Hey all! After playing a mere 23 Netrunner games I'm now feeling quite ready to deckbuild more seriously. So here's my first attemp with the Jinteki (first time playing that Corp et first time solo deckbuilding without checking the interwebs). I'm a NBN player most of the time and wanted to try somthing different and I choose Jinteki.

I played 2 games yesterday against a friend and really good player who have played over 200 games. First game I won with 1 Ronin + 2 Neural EMP on him. Second game I lost when he runned my R&D and got a 3 points Agenda. I would have won on my next turn since Priority Requisition already had 2 advancement tokens and needed 3 more to score.

Two awesome games and I like the dynamic of this deck.

So here it goes and i'd love to hear how I could improve this deck and what you think would make it a bit better.

JINTEKI

Personal Evolution

Agendas (10) - 20 points

Braintrust (3)

Fetal A.I. (3)

Profiteering (2) [Neutral]

Priority Requisition (2) [Neutral]

Assets (9)

Ronin (2)

Edge of World (2)

Snare! (2)

Project Runebug (2)

Jackson Howard (1) [NBN] +

ICE (18)

Whirlpool (2)

Data Mine (2)

Chum (2)

Wall of Thorns (3)

Draco (2) [Neutral]

Chimera (2) [Neutral]

Datapike (2) [Neutral]

Heindall (1) [HB] +

Matrix Analyzer (2) [NBN] ++

Operations (11)

Neural EMP (2)

Hedge Fund (3) [Neutral]

Cyberdex Trial (1) [Neutral]

Green Level Clearance (3) [HB] +

Successful Demonstration (2) [HB] +

Upgrades (1)

Hokusai Grid (1)

TOTAL CARDS: 49

TOTAL INFLUENCE: 11

Seems perfectly cromulent to me. Jinteki decks seem to be so much more about player skill than deckbuild, but nothing jumps out at me from the list aside from minor things. I never run fewer than 3 Snare, and Celebrity Gift is so much fun and profit it should be taxed. Show them an HQ with a Snare, Fetal AI, and a Junebug. Then install a card and SMILE. Next turn, advance it twice and SMILE.

Seems perfectly cromulent to me. Jinteki decks seem to be so much more about player skill than deckbuild, but nothing jumps out at me from the list aside from minor things. I never run fewer than 3 Snare, and Celebrity Gift is so much fun and profit it should be taxed. Show them an HQ with a Snare, Fetal AI, and a Junebug. Then install a card and SMILE. Next turn, advance it twice and SMILE.

Great idea and never thought of that. I have some cards that I could live without to free a spot to another Snare and to Celebrity Gift.

I really love how Jinteki plays. It's so fun when you trash Ronin for 3 Net damage and finish the Runner with 1 or 2 Neural EMP!

Thanks again!

Made some changes and i'll try it out tonight:

JINTEKI

Personal Evolution

Agendas (10) - 20 points

Braintrust (3)

Fetal A.I. (3)

Profiteering (2) [Neutral]

Priority Requisition (2) [Neutral]

Assets (9)

Ronin (2)

Snare! (3)

Project Runebug (2)

Jackson Howard (2) [NBN] +

ICE (18)

Whirlpool (2)

Data Mine (2)

Chum (2)

Wall of Thorns (3)

Draco (2) [Neutral]

Chimera (2) [Neutral]

Datapike (2) [Neutral]

Heindall (1) [HB] +

Matrix Analyzer (2) [NBN] ++

Operations (11)

Neural EMP (2)

Celebrity Gift (2)

Hedge Fund (3) [Neutral]

Green Level Clearance (3) [HB] +

Successful Demonstration (1) [HB] +

Upgrades (1)

Hokusai Grid (1)

TOTAL CARDS: 49

TOTAL INFLUENCE: 12

This deck went pretty well except against an Anarch "Virus" deck. I have nothing to purge virus counters like Cyberdex Trial and some of my ices are really expansive. If I don't have a quick income early on I can get in trouble quite quickly.

But, it is a cool scary deck for the runners, so they said and quite difficult to play against (like many Jinteki's decks).

I also have a NBN that I love but this one might take the first place soon.

Next deck I want to try is a Weyland or maybe a fast advance Corp deck...but that'll take a lot more work.

• I'd go down 1 Green Level and up 1 Celebrity Gift--that'll help your economy.
• My Agenda suite is 3x Clone Retirement, 3x Profiteering, 3x Gila Hands Arcology, 3x False Lead, 3x Fetal AI, and 1 Nisei 2.0. It seems like a lot, but you're only giving up one agenda point if you [install/Advance/Advance] unprotected. Chances are they won't run on it. That can give you a Profiteering, Gila Hands, or best of all a False Lead--trigger this when their hand is low to cost them even more time, because time is your weapon--you're handing out damage, which they can always offset by drawing back up, so anything that costs them time is good for you. While they're taking extra time, that gives you very narrow windows to score agendas, if you time it right.
• 3 Neural Katanas are in almost every Jinteki deck. ESPECIALLY in front of HQ/R&D...if they hit a Neural Katana, the possibility of hitting a Snare or a Fetal AI after that is enough to make them go away for a turn. Again, use these small windows to your advantage
• Whirlpool ain't so great, neither is Wall of Thorns. I notice that almost all your Ice is ETR, and in Jinteki, that's a mistake. Ice that taxes the runner through damage or just wasted time is much more to your advantage. ETR is a crutch--if you set up a server that the runner can get into with only a modicum of difficulty, then the fly will wonder why the spider is leaving the parlor door open.

Say he does run, and hits a Neural Katana and finds a 1-pt agenda: He just lost 4 cards, and now has to spend time drawing back up. Hit him with that False Lead to end his turn prematurely, then install something and advance it twice. I guarantee you he won't run on it, and you can score, dealing another point of damage. Or finish advancing that Ronin and kick him while he's down.

• 3x Jackson Howard allows you to shuffle Snares and Celebrity Gifts back into your deck. You'll love it.

My favorite Ice combos:
Chum + Anything, really. Pop-up Window. Neural Katana. Hourglass.
Putting out a cheap ETR like Enigma or Ice Wall, waiting for them to get a breaker, then installing a Rototurret or Grim in front of it to trash their silver bullet.

Himitsu-Bako is a great, economical ETR for early game, for those times when it's needed.

ETR in Jinteki is less about keeping them out of the servers at all times, and more like making the runner do what you want them to do, when you want to do it.

A single Janus can really ruin their day: anything that does Brain Damage means they're closer to a Snare/Fetal/Ronin flatline, so they have to spend even more time keeping their grip full. Cerebral Overwriter and Project Junebug go together like chocolate and Peanut Butter.

Thanks Grim, great advices. I'll work more on my deck following your tips.