Introduction

Welcome back to the SadBad Set Review, I'm SadBad your host. It's been four months since I've last played a game of Netrunner, making me perfectly qualified to review the upcoming cards from Uprising!

I've reviewed the Uprising Booster Pack before, and those reviews still hold. I'll add any further thoughts I have in this review.

Table of Contents

Runner Cards

Hoshiko Shiro: Untold Protagonist/Mahou Shoujo

Hoshiko gives you a drip, but you have to work on it. As an Untold Protagonist, you need to access cards to get your Gabe on, but if you do, you flip, and now you're a Magical Girl who's on drugs, and only after you come down can you start the cycle over again.

The design of this card is definitely going to result in interesting plays, where the Corp incentivizes the Runner to run when they don't want to, and vice versa. But the extra link and cards in the Magical Girl form is probably where you want to stay, if you have the cash to burn being aggressive.

As the Corp, you'll want to ice up your servers to keep the protagonist untold.

Moshing

It's an Inject replacement, what more do you want?

Despite giving you a net of -1 card, it lets you punch an Easy Mark while trading extra unique cards or cards you don't need now for three new cards. The only downside is you can only play this card if you have at least four cards in hand, which means your hand has to be complete junk if you want the most value out of it. Or you can use it to dig for cards in emergencies.

But at three influence, this is definitely staying in Anarch. Especially since the best discard targets are all in faction.

Devil Charm

First off, I love the art. Repurposing Sacrificial Constructs after they've rotated is a lot of fun. They probably beat up the Shaper and stole their toys, and decided to paint them after being unable to get them to work. Flames make it go faster.

Costing 1 to give ice -6 strength is no joke, as that's about 6 credit's worth of boosting (or your hide), but you have to hit the right ice to get the most out of your unlucky charm. But the best combos are with fixed strength breakers, or with cards that care about absolute strength. This charming devil helps Nfr get the ball rolling, or lets you save six runs on Chisel. Another fun, super unique combo is selling Baklan's soul and derez most everything without the run setup.

But since the Charms are unique, you can't have multiple ready to pop at a time, which means you can't use all three for one super-cheap run. Two influence isn't much, but for a single-use device, if you import it you either need a really good reason or have influence to spare.

Also, I wouldn't be surprised if they failed half of the time. Just looking at that wiring job gives me anxiety.

Gatchapon

Gatchapon is an interesting replacement for Street Peddler even if the Peddler is still going to sell thing all the way to next rotation. But there's a couple key changes that are relevant.

First, it's a chip, which supports chip tribal, but the lack of connection means you can't invite them to your apartment.

Secondly you look through six cards instead of three, letting you dig deeper at instant speed, meaning you can dig for your Clot instead of hoping it's something the Peddler is selling.

Third, you can only install programs and virtual resources, instead of all installable cards that Peddler sells. This hits the card pretty hard, as it forces you to shape your deck to include not only fewer events, but also less hardware and non-virtual resources, but since you only need 1/6 to be an installable target, this makes requires less from you in the buildaround department.

Fourthly, luckily point three is mitigated that the other cards are shuffled back in instead of trashed. Mostly. This hurts for the bin breakers and recursion-based decks, but keeps you from losing your console if you push your luck and hit it. Unfortunately, you have to remove at least two of them from the game.

Which helps if you're running extra uniques, like the companions, since you can filter down your deck, but if you rfg your redundant key cards, then your rig gets ever more fragile. Removing from the game seems a bit weird, but it blocks synergy with bin breakers, which is all that I care about.

It also gives you a 2c discount, which makes it even better. Why buy things from the peddler when you can get paid for doing your shopping?

Keiko

Keiko. Stuffed animal. Console. Companion. AI. Stares into your soul.

A 3 cost console that gives +2 MU hasn't been seen in Anarch since Grimoire rotated, so this is already your go-to friend if you're running into memory troubles. But given that Keiko triggers off its own install, they effectively cost only 2, making even better on the cost/memory front.

Especially with the new companions, it's going to be pretty easy to trigger the credit drip each turn, with the only problem of finding them first. Combined with Taka, unless you're spending your entire turn clicking or digging (or, god forbid, playing "connections" *shudder*), you have another source of drip econ, this one stapled to your console.

Also, the plushies for the companions are absolutely adorable and absolutely marketable and NISEI should get on that as soon as possible.

Odore

Sometimes you sing. And sometimes you dance.

