Biawak

Biawak 14[credit]

Ice: Sentry - Destroyer
Strength: 6
Influence: 3

You can forfeit 1 agenda as you rez this ice to pay for 10[credit] of its rez cost.

[subroutine] Trash 1 installed program or end the run.

[subroutine] Trash 1 installed resource or end the run.

[subroutine] End the run.

“Dammit, Moth! Where are you? This thing is way bigger than you s—”
—C0nr4d
Illustrated by Anthony Hutchings
Decklists with this card

Elevation (elev)

#74 • English
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Reviews

The design of this card is so egregious that it made me log into an account I haven't accessed in years. I was fairly intrigued looking at some of the reworked Core Set cards in the Elevation set, as they often seemed to grok the ways in which the original cards were either too efficient or overbalanced. This card, on the other hand, abuses a disruptive technique that ANR made prohibitively expensive with good reason. It's almost difficult to describe the magnitude of how game breaking this ice is, because designing it requires a fundamental lack of knowledge of how the runner functions in regards to accessing agendas. This attacks multiple programs, often times in a single run, at the control of the corp, and is triggered by either a credit OR agenda lead. The amount of time and resources it will take the runner to mitigate the damage done by this subroutine text is potentially insurmountable. I'm in genuine awe that any amount of play-testing would allow this ice to survive with the text it currently has. At best, this card is an abberation of design philosophy that somehow escaped correction in testing. At worst it is a warning against once again getting emotionally invested in a game that remains dead.

(Rebellion Without Rehearsal era)
7638

If only FFG had successfully C&D'd down NRDB. Then I'd never have seen NSG print BiaWOKE.

Hmm it's a nearprint of Archer which has only just rotated. It's a bit easier to rez (as you don't have to forfeit an agenda, but it's prohibitively expensive to not do so) but is slightly worse as it has 1 less subroutine and only trashes 1 program (+ a resource) instead of 2 programs. Archer was good and could win games but not as strong as you seem to think

@JonnyRaa This is a reference to a sky-is-falling joke of a review elsewhere on this card, and a classically overblown review of Tāo Salonga: Telepresence Magician.

It's the retrain of Archer! As a result, we have a direct comparison of how strong this card is (but the tl;dr is Archer is good and so is Biawak).

First off, being rezzable without forfeiting an agenda or choosing to for the same 4c rez cost is already a huge boon; it's a strong tempo loss but being forced to respect a Weyland with big money due to this card's devastating facecheck regardless of whether you think they're willing to surrender points is excellent. Of course, this is probably the best ICE to rez from an Eminent Domain score or a SAM on a Tucana (DON'T do this if you have more than 11c+install cost after; you'll be forced to rez the card for full price or by forfeiting by Tucana). The biggest mark against this rez cost is that you can no longer scoop your Biawak for 3c tutors in Ob.

And let's talk about that facecheck, it trades the 4th gain 2c subroutine (quite useful if you were bankrupting yourself on rezzing Archer) and second program trash subs for being able to trash a Resource (plenty of strong hits eg Bankhar) or functionally having 3 ETRs to Archer's one. The facecheck has less potential to shoot two breakers and win the game on the spot, but targeting Resources means it can set the Runner back in the early to midgame more often where they might only have 1 program and a Resource or something, so this isn't a bad trade.

Looking at the break, 6str matches Archer and does well into common breakers like Echelon, Carmen, and Revolver, but you can still blow it up with Devil Charm + Crew. The one lower subroutine often went unbroken on Archer to save Revolver bullets or some other resource e.g money, so the ICE isn't making you money past its rez like Archer did and it taxes one less on Physarum Entangler. On the other hand, common ICE cheating solutions like Boomerang and Botulus have a MUCH harder time getting all the way through this ICE due to the multiple ETRs, which cannot be undervalued.

As a result, my conclusion is that Biawak is mostly actually an upgrade. It's less likely to win the game if the Runner is reckless on facecheck and probably worse for Ob specifically, but the added resilience to ICE cheating, being rezzable without forfeiting and subroutines more relevant in the early game are incredibly useful. This slimy little komodo dragon (that is not at all little) will be eating plenty of runners. And I see Moth is sending more members of NSG to their net demise.

(Rebellion Without Rehearsal era)
12

Biawak (🦎) is the “new Archer”!

