Two Moves from CheckmateMala Tempora Is Now Available for Android: Netrunner
“Always play for the end game. Don’t get trapped in the moment.”
–Reina Roja
Whether you’re looking to recruit some interns for cheap labor or you’re looking to torch your opponent’s code gates, you’re certain to find new ways to enhance your Android: Netrunner deck in the cards of Mala Tempora, now available at your local retailer and online through our webstore!
Mala Tempora is the third Data Pack in the Spin Cycle and continues to enhance the cycle’s focus on traces, tags, and bad publicity, even as it raises the stakes of the game with a host of cards that encourage daring gambles. Will you bet that you can run successfully every turn? Are you willing to dabble in bad publicity just to mess with the Runner’s funds? Do you dare trade your traditional icebreakers for other powerful means of manipulating the Corp’s servers?
Something for Nothing (Some Restrictions May Apply)
Many of the cards in Mala Tempora promote high-risk behaviors by offering constant rewards to those willing to push their luck.
On the Runner side, you can find a couple examples in Raymond Flint (Mala Tempora, 49) and Grifter (Mala Tempora, 46). Both of these resources enter play for two credits, and once in play, both offer contingent rewards that can just as easily backfire if you’re not careful.
Of the two, Grifter is the simpler card to process. Holding fast to traditional Criminal themes, Grifter offers credits to Runners who run successfully, much like Gabriel Santiago (Core Set, 17) and Desperado (Core Set, 24). Unlike those two cards, though, it’s non-unique, and it rewards you for successful runs on any server. However, it also comes with a not-so-hidden cost; the first turn you don’t successfully complete a run, your Grifter trashes itself. Therein lies the gamble: Are you willing to run compulsively in order to ensure that your Grifter keeps you in the credits?
Meanwhile, Raymond Flint is the first card that allows the Runner to access a card without actually making a run. This is a monumental ability, but it comes with a huge catch: The Corp knows.
With Frame Job (Opening Moves, 1), Opening Moves provided the Runner with the means to give the Corp a point of bad publicity. However, apart from that card, which only triggers if the Runner forfeits an agenda, every way of assigning bad publicity currently belongs to the Corp. That means that the Corp assumes a lot of control over whether or not you’ll have the chance to score agenda points with Raymond Flint.
Additionally, since Raymond Flint’s ability is passive, it happens every time the Corp takes a point of bad publicity; the Runner doesn’t get to choose to ignore it. Thus, the Corp may simply start to manipulate its HQ until Raymond Flint’s snooping is destined to lead him into a Snare! (Core Set, 70). Still, if you’re forcing the Corp to work around Raymond Flint’s ability, there’s a good chance you’re leading it away from scoring seven agenda points, and there’s a good chance, too, that Raymond Flint may discourage some gun shy Corps from rezzing Illicit ice like Grim (Opening Moves, 20).
The Runner isn’t the only one who can get something for nothing in Mala Tempora. The Corp gains a couple of free (zero-cost) ice in Ireress (Mala Tempora, 57) and Paper Wall (Mala Tempora, 59).
Furthermore, the Corp gains its own means of baiting the Runner into compulsive, high-risk behaviors with City Surveillance (Mala Tempora, 55) and Sundew (Mala Tempora, 54).
Both of these assets introduce static effects that trigger each turn unless the Runner acts in a pre-scripted fashion. In fact, they force the Runner into a binary decision at the beginning of each of his turns: Will he perform the pre-scripted action, or will he not perform it? This is the real strength of these cards, of course – their ability to limit the Runner to a single decision at the beginning of each of his turns, and like every good company, NBN and Jinteki will be certain to have contingencies planned for both.
Play for Check Mate
Whether your gamble falters or pays off immediately, you’ll want to remember to play for the end game. You can take a few points of brain damage and still survive. You can fall behind by several agenda points but still win. The important thing is that you keep looking a few moves ahead, and with Reina Roja (Mala Tempora, 41), Deep Red (Mala Tempora, 42), Grifter, Raymond Flint, City Surveillance, Sundew, and all the other cards from Mala Tempora, you’ll find plenty of new moves to make.
Head to your local retailer today, or visit our webstore, to pick up your copy of Mala Tempora and start playing for checkmate!
...
Source:
Two Moves from Checkmate
