The Supplier

♦ The Supplier 3[credit]

Resource: Connection
Influence: 2

[click]: Host a resource or piece of hardware from your grip on The Supplier.

When your turn begins, you may install a hosted card, lowering the install cost by 2.

"I can get you anything, and guarantee the best prices in town."
Illustrated by Samuel R. Shimota
Decklists with this card

First Contact (fc)

#56 • English
Startup Card Pool
Standard Card Pool
Standard Ban List (show history)
Printings
First Contact
Rulings
  • Updated 2017-04-09

    The Runner cannot use any “when your turn begins” abilities on cards that are installed by The Supplier until their next turn. [Official FAQ]

Reviews

Just as Mr. Li improves the draw action, The Supplier improves the install action. More notably, he lets you host costly cards on him, lessening the burden on your grip. The lesser cards you hold, the more you can draw up on cards you need now.

In terms of pure value, his ability seems to be a Criminal version of ": Gain 2" with some caveats. However, since you don't spend another click to install, it also saves you that click. The way I look at him is ": Install a resource/hardware and gain 2." Now that's a lot of value, obviously with some restrictions:

  • Only works on resource and hardware, preferably 2-4.
  • Once per turn, delayed install.
  • You don't actually gain 2.

Just remember never to host Political Operative on him.

(23 Seconds era)
101
Not unless you're using Jak Sinclair! :) —
As a Resource, it also risks you losing your cards if you are tagged and this is trashed. —
The good thing is that unlike Off-Campus Apartment, you'd be installing most of them anyway. Things like consoles (i.e. Desperado), Mr. Li, Scrubber, Daily Casts would often get off the next turn. —

  • You won't spare a click to install the card since you paid a click to host it anyway.

  • When played it gets you at -4 (3 credits + a click).

    • 1 card installed gets you to -2

    • 2 cards installed get you to 0 ... so The Supplier is useless thus far

    • 3 cards installed get you to +2 ... Infiltration and Easy Mark are better

    • 4 cards installed get you to +4 ... better play Hedge fund

    • 5 cards installed get you to +6 etc... 1 CE better than lucky find

From 5 cards installed with The Supplier (which means 6 turns of play), it gets interesting.

  • When The Supplier is trashed, you lose X clicks, X being the number of cards hosted when trashed. So make sure you won't get tagged.

So it is only viable - but very efficient - in a big connection deck. I agree that Iain Stirling is the identity that can use it best.

(Up and Over era)
289

The other review is great at showing you the basic economics of the card in that the Supplier only shines in decks with a large number of resources and / or number of hardware. A big note is that you MAY install one of the hosted cards at the beginning of your turn but you don't have to. Sometimes, you don't have the money or don't want to spend it to bring out your resource but you want it out of your hand. Maybe you have two Liberated Accounts and you install one but want to get the other out of your hand but don't want to pay for it yet. The Supplier has you covered.

For a couple decks that use it effectively: Qimpossible and London Calling.

(Breaker Bay era)
25