Scatter Field is a 4s/2↳-for-$3 when singly-protecting a server.
(CF. “Non-Porous Eli 1.0”, or an “EtR-ified Drafter”.)
Notes
Especially when you're protecting an early asset (like Humanoid Resources / Regolith), building your secondary remote (alongside Mahkota Langit Grid), or rushing an agenda. Even if you'll double-ice that server next turn anyways, an SF can act like a Gatekeeper (CF. This ice gets +4 strength if you rezzed it this turn.).
To fully-break a four-strength three-sub ice with turn-one decoders, it should cost the Runner four-to-five credits (IE. more than its rez-cost). For example:
- Buzzsaw costs
3[$] + 1[$](but just1[$]with a Leech). - Unity costs
3[$] + 2[$](or4[$]with a second icebreaker). - Euler only costs
2[$] + 0[$](if they facechecked-then-installed,4[$]if they didn't). - Shibboleth costs
2[$] + 2[$](even atthreat level ≤ 3). - Cat's Cradle costs
3[$] + 2[$](wouldn't tax you+1[$]to rez, unless they pre-installed it for some reason?). - The new Sang Kancil only costs
1[$] + 2[$](if they Bravado or Clean Getaway into your SF;5[$]if they basic-run).
Of course, besides breakers:
- Boomerang costs
2[$], [trash]. - Physarum Entangler costs
2[$]to bypass. - Botulus can fully-break it after a second turn (or can pass it the same turn it's installed, but only by firing off “½ Drafter”).
- Overclock) costs
1[$](with the decoder). - Bankhar just costs
Suffer 2 net damage(but needs a whole turn to set up). - Arruaceiras Crew can't destroy it by itself. (EG. would need
4[$], Take 2 tags, [trash]and needs a second copy).
Thoughts
Design-wise, I love ice with some “incidental positionality” (like Turing, which is both “pro-Remotes” and “anti-AI”).
It's fun to “expose-by-deducing” (“Why didn't they just install this card into their empty remote with an already-rezzed barrier, and pay the one credit to install this in front of there?”).
Compare its ability (While this ice is the only piece of ice protecting this server, …) to other “Vertically-Positional” abilities.
- a “Flexible Curtain Wall”: EG.
If this is the outermost or innermost piece of ice protecting a server, it gets +4 strength. - an “Inverted Seidr Adaptive Barrier/Surveyor”: EG.
This ice gets −1 strength for each other piece of ice protecting this server.
PS. Given Asa Group rotating, can this “Singly-Icing-matters” effect (along with the non-(◆) Mahkota Langit Grid the new “Installer IDs”) incentivize some more secondary/tertiary remotes? For Fully Operational and to “expose-by-deducing” (or try to!), like “Why didn't they just install that card into their empty remote with an already-rezzed barrier, and pay the one-credit to install that ice in front of there?” I WANT TO BELIEVE.
Custom
However, among the most powerful ice, Gatekeeper is (IMO) still one of the most interesting. With it rotating, I would've liked (one or two) new “Gatekeeper–likes” (IE. with a When you rez this ice, it gets +_ strength for the remainder of the _. and an ↳ End the run.) to be printed per set released, and across factions. Compare with Liberation & Escalation “completing” Ping (Tatu-Bola / Ablative / Descent / Flyswatter).
Besides Haas-Bioroid’s many derez effects (Élivágar Bifurcation, Stegodon MK IV, Warm Reception, etc), powerful On-Rez abilities synergize with both:
- Jinteki’s (HQ/Archives)
swapeffects: Like Tatu-Bola, Mitra Aman. For example, rezzing an Anemone (to do damage), the swapping it out (to re-install and re-rez again). - Weyland’s “sacrificing”: Like Extract, Azef Protocol, Stavka, etc. For example, rezzing that Stavka (to destroy some programs), then sac’ing it later (for value).