Cards that give the corp a choice often looks better than they are!

The numbers on this card is pretty good:

The problem of course is, that the corp will always give you the worst possible choice. And since draw is a premium compared to credits (especially in System Gateway where there are very few draw cards), this means the card will almost always say "Get 4 credits unless..." and the unless is those situations where you really need credits to get into a server for the game, or when you are on 2 credits and play this card last click with a full hand.

At one influence you may see this splashed out of faction, but as each "normal" runner faction just got new econ cards in System Gateway it is not so likely.

Thematically I like the card gives the corp a choice, as a Wildcat strike is a real thing: an unauthorized strike against both employers and union

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Funny... I think of 6c as so much more valueable than 4 cards most of the time.

But I think we can agree on one rule when playing this card: Don't play it when only one of the choices is good for you.

Buzzsaw is one of the very best breakers in System Gateway. Sure, it's boost strength is terrible, but specifically in SG, the only code gate that needs boosting is Funhouse, and that can be "bypassed" with 4 credits.

It break the other two SG code gates for a single credit. Of the 13 code gates in Startup (at the time of this writing, eg SG launch) it breaks the 7 for one (except card effects on Afshar). Tollbooth being its nemisis at 10 credits including encounter "fee".

Compare this to the other decoder in SG Unity, even when "set up" with other programs to increase boost value, it is only as good as Buzzsaw: Diviner it breaks for 2-3 credits, Whitespace it breaks for 2 credits, Funhouse it breaks for 2-4 credits.

Compared to other "stable" breakers like Gordian Blade and Abagnale it compares pretty OK too, coming in at higher strength, and better breaking ratio. It comes nowhere near the best decoder in the game Amina in ratios, but 4 influence and a 7 credit cost makes it hard to splash outside of faction. Compared to the staple Anarch decoder, Black Orchestra, it does quite well too. BO has terrible numbers against Tollbooth too at 9 credits, but breaks most code gates for 3 credits, but Buzzsaw have similar or better numbers than BO for code gates with more than 2 subs.

All in all, this is definitely a breaker that will see play outside of System Gateway and Startup. It will need help with boost, either with Ice Carver, Leech, Takobi or even Devil Charm. With a little assistance, you will see Buzzsaw cut through code gates like butter :)

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This Shaper console lift the heritage of Astrolabe that rotated at NISEI's first rotation. Astrolabe was the go-to console for both Anarch but also often imported out of faction, since it was only 2 influence and super cheap at 1c. Often it would make sense to include it instead of cards like Akamatsu Mem Chip since it basically did the same, but better. Also Astrolabe was very good against asset spam, as it had the powerful "whenever" clause to draw a card every time corp created a server. Then again, were you up against glacier, astrolabe might end up drawing you only 1 card!

At first look, this looks more expensive (3c vs 1c) and harder to import (3 influence vs 2). Also, the effect does nothing against asset spam, but don't let that deceive you: the effect that Aniccam have, are more versatile than it looks.

Let's start with the basics:

  • 1 mem for 3c. Compare that to Akamatsu Mem Chip, it is expensive, but not bad. Maya and Mirror gives you 2MU for the same credit. Cyberdelia cost the same for same MU, but is not a console and stacks and have a discount effect. Mind's Eye have similar stats, but a different effect.
  • Playing an event will trash the card (for currents this will happen once the current is trashed due to agendas being scored or another current being played). so the first time you play an event (each turn, but I am not aware of any effect that let the runner play events in corps turn), you may draw a card. Compare this to another Shaper console: Comet. Since playing an event always triggers it, I would say Aniccam would be guaranteed to fire more often than Comet, as it both triggers by playing an event, and by other means (se more below). Also it is 1c cheaper but one more influence (but hey Ken "Express" Tenma: Disappeared Clone has 17 so maybe we will see it splashed in criminal run event decks too!)
  • Shapers are not big on events, but they do have a few that synergizes: Diesel will draw you 4 cards, In the Groove and Spec Work will draw you an extra card.
  • Since the trash effect is in both turns and from any location, Aniccam also gives you damage prevention against grindy damage decks such as Jinteki: Personal Evolution and Argus Security: Protection Guaranteed as long as they hit an event -sort of a mini I've Had Worse
  • Anarchs love to trash their grip so many Anarch archetypes could splash this card for draw. (EDIT)MaxX would get draw as well, when trashing an event.
  • Anarchs love to peddle the streets, but events always were a pain to have on your peddlers. Well now you at least get a draw, if you have this console, since hosted cards still have a type (unlike cards installed face down -see below)
  • Criminals always need draw, so I have already seen Aniccam replace Paragon in crim decks. Also Aniccam arguably synergize better with The Class Act than Paragon, given that actual draw is better than a scry that you already get with TCA.
  • Aniccam also synergizes with the Uprising hardware Buffer Drive giving you both the draw, and putting the event back in the stack (EDIT) as long as the trash was caused by damage
  • In the release notes it is specifically mentioned, that playing Modded to install Aniccam, will draw you a card, since the installation completes and Aniccam becomes active as part of resolving: Modded's play abilities in step 8.6.6 of playing an event and is then trashed in step 8.6.7, so Aniccam sees its trigger condition being met.
  • Release notes also specifically mentions, that Aniccam will not trigger if runner trashes an installed On the Lam: "On the Lam is a condition counter while it is hosted on a resource, so it is trashed as a condition counter and doesn’t return to being an event until after it enters the heap."

  • Note that Aniccam will not trigger when a facedown card is trashed, as they don't have a card type.

Let me know in the comments what decks you have used Aniccam in, and any nice synergies i have missed!

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Buffer Drive does not work, as playing an event first puts it in the 'play area', then trashes. This allows Aniccam to trigger, but not BD, since it states 'from grip', making it useful for damage and trash costs / effects ( MaxX, Patchwork ).

They didn't state played events in the Buffer Drive point. If you trash an event (say because of Patchwork), Aniccam and Buffer Drive will both proc.

They didn't point that out, either.

Why wouldn't Maxx work? The text says "from any location". Shouldn't this include the stack?

Maxx will totally work with Aniccam.

LynxMegaCorp: what I ment with Buffer Drive trigger was, when damage caused events to be trashed, you would both get a draw from Aniccam and use BD (i have clarified this in the review).

BlackCherries: Patchwork and Aniccam are both consoles though ;-)

Shieldwall: yeah you are right about MaxX, I have updated the review! Thanx

I hope Elizabeth Mills isn't reading these comments.

What if: I draw until I have six cards, then, in my discard phase, I trash an event to trigger Aniccam and draw again. I can keep the sixth card, can't I?