Gamers.
I've put together a Radiant Lilith archetype primer and Tarot explanation.
This is the culmination of my 100+ games with Radiant Lilith, my thoughts on deck building choices, mulligans, game actions, playing in the cache, tips + tricks, side board and thoughts on other cards around this archetype. AS WELL AS thoughts on all Tarots as a whole.
So far I would like to thank BLU3 and R3D for creating this amazing game. P1NK for teaching me how to be a better player. Weta and The Mystic Tobias for reading this over and giving me notes.
Baes
Introduction
The objective of this primer is both an introduction to the Radiant Lilith deck archetype but also as a crash course on understanding the Tarot cards unique to the Mystic faction in Neuroscape and the supporting characters, protocols and environments. Shortly after joining the Neuroscape Discord and backing the Kickstarter, I quickly felt a strong affinity for the Mystic faction and Tarot card playstyle. It is a faction that has a fair amount of decision points but that also affords a lot of agency on the pacing of the game and when you can action your game plan. Ultimately, this archetype is a blend of control and combo as you use your Tarots as a resource for delaying your opponent but also to fuel the recycling bin for a Lilith win and generate recurring value from the datashards. We will review a shell of this archetype, some meta choices and where you can take it from here.
The List - Radiant Mainframe
3x Seer
2x B.O.B.
1x Zen Garden
2x The Grid
4x The Fool
2x The Chariot
4x The Hermit
4x The Tower
4x The Star
2x The Chariot
4x The Emperor
2x The Empress
The Win Condition
In this archetype, the Radiant Lilith deck has 2 main win conditions: the namesake Lilith, the Dark Moon, as well as incremental damage with Darkstone Datashard.
The main plan is to utilize the Tier 1 Synergy of Radiant to cycle through your deck as quickly as possible to get to a “one turn kill” number of Tarot cards in your Recycle Bin to activate Lilith, the Dark Moon, and bring your opponents mainframe life total to 0. Darkstone Datashard also provides additional chip damage that not only accelerates this plan but also can be used as a win condition as a backup.
Deck Strengths
The archetype excels at consistent combo wins while also being reactive to your opponents gameplan. There is a tool box of Characters and Programs available in Neuroscape so being able to tailor your deck to your perceived weaknesses or meta match ups is fairly straight forward. The strength of Radiant Lilith is the ability to use your Tarots as answers that also fuel your win condition. Tempo and card selection is another benefit of the Tarot card pool as a whole. Tarots are able to be used at Swift Speed, so understanding the Cache and Swift Check cadence will reward the pilot of this deck. Having our win condition be able to be at Swift Speed and utilizing Protocols for synergy gives some level of evasiveness from the opponent stopping our plan, unless the build around this archetype.
Deck Weaknesses
The primary weaknesses of this deck are Synergy, Aggression and Recycle Bin disruption. The deck list I will present as part of this archetype uses 18 sources of synergy in the mainboard, which is generally less than that of other monofaction mainframes. The trade off here is we utilize datashards to maintain consistent synergy, as they are generally harder for other factions to deal with, or require them to build around attacking Mystic synergy. Additionally, we utilize the slots for Tarot Programs to turbo out our combo. Without synergy, not only can the pilot not play Tarots, but without Tier 1 Radiant synergy, the deck moves much more slowly. The Mystic characters used here also do not have high health, so that are fairly easy to remove. This leads to the next weakness which is facing aggressive decks that use low cost characters. Since Mystic removal is mostly centered around returning characters to the owner's hand (bounce effects), low cost characters do not award the same amount of tempo when you target them with bounce effects. At a certain point, your opponent will achieve a critical mass that cannot be dealt with efficiently. Lastly, since this deck relies on Lilith’s Path of Darkness ability, having the Recycle Bin purged with Garbage Day severely delays the win condition.
