The Class Act

♦ The Class Act 4[credit]

Resource: Connection - Ritzy
Influence: 5

When a discard phase ends, if you installed this resource this turn, draw 4 cards.

[interrupt] → The first time each turn you would draw any number of cards, look at the top X cards of your stack. Add 1 of those cards to the bottom of your stack. X is equal to the number of cards you would draw plus 1.

“…but I am without compare.”
Illustrated by Wyn Lacabra
Decklists with this card

Downfall (df)

#18 • English
Startup Card Pool
Standard Card Pool
Standard Ban List (show history)
Printings
Downfall
Rulings
  • Updated 2019-04-27

    NISEI Downfall Release Notes [NISEI Rules Team]

    If The Class Act is uninstalled during the turn the Runner installed it, do they still draw 4 cards?

    No.

    Which comes first, The Class Act’s first ability or discarding to hand size?

    The Runner discards to hand size first, then draws four cards. They don’t check hand size again that turn.

    If The Class Act’s first ability is the first time the Runner would draw cards that turn, does her second ability apply to that draw?

    Yes.

    How many cards does the Runner draw at the end of the turn after installing The Class Act if Genetics Pavilion is active? How many do they look at?

    The Runner only draws 2 cards. The Class Act triggers at Step 5.7.2d of the Runner’s turn when the end of their turn is formally observed, but Genetics Pavilion remains active until the Runner’s turn officially passes to the Corp’s turn after step 5.7.2f. If The Class Act’s second ability is applicable in this situation, the Runner will look at 3 cards and put one on the bottom before drawing.

    How does The Class Act work with Window?

    If the Runner uses Window’s ability without having drawn cards previously that turn, they will look at the top two cards of their stack, put one on top and one on the bottom, then draw the card they put on the bottom.

    How does the first draw effect in a turn resolve with The Class Act if there are fewer cards in the stack than the Runner will draw or look at?

    If the Runner is to draw as many cards as there are in the stack or more, the Runner looks at all the remaining cards, puts one on the bottom, then draws all of them. If both players agree to the shortcut, the Runner can simply draw all the cards in the stack.

    If the Runner is to draw exactly 1 fewer card than there are in the stack, the Runner looks at all the cards in the stack, puts one on the bottom, then draws all but that bottom card.

    How does The Class Act work with Lockdown?

    If the subroutine on Lockdown resolves, the Runner cannot draw cards for the remainder of that turn. If this happens during the turn on which the Runner installed The Class Act, the Runner does not draw 4 cards. Since the Runner will not draw any cards that turn, the second ability on The Class Act will never apply during that turn.

    How does The Class Act work with Game Day?

    Determine how many cards the Runner needs to draw to be at their maximum hand size. If it’s more than 0, X in The Class Act’s ability will be that number plus 1. Cards drawn by Game Day’s effect are considered to be drawn all at once.

    How does The Class Act work with Levy AR Lab Access?

    After the Runner shuffles their heap and grip into their stack, they look at the top 6 cards of their stack, put one on the bottom of their stack, then draw 5 cards.

    How does The Class Act work with Oracle May?

    If Oracle May is used and no other cards have been drawn that turn, after revealing a card of the named type, the Runner looks at that card and the next card in the stack, puts one of them on the bottom of the stack, draws the other one, and gains 2.

    How does The Class Act work with Mr. Li?

    The Runner looks at the top 3 cards of their stack, puts one on the bottom of their stack, draws the other 2, then puts one of those cards on the bottom of their stack.

  • Updated 2022-06-20

    How does Verbal Plasticity interact with The Class Act?

    Verbal Plasticity’s ability resolves immediately after the Runner pays the cost to take the basic action to draw 1 card, before the actual draw becomes imminent. The Class Act’s second ability resolves later, during the interrupt window that occurs while the draw effect is imminent. If both abilities are applicable, the Runner will look at 3 cards and put 1 of those cards on the bottom of their stack, then draw the other 2.

Reviews

So, this card has some similarities to Mr. Li, which never saw any play, and this is more expensive. So why do I think The Class Act will be way more popular in criminal decks?

First off, the math is just way more favorable for this new connection. Mr Li has a total cost of 5 (3 credits, click to install and the card itself), while TCA only has a cost of 2 (4 credits + 1 card + 1 click - the 4 cards you draw). This is significantly better, and getting to start your next turn like Andromeda gives you a ton of tempo. Remember, since this triggers at the end of your turn, after hand size is checked, you don't discard the cards.

Furthermore, TCA is way more versatile than Mr Li. The latter only gave you one line of play: spend a click to look at 2 cards, and draw the one you need. The former works with ALL draw engines. Earthrise Hotel, Deuces Wild, Diesel, Build Script, the newly spoiled blue Diesel, all of them will trigger TCA and allow you to draw even more efficiently.

The only disadvantage TCA has is that it only triggers the first time you draw, while Mr Li could be used as often as you'd like. But I consider this a very minor minus.

At 5 influence, this will not see any out-of-faction use, except maybe in Sunny. But expect it out of many criminals!

(System Core 2019 era)
1942

The Class Act has an interesting interraction with an old and hitherto virtually useless piece of Criminal hardware: Window.

When you click Window for the first draw of your turn with Class Act in play, you look at the top two cards of your stack and put one on the bottom, which you then draw. This is different to a normal click to draw with Class Act because you now know the top card of your stack!

Unfortunately the maths does not work out for combining these two cards with Oracle May. For you draw two cards and gain 2. You could have done this clicking Professional Contacts twice and saved yourself having to assemble a three card combo. On top of that, knowing the top card of your stack in Criminal is as easy as making a successful run.

Bit of a useless interraction in the end, but one that I thought was neat enough to be worth mentioning.

(Downfall era)
40
I don't think the Oracle May interaction you mention works, as both Oracle May and Window are click abilities, so you can't combine a Window draw with Oracle May's ability. Oracle May and Paragon on the other hand... —
I think the idea is use your Window + Class Act combo first click to see 2 cards and then draw the bottomed card while you now know the top card of your stack. Then to use Oracle May to draw the card you know. As mentioned in the review, it's a combo that could be easily replicated just by using ProCo. —

Skipping the Window and using Paragon instead is amazing.

—

Run and see what the top card is. Use Oracle May and auto succeed the name. Then look at the card you named and the next card after that, take either one of those to your hand and then gain 2.

—

As far as 3 card combos go, you could do a lot worse. You get an access, 3 credits, and your choice of 2 cards for 2 clicks

—

The best part about it is that all 3 cards are good by themselves (as long as you lean heavily in one direction for Oracle May).

—