Originally Posted on, Thursday Jul 15, 2004 by Chris "Dimitri" Woods.

This is a reprint of a great article written by Dimitri a two time Galaxy Cup Champion on what he calls Actual Tech. One of the things you'll notice is that some of the decks are less than 40 cards. The card limit used to be 30 before it was increased to the 40 card minimium we know and love today
-- Editor

Good Morning, Dave.

If you're wondering why this article is so darned late the answer is simple. I couldn't find a good tagline to start with! I mean, after Tron and Cheers, what do you do? I considered a "Welcome to the Rock!", but that really doesn't work. Some "This is not the Article you're looking for." would be cute and fit, but how overdone is the Obi-Wan Kenobi line from Star Wars? I finally went with HAL 9000 since we'll be doing all logic today anyhow.

Why, you are probably asking yourself, is a simple tagline so important to delay an article an entire week? Well, everything had to be right because today we're going to talk about the single most important concept in deck design. Between today and the next article, Boardplay, we're going over the two most integral things in the game.

But I'm getting ahead of myself. Let's kick off here with a pop quiz. I promise not to collect your papers.

Someone handed us this pile and called it a Thrass deck. It's all right, but could use some work. Your one question quiz is simple: What is the deployment cost of Proton Shipyards in this deck?

Thrass: Glory to the Swarm (v.1)

4x Common 	Brain Burrower	 2 mind 3 entropy
2x Rare   	Hive Queen	 4 mind 4 entropy
3x Rare   	Mass Invasion	 3 mind 3 entropy
2x Uncommon	Proton Shipyards        3 entropy
3x Uncommon	Red Tape	 1 mind	
4x Common	Rhetoric	 1 mind	
4x Common	Thrass Cruiser	 2 mind 3 entropy	
4x Uncommon	Thrass Daughter	 1 mind 1 entropy	
4x Common	Thrass Scout	 2 mind 1 entropy	

Mull it over for a moment.

Ready to compare answers?

I only see one possibility: 2M 3E. "Woah," you're thinking, "Dimitri's lost it. 3E is clearly printed on Proton Shipyards!" That's true, you only need 3 Entropy in your tech pool to drop out a Proton Shipyards, but how often are you going to have just 3 Entropy?

First turn you're almost guaranteed to take Mind to get Red Tape or Rhetoric. Second pick wants to be Entropy to get 1M + 1E for the Daughter. After that, you're likely to want to go to 2M + 1E to push Scouts out the door. It's not until you get 2M + 3E, cruiser tech, that you will be able to put Shipyards down in an actual game. It's for this reason I say Shipyards is a 2M + 3E deployment in this deck.

Do you follow? You see, the important thing here is that cards are deceptive as to how much they actually cost in game when you're deckbuilding. The printed costs are only accurate in ideal circumstances, but circumstances are very rarely ideal. This is why Entropic Burst, an unbelievably good card, sees so little play. It doesn't actually cost 6E. It costs 6E + whatever your other line looks like. In the above deck Entropic would either be 3M 6E for Mass synergy or 4M 6E if the Queen came up first. That's Propaganda level technology, despite the printing on the card!

I call this phenomenon "Actual Tech". A card has a printed tech cost, 3E, but when it enters a deck it gains an "Actual cost", 2M 3E in the above situation. Actual costs are very important in deckbuilding; it played a huge role in the development of Human Versatility. (Homework: Figure out the Actual costs of Human Versatility. It's a nightmare, and there's a secret to that deck I'll reveal in another article.)

Okay, so lets take this ammunition and fix Glory to the Swarm. I'm going to re-list it here, but let's start sorting the cards by Actual cost rather then Alphabetically. That way, we can easily identify holes in out tech line and smooth out the deck.

Thrass: Glory to the Swarm (v.1 - 30 cards)
(Actual costs in Parenthesis)

3x Uncommon	Red Tape	1 mind	         (1M)
4x Common 	Rhetoric	1 mind	         (1M)
4x Uncommon 	Thrass Daughter	1 mind 1 entropy (1M + 1E)
4x Common 	Thrass Scout	2 mind 1 entropy (2M + 1E)
4x Common 	Brain Burrower	2 mind 1 entropy (2M + 3E)
2x Uncommon 	Proton Shipyards       3 entropy (2M + 3E)
4x Common 	Thrass Cruiser	2 mind 3 entropy (2M + 3E)
3x Rare	 	Mass Invasion	3 mind 3 entropy (3M + 3E)
2x Rare	 	Hive Queen	4 mind 4 entropy (4M + 4E)

Now that those Actual costs are there glaring at us, and we're sorted by tech, we can identify a few problems with this deck.

First, it's got nothing at 2 + 2 and no way to vault 2 + 2. Turn 4 and 5 are often four tech turns where everyone is dropping scouts. We get to dump our scouts on turn 2 due to the nice cost of them, but we don't want to be giving up that advantage a mere two turns later. We need stuff in that slot so that while we're waiting to get to those pretty Tharss Cruisers and Brain Burrowers we're doing something.