The Core
Mainframe = Radiant
Radiant’s Tier 1 synergy allows the Mystic pilot the benefits of card selection and Tarot binning. This creates a pattern of every Tarot played potentially leading to 2 Tarots in the bin. This enables a certain level of consistency to get 20 Tarots in the Recycle Bin by turn 10.
Characters
One of the best low cost characters in the game, Astra provides synergy while replacing itself with an entered play effect of drawing a card. If you value a card like Trustfund Baby, you will understand the value of Astra. Additionally, Astra can be an efficient chump blocker since you have already gained the value from its enter play effect, provided you maintain tier 1 synergy.
Low cost, recurable card selection and card advantage. Similar to other factions playing ramp characters, Mystics favor DIVINE effects because in Neuroscape 1 Card generally equates to 1 RAM. The benefit here is that DIVINE provides card selection as well as the opportunity to bin a Tarot.
Our win condition on a 6/3 character. Swift speed activation ensures that the damage is dealt even if our opponent removes Lilith. Added benefit of being able to Reverse Tarot cards (more on that later.)
The Protocols
Our 2nd win condition is attached to a Protocol. This allows all of our Tarots to have the added benefit of 1 damage to opponents Mainframe, bringing the number of required binned Tarots down in the process. Also some level of evasion being a Protocol, while not taxing the Mystic pilots resources by needed RAM committed. Two unchecked Darkstone Datashards can win the game as well.
The flipside of Darkstone Datashard, Moonstone Datashard provides health to both health pools whenever the pilot plays a Tarot. The sustained survivability is absolutely necessary since the archetype does not have reliable character blockers and permanent removal. An early Moonstone Datashard should be able to provide 1-2 health per pool per turn cycle reliably.
While this may seem like a meta choice due to only protecting Bioframe health, the added benefit of Mystic synergy is worth running in its own right. In aggressive match ups, it provides a turn or 2 of protection, and in the Mainframe match ups, very consistent synergy, at 2 RAM.
The Tarots
Card Selection - The following cards are selection Tarots that can generally represent 2 Tarots in the Recycle Bin.
The bread and butter Tarot. This allows the pilots to cheaply gain benefits from the Radiant Mainframe and Datashards, as well as removing dead cards or feeding Tarots to the bin. This is card selection, not card advantage.
DIVINE 3 allows the pilots the ability to dig for answers, whether defensively to react to the opponents game plan, or offensively to look for wincons, characters needed for synergy, or more Tarots for the bin. This is a 1 for 1, so again, not a card advantage.
Minigame that might be the best Tarot card in Neuroscape. True card advantage as the pilot has the guaranteed ability to choose to put 2 cards in their hand. Fun dynamic that gives the opponent some agency in our card selection/draw but also the possibility of giving 3 cards into hand. Also a great tool for feeding the Recycle Bin with more Tarots. Guaranteed card advantage; usually +1 card, sometimes +2, rarely +3.
Removal
Swift speed Tarots that remove the opponents Characters, albeit temporarily.
Cheap 1 for 1 bounce effect that generates tempo because of the RAM commitment system balancing the ability for Characters to run in the same turn, and lack of 2nd Deployment Phase.
Using the Hermit on characters that cost 3+ RAM is where you want to be. Sometimes is a true removal with the Reverse effect putting the card to the top of the owner's deck. Note: Characters can still activate Swift speed abilities in Response, so using this on a Maximillion Gold is not great. Can be used on the pilot’s own characters in a pinch.
The Hermit but costed up for an extra target. Very efficient removal that can often 2 for 1 and get big tempo gains. Lets you select up to 2 targets, so sometimes there are situations where bouncing one of your Characters is necessary or preferred. Also can remove programs when Reversed. This is necessary for clearing Cheshire.rars or Trojans from your Mainframe.
The only true Counter this decklist runs, the main text allows Character countering while the Reversed effect targets Programs. This should be reserved for the bombs or game ending cards from your opponents game plan. 3 RAM is on the “more expensive” side of this deck list’s Tarot curve but most other Characters that need to deal combat damage to win can be handled with The Hermit or The Emperor. Situationally, this can protect your game plan with the reverse effect.
