Design:

• Multiply-Interactable: the Runner can interact with this card by running different servers (thus, in more ways than with most assets).

  1. run Archives: By flipping the discard-pile faceup, you turn off CGP’s Turn 1 facedown card in Archives faceup to … cost (except for a few fun fast-discard/-mill). Thus, there's an implicit Unless the Runner breached Archives last turn, … gate.
  2. run the agenda: Because it never-advances (being a BoT trigger like La Costa Grid), you can steal the telegraphed agenda beforehand (if you can breach the scoring remote, if you guessed right and they didn't bait you with Charlotte Caçador, or so on).
  3. run the asset (duh): Just pay its fair, 2[$] trash-cost.

• Both Payoff and (Self-)Enabler:

  • By itself, you can trash cards facedown (1st turn) and use that card archived-facedown (2nd turn), including the one it trashed itself.
  • Or (using just mode #2) you can install an agenda, a CGP, and play Hansei Review, then score out a never-advanced 4/2 next turn (flipping the Hansei’d card after rezzing CGP).
  • Or (using just mode #1) you can trash an installable, then IAA Hybrid Release (installing the trashed card).

• Both Econ and Threat: it can clicklessly earn two credits every turn while “rummaging” too, until it starts never-advancing agendas.

  • Most econ assets (like Regolith Mining License and Nico Campaign) are “cooked” in the scoring remote until you have a scoring window, and you've already exhausted them, or you'll over-install them anyways (tho a few can even rescue themselves, like Wall to Wall and Janaína “JK” Dumont Kindelán). To never-advance with CGP, however, this should be in a secondary, protected remote.

Notes:

• It almost breaks even on-rez ("+$2, draw 1" minus "card to draw, click to install, $1 to rez, trash 1 to use"), but doesn't (which is healthy for drip-econ or other value-over-time assets, IMO).

• This (as @Diogene said in their review) shines under identities:

  • with multiple protected remotes (like A Teia and Asa Group: since it's, of course, not an upgrade (like Tranquility Home Grid or La Costa Grid). Jukebox Asa (8th @ Worlds 2024) splashed two.
  • that care about facedown Archives (Restoring Humanity) or can protect Archives... or are Jinteki. LouDeeRer (2nd @ Worlds 2024) sleeved up the full playset.

• Like Zer0, you can filter cards and earn credits each turn. But the in-faction synergies of Runner-Red are “Trigger-when-Discarded” and “Heap-matters”, while that of Corpo-Red is “Archived-Facedown-matters”.

• Being non-unique, a second copy can (IIUC) flip the card just trashed by the first copy (but then you need three defensible remotes). (FWIW, I've never done that or seen it done, but I'm not a competitive player.) Also, being self-mill, you might need to reshuffle Archives (like with in-faction Longevity Serum, which can “heal” you for +3HP) if you've used the first mode too many times. (FWIW, I've never felt like I had to do that either.)

@tzeentchling:

I’m extremely fond of Cohort Guidance Program because it increases my draw speed and provides minor filtering from my hand of less useful cards, and if the runner doesn't bother to check Archives it's quite easy to get multiple advancements on a NA agenda.

(PS. I wish NSG released more earlier versions of cards! Even without extensive commentary like they did for Stegodon, which of course takes a lot of work to write on top of all the work that already went into it. There's a lot of knobs on this card that were all tuned well, both from the design and development perspective, yet the final version reads so cleanly while still being very deep.)

Idea: Other “CGP-like” assets that are, implicitly, temporarily-disablable (by breaching R&D, HQ, specific remotes) would be interesting too.

• R&D: Look at the top of R&D with 1st mode, and maybe rearrange (or draw then peek) for value; Guess the top of R&D (or just flip it and check for an “interactable" card-type, IE. an agenda/asset/upgrade, being stealable/trashable) with 2nd mode, to place an advancement. The Runner can disable it by breaching R&D. (cf. Federal Fundraising.)

• HQ: Reveal a stealable/trashable (agenda, asset, or upgrade) from HQ, to place an advancement. The Runner could disable it by breaching HQ and hitting enough stealables/trashables (maybe).

• Remotes: Derez another/noncopy rezzed asset (that wasn't rezzed this turn, or an asset/upgrade in another server) at BoT. The Runner could disable it by touching enough remotes? (cf. Warm Reception.)

• Detagging: Take 1 bad publicity to give 1 tag at EoT; Remove 1 tag to install & place 1 advancements at BoT. The Runner could disable it by detagging, as well as by trashing it (with the 1[$] “subsidy” for running/trashing from badpub). (cf. City Surveillance LOL.) (BTW, Repeated tagging or repeated derezzing can be toxic, and repeated deck-rearrangement can drag on every beginning-of-turn. These are all just zeroth drafts.)

Another superb asset in the Jinteki arsenal. While fragile, this card enable fast advance and tempo (draw and credits). And best of all, at 2 influences, it can be splashed easily out of faction.

More often than not, you will want to have at least 2 protected remote to use Cohort Guidance Program. And A Teia: IP Recovery is happy to provide. But this will help also for asset spam decks and any deck that want to fast advance agendas while having more than one remote.

Identity that have an affinity for Cohort Guidance Program are :

• A Teia: IP Recovery
• Near-Earth Hub: Broadcast Center
• Asa Group: Security Through Vigilance
• Jinteki: Restoring Humanity (to trigger the ID)

Any deck that goes for the asset spam archetype (corp that want to create multiple servers that may or may not be protected) will benefit from Cohort Guidance Program.

Other than agendas, this card can power up other useful assets (like Charlotte Caçador), upgrades (such as Bio Vault) and even ices (like Pharos). Then those advances can be used by Trick of Light.

Of course, like most great asset, this one is fragile, with a mere 2 credits to trash. For a runner, Cohort Guidance Program should be trashed on sight, it is that good.

Art is nice and kinda subdued, considering the implication of creating clones for purposes that include "hunting (probably humans)", it is probably better that way. The quote pairs well with the name and art of the card, which hints at the capacity of the card. Good work.