Tagging and Making News

I haven’t seen any threads about classic core NBN so I thought I’d start one. I know there is a “Post Clot NBN” thread but that is mainly dedicated to discussing how NEH can attempt to FA around the Clot threat.

I’ve always liked the tag threat Making News decks, but they always played second or third fiddle to Taxman or Never Advance styles of play–decks with very limited tag threats.

I think with some of the new mean sentries NBN now has available, combined with the popularity of Mimic and the diminished Criminal (and Faerie) play, it’s more possible to stick a tag and do something mean with it.

Does anyone else think taggy Making News can be a competitive deck? I think it’s got a shot. Here’s a list that I’ve been toying with with some success, would like to hear if anyone else has been winning with tag-centric Making News decks.

Tagboy 2015

NBN: Making News (Core Set)

Agenda (10)
3x AstroScript Pilot Program (Core Set)
2x Breaking News (Core Set)
1x Hades Fragment (Up and Over)
3x Project Beale (Future Proof)
1x Utopia Fragment (The Source)

Asset (8)
2x Adonis Campaign (Core Set) [color=#8A2BE2]••••[/color]
1x Blacklist (Breaker Bay)
3x Jackson Howard (Opening Moves)
2x PAD Campaign (Core Set)

Upgrade (4)
2x Ash 2X3ZB9CY (What Lies Ahead) [color=#8A2BE2]••••[/color]
1x Bernice Mai (Humanity’s Shadow)
1x ChiLo City Grid (Trace Amount)

Operation (11)
1x Archived Memories (Core Set) [color=#8A2BE2]••[/color]
1x Big Brother (Trace Amount)
2x Closed Accounts (Core Set)
3x Hedge Fund (Core Set)
1x Psychographics (Core Set)
3x Sweeps Week (True Colors)

Barrier (5)
3x Eli 1.0 (Future Proof) [color=#8A2BE2]•••[/color]
2x Wraparound (Fear and Loathing)

Code Gate (3)
1x Lotus Field i[/i] [color=#DC143C]•[/color]
1x Tollbooth (Core Set)
1x Viper (Cyber Exodus) [color=#8A2BE2]•[/color]

Sentry (7)
1x Data Raven (Core Set)
1x Dracō (What Lies Ahead)
2x Gutenberg (Breaker Bay)
2x Troll (The Source)
1x Virgo (The Source)

Other (1)
1x Universal Connectivity Fee (Up and Over)
15 influence spent (max 15)
20 agenda points (between 20 and 21)
49 cards (min 45)
Cards up to Breaker Bay

Deck built on NetrunnerDB.

1 Like

Shockingly close to what I had been trying. I think there is a fun little bit of trappy synergy with predictive algorithm and UCF. Just a bandwidth or data raven and the runner can’t steal if you have any of ash, herrings, or PA. I went up to 3 UCF after this. RSVP also. Runs like a rush deck.

In your list I’d run RDP over HF, and swap adonis out for GLC or BLC because draw is very nice, more burst econ keeps you fast (but then again I’m in a rush mindset). It helps you find your 1 ofs like psycho too.

Sounds like a nice version–I’ve found that Adonis Campaign is the best asset to get a runner jumpy and make him run through something he’s not ready to deal with yet, and land a tag. It also makes a lot of cash when it stays!

Every time I try to build a MN decks I give up because I can’t figure out the right balance of tagging cards and tag punishment cards. If you can’t punish a tag-me runner very hard, then your tagging cards are pretty bad. But if you spend too many card slots on tag punishment cards then you have too many dead cards against runners that avoid tags. I agree with your approach of using 1-2 ofs to try and find the sweet spot, but I always end up unhappy with the deck that I end up with.

1 Like

I hear you loud and clear. It’s the big problem. But often it turns out you have the one you need when you want, or an Archived Memories. You definitely don’t need to go overboard. Once Closed Accounts is often all you need. There are other fun cards to try, like Freelancer and Shoot the Moon, but good old classic CS and Psycho are the cards that help you win.

Another problem is setting it up so that they can’t just win by running through tags before you can get set up. Ice placement and composition is key here and probably needs adjustments–Eli is clickable after all, and you can Makers Eye through that.

