Refractor

Refractor 1[credit]

Program: Icebreaker - Decoder
Memory: 1 • Strength: 2
Influence: 2

Interface → 1[credit]: Break 1 code gate subroutine.

1[credit]: +3 strength. Use this ability only by spending a credit from a stealth card.

"If you look like you belong, people will ignore you for hours. Or years. It's only when you don't fit in that things start to go wrong." -Exile
Illustrated by Hannah Christenson
Decklists with this card

First Contact (fc)

#57 • English
Startup Card Pool
Standard Card Pool
Standard Ban List (show history)
Printings
First Contact
Rulings

No rulings yet for this card.

Reviews

Pros

  • 1 install cost for a 2 strength, 1 per subroutine Decoder is awesome by itself
  • 1 stealth credit for 3 strength boost is also fantastic

Cons

  • cannot defeat code gates of 3+ strength without the help of cards that provide stealth credits

Notable interactions

  • most importantly, needs a source of stealth credits that can be spent on a decoder, which right now means Lockpick, Cloak and/or Ghost Runner
  • A very strong breaker for Rielle "Kit" Peddler, since the first ice she encounters each turn gains the code gate subtype, so this can then break it
  • At 2 base strength, without boosting, this can already defeat Enigma, Quandary, NEXT Bronze (for a while at least), and Yagura
  • With a single stealth credit boost up to 5 strength, can now defeat some popular heavy-hitting ice like Tollbooth, Inazuma, Lotus Field, and Viktor 2.0

Final Thoughts

  • Probably the best stealth breaker at the moment due to its low install cost, and ability to defeat some early game ice before finding any stealth credits
  • The synergy with Kit is so strong that there is a reasonably successful deck archetype built with her, the sources of stealth credits, then usually also Dagger, and some form of heavy R&D attack.
(Order and Chaos era)
2658
Can the credits for breaking subroutines still come from Stealth cards? —
@Kutpurse: Yes. Stealth credits function as a regular credits, some abilities just require —
the credits to be stealth. So you can use Smoke's or Cloak's credit to pay for Corroder or for the "break a subroutine" ability on Refractor or Dagger. —