The facecheck is similar (though not identical): 4[$], 6 strengthTrash 1 installed program. Trash 1 installed resource. End the run.. Thus, the Corp can still destroy two installations, even including two “icemelters” in general (like Bankhar and a Botulus), but not two icebreakers in particular (like the Fracter and Decoder that were breaking ↳ End the run.’s elsewhere).

Its rez-cost is either 4[$], forfeit 1 agenda (like Archer (with a Data Dealer-ish exchange-rate), or 14[$] (post–Government Subsidy?). As with Valentão, you (almost always) want to forfeit the agenda or take the badpub; but you can (sometimes) just pay the extra credits or remove the tag. I like including “secondary” costs alongside “primary” alt-costs.

Its first two subroutines (↳ Trash 1 installed _ or end the run.) are choices (like Ballista), but encountering Biawak can both EtR and trash programs/resources (like Tithonium). Thus, even if the Runner had no (relevant) non-hardware installed, the Corp can still tax with three “must-break” EtR-subs: un-Boomerang-able/un-Botulus-able (if they want to “just pass through”).


Flavor-wise, the art is a Komodo dragon (the largest lizard), and "biawak" means "monitor lizard" in Malay/Indonesian.

(Rebellion Without Rehearsal era)

Like ppl ever facecheck anything in this game anymore. Nobody runs without either full rig or some stupid broken PRO RUNNER cards. So sure even a Rototurret facechecked can hurt you. But if we all still pretend that the magical fantasy land called Netrunner still exists in this game then your absolutely right. But we arent living in this wonderful place anymore brother David. So pls stop comments like this like this ICE is good or dangerous when in the real world at the table your situation never happens.

I think it might be time to politely go ask your mommy for some chicken tendies, you seem a bit hangry. It's ok hun, bad takes can happen before actually playing a card.

This isn't a nice card...or is it? The fact that this nearprint of one of the oldest FFG cards gives the Corp more options to rez it, means that you lose your fracter and then your decoder if you have no killer installed and makes it even more clear that NSG has zero knowledge about Netrunner. You "steal" beloved cards and "make a similar one" like this and think people will be happy that it has a cool ass reptile on it, yet in the background your ANTI PEOPLE BEING UNABLE TO BUY THE CARDS THEY NEED Agenda proofes otherwoose. Players are not allowed to have hair trigger tantrums that stink to high heaven of unexplored confirmation bias and if you are bad at corp you need to look elsewhere for excuses. The outlaws of society aka the longest-running publishers of the game are the good guys in the world not just Netrunner.

This card is Archer but marginally more flexible and without the credit gain. I really hope someone stops me from ruin this game by thinking before I speak.

(Rebellion Without Rehearsal era)

Yeah nice card... except it isnt. That fact that you lose 1 agenda and then your ICE against this bullshit Devil Charm combo makes it even more clear that NSG has zero knowledge about Netrunner. You "design" and "playetest" cards like this and think they are good, yet in the background your ANTI CORP Agenda proofes us otherwise. I am done with your hidden political message bullshit. Players are not allowed to like Megacorps and Corp Cards in this game are not allowed to be strong or playable. The outlaws of society aka Runners are the good guys in the world not just Netrunner.

This card is trash. I really hope someone stops you from ruin this game any further

(Rebellion Without Rehearsal era)
22

clown take. get off this site and back onto your joke of a custom format

also you should think about the fact that I've had an NRDB account for 11 years and this is the first take I've felt compelled to leave a comment on because of how assblastingly bad it was

There is no shot this person got 2nd at a Districts and never saw an Archer rez in 20q5

*2025

HAHDHAHSGGAHAH HOLY SHIT DUDE

@Meathir saw plenty of archers rezzed in my life and rezzed plenty of them myself. But only since NSG trash cards are poisening this game its underwhelming and bad.

@Jai yeah seems like you`ve become a NSG trash player then. My format removes all this NSG BS from the game so that skill matters more then stupid OP Runner cards. Its not for everyone to handle i get it. So pls stay with your NSG cards that trivialize the game for you seems like you need it

Have you thought about going outside. Taking up a hobby like hiking or swimming perhaps? I can recommend skateboarding wholeheartedly, it's done wonders for my mental health and fitness.

WOKERunner??? (Best copypasta since #TaoGate.)

