[Kate] Redefining Shaper Control Decks

Deck Archetypes
2427

If you run into Architect, it’s either an NEH that drew their 1-of architect and isn’t going to have enough ice overall to make tax an issue, or it’s an HB that’s spent themselves out of their Caprice influence so you’re gonna win elsewhere. Saving 1 credit on Architect does not seem necessary now that Architect is an MWL’d card. If you’re running Mimic, it should be because you want to break all sorts of ice with the sucker-mimic combo as Four Leaf suggested.

@ 4 leaf’s figures:

Data Raven is 2 to break with the “Magnum Opus” ice breaker. Ichi 1.0 is a real pain, though, I think you don’t go with the Mongoose plan if you are expecting tons of Ichis in your meta, you go with the Mongoose plan if you’re expecting Pup and Susanoo no Mikoto.

2 Likes
2428

susanoo is mostly pushed out of the meta atm since 60-70% of the field is anarch. D4vid is literally everywhere and for only 1 counter, RP isn’t even playing her right now. I think mongoose is limited at 2 inf and high break costs for ichi and Data raven.

2429

The point of the mimic is not to save you from the extra Architecht credit, it’s to survive the “once per run” stipulation on Mongoose. If I could play 2 Mongeese I would, but I’m an influance short.

2430

I think Indexing gets a lot worse on the RDI plan, especially as a single copy, because it’s really only good early. Once you have your RDIs on the field, you’re seeing 4 cards anyhow. Indexing for 5 cards and then having to go back in and see 4 to actually steal agendas is pointless. With a singleton, you’re most likely to see it late as well. I’d probably swap it out to a Maker’s Eye instead, if you want to have a 4th R&D pressure tool. I feel like even with a single RDI out, I’d rather Maker’s and see 4 than Index and have to go back.

I’m not sure I’m on board with the Omni-Drive either. It’s another memory, I guess, but it’s expensive to install, and takes a lot of runs before it is going to be as good as a pure economy card. I know with Magnum Opus, you have a lot of memory concerns, but I look at it this way. PrePaid Kate, back in its heyday, ran a bunch of programs, and only Astrolabe as a single memory. You’re basically running the same number of programs, but have an extra MU from Maya, which can go towards Opus. I feel like with good play, the extra MU isn’t needed from Omni, and it’s a bad economy card, so it doesn’t need to fill that slot either. I’d probably go with something like a Same Old Thing to do more Legworks, Maker’s, Vamps and Stimhacks.

I also like running a Scavenge along with my Ladys, and would probably go -1 Quality Time +1 Scavenge, but that might be a personal choice. It also allows you to turn a Mimic into a Mongoose, since you seem to want to go that route rather than the Datasucker route (I also like Datasucker+Mimic, because the Datasucker helps with setting Atman as well, but again, personal choice).

1 Like
2431

Nether am I. But I want to be a snowflake and not play Alamatsu Mem Chip.

This is different than PrePaid Kate. This deck wants to establish a premanent rig, not a toolbox of situational breakers such as sharpshooter and cycy. To get the full rig, I need one more memory than I have. It is worth noting that I do not need the full rig in all games, I just like having that option to establish what is my final goal, instead of only having the pieces, and not the final rig.

Maybe I’m missing something but neither of those cards involve influance. Also, the one Mongoose one Mimic plan is the best I’ve felt about sentry’s in shaper without playing stealth in a long time. That said, Scavange probly goes in for the Indexing, it’s just I got wrecked by it last regionals season with a low ice NBN deck, and ever sience then I like the card because it can get you that last agenda against yellow.

2432

Sorry, that was super unclear of me. What I meant was that it allows you to use Scavenge to turn your installed Mimic into a Mongoose that’s either in the heap or your grip (since they share an install cost), if you don’t want them both installed at the same time.

Also, I get that you want a permanent rig, but I don’t see why you can’t do a bit of swapping in and out as well. I really think it’s possible to manage, but if you really want to run Omni, who am I to stop you =P

2433

This Stealth Kate has been pretty decent in testing for me. The econ is better than any other variants I tried. Recurring credits also help a lot, and Refractor is amazing.

