Mediohxcore’s The Spaces Between Set Review

Originally published at: Mediohxcore’s The Spaces Between Set Review - StimHack

Discuss the latest set review from @mediohxcore here.

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Because I am apparently a massive contrarian, I am going to make an argument for Scrubbed. The argument admittedly mostly only applies if the corp currents catch on, but even so:

It’s not something to replace Ice Carver/Datasucker with. Rather, it’s something to supplement them with. Just like Ice Carver acts as a force multiplier for datasucker, so too does scrubbed. For the fixed-strength breaker rig, it can make facechecking a hell of a lot safer – Grim is mimicable, Archer is just one away from being the same, Tollboth gets Yogged, and so on.

That said, yeah, it’s easily bypassed and made less effective by ice placement. I doubt it’ll be super effective, unless corp currents are at thing, but I have the feeling that ELP is going to be even if the others might not, and HB Big Ice is the deck against which this seems most likely to be useful. (Then again, ELP might just mean people start playing Keyhole more.)

(Not saying that it’s a good card or anything, just that it doesn’t seem intolerably awful.

Pretty good review, as always!

I hope the strong corp currents will prove themselves to be better, especially Targeted Marketing (that card is such great design since it rewards playing skill from both sides). I expect to see Enhanced Login Protocol in the RP builds, 6 defensive agendas makes them a pain to get rid of and it has great synergy with the effect.

I would point out that D4V1D doesn’t help against Lotus Field, as it’s only strength 4. Otherwise, a good review.

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I moved a post to an existing topic: Order and Chaos (Now FFG Confirmed w Spoilers)

Solid review.

I think that Foundry is competitive though. Draw a card imo is better than 1 credit. Just need to fix the Ice (I’m thinking Pup and/or Pop-Up Window). Next Ice backing that up seems solid.

Also I think Scrubbed is better than Net Celebrity. Net Celebrity is just too low impact imo, while Scrubbed can be solid even if it lasts only a turn (Parasite). Runner currents are also slightly better than Corp currents imo, because they tend to be more offensive so you are in control of getting value for it. Corp currents tend to be defensive, which gives them less control. Lastly, while Ice Carver isn’t setting the world on fire, I think you over value it a bit, due to neglecting the fact that is unique and that its trashable (at a loss) and Anarchs tend to go tag me.

See above, I totally would replace Ice Carver with it (though I don’t run it).

I was wondering if most decks would play a current to get other currents removed. I know scoring an agenda is better, but might not always be feasable.

Does anybody have an opinion on this?

I think we’re going to be exploring this aspect of the game actively starting right about now :). Personally, I think we’ll see some “defensive” play of the runner currents because of Enhanced Protocols and Targeting Marketing, but that’s just a guess.

The preface weirded me out because this is a great review. I mostly agree with it and I like how realistic it was - it’s very easy to overestimate new cards because it’s easier to think about how they can work than it is to think about things like the opportunity cost of playing them.

A few places where I disagree:

  • “David is a powerful but somewhat expensive answer to a lot of the problems generated by Anarch’s fixed breaker suite. Instead of playing Knight, you can play David now, and not have to worry too much about Tollbooths, Grims, Archers, and Lotus Fields keeping you out of servers.”

David isn’t going to get you through a Lotus Field (barring a strength boost).

  • Encrypted Portals (not Protocols :stuck_out_tongue: ) - I think this can sometimes compete with Gila Hands.
  • LLDS Energy Regulator at 0/5 ?? It is not hard to imagine a meta where some Shaper decks could play this card as a 1of (e.g. to save Plascrete from Taurus).

I also think, re: D4V1D, that it’s worth noting that it’s the card/deck space/MU that’s expensive. D4V1D itself is effectively “pre-pay to break 3 subroutines on STR 5+ Ice” which isn’t bad at all. 3 credits now for 3 subroutines later isn’t terrible, especially with how many of the common STR 5+ Ice are mono-subroutine.

Regarding currents: I agree with Mediohxcore that, except for Enhanced Login Protocols, none of the currents are particularly good to the point where you would play them even if you knew your opponent wasn’t playing any currents. But I think ELP can be absolutely brutal (how often do you score an agenda against Red Coats, let alone J:RP?) and that might prompt Anarch/Shaper to play Scrubbed/Net Celebrity. If this dynamic holds then I’m going to be unhappy with the current mechanic - runners need to decide whether to run currents in order to avoid being blown out by ELP. Once they draw the current (in a matchup where the opponent might be running ELP) the best strategy is to only play it to shut off ELP. So lame : /

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If nothing else, I think D4V1D is the final nail in the coffin of Weyland for the time being. At least three games today have been - play D4V1D, run a double advanced remote, walk through Archer, score Project Atlas, next turn, install to trash D4V1D, play Clone Chip/Deja Vu, run the agenda they installed behind Archer thinking they were safe. It’s brutal.

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First: ELP on RP seems to be REALLY good. 3 clicks to get to my remote? Yes plz!
About ghost runner, you said about a shaper stealth deck. I think the only feasible stealth deck would be Kit.
With Lockpick and the stealth decoder that cost only 1 cr that seems like a good idea right?? starting at 2 str and only needing stealth cr to up the str it seems a good main for kit instead of yog so u dont get burned out right?
Or is Yog just better ? What do u guys think?

This is my fear with currents too–that one or two will be clearly superior to the others and force our collective deckbuilding hand.

D4V1D is interesting, as it seems to be a continuation of the “highly specific breakers with power counters” concept that Overmind kicked off and will continue with the Cerberus line. The limited-time-only nature of them always makes me antsy. Then again, Faerie/Sharpshooter single-use breakers are quite effective for sustaining early pressure, so maybe I just need to evaluate these in that same framework. D4V1D is just the anarch Faerie/Sharpshooter. I wish Anarch had tutoring/better draw/recursion. Grah.

I wish that we’d gotten the stealth breakers in this set to pair with Ghost Runner. The stealth breaker deck is going to be interesting to try to build. I hope it’s possible :).

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  1. 2 to run on a central, 2 to run on the remote. Unless one of them is an event run…

[quote=“hypomodern, post:14, topic:1727”]
This is my fear with currents too–that one or two will be clearly superior to the others and force our collective deckbuilding hand.
[/quote]In fairness, we know there will be more coming. Either as other parts of the cycle, or in the big box (at least for Anarch). We also know NBN’ll have another… so I’m hoping runners will, too.

ELP is only for the first run.

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Misread that. Well, that makes it a lot more manageable. Still incredible, though.

Oh, I know there are going to be more :).

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Hear hear for the contrarian pov.

Four of the cards (cache ghost runner david etc) strongly benefit naisir.

Cache Imo is a must include in noise decks.

Scrubbed + grimoire + ice carver = dead ice.

Scrubbed + parasite means knight can now break wotan. And since these are often oai…

It also pays for itself in one turn if you are not working on fixed beakers. So crypsis or over mind … This card is at least as Good as celebrity. … so for the anarchy faction this pack by itself is a very nice upgrade

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Oh and since anarchy often/usually run deja vu that card now has another use …
Recovering a current practically guaranteeing therefor that anarch currents will sick.

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