Draft Write Up Part 2: The Corp Pack 2

Continued from Part 1. Go read Part 1 if you have not already.

After Pack 1 I want to really focus on agendas since that is an area where I am lacking so far.

Below is a log of how my corporate draft went. By default it will show what SneakySly thinks of the pack, to see what I ended up picking and why, click “Display Anthony’s Pick and Analysis”. Enjoy, and let us know what you think in the comments below.

 

PACK  2 PICK 1

[one_fourth]

• Woodcutter
• Commercialization
• Private Contracts
• Big Brother
• Security Subcontracts

[/one_fourth] [one_fourth]

• Melange Mining Corporation
• Commercialization
• Red Herrings
• Wall of Thorns
• Psychographics

[/one_fourth] [one_fourth]

• Beanstalk Royalties
• Hostile Takeover
• Dedicated Server
• Ichi 1.0
• Braintrust

[/one_fourth] [one_fourth]

• Experiential Data
• Archer
• Pad Campaign
• Wall of Thorns
• Viper

[/one_fourth] [accordion] [pane title=”SneakySly Speculation and Analysis”]  Hostile Takeover and Melange are the two best cards in this pack. In our cube Melange is only a 2 of because that is how many are in one core set, as a result I would probably take it. [/pane] [pane title=”Display Anthony’s Pick and Analysis”]

• Melange Mining Corp

In this pack there are quite a few good picks, Hostile takeover being both an out of hand scorable agenda and a money card makes it quite strong, however, you do not want to flood your deck with too many 1 pointers. There are some money cards in Beanstalk Royalties, Pad Campaign and Melange Mining Corp. Melange is only a 2-of in the cube and is extremely powerful so it is an easy first pick for me.

[/pane] [/accordion]

 

PACK  2 PICK 2

[one_fourth]

• Big Brother
• Chum
• Draco
• Data Raven
• Freelancer

[/one_fourth] [one_fourth]

• Uroboros
• Beanstalk Royalties
• Executive Retreat
• Aggressive Secretary
• Ice Wall

[/one_fourth] [one_fourth]

• Private Security Force
• Ghost Branch
• Hadrian’s Wall
• Ash
• Beanstalk

[/one_fourth] [one_fourth]

• Sea Source
• Snowflake
• Sherlock 1.0
• Ice Wall

[/one_fourth] [accordion] [pane title=”SneakySly Speculation and Analysis”] Ice Wall is one of if not the best pieces of ICE in the game. Cheap ICE that can be played on the first turn is critical.  [/pane] [pane title=”Display Anthony’s Pick and Analysis”]

• Ice Wall

Well this pack basically has Ice Wall, Beanstalk Royaltiesand a bunch of cards not as good as those 2. I take an Ice wall as cheap ice is king in my opinion.

[/pane] [/accordion]

 

PACK  2 PICK 3

[one_fourth]

• Chilo City Grid
• Breaking News
• Marked Accounts
• Psychographics
• Bullfrog

[/one_fourth] [one_fourth]

• Viper
• Akitaro Watanabe
• Bullfrog
• Data Raven
• Anonymous Tip

[/one_fourth] [one_fourth]

• Hedge Fund
• Net Police
• Sherlock 1.0
• Priority Requisition
• Private Contracts

[/one_fourth] [one_fourth]

• Dedicated Server
• Encryption Protocol
• Accelerated Beta Test

[/one_fourth] [accordion] [pane title=”SneakySly Speculation and Analysis”] Ugh double Bullfrog in one pack. That said there are two great agendas here, Beta Test and Breaking News are both great picks.  [/pane] [pane title=”Display Anthony’s Pick and Analysis”]

•  Accelerated Beta Test

Breaking News, Marked Accounts, Hedge Funds and Accelerated Beta Test all look quite strong in this pack. With my goal of taking strong agendas this pack I decide to take the Accelerated Beta Test and hope something will wheel.

