Deconstructing: Criminals

Greetings all!

Now that the game is out, and many people now have their copies and some games under their belt, I thought it would be time for another Deconstructing article, this time on the Criminal faction.

Identity
Gabriel Santiago: Consummate Professional (Core) - Gabriel's ability encourages us to do what our namesake is - Run. Getting rewarded with credits for a successful run allows us to play more cards, or due to the timing of getting the credits before we access cards, helps us to afford cards we may want to trash. Unfortunately, we only get the credits from running against HQ, and only once per turn on top. As a result, expect the Corp to lay down Ice thick and fast there, which should make running other servers hopefully easier..

Events
Inside Job (Core) - The first of our two run cards, and like run cards from other factions, costs 2 credits to play. Unlike some Events that get us to make a run, this one has no restriction on which server we can hit. The benefit of this card allowing us to bypass the first piece of Ice encountered means in the early game when there is likely only a single piece of Ice blocking you, we can waltz right past without concern. It is also handy when you lack the Icebreaker to a troublesome piece of Ice, that would end the run or cause some other worrying sub-routine. Do think about if you need to bypass that piece of Ice however, as if it would cost 2 credits or less to break, you are actually making a loss by playing this event. It can be easy to get suckered in to avoiding their Ice, when you may not need to.
Account Siphon (Core) - Our other run card, which has no credit cost to play. It only allows us to run against their HQ (which will trigger Gabriel if we succeed), but allows us to try and get some big money. Personally, I don't like it, as getting tagged is risky, and if the Corp can afford to rez a card so that you don't get their credits, they will, which denys you the reward for playing the card.
Easy Mark (Core) - For those times when you need credits now, it can help squeeze you out of a tight situation. However, you spent a click to draw the card, and a click to play the card, so you only really earn an extra credit from it. This is a card where I feel I need to use more, to decide if the practicality of it is better then the theory from writing it, or I would be better off with other cards.
Forged Activation Orders (Core) - My personal favourite Criminal card, and one I would try to find space for in every Runner deck. It allows you to force the Corp's hand, as they either rez a piece of Ice they may not want to yet, or they trash it leaving one of their servers less protected. They may trash because they acn't afford to rez it, or they may need the credits for something else, and were expecting to do it in a later turn, such as when they have nothing else in a remote server.
Special Order (Core) - For when you need a particular Icebreaker, right here, right now. Whilst it doesn't help you play the Icebreaker, being able to get any Icebreaker from your deck, with no restriction such as having made a run, have X amount of agendas or a specific link value, is great. With this in a deck, it means that lower quantities of each type of Icebreaker can be used, or when you need a niche Icebreaker such as Crypsis (Core) and only have a single copy in a deck, you can get it.

Hardware
Desperado (Core) - A cheap console, much like Grimoire, this one embraces the theme that you should be making runs. Unlike Santiago, this rewards us for any run, not just against a particular server, and it is not restricted in how many times per turn it triggers. The biggest weakness with it is that it only gives 1 MU, which can be done for a third of the crecits with Akamatsu Mem Chip (Core). So the big question is, do you intend to succeed in more than two runs with it in play? If the answer is no, there is a problem.
Lemuria Codecracker (Core) - A strange piece of hardware. It allows us to expose any card the Corp has in play, so we can find out what Ice is in the way, or if that advanced card is an agenda we should steal, or a trap to avoid. It costs us a click and a credit, so it compares to Infiltration (Core), but our is re-useable. Unfortunately, it only works if we have made a successful run against HQ, so we will have the credit for it thanks to Gabriel's ability, but I would have been happier if it was broader, even if just to central servers like Data Sucker (Core).

