From:	"Abadia, Teos" <Teos.Abadia@****.COM>
Subject:	Re: Decks of Commons / Uncommons
Date:	Mon, 18 May 1998 08:09:42 -0400

> ----------
> From: hansen[SMTP:hansen@********.COM.SG]
> >>>>>I need suggestions for common/uncommon decks to demo SRTCG.....
>
> A Dwarf common/uncommon is too easy to make.... [snip]
> Anybody got any others? Elf decks maybe...(Sigh, I'm short of
> Ancients)
>
>
I'm a consultant, and I end up in different places in the country. When
I end up in a new place, I try and find local gaming stores and offer to
demo Shadowrun. It's a great way to promote the game, get a few free
booster packs from the store, and find people to play with.

When I run demos I tend to use all-common decks, since these use all my
extra cards and don't force me to take cards from my established decks
that I use. I usually take my binder out, where I keep all my cards,
and write the deck ideas down on paper. Then I actually go to my boxes
and assemble the decks.

When creating demo decks, I look for creating decks that will not
overpower the other three decks in the game. I usually run this
configuration:

Muscle using guns and Shaman.
Rigger and skilled runners
Deckers and mages (sleaze emphasis, maybe 2 muscle runners)
muscle using cyber/melee and mages.

The key is to present a lot of color during the demo by having a lot of
interesting cards. Hopefully, every newbie will be impressed by the
cards found in the other person's demo deck, making them want to buy
cards and get into the game. I try and keep each deck balanced, and
sometimes I have to put in some weaknesses into the decks in order to do
this. For example, in some of the above decks, it would be easy to make
them killer decks, but by adding more spell cards I weaken the use of
the cyber-wielding muscle runners, and by adding shamen with spirits I
water-down the edge that muscle with guns would have. The toughest deck
to build, IMHO, is the decker and mages deck, since using all-commons is
tough here (no recon, none of the really cool spells). To make up for
it, I often give this deck two stompers and a fair amount of rockers, so
they can rule the nuyen and play a lot of runners while using Hollywood
to cancel opponents' fame. The sleaze aspects aren't too hard to
calculate, since you only have but so many challenges. I usually divide
the possible challenges in half alphabetically, and assign two of the
decks challenges from the first half, and assign the other two decks
challenges from the second half. This way, challenges can also be
different from one deck to another. I distribute specials and stingers
and locations/contacts so as to even up the decks and keep things
interesting.

Teos.