Cyberpunk TCG has revealed a new card, Alt Cunningham: Mother of Daemons, set to be included in the upcoming Welcome to Night City retail set. This rare Yellow Unit card focuses on protecting a player's Gigs, a key win condition in the game, while also generating card advantage. Polygon has exclusively revealed the card and its abilities.
Alt Cunningham, a legendary Netrunner in Cyberpunk lore, was known for developing the Soulkiller program. Her story is intertwined with Arasaka Corporation and Johnny Silverhand, eventually leading to her consciousness becoming an AI on the Net. The card's title, 'Mother of Daemons,' references the network programs used by Netrunners.
Alt Cunningham: Mother of Daemons costs seven Eddies and requires three Yellow RAM from a player's Legends. She possesses eight power and two abilities that synergize. The first ability allows the player to draw a card whenever a friendly equipped Unit or Legend is spent. The second ability enables the player to discard a card with a cost equal to a rival's Gig value to prevent that Gig from being stolen. Each player begins a game with six Gig Dice in their fixer zone, and a player wins by accumulating six or more dice in their possession. Dice can also be stolen if a Unit attacks the Gig Zone.
Alt's defensive ability is crucial for preventing opponents from stealing Gigs. To maximize its effectiveness, players are encouraged to have a variety of card costs available for discarding. Her first ability ensures a steady flow of cards to hand, aiding in finding the necessary answers or fuel for her own abilities. Units are spent when they attack, while Legends can be used as currency or to activate abilities. This interaction means Alt can potentially trigger card draws throughout a turn, especially when paired with certain gear.
As a Yellow card, Alt aligns with the color's theme of equipping, diverging, and repurposing resources. Yellow strategies often involve sacrificing elements for player benefit. The Zetatech Faceplate gear, for instance, can work well with Alt by adjusting Gig values and contributing to the draw engine. The card's design encourages a loop of equipping Units, spending them to draw more cards, and then using those cards to defend Gigs.
Welcome to Night City is scheduled for a full retail release on November 6. Pre-release events at participating game stores will begin the weekend of October 30. Earlier this year, the Cyberpunk TCG’s Kickstarter campaign was highly successful, raising over $28.3 million from more than 50,000 backers. The Alt Cunningham card is positioned as a potentially sought-after card for players favoring Yellow strategies.