From:	Brett Barksdale <brett@***.ORST.EDU>
Subject:	Re: FASA Answers on Red Widow and GAQS
Date:	Fri, 12 Sep 1997 16:22:38 -0700

>What type of decks do you play? I go with characters that are cheap or
>come with free stuff, so I can free up newyen for pumping up challenges
>or playing specials....

Random thoughts...

If I'm playing non-competitively, it varies a lot. Various theme
decks based on the character archetypes and the various running
groups I play in/run in SR tabletop are fun.

For competition, head up, I play a 60 card deck with 30 obnoxious
challenges. I've noticed that games get to the point where both
players tend to field large armounts of runners. So, I focus on
challenges that have a good chance to end the run regardless of how
much firepower they bring. (i.e. maglocks, gut check, nets). I
keep 4 riots in each deck to punish when too much damage is absorbed
by opponent and to kill off the 3/2 fame rocker. I utilize bits
of Kromagnus and the 3/3 rocker (because he can handle a single riot).
4 GAQS is a must - even with a sane ruling, much less the GAQS=God
FASA ruling. And, of course, 1 False Mentor. The actual runners I
use depend on theme or what I'm experimenting with, but I definitely
play for quality of runner and not quanity. Body is favored over threat
because being able to soak damage seems more important than dishing
it out against most challenges.
Lucky Wabbit's Foot is a potentially undervalued card because it
is the only thing I know of that 100% splats those annoying Stingers
like GAQS. :-) I tend to save using it for the final push to an
objective which is where everyone saves their stinger for. It's also
nice to have 100% insurance vs. False Mentor.
Rampaging mutant is always fun as well... :-)

In multiplayer games, I cut back to 20 obnoxious challenges out of 60
because you don't need as many. I toss in things like Bugged Deck to
take advantage of enemy deckers (someone always has one... :-) and I
never have a decker of my own (in multiplayer).

- Brett