With the Automata Initiative cards, a lot more cards have a "when encountered" effect. AirbladeX (JSRF Ed.) will help solve this in a beautiful manner.
This card can be compared to the old Hunting Grounds, which is now rotated (in Q3 2023), along with most of the Apex: Invasive Predator card pool. But it is better, since is can be recharged (go Captain Padma Isbister: Intrepid Explorer!), can be used multiple times in one turn, is cheaper and hard to trash (not a ressource). At one influence, it is a great card to have for any runner.
If that was the only ability, it would be a good card.
But it gets better. It protect you when you run! This solve the problem a runner has against Jinteki : encountering Snare!, Urtica Cipher, Fujii Asset Retrieval, Anemone or Sting!, all of which could be lethal. So good!
Finally, this combo perfectly with a great card : Tsakhia "Bankhar" Gantulga. For 1 and one influence, you can foil 3 subroutines. Tsakhia "Bankhar" Gantulga was already a powerful card, be with this, it becomes absurd and allow a runner to pass the first rezzed ice of a server at little cost, WITHOUT breaking any subs. And who love to NOT break any subs : Mercury: Chrome Libertador!
I rate this card has slightly better than Hush. Because it does not take MU, solved multiple problems, all for the same cost and influence. Load of runner deck will be made more resilient with this. If you combo it with Tsakhia "Bankhar" Gantulga, it actively help you winning the game, which you cannot say for Hush.
All in all, a great hardware!
The art depict levitating "rollerblade". Skating by levitating is a fun concept that is very futuristic, regardless of the fact that frictionless skating (you cannot push with the side of the skate) means that you need almost no muscle strength to go forward, but you'll need plenty of muscle to stay standing with propulsors on your feet (have you ever heard of momentum). While the art is fun and colorful, it is actually failing at describing the effect of the card. How are skates helping you avoid NET damage? If it was meat damage, it would make sense. Unless those are virtual skates for the virtual avatar that is encountering the ices? In which case, it kind of make sense. A quote would have helped here. This get a passing grade, only because I want to believe those are virtual (even if it contradict the fact that it is a vehicle hardware), which give makes sense for the concept of avoiding damage and dangerous ices.
Worth noting that while this card is surprisingly good, there are some ice which it doesn't work on, such as Virtual Service Agent and notably Anansi
— grombatmole