[Desiani]

Is there a big difference? One chart has a stay array while other has fixed stats. Does this mean you can't configure a specialty deck?

Also, which deck would fit better for a new AR focused Adept decker. A Sony CIY-720(core 345k $) with program slots 4 and a 7 6 5 4 array, the Xiao MPG-1(DT 64 302k $) with and array of 8 5 4 3 and 3 program slots?

Would those be better than the specialty deck Ares Echo Unlimited(DT 64 395k $)? It's spread is A9 S6 D4 F5, 3 program slots. Understand this will only be if I am limited to a Priority chargen. The other two will be considered for Lifestyle module chargen.

[Haywire]

Yes, a specialty deck cannot be configured. IMHO this is a very big flaw, because a fixed array means you cannot adapt to the situation.

[Kiirnodel]

Well, AR vs VR doesn't really affect your deck. More important would be what do you plan on focusing on deck-wise. If you are going to hyper focus on something where you only need one really high attribute at a time, the Xiao might be better. Often times, though, you'll find yourself needing to have more than one, plus some programs to help you out. If you can manage the cost, the CIY-720 is the more versatile machine.

Specialized decks tend to have higher attributes overall, but you can't change them. So like Haywire said, it's a bit flawed, but that was part of the design. The Ares Echo will rip things up in Cybercombat, but it does lack some when it comes to standard matrix activity (lower Data Processing), still, if you plan on focusing on Cybercombat and Data Spiking your enemies, nothING really beats being able to have a base damage of like 12 by loading the right programs...

[firebug]

While the inability to configure the deck is a solid downside, it's not as bad as it may sound.  With cyberprograms, the Overclocker quality, and even cyberdeck modifications (in the long term) you can customize the deck's attributes a decent amount.  With the first two, that's two floating +1's, while the modification can be used to even things out or make your highest attribute even higher.

While it's not the same flexibility as someone who could suddenly go from 8 Attack, 4 Firewall to 4 Attack, 8 Firewall, it's still comparable and goes a significant way of making up for the main drawbacks of specialty decks.

As for which is the better choice, it's really dependent on how much money you're willing to spend and what else is included in your build.  If the sky's the limit, the Ares Echo Unlimited isn't bad at all.  4 in Data Processing will suffice for most actions, and everything is high enough that the floating +1's I mentioned can easily allow you to adapt.  It's even easier if your GM lets you use smoke-and-mirrors that one totally broken cyberprogram that shouldn't exist.

[Desiani]

So with smoke and mirrors I can just arbitrarily add 5 sleaze to my deck, but also add the same amount of noise? Or is there something I'm missing from the description? Can't you just use noise scrubber to counteract that?

How do I get 2 free floating +1's?  Is there a program I'm missing that adds another +1 other than overclocker?

[firebug]

As written, the penalty Smoke-And-Mirrors gives is just normal noise, and thus if you run Signal Scrubber (2 NR), have a Datajack (1 NR) and hardwire a Vectored Signal Filter (2 NR) then you can completely ignore the penalty.  Around when Data Trails was released I ranted about how to make a build that makes you completely untouchable on the matrix.  It makes it almost impossible for anything but top-end machines to find you without the use of Edge (and if an NPC hacker uses Edge, you can just Hide repeatedly until they're out of Edge).

[spoiler]
Alright, here's my "win the matrix" build.  First, start with the cheap "Data Anomaly" quality.  Sprites are so uncommon, it's worth being automatically found--  Especially when it doesn't mean the TM can find you automatically.

Then we get a potent cyberdeck.  The Shiawase Cyber-4 is ideal, but for a point less the Azteca 300 will be doable.  Load Sneak and Smoke-And-Mirrors, and Signal Scrubber.  Data Jack cyberwear of course, and throw in the Vectored Signal Filter (hardwired in).  Mod your deck to boost your highest attribute array by 1, lowering something else (or taking the 2 perm damage).  You now have a Sleaze of, that's right, 15.  Combined with a maxed out LOG, potentially doing something like Restricted Gear (Cerebral Booster), and Exceptional Attribute (LOG) for 10 LOG.