This gives us two options: We can vault 2 + 2 with Entropy Labs or Orbital Research Station, expecting to go straight from 2M 1E to 2M 3E, or we can fill out 2 + 2. I prefer to fill it out simply because it's better to deploy a card advancing your position then set up to deploy one that will advance your position. So then, let us take a look at all the Thrass 2M 2E options:

   Uncommon 	Blood Harvest	   2 mind 2 entropy	
   Uncommon 	Chrysalis Chamber  2 mind 2 entropy	

Not a lot of options. We definitely want to be sure we have a 2 + 2 in hand when that tech comes up, but jamming in 5 or 6 of the above cards wouldn't really help.

Ahh, but here's where actual costs come into play. Maybe there's a good 2E or 1M 2E card that will have an actual cost of 2M 2E. Let's take a look.

   Rare	 	Death Ray	       2 entropy
   Rare	 	Galactic Decay	       2 entropy
   Uncommon 	Pirate Captain	       2 entropy
   Uncommon 	Proton Cannon	       2 entropy
   Common 	Cannibalize	1 mind 2 entropy
   Common 	Surprise Ally	1 mind 2 entropy

Ha! Seriously better selection there. A lot of 2E, but we really have to remember we're putting these cards in to simulate 2M 2E. If I decide to use Proton Cannon, I can't let myself run to 2E just 'cause I drew one or face the consequences of no Daughter, no Red Tape, no Rhetoric, and no Scout for a long time.

I'm going to pick Surprise Ally, because it's fun to say "Surprise!" when you deploy it (and it's murderously good) as well as Chrysalis Chamber to shore up a bad matchup (Zhikanii). This gives me the following:

Thrass: Glory to the Swarm (v.2 - 36 cards)
(Actual costs in Parenthesis)

3x Uncommon	Red Tape	  1 mind	   (1M)
4x Common	Rhetoric	  1 mind	   (1M)
4x Uncommon 	Thrass Daughter	  1 mind 1 entropy (1M + 1E)
4x Common 	Thrass Scout	  2 mind 1 entropy (2M + 1E)
4x Common 	Surprise Ally	  1 mind 2 entropy (2M + 2E)
2x Uncommon 	Chrysalis Chamber 2 mind 2 entropy (2M + 2E)
4x Common	Brain Burrower	  2 mind 3 entropy (2M + 3E)
2x Uncommon	Proton Shipyards	 3 entropy (2M + 3E)
4x Common 	Thrass Cruiser	  2 mind 3 entropy (2M + 3E)
3x Rare	 	Mass Invasion	  3 mind 3 entropy (3M + 3E)
2x Rare	 	Hive Queen	  4 mind 4 entropy (4M + 4E)

Hole plugged.

Second on our agenda is dealing with the fact we have a weak first two turns. Our early game is all Red Tape, Rhetoric and Thrass Daughter. None of these cards will really effect the first two turns except for Red Tape in very tight maps. We need stuff that advances our position now instead of a few turns down the road.

There's a ton of choices in the 1 + 1 or less arena, so I'm just going to make my picks rather then list em all out. I like a few Needle Splits to shore up a bad map draw, some Fusion Grenades to keep all those Ferrier and Human decks in check, and some Henchman to do the tossing. This plays out to:

Thrass: Glory to the Swarm (v.3 - 43 cards)
(Actual costs in Parenthesis)

3x Uncommon 	Red Tape	  1 mind           (1M)
4x Common 	Rhetoric	  1 mind           (1M)
2x Common 	Henchman	         1 entropy (1E)
3x Common 	Fusion Grenade	         1 entropy (1E)
2x Uncommon 	Needle Split	  1 mind 1 entropy (1M + 1E)
4x Uncommon 	Thrass Daughter   1 mind 1 entropy (1M + 1E)
4x Common 	Thrass Scout	  2 mind 1 entropy (2M + 1E)
4x Common 	Surprise Ally	  1 mind 2 entropy (2M + 2E)
2x Uncommon 	Chrysalis Chamber 2 mind 2 entropy (2M + 2E)
4x Common 	Brain Burrower	  2 mind 3 entropy (2M + 3E)
2x Uncommon 	Proton Shipyards         3 entropy (2M + 3E)
4x Common 	Thrass Cruiser	  2 mind 3 entropy (2M + 3E)
3x Rare	 	Mass Invasion	  3 mind 3 entropy (3M + 3E)
2x Rare	 	Hive Queen	  4 mind 4 entropy (4M + 4E)

We don't adjust one tech deployments because our curve goes 1M -> 1E. This could also go 1E -> 1M + 1E so Henchman and Fusion Grenade aren't lying about their cost.

Now we've kind of over-corrected. 9 viable first turn deployments is a huge amount for a 43 card deck. With the addition of hand-grenades as Chamber control, I'd pull out the Rhetoric and use that space to up my Tape and Henchmen. Leaders are more useful in most games, and Red Tape has a ton of synergy, as we'll see here in a bit.

