(Cleaver is banned.)

Rising Tide (🌊) becomes a 1[$] Corroder, having base strength 2 once you've trashed your 2nd copy.

Synergies:

• Temporary Fracters: Like Propeller. Especially self-trashing ones (like a new Spike or Demara would be). Since they end up in the heap anyways.

• “Auxiliary” Fracters: Like Banner. Since it can be your 3rd Fracter, by complementing a pair of Rising Tides.

• Multi-type Fracters: Like Penrose or Lobisomem. Both are Decoder - Fracter’s, that primarily break codegates (thus filling the “decoder deckslot”), and only secondarily break barriers.

• Anarch self-mill/self-burn/sacrifice: Like Lago Paranoá Shelter and Tsakhia "Bankhar" Gantulga.

• Any novel “Utility” Icebreakers: Like Interface → Whenever a barrier subroutine resolves, gain 1[$]..

See s:fracter z:standard .

Within Elevation (as a core set), Tide:

• nudges newer players towards multiple copies of icebreakers. Which lets them get past Barriers sooner, keeps them from getting locked out by a Destroyer, and so on.
• has an explicit deckbuilding incentive. The 101 is just "sleeve up more fracters", and the 102 is "or cards that get those fracters into the heap".

NB. You can “expend” a second copy by over-installing the first (even if you have unused memory). CF. [click], 1[$], Trash this program from your grip: Place a “+1 strength” counter on an installed “Rising Tide” program.

When installing a program, the Runner may first trash any number of programs already installed. They must do so if installing the new program would exceed their memory limit.

— Rule 8.5.6.c. (thanks @zhansonic)

Here is the most basic a good across the board barrier breaker. Not fancy, not the best, but easy to use and always good.

In faction, it is just good. No need to have 3 copies of it, because you are unlikely to trash the 2 other copy before end game. The strength that is most common is 1 and 3.

Ryō “Phoenix” Ōno: Out of the Ashes will prefer Banner and Esâ Afontov: Eco-Insurrectionist will prefer Begemot, but every other anarch will go for Rising Tide.

Out of faction, this will be interesting for shapers especially. Shaper can use Propeller first, saving credits and then switch to Rising Tide at mid game. Or, if they use Principia as an economy engine, using “Knickknack” O’Brian, then Rising Tide naturally build up, while making the economy engine work better.

Criminal have Curupira, which is just better. And with a lot of setup, Tremolo can be the best fracter. If you expect a lot of big barriers (like Pharos), then Lobisomem is better.

The art try to represent a tide, with a big ball that does the splash. It is a bit abstract for my taste, but it does the job. Name, art and quote showcase the effect of the card, beautiful design.