With around 25 dice to resist Matrix Perception, no normal hacker will find you, and hosts of rating 10 or lower are likely to have difficulty--  6 or below stands almost no chance.

You're actually so stealthy that you're better off using Attack actions, because WCS is they start making Matrix Perception tests and fail, where as a failed Sleaze would mean they mark you.  You could metaphorically burn a host to the ground and laugh in the flames while the spider and all the IC flail around unable to spot you.

You're not even that disadvantaged!  You still have your second highest attribute available for Attack and your dice pools for Cybercombat and such aren't negatively affected.  Aside from modding the deck for higher Sleaze, these are all things a decker could do by accident!  Just logical stuff to be more effective.

I mean...  Shit!  That's 8 hits on average.  Considering limits, you might actually be beyond most hardware's capability of spotting you.
[/spoiler]

I suppose I explained the +1s thing poorly.  I mean that Overclocker can be combined with the programs that add +1 to a specific limit (Encryption = Firewall; Toolbox = Data Processing; Decryption = Attack; Stealth = Sleaze).

With Overclocker and one of those programs you can have +2 to any of your deck's attributes.  Though that implies you can only run one of them at a time, which isn't the case (you can run all four if you have the slots for them).  This provide a significant amount of customization, even without the ability to switch around the base attributes.

[Hobbes]

[spoiler]
Alright, here's my "win the matrix" build.  First, start with the cheap "Data Anomaly" quality.  Sprites are so uncommon, it's worth being automatically found--  Especially when it doesn't mean the TM can find you automatically.

Then we get a potent cyberdeck.  The Shiawase Cyber-4 is ideal, but for a point less the Azteca 300 will be doable.  Load Sneak and Smoke-And-Mirrors, and Signal Scrubber.  Data Jack cyberwear of course, and throw in the Vectored Signal Filter (hardwired in).  Mod your deck to boost your highest attribute array by 1, lowering something else (or taking the 2 perm damage).  You now have a Sleaze of, that's right, 15.  Combined with a maxed out LOG, potentially doing something like Restricted Gear (Cerebral Booster), and Exceptional Attribute (LOG) for 10 LOG.

With around 25 dice to resist Matrix Perception, no normal hacker will find you, and hosts of rating 10 or lower are likely to have difficulty--  6 or below stands almost no chance.

You're actually so stealthy that you're better off using Attack actions, because WCS is they start making Matrix Perception tests and fail, where as a failed Sleaze would mean they mark you.  You could metaphorically burn a host to the ground and laugh in the flames while the spider and all the IC flail around unable to spot you.

You're not even that disadvantaged!  You still have your second highest attribute available for Attack and your dice pools for Cybercombat and such aren't negatively affected.  Aside from modding the deck for higher Sleaze, these are all things a decker could do by accident!  Just logical stuff to be more effective.

I mean...  Shit!  That's 8 hits on average.  Considering limits, you might actually be beyond most hardware's capability of spotting you.
[/spoiler]

While Absolutely hilarious, especially when combo'd with Ninja Vanish or Fade to Black, what is the gain from using Brute Force over Hack on the Fly?  I've thought about going the Brute Force route on Decker builds but it doesn't offer anything more than what Hack on the Fly does.  If you're entering a Host you're likely going to be there for 10+ combat turns.  Eventually the Spider will just Erase Mark and call it a day and boot you off his host.  Three action passes a turn, base time 1 minute to find what you're looking for in a Host typically.... that is a lot of rolls for the Spider to find your Mark on the Host and Erase it.

[Desiani]

I've thought the same. I already have a Sleazy Techno on my team so I was going to go brute force as a gnome or a dryad adept for the giggles that specialised in bricking guns and fucking around with the local AR-scape in an effort to join the Electric Knights. That or a zealot who Followed Deus

The more I look at the two, brute force seems inherently worse since most times you're just wanting to mark quietly :/

[firebug]

Brute Force, being an Attack action, means that success alerts the target, while a failure causes you minor damage.  The first doesn't matter to this build; they can make as many rolls as they want, they won't be able to find you.  The second can be an issue, but it manageable and doesn't immediately screw you over.

