The obvious point of comparison: PAD Campaign. They're matched in rez and costs, so they share the same function as a stable source of . As a Unique card, you can't blanket remotes with it, but otherwise you can treat it like a PAD with a bonus ability. And it's a very nice ability: Feed money into NASX, and get twice as much back when you're ready to cash out. Keeping in mind that any economy that isn't clicking for credits is probably a card ability, NASX has the potential to keep up with some of the biggest moneymakers in the game. Let's consider a few scenarios:
- 5 (2+2+1) in, 10 out: that's a Restructure if you have moderate economy available. Get some combination of Hedge Fund, Launch Campaign, Adonis Campaign, or Commercial Bankers Group backed up by a PAD, Engineering the Future, Turtlebacks, Subliminal Messaging, or Indian Union Stock Exchange and you can make it here without much thought.
- 7 (2+2+2+1) in, 14 out: Full Celebrity Gift money, but you'll probably need real setup to achieve this. Maybe you already have full drip established, sat on an unrezzed Advanced Assembly Lines, or you're a Blue Sun charging NASX while waiting for an agenda to show up. If you do land it though, you'll not be wanting for cash.
- 10 in, 20 out: most definitely a multi-turn play, but only rivaled by something like a fully drained Adonis in Breaker Bay or a GRNDL Refinery after a Dedication Ceremony. Obviously, this many credits can be a win condition in itself. A runner will probably go after a deeply invested NASX like they would an agenda, but that may just be worth it if it gives you a scoring window.
Those numbers don't account for the net 1 and 1 cost to get NASX on the board in the first place. You'll either need to mitigate the rez cost (Mumba Temple, Stock Exchange) or give it some time as a PAD to reach full value. The key is the versatility the card offers: basic drip, one-shot burst, and long-term investment. It's a convenient economic lubricant, serving whatever purpose your finances demand. If your deck would even consider a PAD Campaign, NASX is probably a very good option.
Less obvious, but still valid points of comparison:
- Launch Campaign is cheaper, faster, and less fiddly than NASX, but comes with an expiration date. In three turns, Launch Campaign gives you roughly 4 profit. This is a convenient breaking point, since it also takes about 3 turns for NASX to pay for itself; if you then put 4 on it and , you've basically matched the Launch in value.
- C.I. Fund is slower than NASX, and requires more investment to do much at all. I'm not certain this card has any purpose beside making NASX (and every other economic option) look good.
- Alix T4LB07 can operate similarly as a push-your-luck card, but generally less functional than NASX without specific combos.
Natural Enemies: Rumor Mill and Political Operative. These cards aren't particularly troubling if NASX was operating in PAD mode, but they can turn on the pain if you had already put some money into it.