“This structure will be a sign to the world of the rising might of Africa. We are not to be trifled with.”

–Madam Olatunji, Nigeria Federation Prime Minister

Atop the rippling crystal of Lake Victoria sits the skeleton of a second beanstalk. Trade and tourism thrive within the fertile crescent as the Sub-Saharan League, a unity of nations in the midst of an economic and cultural renaissance, works tirelessly to construct the new link between the world of dirt and the limitless expanse. Though determination and focus breed peace within the region, those on the edge wish to disrupt the architecture—for personal profit and political vendetta.

Fantasy Flight Games is proud to announce Council of the Crest, the third Data Pack in the Kitara Cycle for Android: Netrunner! Council of the Crest will be released in the first quarter of 2018 and can be pre-ordered at your local retailer or online through our website here.

Council of the Crest introduces three copies of twenty new cards to the world of Android: Netrunner, focusing on the main educational institution of the Sub-Saharan League, the efforts to build a second space elevator, and the conspiracies and corporate subterfuge that underline both. In this pack, you will find a powerful new virus, a pair of dueling current events, a brand new NBN identity, and much more.

Higher Education

As the megacorps grow and thrive in Africa, NBN holds the eyes and ears of the people. Azmari EdTech (Council of the Crest, 54) has a monopoly on education, from broadcasts to the Sub-Saharan League to providing degrees to citizens. But a deeper dive into their data reveals sinister subliminal messaging, influencing the hearts and minds of an entire continent. Now, you can bring Azmari EdTech’s message to Netrunner to control the runners attacking your servers—and turn a profit at the same time. As its ability, the Azmari EdTech ID lets you name a card type at the end of your turn. Then, the first time a runner plays or installs the card type you last named, you gain two credits.

An Azmari EdTech veteran may watch the runner’s rig and examine what they need the most. If they are missing a critical icebreaker, naming “program” puts them in a difficult position. If they need a burst of economy, naming “event” may give you extra credits when they play their Sure Gamble (Revised Core Set, 56). Like Targeted Marketing (The Space Between, 26), Azmari EdTech puts the Runner in the unenviable position of putting credits in NBN’s pocket to play the cards they want.

To use Azmari EdTech to its full potential, cards like Salem's Hospitality (Salsette Island, 71) will give you the inside view of the runner’s grip on your turn, letting you make an informed choice about the card type you name at the end of your turn. Azmari EdTech also has a minimum deck requirement of only 40 cards, keeping your deck slimmer than the 45-card decks required by many other IDs, and helping you draw the cards you need exactly when you want to.

With a monopoly on education, Azmari EdTech can make sure they profit any time the runner makes a smart play.

Azmari EdTech also offers their targets a Personalized Portal (Council of the Crest, 56) for their education needs—giving the runner an additional card at the start of their turn! All good things come with a price, though, as the corp gains one credit for every two cards in the runner’s grip. Not only will Azmari EdTech profit off of the runner's cards, but with this identity's powerful ability, they will benefit again when those cards are played, if their subliminal messaging works. With a trash cost of three, the runner will have to make a significant investment to try and get away from their personalized portal.

Hide and Seek

Of course, with all eyes on the potential second beanstalk, runners must find new ways to strike from the shadows, running the net while avoiding the ever-present gaze of the corporations around the world.

New Criminal resource No One Home (Council of the Crest, 45) allows criminals to avoid both tags and net damage, provided they have the funds. Anytime the runner would take any amount of tags or net damage, they may trash No One Home to initiate a trace—if unsuccessful, the runner avoids any number of tags or net damage! If the runner can outspend what the corp is willing to put on the line, they will always have a buffer between net damage, tags, and themselves. At the very least, they can make sure that neither of those options come easy (or cheaply) to the corp. Naturally, while this virtual resource can protect against the neural attacks of the net, it does very little in the physical world, meaning runners are still susceptible to meat damage.

In order to stay ahead of the corp, runners will have to use new tricks to get ahead… such as a Corporate "Grant" (Council of the Crest, 44), a new current that forces the corp to lose a credit the first time you install a card every turn. The less credits the corp has, the less likely they can both hunt you down and maintain the resources they need to defend their servers. Even as you build up your rig, you can begin to hit the corp where it hurts: their finances.

The Council of the Crest

With the eyes of the world on the skeleton of a second beanstalk, the war between corporations and runners is heating up on a global stage. As man looks for a new way to burst into the grand unknown, the corps and runners on the ground continue their endless struggle. Are you ready for the struggles to come?