Hello everyone! I've been playing Netrunner for a little over a year and this has been my first tournament season. This deck and my Blue Sun (linked below) won me the Hamilton Store Championship and got me into the top 8 at the Scottish Regionals (from which I immediately crashed and burned).

I was very excited to be attending Nationals. Any excuse to play Netrunner all day is great and the opportunity to play against people from across the UK had me fired up and nervous in equal measure.

I've run Kit decks on-and-off for around 9 months now, ranging from jank-tastic nonsense (Woman in the Red Dress, Deep Thought, Chakana and Keyhole being a highlight) to more streamlined efficient builds like this one.

The plan behind this deck is pretty simple - get a refractor and a recurring stealth credit and make a run a turn in order to keep the pressure on the corp's resources while pro-coing through the deck, setting up for the mid/late game R&D lock.

The most recent changes to the deck have been increased economy in the form of Daily Casts and Kati Jones and the removal of Magnum Opus and the Cybersolutions mem-chips that were there to support it.

Some things to note about card choices:

The Programmes

Three Self-Modifying Code and two Refractor. These five cards are there for early pressure.

While Lady is beautifully efficient against a lot of common barriers I don't have the deckspace for multiple copies or Scavenge so Corroder is in. Eli is about the most problematic common ICE for this reason. That four credit tax every run really does sting. Curtain Wall, the other great use for Lady, is less of a problem because if it's the outermost ICE it's getting Refractored and if not it's a more manageable problem anyway.

Going Stealth with Kit has two great benefits. Refractor is the most obvious. Perhaps equally important, though, is that you then have the support for Dagger, solving the killer issue which plagued early iterations. Mimic was included when Astrobiotics was still prevalent and RP had yet to switch up its ICE mix as much as it has now. I'd consider switching it for a Datasucker now but there are still plenty of decks that you can get away with Mimic against, particularly with Kit's ability.

Deus X was included over Sharpshooter partly because of its double-duty as net damage prevention and partly just due to destroyers not being particularly common in our meta at the moment. Neither are required with Dagger but having the Deus X is nice.

I dropped to two Cloaks a while ago as I found I was consistently trashing the first one I drew due to memory issues or because I'd already seen a number of Ghost Runners or Lockpicks. Three would be nice but two was adequate on the day and in testing.

Clot was included for two reasons. The first was that I relied on others to run it at regionals (I'm looking at you ubiquitous Kate players with your decadent 15 points of influence) and this gamble didn't particularly pay off. The second is that hybrid HB decks are probably the toughest match-up for the deck and this is significantly helped by removing the fast advance threat. This slot used to be a Parasite and it was missed. If only Kit had twelve influence.

Hardware

A Plascrete can give you an extra turn to close the game when Midseasoned by Butchershop and allows runs against Weyland once their money is flowing. I hate dead draws so the second wasn't an option. Instead the Utopia shard acts as scorch protection as well as a semi-Legwork/general disruption card. It's particularly nice with recurring credits when opportunities for free runs on HQ are pretty frequent.

The three clone chips are there to recur Clot, Deus X, Self-Modifying Codes or bringing back Cloaks ditched in the early game.

The Lockpicks and R&D interfaces are pretty self explanatory. I did consider dropping an R&D for a Maker's Eye but the economy of stealth runs really supports the consistent multi-access.

Astrolabe is nice cheap memory and, with the prevalence of asset economies on the corp side these days, can give a lot of free draws.

Events

Sure Gamble inclusion is an of-course. Dirty Laundry, while sometimes derided without Desperado or other run-based benefits, is there because a single burst economy card and a Pro Co in an opening hand establishes an incredibly commanding start.

Legwork is there for HQ pressure and the single Modded adds a touch more economy, is great to clear the hand from excessive drawing with Pro-Con. It can also drop an R&D interface unexpectedly.

Resources

I've already discussed Utopia Shard. It's great. It's in every runner deck I build these days.

Ghost Runner supports the stealth rig, Daily Casts is simple cash and Kati works nicely to build up resources while making cheap/free runs.

Professional Contacts is unbelievably powerful if seen early. Unless I have a great hand I'll strongly consider mulliganing for it. With so many cheap to install cards it makes the deck absolutely sing. I drive my local group crazy with the number of times I say pro-co each evening we meet. I regularly click through my whole deck with it. I tested with Symmetrical Visage the week before nationals and I hated it. It stopped me wanting to draw more than once during the turn which without Diesel or Quality Time in the deck is often necessary. Of course, if Professional Contacts doesn't show up early it can often be too much of a tempo hit to install but I decided risking having neither was better than the cost of losing Pro Con for the limited utility of Symmetrical Visage. I'm sure Visage has its place but it just doesn't suit how I play or how this deck functions.