Kate “Mac” McCaffrey Digital Tinker
10 influence spent (max 15-5☆=10) ••••••••••
46 cards (min 45)
Cards up to Old Hollywood

Event (18)
3x Diesel
3x Dirty Laundry
1x Legwork ••
1x Levy AR Lab Access
3x Lucky Find ••••• •
1x Quality Time
3x Sure Gamble
3x The Maker’s Eye

Hardware (9)
2x Astrolabe
3x Clone Chip ☆☆☆
2x Lockpick
1x Plascrete Carapace
1x R&D Interface

Resource (8)
3x Daily Casts
1x Film Critic
3x Ghost Runner
1x Same Old Thing

Icebreaker (4)
2x Cerberus “Lady” H1 ☆☆
1x Dagger
1x Refractor

Program (7)
3x Cloak
1x Clot ••
3x Self-modifying Code

2 Likes
2434

Hey all,
I took a Kate-Apoc deck to Reading Store-Champs, 54 players. It went 5-0 in the Swiss, and came up against someone playing RP who was very aware of the apoc… At which point we drew 2-2 and he went through by virtue of being the higher seed (and there were reasonable chances to win the game).

My version plays 2 apoc - as crappy as it can be to not see them, I knew that at least @lpoulter was bringing HB, so I really wanted mimic. Originally I trimmed lucky find -> day job to accommodate, but this was truly horrible. Also, and more importantly on the day, I really wanted clot as I thought there would be a sea of yellow (and there was).

This version beat Titan, Spark, Sync x 2, and NEH (I believe). NEH seemed to be the best matchup.

Here’s the list,

Kate “Mac” McCaffrey: Digital Tinker

Event (17)
2x Apocalypse ••••• •
3x Diesel
3x Dirty Laundry
3x Indexing
1x Levy AR Lab Access
1x Lucky Find ••
1x Quality Time
3x Sure Gamble

Hardware (6)
2x Astrolabe
3x Clone Chip
1x Plascrete Carapace

Resource (8)
3x Aesop’s Pawnshop
3x Daily Casts
2x Same Old Thing

Icebreaker (7)
1x Atman
1x Cerberus “Lady” H1
1x Cyber-Cypher
1x Inti
1x Mimic •
1x Sharpshooter
1x ZU.13 Key Master

Program (7)
1x Clot ••
3x Hyperdriver
3x Self-modifying Code

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

If I were going to go again, I’d drop mimic for hunting grounds - just to avoid all the data raven, and in the fringe cases, to give me aesop’s money. I think the archetype is good, but I’ll be switching to Noise. Noise seems ‘Andromeda circa Creation and Control’ good at the moment, and I’m not one to fight the tide.

6 Likes
2435

I took Katpocalypse to my store champs as well, El-Ad’s 3 apocalypse version though I dropped lucky find for clot. Went 2-2, crushing two NBN decks and failing horribly against Titan-FA packing swordsman and Batty-Gold.

In retrospect I’d have 100% dropped an Apoc for a Mimic and Lucky find (i.e. pretty much groobers list lol). Architect and Swordsman seem such a hassle for the deck without Mimic, and so many people seemed to have Swordsman.

2436

El-ad is packing deus - while a shitty way to deal with swordsman, it should do to get through and land the apoc, no?

2437

Indeed, but the swordsman gear check slowed the deck down a lot - probably sub-optimal play on my part but needing to get/recur Deus X in addition to other breakers left me short on turns when I would have really liked to apocalypse.

Against post-MWL NBN it didn’t seem an issue - their ice is flimsy so swordsman isn’t a huge additional cost, but combined with beefier stuff like HB ice or stacked weyland destroyers or caprice/crisium on a central I think you want mimic to get through that swordsman multiple times.

2438

Pretty exciting to see people playing Apoc Kate. I took it to the Gamer’s Gambit Store Championship (23 players), it ended up 3-1 in Swiss, only losing to @SimonMoon who is on RP and knows me and my playstyle really well. It then went 1-1 in Elim, again losing to @SimonMoon. I’m going to try a few anti-RP ideas: replacing a Zu with a Gordian, and adding 1x Escher and 1x Film Critic.

As you pointed out, NEH (and any yellow, actually, including Sync and Haarps kill) are excellent matchups. As such, I do not think that the deck requires Clot. I actually dropped it long before the MWL, it is simply unnecessary. No current fast-advance deck can handle the Indexing recursion.