And apparently dancing is more fun! With the dreaded 0-to-break last seen on Yog.0, the question to ask is "how do I break this?"

It definitely looks harder to break. At zero base strength, you're likely going to need to pump it against all encounters (sorry Rototurret), but it has a 3c for 3 strength pump, which is not the most efficient, but even combined with strength inflation of ice, you can still break everything with 9 credits (except Surveyor. But of course). It's more efficient than MKUltra under all conditions, and compares well to Bukh against the more dangerous sentries.

There's not too many cards that give permanent strength boosts, now that personalized touches to dancing have rotated out of style, but you can still do the Dinosaur if you see the opportunity, but despite getting you a Yog-Killer, it still runs into the same issues with working with any Dinosaurs.

4 cost seems about right, although you really don't want to use it until you have your three virtual resources out. And two influence means it can be imported easily into any deck that wants to run virtual resources, like Adam.

I'm not a fan of the art. Doesn't really look like a breaker, but it does look like a good time.

Mystical Maemi

Everyone loves Mystical Maemi. There's nothing not to like. A unique PPVP out of Anarch, that lets you bankroll but only to a set max. Given that most decks run events [citation needed], you can probably find an outlet for Maemi credits before they overflow, but if you steal an agenda at the wrong time you might run into some issues. Two influence means you can import it if you want, but probably only in decks where you can put the credits to maximum use.

You can't get around it by having no hand. Trust me, I've tried.

Paladin Poemu

Paladin Poemu, on the other hand, lets you play everything except events. And connections. You don't need connections when you have CompanionsTM.

Like the wizard of the party, most decks run non-connection installables [citation needed]. The issue with Poemu is that it's only useful while your still installing; once your rig is fully charged, you're not going to find a use for the Paladin (unless you keep bouncing and reinstalling. I'm looking at you, Shaper), whereas the Wizard helps with key events that you hold to play at the right time. So you want to get the Paladin out as early as possible to find the most use, and at three influence, it's hard to import more than one.

Maybe those dirty Shapers can find a use for only one. SMITE.

Bravado

Hey, watch this.

Worst case scenario, you bounce and gain 3c for your troubles.

Wait, no. Worst case is you faceplant something and die. But let's assume you don't.

At 3 cost, it's running a bit high for dismal econ, but at worst it's a Dirty Laundry, and each ice you pass gives you an extra credit. The run doesn't even have to be successful, which avoids the worst part about Dirty Laundry.

The only downside is you have to run on a server that is protected by ice, which means early game this card can be pretty dead in your hand. You can of course use it to facecheck (with all the risks it entails), whereas late game this just makes it slightly cheaper for you to get into the massive ice towers that are starting to enter your rig. It's likely not going to help you set up your rig, but it's still better than doing the laundry.

At three influence, it's likely too much for the other factions to consider. Keep it in faction, and let other factions fight over laundry day.

Boomerang

Boomerang is reminiscent of the trash breaker suite, which was originally out of Shaper, but had a side of Crim. So how does this compare?

This time it's a hardware, and breaks 2 subs instead of one, which is double the number of subs the original Shaper reptiles could deal with. Combined with the ability to choose which subs are broken, this hardware can get you past most pieces of ice with little to no inconvenience.

Unfortunately, you have to choose the piece of ice you want to break beforehand, which means this does not protect you against facechecks, unless you can find ways to install this at instant speed. Oddly enough, despite choosing an ice, this card doesn't host, which means more memory management for the players. Or we should start making Boomerang tokens.

It also means that if the ice is trashed, then Boomerang is useless, and you can't even get rid of it. Find a way to pawn it off.

Interestingly, this card comes with built-in autorecursion: as long as you can get in, this card will come back (eventually). Unless they run Crisium

Which makes this a strong card in any deck where you're looking to run out the stack. Of course, two credits and two clicks to skip a specific piece of ice is bordering on alright, but combine it with Ms. May, and you save two credits. Maybe not the best, but if you're running every turn, that influence investment will pay you back.

And at two influence it's relatively importable; cheaper than Inside Job, but less useful during facechecks, but still great for making key runs work.

Mu Safecracker

Mu's a bit odd. It's both useful interfaces on one card, but you have to pay. In stealth.

And even in stealth, it's a expensive. Ignoring the stealth requirement, after two runs to HQ or one run on R&D you might as well have installed the proper interface.

But this is both. In one. It lets you threaten both R&D and HQ, without ever running. For two credits.

