Matrix Analyzer's ability of placing advancement tokens isn't a subroutine like most ICE, so I'm not sure about how many times you can use it during a single encounter. The card doesn't specifically state that you can only use this ability once. I know that the logic would say doing that more than once would make the card overpowered, but I'd rather not get into arguments over this when playing with friends when everyone believes that they are the logical one. Any ideas? Can I pay 10 credits to put ten advancement tokens all around? If not, where does the rules explain this?

The trigger for this effect is the runner encountering the ICE, so every time this happens you play the effect once. You can only pay once to place one counter, because the card specifies that number. If it was intended that you could place multiple counters it would say something along the lines of "you may pay X [credits] to place X advancement tokens".

It's because a conditional ability (an ability that has a trigger, but no cost) resolves only once each time its trigger happens.

Thanks for the replies. Then I guess it'd make an interesting combination with Cell Portal (#74).

I'm new to the game and waiting for it to be delivered. I've been reading posts to get my fix and learn about it before I actually receive it. This post struck me as particularly interesting. How would you build a combo out of those two? It's just not coming to me intuitively.

I'm new to the game and waiting for it to be delivered. I've been reading posts to get my fix and learn about it before I actually receive it. This post struck me as particularly interesting. How would you build a combo out of those two? It's just not coming to me intuitively.

Cell portal would push the runner back to the outermost piece of ice (front piece) and if Matrix Analyzer is there the corp would be able to pay 1 credit again.

Toqtamish said:

Oh I see! That first sentence of the subroutine reads like a condition or a trigger, but it's an action. The minimalist writing of a CCG often throws me until I get used to it.

Thank you very much!

one trigger: runner encounters ICE

one resolution: may play 1 credit to place 1 advancement token

byronczimmer said:

Hi Bryron,

I appreciate that you tried to help, but Matrix Analyzer wasn’t the card that actually confused me. You misunderstood. It was Cell Portal.

I find that the first sentence of the Cell Portal subroutine can be taken as instruction as what to do, or as a trigger, depending on how you look at it. Clearly one interpretation makes much more sense than the other. I’m no longer confused, the gentlemen who posted before you did helped me out, and I now I understand. Thank you anyway!

For Cell Portal, that effect is just a subroutine that the Runner can break with the right kind of ice breaker, correct?

TBossAZ said:

Correct. But if he can't/won't, he's back to square 1.

Watcher said:

The symbol at the beginning is the key, there. That symbol indicates that the line following it is a subroutine, which will never have a condition. Thus, the text associated with a subroutine is always text describing what happens when the subroutine fires.

kaffis said:

I see, so if there was a trigger or condition, it would be before the subroutine mark?

(Man, I can't wait to get my box!)

Correct, if I'm reading you right. Something that appears before the subroutines would have a trigger defined with it. Reference NBN ice like Tollbooth or Data Raven.

Subroutines themselves have an implicit trigger that would read something like "when the runner opts not to break this subroutine…"

echoMateria said:

Interesting? Yes! But hardly very powerful as cell portal is derezzed and quite expensive, so you could trigger matrix twice (if the runner doesn't break the subroutine) after that it's too expensive, trading four cred for one click. Thinking about it, I'm not even sure if I'd cut that deal even once (although their might be some nasty ICE installed in between Matrix and the Portal).

Although I have to admit that I've played only once so far (with Jinteki) and was always low on funds.

As a side note, if the Corp kicks the Runner back to square 1, the Runner can just jack out if he/she doesn't want the Corp to be able to pay that 1 cred for the advancement again.