Let us explore your inner potential... Jinteki: Potential Unleashed thread

Deck Archetypes
1

Almost all people have this potential for evil, which would be unleashed only under certain dangerous social circumstances.

-Iris Chang

I didn’t see a discussion thread of the new Jinteki ID, Potential Unleashed. Let me know if this is a duplicate and I will feel much shame.

The new Jinteki ID from Escalation. Society is turning ugly and the knives are coming out to protect the righteous corporation from the vile runners who are trying to destroy everything that they’ve built. It is time to put down this evil and restore order on the streets and in cyber space at any cost.

I’ve seen some people playing around with this ID, so naturally I stole all of their ideas, threw them into a @mediohxcore / @Zeromus IG49 deck with the new ID.

We all have potential for evil

Jinteki: Potential Unleashed (Escalation)

Agenda (10)
3x Fetal AI (Trace Amount)
3x House of Knives (Honor and Profit)
1x Philotic Entanglement (Honor and Profit)
3x The Future Perfect (Honor and Profit)

Asset (21)
3x Bio-Ethics Association (Democracy and Dogma)
2x Genetics Pavilion (The Universe of Tomorrow)
3x Hostile Infrastructure (All That Remains)
2x Jackson Howard (Opening Moves) [color=#FF8C00]●●[/color]
3x Psychic Field (Honor and Profit)
3x Ronin (Future Proof)
2x Sensie Actors Union (Democracy and Dogma) [color=#FF8C00]●●●●[/color]
3x Shock! (True Colors)

Upgrade (2)
2x Breaker Bay Grid (Breaker Bay)

Operation (8)
2x Dedication Ceremony (Kala Ghoda) [color=#006400]●●●●● ●[/color]
3x Diversified Portfolio (Honor and Profit)
3x Hedge Fund (Core Set)

Barrier (2)
2x Vanilla (The Liberated Mind)

Code Gate (3)
3x Crick (Breaker Bay)

Sentry (3)
3x Komainu (Honor and Profit)
12 influence spent (max 12, available 0)
20 agenda points (between 20 and 21)
49 cards (min 45)
Cards up to Escalation

Deck built on NetrunnerDB.

So far I think this deck is really just a lesser version of Dan’s IG, but it’s been fun to play, and most players are bad against it.

Genetics Pavilion and Hostile Infrastructure do a lot to slow the runner down. Never-advance naked House of Knives works well. Pshychic Field is great, especially when Andy’s Dirty Lanundry run hits it click 1 for 8 net +1. Komainu is the star piece of ICE in this ID, it is taxing to break, devastating to fire, and deadly to dodge with small hand size.

At any rate, I think there are lots of ways to try playing this ID. Data Mine/Neural EMP deserves a mention, and Yagura is possibly worth considering. DNA tracker already hits like a truck, milling 3 cards is a nice extra penalty to the face check.

Ark Lockdown sounds appealing, given the chances to put Levy into the bin, either through Net damage or the ID mill power, taking it out for good can really seal the mill win-condition. Of course, how to spend the 12 influence is the real challenge.

So, what does everyone else think? How are you playing with this ID? Traps? Glacier? Post your lists and discuss your ideas!

2

While I don’t think the ID is bad, I just keep looking at PU decks and wondering why they aren’t Chronos Protocol or PE decks…

I do think the ID is technically better than PE if only because it has more room for spikes and doesn’t have to play a bunch of 1-point agendas…

But ultimately, my problem with PU is that it does nothing more than what usually happens in a game. Already the Runner doesn’t have access to the bottom 10 cards of their deck in most games, so milling them for a random 10 cards actually helps them, because it puts them into the Heap where they can be ‘Live’ so to speak. The ID only actually has an ability when it runs the Runner out of Stack… Now, to be fair, as I haven’t played with or against it a ton, it’s entirely possible that every PU game does just that. If it does, then I’m convinced it’s at least a playable ID.

5 Likes
3

I think CrushU is right - might need Blacklist, Chronos Project, or Ark Lockdown to really take advantage of the milling.

2 Likes
4

I’d have to mostly agree, Chronos Protocol is often nastier, especially if you’re trying to snipe breakers or other key cards.

I’m still of the opinion that there is a lot of incidental value to be had in those random topdeck mills though. The runner only has so many cards they can recur.

I guess you could look at it as introducing more variance into the runner’s deck. If you mill a card and they can’t/won’t recur it, they might as well not have it in the first place. You can also make SURE they can’t recur, using ARC or whatever.

Ultimately though, as far as milling out specific cards goes, I guess it just comes down to precision (Chronos) vs sheer card numbers (PU), with PU having an upside in increased decking capability. It’ll be interesting to see which one is more effective once the flashpoint cycle wraps up.

5

The problem I have is that this is already true in every game the Runner doesn’t draw every card in their deck.

If the Runner doesn’t draw every card in their deck, the ones they don’t draw might as well not exist. Taking cards from the top of Stack vs bottom of Stack doesn’t matter, they’re both random.

It doesn’t exactly introduce more variance, it just is another way to allow variance to fall in your favor if they have little/no recursion. If they DO have recursion, you’re just giving them more options.