Which is...alright? Personally I'd like to run the Turning Wheel, which does the same job, although instead of spending stealth credits, you need to spend runs.

And really I don't know which is more valuable. I guess if you're sitting back and making intermittent value runs you might consider cracking this safe, but stealth credits seem precious enough not to spend on some questionable multiaccess.

Prognostic Q-Loop

I love this. Oracle loves this. Who doesn't love this?

Chip tribal, lets you peek at upcoming cards, and gives you clickless installs on the hardware that you see. Even on the Corp's turn.

With enough hardware, or a single Boomerang, you can make more than your money's worth through clickless installs, but the peek ability already pays for itself. Look at your cards, if you don't like them fire a shuffle effect, if you do, fire an Oracle May.

Three influence means maybe a one-of import in decks that really want it; Hayley probably likes the ability to repeatedly install cards on the Corp's turn, but there's an in-faction alternative this set that fills the same role. And any more than one definitely begins to eat into influence.

Swift

Gotta go fast. That's all that matters. Fast. Zoom Zoom.

Afterimage

Non-Shaper stealth is always appreciated. Unfortunately, BlacKat is rotating out, but now we have a Criminal cat replacement! So how does it hold up?

It's a bit awkward to pump, having the worst stealth pump ratio in the game, but the break is super-efficient. But combined with the ability to bypass any sentry for two stealth credits (but only once per turn), you're only going to be breaking sentries of 4 strength or less and bypassing the rest (unless there's too many of them, and then you're sad). Unfortunately you can't bypass Anansi.

You probably want to pair this breaker with a recurring source of stealth credits, so either import into Shaper or import from Shaper.

The art is nice, but I'd like it to be a bit more interactive? It's running, but at what?

Makler

This real estate agent is bad, but that's criminal fracters for you. Five cost is expensive, and doesn't refund nearly enough. It breaks like Demara, but pumps worse. I think I'd run Demara over this.

Penumbral Toolkit

It's a blue replacement for Ghost Runner. It gives you the same net gain of 2 credits (okay, counting the card and the action, probably 0), but this one can be installed for free after a successful HQ run. And it gives you one more stealth credit! But runs only. That's fine. We shouldn't be using them for anything else anyways.

As the only in-faction source of stealth credits, Criminals are probably going to want to run this card. And it might be enough to power a safecracker for a few high-impact runs, but if you want a more stable stealth economy you're going to want to import from Shaper.

Very nice art, but a little vague; just an object floating in the void. Waiting in the shadows.

The Back

The Back is going to be front and center in the decks that want it (assuming you can afford the influence). The limitations on what you can recur means that it's a definite include in Geist and anyone else who is trash for a living.

Two cards for every token is pretty strong, and a single Q-loop is the only card you need to bank a power counter every turn.

Really, I think this is more of a Levy AR Access replacement for the trash that depends on it. Two-for-one means you can recur your trash breakers quickly, and frees up your restricted spot. Let's see trash come back into style.

Maybe not. I never liked Spy Cam not-runner, but what can you do?

Harmony AR Therapy

HART is a more balanced recursion option in Shaper. Targeted recursion is always nice, but this one is balanced in that you have to get different cards, instead of, say, three Apocalypse. I'm not quite sure if it'll see play, but given Same Old Thing is rotating out, maybe this will help get your high impact events and trashed cards back for you to play again.

Aniccam

This is a strong console.

Most decks want to play events, and even if they don't, trashing an event through damage or peddling gives you a draw. I guess it's a replacement for Astrolabe, but it's a more guaranteed draw per turn.

It costs quite a bit more, and still only provides +1MU, but even so, its ability more than makes up for it. The only downside is that it's three influence, and since you want it early game, it's going to cost a fair share of influence to ensure you're getting the most out of your console.

Simluchip

Clone Chip is back, and this time it's not at all that different!

It costs the same, the influence is the same, but this time it has a restriction on when you can use it. And provides a discount on the reinstall. So how does it compare?

This one saves you three credits on the reinstall, but trades that off where you can only fire it if you trash a program. Or had a program trashed. Either or.

Which is an interesting tradeoff. NuCC makes it more difficult to trash your deck and get back exactly what you want, but makes it easier to replenish counters or save a card that's been trashed. Which isn't all that much of a downgrade.

Cordyceps

Unfortunately, Escher has rotated, and we're given this piece of fungus in return.