Environment
Essential stall effect that gives you 2 combat phases of protection from your opponent, as well as 3+ turns of protection from other damage dealing Abilities, triggers and affects. Can also be used for synergy in a pinch. If you need to stall longer to get to your Lilith combo. Be warned that Zen Garden can be interacted with in ways that leads to being blown out. Will discuss more in the gameplay section
Flex slots
The archetype needs some flex slots to handle decks that are tough match ups. This primer has laid out 10 slots that are considered flex slots. Use your current meta and match up data to make the best decision for your situation.
2x The Chariot
Situational targeted Program tech. With the changes of most removal losing Swift speed, this card has gone up in value. The changes to Dust to Dust and increase in Dustrunner players means you will also see that card more. Changing the target of a Beatdown, or other removal can be an easy 2 for 1 that might change the tide of the entire game. This is also a tool to have when facing the Redirect Trojan or a list with Propaganda. (Consider changing to The Magician for more reliable Program answers or more copies of The High Priestess)
2x The Empress
Ramp Tarot that does well in midrange or control match ups. 3 RAM to draw a card and install RAM is strong. The benefit of being a Swift speed Tarot is also beneficial here as it leaves you the flexibility of needing answers to your opponents actions.
(consider changing in a pure aggro meta).
2x B.O.B.
Anti aggro / anti “go wide” board wipe answer. While the downside of taking 4 damage is not taken lightly, the benefit of permanently answering Characters that might otherwise not be efficiently answered with The Hermit, The Emperor or The High Priestess. (Consider Riot Police or Seeker Drones here.)
2x The Grid
Symmetrical card advantage environment that also has the use case of removing an opponent environment. Since this archetype is full of Programs, you are very likely not to miss on this trigger. Can also dig for Datashards while filling the bin with Tarots. Requires some skill and awareness to avoid putting too many copies of Lilith in the Recycling Bin.
(consider more copies of Zen Garden, or 1x The Net, or The Moon.)
Mulligans
The general mulligan strategy for the Radiant Lilith deck archetype is pretty straight forward as the deck needs to prioritize getting to tier 1 synergy. So with that: Seer / Searcher of the Sky, Astra Cosmic Kitty, some Datashards are all essential starting hand picks. Do not be afraid to mulligan all 5 cards if you do not have one of these in your opening hand. Lilith is a bottom pick 100% of the time. Putting Lilith to the bottom of your Cyberdeck is actually really good because it is not difficult to get to the bottom of your Cyberdeck if you use your Radiant mainframe triggers aggressively. Having 1 copy of Lilith at the bottom also gives you reassurances that you won’t miss your last copy with The Tower or The Grid. Do not be too afraid to put back cards like The Star or The Tower if you don't have at least 1-2 sources of synergy. There are some matchups where you will need to mulligan aggressively for core and flex cards, such as Zen Garden, B.O.B or Riot Police. This is especially true for the Thrasher - Berserker Match up. The Hermit is also a great pick against Cybernetics as allowing them to resolve an early Cloaking Field can cost the whole game. Also if you know you’re running against cards like Maximillion Gold, prioritize The High Priestess. Against Butterfly Effect, take The Hermit or the Emperor to bounce their butterfly tokens.
The Game Plan
My experience would start by saying, choose to go first every time.
This deck is built in such a way where it prioritizes cards with card selection over ramp effects, so in a perfect world, you should be installing RAM every turn until you get to 12 or 14 RAM. There are currently no 1 cost Characters in this list, but the pacing of the deck is okay to install 1 RAM and pass, since that will either give you a turn 2 Datashard or Astra + 1 RAM Tarot or Searcher of the Sky w/ 1 activation.
