You might have thought it was over dear friends. But it’s fourteen and a half thousand kilometres to Roseville, we have six new and final champion cards, it’s dark, and we’re wearing neural implants. Hit it.
Border Control
Nemamiah
This wasn’t the card I set out to create. I was initially trying to implement a new version of Noise, but Boggs asked us to provide two designs so I dug this one out of my hindbrain. Cacophony, as it was dubbed, struggled through a number of iterations while this card chugged along, pleasingly elegant while also providing a unique effect.
I strongly believe that Netrunner is as it’s best when ice is relevant, and especially when it’s not just a maths problem. Border Control, I hope, gives both players hard decisions to make and lends itself best to an ice heavy style of play which most people would term ‘Classic Netrunner’, which is an archetype that has historically struggled a bit.
Is it good? Yep, I think it’s pretty strong, insofar as ice ever can be (and that’s a whole separate article in its own right). I think it slots naturally in to a number of decks right off the bat, and you can probably build round it to a certain extent with HB recursion cards if you want to.
SamRS
Very strong effect, fits in any form of glacier, with a bunch of synergies in every faction. Strongest in Jinteki due to Mti, Batty, Crick and Nisei remote hell, but you can pull out the coolest plays in hb. 10/10
BlueHg
A way to straight convert money into a Nisei token. Weyland is going to love this card; Blue Sun will enjoy dragging you through a Chiyashi/Orion server multiple times. Another standout Corp besides the ones Sam mentioned is AgInfusion, whose game plan is already largely oriented around click compression with the ID, Nisei, and Batty. It is non-trivial money, but that’s what glacier needs against a Runner whose econ engine is already running; a way to convert their own money into the last couple of points. This is probably the strongest card in the pack.
Neuropantser
Can’t wait to play this in RP in Eternal. ELP, Caprice, one or two of these… baby, you got a stew goin’.
CritHitd20
Of all the new champ cards, this is the one that appears to be most relevant for competitive play. It seems absolutely fantastic in all forms of glacier, especially Mti where it is a phenomenal install post-ID trigger. Its presence forces runners to contest agendas with spare clicks and cash, while simultaneously filling a deckslot as tool to invalidate powerful run events like Indexing or Legwork when properly placed. You can also just cheese with Excalibur Border Control nonsense. Honestly, there isn’t a ton of counterplay for Border Control beyond having superior board presence, so I’d call this an easy role player.
Saan
I think 3 influence hits just right about the perfect spot on this one, because you can import it, but it’s costly enough that you’re not going to do too much else. I also like how the first sub fits right alongside Surveyor in terms of ice count relevance, and lemme tell you, right alongside Surveyor is where this is going in my ice lineup. Now that Surveyor and Border Control exist in the same faction, it might actually be a reasonable thing to make some kind of Weyland glacier deck again. Lastly, I love that we have this ice effect that isn’t part of the encounter or the subs. I feel it was a play space that never got explored, and I’m thrilled Chris made one at the official game’s sunset.
dr00
Very strong card. Probably the best of the set. 3 influence and 4 rez cost is a decent balancing effect. I like that it just clearly benefits glacier. The first subroutine is great as a way to potentially recoup some costs of building that server, especially since it’ll be easier to get past once you use it to end the run.
CrushU
The only thing I have to say about this card that wasn’t already said is that Weyland actually started in Core Set with trashing its own ice. No one played it, because trashing an ice for temporary cash benefit was not a great idea, but the idea of ice trashing for an effect has always been Weyland. So I love that part of this card as well.
tvaduva
I’m glad Weyland is getting barriers that are actually better than NBN’s. Obviously, the highlight of this is the trash ability. It’s nice to have a bit of a facecheck reward, but it won’t matter much because by the time it gets more than two credits, the Runner should be able to break it. And two credits to break a four cost ice is just one off average, which is still pretty good for the great trash ability.
Embolus
SimonMoon
1/10
SamRS
Strong effect if it gets built up, but those counters are only as taxing as your weakest server. If you build to it, it will be fine but it’s much slower than it seems. 6/10
BlueHg
This may be weaker than it looks at first glance. In order to play this you have to build a deck that is comfortable protecting every server, so it has to be tall glacier like AgInfusion, Mti glacier, or Blue Sun. One influence means it’s easily importable, so I can see pretty much any glacier importing this as a one-of. Remember that you can remove multiple counters in the same turn, so a savvy Runner will keep this weak before the scoring turn at which point it’s just draining the Corp money. I think I need to see this in action before I can assess how strong it is.