Given it costs the same as Escher and swaps infinitely fewer pieces of ice, and that Escher didn't see all that much play, I don't think this card will be all that useful?

There are benefits, of course. This card fires on all centrals instead of just HQ, but you have to swap a piece of ice from the server you ran on, which means that the centrals require weak ice to swap. It also uses virus counters instead of being an event, which means that if you can replenish the counters you can consistently swap ice around, but the once-per-turn requirement means that you have to take your time to expose weak spots on the servers.

This fungus also doesn't replace your access, which helps.

Maybe this fungus will finally make Mass-Driver playable. Zoom zoom boom boom.

Euler

I'm not even sure Shapers need better decoders.

On the install turn it's basically a pumpable Yog.0, which leaves the Corps quaking in fear when their code gates are all completely useless.

(Not actually useless, since this invalidates <2 strength ice, but only for one turn, so it's not like the ice is completely useless, as it still forces an install. It also only saves credits on breaking, which is going to be about 2/3 per code gate. Which is still pretty good, especially if you install it, and take it out, and install it again, and shake it all about.)

The only potential downside of this card is is the 2c for 2 break, which isn't bad at all. At 2 to install this is strong early game, strong late game, strong all the time.

Mantle

It's a Cloak replacement, that also works on hardware and all programs. The only impact that has is that it slightly buffs SMC, and can be used with the new Criminal hardware tools. And Rubicon.

Not really enough that's changed to talk any more.

Penrose

Doesn't lose fracter 0/10. So you're going to have a fracter that doesn't break barriers. So your turtle can walk through walls without a real fracter.

Without the on-install clause, this card is literally Refractor but costing 2c more. There's not much to say otherwise?

With more stealth cards outside of Shaper, Penrose might see more import than Refractor did, but since all drip-stealth is still out of Shaper, I don't think it'll be all that popular.

The art is definitely on point though, except for the one nitpick that it doesn't display Penrose tiling. -10/10.

Self-Modifying Code

There's not much to say? It's here to stay.

Beautiful art. Short and to the point.

Searches now come stapled to shuffles.

Cybertrooper Talut

With all of the rubber breakers in this set, along with the slightly-less powerful one last set, Talut is going to carry some weight.

4-strength Yog. 6 strength fracter. Blasphemous 4 strength decoder/fake fracter.

The only thing missing from this set is a killer.

and it comes with a link

Paule's Café

Personal Workshop is back! despite not actually being a workshop, because The Back is taken, so you have to do your tinkering in the Café in the front. Sorry. But I'm sure some of the patrons will be willing to help.

The Front functions as a Personal Workshop to hold onto all the cards you can't hold, and lets you install the cards at instant speed, at the cost of one credit. Wait. Come back. There's more. We have curry!

Instead of a drip discount every turn like PW, the Front instead discounts based off the number of unique connections you have installed, which is the second time unique cards have been referenced on card abilities. At one unique connection it refunds the cost (to the minimum of costing 1), and with more than one you start getting discounts. Unfortunately it only triggers once per turn (on your turn), but you can still install cards fast on your opponent's turn.

This card provides interesting deckbuilding possibilities. You can only install hardware and programs with the Front, which means if you go too far into having too many friends, you won't have anything to install. You also want to get this card up early to get discounts, but that also means you need to find your friends early as well. There's a balance to be found in deckbuilding here, just like the spiciness of their curry.

Hard to import at four influence, and since you want it out early, unless you dedicate most of your influence to the Front, you're probably not going to import this out of faction.

Buffer Drive

This is an interesting card. At 3 cost and 1 influence, it's a bit expensive to play and use, but this card buffers you from a variety of strong effects.

The main goal of this card seems to be to protect against grinder , preventing you from losing from a thousand cuts. You still take the tempo damage, which makes PE not completely worthless, but saves your key cards if they get hit out of hand, which also helps against Salem and other Hyoubu shenanigans.

And then you have MaxX. With Buffer Drive, you can save one of your two trashed cards every turn, keeping you from losing key cards or useful econ, which, depending if you want them now or later, means you can fire shuffle effects to get them back faster.

You can also have additional fun with Patchwork, which lets you bottom your late-game cards, so you know exactly where they are when you need them.

Additionally, the remove-from-game clause lets this card function as a Same Old Thing, now that it has rotated out. Click to draw, click to play, it's the same cost, except an extra 3 credits to install the Buffer Drive. But at least you get the buffering effect before you fire your recursion.