Your first few turns should be spent prioritizing building to Tier 1 Radiant synergy and digging for those permanents that allow you to do so. Then you should prioritize Tarots that either keep you alive or move your game plan forward. Prioritize using Seer / Searcher of the Sky over The Fool for the sake of developing card advantage.
Around the midgame, you can afford to start stockpiling Tarots to use in response to your opponents game plan. You can also afford to play The Grid to start incrementally gaining advantage over your opponent through deck building choices and Tarots filling the bin. Try to secure your 2nd or 3rd copy of Lilith into your hand if you don't have your 1st yet. In general, the 1st copy of Lilith ends up in the bin. Around the mid to late game is when you should be looking to use the 1 copy of Zen Garden, just to get you to a situation where you can win at the end of it. Don’t play Zen Garden too early because you can get blown out if you cannot protect it against removal.
You should be able to wrap up the game starting around turn 7, depending on how early you hit your Darkstone Datashards, how much Mainframe your opponent has gained, and how fast you’ve been binning Tarots.
The game winning turn should start with having around 12 open RAM as well as enough Tarots or a path to enough tarots, to kill your opponent in 1 activation of Lilith. You will need 9 RAM for Lilith and ability activation, but will want some extra to play Tarots to protect her from being countered or handle Trojans/redirection. The most common safe play is to play Lilith, use The Emperor Reversed to bounce trojans, then activate Lilith to win OR play Lilith and keep The Chariot available to stop Redirect or Propaganda. Against Mystics, you will want Tier 2 Radiant synergy to be able to hold up The High Priestess against a copy of their High Priestess.
Tips and tricks
Understanding the Cache is crucial for this deck to play well. Here are some Cache and game tips that can level up your play:
Remember your triggers! Make sure to resolve your triggers, i.e. Radiant and datashards correctly. The tier 1 Mainframe synergy allows you to look at the top card and bin it before the Tarot resolves. This information will allow you the game knowledge to proceed through the turn.
Know when to play The Tower vs The Star. The Tower is good for advancing your game plan and gaining advantage, but if you need a specific answer, then The Star should be your pick.
Order your Tarots optimally. If you are looking for an answer or a copy of Lilith, play The Tower first, so that you get an opportunity to look at the top of your deck before resolving. If what you need is at the top THEN layer on The Star or Search of the Sky’s DIVINE 2 ability. There were games where I’ve played The Tower, just to see my last copy of Lilith on top, which gave me the opportunity to grab it with DIVINE before giving my opponent the chance to bin it.
Use The Fool aggressively when you have tier 1 Radiant synergy and/or datashards in play, this will filter your hand and get you incremental value.
If you have 2 ram, Searcher of the Sky and tier 1 Radiant synergy, play The Fool first so look at the top card, then decide if you want to activate Searcher of the Sky. If you think you might find The Fool with Searcher, then perform Searcher DIVINE 2 BEFORE declaring blockers, then use The Fool before Damage Step. Once the Cache begins to resolve, you cannot play more Tarots or activate Swift speed abilities, so use both Before Blockers and Before Damage Swift Checks to your benefit.
Use “phantom blocking” to your benefit. This is more of a trick with Searcher of the Sky and Luna than anything but if you need to block to feign out a combat trick from your opponent, then don’t be afraid to, knowing you can activate the Characters ability to remove them from combat. I have won games by blocking with Luna to bait out my opponents Overloads Mk 2 to target Luna instead of my health, only to then activate Luna and gain life + remove her from combat.
The Chariot can target The Chariot to effectively remove it from the Cache. You can also play The Chariot in response to a Redirect targeting your Lilith’s ability. The correct action is you change your Lilith from your opponent to yourself so that the opponent MUST change it back to them. Beware of Rubber Ducky AND Redirect. Best practice is to use The Emperor if you suspect Rubber Ducky and Redirect.
Force Quit Zen Garden when it means you can win. This mostly pertains to when you have Darkstone Datashard in play and need to chip damage to win.