3 Likes
6

Oh shoot, I misread your original post, you’re totally right.

You could… use it to tilt people slightly?

I guess you need blacklist/ARC/a complete mill to make it worth anything, dang.

1 Like
7

I do want to highlight this real fast, and point out that Builder of Nations is in sort of the same boat, where the ID ability only really does something powerful once the Runner runs out of Stack… And from my experience, it’s not very difficult to hit enough cards with BoN to empty the Runner’s stack, so it should also be possible out of Jinteki.

8

Bon also taxes the runner because they have to click to draw to replace cards they lost from their hand, while Pu doesn’t do this.

CrushU is normally right that milling does nothing unless you mill the whole stack, since runners draw random cards whenever they draw anyway. But this changes when runners play lots of 1 ofs with tutors. If you mill the program the runner wanted to SMC for, they can’t do that any more.

7 Likes
9

Exactly. Milling a Criminal decoder, for instance, before they can Special Order it, is significant. Against this deck, you really need to find and install your important cards quickly. Normally, you just want to install them as you draw them (as is the case with regular net-damage Jinteki or CP), but here you need to get them both out of your deck and on the board since your deck is vulnerable too. Not everyone is running Retrieval Run or Clone Chip.

2 Likes
10

I can’t see playing this ID without 3x DNA tracker. It’s the only net damage ice that’s going to fire regularly, because Komainu is so easily broken with faerie / mimic / mongoose and nobody’s going to run on unrezzed ice while you have 5 credits and they don’t have a killer. To me, this ID is about rushing out agendas behind a DNA tracker and causing the runner to mill themselves or let you score agendas that make it really easy to get the last few points (like Nisei or Medical Breakthrough).

11

This identity doesn’t need ICE to do the net damage. It works just as good with Hokusai Grid, Shock!, Bio-Ethics, Georgia, Fetal AI, and especially House of Knives to increase the rate the runner is milled at. There’s also some cheaper ICE that can usually make the runner take net damage like Aiki and Data Mine.

1 Like
12

100% agreed with this. Playing a bunch of Chronos Protocol taught me not to trust in ICE to get your net damage. Shock, Neural EMP, Hokusai, House of Knives, Bio-Ethics and Hostile Infrastructure are the most reliable ways to deal net damage. (Bio-Ethics and Hostile are particularly effective.)

I do also agree that you have the one exception: Runner plays a bunch of 1-ofs that they tutor for. Note that they specifically have to be tutoring for them. If they’re trying to draw into them, it’s just the same as them never drawing the cards. This means the deck is good against certain combo Runner decks, like Dyper, Nexus Kate, and whatever random jank is currently floating around.

1 Like
13

I agree that net damage from ICE should not be looked to as a primary means of landing net damage. It is a nice ancillary, and net damage ICE is enhanced by the ID, but most runners will avoid it firing at all.

Hokousai Grid is a strong card in this ID. Depending on your build you can put it on a central to discourage runs, or on a remote as an added tax to trash a card, which is particularly draining if there are multiple HI and/or Bioethics installed.

My builds have not used enough ICE to justify Georgia, but she certainly has potential if you have ICE to stop runs.

14

Every criminal and shaper deck has tutors

15

My first take on Metaltree Mill. We’re actually trying to mill them out. Forgot about Hokusai Grid, will be in the second draft.

Jinteki: Potential Unleashed (Escalation)

Agenda (10)
3x Fetal AI
2x House of Knives
1x Philotic Entanglement
3x The Future Perfect
1x Chronos Project

Asset (18)
2x Pālanā Agroplex
3x Bio-Ethics Association
2x Project Junebug
3x Jackson Howard •••
3x Shock!
3x Hostile Infrastructure
2x Blacklist ••

Operation (10)
1x Voter Intimidation
1x Enforcing Loyalty
2x Ark Lockdown ••••
3x Neural EMP
3x Hedge Fund

Code Gate (8)
3x Aiki
2x DNA Tracker
3x Pop-up Window •••

Sentry (3)
3x Komainu

16

You guys are still too kind for PU. Make your opponent tilt by playing PU in combination with MCH setup. Just make sure you protect your Hostile Infrastructures.

Ping ping

Jinteki: Potential Unleashed (Escalation)

Agenda (9)
3x Fetal AI (Trace Amount)
2x Global Food Initiative (Data and Destiny) [color=#708090]●●[/color]
1x House of Knives (Honor and Profit)
3x The Future Perfect (Honor and Profit)

Asset (29)
3x Bio-Ethics Association (Democracy and Dogma)
1x Blacklist (Breaker Bay) [color=#FF8C00]●[/color]
1x Genetics Pavilion (The Universe of Tomorrow)
3x Hostile Infrastructure (All That Remains)
3x Jackson Howard (Opening Moves) [color=#FF8C00]●●●[/color]
3x Mental Health Clinic (Honor and Profit)
3x Mumba Temple (Kala Ghoda) [color=#708090]★★★○○○○○ ○[/color]
3x Mumbad City Hall (Democracy and Dogma) [color=#006400]●●●[/color]
3x Museum of History (Kala Ghoda) [color=#708090]○○○○○ ○[/color]
1x Sandburg (23 Seconds)
2x Tech Startup (The Valley)
3x Turtlebacks (The Source)