Looks like a nice card, but I'm not sure I trust any technology held together by staples.

Daily Casts

Still here, still not virtual. 0/10.

10/10 with art.

DreamNet

It's all the upside of Mr. Masanori with none of the downsides (except costing 1c more). A strong piece of run-based econ, if you can consistently get into the Corp servers.

Which is the issue nowadays, isn't it? With all this taxing ice on centrals, it's easy for the Corp to ice up and prevent you from gaining an econ advantage from running. So this card is only strong early game before the Corp can ice up, and provides incidental value afterwards. But if you don't get this card out early, you can probably only make a couple cards profit from installing it.

It also provides drip econ if you have 2 link or are digital, the latter of which only applies to half of Hoshiko and all of Apex. This makes it a lot more valuable, but still doesn't obviate the fact that you still need to get in.

Corp Cards

Megaprix Qualifier

Not much has changed since the booster. Still a GFI-lite, which can get you more points out of Sportsbo.

Go team go!

Project Vacheron

It's aboout time that NISEI released some a fun design. This agenda doens't quite defend itself, but it does give you four extra turns if the Runner steals it as the last agenda. It's basically The Black File for the Corp. Take your time. Rush out that last agenda. Murder the Runner for putting you on a deadline. Trade it for something else and sell all the extra time you get. The world is your oyster.

Bass CH1R180G4

Biotic Labor on an asset, costing one less, but requiring one more click to use. So basically an expensive All-nighter for the Corp. They definitely know how to party.

So when is it useful? Well, if you can keep one on board for a turn, then you can fast advance a 3/2 out next turn, as long as the Runner doesn't come around to trash it. And 4 to trash is quite expensive, especially since you're never going to rez it until you want to use it. Just install it in your scoring server, and watch as the Runner is forked between wasting their credits now to trash it and being forced to run again when you install your agenda, or letting you fast advance out of hand.

Or they can run HQ and try to snipe your agendas out of hand. I guess that's still a thing. Sometimes.

But where this card really shines is out of Mirrormorph. Red Level Clearance for an install and click, rez and fire this, install your agenda, extra click to advance, triple advance, bam, 4/2 scored.

Or you can go full magical Christmas land this holiday and have three fish installed, clicking each one in turn, letting you FA a Vanity Project.

Still doesn't explain the hat.

Cerebral Overwriter

It's back, with art that I daresay is even better than the original.

Anything more to add? Overwriter only sees fringe play, since it's the strongest of the advanceable traps, and landing a single hit with this card tilts the game heavily in your favor. But it's not a win.

Not yet.

Vaporframe Fabricator

Ignoring all costs rears its ugly head again, sniffing at the air. Skyscrapers of ice erupt from the ground of Jinja City, piercing the kingdom of heaven, guarded by hosts of heavenly Surveyors wielding swords made from adaptive code, guarding even against the coming apocalypse.

Better try to win off centrals instead.

Drafter

As an Architect replacement, it looks fine. Costing one less, but can't give you information about the coming cards in R&D, but rather doubles down on recursion, letting you return operations back to your hand. Not many Runners want to fire any of the subroutines, but Drafter is a little worse if you have nothing in Archives to recur.

But it doesn't protect itself from trashing, which means eventually, you're going to have to trash this draft.

Týr

A big chunky piece of ice, that's both expensive to rez and expensive to get past. Sure, the Runner can click through it like all other bioroids, but this one gives the Corp clicks in return.

Which is nice in theory, but it might be difficult to leverage those clicks into something useful. Unless you hold a 3/2 in hand all the time, it's going to be hard to use those clicks for FA. And after the surprise of seeing you run this card, the Runner isn't going to run unless they know they can break it. Which means the Runner can click through for the last agenda.

So, like all God ice, it's expensive and keeps the Runner out, but like all ice, the Runner isn't going to let the subroutines fire. Unless you Batty. And man are do those subroutines hurt.

NEXT Activation Command

Well I guess the Runner can't run next turn.

By blocking non-icebreakers, you stop the trash breakers dead in their tracks, although bypass is still an option. And the extra two strength for your ice will probably translate into an extra 8 credits or more if they want to get through one server. And at 4 trash, it'd be hard to hit before it hits the field.

As the first Lockdown, I think these cards could be Terminals without introducing new rules. It'd make them slightly weaker, but wouldn't require the introduction of a new mechanic. Oh well.