Use The Empress or The Tower to bait our Rubber Ducky. These 2 cards are the favorite target of Rubby Ducky enthusiasts, use it early to get it out of the way. They will not benefit from it as much as you do since we prioritize RAM installation and Tarot binning. Either way we will end up slightly ahead.
Luna does not target, therefore it gives some backup play against decks running Redirect and Propaganda. Luna also gives you some back up against Garbage day, as you will need half as many Tarots in the bin to win.
When resolving The Tower, never* choose the 1 pile. If your opponent wants to give you more cards, take more cards. 99 times out of 100 more is more. *there are 2 times you might want to take the 1 pile: If you need your last copy of Lilith and you THINK they are putting it in the 1 pile (TBH if you are in this position then you probably misplayed beforehand and got stuck in this bad spot) OR if you need more Tarots in the yard to get to lethal (i.e. your opponent might give you Darkstone Datashard in 1 pile and 2-3 Tarots in the other.)
If your starting hand only has 1 form of synergy, but you have The Star, use it aggressively to get another synergy. Getting shut out of synergy can result in a non-game.
Side Board
This card is the most commonly asked “why isn’t this in the mainboard?” The short answer is, we don’t need it in the mainboard. We aren’t typically faced with Garbage Day in the main and there are cheaper options to stay alive. Doubling the effect of Lilith makes resolving the OTK a 15 ram commitment, and that’s not counting any RAM you need to leave open to protect Lilith.
That being said, this does often come into play when facing match ups that are more aggressive than ours, which is most of them. The reason why we value it higher in game 2 is because it works better in a slow setting, where you are expecting to play around Garbage Day. If the opponent plays Garbage day before you have 10 Tarots, you should be able to still win off of Darkstone Datashard and Lilith alone, but in situations where they Purge more than 8 Tarots AND you never damage their Mainframe, then you will need Luna to OTK with Lilith.
2x Riot Police
It is a body that gets down early in the game for the purpose of blocking low to the ground Characters, which we struggle against as is. 3 RAM to draw another copy is strong too. I would consider replacing B.O.B. in the main with 2 copies and keeping copies 3 and 4 of Riot Police in the side if the meta calls for it.
2x Zen Garden
2 more copies to create consistency in mulligans. Except for Berserker Thrasher and Coyote Dustrunner, we really don’t need more than 1 if we are playing to our plan.
This is here to stop Cybernetics from using Cloaking Field to create an un-interactable Character early. Also to deal with Spinal Splitter.
3x Terminate
Great for mirror matches, Trojans, System Error and Generational Wealth. Not entirely sure if it’s worth bringing in for Wonderland Cheshire.rar.
Other Build Choices
-Seer
FAQs:
Why not more Mystic Characters?
As mentioned earlier, this deck doesn’t generally need more. With the majority of the decklist being Tarots, we are able to consistently get 2+ Tarots into the bin each turn, meaning winning by turn 10 is consistent. Characters take up RAM which equates to less Tarots being played and binned. The basic requirement to “go off” is tier 1 synergy on Radiant.
Why not Trixie?
Trixie seems like a really tempting Character with her ability to draw 1 off of each Tarot played, but as we have seen with the Radiant mainframe changes, drawing 1 is strong but it doesn't end the game faster. This archetype needs Tarots in the bin, not in our hand necessarily. Searcher and Seer accomplish a similar goal, card advantage, while being a bit cheaper and presenting the option to put Tarots in the bin. The RAM investment is risky as Big Kat is popular in 2 of the most played archetypes right now.
Why not 4x Zen Garden?
Zen Garden is a powerful effect but it doesn’t progress our plan at all. Ideally, we should be playing Tarots to speed up our wincon. If you play Zen Garden, you are committing 3 RAM for a turn which can equate to 1-2 Tarots being played, not counting any potential binning from Radiant, this can set you back 1 turn. Also Zen Garden invalidates your removal since they aren’t attacking, therefore the RAM isn’t really being taxed in the same way. Bouncing them when Zen Garden is out is like giving them a “free” Force Quit when they go to their turn. Also there is a nonzero amount of times where your opponent can destroy Zen Garden. If you play Zen Garden, you want/need to follow it up with Characters and Protocols to develop board state tempo, that you would otherwise lose by not using Tarots reactively.
