Spoilers!

By Maliseraph, in The Plugged-in Tour

So, having been brutalized by the challenge decks, I am greatly looking forward to a few cards that will vastly improve the status of the game.

Shock!

0 to Rez, 2 to Trash, when accessed must be shown and does 1 Net Damage. Influence 2/Jinteki

From ANYWHERE. Even Archives. This effectively removes the overwhelming power Datasuckers have enjoyed by making simple runs on Archives potentially Deadly. Also, running with a broke Corp is not necessarily safe from Net Damage. I love this card.

Swordsman (3 to Rez)

Sentry-Destroyer-AP (might be another descriptor)

Can't be broken by AI's. Sub: Trash an AI program. Sub: Do 1 Net. Strength 2. Influence ?/Jinteki.

This by itself rewrites the game to require actual breakers of necessary types, and singlehandedly stops Atman/Crypsis/Darwin cold. This does beautiful things for the Meta by requiring real breakers, so it might be worthwhile to run Trap ICE as the Corp, so it might be good to run AI as the Runner, so it is good to be wary of this so... Etc., making it so you can't just short circuit the normal breaker suite with AI's and assume you are OK.

Wraparound (2 to Rez)

Barrier

Strength 0. Sub: ETR. This ICE gets +7 Strength if the Runner does not have a Fracter installed. 1 Influence cost/NBN aligned.

This does similar things for the Meta as Swordsman while still allowing expensive work arounds for AI's.

There were a few others, such as Caprice, but these were a few cards that really stood out to me as profoundly changing the way the meta-game will play out. Most the others have been previewed, such as Clone Retirement and Tsurugi. There was a Weyland Deck too, it was mostly just better Tag and Bag, no game changers other than Punitive Counterstrike and the Grendel ID. It was top decked after I Nerve Agent/Demolitioned his entire hand with that, Scorched Earth, and a Tag card. :-( Good game Mr. Wilson, good game... :-)

Another neat thing:

Shinobi (7 to Rez)

Sentry-AP-Illicit

Gain 1 Bad Pub when you Rez. Strength 5. Sub: Trace 1: Do 1 Net. Sub: Trace 2: Do 2 Net. Sub: Trace 3: Do 3 Net and ETR.

Very lethal, very dangerous, but Trace in Jinteki. Situationally awesome.

Last thought, I was profoundly impressed with the amount of thought they've put into how various cards will impact or have impacted the game/meta-game, and I came away from talking with them feeling they are really paying attention to how what they produce affects the game.

If they read this, thank you for both a series of good matches, and for bringing this game back to life in such a smart format.

Good to see Jinteki getting some love. Thanks for the preview.