Scapenet

Finally, we get a Foxfire reprint, but shakes it up a bit. First, it requires a successful run, which is fairly common. The main difficulty is that if the Runner is running, then they probably have enough money to deal with surprise Corp traces, like Hard-Hitting News. But as a tradeoff for that difficulty, Scapenet removes the card from the game, never to be seen again. Which is pretty strong, if you can hit key parts of the Runner's rig and give them no chance to save them.

And instead of link, now you can hit chips. Why? I have no idea. What targets do you want to hit? Q-loop? Fish and Chips? I guess this explains the expansion of chip tribal.

Tranquility Home Grid

Some think that you can go to the Moon with this card, but I'm not as positive about that.

The biggest difficult with this card is that you have to install it in the same server, meaning that you can only install non-region upgrades and one asset or agenda. Which, to be fair, can net you 3 credits and 1 card if you spend the rest of your turn jamming cards into the remote, but you need a large number of upgrades or self-trashing assets before you can relax and rake in the money. Because as soon as the Runner gets in, they're going to trash your house.

Just don't install other regions, or else it's a game loss.

Flower Sermon

At worst, scoring this agenda lets you draw 5 cards over a few turns, a Coporate Sales Team but for cards. At best, the Runner doesn't run R&D for the rest of the game.

Which is worth it. Flower Sermon is definitely a strong card, and it's going to be interesting to see how people trade off between econ and threat. The 'once per turn' clause reigns it in slighlty, so the Runner has the option to run twice to break access a card you don't want them to access, but they're going to need to eat a Snare! before getting there. But as a 4/2, this has to compete with Nisei MK II, which is a hard sell.

Prāna Condenser

Why let the runner prevent damage when you can make money instead?

This card also lets you slowly gather up all the net damage that you could have done, and dish them all out in one shot, while also making money. This by itself threatens a flatline, which means the Runner is going to have to run this card sooner or later, dragging them through all three Kakugos. Then you spend a Nisei token. Then you kill them. With this and money.

Engram Flush

Engram Flush is like a Cortex Lock that's still useful late game. Costing two credits to rez and probably around five credits to break, this card is pushing absurd in the level of taxation. Sure, the damage is nullified by Hunting Grounds, but the reveal still gives the Corp information, and without the Hunt, the flush will take let the Corp trash the card that you wanted to keep most. It's another 5 strength code gate that's cheap and taxing.

No Runner is going to be running on centrals ever again. One influence. Never, ever again.

Konjin

An interesting piece of ice; with no subs by itself, Hunting Grounds nullifies this completely. Otherwise, the Runner has to play a psi game, and if they loses, then they encounter the strongest ice you have already rezzed.

Which isn't too bad? 3 credits to give you a 2/3 chance for a remote Surveyor might be worth it, but early game, if you don't have any good ice rezzed, then this won't be doing much of a job.

You also are likely paying into each psi game, which brings the cost up. But a forth Surveyor is always good.

Hyoubu Precog Manifold

Do you love Caprice? Do you wish she would come back? Well now you can have a Caprice for a turn! Choose one of your servers, and Caprice will sit there for the whole turn, even if the Runner is able to get in!

Personally, I think this is one of the weaker lockdowns. With only one server protected, you might be able to sneak out an agenda against a rich Runner, but they can still choose to hammer your centrals instead.

But at four to trash, it will cost the Runner a fair bit to get rid of, if they desperately hate the Caprice.

Kakurenbo

This card is IAA, but only if IAA cost a card, and could recur cards from Archives.

Which makes it a bit odd? It's recursion, but if you use it as recursion, then a run on Archives will tell the Runner exactly what you installed, so it's not much of a bluff. The best use of this card would probably be to trash your Breached Domes and the thing you want to install, so the Runner can't use their powers of deduction to seek out what card you've installed.

La Costa Grid

Still as strong as before. Free advancements are always strong. Just don't install too many of them in the same server.

GameNET: Where Dreams are Real

Whenever is a strong word. And combined with 17 influence, this is definitely going to end up being a strong identity.

Although you can get money from psi games, you're likely going to be sticking to the in-faction option of making traces. Unfortunately, you need the Runner to pay at least 1 credit into the trace for you to make a profit, which means you're going to want traces that the Runner doesn't want to fire, which means Macrophage is an unlikely inclusion.

But Eavesdrop is a card, and put it on a Thimblerig and you can trace the Runner all the way in. Combine a trace-heavy ice suite with Aryabhata Tech, a Door to Door, and maybe a Kuwinda, and you can trace the Runner all the way to the bank. Which might fold to a link-heavy deck, but hey, you win some you lose some.