[/pane] [/accordion]

PACK  2 PICK 4

[one_fourth]

• Sensei
• Ghost Branch
• Mandatory Upgrades
• Zaibatsu Loyalty
• Oversight A.I.

[/one_fourth] [one_fourth]

• Viper
• Marked Account
• Executive Retreat
• Matrix Analyzer
• TMI

[/one_fourth] [one_fourth]

• Wall of Static
• Hadrian’s Wall
• Tollbooth
• Encryption Protocol
• Tollbooth

[/one_fourth] [one_fourth]

• Anonymous Tip
• Private Security Force

[/one_fourth] [accordion] [pane title=”SneakySly Speculation and Analysis”] From two Bullfrogs to two Tollbooths!  Hard to go wrong with a tollbooth. [/pane] [pane title=”Display Anthony’s Pick and Analysis”]

•  Tollbooth

Here I am pretty clearly taking a Tollbooth and hoping that a marked accounts or another piece of ice comes back.

[/pane] [/accordion]

PACK  2 PICK 5

[one_fourth]

• Woodcutter
• Private Contracts
• Big Brother
• Security Subcontracts

[/one_fourth] [one_fourth]

• Commercialization
• Red Herrings
• Wall of Thorns
• Psychographics

[/one_fourth] [one_fourth]

• Beanstalk Royalties
• Dedicated Server
• Braintrust

[/one_fourth] [one_fourth]

• Experiential Data
• Archer
• Pad Campaign
• Wall of Thorns
• Viper

[/one_fourth] [accordion] [pane title=”SneakySly Speculation and Analysis”]  3/2 agendas are always good, otherwise Wall of Thorns would be good for Anthony if he was looking for more ICE. [/pane] [pane title=”Display Anthony’s Pick and Analysis”]

• Braintrust

Beanstalk, Pad, Braintrust, Archer and Wall of Thorns seem like the pickable cards left in this pack. Of those cards Braintrust seems like the best choice for my deck currently being a 3/2 agenda is quite strong and helps me get to the required 20 Agenda points for my deck.

[/pane] [/accordion]

 

PACK  2 PICK 6

[one_fourth]

• Big Brother
• Chum
• Draco
• Data Raven
• Freelancer

[/one_fourth] [one_fourth]

• Uroboros
• Executive Retreat
• Aggressive Secretary

[/one_fourth] [one_fourth]

• Private Security Force
• Ghost Branch
• Hadrian’s Wall
• Ash

[/one_fourth] [one_fourth]

• Sea Source
• Snowflake
• Sherlock 1.0

[/one_fourth] [accordion] [pane title=”SneakySly Speculation and Analysis”] Data Raven is a good peice of ICE because anyone can run tag punishment in this format. Additionally your opponents will never know if you grabbed any, so it can bluff as well. That said, it is somewhat anti-synergistic with the Replicating Perfection identity, and something like Uroboros would probably be better. Alternatively depending on his ICE so far Anthony could look at the Chum.  [/pane] [pane title=”Display Anthony’s Pick and Analysis”]

• Uroboros

Unsurprisingly, the other Ice Wall and the Beanstalks are gone. I pick Uroboros here as it has strong synergy with the Jinteki: Rp Identity

[/pane] [/accordion]

 

 

PACK  2 PICK 7

[one_fourth]

• Chilo City Grid
• Psychographics
• Bullfrog

[/one_fourth] [one_fourth]

• Viper
• Akitaro Watanabe
• Bullfrog
• Data Raven
• Anonymous Tip

[/one_fourth] [one_fourth]

• Net Police
• Sherlock 1.0
• Priority Requisition
• Private Contracts

[/one_fourth] [one_fourth]

• Dedicated Server
• Encryption Protocol

[/one_fourth] [accordion] [pane title=”SneakySly Speculation and Analysis”] With all of the tag punishment going around that Data Raven looks very enticing. [/pane] [pane title=”Display Anthony’s Pick and Analysis”]

•  Private Contracts

Here I am very surprised to see that marked accounts did not come around the table. To me, this signals that someone is picking money cards very highly at the moment and I should also value them highly. With that in mind I pick up a Private Contracts.

