I like that because a good runner will never facecheck without a sentry (I’m looking at you, Komainu). It could totally be a bluff (and probably is), but who really wants to guess wrong and lose their hand turn one?!
ICE ICE ICE isn’t always the best move. Usually, I prefer to Celebrity Gift and leave a central open. However, it’s quite good against Andy, who some significant percentage of the time has their opener fucked if they can’t turn 1 Dirty Laundry. It’s Particularly good when she mulligans and might not have much for econ.
Yeah, it’s an interesting option, though. I’ve never triple-ICE’d first turn but against the right matchup it can instantly start making the runner make tough decisions.
The deck does seem to demoralize opponents. Given Red Coats and Yellow Jackets, I kind of think we should be calling this one Burgundy Blazers.
I’m 4-1 so far, with the one loss coming to a Reina player with Stimhacks who would have been dead to brain damage if he’d lost the final psi game (and otherwise I would have scored and won). I coughed up all three Niseis early on and still almost won, so I’m okay with that. I’ve beaten two VoicePAD Kates and I’ve also lost to another player’s taxing RP with my own VoicePAD Kate despite Lucky Finding at least 6 times between SOT and Levy. I beat Zwirn’s VoicePAD Kate and another player’s VoicePAD CT without too much trouble (although I was somewhat frustrated to lose a psi game to Zwirn at time for a timed win instead of a real win on my next turn). I think Burgundy Blazers is just a bad matchup for VoicePAD decks. If it starts showing up all over the place, I might have to rethink my Runner choice for Nationals.
My list is very close to @SneakySly’s. Basically -PAD / +Interns, -Shadow / +Corporate Troubleshooter, -Wall of Thorns / +Shinobi.
I’m undecided on my tweaks at this point, I want to play more games. Troubleshooter is there to stick surprise Komainus / Tsurugis against Datasucker / Parasite (edit: and for random unexpected lockouts). I’m also considering -1 NAPD / +1 Fetal for variety and bluffs.
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Nice. I really like the deck. I should have taken it to the WI Regional. I played it in the warmup tourney and went 4-1, losing to Gabe’s early pickings from hand and R&D. It’s grinding, and good. One unrezzed piece of ICE usually keeps Sundews and the sort protected.
Does this build gain anything from Upstalk? Does Lotus make the cut? CT is an interesting add, but I don’t believe it helps with Parasite, does it? I mean, doesn’t the active player (see: Runner) have the first chance to do shite, so they could Sucker/Clone Chip/kill the ICE before you can CT?
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Yes, I believe that’s the case.
Yep, you’re right. Oops. It only forces an ice to stick if they can’t insta-kill it with Parasite and you can pump the ice out of breaker range. (Hopefully sticking either something painful or an ETR on the scoring remote. The idea of Troubleshooting a Quandary out of Yog + Sucker range amuses me.) I have yet to rez it, so I’m not sure how effective it will be.
(Edited for clarity.)
I think you’re better off with a Wraparound/Ice Wall, or a Closed Accounts.
I don’t believe this is the case. You would use CT at 2.3, as the runner is approaching the ice. Datasucker only works at 3.1, when they’ve actually encountered it.
Now that I reread Datasucker, it does say “currently being encountered” on it, which implies 3.1 as you say.
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But you could kill a quandary, or Komainu (with grimoire) with insta-parasite at step 2.3 before the corp can react, right?
Correct. Sucker is used during the same time you use a Breaker; 3.1 is when you interact. That makes sense.
Go with the CT, then! I doubt people would expect it at all.
@cspieker is also right.
But yeah, apart from the fact that I just posted it on Stimhack, I’m pretty sure it will be a surprise to everyone. (A lot of people in my local meta read Stimhack – even the forum threads – despite the fact that very few of them post.)
Hopefully that’s less true at Nationals. 
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Field report on alternate cards…
Cyberdex Trial as a one of is useful if you are playing against Data Sucker decks (which still seem to be popular). It has worked especially well when I spend the “additional” couple of clicks bumping central defenses.
Uroboros, otoh, is not so good. (This was a remnant of the RP deck I played at Regionals last year.) I had hoped the double trace 4s would serve as kind of a Tollbooth on the cheap. It did not end up that way.
Surprisingly, I feel like Mutate may be the largest potential boost from Upstalk. Parasite recursion is particularly hard on these builds. Having the ability to replace ice that is going to get trashed anyway (I’m looking at you Komainu) will be useful.
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Bako and Quandary do a good job at protecting your early Sundews or Pad Campaigns. As someone who plays almost exclusively Parasite Gabe vs RP, I really hate seeing Bako because it’s such a waste to Parasite and fetching a Corroder just to deal with Bako is a tempo hit. Especially if I need to trash something behind it.
I will also be more inclined to mulligan a Corroder in my opening hand vs RP because I don’t want to lose it to Net Damage and I don’t want to install it until I need it. I’m not sure if other people do this though.
If you are already running Interns that’s probably better in more situations, but it could be interesting to try out.