Operation (4)
1x Heritage Committee (Kala Ghoda)
2x Scarcity of Resources i[/i]
1x Voter Intimidation (Fear the Masses)

Barrier (3)
2x Quicksand (Chrome City)
1x Vanilla (The Liberated Mind)

Code Gate (4)
1x Crick (Breaker Bay)
3x DNA Tracker i[/i]

Sentry (5)
2x Chrysalis (23 Seconds)
3x Komainu (Honor and Profit)
9 influence spent (max 12-3★=9, available 0)
22 agenda points (between 22 and 23)
54 cards (min 45)
Cards up to Escalation

Deck built on NetrunnerDB.

4 Likes
17

The ID needs cards that trigger multiple instances of net damage to be better than PE though. Hokusai Grid, Shock, etc. mills are not going to be more than the amount of net damage PE does over the course of a game. PU only mills faster than PE if you’re able to successfully fire off a Komainu or DNA Tracker, and I just don’t see anyone running into a Komainu unprepared.

18

Why? Surely the relevant question for which ID will deck out the Runner is:

“Are there going to be more instances of one or more net damage over the course of the game, or more instances of agendas being scored/stolen.”

If it’s the former then PU wins, if the latter PE wins. If those numbers are the same, PE and PU will deck out the Runner just as easily, but PU will have the advantage that the Runner has less control over what is damaged due to the blind nature of the Stack damage, while PE will have the advantage of being more of a click tax as the Runner has to draw those damage points first (not necessary for Stack damage).

I’ve been playing quite a lot of Chronos Protocol recently, with a combination of breaker destruction and decking out the Runner flatline. The threat of Chronos Project is a requirement I think if you want to go for the “no deck left, Neural EMP” win. The PU damage is also kind of a soft version of Chronos Protocol, the Corp can’t specifically target key cards (e.g. breakers), but equally the Runner can’t protect them by installing them either. That makes Heap removal a considerable threat. I also think you’d be fairly mad to play with less than three copies of House of Knives. It is one of the best Jinteki agendas anyway, and PU doubles the effect of every token when looking to deck people out.

More ponderings: it mightn’t actually be completely mad to go down the program destruction route in this ID, aiming at destroying/taxing out their decoders. Couple of Lotus Field for non-reducable ETR, then Aiki (4 cards if not broken), DNA Tracker (6 cards if not broken), Yagura (2 cards if not broken) are all expensive with anything but Yog.0. Couple of cheap token barriers, then Grim/Archer/Swordman to round out the ICE. Marcus Batty for the destruction hilarity. Attack their decoding ability, Chronos Project liberally? (24/7 News Cycle is excellent for both House of Knives and Chronos Project, incidentally.)

1 Like
19

The games I’ve played against it your stack can get ripped through pretty fast. Having the ID ability trigger every time instead of first time is a thing.

ICE does net damage when you’re threatening something behind it early

3 Likes
20

I’ve played some test games using a primarily Grail build. The ability is great for milling out. Need to try some Blacklist and stuff I think though.

Current build. Plan is to IAA anything/everything, which could allow a sneaky Chronos score by lulling the opponent into thinking it’s another Upgrade.

Unleashed More…?

Jinteki: Potential Unleashed (Escalation)

Agenda (10)
2x Chronos Project (First Contact)
3x Corporate Sales Team (Business First)
3x Fetal AI (Trace Amount)
2x The Future Perfect (Honor and Profit)

Asset (9)
2x Allele Repression (The Underway)
1x Cerebral Overwriter (Creation and Control) [color=#8A2BE2]●●[/color]
3x Project Junebug (Core Set)
1x Ronin (Future Proof)
2x Shock! (True Colors)

Upgrade (5)
1x Crisium Grid (First Contact) [color=#006400]●[/color]
1x Cyberdex Virus Suite (Order and Chaos)
3x Hokusai Grid (Humanity’s Shadow)

Operation (8)
3x Hedge Fund (Core Set)
3x Medical Research Fundraiser (Honor and Profit)
2x Neural EMP (Core Set)

Barrier (5)
3x Galahad i[/i] [color=#708090]●●●[/color]
2x Wall of Thorns (Core Set)

Code Gate (5)
2x Aiki (Blood Money)
3x Merlin (All That Remains) [color=#708090]●●●[/color]

Sentry (6)
3x Chrysalis (23 Seconds)
3x Lancelot (First Contact) [color=#708090]●●●[/color]

Other (1)
1x Excalibur (The Source)
12 influence spent (max 12, available 0)
20 agenda points (between 20 and 21)
49 cards (min 45)
Cards up to Escalation

EDIT: Quite a few flaws in this deck. Firstly Med Fundraiser should be Gift in this style I think. Allelle Repression is a relatively poor Jackson replacement, though it almost got me the Neural kill last night in testing (down to 0 cards in Grip). With the large number of advancable cards I think 1-2 Back Channels might be a good use of Inf, though then I am cutting into the Grail suite.