CritHitd20
I adore the design on this card, and I wish it were legal for Magnum Opus, as it’s a bona fide corp win condition. The game needs more cards that feel unique and change the value of runs, and Embolus offers a similar-but-different dynamic to Replicating Perfection glacier. I can imagine using Embolus alongside DNA Tracker and Anansi to force runners through painful centrals servers just for the chance to fight the Batty remote with the Nisei Mk 2 in it, and it sounds powerful. It’s not the most powerful card in the Champ cycle due to several weaknesses including (especially) being awful early game, but it’s cool and different and I can’t wait to play it.
Saan
At its worst, this is almost a blank card. At its best, it’s RP on-a-stick. RP was a sick ID, so there’s a chance this thing goes somewhere, and at 1 inf, it can go into whatever the hell deck it wants to. This pretty clearly is more glacier support, since making you run through multiple servers of multiple ice is where it’s at its finest. Thinking a little more, this might be somewhat good in some kind of HHN deck, to keep the Runner having to make runs or else forfeit the remote.
dr00
I’ve seen a lot of people make comparisons to Replicating Perfection, an ID that Dan clearly loved, but I think it’s actually RP and Tennin duct-taped together, forcing the Runner to make runs to turn off this ability. What’s truly great about this card is you can jam it into a remote and use it to force runs long before you have an agenda or even a scoring window. If the Runner does not deal with it, it can just continue to build counters and eventually lock down the scoring remote completely. It costs credits, and I feel like that’s a decent way to balance the card. Could be great in econ IDs like Azmari and Palana.
CrushU
Another great card. Again, I’m kinda late to the party here, so I guess the main thing I could add would be that I appreciate that it only protects the server it is installed on. If it protected every server it would be clearly busted. I do disagree that its ‘worst-case’ scenario is basically forcing the Runner to check a naked remote. Which a lot of NEH and CtM decks agree, is just fine with them.
tvaduva
It’s pretty skill testing to know when to start building up counters, because it costs three credits to get the first counter and the Corp has to be able to defend all servers. Mti makes the defending part easier, Palana makes the cost each turn easier, and Tennin reduces the number of servers to defend from four to three. It’s pretty neat design to have so many different ID’s in it’s faction that can take advantage of this card.
Slot Machine
chaosjuggler
No other card exemplifies as much as Slot Machine that variance is the biggest factor that makes games approachable and enjoyable, especially as vehicles for new experiences. It’s really more of a poem or abstract art piece than a Netrunner card. Thankfully I also believe it’s fairly strong in low ice decks that want cheap central defence and don’t care too much about giving up accesses, especially those that can use the final subroutine to good effect.
SamRS
Solid ice if you’re ok with it being porous, soft to d4 but so cheap that you don’t really care. Don’t count on the third sub. 6/10
BlueHg
Reminds me of Mausolus in yellow. Its subs are designed to fire, and is relatively likely to create a 6c differential. Revealing information to the Runner and Corp is a non-trivial element of the card, and will affect future turns. This card is a relatively elegant way to introduce randomness into Netrunner mechanics. It’s worth noting that Hunting Grounds will essentially nullify the second and third subs on this card.
Neuropantser
They told me Titan was just a slot machine, so I guess you play 3 copies there?
CritHitd20
I lost to Wilfy for this? 😛 This is very goofy and exploits decks like Aesops Hayley that have very stacked numbers in particular categories, but even if the Runner invalidates the other subs with something like Hunting Grounds it’s always a 3 for 3 tax, which is solid (Free Lunch 2.0). The main reason I expect it to not see much play is how great NBN’s ice already is, and one real problem I see is that giving the Runner knowledge of their future draws is something that can be exploited.
Saan
This is a weird piece of ice. Clearly it’s meant to exchange tempo between the Runner and the Corp in the Corp’s favor, and frankly, it looks like it kinda sucks to break as well. The third sub is a daydream, but maybe it could fire occasionally in Weyland, with advanceable ice? It’s almost never going to advance an agenda; the stars just don’t align that often. I don’t know if this ever sees play, but I applaud Wilfy on his daring and wild card design.
