Wage Workers

♦ Wage Workers 2[credit]

Asset: Bioroid - Clone - Industrial
Trash: 4
Influence: 2

Whenever you finish taking an action, if you have taken that action exactly 3 times this turn, gain [click].

"Free" as in markets, "cheap" as in beer.
Illustrated by Oliver Morit
Decklists with this card

The Automata Initiative (tai)

#33 • English
Startup Card Pool
Standard Card Pool
Standard Ban List (show history)
Rulings
  • Updated 2023-10-01

    When exactly does Wage Workers meet its trigger condition?

    Wage Workers meets its trigger condition at the completion of step 5.6.2b of the Corp’s turn.

  • Updated 2023-10-01

    If you do the same action 6 times in a turn, will you earn a second click from Wage Workers?

    No. Wage Workers only triggers the 3rd time you take an action, not every 3rd time you take an action.

  • Updated 2023-10-01

    If the corp does an action three times in a row and then another action three times in a row, do they earn a second click from Wage Workers?

    Yes.

  • Updated 2023-10-01

    Does Wage Workers need to be rezzed during the performance of all 3 matching actions to grant a click, or just the 3rd one?

    Wage Workers only needs to be active before the 3rd action finishes.

  • Updated 2023-10-01

    If the Corp has 3 rezzed copies of Nanoetching Matrix and clicks all 3 copies, will Wage Workers grant an extra click?

    No. Actions on different cards are different actions, even if the cards have the same name.

  • Updated 2023-10-01

    Does Wage Workers grant an extra click if the Corp spends 3 clicks to purge virus counters?

    No. The Corp only took the “: Purge virus counters.” action once.

Reviews

Wage Workers, the “new Jeeves” (and the first official card that's both bioroid and clone).

Notes:

  • Wage Workers is “actions taken”–based, while Jeeves Model Bioroids were “clicks spent”–based”. Thus, doing a purge, playing a triple (or a double then a “single”), using a [click][click][click]: … ability (and so on), WON'T trigger it. (However, you can still triple-use (the same copy of) a Regolith Mining License or Cold Site Server.)

  • Wage Workers is once-per-action-type bounded, while Jeeves Model Bioroids were once-per-turn bounded. Thus, playing three (click-neutral/click-positive) operations and then (basic-)advancing three times, WILL trigger it twice.

Also note that Wage Workers can't cheat terminal’s (same as how Jeeves Model Bioroids couldn't), because gaining a click doesn't restart your action phase.

Operational synergies:

Also note that you can just manually quadruple-advance a pre-installed/never-advanced 4/2, or so on.


Flavor: In Brazil, Bioroids (and Clones) aren't owned by Haas (or Jinteki), but the former must still work for the latter.

en.wikipedia.org

(The Automata Initiative era)

So what you are saying is 3x Biotic labor = 7 clicks - install Project Beal, 6 clicks left - advance 3 times, 4 clicks left, advance 4 times - score 4 points for 19 credits. Easy

This is the priority to trash asset of Haas-Bioroid (HB). Any asset spam deck will enjoy a great boost with Wage Workers. At 2 influences, it will be splashed in every factions.

This asset is much more powerful and abusable than its previous iteration, because you can trigger it multiple time in a single turn. Allowing the corp, especially those in the HB faction to use click compression cards like Red Level Clearance, Biotic Labor, Subliminal Messaging, Greasing the Palm, Fast Break to get a extra click, and then doing the same thing again to get another free click.

With Wage Workers on the board, a 4-2 agenda can be scored in one turn. With support from Seamless Launch (or Audacity, or Trick of Light), you can score a 5-3 agenda in one turn. Making any unadvanced card on the board a potential score for the corp. This gives more decision points for the runner, which is good for the game.

But it get better, with this you can score from hand a 4-2 agenda, with the support of Biotic Labor or Bass CH1R180G4 or Moon Pool.

At 4 to trash, it is a big cost to the runner, as this will compete with other assets that need to be trashed, like Federal Fundraising, Bass CH1R180G4 and other powerful assets or upgrades.