RIP Honeyfarm you never got your time to shine.

Bellona

We put a Red Herring in your agenda to keep it safe. And it gives you some money back.

The built-in herrings are a nice touch, which gives the agenda a little bit of self-protection, although mostly you're going to use it to tax the Runner so you can counterstrike next turn. And if they decline to get in the way of your bullets, then you get a nice payout refunding the investment you put into the agenda.

So although the on-score ability isn't the strongest for a 5/3, the price to steal it more than makes up for it.

F2P

You can play, or you can pay.

5 strength sentries are expensive to break, so paying the credits is probably a good idea for the Runner, unless the Corp is running on GameNET, in which case you don't want to give the Corp even more money.

But an interesting twist is that the Runner can only pay if they're untagged, which means sticking this behind a Raven will have the Runner paying out the nose to get through.

Although, as the innermost piece of ice, this doesn't protect against hail mary runs, so you'll want to stick harder ice behind it to bounce their breakers and end the run.

Gold Farmer

So apparently GameNET is undercutting legitimate, hard-working gold farmers by selling gold themselves. But they pretend to be legitimate gold miners, which is probably a violation of some anti-fraud law. Like anyone's going to prosecute.

This is probably a 4c tax for 3, which is already Eli 1.0 levels of taxation. But instead of being able to click through it, you can pay 6 credits, which might get you through for important runs but you probably want to find a breaker. No more running on centrals, but at least this one is easier to chisel apart.

Out of GameNET, however, this becomes even more absurd. It's a gain 2 if they break it, and if they pay then goes all the way up to 4 credits refunded. Unless the Runner doesn't care how much money you have, one on HQ and one on R&D will prevent any sane Runner from trying their luck on agenda in centrals.

Digital Rights Management

Since the Booster Pack, the card that seems to combo most with this are the Lockdowns. DRM, install an agenda, advance it, then lock it down. You can choose to use it to make your own scoring window, or double down on an existing one to be extra safe. Combined with Lockdowns, the Corp now has stronger means of scoring when they want to, rather than at the whim of the R&D. Whether this makes elevates the Corps into being a threat is another question.

SYNC Rerouting

SYNC Rerouting isn't the best of the Lockdowns. Both options are approximately a tax of 4c, and the Runner can choose whichever is better for them. Compared to NEXT Activation Command, it probably breaks even at two pieces of ice. Sure, you can try to force the Runner to run multiple times that turn, but NEXT Activation gives benefits as well. And at 1 less to trash, I can't really say I expect this to see much play.

Ganked!

Sudden encounters are always fun. When you get through the server, and feel safe, and get ready to access your spoils, and suddenly you're staring down a face you've seen before.

Surprise encounters are surprisingly good at throwing off Runner math, and this one is no different. Before, with an unrezzed upgrade on the server, you might get an Ash, but if you're worried about dying, probably nothing worse than some Private Security, or at least a trace you can pay into. Now, you're going to be fighting the worst ice you passed on the way in. Again. I guess it followed you in.

If you want to surprise the Runner even more, put it in your scoring remote with Bellona. Depending on how they choose their encounter, either they take the agenda and a faceful of hurt, or they avoid a faceful of hurt but can't take the agenda.

Three to trash? They probably can't trash it either.

Although from a Runner perspective, now you need even more money to successfully hit the remote. Which I guess is one way to deal with the out-of-control Runner economy?

Earth Station: SEA Headquarters

Flippity floppity it's a one remote property.

Welcome to SEA Headquarters. I hope you enjoy your stay here; we have state of the art security to keep you safe at all times. Step this way please. As you can see, I do need this walking stick. The button for the top floor is quite high.

Going uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuup.

This card is so beautiful and on theme it's ridiculous. You have best security at Earth Station, guarding your headquarters, but if you need to put your data out of reach of everyone, with the press of a button you send the station up the Beanstalk, making it so much more difficult for the Runner to get in.

So the Runner hacks the elevator controls instead, and brings you back to Earth.

On a mechanical side, the extra tax on HQ probably isn't going to help too much; early game you're going to be building up your only remote, and late game you'll be windmill slamming anything you draw into your remote. After all, you can only play glacier. There's nothing else you can do.

