LLDS Energy Regulator

LLDS Energy Regulator 0[credit]

Program
Memory: 1 • Strength: -
Influence: 1

3[credit] or [trash]: Prevent an installed piece of hardware from being trashed.

Originally not very popular, the regulator was overlooked by those who used energy sinks to protect their rig. But it quickly found an audience once Smoke casted a run on a Blue Sun server, using it to keep her rig online while repeatedly diverting energy spikes in excess of 50,000 volts.
Illustrated by Ed Mattinian
Decklists with this card

The Spaces Between (tsb)

#39 • English
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Reviews

Is the era of LLDS Energy Regulator upon us? Acacia provides a potentially powerful economic consolation prize to the Runner when they have to remove virus counters during a purge, with the downside of being trashed. However, the trash is not a cost that has to be paid to gain the credits, so can be prevented (unless future FAQs address this).

Enter this heretofore underused piece of LLDS software, with its reusable hardware trash prevention ability. Although it does require credits to do this, that’s exactly what Acacia gives you! So as long as at least three virus counters are lost (which I’m sure Aumakua and Datasucker can help you out with), the Runner is able to keep Acacia around even if they’re on zero credits when the Corp purges. Add into this the fact that LLDS Energy Regulator costs but a single influence pip in Anarch, and can be rescued with Retrieval Run, and you’ve got just enough synergy to potentially make this work.

The downside, of course, is that LLDS Energy Regulator is yet another piece you have to find to try and make Acacia builds work. For this reason, I’ve been experimenting with a MaxX build to help find the necessary bits, with the combo sort of coming together in the few games I've tested.

I highly doubt the LLDS Energy Regulator meta is finally upon us, but Acacia has no doubt given this oft forgotten card a boost.

(Sovereign Sight era)

Currently having no use, as everyone who wants to prevent hardware trashing looks to the much better Sacrificial Construct,which costs no memory and can prevent Programs from being trashed as well. However this card has an Interestingly long paragraph of Flavor text perhaps foreshadowing a use for it later down the line?

(The Valley era)
I would have never of given that flavor text a second look if it wasn't for this review. The flavor alone does make me wonder if there will be some better use for this down the line. —
There's already a use-case for this over SacCon - Autoscripter. There, being able to save it repeatedly can have a lot of merit, and the Regulator itself ends up not consting you a click, as opposed to SacCon. —

With Obelus being spoiled and observe and destroy coming out in the same pack, with its obvious synergy with closed accounts both out of nbn which in the current meta is the most prevalent corp, I was wondering how you could keep it from being trashed. Enter the dare I say never used llds energy regulator. At 1 influence even two of is a possibility. Being able to save obelus without credits means that the corp will need two observe and destroy. The LLDS line of products continues to find new uses.

(23 Seconds era)
TBH I still think the solution would actually just be 3x Obelus. It fills up your hand and stops you from having to junk stuff, so you can just respond to the Observe and Destroy by throwing another down. —