[/pane] [/accordion]

 

PACK  2 PICK 8

[one_fourth]

• Sensei
• Ghost Branch
• Mandatory Upgrades
• Zaibatsu Loyalty

[/one_fourth] [one_fourth]

• Viper
• Marked Account
• Executive Retreat
• Matrix Analyzer
• TMI

[/one_fourth] [one_fourth]

• Hadrian’s Wall
• Encryption Protocol

[/one_fourth] [one_fourth]

• Anonymous Tip
• Private Security Force

[/one_fourth] [accordion] [pane title=”SneakySly Speculation and Analysis”] Viper is not a bad peice of ICE and Marked Accounts is a good peice of economy. Those seem to be the top two picks here. [/pane] [pane title=”Display Anthony’s Pick and Analysis”]

•  Marked Accounts

Marked Accounts is exactly what the doctor ordered. Great bluff card and it generates money, sign me up. Other cards worth considering are Viper, Sensei and Anonymous tip however, they are not what I’m looking for.

[/pane] [/accordion]

PACK  2 PICK 9

[one_fourth]

• Woodcutter
• Private Contracts
• Big Brother
• Security Subcontracts

[/one_fourth] [one_fourth]

• Red Herrings
• Wall of Thorns
• Psychographics

[/one_fourth] [one_fourth]

• Dedicated Server

[/one_fourth] [one_fourth]

• Experiential Data
• Archer
• Pad Campaign
• Wall of Thorns
• Viper

[/one_fourth] [accordion] [pane title=”SneakySly Speculation and Analysis”] Since my previous pick of Braintrust is gone, I would now go with the runner up from then, Wall of Thorns. Punishing end the run ICE are at a premium in the cube. [/pane] [pane title=”Display Anthony’s Pick and Analysis”]

• Pad Campaign

Pad campaign or Wall of Thorns is the pick in this pack, Viper is also worth considering but not as strong as the other options available. I take Pad Campaign because it is another money asset and with 2 Wall of Thorns remaining in the pack I may see one come back.

[/pane] [/accordion]

PACK  2 PICK 10

[one_fourth]

• Big Brother
• Draco
• Freelancer

[/one_fourth] [one_fourth]

• Executive Retreat
• Aggressive Secretary

[/one_fourth] [one_fourth]

• Private Security Force
• Ghost Branch
• Ash

[/one_fourth] [one_fourth]

• Sea Source
• Snowflake
• Sherlock 1.0

[/one_fourth] [accordion] [pane title=”SneakySly Speculation and Analysis”]I am not sure what the correct pick here is. I would consider Draco or Snowflake as OK cheap ICE. [/pane] [pane title=”Display Anthony’s Pick and Analysis”]

• Aggressive Secretary 

Here I start to realize that I do not have enough traps and that all of my assets are worth accessing. I pick up an Aggressive Secretary with this in mind hoping to blow out an unsuspecting runner. It does not hurt that the rest of the pack is mostly unplayable garbage.

[/pane] [/accordion]

PACK  2 PICK 11

[one_fourth]

• Chilo City Grid
• Psychographics
• Bullfrog

[/one_fourth] [one_fourth]

• Akitaro Watanabe
• Bullfrog
• Anonymous Tip

[/one_fourth] [one_fourth]

• Net Police
• Sherlock 1.0
• Private Contracts

[/one_fourth] [one_fourth]

• Dedicated Server
• Encryption Protocol

[/one_fourth] [accordion] [pane title=”SneakySly Speculation and Analysis”] Private Contracts seems like the best economy card here, otherwise none of these cards are  [/pane] [pane title=”Display Anthony’s Pick and Analysis”]

•  Dedicated Server

In this pack you can take Dedicated Server, Akitaro Watabe, Anonymous Tip or perhaps Encrytion Protocol. Dedicated Server seems like a fine pseudo money card and I want to try it out so it is my pick here.