CrushU
Finally, we are free of the scourge of the Netrunner scene. Oracle Express. https://netrunnerdb.com/en/decklist/45391/ken-2-0 (Newest version I can find, still not legal.) I mean, one of the cards had to be the worst in the pack, right?
dr00
I wasn’t really on board with this card at first, but I think it’s actually quite decent with other NBN ice like Data Loop and Jua, also Owl if you ever feel like wanting to use that thing (it’s actually not as bad as you think, at only 2 to rez). Threat Assessment could potentially combo with it, but the Runner will have a chance to draw before running, unless they’re Adam and actually running Always Be Running. Outside of that, I think it’s quite an unknown value. You have to assume that it never triggers for most-common-case scenarios, so it’s a 3-to-rez, 5 cost code gate that costs the Runner 3 credits if they don’t break it. I really wish the Runner had to break before knowing if the 2nd and 3rd subroutines actually do anything or not though, but it could be a decent credit tax at a relatively low cost to the Corp, which is always welcome in NBN.
tvaduva
At only one influence it’s easy to import, so maybe Weyland with advanceable ice would try it out. I can definitely see it leading to interesting games; there may be times when the Runner uses this to find the right tool (at the cost of 3 credits for 3 cards, which is pretty much Angel Arena). It’s pretty taxing and porous, mitigated by the fact that knowing what’s on top of the stack has value for both the Runner and Corp, which can take advantage of cards that benefit from knowing what’s in the grip (if they remember them as the Runner draws). Makes Test Run and Brahman Runners sad. I’m glad Wilfy didn’t add a shuffle effect to this for everyone’s hands’ sake.
Timely Public Release
SamRS
Ok in Titan but doesn’t set itself apart from other agendas. Major opportunity cost problem. 2/10
BlueHg
Like Mti and AgInfusion, this card also needlessly tests your knowledge of the !runtiming chart. There is no window between a Runner initiating a run and using this ability to make the Runner encounter the freshly installed piece of ice. Luckily this won’t see much play, since it’s probably the worst card of the set. I don’t see any decks playing this over Corporate Sales Team as a neutral 4/2. It does win the award for best passive aggressive card title though.
CritHitd20
Wow. What a name. I will never not crack up seeing this played, and I actually think it’s a decent card if your deck plays 3 copies of Border Control. Also seems good with cards that inhibit mid-run installs like Jua or Navi Mumbai Grid. I think this one’s a sleeper, and I will reiterate that it is so interesting with Border Control that I definitely want to try it, possibly in a Sportsmetal glacier shell where they’re hungry for agendas that invalidate runs. If you don’t build around it then its stock plummets though.
Saan
Tutoring the exact piece of ice you want into the exact place you want it is a powerful effect, but so is an agenda that drips 10 credits over the course of 5 of your turns. I do like the fact that you can discard a piece of ice you don’t want to install now and pop it onto a server later with this as well. However, I feel like the game suffered from having too many crappy agendas for a long time, but now it almost feels like we got a glut of amazing agendas in a fairly short period, so when people make perfectly playable, even good agendas such as this, I’m not sure it can get played. Maybe you throw it in HB alongside Remote Enforcement as a tribal ice tutor deck =P
dr00
I’ve seen a lot of criticism about this card, specifically about the fact that it was originally designed as a 3/2 and how it’s so much worse, even unplayable, as a 4/2. But this is the only effect in the entire game that can install in literally any position, as a surprise for the Runner, and I think that merits giving this agenda an extra look. It’s also neutral, so it can go in any faction. Maybe it could have had 2 agenda counters, but that’s what Titan is for.
CrushU
Clever design. I really enjoy it. While we might have a bunch of good 4/2’s, that’s a good thing, we want multiple agenda packages to be viable based on what you’re trying to do. Making it so the card is slightly better in Titan, which supports the rushy, gearcheck style of play this agenda wants to be running, is icing on the cake.
tvaduva
Could have also allowed a search in R&D to boost it a bit more. I guess if you find yourself having seven ice deep servers and wanting more, than this may be more value than Corporate Sales Team. Also, it’s another target for Genetic Resequencing.
Crowdfunding
SamRS
The perfect card and a testament to cardboard genius. 🐐/10
BlueHg
I think this card has the potential to bring aggro Crim back. It’s free drip, but to get it back you have to do three runs in a turn, which can be hard vs glacier. Against ice-light decks this card is just pure money you don’t have to work for from turn one! And not being unique means you could get multiples of this back at the same time. The card draw is a nice touch that keeps the Runner’s tempo going. This is a pretty excellent card.
Neuropantser
The next-level play is to run HQ third as Steve and offer up two Crowdfunding. Put the Corp on tilt trying to figure out what you know that they don’t. (In all seriousness, this is a very good card and a shot in the arm to a personal favorite archetype, and I cannot wait to play it.)
