Armed Asset Protection is an “archived card types matter” transaction.

Best case, you can net +$8, from $2 to $10 (= -$2+$3+5×$1+$2). For example, if you've resolved another operation, gotten an asset trashed, installed over a rezzed piece of ice, gotten an upgrade flipped faceup from an early archives breach (that you'd discarded to max hand size), and expended an unstolen agenda.

Worst case, when Archives is empty (or completely facedown), it's worse than just clicking for a credit (+$1). nb. Operations are “nonbasic actions”, and can't get any worse than “playing it is worse than taking some basic action” (unless it were stealable, I guess.)

When the three “safe & easy” types to trash (ie. operations, assets, upgrades) are archived faceup, you net +$4, like a Sure Gamble.

Note also that you can expend three card types (which are trashed faceup):

1. ICE (Tree Line)
2. Upgrade (Angelique Garza Correa)
3. Agenda (Slash and Burn Agriculture)

Compare:

• Extract: Also a thematic transaction (Weyland’s theme in Borealis Cycle being “sacrificing installations”). nb. AAP synergizes with trashing rezzed cards too.
• Government Subsidy: AAP can have a greater profit margin with a lower initial investment (or… lesser profit with higher investment than even Beanstalk Royalties).

Related:

• Blockchain: Another “archived matters” Weyland earner, interestingly.