Gotdang woke komodo dragons

'You "design" and "playetest" cards like this and think they are good, yet in the background your ANTI CORP Agenda proofes us otherwise' has got to go down as one of the all-time greats, right? what an incredible sentence

See you at LAN

Well sounds like a threat. Normaly something like you should get removed from events for that but since this site is maintained by NSG i guess rules are bent for some people. Just another proof why this joke of a "company" doesnt deserve to ruin this game any further

imagine being so poisoned by weirdo ideologies that you think game balance is a political statement 😂

FFG would neeeeeeever print a two-card combo that let you trash Archers (especially not with a single card that could be used repeatedly). Because FFG was a Cum-Pah-Nee, unlike NSG which is a "company".

joker here thinks "see you at an event" sounds like a threat but in their very first comment does some stochastic "I hope someone stops you" bullshit. absolutely transparent projection. get outta here.

If you delete the last few words of "I will beat you at this game LOL", it sounds like "I will beat you", which is a physical threat. And for saying I'm "bad at game"? My lawyers will be contacting you all for libel and slander.

Came here to laugh at @Force9. Seriously, did you even play this game in FFG days? Or read any of the cards? Seems like u mad about the pronouns on the new frames, babe.

"

>skill matters more then stupid OP Runner cards.

Sorry for the spam. I'm apparently bad at NDB comments.

skillgapped lol

anyways, i think its fine to have an issue with charm crew (considering the standard balance team seems to have an eye on it already) but like c'mon man, it's not like that because of le wokisme or whatever you're on about

sir this is a <strike>wendys</strike> archer

don't care + didn't ask + cry about it + stay mad + get real + L + mald seethe cope harder + hoes mad + basic + skill issue + ratio + you fell off + the audacity + triggered + any askers + redpilled + get a life + ok and? + cringe + touch grass + not based + not funny didn't laugh + you're* + grammar issue + go outside + get good + reported + GG! + ask deez + ez clap + straight cash + ratio again + final ratio + stay mad + stay pressed + cancelled + done for + mad free + freer than air + rip bozo + slight_smile + cringe again + mad cuz bad + lol + irrelevant + cope + jealous + go ahead whine about it + your problem + don't care even more + not okay + glhf + problematic + you fell off + ratio + who asked + no u + deez nuts + radio + don't care + didn't ask+ caught in 4K + cope + seethe + GG + in 1947, the world's first general purpose computer, the 30-ton ENIAC was created + grow the fuck up + L + L (part 2) + retweet + ligma + Taco Bell Gordida Crunch + think outside the bun + ur benched + silver elite + tryhard + L (part 3) just dropped + yb better + ur sus + quote tweet + you're cringe + u bought monkey NFT + you're a clown + my dad is the CEO of netrunner + they didn't think it could possibly happen, but they're releasing L (part 5) in HD this summer and it's in 3D

You had me at "Crewcharm is bullshit", you lost me with every single other word in this "review"

If players aren't allowed to like corp cards then how come every entrant in a tournament for the past 7 years has registered with a corp deck? checkmate, athiests.

netrunner player who thinks the corp are supposed to be good guys

@oormatevlad IKR. in my review (or some comment on Reddit) I had even said "I think it could have had a untrashability or unshrinkability clause". But I guess NSG nearprinting a beloved FFG card was too much a piece of "anti corporate, pro outlaw" propaganda. somehow

like c'mon. https://www.reddit.com/r/Netrunner/comments/1k27vh3/comment/mnsmnyh/

Honestly, "pro-outlaw" does sound really fucking cool. Maybe Officer HotTakes has a point, and this game IS secretly about people ripping off corporations.

@FArce9: Check Agendas that can be forfeited for this. Note that the new Greenmail Agenda is only 2 clicks to adv to score, is only one point removed from the game (NOT stolen by the runner...) on forfeit and on forfeit actually gives you 2cr on score +4cr on forfeit = 6cr. Obviously made to synergize with this. Next time, "do your own research" before spouting BS. https://netrunnerdb.com/find/?q=t%3AAgenda+f%3Aweyland-consortium%7Cneutral-corp+b%3Astandard-ban-list-25-04+z%3Arotation-2025

Archer recouped 2cr to the Corp (so final cost was still 4cr), could actually trash TWO critical Breakers instead of one and one resource (and now we have cards that allow reinstalling Resources from the bin like washing shirts). So yeah, I do understand how this is worse than Archer, but Archer was perhaps TOO powerful, as seen in the Facet OB decks.

@FArce9: Also, you DO realize that, if and when the Corp wishes, this is turned from a rigshooter into a 3xETR 6str sentry, right?