And should any amount of ram installers be ran for aggro matchups?
This is a deck building consideration, more so than an aggro match up consideration. I would not consider Trustfund Baby for this archetype because of the need for synergy. I have tried a more generic control deck when Delete was swift speed, filling my deck with “good stuff” like Trustfund Baby’s and Deletes, but it took longer to win with less Tarots. The other consideration is Psychic, which the benefit of Psychic is being a 1 ram synergy, that is a RAM sink later. Turn 1 Psychic potentially allows you to cast your 2 RAM Tarots on turn 2, 1 turn earlier than the decklist outlined here. This might allow you to build a decklist with a higher curve (I would run 4x The High Priestess if I was running Psychic,) but I think this will actually play slower over the course of a game. In an aggro meta, I would still favor Riot Policy over any Mystic Character.
What tarot do you think is the most valuable/ flexible?
To answer this question, the Tarot will need to achieve 2 things, be at least a 2 for 1 and be great in multiple situations. The card that best fills those criteria is The Emperor. It is essentially 2 for 1 removal for Characters, that can sometimes be used to protect/bounce your own Characters/Programs, and situationally be used to clear opponents Programs or Trojans. Rarely does this card backfire by getting hit with a Rubber Ducky also so even at it’s worst, it is still better for you than it is for your opponent.
What do you not want to see?
Berserker Thrasher in general is a tough match up. The specific card there is Frenzied Fan since there is no way to efficiently get rid of it. Frenzied Fan is one of the best reasons to run Riot Police.
Cloaking Field + any aggressive Character: Once Cloaking Field is on a Character such as Cryoblade Assassin or Lasersaw Berserker, the Mystic pilots won’t have many mainboard counter play to it. Cyberwear cannot be targeted by any Mystic Tarot. This is a big reason to play B.O.B.
Maximillion Gold: An early Max can run away with the game and fuel a big advantage for the Corpo player. Simply bouncing him is not enough because his strength is not in attacking but installing 2 RAM every turn until he can OTK. Similar to Lilith but quicker and better early in the game. This is definitely worth play The Hermit + The High Priestess to stop.The Death changes took away the tool Mystics needed to stop him efficiently.
Coyote Dustrunner: With the changes to Tether, they are much more resilient and we will have a harder time removing them for good. The Hermit will allow them to get their Tether back and replay to draw again. Losing Rogue Valkyrie as a side option makes this matchup even harder.
Garbage Day: A well timed Garbage Day can set your wincon back at least 3 turns. Darkstone Datashards can carry you to victory through 1-2 Garbage Days, and Luna + Lilith can take you over the edge in a pinch.
Unexpected Deja Vu: some cheeky decklists will run Deja Vu as a tech choice against Mystic players to get game winning damage through when resources are limited. Coyote and Omnis Blood Diamond / A-Z Luxureon pilots might include a couple of copies. Its enough of a problem to warrant running The Magician in the main.
Other Tarot Thoughts
A protection “combat trick” for 1 RAM. This primer situationally values this card because of its inexpensive cost being an enabler for Radiant and the Datashards. Additionally, this is valued higher after Searcher of the Sky received a 1/1 change, which gives a situation where you can trade a 1 RAM Tarot for a 1 health Character your opponent is swinging with, while protecting your synergy and getting triggers. Situationally can protect your Datashards from removal as well, when Reversed.
(Consider The Hierophant for more early game action or cut Temperance if you opt for The Seer instead of Searcher of the Sky.)
