Introduction

Welcome back to the SadBad Pack Review, here to tide you over until the release of the set. I'm SadBad your host. I've totally played a real game of Netrunner, so I definitely know everything there is to know about the game. Let's get down to the reviews!

Table of Contents

Cards

Mystic Maemi

Everyone loves Mystical Maemi,

Like PPVP, but not quite the same, she

costs 1c less, can't use her I guess,

on the turn that she's played, but that's okay



Look at her now, it's Magical Maemi!

Stocking up credits, whoah now that's too many.

Stole an agenda, with a pip and a pip and that's it.

It's the end of the turn, and you commit.



Trash trash, trash, trash a card,

Trash trash, trash, trash a card,

A card, card, random card from your grip.



Is it a card

that can trigger the District?

I have nothing further to add.

Swift

So it appears that Swift is both a console and a vehicle, which means that Supercorridor isn't actually a car. I am disappointed. But I guess distracted driving is a crime, so it's fitting that this belongs in criminal.

Ken gets a new console, after his old console got taken by some old man after he lost his old one. But this one is sleek and pretty. Let me count the ways.

As a 2 cost console that provides 1 memory, this console joins a long line of cheap computers with buildaround effects. But rather than giving you free installs or card draw, this bike refunds your clicks for your run events. So it doesn't matter whether you're building towards run-based econ or have a number of high-impact runs, you can probably start your engine three or four times a game even without deliberate build-around.

Everyone's talking about Apocalypse, and I'm not quite seeing it. You get an extra click, which is quite useful for clearing out archives or doing donuts on their corpse, but you could do the same with DoppelgĂ¤nger and I don't see that seeing much play.

So I don't see you riding away from explosions on this bike, but it does get you to where you want to go. Fast.

Cybertrooper Talut

We meet again, Mr. Anderson.

One card which is basically two LLDS Processors stapled together, with an extra link to boot. Unfortunately, you can't install more than one (despite being 5,187 of them), so you can only boost your Chameleons to 5 strength instead of 6. Which, if we take into account the generally higher ice strengths on newer ice, unfortunately make it unlikely that we'll get that super-fun deck back.

Placing it in other decks, on the other hand, might make more sense. The extra link can come in handy (Nexus, anyone?), and the strength can be just a bonus on the first turn you install, or Rejigging your icebreaker for an extra oomph in storming the enemy servers.

The non-AI clause is nice, though. Not making the same mistake as Mr. Lister.

Megaprix Qualifier

It's like Global Food, except less mega, and with more qualifiers.

Although it does bias the number of points given to the Corp versus Runner (even if they turn tables), it doesn't lower agenda density like GFI does. It also does nothing for the first one scored or stolen, which means you're probably going to run all three if you're running any at all.

But extra 3/2s are nothing to laugh at. Once one is scored, you now have 5 Project Vitruvii in your deck, meaning you can fast advance to your hearts' content.

Although I'm a bit annoyed at the use of agenda counters for both passive and paid abilities on agendas. This makes it less likely for cards like Titan or Genetic Resequencing to be printed again. Which, to be fair, are problematic anyways, but it'd be nice to differentiate between the two. Oh well.

La Costa Grid

I find this card hilarious.

Compare to NeoTokyo Grid. La Costa saves you a click every turn, and it's a 3 rez/4 trash as opposed to a 2 rez/5 trash. Slightly more expensive, and slightly cheaper to trash, for something that quickly becomes a must-trash.

It compares well to SanSan. Although you can't fast advance with La Costa, it does allow you to never-advance 4/2s, sneaking out those important Project Niseis. With the Greenhouse, you can even never-advance 5/3s, and if you can bluff a turn you can sneak them under the Runners' noses.

Beacuse that's where the fun comes in. Ignoring even more convoluted agenda shenanigans, you can fill up your Bio Vaults, or constantly put counters on a totally an agenda that you keep telling them to access, until you have enough to redistribute them. Or you can slowly rebuild until the Runner is forced to come and take it down.

It's definitely an auto-trash, because it's cheaper to trash it when you access it than check everything the Corp puts into that server. And since you can keep it unrezzed, the first time is always a surprise.

You can also use it to feed your bees. It's a bit expensive, but the almond crop isn't going to pollinate itself.

And I'm convinced that you can pull some shenanigans with Tech Startup. Pull an arcology at the beginning of your turn, fast advance a 3/2, and threaten to fast advance again the next turn? Yeah, that'll do it.

Digital Rights Management

It's a Fast Track for 1 and 1 inf, that also lets you install. But no score. Only install.

Definitely a strong replacement in any deck that wants Fast Track in the first place, but DRM lets you threaten to score 5/3s as well as their smaller 3/x cousins. DRM lets you leverage scoring windows by finding 5/3s when you need them, and letting you threaten to score next turn.

Also of hilarity is you don't even have to install the agenda. Let them faceplant into an overwriter masquerading as a 5/3. But if they do, they'll know that you have the 5/3 in hand.

I'm a bit confused by the HQ run restriction. If you're in a deck that wants this card, you're probably windmill slamming agendas into your scoring server, which means you probably don't have any agendas in HQ. Which means the Runner probably knows you have no agendas in HQ. Which means that they're probably not going to be running HQ. I guess since you have no agendas in hand, you're going to have less ice on HQ, which means it's easier for the Runner to get in? Even though they know there's nothing in there for them but disappointment?

I guess the Crims are happy. Slamming HQ and breaking DRM.

On another note, I'm a bit disappointed by the name. DRM sounds like a great Pithing Needle Targeted Marketing-like card. I feel Pithing Needle-like cards are good for games, because they help control problem cards (and also would force multiple icebreakers of each type, which would be great).

Cayambe Grid

Cayambe Grid is an explosive upgrade. Saving you a click over Because We Built It, assuming the Runner doesn't run on it facedown, it's going to cost at least 5c to trash, and for 3 to rez that's more than fair.

And it just keeps going from there. It's a 2 credit tax for every piece of advanced ice on the server, and on a scoring remote it can easily cost 8-10 extra credits for the Runner to blow on through. Almost as good as a late-game Memorial Field, but unlike the field Cayambe Grid isn't unique, which means you can easily add another 6-8 credit tax on your R&D.

And the run isn't even successful.