Data Doll Leaves Beta with EVO Patch

Those of you who have followed the Rathe Times for a while will know that we have a long history of trying to get Data Doll functional (check out our articles from Sept of 21, Apr of 22, and Nov of 22). Despite having the deck stacked against her, we just can't let this experimental AI go.

Thankfully, neither can the folks at LSS. And with Bright Lights, they've finally given us the tools we need to put up a fight.

Best of all, everything about this deck is true to the Data Doll strategies that hooked us in the first place. We still play with a 3-card hand. We still burn through the deck hoping for free items. And we still build a pistol to close the game with.

For the moment, there isn't a consensus on a correct decklist. But for once, the Data Doll community is busy experimenting and iterating, rather than being content to simply have a functioning list. We have multiple paths forward, each with their own merits; and in time, Data Doll might just carve out an unconventional corner of the meta.

The list here is a variant/hybrid of lists developed by a few Discord users, suited to my own preferences. It's an excellent foundation from which you can identify the components that resonate with you and veer down paths that exemplify those aspects.

The core elements of a Data Doll deck include 0- and 1-cost boost attacks ('binary boosting'), damage-enhancing items, and methods of manipulating the top of your deck. You'll find these three elements across most of the decklist; and when you see a card checking more than one of those boxes, you're probably looking at a Data Doll staple. For example, Data Link is a 0-cost boost attack ☑ with an Opt effect ☑ - an attack action we can play from a 1-card hand, and likely on its own to spawn an item.

Sometimes, the items we hit with boosting are immediately relevant. Penetration Script drops a +1 on the attack immediately; and Boom Grenade adds an on-hit threat that turns even a Data Link into a must-block attack. Polarity Reversal Script cuts into the block value of their action cards. These cards help our otherwise low-powered attacks perform above rate - after all, we still need to deal 20 damage to win!

Unlike Dash and Maxx, we can't go wide with a string of boost attacks - we've only got 3 cards in hand, after all - so we instead use boost to flood the board with effects. That same 3-card hand means paying resource costs can be a major burden; and defense from hand is largely out the window. Instead, we rely on a host of equipment blocks (many builds even run Seeker's Mitts for 1 more point of blocking with an opt effect) and defensive items like Dissipation Shield and Dissolving Shield to cover damage while we, essentially, race to build an overwhelming board state.

Use Teklo Foundry Heart liberally to both generate resources and bring more items into play. We're especially digging for Micro-Processors and, when we're using them, the pistol enhancers: Plasma Purifier and Induction Chamber. These permanent items give us outlets for excess actions and resources.

Beyond the pistol items, we have matchup-specific tools in the form of Dissolution Sphere and Signal Jammer. Dissolution Sphere can be critical against Ninjas and Runeblades; but it also takes away from the power of breakpoint attacks. Signal Jammer, on the other hand, puts a hard limit on Wizards, and can bog down Azalea, Chane, Teklovossen, and some versions of Kassai.

Backup Protocol: RED is the secret spice of item-focused Mechanologists. Use this to pull your best attack back into hand, trading out a yellow or blue item. Might I suggest Dumpster Dive, Out Pace, or Zipper Hit?

Games with Data Doll end quickly. If you can't stave off the enemy's aggression early, you won't have time to build that complex board state. And once you're safely surrounded by items, the 12-step turns you can cycle through are incredible. Keep lots of dice handy; true to her nature, Data Doll's gameplay involves a lot of number tracking. Keep your items organized by the way they manage their steam counters, and create start-of-turn habits of removing counters so you don't create an illegal situation.

While we don't want to block from hand, there will be times when we need to. There will also be times when we're literally not able to, as items have no block value. As your life total dwindles, try to visualize the outs you're searching for that will win you the game, so you can make good decisions around when to preserve your life total and when surviving at 1 is good enough - always keeping in mind that you have the choice on blocking now, but you may not with the next hand.

In the end, there's a certain degree to which the deck is shuffled and you've just got to let the program run. It's not always going to come together in the end - but that makes it a perfect deck for Blitz, where the stakes are often lower, games are faster, and a high ceiling often compensates for a low floor. But while I'm quick to disclaimer that Data Doll is not a dominant force in the new Bright Lights meta, I'll stand up for her as a valid deck. And that's a major accomplishment for the only 3-Intellect hero in the game.