Mitra Aman (😷🧪) is “hard” ice-swapping (the Runner can't jack out
since they're already approaching
), alongside burst econ (0[$]
→3[$]
).
Design
Its gain+swap is strictly more flexible than a cost-redux (CF. Install a piece of ice in that position, ignoring all costs. You may rez that ice, paying 3[$] less.
). CF. How Clean Getaway can earn “Asset-Trashing credits” (unlike Dirty Laundry), but lets you keep them too (unlike Bahia Bands).
It rewards the Runner for revealing hidden information (and remembering that revelation). For example, despite ‘missing’ on HQ/R&D breaches by seeing an (untrashable) Cloud Eater—or other more realistic AP/Destroyer facechecks (like an Empiricist, Vampyronassa, Boto, etc)—you've at least learned that it's swappable. And if you access
(/expose
) a splashed Mitra out of Weyland or Haas-Bioroid, you could hedge against a Biawak or even Týr, while running on rezzed Descents and Ablatives.
However, Mitra Aman has some limitations and does some telegraphing. (Transcribing some analysis during spoilers from “Elevation and Rotation - In Person Netrunner discussion ft Sokka, The King, and Peter H.” | @Kitchen Meta - With
Bridgeman
:)
Given an unrezzed rooted card, you can now approach a rezzed Tatu-Bola and encounter a facedown Saisentan and flatline. Which (Against Jitneki in particular, when running into UNrezzed ice, you already need to prepare for an AP* anyways, like a Killer being pre-installed/available.) But **Mitra implicitly pseudo–derezzes
the safe/known ice (which will cost credits to re-rez); unless you're only swapping out heavily-On-Rez ice, like Anemone.
While recursion gives you “ice-advantage”, swapping only gives you “ice-selection”. You can get back your best ice that got Crew–Charm’d, but your deck/servers are still “down one piece of ice”.
Telegraphed on centrals: Besides a few upgrades that can defend centrals or relocate themselves (like Mavirus and Adrian Seis), installing a card in the root of iced HQ/R&D is very suspicious.
Also, Mitra’s +3[$]
econ is like Bola’s +2[$]
(not NGO Front), IE. their credits can't get “cashed out” until their server gets run.
PS. ICE-Swapping is catnip [non-derogatory] for more casual players like myself. So let me know how it feels to play against, and how good it seems to be when playing with it!
Cards
IDs:
- triggers A Teia off-turn: like Tatu-Bola does.
- fuels LEO Construction (
2 inf
-per-copy): swapping previously-sacrificed Bioroids in and non-Bioroids out. For example, “(rezzed
) Ablative → (sacked) Bumi”.
- enabled in Restoring Humanity: when you want the spiky ice (being swapped in) to be available later against a not-yet-known server, and you don't care about the gearcheck (being swapped out) ending up in Archives rather than HQ. (And AU Co. milling itself? In decks with enough ice.)
On-Rez/“Blinkable” ICE:
Flavor
mitra means “friend/colleague” and aman means “safe/secure”. This “spring-loaded mind” is ready to be hot-swapped in against even the most mindful Runners.
Custom
I like that Mitra is “Midori, but good” (no jack out
, credit-gain, Archives-swap too).
Here's a variant that's repeatable (like Midori) but more constrained (than Mitra): to can trigger it every run (with a cost-reduction and direct-rez), but it's limited by the ice you're swapping out (to give the Runner more deduction hooks, and let them do more risk management):
Once per turn → Whenever the Runner approaches a piece of ice protecting this server, you may draw 1 card and swap that ice with a noncopy piece of ice from Archives or HQ that shares a subtype. You may rez it, paying 3[$] less.
Which makes you swap Barriers with Barriers (“primary ice-types”), unless you swap AP with AP (“secondary ice-types”), but not Anemones with Anemones.
Rules
The Elevation box includes this “refcard”:
Mitra Aman allows the Corp to swap an installed piece of ice with a piece of ice from HQ or Archives. This effect uninstalls the previously-installed ice, trashing any hosted cards or counters, and installs the other ice in the same position. The Runner will still be approaching that position.
A player installing a card through a swap effect does not pay an install cost and does not have the opportunity to trash other cards as part of that installation. A Corp card that becomes installed by being swapped enters the play area unrezzed, just as if that card had been installed normally.
Rules-wise (IIUC!!), the Corp may choose to rez Mitra (at Step 6.9.2.e), after the Runner has chosen to not jackout (at Step 6.9.2.c), and before the Runner will approach/encounter whatever ice is at that current position (at Step 6.9.2.f). See Phase 6.9.2. (Movement):
c. The Runner may choose to jack out, proceeding to step 6.9.6, Run Ends Phase. If the Runner does not, continue to (d).
d. The Runner's position moves to the next position inward, if any.
e. A paid ability window occurs, in which players may use paid abilities and the Corp may rez non-ice cards. (P) (R)
f. If the Runner moved to a new position, return to step 6.9.2, Approach Ice Phase, approaching the piece of ice in their new position.
Yes, I think you can.
— valerian32