Really, nobody care for this one ?

Well, that's true the numbers are not great. 4 cost for a strength of 3, only one sub. But hey, a hell of a sub !

At last, a code gate that the runner will really fear to facecheck — what Mausolus failed to be. The kind of card that is not a true gearcheck, but acts as one since the Runners will hate to trigger this thing, much like Architect. Ok, it doesn't install the card you'll search, but Midseason Replacements can't be installed.

Now, let's be clear, it's not the piece of ice to run 3 copies in a 4 code gate deck. Keep some Quandaries or Enigmas, for they are cheaper and true gearcheck. Keep some Mausoluses, they remain a higher tax on the long run and don't become waste if Yog.0 hits the table. It's not even a piece of ice that every deck should play. But still, it may become the default face check threat in many, especially the kill flavor ones.

Obviously way better than the 1.0 version, if it's good at all is yet to be seen. I think it's probably good as a 2nd or 3rd Ichi 1.0.

But what I want to point out is a remark about design : Zed 2.0 is the first destroyer that doesn't trash programs and the first Ice that trashes hardwares and have the destroyer subtype (let alone Enforcer 1.0 which trashes programs and consoles). It's interesting to see if that stretch of the destroyer role will be kept or if it's just a one-hit weirdness — that makes more sense than the observer subtype given to Bloom, though (unofficially spoiled at the time of this writing, it's an alike of Crick and Architect).

I hope it'll see play, I want to burn my Sharpshooters one last time before they leave. And feel we'll miss them if a significant hardware trashing ice is ever released.

There's something interesting with Fawkes in that for a naked Smoke (I mean a Smoke with no other stealth credit source than her own — don't feel aroused) it's basically a Gordian Blade for sentries. Keep your stealth credit for Fawkes use only and it's like it has a 2 strength value.

From the magician-themed breakers (Houdini and Blackstone being the 2 others — remind that they keep their strength during the whole run), it's far from being the more efficient, but is the one that give you the more leeway in pumping, since whatever the higher strength of sentries stacked on a server, you'll never ever need more than 1 stealth to deal with every sentries during that run.

Well, that's in case there is no surprise : an unrezzed Archer behind a Veritas is a problem, considering that throwing away credits just in case is a problem. Also, the Corroder/Gordian Blade pattern is nice, but it has its limit against pieces of ice with high strength and/or many subs. There stand a problem, because due to Mimic popular sentries are sub-heavy or have strength > 3, often both. Hence, they're taxing for Fawkes.

Now a simple solution could be playing more stealth provider, something you want if you play a stealth deck after all. From that point, I'm not sold of Fawkes being better than Dagger, a card that is just so-so for many and plain bad for some. Comparisons :

• Both of them fill the same niche : an influence free killer for Shaper stealth deck.
• they are strictly equivalent for ices of strength = 0 : Tour Guide, Rototurret.
• Fawkes is better for ices of strength = 1 : Cobra, Komainu.
• equivalent again for ices of strength = 2 : Lancelot, Swordsman.
• Dagger is better for ices of strength > 2, the more the strength, the more the save : Data Raven, Architect, Archer
• Ichi 1.0 : this fucker deserves its own bullet in this listicle. It is already a pain for Dagger, such as if there were a need for Dagger hate, they'd just have to print Ichi 1.0. Fawkes just cries and asks 7.
• Install cost : the Dagger the better.
• Sentry stacking : Dagger ask for load of standard and stealth credits, Fawkes demands few stealth and a buttload of real money. Let's say draw game.

Is it lost ? Maybe time for dusting off Deus X and Sharpshooter ? That takes slots. Better play Dagger and more Net Mercur, I think.

Now that's a puzzling design. It's a card that should have been a resource but is instead an event with subtype condition. More on this later.

First, some quick thoughts on its effects and uses :

• trash only itself, not the hosted card (not 100% sure about that, but given wording on previous condition events, I read it as such).
• nice counter against Hard-Hitting News, a precious help against Jintekill decks and the best counter to Cerebral Overwriter ever printed. Has a good cost for that.
• can surely help against a surprise single tag or damage, but feel a bit expensive for that. I mean, if for some reason you don't care Hard-Hitting News or Snare! but want to deal against Data Raven or Shock!, find something else.
• in the same faction that Account Siphon.
• probably a good card that'll see some play, even though there are matchup you won't want to draw it.

Now back on its type and subtype. One wonders why it's not simply a resource. Get a look at the restrictions this design brings :

• you have to play it along some resources, else you can't use On the Lam.
• you better have to play resources that stick on the table. If your only resources are Temüjin Contract and DDoS, the use for On The Lam becomes narrow. Not that it's unthinkable to install On The Lam on such a card when you feel a threat that justifies it, but it's better than your deck doesn't have this only way to play it.
• Career Fair, The Supplier and Street Peddler won't help to install it. Prepaid VoicePAD can, but that's not anymore the option it used to be.
• bet that hosting resource becomes a target of choice for resource trashing or uninstalling. Of course, being a tag counter it makes you more resilient to tag, but expect Voter Intimidation and Archangel.

Designers could have made it a resource, but obviously, they wanted it not to be that easy to use. Probably to not give an on-the-go Hard-Hitting News counter or Account Siphon enhancer. I'm fine with that.

The code-cracking little brother of the new wall fracking star. I won't get long on the obvious : credit for credit, it's far to be as good. I won't consider the "install from heap" ability either. We know the corp counter comes along and that very good option is more risky from now. Let's see what it's worth as a new Anarch decoder.

Anarchs used to deal with code gate with Yog.0 and Datasucker, then came some answers (Lotus Field first, but also Little Engine, Archangel, Wormhole and Cyberdex Virus Suite) and Anarchs were not really keen on casting the Force of Nature. (I still wonder why Yog joined the MWL soon after. Design space for low strength code gates, they said, as if Enigma, Quandary, Pop-up Window and Yagura didn't see play before).

Whatever, Anarchs decided to sell their souls and swing a sling and they yoglessly crushed the meta. Until the MWL strikes again.

It's funny how Black Orchestra is decent where Yog is bad or unable :

• 3 vs Lotus Field, just as good as Gordian Blade.

• not so against other code gate with 4 or 5 strength. Have a few sucker tokens and Yog shines again, but at least, you have a decent solution if you just get purged and the central are out your reach. Tollbooth really hurts Black Orchestra, but Tollbooth hurts everyone and everything.

• 6 strength code gates ? It becomes tough for Yogsucker, but Black Orchestra is decent again. Better than Gordian Blade against DNA Tracker by 1, worse against Archived Memories by 1.

• 7 strength code gate are tough for both of these solutions. It's probably a job for D4v1d.

Decent. Just decent. Black Orchestra is not the definitive decoder, but Anarchs don't have to have one. It's just an interesting option to fill a gap in their suite.