Asteroid Belt

Asteroid Belt 9[credit]

Ice: Barrier
Strength: 6
Influence: 2

Asteroid Belt can be advanced and its rez cost is lowered by 3 for each advancement token on it.

[subroutine] End the run.

His belt of stone did shake and shatter.
Illustrated by Seage
Decklists with this card

Order and Chaos (oac)

#12 • English
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Rulings
  • Updated 2021-10-09

    If an Asteroid Belt has 4 hosted advancement counters, how much does it cost to rez it during a run made with Tread Lightly?

    It would cost 0[c]. To determine what a cost is when effects are modifying its value, start with the default value for that cost (Asteroid Belt’s printed rez cost is 9[c]), apply each effect that increases the cost (Tread Lightly adds 3[c]), and then apply each effect that lowers the cost (Asteroid Belt’s ability subtracts 3[c] for each hosted advancement counter).

    9[c] + 3[c] – (3[c] ✕ 4) = 12[c] – 12[c] = 0[c].

Reviews

Some people say that this is really just a worse version of Fire Wall, and in many ways, they're not wrong. After all, after and 1, there's basically no difference between a Fire Wall and an Asteroid Belt save for the fact that Fire Wall can continue to grow in strength while Asteroid Belt cannot.

However, it is important to note that a cheap barrier is sometimes better than a strong barrier, and Asteroid Belt can be very cheap if you're including advancement jank (e.g. Constellation Protocol, Satellite Grid, Trick of Light) in your deck. After just a single advancement and a Satellite Grid, Asteroid Belt will cost you just as much as a Wall of Static but with twice the strength. What's more, while Asteroid Belt will not lose its strength after you perform your advancement taichi, you cannot say the same about Fire Wall.

In short, there's a place for both of these cards, and it would probably do you good to consider which card will serve you better.

(Order and Chaos era)
Also of note is the advancements on asteroid belt can be moved to fire wall via constellation, so they kind of complement each other. —

I am in agreement with the other review on here about Asteroid Belt and I see why many people pick Fire Wall over this. I won't go over the synergies mentioned below again, but there is one big one that needs to be highlighted here...

Asteroid Belt + Priority Construction +Trick of Light. Playing an Asteroid belt using Priority Construction during the first turn or two of the game gives you a free-to-rez Strength 6 'End The Run' wall which is a show stopper for pretty much all runners aside Apex in the early game. Once rezzed, Trick Of Light them onto your other advance-able ice or agenda and worry not. Of course, it's a pain if you get de-rezzed, but the decks doing this are in a minority right now. I'm finding Asteroid Belt to be a real strong opener for fast advance and if you feel attached to Fire Wall, include both and Trick Of Light the tokens over once rezzed.

(Crimson Dust era)
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