Netrunner match win % data is truly fascinating to me.
For example take this tidbit:
" Corps tended to perform slightly better in Top Cuts (54%) than in Swiss (53%), suggesting that the players that performed best in 24.05 were those that maximised the Corp advantage."
I would not have guessed that to be true a priori, since pure theorycrafting strongly suggest that open decklists should generally advantage the runner-side player. I still think that's roughly correct, but maybe this meta really rewarded specific strategic Corp choices overall.
This meta has also really highlighted the power of Punitive Counterstrike, a card that in the past I've generally mostly dismissed as a "scrub check" (which, to be fair, was a check I often failed). It's a linchpin fork in both RH and the more recent Azmari lists. The way to win as the Corp is to put immense time pressure on the runner to simultaneously beat ice and maintain enough econ. If they can't, they die. By virtue of being the "least squishy Shaper" (due to occasional 6 hand size on Corp's turn) Lat has a natural ability to beat Double Punitive on a 3 point steal; hence statistically-detectable advantage over Arissana.
As for how enjoyable the meta is given the propensity for losing to extremely fast decks or punitive... I mean, I prefer it to 70 minutes games of getting thousand-cut to death by PE or drowned by Thule traps any day. Overall, it has been fairly fun, because even the fastest Corp decks cannot perfectly consistently execute their forks and there's room for yomi type stuff.
My sense (no data or info to substantiate). Azmari seems the most competitive NBN to play atm. All runners seem to have a stack of answers for R+ assets. Losing Bellona really hit yellow hard. And my impression is that kill Corp is the counter play to strong runners. On the upside it's option city for runners. Corps feel like a much narrow choice spectrum. Or, quite possibly I'm a bad Corp pilot 😅
The conflict between what the players are saying and the data shows is fascinating. Players are all saying Runners run the show, because of overwhelming endgame rigs that they speed to and immense economies. And yet... the Corps stay ahead, especially in top cut.
Azmari kill has certainly skewed the NBN data. I genuinely wonder how much of the NBN stats are just Azmari Reed kill decks, versus... anything else (I know R+ had one or two tops). The other big Corp conclusion is that people really need to get on Jinteki glacier decks. RH and AgInfusion have performed exceptionally well in spite of relatively low play rates for their conversion rate.
On Runner side... Well I think YsengrinSC put it best when he said "the same Runner decks have been winning but Corps have to keep changing it up". Lat has been the obvious pick since people stopped playing Tree Ari, and as an ID that employs basically no deckbuilding restrictions or pushes you into anything other than "being Shaper", it does not surprise me that when Shaper is good and killing is good, Lat is good.
Now for Sokka to win Worlds (the data backs it, he's on Lat/AgInf) /j
Loved this meta, Loved this analysis, excited for the new meta, and more Surveyor reports
Netrunner match win % data is truly fascinating to me.
For example take this tidbit:
" Corps tended to perform slightly better in Top Cuts (54%) than in Swiss (53%), suggesting that the players that performed best in 24.05 were those that maximised the Corp advantage."
I would not have guessed that to be true a priori, since pure theorycrafting strongly suggest that open decklists should generally advantage the runner-side player. I still think that's roughly correct, but maybe this meta really rewarded specific strategic Corp choices overall.
This meta has also really highlighted the power of Punitive Counterstrike, a card that in the past I've generally mostly dismissed as a "scrub check" (which, to be fair, was a check I often failed). It's a linchpin fork in both RH and the more recent Azmari lists. The way to win as the Corp is to put immense time pressure on the runner to simultaneously beat ice and maintain enough econ. If they can't, they die. By virtue of being the "least squishy Shaper" (due to occasional 6 hand size on Corp's turn) Lat has a natural ability to beat Double Punitive on a 3 point steal; hence statistically-detectable advantage over Arissana.
As for how enjoyable the meta is given the propensity for losing to extremely fast decks or punitive... I mean, I prefer it to 70 minutes games of getting thousand-cut to death by PE or drowned by Thule traps any day. Overall, it has been fairly fun, because even the fastest Corp decks cannot perfectly consistently execute their forks and there's room for yomi type stuff.
An insightful analysis.
My sense (no data or info to substantiate). Azmari seems the most competitive NBN to play atm. All runners seem to have a stack of answers for R+ assets. Losing Bellona really hit yellow hard. And my impression is that kill Corp is the counter play to strong runners. On the upside it's option city for runners. Corps feel like a much narrow choice spectrum. Or, quite possibly I'm a bad Corp pilot 😅
The conflict between what the players are saying and the data shows is fascinating. Players are all saying Runners run the show, because of overwhelming endgame rigs that they speed to and immense economies. And yet... the Corps stay ahead, especially in top cut.
Azmari kill has certainly skewed the NBN data. I genuinely wonder how much of the NBN stats are just Azmari Reed kill decks, versus... anything else (I know R+ had one or two tops). The other big Corp conclusion is that people really need to get on Jinteki glacier decks. RH and AgInfusion have performed exceptionally well in spite of relatively low play rates for their conversion rate.
On Runner side... Well I think YsengrinSC put it best when he said "the same Runner decks have been winning but Corps have to keep changing it up". Lat has been the obvious pick since people stopped playing Tree Ari, and as an ID that employs basically no deckbuilding restrictions or pushes you into anything other than "being Shaper", it does not surprise me that when Shaper is good and killing is good, Lat is good.
Now for Sokka to win Worlds (the data backs it, he's on Lat/AgInf) /j