Well fellow readers here we go again and I will try to continuously write down most of my blog articles in English to allow more people to access everything.
Well, per aspera ad astra.
Well, per aspera ad astra.
In this next brief article I want to provide some insights about the new Chronos Protocol Identities. For the ones who are not familiar with those new cards feel free to take a closer look at the FFG promotional website:
Throughout April/ May we will have the opportunity to join a special event comparable to the Plugged In Tour to choose between two unique identities. One will be added to the game the other one will vanish forever. At the present time we will see 7 tournaments in Germany.
I am pretty excited about it because I love to have the opportunity to join those events and besides that I really like the idea of being able to be part of the whole decision-making process. I hope FFG will recognize how much the community likes those events although the feedback of the Plugged In tour was more negative or non-existing. This is very unfortunate because their motivation regarding organized-play will definitely diminish if we do not show gratitude and enthusiasm.
After they announced the Plugged In Tour I was disappointed at first to see it being an US exclusive event but on the other hand every kind of special event enriches the experience for the whole community and game. Remember, LCGs are no money making machines like TCGs.
After they announced the Plugged In Tour I was disappointed at first to see it being an US exclusive event but on the other hand every kind of special event enriches the experience for the whole community and game. Remember, LCGs are no money making machines like TCGs.
I want to mention that I could not agree with the decision people made during the Plugged In tour causing Fisk to be the winner. People were so afraid of the Collective that they decided to vote against it. The Collective would have provided with so much interesting deck building choices it would have had an impact on the meta which I always welcome.
Well this time we have the choice between 2 very interesting identities which I would love to see both in the game in the near future. But that's not the way it works.
Two men enter, one man leaves.
So, let's take a further look:
Both identities have the same number ob cards necessary for a deck and have the same total influence points you are allowed to spend.
The Jinteki identity gives the Corp the possibility to deliver selective net damage which is incredible awesome and threatening at the same time. Jinteki is already delivering net damage constantly over a game and now this ID allows specifically to choose the card which is trashed. Besides that you can effectively revealing all cards in the runners grip. Knowledge is power. HB is focused on brain damage and will force the runner to remove all copies of the trashed card from the game. Awesome.
Let's dive into more details and evaluation. Which cards allow us to deliver net damage without the runner being able to avoid any of it besides installed cards like Net Shield or by making mistakes?
Jinteki:
1. Assets
Ronin: We can advance the card and do 3 net damage to the runner
2. Operations
Neural EMP: One net damage after a run last turn (no successful run).
So, at the moment we only know 2 cards which allow us to deliver net damage without possibilities for the runner to avoid it due to his play style. Please note that the runner has to do a run for Neural EMP to fire but I I guess that is necessary for him nonetheless.
Every other source of net damage is caused via ICE or other Assets like Junebugs. With Woodcutter Weyland also possesses an ICE which most likely won't be splashed in Jinteki decks at the present time due to it's high influence costs and the really bad ability that you can advance it only when rezzed. Maybe we are getting surprised.
Hokusai Grid - as an example for an upgrade - stands for another category of cards doing net damage during a run.
As you can see a lot of cards will cause net damage and it's nearly impossible to avoid all of it. The question will be: When will the runner be most vulnerable and when will we able to deliver our net damage?
From my point of view the runner will try to avoid net damage as good as possible when he still has to assemble his rig. He does not want to get his valuable ICE Breakers or R&D interfaces trashed or cut off from his economy cards. On the other hand this will cause the runner to include more in faction breakers or cards which will allow him to fish those cards out of the heap again like clone chip as well as cards simply avoiding net damage. You cannot put one Corroder into your deck and one clone ship. You have to prepare for eventualities.
I guess it is a good opportunity to present the actual cards avoiding net damage. ANR allows us to use 4 cards referring to net damage:
Only net shield and Feedback filter (all shaper cards btw) will provide sustainable protection vs. net damage. Nobody will use Monolith or Deus Ex for that purpose. Deus Ex is also a one shot wonder and not really efficient. Net shield will avoid only the first net damage which will make cards like Tsurugi really dangerous and Feedback Filter will costs a small fortune to avoid all net damage.
I am playing with feedback filter since a while ago and it was really a boost vs. Jinteki shell game but I never played a game where I was able to avoid all net damage caused because of economy limitation or simple unfortunate game situations.
The Runner has to run. As simple as it sounds it is crucial for him to get his Agendas. If he runs we are able to slow him down, if he does not run we get enough time to set everything up so it is a win-win situation for us especially after IAA (install-advance-advance) will be hard to manage for the runner. Is it a Junebug he could ignore, a fetal AI causing net damage or a Ronin which will be very dangerous? There is less possibility to gamble. Will he trash my most valuable card in the grip or not. From now on he will definitely do it.
The runner will be put under extreme pressure. He has to get all his valuable cards out as soon as possible to use the rest as a simple life bar for runs. This again will give us more time to set up our remotes. Additionally it will change the way people will play Jinteki. At the moment it is more an ICEless shell game style with RP or PE. We may see now more ICE and defended Ronin or Junebug assets which I think will be quite interesting. I don't know when they want to release the card but I assume it will be 2-3 month after the decision was made (I expect to see Laramy Fisk in Honor and Profit).