The Games

It was a very long day and if any of the following isn't how it occurred or I've forgotten anything I apologise and will happily correct if any of my opponents wish to comment. You were all absolutely lovely and if the day had been the same experience but with me finishing in last place it would have still been a hugely positive experience - thank you all.

For those curious - here's a link to my corp deck used on the day - http://netrunnerdb.com/en/decklist/21622/edinburgh-blue-sun-4th-place-uk-nationals-

Round 1 - Andrew using Building A Better World

The tournament started late, only serving to increase my nervousness. As the pairings went up, I left the rest of the Scottish contingent alternating good luck wishes and friendly abuse and found my seat. I was drawn against a chap named Andrew who was attending his first tournament.

He was playing Building a Better World and struggled economically, seeing only a single transaction. I established a strong economic lead and had free access to centrals and his scoring remote. Andrew had a very unlucky game and the result wasn't really ever in question. However, he was very nice about it and we had a much tighter rematch in the time remaining of the round. I think it's really cool that he braved nationals as his first tournament and hope to see him again at future events.

Round 2 - David using NBN Butchershop

Having committed the Swiss sin of winning both games of the first round I joke that I'll be due a complete smashing in the second. I'm drawn against David. My economy starts slowly while his takes off. We continue to money race which I am consistently lag behind in. He installs an NAPD which I refuse to steal. He doesn't score it though and continues to money-up.

He was quite a quiet (but entirely pleasant) guy so I'm not sure whether his failure to pressure the scoring game was an error or a shrewd ploy into driving me to be careless. It was probably the latter as I obliged, got bored and ran, scoring a TGTB, Legworked for nothing, took the NAPD and cleared the tag. I get midseasoned for 15 tags, fail to see anything on my final turn of life and get blown to bits.

Round 3 - David using Blue Sun

David was an incredibly friendly guy and an absolute pleasure to play against. Blue Sun is weirdly quite a good match-up for Kit. I run aggressively, preventing his economy from getting off the ground and forcing him to waste clicks picking up and dropping ICE back down. I manage to trash a few Junebugs from hand making runs on his scoring remote safe and I snipe a few agenda.

He scores a few Hostile Takeovers, using Mills to ditch the bad publicity but I manage to keep the economic advantage through continued pressure and Kati Jones.

At one stage he rezzes a Janus on me on R&D which I Deus X through. I have to stop myself enthusiastically telling him that I run Janus in my Blue Sun too. I do love a Janus.

With me on game point he reluctantly rezzes an archer but a clone chip replaces Mimic with the Dagger and I close out the game shortly afterwards.

Round 4 - Ben running Engineering the Future

I've played Ben a couple of times while down in London for work. Each time he's been a great and tricky opponent. True to form he tries to sneak out an unprotected Vitruvious first turn which I very nearly neglect to run. Early in the game he Mushins a card. I weigh up the likelihood of a Mandatory Upgrades and the risk of a Cerebral Overwriter, consider my Netrunner mantra that one must not live in fear, and run it, scoring the Mandatory Upgrades.

Through Archived Memories he pulls the same trick twice more which I ignore while scoring two points from hand. When he Mushins for the fourth time and advances it I sense desperation and run it, taking the final two points.

After the game Ben affably asks how I was able to guess his plays. I admit that I felt like I was reading the gamestate but of course one feels that way when one happens to be right. I might have just as easily given myself a game ending amount of brain damage.

Round 5 - Peter using Engineering the Future

Peter is a good friend and regular opponent from Edinburgh. At this stage in the day we were both on four wins and two losses, meaning making the cut was still possible but far from assured. Given this we were a little sad to be drawn against each other meaning that one's success would be at the other's expense.

Unfortunately for Peter he draws very little ICE, and most of that being code gates. I quickly steal a couple of agenda. At one stage he uses Isabelle McGuire to reposition a problematic codegate on the outside of his scoring server but my rig comes together and I take the game.

Round 6 - Konrad using Near Earth Hub

Konrad was another absolutely magnificent opponent. Both our games were overlaid by a steady stream of absolute nonsense chatter which I enjoyed immensely.

It quickly became clear that he was running an anti-clot fast advance deck with Cosmic ICE and Trick of Light. He heavily ICEs his central servers, advancing some of his ICE but sees little economy and my Self-Modifying threat of clot prevents him from fast advancing anything out. Agenda build up in hand as I set up my rig, cheaply keeping on top of his scoring remote and I score out comfortably.

