nexus Kate I’m trying out this week. I tried to keep it as close to @ElderMason’s list (who in turn derived his from @Squash957) as possible, as I really liked the feel of it. Taking out Clot and Clone Chips just feels like conceding the Fastro matchup, which I’d rather not do, so I instead chose to take out what I felt like was the “cream” influence – Stimhack, Utopia Shard, and the already-kind-of-awkward Faust. This let me keep Lady and all 3 Clone Chips, which I think is more important to the NEH matchup than the Faust was.

Mostly Want Nexus

Kate “Mac” McCaffrey: Digital Tinker (Core Set)

Event (13)

Hardware (13)

Resource (6)

Icebreaker (6)

Program (7)

11 influence spent (max 15)
45 cards (min 45)
Cards up to Data and Destiny

The extra 3 slots went towards a Scavenge (always nice with Lady) and 2 Symmetricals. I’m not sure if the Symmetricals are good or not, but I thought I’d give em a try. It gives the deck the ability to click for 2 credits with Opus or click for a card and a credit with Symmetrical.

I’m not really sure how necessary the Deus Ex is in the thing, but I’m keeping it in for now for shits. It might be better to take it out for shits instead and see how that goes, but baby steps. Baby steps.

2316

If experience has taught me anything, its that Deus Ex is the Store Champ meta card. People seem to lose their fucking minds to play jinteki during SC and only during SC. o.O

1 Like
2317

I’m curious why people believe that nexus is better in Kate, than in Kit. My argument to the contrary is stated here:

Link is valid. Influence is valid. But in this deck, I don’t see Kate’s discount being that meaningful (see the link). Are Kit’s advantages not enough to overcome the link + influence issues?

2318

Yeah, I saw that. I’m honestly not sure. I wanted to give the Kate deck a go for a while and then switch to Kit and see what it felt like. I kinda hope that Kit turns out to be the best fit, mostly because Kate just feels like kinda a boring ability.

2319

I’ve found Kate’s discount tremendously useful. The biggest enemy of this kind of deck is set-up speed. Kate’s ability is actively reducing the time it takes to set up, because every second install is a click you don’t have to spend on Mopus. I think you’re also underselling how many times the ability goes off (at least in my version). Multiple Clone Chip, multiple RDI, HQI, multiple breakers, Nexus, Rabbit Hole, Plascrete is upwards of 10+ credits in a game (heaviest in the early game when it matters most).

I don’t like Nexus in Kit for the same reason I don’t play Power Tap. By the time you’ve already got Nexus + Rabbit Hole installed with Mopus and a breaker or two, you’re already crushing through servers. I don’t think it’ll be incredibly impactful to be able make the first ICE in a server a Code Gate. I see your Torch + Paintbrush play in conjunction with Nexus, but that is just increasing our effective set-up time even more.

I also see an argument for Kit’s benefit in the early game, though I maintain that the credit discount is more powerful. This is primarily because the deck isn’t really built to pressure hard early on. Certainly you need to contest rushing decks, but that is why I’ll likely never cut Faust.

Add to this the loss of 5 influence in a post MWL world (AND the link), and I would be really hard pressed to make the switch. This doesn’t mean that there isn’t a good Nexus Kit list, but I am confident that my list and the intent behind it works better in Kate.

1 Like
2320

dude are you going to link to that thread in every post you make in this thread >__>

2321

Kate is in the title of this forum. I don’t want to pollute this forum with detailed discussions of Kit. I’m sorry if you’d prefer that.

1 Like
2322

Great points. I think that only play-testing will sort this out.

In the end, the decks play very differently, so they might fit into different spots in the meta.

1 Like
2323

Symmetrical Visage was a card that got cut pretty early on in the deck, because it never felt quite powerful enough. I would probably add a third QT if you want more draw, though I’ve found that 8 draw cards that net 37 cards has been sufficient. I’m interested to hear your reactions after trying it.

I agree that Stimhack and Utopia are gone in a MWL list (I was testing a different use of the influence even before the MWL). I doubt I will ever drop Faust. It is simply too versatile and has outright won me games a noticeable number of times. Hopefully Architect sees less play so we can cut Mimic as well, freeing up 3 influence for 2 clone Chip and 1 Lady. With the extra slots, I would likely put in an Akamatsu or two to alleviate memory issues. Doing so would make cutting Zu for a second Cyber Cypher or Gordian palpable.

A good majority of this deck is very meta dependent (pretty much the whole breaker suite) and we’ll just have to wait to see what Corps are doing in a MWL world. If there is as an egregious amount of NEH Fastro around, it may just be time to shelve the deck for a bit. I don’t think you can get a 50%+ matchup against a strong Fastro player while maintaining all the things that make the deck shine. If you do want to keep playing it, adding Sac Construct has been helpful against Fastro (and has uses elsewhere).

1 Like
2324

I dont play Nexus, but dont you add Visage as a economy/quality of click card… not a draw source. It just makes your draw do more, doesnt make you draw more.

1 Like
2325

Yeah; instead you’re polluting it with *links to* detailed discussions of Kit : P

When you link to another thread it makes that big box so it’s super obvious, so I was amused that you made two consecutive posts in this thread like “hey guys, Security Nexus Kit!”. And then I checked your posting history and in between those two posts is nothing but posts in the Kit thread. And your avatar is Kit.

Really I should not have posted anything because shitposting isn’t Stimhack’s jam but I was amused and posted something AND SO HERE WE ARE

1 Like