I probably run this card on Jnet more often than most people, and I'd just like to note one thing that the previous review overlooks. Hydra only costs 10 when it doesn't fire. Otherwise its net cost is only 5 because the second sub immediately pays you back half the cost (obviously you still need the full price on hand for the rez). This makes Hydra a surpisingly viable option as a midgame rez for an averagely rich deck. You can go broke to rez it and it will immediately pay you back enough cash to play a Hedge Fund. Meanwhile, clearing their tag costs the runner a click they might otherwise have used to capitalise on your low funds. All this means that as long as you're sure the runner is going to bounce off it, Hydra can be favourably compared to mid value ice, whether it's stoppers like Mestnichestvo or tax-walls like Funhouse. You could even argue it's preferable to Tollbooth, in certain lights, if you squint a bit.

In the case the runner can break it, the subs are irrelevant, so all you need to know is the numbers. In this case it's still not bad if you can afford it (only one strength less than Týr and without the uniqueness or alternate breaking option). This is an occasionally handy but - in my mind - secondary use. Combined with the analysis above, you might think of Hydra as a very good medium-cost ice that becomes a slightly-below-the-curve high-cost ice once the runner can break it - whether you've rezzed it by that point or not.

All this means that in its optimum use-case it's a very code gate-like sentry (note all the comparisons above are code gates). It doesn't do the runner really dangerous damage when it hits, but it creates a big economic tempo swing. You get: a big ETR ice for the price of a middle-sized ice. They get: a tag. In its less-than-optimum use case it's just some big numbers.

Kingmaking (👑) is a “DIY 4/3” if you're holding onto (or draw into) an X/1, as well as drawing up to 3 cards itself.

“Low-Worth” agendas include:

• Post-Truth Dividend
• License Acquisition
• Oracle Thinktank
• Superconducting Hub

See v<2 t:Agenda f:NBN|neutral z:standard .

Design:

• Like Regenesis, it “free-scores” an agenda when you score it (which I love). This encourages its own specific agenda-suites: Regenesis wants 5/3’s, esp. which have Archives-relevant (like when stolen) text; and Kingmaking wants 3/1’s, esp. which have (non-when you score & non-hosted agenda counter-based) abilities.

• Even if you didn't care about the extra agenda point or any abilities (like False Lead), it still “removes” one agenda in your hand from the game, which is a (petit) anti-flood effect on its multi-draw.

Note:

• While it won't trigger Superconducting Hub’s conditional (on-score) ability, it does still enable its static (in-score-area) ability. For example, in @koga’s “Teeth Azmari”, a (44-card) deck which sleeved up 4 X/1’s for 3 Kingmaking’s.
• IMO, the text would read a little better as worth 1 agenda point or less / worth 1 or fewer agenda points.

A kingmaker scenario in a game of three or more players is an endgame situation where a player who is unable to win has the capacity to determine which player among others will win.

en.wikipedia.org

Descent (🌀) can protect agendas both:

• with its ↳ End the run. subroutine, and
• with its Shuffle up to 2 agendas in HQ and/or Archives … expendability.

And (because it draws 1 but shuffles 2), you can still tuck away an agenda already in HQ even if you also draw another one. For example, tucking two The Basalt Spire’s or SDS Drone Deployment’s can be brutal; unlike the in-faction Drudge Work, it won't earn you six credits, but also won't take up a deck slot, and isn't rotating.

Like Tatu-Bola, it's a $2/1s/1↳ EtR (at 2/5-inf) that can reposition itself (& shrug off trojans) and/or gain “unbreakable” (non-subroutine) value. AFAICT, it's the last in NSG's cycle of “gearchecks with late-game” (tho the only Code Gate):

• Ping (sg): has an On-Rez.
• Ablative Barrier (tai): has a (Threat’d) On-Rez.
• Tatu-Bola (tai): bounces to swap, for econ, and repositioning.
• Descent (rwr): bounces to expend or reposition.