Round 7 - Dylan using Blue Sun

Dylan was another great guy but the day was late and I barely remember this game. I believe it was a similar story to the earlier game against David. Early pressure prevented the Blue Sun economy from running away from me while I set up R&D interfaces and a commanding stack of credits for the win.

We both thought we needed to win both our games in order to make the cut and split. However, it happily emerged that due to others' results a split match was enough for both of us to remain in the top sixteen.

Elimination Round 1 - Andrew using Replicating Perfection

Seeing Kit, Andrew decides to corp as the higher seed. I'm feeling a lot more comfortable with this match-up than my Blue Sun against PPVP Kate but it's still a tricky pairing.

I don't see breakers for some time while setting up my economy and Andrew is able to set up a Sundew in a deep server with what I assume is a Caprice.

By the time I get the breakers I need dealing with the Sundew will open a scoring window. Instead I take the gamble that, since the Sundew is in his scoring remote, he will have to let agenda build up in hand or move before he's built up enough economy to support the score.

Perhaps noticing me eying the Legwork in my hand, he makes his move. I run the server, significantly draining his resources. The upgrade turns out to be an Ash which he dumps all bar three of his credits into. I trash the Ash and end the run.

Andrew scores a Nisei MkII which is a blow but his credit pool is entirely empty. I run HQ for a Future Perfect and then relentlessly kill his asset economy, preventing him from opening a scoring window and steal the final points I need.

Elimination Round 3 - David Hoyland using Replicating Perfection

Having won a corporation game in the prior round I was now assured of placing top eight which was better than I'd ever hoped for. I'd also lost a corporation game and remarked to David that if I were to be knocked out by the reigning champion that would be absolutely fine.

David's reputation as a player obviously precedes him and having seen him about the top tables for most of the day with a fairly serious demeanour, or at least one that appeared so from a distance, I did consider that this round might be less relaxed and light hearted than the others.

Early in the game he Celebrity Gifts and lays his hand up. My brain is frazzled at this point and despite having looked at the cards I realise I haven't retained much of the information and, prior to him taking his third click, I ask if I can take another click.

"No," he says curtly. Absolutely fair enough, I think and gather myself to try and be more alert in the coming turns.

He then grins and drops his hand back onto the table for me to see and I relax again. Even at the point of competing for the top four and even when defending the prior year's title he showed that Netrunner players remain friendly and good humoured to the last.

The game goes similarly to the first round of the elimination. David pushes an agenda out relatively early. I manage to get the pieces together to run the remote on my final click. I continue my weekend of prescience, beating the Caprice, forcing him to go broke using the Ash to protect the Nisei then scoring it. I hit R&D for a couple of cards then go back into the remote to trash the Caprice.

Once again I stay on top of asset econ and consistently hit R&D. In the process of doing so I hit two Future Perfect, winning both psi games which David takes very well.

Seeing that inevitability is on my side David risks a Celebrity Gift with two or three agenda in hand in order to get his economy back off the ground. I run HQ to install a Utopia Shard, trigger it and run Archives but unfortunately don't catch one.

He places some more ICE on the scoring remote, preparing to drop a 5/3 in there. I run HQ again and score the final points I need.

Elimination Round 4 - Tim using Grail NEH

I had very narrowly beaten Tim with my corp deck in a prior round. He was such a nice opponent that I was more than happy to see him again in the loser's bracket.

Sadly, whilst fun, the game wasn't quite the nail-biter that the first had been. I couldn't find a self-mod to prevent fast advance and Tim scores five points out. My economy struggles and I'm not able to apply much pressure. He installs an upgrade on R&D which I guess is a Cyberdex that I can't reach. I finally draw into the Clot which I discard with clone chips in play.

However, Tim installs and advances. As I hum and haw over installing the clot he gently says that he's pretty sure he's got the score. I pop the clot on the table and he purges with the cyberdex on R&D and scores (I think off a SanSan).

Having already lost a corporation game that was the end of my day.

Both of the guys who knocked me out of the elimination were lovely opponents and very much deserved finishing in first and second place.

Thanks again to all of my opponents for being excellent at Netrunner and excellent at being cool people. Thanks to the TOs for running what must have been a crazy logistical operation and final and greatest thanks to the Scottish Netrunner scene and the gents of Quality Time for giving me such good times over the last year, helping me with my decks and play and for providing support on the day of the tournament.