If you want to see how this can be really abused, check this deck. Here how it goes, assuming a board state that has Wage Workers and an three Spin Doctor on the board, all of them protected by ices :

  • Corp started their turn with 12 and 4 cards in HQ.
  • Corp uses Rashida Jaheem to gain 3 and draw 3 cards.
  • Corp spends and pays 1 to play Fully Operational, 5 gain/draw decisions to draw 10 cards. (2 left)
  • Corp spends and pays 1 to play Fully Operational, 5 gain/draw decisions to draw 10 cards. (1 left)
  • Corp spend 2 to use Your Digital Life to gain 25 (0 left)
  • Corp uses Wage Workers to gain . (+1 CLICK, 1 left)
  • Corp spends and pays 4 to play Biotic Labor. (+1 CLICK, 2 left)
  • Corp use Spin Doctor to shuffle 2 Biotic Labor into R&D.
  • Corp pay 0 to use Spin Doctor to draw 2 cards.
  • Corp spends and pays 4 to play Biotic Labor. (+1 CLICK, 3 left)
  • Corp spends and pays 4 to play Biotic Labor. (+1 CLICK, 4 left)
  • Corp uses Wage Workers to gain . (+1 CLICK, 5 left)
  • Corp spends and pays 1 to play Simulation Reset, to trash 5 cards from HQ, then shuffle Your Digital Life, Biotic Labor, Biotic Labor, Biotic Labor, Fully Operational into R&D and 5 cards. (4 left)
  • Corp spend 2 to use Your Digital Life to gain 20. (3 left)
  • Corp spends and pays 4 to play Biotic Labor. (+1 CLICK, 4 left)
  • Corp spends and pays 4 to play Biotic Labor. (+1 CLICK, 5 left)
  • Corp uses Wage Workers to gain . (+1 CLICK, 6 left)
  • Corp spends and pays 4 to play Biotic Labor. (+1 CLICK, 6 left)
  • Corp use Spin Doctor to shuffle Biotic Labor, Biotic Labor into R&D.
  • Corp spends and pays 1 to play Fully Operational, 4 gain/draw decisions to draw 10 cards. (5 left), to draw 2 cards and gain 6.
  • Corp spend 0 to rez Spin Doctor to draw 2 cards.
  • Corp spends and pays 4 to play Biotic Labor. (+1 CLICK, 6 left)
  • Corp spends and pays 4 to play Biotic Labor. (+1 CLICK, 7 left)
  • Corp spends and pays 4 to play Biotic Labor. (+1 CLICK, 8 left)
  • Corp uses Wage Workers to gain . (+1 CLICK, 9 left)
  • Corp uses Simulation Reset to trash 5 cards from HQ, shuffle Biotic Labor, Biotic Labor, Biotic Labor, Your Digital Life and 1 unseen card into R&D, then draw 5 cards. (8 left)
  • Corp spends and pays 2 to play Your Digital Life to gain 16. (7 left)
  • Corp spends and pays 4 to play Biotic Labor. (+1 CLICK, 8 left)
  • Corp spends and pays 4 to play Biotic Labor. (+1 CLICK, 9 left)
  • Corp uses Wage Workers to gain . (+1 CLICK, 10 left)
  • Corp spends and pays 4 to play Biotic Labor. (+1 CLICK, 11 left)
  • Corp install SanSan City Grid in a server 7 and pay 6 to rez it. (10 left)
  • Corp install Project Vitruvius in the server 7. (9 left)
  • Corp advance Project Vitruvius. (8 left)
  • Corp advance Project Vitruvius and score it for 2 points. (7 left)
  • Corp install Project Vitruvius in the server 7. (6 left)
  • Corp uses Wage Workers to gain . (+1 CLICK, 7 left)
  • Corp advance Project Vitruvius. (6 left)
  • Corp advance Project Vitruvius and score it for 2 points. (5 left)
  • Corp install Ikawah Project in the server 7. (4 left)
  • Corp uses Big Deal to 4 advancement counters on Ikawah Project and scores it for 3 points. (the Corp could have used the remaining clicks instead, but that was for style).
  • Corp wins the game.

All of this made the corp able to get a 20 turn! Wage Workers triggered 6 times! From 0 to 7 points in one turn.

The art is nice, it is in line with the quote, name of the card and effect of the card, giving a synergistic vibe that perfectly capture this card. Excellent work!

(The Automata Initiative era)
4224

You've misread it a bit. Wage Workers triggers after the third operation, but not the sixth.

There is now a ruling to that extent as well. WW triggers on the third action you take, not every third action you take.

...of a type, I mean. Whoops.

Note that this card can trigger multiple times per turn, which means one can RLC 2 times+Biotic Labor to have 5 clicks in hand, then install an agenda with Bioroid Work Crew or just click Bass, advance 3 times, gain click, and advance another 3 times. That's 6 adv for 1 turn, and 5 adv if Biotic Labor is replaced by something like Subliminal Messaging or another RLC. That's better and more flexible for rush Haas decks compared with Big Deal.

(The Automata Initiative era)

Hello, Jeeves Model Bioroids but not for purges...............................................................................................................................................................................................................

(The Automata Initiative era)
44

Wage Workers doesn't work with purges (as you say), but also not with double/triple operations.

It claims I wrote this review. I never wrote this. Did someone hack into my account?