PS. @Sokka’s spoiled champ card Key Performance Indicators seems to be a “Weyland Level Clearance” that can tuck an HQ-agenda (while advancing / installing ice / earning credits), which could cannibalize Descent by also being a (more powerful) anti-flooding effect that's “multiple cards in a single slot”. Or maybe together, they'll provide enough in-faction (& incidental) flood-protection to save influence (& slots) on some Spin Doctor copies (as some 44-card decks, like BTL & PD, have done). Or maybe not, since—while Descent can tuck Archives-agendas too—they're both “action-speed”, not “window-speed” (lol) like Spin Doctor. IDK.

Environmental Testing’s “install four programs/hardware” mini-game is kinda/sorta halfway between time-based econ (like Daily Casts) and clicked-based econ (like Telework Contract):

• While you need clicks to install programs, you don't need to waste a click on just taking credits (same as good run-based econ).

• While you only have about four clicks per turn, you can easily "cash out" quickly (like triple-clicking a Liberated Account).

Design:

• It's econ that's non-generic (& non-neutral): You don't just “wait for credits” or “click for credits”, you build your deck around the two card-types it cares about, and you play your games to speedrun it or not. (Even if it were neutral/0inf, IDs can't just drag-n-drop it in for some extra econ.)

• It counts up (not down) to be charge-able.

Synergies:

• Program-“Fetching” Programs/Hardware (since they double-trigger ET): Self-modifying Code, Muse (e.g. Muse–Coalescence gets you two triggers for zero credits off one card in grip), Simulchip, Gachapon, etc.

• Clickless Program-Installs: esp. in Arissana Rocha Nahu.

• Self-“Bouncing” Programs & Program-Bouncers (once you re-install): Pichação, Urban Art Vernissage, etc.

• Other “Program-/Hardware-fall” triggers, Program-Cheapeners, Program-only Hosted-Credits, or so on (every program becomes cheaper to install and/or better upon being installed): LilyPAD, DZMZ Optimizer, etc; even Az McCaffrey and Prognostic Q-Loop in Crim.

• Cheap Programs/Hardware (just sleeving up a lot in your deck, duh).

For example, with DZMZ+ET+Lily, installing a program a turn will save you $1, get you “$1.5” closer, and draw you 1 card (see “The Metric Octopus - 11th at Worlds 2023” ).

You can accelerate it easily, ET–I–I’ing one turn then I–I’ing the very next turn (as long as you already had them in grip, or could draw into them, or have been re-installing cards, or so on); though you will be spending credits (on installations) after having sunk three (into installing it itself). You can “compress” it too: install a SMC or Simulchip the same turn (as ET), but crack it on the Corp's turn (double-triggering a LilyPAD; then, on your next turn, install Muse–for–Coalescence*, popping ET (while setting up your rig at the same time).

PS. An ID like Hayley Kaplan, which triggers on either turns (Runner and Corp alike), could have popped ET by manually installing only a single program (on R-turn) and then cracking SMC (on C-turn).

As @dnddmdb says in their review, "one click for six credits is simply very strong".

This gives tempo to the corp. While it is not a "trash on sight" card, it has an ability that can really change the course of the game : install something from archive directly, anywhere, at no cost (but no rez).

This is not to be underestimated, as that can give the corp powerful asset/upgrade (like Rashida Jaheem, Wage Workers and The Holo Man), trashed ices (like Border Control) or even an agenda (that can be put inside the protected server, waiting to be scored next turn).

What might have been an exchange of installing The Powers That Be in an earlier turn, to install a card later (a click spent now to save a click later), can become a powerful tempo boost. And this synergize even more with Asa Group: Security Through Vigilance and A Teia: IP Recovery, since those corp gain additional benefit from a free install. Possibly, Near-Earth Hub: Broadcast Center could get a boost also.

The 1 influence for EVERY corp is a fair price for this asset. Much cheaper than using Restore in influences. At a trash cost of 3, it is costly enough to give pause to the runner.

Here is a fun shenanigans that can be done in the Jinteki faction. If you score Hybrid Release using Kakurenbo, you get to put any installable card from archive AND install something from archive or HQ, thus getting 2 installed cards for an agenda point and 2.

The art is amazing and could easily be on a playmat. The quote goes with the art to indirectly refers to Jeitinho, where the runner wins the game by "knifing" 3 times. So much dimensions to this. Amazing!