Raindrops Cut Stone

Raindrops Cut Stone 1[credit]

Event: Run
Influence: 3

Run any server. Whenever a subroutine resolves during that run (including a subroutine that ends the run), place 1 power counter on this event.

When that run ends, draw 1 card for each hosted power counter and gain 3[credit].

With every step closer to their prize, Bankhar felt the ice slicing white-hot through their synapses. It was worth it.
Illustrated by Scott Uminga
Decklists with this card

Parhelion (ph)

#68 • English
Startup Card Pool
Standard Card Pool
Standard Ban List (show history)
Printings
Rulings
  • Updated 2023-03-25

    If the Runner plays Raindrops Cut Stone, encounters Eli 1.0, and does not break any subroutines, does the Runner place 1 or 2 power counters on Raindrops Cut Stone?

    The Runner places only 1 power counter on Raindrops Cut Stone, as the first “{sub} End the run.” subroutine causes the run to end before the second subroutine resolves.

  • Updated 2023-03-25

    Does the Runner gain 3c for every power counter on Raindrops Cut Stone?

    No, the “for each hosted power counter” text applies only to the “draw 1 card” part of Raindrops Cut Stone’s ability. The Runner gains exactly 3c regardless of how many power counters are hosted on Raindrops Cut Stone.

  • Updated 2023-03-25

    If no subroutines resolve during a run initiated by Raindrops Cut Stone, does the Runner still gain 3c?

    Yes.

  • Updated 2023-03-25

    How many power counters does the Runner place on Raindrops Cut Stone during an encounter with Ravana 1.0?

    If neither of Ravana 1.0’s printed subroutines are broken, up to 4 instances of a subroutine resolving could occur. Raindrops Cut Stone’s ability counts both the subroutines on Ravana 1.0 and the subroutines on another rezzed bioroid resolved by the effect of Ravana 1.0’s subroutines.

  • Updated 2023-03-25

    The Runner plays Raindrops Cut Stone, encounters Ravana 1.0, and does not fully break it. If another copy of Ravana 1.0 is rezzed, can the Corp repeatedly have two Ravana 1.0 subroutines resolve each other in order to force the Runner to draw their entire stack?

    Yes.

  • Updated 2023-03-25

    When the Runner plays Raindrops Cut Stone and the Corp resolves a subroutine with ZATO City Grid, does the Runner place a power counter on Raindrops Cut Stone?

    Yes.

Reviews

This is a orange Bravado. Instead of getting more creds, you get to draw AND gain a net 2 . It fit really well with the anarch meme of facecheking ices. Like its blue counterpart, it should probably be slotted in nearly every anarch deck. There is no draw back to use this card, you will always minimally replace the card (and maybe get more) and gain credits, no matter what happen.

This is even better if you plan to use Tsakhia "Bankhar" Gantulga, since it would let you replace anything lost from your hand while still getting through for that essential run. It even mention the name in the quote!

Like Bravado, it is difficult to splash out of faction, because 3 influences is a tough sell, and the criminals are probably the only other faction that would be interested, and they have Bravado.

The art is strange and scary looking. I have a hard time understanding the black thing (centipedes?) in front of the humanoid (Bankhar?). The red sharp shapes seemingly falling seems to be the element that link the art with the name. The quote is much better, telling a story that fit the effect and the name of the card. A good card, with a good quote.

(Parhelion era)
4249

So finally the era of Endless EULA ends with this card?

Maybe?? 6 draws are huge anyway.

Anyway a good card for itself. It's like a red version of Bravado... or another version of Tread Lightly. Use it on unrezzed pice of ice to get a tempo swing, or get a Blackmail run.

(Parhelion era)
564

Not very good. Unless you're letting multiple subroutines fire -- which probably means you're losing -- this is worse than Dirty Laundry and harder to deploy. Dirty Laundry pays you to take safe runs you wanted to make anyway, which is great. Bravado pays you to run on ice when they probably can't rez it (or when you can beat it), another great time to run. RCS pays you to risk runs where you DON'T expect to be able to break the ice, which is probably the worst time to be running. It also doesn't pay enough that I'd want to lean into runs where I expect subroutines might fire. For this card to be playable, you have to expect unusually low-impact subroutines, which are not very common. RCS matches up well against a handful of rezzed ice like IP Block, possibly Mausolus, possibly Border Control, and a bankrupt run on an Afshar. It fares poorly against unknown ice. But... at the point where +$2 and 1-2 card draws would be most meaningful (early game), most ice will be unknown and you're the least able to deal with an ice if it turns out to be a sucker-punch like Fairchild 3 or Ansel or Saisentan. :-/

Separately, the card's effect is poorly explained in its text. There's a lot of room for confusion on whether RCS is supposed to give you $3 "for each hosted counter" or just a flat $3 once. Unfortunately, it's just a single $3, which makes the card quite bad. (In Standard, at least. In Startup ice are significantly less dangerous).

What about Bankhar?

If you have Bankhar out, your two-card combo can KIND OF break even getting through the first ice in a run by risking a lot of net damage and draws. But using RCS (a run event) means you're NOT using a run event like Chastushka, so your upside on the run is rather limited. Bankhar is risky/painful and I wouldn't want to use him unless the run has a lot of upside. PS: whether or not you're using RCS, on a Bankhar run you still might need to break the first ice because several ice can deal 5-6 net damage (Anansi, Endless EULA, or a fresh Envelopment). Taking 6 net damage now so you can draw 6 cards later is either fatal or the worst Moshing of all time.

(Parhelion era)