I played a very similar list for a while, I think the ICE suite is very good. Lots of ways to punish even a single tag (Big Brother strikes me as a great 1-of). Have you considered switching the Shards out for Restructured Datapools? That agenda has been doing a lot of work for me. I’ve never run ChiLo, seems a bit expensive for what it does?
I’d tinker with the economy package though, switching the drip evon for event econ or, instead, include Manhunt to make the remotes “safer”.

I’ve run the Datapools but I hate seeing that card every single time. I’d rather score one of those shards I’ve included, if I have to score a 3/5. It’s a weakness but I don’t want to lose a deck slot. Also, there are often occasions where it’s possible to score a 3/5, with Ash or after a Closed Accounts.

Adonis is key here, give it a try. Every single time, they run it. Hello Virgo, hello Bernice.

Chilo is another way to stick a tag (or a few!). Goes nicely with Troll.

Any thoughts on Information Overload in this style of deck? It’s a late-game board wipe against a tag-me Runner, but I’m not sure how valuable that is with the other tag punishment already present.

It’s a bit expensive, and I’m not typically hitting them with more than 2 tags or so–but it would indeed protect against “take all the tags” running. Might slot one in.

I would say:

Tagging ICE has a shelf-life on rnd and HQ. There will often come times when the runner just needs to close out and if you’re not scorching, or they know you can’t pull the kill off they won’t care.

I believe 5\3 agendas should be avoided in closed accounts decks. You need the install-advanced-closed play available. UCF may make it more palatable but then you are playing the positional ICE game.

Melange is enough to make them run the scoring\tagging server.

A good rule is to start with 4 tag punish cards and see if you can take something away to add more. UCF would qualify as a tag punish card.

Will be fun to see what you settle on

What’s your reason for not having Manhunt in this deck?

2 Likes

It gives tags, but doesn’t punish. I like the card, but it’s a little expensive and might not stay on the table long. I have reasonably good ways to stick a tag. The slots in this deck are easy to play with, and I can certainly see Manhunt being good, but this deck also doesn’t usually have many remotes that runner wants to run and trash.

Definitely needs more Manhunt and probably at least another Data Raven.

I’d also maybe try Primary Transmission Dishes instead of PAD/Adonis. They’re basically must-trash if the runner wants to have a chance at beating any of your traces.

This is definitely one of the things I’ll be looking at when adjusting after getting more games in.

Melange takes three clicks to use, and makes RD and HQ more porous with the low trash cost. Adonis is one of the main workhorses of this deck, and is frequently how I can initiate the tagging play.

Thanks for feedback

Yeah the lack of remotes makes Manhunt a lot worse, your explanation makes a lot of sense

second this. Been fooling around with a deck a lot like this recently, and adonis is a workhorse for threatening never advance. so much money for one click, and it’s surprising how much impact the difference in trash cost has both in RnD and as trash-taxation once in a remote.

Manhunt is a toss up for me. @steve_houston, it sounds like you generally play with just one nightmare-remote and a few don’t bother remotes like PADs? if this is the case, manhunt makes a lot less sense. I may have to tweak my deck and try it more with this style of play.

You got it. Also, if they take a tag or three along the way to get your Adonis, they will likely not trash it, so that they can keep money to clear tags.

I’ve got the two PADs. But yeah, minimal remote play.

I actually like Primary Transmission Dish and Manhunt in NEH. That’s the deck you want to be putting out assets in. Worth a look.

yeah, I’m definitely getting caught in the trap of “forgetting I’m not playing NEH anymore” when I both build and play MN decks.

Just popping in real quick to say that I didn’t find chiLo effective enough in my recent lists to be worth the slot.

I was playing midseasons psycho though, unsure how good it is in your deck. I didn’t have troll in my deck neither, which I think certainly improves ChiLo’s viability.

I’m also a big fan of Bernice.

Adonis is nice, but if forcing the run is what you want to do, isn’t there more+faster upside to running melange? You get the influence back for better things, and it’s ROI goes up faster and faster. Granted its slightly more porus in RnD