I think the Jinteki ID is a very strong card. It can absolutely have an effect on the whole meta.
Haas Bioroid:
Whenever brain damage is caused the runner must remove (it states remove, not trash) all copies from the game. From the game, REALLY? Oh my gosh that card is unbelievable! Really? Is it so good?
Let's analyze:
HB has plenty of cards dealing brain damage. Most of it is caused by HB ICE. 10 in total at the present time. Additionally one asset, the Cerebral Overwriter, also deals brain damage depending on the number of advancement tokens on it. Edge of the world, a Jinteki asset also causes that kind of damage.
In respect of Jinteki we have no choice of dealing brain damage actively (Victor 2.0 excluded). We have to depend on the Runner making mistakes either by running into an advanced Overwriter or facechecking HB ICE without being able to break the subroutines. If the Runner has still some clicks left he could avoid the brain damage in most scenarios.
If brain damage is caused we have to rely on chance to remove all valuable cards of one sort from the game. No selective trashing performance like Jinteki provides exists but it leaves the runner without any possibility to get his cards back into the game. No retrieval run or clone chip magic will help. If that hits a breaker and you have no plan b like a backup Crypsis you are really screwed.
Don't forget stimhack! I guess it will be a dead card if you are facing HB:SMM.
With the release of True Colors Fenris has become a very potent early game ICE which will be Rototurrets best buddy. If you have no sentry breaker out and you are facing a Rototurret your program is lost. If you encounter a Fenris without proper breakers you may loose much more valuable cards. That will cause the runner to avoid early game runs without a sentry breaker. I assume we will see much more nasty combinations if this card if it will be released. Howler gets much more interesting or Whirlpool to set up traps which are not worth to use by now.
If you encounter a Janus I don't want to think about the result. You may loose a maximum of 12 cards!
What options do we possess to avoid brain damage? Only 2 cards, both have to be trashed, Feedback Filter and Monolith (which needs to be fueled by a program from the grip).
Some people already think that HB is stronger but I would say it is more tempting. Ask yourself a question: How often have you received brain damage and how often net damage?
Conclusion:
I would say that HB:SMM earns a solid 10/10 on the threat scale but Jinteki:SMM will be the card you will definitely learn to hate because it's effect will trigger much more often.
What would be my choice? I would love to say both but I don't have that kind of privilege. I would pick HB:SMM because HB deserves a strong new ID and it pushes brain damage a bit more. I hope my article helps to ease the fear of one particular card.
Don't listen to people already swearing against one if it. Get your own idea.
HB has plenty of cards dealing brain damage. Most of it is caused by HB ICE. 10 in total at the present time. Additionally one asset, the Cerebral Overwriter, also deals brain damage depending on the number of advancement tokens on it. Edge of the world, a Jinteki asset also causes that kind of damage.
In respect of Jinteki we have no choice of dealing brain damage actively (Victor 2.0 excluded). We have to depend on the Runner making mistakes either by running into an advanced Overwriter or facechecking HB ICE without being able to break the subroutines. If the Runner has still some clicks left he could avoid the brain damage in most scenarios.
If brain damage is caused we have to rely on chance to remove all valuable cards of one sort from the game. No selective trashing performance like Jinteki provides exists but it leaves the runner without any possibility to get his cards back into the game. No retrieval run or clone chip magic will help. If that hits a breaker and you have no plan b like a backup Crypsis you are really screwed.
Don't forget stimhack! I guess it will be a dead card if you are facing HB:SMM.
With the release of True Colors Fenris has become a very potent early game ICE which will be Rototurrets best buddy. If you have no sentry breaker out and you are facing a Rototurret your program is lost. If you encounter a Fenris without proper breakers you may loose much more valuable cards. That will cause the runner to avoid early game runs without a sentry breaker. I assume we will see much more nasty combinations if this card if it will be released. Howler gets much more interesting or Whirlpool to set up traps which are not worth to use by now.
If you encounter a Janus I don't want to think about the result. You may loose a maximum of 12 cards!
What options do we possess to avoid brain damage? Only 2 cards, both have to be trashed, Feedback Filter and Monolith (which needs to be fueled by a program from the grip).
Some people already think that HB is stronger but I would say it is more tempting. Ask yourself a question: How often have you received brain damage and how often net damage?
Conclusion:
I would say that HB:SMM earns a solid 10/10 on the threat scale but Jinteki:SMM will be the card you will definitely learn to hate because it's effect will trigger much more often.
What would be my choice? I would love to say both but I don't have that kind of privilege. I would pick HB:SMM because HB deserves a strong new ID and it pushes brain damage a bit more. I hope my article helps to ease the fear of one particular card.
Don't listen to people already swearing against one if it. Get your own idea.
Pictures:
http://www.fantasyflightgames.com/edge_news.asp?eidn=4556
http://fc06.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2013/021/0/3/android__replicator_by_vashperado-d5s8l5q.jpg
I don't know at the moment what I would prefer! I guess I would vote for Jinteki because net damage is more likely to occur. Nevertheless. Solid analysis! Great job! :)
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