[/pane] [/accordion]

 

 

PACK  2 PICK 12

[one_fourth]

• Ghost Branch
• Mandatory Upgrades
• Zaibatsu Loyalty

[/one_fourth] [one_fourth]

• Viper
• Executive Retreat
• TMI

[/one_fourth] [one_fourth]

• Hadrian’s Wall
• Encryption Protocol

[/one_fourth] [one_fourth]

• Anonymous Tip

[/one_fourth] [accordion] [pane title=”SneakySly Speculation and Analysis”] Viper is the last remaining card that you should be generally consistently happy to see in your deck. That would be my pick. [/pane] [pane title=”Display Anthony’s Pick and Analysis”]

•  Marked Accounts

At this point I think I have enough spammable assets that Encryption Protocols Might be worth playing So I Snag one here after thinking about Anonymous Tip and Viper.

[/pane] [/accordion]

PACK  2 PICK 13

[one_fourth]

• Woodcutter
• Private Contracts
• Big Brother
• Security Subcontracts

[/one_fourth] [one_fourth]

• Red Herrings
• Wall of Thorns
• Psychographics

[/one_fourth] [one_fourth]

• Experiential Data

[/one_fourth] [one_fourth]

• Wall of Thorns

[/one_fourth] [accordion] [pane title=”SneakySly Speculation and Analysis”] I have been talking about that Wall of Thorns the last two times we saw this pack, it clearly is the pick.[/pane] [pane title=”Display Anthony’s Pick and Analysis”]

• Wall of Thorns

Hooray my plans worked out and a Wall of Thornes came back to me. I am quite happy to pick up a piece of beefy ice or 2 at this point.

[/pane] [/accordion]

PACK  2 PICK 14

[one_fourth]

• Draco
• Freelancer

[/one_fourth] [one_fourth]

• Private Security Force

[/one_fourth] [one_fourth]

• Ghost Branch

[/one_fourth] [one_fourth]

• Sea Source
• Snowflake
• Sherlock 1.0

[/one_fourth] [accordion] [pane title=”SneakySly Speculation and Analysis”] I like taking Draco here unless Anthony is already secure on ICE. In that case, picking up some tag punishment can help open up potential picks in pack 3.[/pane] [pane title=”Display Anthony’s Pick and Analysis”]

• Sea Source

I was unsure what to take here, I picked the sea source because it has the potential to at least set up some resource kills or perhaps shoot people with Private Security Force.

[/pane] [/accordion]

PACK  2 PICK 15

[one_fourth]

• Psychographics
• Bullfrog

[/one_fourth] [one_fourth]

• Bullfrog
• Anonymous Tip

[/one_fourth] [one_fourth]

• Net Police
• Private Contracts

[/one_fourth] [one_fourth]

• Encryption Protocol

[/one_fourth] [accordion] [pane title=”SneakySly Speculation and Analysis”] A bad pack with probably all irrelevant picks. Anonymous tip or encryption are both OK. [/pane] [pane title=”Display Anthony’s Pick and Analysis”]

•  Encryption Protocol

Again, a mediocre pack but I see no problem with doubling up with Encryption Protocols.

[/pane] [/accordion]

Last Five Picks of Pack 2

These were my last five picks for pack two, as you can see the card quality gets pretty low at this point:

Pick 16: Executive Retreat

Pick 17: Red Herrings

Pick 18: Private Security Force

Pick 19 : Bullfrog

Pick 20: Ghost branch

This pack went pretty well, getting another Mining Corp is always nice. My big problem is that I still need more good agendas, I will need to really draft agendas highly next pack.

Click here to see pack 3!