I was looking forward to this card since it was spoiled in Draft Packs. And now while it's here, I am even more excited. First, it is the card I was looking for my Kit - decoder early on, pretty much anything I want later, when CyCy hits. Also, bonkers with Nasir (as an emergency breaker on PW) and Schoolgirl (Sahasrara, Scheherazade, London Library, LLDS... Take your pick).
Now it is not the main breaker for me, the same way as the Sage never was. But it is a tool to fill the gap when you lack proper tools. It excerts the same pressure on a Corp, especially rushing early agenda/MMC and enables relatively safe facechecks (vide Cortex, Katana, Komainu, etc).. That makes Chameleon a great Killer/Fracter - both of which are in short supply in Shaper's toolkit.

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As a supplement to the previous review by @tiedyedvortex: I usually see Inazuma in Bioroid decks - and I hate it every time. "Here, meet Heimdall/Ichi/Viktor... Have fun."
On the other hand, Inazuma is in fact an ICE that requires BOTH of it's subroutines to fire to be really scary. Single D4v1d counter or Grappling Hook can dismantle the whole contraption (by allowing to escape the trap or to interact with it).
One more thing - Inazuma's second subroutine does not require another piece of ICE to be actually there - the Runner still cannot jack out. "Here, meet my Junebug/Cerebral/Aggressive Secretary... Or welcome to my booby trapped Archives!"

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OK, now review whirlpool. —

TO: Mills, Elisabeth, Weyland Corp. FROM: anonymous Yo, beetch! We hear'd you like trashin' resources, so we put more resources into our resource, you dig? But yo' momma so fat, you can't run proper, babe - bein slow and clickin', chasin' ghosts and crap, huntin' down bunch of poor bums. Teh bst U can find is JB., who's lazy ass is ripe for kickin' anyways. Oh, and have you met Raymond yet? Yo, dude is right there all over you HQ! Oh, BTW, if you happen to fire your own dude along the way, don't worry - he did more than great job already :] Learn, how to keep up with tempo, phat slug! (No) regards, Ken

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What we are looking at is a slightly different version of Rototurret - the main difference comes from it being in Weyland faction, which is hude for some archetypes, and shift in application, from binary to tax.

Given it's strength, it's passable cheaply with most of the popular facecheck breakers (Mimic, Cuj.0, Faerie, Sharpshooter) and it lacks ETR sub, so it won't stop the Runner with or without programs. While the main weakness of Roto is it's low strength, Negotiator gives up it's surprise factor with it's built-in, Bioroid-like failsafe (taxing cash instead of clicks).

While it's HB counterpart is well suited for rush and FA decks as solid remote binary, the Negotiator is the perfect example of porous, taxing ICE, which makes it a dedicated central guardian. For some Weyland archetypes it is huge in terms of influence, but for other factions it is mostly the matter of choice between fast (Rototurret) or prolonged (Negotiator) game strategy.

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I like to splash Rototurret in my Weyland decks. It'll be nice to get that influence back. —
What I like about this card is that it will alway cost the runner 2 credits to get through this. Got a Mimic? Break for 2. Facechecking with no programs? Corp gets 2. Thought you were safe with just a Fracter on the table? Pay 2 to save it, and choose between paying 2 or letting the Corp have 2 for the other subroutine. —
I think the natural comparison is with Pop Up Window, Pup and Errand Boy. It's more expensive than thos, but more resistant to Parasite. —
Inazuma is the key to change Negociator into a dangerous ICE. —

Powerful tool in the right hands.

Most common mistake is to consider it's ability as merely rising cost of ICE breaking by 1 per counter. It's an enormous waste and if you are the one playing so, consider some other 3-pointers. This card is a taxer, stopper and a killer, if the opportunity arises. You should basically read it's ablity as: "Hosted agenda counter: Runner loses one ." At least.

Consider Eli 1.0 - the guy's biggest wekness is being a 1.0 Bioroid, which means he can be passed through with two clicks. Breaking it for cash is expensive and eventually Runner will try click through... But now you can add a third ETR subroutine. That means that either the Runner must spend an another - providing he has one. If not, he MUST use the breaker - providing her can afford it... This way you can force Runner to spend, or stop him dead if he is out of clicks. Three times in a row.

With upgraded Bioroids things are even more interesting - Ichi 2.0 has more stiff clicking cost, requiring spending in pairs. Now, when facing him, Runner must consider either to use an expensive breaker or face TWO effects at the cost of .

Project Wotan, as it's name suggests, works best with the Big Guys - titular Wotan supported by his agenda has effectively five hard ETRs. And when the Runner gets to face his fears, you can now think of your agenda counters in terms of brain damage!

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I agree with most of your post, but I'm not sold on using Project Wotan with Janus 1.0 because of the prevalence of Faerie (and the ease with which the runner can click through the subroutine). IMO, the agenda is better with either Wotan or one of the 2.0 Bioroids, as adding an ETR subroutine usually means that the runner can no longer click through; situationally, though, the agenda can also be good with 1.0 Bioroids. Also, I haven't tested this, but a Bifrost Array could be nice for recharging an early-scored Project Wotan. :) —
Yes, it totally could ;) —
Yes, it totally could ;) And as for Janus, Faerie is brutal, as well as Deus Ex... Though, it is A) magnet for them, so Runner can get a nasty surprise elsewhere, B) their number is limited. Remember, that it is your call there - in "do or die" runs it's stopping power is immense, regardless of a Bioroid used, otherwise it is up to you if stopping the Runner after four unexpected BD is a valid option ;) —
Clicking through Turing is no longer an option... —
Turing isn't a Bioroid ;) —