An early game option that gets worse as the game goes on. Can potentially punish a player that doesn’t play around it, but loses its effectiveness if they run any ramp effects. I would throw this away the first chance I got, and hopefully there is a Radiant or Datashard trigger to add value. Currently I put this against Temperance as far as the impact they can have against aggro playstyles, but Temperance’s usefulness doesn’t fall off as hard as The Hierophant’s does. Reverse effect is good, but reverse isn’t always an option when you need this to do it’s thing.
We aren’t swinging so the combat trick element is almost pointless. It might allow your character to punch up, but not always survive. It also doesn’t protect them against cards like Delete or Death Metal.
At face value this card seems playable, 2 RAM to install 1 RAM is basically the going rate for RAM installation effects in Neuroscape. The problem with this card is you NEED to have tier 1 synergy to reliably get the effect. Leaving it to chance is not acceptable. So at best its 2 RAM install 1 RAM but lose the Radiant Trigger since you have to keep the card at the top of your cyberdeck. This is just not enough on its front side. The reversed effect is great, 2 RAM to draw 2 is incredible, but then the question becomes how reliable is it to be getting to tier 2 Radiant synergy or having Luna/Lilith out? At 3 RAM, The Tower gets you 2 cards reliably and also doesn’t use up your Radiant trigger and also bins more tarots.
An interesting removal piece as it has a floor that is weaker than The Hermit, removing an attacker from combat by running it before it can attack. What makes it slightly worse than The Hermit is you give the opponent that agency to attack or hold back to activate an ability, whereas The Hermit taxes the opponent harder if they attack and not activate an ability. That being said, the ceiling is higher than a regular Hermit because when combined with another Tarot, it can run down 2+ targets from combat. The reversed effect doesn’t really come into play with this archetype as it is meant to clear the way for attackers. This is a lower priority than both The Hermit and The Emperor.
This card is good for getting a flex Tarot for specific situations or getting The Star or The Tower for when you need to card select or card draw. The only reason I don’t think this makes the cut is because this decklist already has so much card draw and card selection, that it’s not too difficult to get to the card you need anyway. Sometimes this may be too deep in your cyberdeck and end up blank. Also you can’t use the card you fetch in the same Cache that The Sun resolves in, so you will have to be proactive with your tech choice and hope your opponent still plays into it...The reverse effect is not great because if you have Tier 2 synergy, there’s a good chance you already have the Programs you need i.e. Datashards.
Cheeky way to blow out your opponent in a close game. This only really works if they either don’t expect it or are also low life and make a really bad combat swing out. A good player will play around this. This also requires you to be pressuring their life total, which isn’t really where the Lilith combo aspect of this archetype wants to be. Reads as more of a 2v2 card.
Pseudo removal / activated ability counter but relies on RNG. If this could be more consistent then it would be playable.
Similar write up for The World as for The Sun, fetch a situationally good card, i.e. Zen Garden. But the cost is a bit high for when you need a Zen Garden. Most games I’ve played with this in my Cyberdeck ended up with it being blank because I went through the whole deck anyway.
Counter any card is truly powerful, and with great power comes great cost. Perhaps this is just too prohibitive to be practical. You need to maintain a Character you will feel okay sacrificing (RIP Astra) but that means keeping 2 RAM tied up at all times and potentially losing synergy. Still costs 3 RAM so might be too late to stop a Maximillion anyway. Maybe playable in a Character focused deck archetype that runs Psychic.
This card should just read sacrifice your Character to destroy attacking opponents Character. Similar to The Hanged Man, this is an expensive cost to remove an attacking Character. This is meant for more of an aggressive style of Mystic play, such as Aurora, where it can be much more flexible.
Another form of single target removal but as a true destruction effect. Swift speed of Delete but with the downside of giving your opponent a 2/2 after. This might not matter at all if you’re playing against a Bioframe damage deck. Situational, would consider this vs Deletes in the side.
This is a way to ensure symmetrical destruction between your characters and your opponents characters. This does require you to have characters which we might not have the board state to support consistently.