The version I took to Gamer’s Gambit had 1x Mimic, 1x DJ. The DJ was fine, but the Mimic was not needed. I replaced an Atman with that Mimic and needed a second Atman in one of my games. I’m back to 1x LF, 2x Atman, no Mimic.

I agree that one of the reasons I added Mimic is to address Swordsman. Having it trash your Str5 Atman is annoying. Personally I think that timing the Apoc turn correctly and using Sharpshooter/Deus X should be enough, but it could be a matter of playstyle.

I also testing Hunting Grounds for a few games, did not like it. Sync is not really a problem so dodging Data Raven/Turnpike/Pop-up Window is not worth it, and I felt that Hunting Grounds doesn’t have enough oomph versus Grail. YMMV.

3 Likes
2439

I played a similar to el-ad’s apocalypse Kate yesterday in a GNK.
It went 4-0 against 2RP (who all aware of apoca) 1NEH and 1ETF with 2crisium.
(including 1 loseable time win against RP, apoca failed but sniped 2nisei out of remote…I mean I have to win psi games at some point right. :confused: )
RP is tough, I’m looking forward to political operative to replace the lucky find.

Event (18)
3 Apocalypse ●​●​●​●​●​●​●​●​●​
3 Diesel
3 Dirty Laundry
3 Indexing
1 Levy AR Lab Access
1 Lucky Find ●​●​
1 Quality Time
3 Sure Gamble

Hardware (6)
2 Astrolabe
1 Bookmark
3 Clone Chip ○​○​○​

Program (14)
2 Atman
1 Cerberus “Lady” H1 ○​
1 Inti
1 Deus X
3 Hyperdriver
3 Self-modifying Code
1 Sharpshooter
2 ZU.13 Key Master

Resource (7)
3 Aesop’s Pawnshop
3 Daily Casts
1 Symmetrical Visage

During my test, my only loss on Jinteki was actually flatlined by chum+swordsman… so I tried to put in an actual killer(Mimic/Chameleon) and feel unnecessary in the games after. El-ad and I also tested hunting ground, I still think 1of could be a good tool, but it wasn’t doing much in our testing so we all took it out :frowning: .

I can’t image how to find apoca in time with only 2 in the deck though, but sometimes it sucks if i have 2-3 early and don’t want to discard any to remind my opponent. So I added bookmark in my deck to host my aesops/apoca/clonechip/extra indexing. It also opens up stimhack as an option since we won’t lose important cards to it. I’ve been liking it. But el-ad said it’s too slow =[.

8 Likes
2440

Its just such a conceptually elegant idea: Shaper’s need to spend influence to impact the corps installs, so why settle for less than the biggest board-smasher there is?

2441

I found Bookmark slow in other contexts. I never tested it in this deck. If it’s working, that’s great.

2442

I’m actually playing this list and it’s the first time i’m actually happy with a proco.dec It’s basically shaper bullshit + faust with a tons of draws and a lot of $$

FaustKate with Hyperdriver

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

Event (18)

Hardware (7)

Resource (8)

Icebreaker (7)

Program (6)

9 influence spent (max 15-6☆=9)
46 cards (min 45)
Cards up to Kala Ghoda

Deck built on NetrunnerDB.

Some cards could be tuned for specific matchups, like deus X if those Janus Blue Sun or PE/IG kill become super popular, Notoriety if HB Food is still everywhere or Film Critic if there’s a lot of RP.

10 Likes
2443

I’ve been playing with the third hyperdriver over random stuff, and it’s really good. That card is nutty in here.

2444

Since yesterday, i’ve dropped the Scavenge for a singleton Notoriety, but could actually be anything else (3rd hyperdriver, Critic, Deus X …)

4 Likes
2445

Not to deviate too much, but are you trying a shell like this in professor?

Prof seems like he would do great with this build as well.Trading some econ for medium, David and whatever else you like.

Thanks for the work you guys. I am pretty excited for pro co Shaper to actually take off a bit.

2 Likes
2446

I’ve been playing professor a lot post MWL. I’ve played him more than any other shaper. If you land an early Scheherezade, he’s fantastic (I run 2 as the 1 inf). I’ll try this shell out with him though, it’s not a bad idea.