But when you flip, you're telegraphing that you have something in your server that you want to protect (or you're secretly Jinteki mind games), and the Runner's going to do everything they can to hack your elevator and bring you down. Crisium Grid helps keep the Runner out of the control room, but wording changes to Crisium makes it vulnerable to Sneakdoor and old men.

EDIT: Actually, even more wording changes make Sneakdoor and Omar fail. Hah! Take that, Runners!

Or, you know, the Runner could just pay more. Money solves all problems.

But the one server limitation actually has some drawbacks. You can't FA a Hostile Takeover you just drew if your server is occupied, and many assets are unavailble to you. But you cares? You can leave your cares behind. Go to space.

Elevators are out of order.

Transport Monopoly

Transport Monopoly is pretty strong. As a 4/2, it's a pretty hard sell, but you get two tokens that you can use however you want! Sure, you can protect your elevator control panel for another two runs, but the best use for your counters are to hose high-impact runs. Bank account threatened? Deep R&D dig? Hate Australians? Then this is the card for you.

It's not as strong as Nisei MK II though, since Nisei counters can do the same thing, but Transport Monopoly giving you two tokens is a nice tradeoff.

Wall to Wall

Wall to Wall is full of fun. With only one rezzed asset, it's like a Daily Quest, except instead of three credits you get a credit, a card, and an advancement token. Or, you can trade one of those to bounce it back to your hand, freeing your sole server for something else before you put it back in.

With other assets though, it's a more flexible, more-easily trashable PAD Campaign, which isn't all that great? Three to trash probably balances out its flexibility and insane value in one-asset boardstates. But you'll probably want some targets for your advancement tokens if you want to make full use of this card.

Akhet

Akhet feels like it's building to something, but it just takes too long.

Without any advancements, a 3/2/2 barrier isn't great, tying with Wall of Static on the Corroder test. And spending three clicks and three credits to give it three more strength isn't an investment most decks want to make.

With free advancements, whether from upgrades or SSO, this card becomes more palatable. It helps build other ice, but the issue becomes that it only works when the Runner runs through it. Which means unless you have a way of forcing the Runner to raid your servers, you're not going to build anything out of this ice.

But the art is sick.

Colossus

Colossus is back, and wordier to boot. Stacking advancements up to infinite strength, Colossus is one of those pieces of ice that have the ability to scale into late game, and with the number of free advancement tokens floating around, you better pack some ice destruction.

Winchester

Winchester is a double-barreld piece of ice, but oddly the barrels are the first and third subroutines. The third comes along when in front of HQ, and gives it a nice suggestion to the Runner to break or pay.

A 4 strength sentry for 4 is quite cheap, especially with three subroutines, but given that it only fires traces, the Runner can get by for a while without a killer. The second subroutine won't be the most useful; early game not all decks run hardware, and Winchester might cause the Runner to put off installing their console, instead saving credits by letting it fire. It's also completely porous not in HQ if the Runner is aggressively facechecking everything. Maybe the Aryabhata Tech deck will like this, since in that deck the more traces the better.

Argus Crackdown

Yay damage. With this Lockdown, City Works becomes much harder to steal, and this provides a nice way to score out your city for the last three points.

Fortunately, the servers need to be protected by ice, making it less useful in protecting asset spam. But it might help if you're trying to get Fully Operational, though..

Cayambe Grid

Free advancements are always good. Stack them on Colossus for infinite scaling. Stack them on Masvingo for infinite subs. And you get a bonus tax whenever the Runner tries to run, protecting itself. What's there not to like?

Cyberdex Sandbox

A neutral 4/2 agenda which serves as a tech card. Now this is a card that I wasn't expecting.

Score this and make purges profitable. This feels like a balanced abililty for a 4/2, and is definitely a strong tech choice against viruses, but only if you can find a way to score it, but if you do score it, it instantly refunds its own cost. Score one, and the CVS in your Archives is profitable even if the Runner isn't running viruses. Score more and you can make up to 12 credits per purge.

Who knew antivirus could be so profitable?

False Lead

Back again to ruin the Runner's well-laid plans, but, as usual, you have to score it first. But when you do, your HHNs hit harder. Seven points of damage harder.

NAPD Cordon

NAPD Cordon staples NAPD Contract to Utopia Fragment, making agendas hard to steal for one turn. Sure, you can get a four, or a six extra credits, but T1 Mushin into Cordon means the Runner has to find a way to pay 10 credits turn 1 or give you a free 5/3.

Or they can just DOOF you instead. Or Imp it away. Oh well. Serves you right.