Patchwork

♦ Patchwork 4[credit]

Hardware: Console
Influence: 3

+1[memory unit]

[interrupt] → Whenever you would play or install a card, you may trash 1 card from your grip. If you do, instead play or install that card paying 2[credit] less. Use this ability only once per turn.

Limit 1 console per player.

Illustrated by Simon Boxer
Decklists with this card

Reign and Reverie (rar)

#4 • English
Startup Card Pool
Standard Card Pool
Standard Ban List (show history)
Printings
Rulings
  • Updated 2022-05-27

    ANCUR UFAQ 24 [Michael Boggs]

    Can the Runner use Patchwork to play Sure Gamble with only 3 in their credit pool?

    Yes.

    Audited by NISEI Rules (2022.05).

  • Updated 2023-10-01

    If the Runner trashes Strike Fund with the interrupt ability on Patchwork, can they use the 2 from Strike Fund to pay the cost of the card they are playing or installing?

    Yes.

  • Updated 2024-09-19

    The runner plays an event, using Patchwork to trash a copy of Steelskin Scarring from their grip to discount the event's play cost by 2. After the Runner draws 2 cards from Steelskin Scarring's ability, can they choose to play an event that they drew via Steelskin Scarring?

    No. The Runner must announce the card that they are playing with the "Play an event" basic action before they can use Patchwork's replacement effect, and before they could draw any cards from trashing Steelskin Scarring.

  • Updated 2024-09-19

    The Runner has an installed copy of Patchwork, and their grip contains Moshing, Steelskin Scarring, and one other card. Can the runner play Moshing, using Patchwork to trash Steelskin Scarring from their grip in order to draw 2 cards and have 3 cards in their grip to pay for Moshing's additional cost?

    Yes. Patchwork's replacement effect applies before the Runner pays the cost of playing an event, allowing the Runner to use Steelskin Scarring's ability to draw 2 cards before they need 3 cards in the grip.

Reviews

I don't see much reviews on new cards recently so I decided to write one and also this is my first review so I hope this could provide some insights to players out there.

First of all, I myself instantaneously become the fan of Patchwork after it's first release and we already see how @CodeMarvelous piloted a deck on his stream to success without CV + zer0 but Patchwork as the core engine.

One thing to note is, Patchwork is essentially a 2 credit econ engine at the cost of a card. But fear not if you are thrashing the cards that you do not want to use at that particular moment or you are simply trashing your heap breakers. Therefore, one could expect to have their investment to be returned within 2 turns for 2 triggers of Patchwork, that's a very fast recovery of investment!

In addition, Patchwork turns every dead card / tech cards that do not work into a "Click: 2 credits" card. That would mean you have essentially no dead card in your deck!

Moreover, if your ID is Gnat, that would mean you can quickly achieve your ID's ability to trigger a 1 credit gain every turn. SWEET !

Few econ cards that could help you gain maximum value out of Patchwork:-

  1. Dirty Laundry (Net gain of 5)
  2. Sure Gamble (Gain of 6 instead of 4)
  3. Liberated Accounts (Can be played at 4 credits instead of 6, nets 12 credits)
  4. Guinea Pig (Nets you 8 credits)
  5. Day Job (Wait whut, turns into 2.5 credits per CLICK ! Total net of 10 credits on play (Although you had to spend a whole turn to do it)
  6. Daily Casts (Is now a 7 credit gain across 4 turns)

There are many more to go on the list but I'm listing out the most common ones that we see play. You can imagine how many credits are saved and we treat it as free credit gain if all of the econ cards are used alongside Pathwork's ability. Want to fancy some tricks on top? Slot your unicorn as Levy and see the value party rolling again.

However the cons of Patchwork is that it's a 3 influence hardware and is hard to splash outside of Anarch due to the cost to play is to thrash cards and only Anarchs LOVE to do that. Other factions would almost always want to keep their hand full of options and that's a big turn down if any card was simply thrashed for play / install cost reduction at the cost of 3 influence. Unless the deck is consistently drawing and doesn't care thrashing own cards, I don't see any other faction would want to play Patchwork. Perhaps that would mean Patchwork will only see play in Anarch decks only in the end.

All in all, it's super decent and I expect Anarch econ engine is still strong going forward.

(Reign and Reverie era)
36
Shouldn't Day Job be 2.5 credits per click? 4 clicks to use, 0$ for 10$ with Patch. —
Can I use Patchwork to reduce the cost of an icebreaker I install via SMC? —
@Vortillion Yes. —
@LynxMegaCorp ah yes! Corrected. Thanks for the heads up. —
However, it does not specify units. does that mean you could play a card like day job for only two click by lowing the play cost by 2 clicks, not credits? —
Patchwork says you can lower the play or install cost of a card by 2. However, it does not specify units. does that mean you could play a card like day job for only two click by lowing the play cost by 2 clicks, not credits? —
I see that you'd like Rolling Brownout and Donut Taganes to be buffed LOL —

@munsonelliot no, it states on patchwork that you “reduce the play or install cost by 2.” Any card that has additional costs state what the additional cost is in the text box, and since they are “Additional” they are not considered a part of a Play or Install cost.

As of 2023, with the printings of Strike Fund and Steelskin Scarring, patchwork has seen a resurgence in popularity and many new headaches. This document I have written up contains answers and questions that maybe don't show up in the rulings for the card.

(Rebellion Without Rehearsal era)
90