For the very, very cautious runner, Heatbeat!

It is hard to imagine being flatlined while you have this console in play. As a typical game goes on the Runner side of the table tends to sprawl wildly, with cheap resources, programs and hardware proliferating endlessly. Going on the anecdotal evidence of my own games I'd say that on average the runner has upwards of 8 cards in play throughout most of the game. If we accept that as a reasonable estimate (and feel free to substitute your own if your experience is different), it would take north of 14 damage to flatline such a runner.

Further, the prevention isn't done as an all or nothing decision. If you have just a few expendable cards in prey Harbinger or Fall Guy for example, you can use those and let the rest hit your hand. If your hand is solid gold you can blow up some connections that have outlived their usefulness. You get to pick and choose.

Beyond this, its important to note that you can block brain damage as easily as anything else. Stumble into a triple advanced Cerebral Overwriter and walk out having lost 3 cards, rather than half your hand for the rest of the game.

So, the upside is there. What about the downside?

Well, if you use this as your console, you are paying 3 influence, unless you are playing Apex, and you give up all of the other benefits that your console could be providing you with, in the name of safety. Desperado 's 2-3 credits per turn will not be yours. Grimoire 's virus counters will not assist you, nor will you benefit from its larger memory bonus. If you play #Heartbeat you are forgoing consoles that help you win and picking instead one that helps you not lose.

In all honesty, it will probably be worth it to some runners. There are runners who have their economy set up to the point that they don't really need the benefits from a console. Coincidentally, they tend to have a lot of cards in play they'd LOVE to sac rather than lose the game. How many Big Rig Shapers have achieved R&D lock and plowed into a pair of Snare! for the surprise loss?

An interesting console. Not for everyone, but I think it'll see some play.

Great damage protection in Apex, but keep in mind that using Apocalypse will turn Heartbeat facedown, making you vulnerable to damage such as Scorched Earth immediately afterwards, assuming the Corp can land a tag or you're floating tags.

This is the best console to prevent damage. Better yet, it prevent ANY type of damage, be it Core, Net or Meat damages.

This console usually need to be paired with Harbinger, since it need to trash cards on the board and Harbinger can be trashed twice. For Apex: Invasive Predator, this usually means that you become nearly immunized to damage, since Apex can install facedown card clicklessly.

When imported in another faction, at 3 influences, it is kind of expensive. Especially if you import also Harbinger. But can be used to use Tsakhia "Bankhar" Gantulga at nearly no cost, thus allowing to pass one ice for nearly free.

This amazing console will allow you to install cybernetics at no cost to you. So that Basilar Synthgland 2KVJ, WAKE Implant v2A-JRJ, PAN-Weave, Zenit Chip JZ-2MJ, Ghosttongue, Hippocampic Mechanocytes and Respirocytes will not cost you cards from hand, but rather cards from the board. Of note, it is more useful to use if for Core Damage Cybernetics (Basilar Synthgland 2KVJ, Zenit Chip JZ-2MJ and Ghosttongue), because those damage also reduce your hand size. For meat damage, you could just lose a random card from hand. This make Apex the best at using cybernetics, which is thematically appropriate.

Note that it would be a nonbo with Begemot, since this fracter actually need Core damages to be more powerful.

Some cards that do damage cannot be prevented, since it is part of the cost of using that card, like Light the Fire! and Finality. Also, for the same reason, you cannot use this console to prevent the net damages from Obokata Protocol.

This console is one of the reason to play Apex, especially when the meta is more about flatlining the runner than scoring out. Even if Apex is probably the weakest of the mini factions.

Everything about the art, the name and the quote speak volumes about the ability and lore of this card. That is how it should be. Well done!