Those changes bring us to:

Thrass: Glory to the Swarm (v.4 - 41 cards)
(Actual costs in Parenthesis)

4x Uncommon 	Red Tape	  1 mind           (1M)
3x Common 	Henchman	         1 entropy (1E)
3x Common 	Fusion Grenade	         1 entropy (1E)
2x Uncommon 	Needle Split	  1 mind 1 entropy (1M + 1E)
4x Uncommon 	Thrass Daughter	  1 mind 1 entropy (1M + 1E)
4x Common 	Thrass Scout	  2 mind 1 entropy (2M + 1E)
4x Common 	Surprise Ally	  1 mind 2 entropy (2M + 2E)
2x Uncommon 	Chrysalis Chamber 2 mind 2 entropy (2M + 2E)
4x Common 	Brain Burrower	  2 mind 3 entropy (2M + 3E)
2x Uncommon 	Proton Shipyards 	 3 entropy (2M + 3E)
4x Common	Thrass Cruiser	  2 mind 3 entropy (2M + 3E)
3x Rare	 	Mass Invasion	  3 mind 3 entropy (3M + 3E)
2x Rare	 	Hive Queen	  4 mind 4 entropy (4M + 4E)

This guy's feeling pretty good. Solid deployments at every stop in our tech progress, solutions to our most feared matches, and some late-game swing power with the all mighty Queen.

What would be nice, however, would be to take advantage of those Leaders we're going to have running around everywhere. Early game having 7 leaders in the deck will be beautiful, but who needs 7 leaders when you're swinging for the fences?

This brings us to Forced Breeding, or Landing Party squared, as I like to call it. (I know one squared is still one, but it's more fun to say than "Double Landing Party".) Printed cost for Forced is 3M 2E, but looking at Burrower, Shipyards, and Cruiser we know that's it's really 3M 3E. Right now we're sitting with Mass Invasion in that spot, but with 7 leaders running around like little rowdy Thrass children Forced Breeding will achieve the same result without sacrificing military. And it will cut down on all that screaming.

As a final Coup de Grace, I'd yank one Queenie to go to exactly 40 cards. It's a scientific fact that decks with a size evenly divisible by 10 are strictly better then those that yield a remainder, and who am I to argue with Science?

This gives us our final version:

Thrass: Glory to the Swarm (Final - 40 cards)
(Actual costs in Parenthesis)

4x Uncommon 	Red Tape	  1 mind           (1M)
3x Common 	Henchman	         1 entropy (1E)
3x Common 	Fusion Grenade	         1 entropy (1E)
2x Uncommon 	Needle Split	  1 mind 1 entropy (1M + 1E)
4x Uncommon 	Thrass Daughter	  1 mind 1 entropy (1M + 1E)
4x Common 	Thrass Scout	  2 mind 1 entropy (2M + 1E)
4x Common 	Surprise Ally	  1 mind 2 entropy (2M + 2E)
2x Uncommon 	Chrysalis Chamber 2 mind 2 entropy (2M + 2E)
4x Common 	Brain Burrower	  2 mind 3 entropy (2M + 3E)
2x Uncommon 	Proton Shipyards 	 3 entropy (2M + 3E)
4x Common	Thrass Cruiser	  2 mind 3 entropy (2M + 3E)
3x Rare	 	Forced Breeding	  3 mind 2 entropy (3M + 3E)
1x Rare	 	Hive Queen	  4 mind 4 entropy (4M + 4E)

I've been running this deck for weeks and I love it. Some tips:

• Needle Split and Proton Shipyards are Wildcards in here - cards that aren't really necessary to the decks mainline performance. If you want to tweak, I'd start there.
• Leave Henchman and the starting leader on critical worlds once you have a few Leadership: 2 Daughters in play. This will make the eventual Forced Breeding takeover easy.
• One Henchman really needs to sit in the Star Chamber, or better yet on the world your opponent passes over to get to the Star Chamber. Nothing says "I'm going to eat your brain" like a Fusion Grenade in the face of a Negotiator.
• If you're not facing a leader-based opponent, Red Tape your own guys and send them to the Chrysalis Chamber! Turning a 1M card into a free Citizen is a good deal.
• First turn build of Cruiser - Scout - Citizen is bloody Gold. Occasionally I'd go Scout - Scout - Citizen if the map is all 3's. Bonus points for Needle Splitting the scout.
• Hold Queenie until right before a critical battle, then dump her in surprise. Thrass get Born Leader too.
• With such a strong selection of cheap cards, consider making your first take an Industrial world. Against a destiny minded opponent, like the Onions, definitely go green but if you've got no scout and you opponent isn't a plant then a brown world is better in the long run.
• If you took green first for scout or destiny denial, take brown second. Start accumulating bonus BP's as fast as possible.
• When you win, say "Glory to the Swarm!" It feels good.

Actual tech is a really important concept when figuring out what cards work in which decks. Bribery and Warmonger might look awesome in a Zhikanii Zapper, but there's a reason you don't see Mutiny very often, and by mixing Bribery and Warmonger you just made one.