CritHitd20
Looks like a lot of fun and reasonably competitive. The speed of modern Netrunner means this card will rarely have more than one recursion cycle, which puts it a solid but hardly broken Criminal econ card. I like the interactions with other Criminal run cards, I like that it’s at worst a slow Easy Mark, and I love its application with Aesop’s Pawnshop. This doesn’t address the issues that currently exist in the Criminal card pool, so I don’t think we’ll see them at the top thanks to this card, but if Criminal becomes good expect to see this card in the deck.
Saan
This card is so simple, but so damned good. 3 creds and a draw is effectively a Hedge Fund, but the fact it can recur itself if the Runner is being aggressive really gives it an edge. I also like that it’s an answer to asset spam that you actually don’t mind having in your deck vs other matchups, unlike almost every other card. Congrats to Sam; I think this is the most elegantly designed of the cards, and potentially the one to see most real play.
dr00
My favourite card of the set; it’s just so incredibly Criminal, such a simple card, and done so incredibly well. It’s not extremely powerful or broken, but it benefits you for doing things you should be doing as a Criminal: making runs, making runs, and making runs.
CrushU
It took me a while to warm up to this card, probably because I was misreading it, for some reason believing you needed three runs on different servers. I think the card is very good, has wide implications, but ultimately doesn’t cause huge problems, since it, at most, gives one credit per turn. I think it enables another style of economy for run-happy Criminals, and even goes in things like Tag-me Liza. (You’re fine if the Corp trashes it since it was free anyway.)
tvaduva
I’m glad it’s three influence so that it’ll stay mostly in Criminal. Sam is taking advantage of subtypes more than any of the other champions. This fits into some of the HHN-era play patterns where Runners build up for a bit, then have an explosive turn.
Labor Rights
MikeJS
Labour should be spelled with a ‘u’ – 0/10, literally unplayable.
SamRS
In fringe decks it might be slightly better than trope kinda? Not great. 3/10
BlueHg
Maybe I’m not seeing something here, but it seems okayish? It synergizes with the same parts of the Anarch card pool that Inject does, and gets you a hint of recursion at the cost of trying to find those cards again. It reminds me of a Runner Preemptive Action when it’s not saving agendas; you’ll want to recur things that are hard to get back and are cornerstone to your game plan. Interesting and may see play, but niche.
Neuropantser
Anarchs with extremely high-impact cards and limited recursion may want a copy. Especially if they have strong natural draw, such that shuffling back into the deck means you’ll actually see the card soon. Okay, yeah, I guess I’m just talking about MaxX and Levy, or maybe Diversion in some niche builds. Somewhat limited utility even there, I think.
CritHitd20
I’d be thrilled to play this card in MaxX as a click 1 play at the end of a deck cycle, and I’d likely experiment with this as a one-of for Val in her endgame state where you really need more Indexings or Stimhacks, but this card doesn’t feel overly strong to me and may not see competitive play outside of a deck meant to abuse it. If you aren’t mostly through your deck you spent a click to not change the board, which is a huge bummer. Having said that it is exploring recursion in a new and exciting way, which means I’m still very happy for the card to exist.
Saan
Trashing cards in Anarch is so laughably a non-issue (and oftentimes a boon) that the card really has no downside. It also cycles itself, which is a nice way to not lose as much tempo playing the card as you would otherwise. Great in decks that want to burn through their stack as fast as possible to get set up; you can use this both to burn that stack down, as well as a tool to get back some econ or other goodies once it’s depleted.
dr00
This is actually quite decent, especially with things like Paperclip, Black Orchestra, MKUltra, and Retrieval Run in the card pool. Also, Clone Chip off the MWL and Skorpios is on? Enjoy playing from the heap again, runners; you’ve earned it.
CrushU
Card’s good. I worry it might give Anarchs too much velocity, meaning cheap card draw, since now they have I’ve Had Worse, Inject, and this, but by itself it’s a fine card. (Other Games have had issues when they had too many cards-that-replace-themselves playable at the same time.) I really think Corps should consider slotting Blacklist just to deal with the Heap shenanigans that are bound to unfold.
tvaduva
The fair successor to Deja Vu with an Anarch twist. Until you get to the bottom three cards and you get a third chance to get the exact card you wanted. Mostly an averaged Genotyping with half a tempo hit for the Runner.
That’s it from us, possibly for some time, but don’t let that stop you debating how 4/10 card X is right up until King of Servers next week! Only then will we know how many decks Wilfy managed to smuggle Slot Machine into.