Sleaze actions like Hack on the Fly don't alert the target if you succeed, but a failure immediately puts a mark on you--  Meaning they don't need to roll Matrix Perception to find you anymore.

That's what the build is about.  The Spider, all the IC, none of them can target you with any matrix actions unless they spot you via Matrix Perception (because you're Running Silent).  But your dice pool to resist is so massive that many have almost no chance of beating you, and some (anything with a limit of 6 or below) will almost never find you because of their limit.  And I'm not exaggerating.  I just made a build who rolls 28 dice for resisting Matrix Perception--  That's 9 hits.  If their Limit is below that, on average they are mechanically incapable of finding you.  If it's a limit of 6, then you would have to roll only 5 hits on 28 dice, and they would also have to roll their max of 6.  And that's only looking at the limits; pure dice-pool comparison, even a R8 Host wil only roll 16 dice to spot you  That's 12 dice less than the character I just built..

They can't boot you off the host--  They'd have to be able to target you first.

If you're there to run matrix overwatch while your team infiltrates a facility, you can just go about completely screwing any employees who may be slaved to the host, and any devices slaved to the host are yours.  If you were using Hack on the Fly, they'd still find out there was a hacker and be looking for you just the same once you start interfering with their stuff properly.  Except if you botch a roll on Hack on the Fly, the host (and thus all the IC) instantly get a mark on you, spotting you.  If you botch an Attack action, you just take some damage, and they still have to sit there hoping for astronomic odds to be able to spot you.

[Desiani]

Oh. So you can still focus on being super duper Brute force focus, you'll just be the big man punching down doors and no one can physically see you?

[firebug]

My Broken Win-The-Matrix Build You Shouldn't Play

[Hobbes]

That's what the build is about.  The Spider, all the IC, none of them can target you with any matrix actions unless they spot you via Matrix Perception

Erase Mark doesn't need to have a Mark or have made a successful Matrix perception check against whatever Icon placed the Mark.  Hacker makes a Brute Force vs Host (or Device in Host's WAN, whatever), Hacker gets Mark, Spider gets alerted.  Spider knows someone just performed a successful attack action against his Host (or Device connected to the Host...), checks his (or her) Host for your Mark and performs the "Erase Mark" action.  Hacker is in the Host for a couple actions at most.  Sure the IC never find the Hacker, but the Hacker won't be in the host long enough to accomplish much. 

[firebug]

You don't go poof out of a host if your mark to the host is removed, you know.  Why would they need IC if that's all it took?  Yes, you alert them, then the rigger checks for a mark, and then it's your turn again and you enter the host.  Bam.  No problems.  The rigger cannot make the test to look for marks and roll to erase the mark in the same action; that leaves you time to enter unless you're doing some AR hacking an rolled 10 or lower for your initiative.

Once in the host, they don't automatically know what icons you have marks on.  Even with Hack on the Fly, nothing stops the spider from going "Oh shit, someone's locked the elevator at the roof!" or "Oh no, someone's hacking all our security drones!" and then knowing which device to roll Matrix Perception on so they can begin erasing the marks.  If you're Running Silent, they can't tell what you're doing and would have to manually check each device for marks or use context clues (which they would be doing if you used Hack on the Fly).

[Hobbes]

Hacker Action One: Brute Force on host and gets Mark.  Spider gets alerted.
Spider Action One: Matrix Perception on his own Host and gets a count of Marks.  That one Mark there that the Spider Doesn't recognize and the Host doesn't have a Mark on the Persona that left the Mark.  That one Mark there is the one.
Hacker Action two +: Hacker Stuff
Spider Action two + : Erase Mark, which is resisted by the Hackers Firewall plus Willpower, not the Uber Sleaze pool you've built.

If you use Hack on the Fly to get your Mark you can hopefully get in and get out before the Spider becomes aware.

[firebug]

I still don't see your point.  It doesn't matter if your mark on the host is removed.  You don't need a mark on the host to do anything else inside the host.  The file you want to steal?  You put a mark on that.  The devices all slaved to the host?  You put marks on those now that you have a direct connection to them.  The spider is regularly alerted that hacking is going on, but doesn't know what devices are getting marked unless he makes Matrix Perception tests on them specifically.