Programs
Aurora (Core) - The cheapest of our Icebreakers, and the only one currently with an influence of 1. Whilst the strength increase to credit ratio is great at 3:2, only Ice Wall (Core) that has not been advanced won't require us to boost our strength. Wall of Static (Core) will need us to boost once, whilst Wall of Thorns (Core), Heimdall 1.0 (Core) and Hadrian's Wall (Core) require us to increase twice. Then when we do have the required strength, we are having to pay 2 credits to break a single sub-routine, whilst Corroder (Core) only pays 1 credit, and Battering Ram (Core) breaks up to two of them for the same price.
Femme Fatale (Core) - Our first of two Killer Icebreakers, and tied as the most expensive fixed price card in the game. Femme Fatale is currently unique with it's ability, as choosing a piece of ice you want to ignore when running can be powerful. Can't afford to get past the Archer that is guarding the agenad you want, or even don't have the Icebreaker you need? Well, how do you feel about brining your way past? Because that is what our sly Femme Fatale does. You can even pick an unrezzed piece of Ice, as you could have previously exposed it, or just have a feeling you know what could be coming from running against HQ/R&D. However, when you need to break past Sentry Ice she get be pricey. Whilst she only costs 1 credit to break a subroutine, we are paying 2 credits for a single point of strength. So we are paying up to 8 credits, plus the cost of breaking subroutines, to get through Archer (Core) (the current strongest Sentry). She may be an expensive woman, but she can get you into the right places.
Ninja (Core) - Our other Killer Icebreaker, and similar to Aurora in that gives a solid strength to credit ratio boost of 5:3! Against everything but Archer, this means we will be strong enough to access every Sentry. Like Femme Fatale, we are also only paying 1 credit per subroutine. I quite like Ninja, and would use him over Femme Fatale as my choice of Killer Icebreaker..
Sneakdoor Beta (Core) - Instead of getting a Decorder as our third type of Icebreaker, we get a program that is all about running. As mentioned earlier, the Corp may focus on defending their HQ, which can make it hard to run against, and invalidate Gabriel's ability. But with Sneakdoor, we can run against their Archives, which are likely to be less defended, but count as successfully running against HQ. As a result, we get credits from Gabriel, have the ability to know use Lemuria Codecracker, and get to look at a card in their hand. The doenside is that it costs 2 MU, as our console only grants us +1 MU, a Criminal will have to look at other ways of expanding their MU. Alternatively, it could be hosted on Djinn (Core), since it is not an Icebreaker.

Resources
Bank Job (Core) - An interesting card, and similar to Account Syphon (Core) as it gives us credits instead of our normal run reward. Bizarely, the credits hosted on this card can only be taken when you would access cards on a remote server. So if they have a remote server with a trap that you know of, that is lightly defended and not replaced, you can run, not trigger the trap and earn credits. If you are running Aesop's Pawnshop (Core), you could take 7 credits off, and then at the start of your turn, trash it and have squeezed an extra 2 credits out of it.
Crash Space (Core) - Even the best Runners get in trouble, and this card is one of our two defensive cards. Giving us two abilities, the first allows us to save our precious credits when removing a tag, thanks to the recurring 2 credits it offers. The second ability allows us to trash it and prevent meat damage, the most notorious at present is Scorched Earth (Core). The problem is, once we are tagged, the Corp can get rid of this resource and then flatten us, assuming they have the resources to do so. So it is best used to remove tags you acquire running that turn, so the Corp has to give us tags in their turn.
Data Dealer (Core) - On the one hand, this card gives us a massive credit boost, without costing us any credits in exchange. However, as Criminals are likely to only win by scoring agendas, getting rid of one makes it harder for us to win. Personally, if people do use this card, I think they will only trash agendas worth a single point, so they don't set themselves too far back..
Decoy (Core) - Our other defensive card, and a good example of prevention is easier then the cure. If the Corp doesn't get to tag us, then our resources are safe, whilst some of their cards are useless. Al for the low price of a single credit.

So there you have it, the second of our Runner factions, the Criminals.

The one glaring hole with them is that they are forced to spend influence on getting a Decoder for breaking past any Code gates. That or use Femme Fatale, which is dubious by itself.

If you want to earn big credits and get rewarding for running, then the Criminals may be for you!

Hope you all enjoyed the article, and I look forward to any comments.