Illumination (💡) is “Joy Ride for installation”!

Notes

• At best: If you are holding 3 programs/resources/hardware each costing at least 1 credit, then you will get 6 “units-of-value”, while still breaching R&D. In particular, you will compress 4 clicks (3 installs + 1 run) into one.

• At worst… Mass Install is fun?

For example, you can “illuminate out”:

• a Coalescence, Knickknack, and Simulchip) (2[$] total). Then cash it out Coalescence (for Gain 4[$].). After which (next turn), Knickknack can sac the Coalescence (for Gain 2[$]. Draw 1 card., despite its actual-cost being reduced below its printed-cost).
• a Devadatta Drone, Dr. Nuka Vrolyck, and Telework Contract (0[$] total). Then immediately multi-access R&D (without the Corp expecting it, like they would with The Maker’s Eye). After which (next action), you can refill your emptied hand with Nuka.
• an Environmental Testing and two programs/hardware.

Design

Unlike FFG’s “breach-replacing” Run’s (EG. Code Siphon), more of NSG’s targeted-Run’s are only “success-triggered”. Which sustains your momentum and escalates the game-clock like threat level.

On other card-types, this is why Gourmand can only trash non-agendas. And on the other player-side, this is why Saisentan (which can easily flatline you) is both a Sentry and a [jinteki 3/5] card (rez-cost aside).

The old Run _. If successful, instead of breaching, … behavior being (generally) limited to “pseudo-breach” effects: “quasi-multiaccess” (like Chastushka, Stargate, Cataloguer, etc), “re-breaching” (like Eru Ayase-Pessoa), “re-accessing” (like Pinhole Threading), or so on.

From the early-game, this card threatens an effect that's high-impact and faction-specific, which is why it's server-locked and 3/5 inf. If you as the Corp want to stop a turn-one triple-install, then against Shaper IDs you can just ice up R&D.

In fact, phase-wise, Illumination may be best from a full hand (dumping it), especially on the very first turn of the game (3+ install-ables in grip, 0–1 ice protecting R&D). Un-like Joy Ride, which (despite an identical structure & influence) is at its worst with an already-full hand (overdrawing). Which is why the former's design makes more sense (IMO).

Custom

However, we could also take Illumination and (after weakening its effect) “soften”:

• how narrowly-targeted the run is to a single server.
• how successful the run is required to be.

Fo(u)r example:

Illumination¹ [smaller_effect]:

Run R&D or HQ.
If successful, install up to X cards from your grip (one at a time). X is 3 if the run succeeded against R&D and is 1 against HQ.

Illumination² [higher_cost]:

This event costs an additional 3[$] to play if you run HQ.

Run R&D or HQ.
If successful, install up to 3 cards from your grip (one at a time).

Illumination³ [consolation]:

Run R&D.
If successful, install up to 3 cards from your grip (one at a time).
When that run ends, if it wasn't successful, install up to 1 card from your grip.

Illumination⁴ [passage]:

Run R&D.  
When that run ends, install up to X cards from your grip (one at a time). X is 1 plus the amount of ice you passed during that run.

Rules

The Elevation box includes this “refcard”:

Cards like Illumination and Top-Down Solutions allow a player to install multiple cards in a row. When resolving these effects, the player must always resolve 1 installation at a time. The player does not have to decide which or how many cards they will install in advance. Any "when installed" abilities from the previous installation also resolve before the next installation begins, but no paid ability windows open in between the installations.

If you want click compression and economy like no other, look no further than Illumination. Installing 3 cards on the board with 1 rebate is the equivalent of gaining 3 and 3.

Can you beat that? Yes you can! How? Just play In the Groove just before, then ALSO draw 3 cards or gain 3 (better to draw generally).

At which point the corp player will say: " is this legal?"

And, because you can do better, since it is triggered by a successful run on R&D, you also get to touch cards (Cataloguer, Devadatta Drone) with what you just installed.

But we do better than that, of course. Use Cezve or Fencer Fueno or Mantle or Paladin Poemu to install anything at a further discount! Even Open Market works for this!

Best of all, Illumination can install ANYTHING! Programs, hardwares, ressources, you name it, it does the job.

Of course, setting up a successful R&D run, when you are shaper, is a bit hard than for other factions. Since corp want to ice up more R&D against shaper. This is why it is valuable out of faction. Even at 3 influences, it is really worth it. Gaining the equivalent of 3 clicks and 3 credits, is amazing value for any deck. This card is so good that it might even be ban worthy.

For a better explanation of the mechanics, please read the excellent review of D4v1d-Gr43b3r.

The art shows us Dewi Subrotoputri: Pedagogical Dhalang doing her work. While the art is amazing, it does not tell us anything about the effect of the card. The name goes well with the art, and the quote tells us of a bit about Dewi. Still, good design, powerful effect and fine art. Good job.