Originally published at: Mull or Keep #6 – Thebigboy teaching league special - StimHack
Discuss the latest article here.
I was wondering, why wasn’t the strategy with Hand 10, to just score out the Hostile Takeover?
Then draw as much as needed, fast track an atlas and depending on the draws, go for atlas train, kill combo or archer up the remote?
Honestly, you don’t really care if the Hostile is stolen that much, and it’s already kinda protected by your hand. Also, if you simply draw up, you’re not actually doing anything other than getting more cards, which you don’t really need. Sure, you might get a better remote ICE, since Enigma is kinda meh, but you already have a valid line that leads to an agenda score. The most important thing is setting up the Fast Track for Atlas, Install Atlas, Advance Atlas turn on turn 2. The Atlas counter gives power and threat, as well as can fuel the rush.
So I guess the short answer is that drawing isn’t as dependable as setting up for a turn 2 Atlas, and scoring an immediate Hostile isn’t as important for the overall gameplan.
Remember that the BBTL Kit deck has Personal Workshop.
Bad Pub stacking is especially bad vs Kit.
2 Likes
Others said it better, but basically the takeover isn’t advancing your win condition that much and actually helping them.
I should note that thebigboy contacted me after I published this and said that Hand1 should be a mull rather than a keep. He’s probably right.
Thank you for the replies. I am not sure I understand them, I will think about it and try to learn from it.
"Remember that the BBTL Kit deck has Personal Workshop. Bad Pub stacking is especially bad vs Kit."
Yeah that is true, I didn’t think about that.
I think hand 1 is really close. I can definitely see it as a mulligan, but I can also see the case for keeping it as you can easily run out the Atlas train before they get set up, given the right draw.
I feel like Hand1 is close enough that you can keep it and not feel bad.
Most Kits will mulligan for Opus not for Gordian, and while starts with an Opus and Gordian are possible, they’re rare enough that jamming Quandary/Atlas is good.
Getting that first Atlas counter is crucial. I do think that you abandon the Quandary asap; Install over it. The weakest part of this hand is that you have no actual ICE. The Quandary is only good until turn 4 at best, if Kit’s having a rough start and can’t find the Gordian. Most Kits will have the Gordian online and cracking servers by turn 3, and turn 2 is pretty likely.
On balance, it’s basically a 50% hand. There’s better hands, yes, but there are also way worse hands. Worst case scenario? You don’t draw relevant ICE for four turns and Kit gets to run rampant over your R&D. Which is sort of the plan anyway for GRNDL, so…
Miek I’d love to hear what your absolute perfect opening hand would be.