Incubator

Incubator 3[credit]

Program: Virus
Memory: 1 • Strength: -
Influence: 3

When your turn begins, place 1 virus counter on Incubator.

[click], [trash]: Move all virus counters from Incubator to another installed virus program.

"What terrors hatch in her dispossessed mind, waiting for their moment to be born? My money's on a double-helix rainbow with the head of a panda." -fakespeare
Illustrated by Smirtouille
Decklists with this card

The Source (ts)

#113 • English
Startup Card Pool
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The Source
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Reviews

Playing certain cards on the table evoke emotion for the Corp. Lamprey; agitation. Medium; concern. Record Reconstructor; confusion. Whenever someone plays an Incubator, I feel an omen. A death knell practically sounds when this hits the mat.

Combo incarnate, Incubator is a pricey Virus supplement that creepily whispers "Things are gonna get nasty for somebody, and it ain't me." Paired with Medium, Nerve Agent, or the all-mighty Hivemind, this card defines the term 'explosive turn.' Otherwise, it's a 3 credit sink that sits on it's ass and does nothing.

Take any Hivemind combo, and Incubator multiples its power. Bringing your Darwin and multi-access Viruses to huge in one click is immense, and can immediately end the game. Search up a deck made with these two cards and you'll be deckbuilding with an evil cackle all day.

Protecting against Incubator is tricky. You can play it safe and purge every time it reaches 3-5 counters, but even that may be too little too late if the game is halfway over. Naturally, Cyberdex Virus Suite stiff-arms Incubator. Not only do they waste the click, but you nullify their entire plan.

Expect big turns from Incubator. ICE can't protect you from a 10 strength Darwin, but Upgrades certainly can. Look to Caprice Nisei and Ash 2X3ZB9CY on your R&D. There are other creative ways to stop giant Medium digs before they happen, and I'll leave that to you to find.

This card is great, and I love it's mechanic. It creates pressure in a unique way and it's one of my favorites.

(The Valley era)
1732
Haha, loved your "@Record Reconstructor; confusion" part xD —
second that, here here! —
ash is not super great against medium. They still get the counter, trash ash and then run again. Sure they don't get to thin out all agendas in the top 10 then see 11, but seing 11 is usually not that far worse. Crisium atleast prevents the extra counter —
Just a note on counter-plays: combo-heavy decks give you a timer. (They need so many draws; so many credits; and so many tools before they can "go off.") You should first try to win before the timer runs out--rushing agendas as the Corp, here. If you can't, setting back the timer is a good play. So purging sets the timer back by several turns. If you have to purge every 3rd turn, it's not great, but if you purge while on 5 points, you'll likely win. —