Updated Hacker Specialists

First, here are the NON-hacker Heroes (ie, they only can hack via their Basic Interact card): Antathys, Melithys, Qorox and Tarira. If these are the only Heroes in your game, you will have a rougher time with hacking because only the Basic Interact action will be available!

Note: See also the original Hacking article now called => the Secret Seven

Note: Hacking is important! Of course you want to hack into a terminal or network … but you also will need to open LOCKED DOORS by hacking, which is imply drawing one interact token from the bag. You need THREE MATCHING COLOR interact tokens to be successful (white is wild, but don’t draw two white in one action of you fail that attempt). This is possible with all the hacker Heroes, though it is easier for some of them:) However, most of these Action Cards go into cooldown slot 2, so using 1 rest action will let you use the card again on your next turn.

There are TWELVE Heroes with a hacking special action, so you might like to have at least one of these on your team! I highly recommend that at least one of the players uses one of the following Heroes:

Two Hacking Action Cards:

Sigyn is the only Hero that has TWO Action Cards that can be used for hacking! In a tight situation, Sigyn can hack with BOTH of her two turn actions… which are:

The Jammer Rifle is a great Action Card because Sigyn can use it as a WEAPON or for HACKING! And it lets her hack at a range of 5 for 2 interact tokens.The die can bump it up to 3 or 4 PLUS a red boost can bump it up for 1 as well – so up to 5 interact tokens with one action!

The Oculus Hacker Goggles only works in close quarters (adjacent to the object) but allows up to 4 interact tokens (if placed on cooldown track 4).

Free Hacking at the End of Every Turn*

Jastin is the only Hero with an ongoing Effect card. An effect card automatically triggers on EVERY turn*, so technically, that puts him in the same league as Sigyn because he also can use his Basic Interact card (even twice … so 3 card actions on a turn:)
*as long as it is on your cooldown track … so place it on 4 when you play the card if you can

You can see the EFFECT icon in the top right. That means the card automatically triggers on every turn as long as it is on your cooldown track.

Jastin’s Hacker Drone has a range of 3, so it can work at a distance. Plus it lets you draw 2 interact tokens (one at a time). Since it activates at the end of every turn, if you play it on cooldown track 4, it could be used 4 times (that is 8 interact tokens at 2 per turn).

Hacking at a Distance

At times it could be quite dangerous to get right next to (ie, adjacent) to an object in order to hack it. Thus, Heroes that can hack at a distance are preferred (and they can hack an object they are adjacent to as well).

Let’s look at the SEVEN Heroes that can hack at a distance (yes, less than half our Heroes can do this!)

Laelia is the best at this and can hack from a distance of EIGHT (if the dice roll to be +2 and +2). Even with a bad dice roll (no +1 or +2) her Hacking Drone can hack at a distance of 4. PLUS she can get 3 interact tokens in one action and have a successful hack all in one long distance action! Typically it will take at least 2 actions (pulling 6 interact tokens) but often that enough time to do so without taking damage from an enemy.

Notice that if you use a red boost, you can place the card on 2 of the cooldown track and be able to use it again your next turn (after a regular rest action).

Sigyn can actually use her Jammer Rifle to hack from a further default distance of 5, but can’t increase that range like Laelia can (with her 2 dice). Plus with a good die roll she can get 3 or 4 interact tokens (enough for a successful hack with a bit of luck). She even can add a red boost for one additional interact token (up to a possible 5 in one action). [The Jammer Rifle card has already been displayed]

Memnon can hack from nearly as far as Sigyn with a distance of 4. His Hacking Device gets 3 interact tokens which is enough for a successful hack (with the luck of the draw). But he can get 1 or 2 more with a good die roll. Plus with a red boost he can get another interact token. So he has the ability to gain 6 interact tokens in one action!

Eradicator hacks at a distance of 4 with his Hacker Scope. He only gets 1 interact token, but you roll 1 die which can give up to 2 more. Plus, if you take one damage to yourself, you can get 1 more interact token (this definitely adds a different style of play:).

Adryel is a special case because he can use a blue boost with his Comm Device to hack at a range of 5. Without the boost, his default range is 3. But with a good die roll he could draw enough interact tokens for a successful hack (he gets 2 by default and the die could get him +1 or +2 more).

The next distance hackers can only do up to a range of 3.

First is Jastin’s Hacker Drone. But we already discussed that (see above).

The other is Gia. Her Infiltration Units can hack with a range of 3 plus give her 3 interact tokens.

PLUS … she can spend two of her focus (instead of using them for rerolls) and DO IT AGAIN! Even on a different object! PLUS using a blue boost she can place the card on the 2 slot of the cooldown track and be able to use the card again her next turn (after a normal rest action).

Hiro barely made it into this list of distance hackers. His Grid Slicer can hack at a range of 2 giving 2 interact tokens by default. He rolls one die which can add 1 or 2 more.

Using her green boost, Talya makes it into the list of distance hackers (note that she does not start with a green boost, so try to gain a green Inspiration Personality Mark soon)! The boost gives her +2 range. Her Hacker Specialist starts with only hacking adjacent objects, but the +2 extends her hacking range to 3.

But THE BEST PART of this card’s action is that if she uses the card as her first action on her turn, she can take whatever color interact token she wants for her first token. Then she gets one more by default but a die roll of +1 or +2 will give her additional interact tokens!

Adjacent Only Hackers

Vera canNOT hack at a distance, but she can hack for more than just 1 interact token that a Basic Interact gives. Her Comm Wrist Band gives her 2 interact tokens by default, but a +1 or +2 die roll gives her more (up to 4)!

Bassilus’s Cipher Interface Glove only works on an adjacent object but you roll THREE dice! You start with getting only 1 interact token. But each +1 or +2 on a die add more! You could get up to 7 interact tokens!

Xalia’s Decryption Device is risky and only works for an adjacent object. It starts by giving her zero interact tokens! In order to actually get some interact tokens, you need to roll a +1 or +2 on your 2 dice! But you also can spend one focus (instead of using it for rerolls) to get 1 more interact token.

More Interact Tokens

We have seen all the Hacker Heroes now. But, you need THREE interact tokens for a successful hack *AND* they must be the SAME COLOR (white is wild). So, you can see how getting at least three interact tokens in one action is desirable (and more is better). So lets go through the list of our Hero Hackers starting with the ones who get the MOST interact tokens:

EIGHT

Jastin has an EFFECT that activates every turn, so if he plays it on the 4 cooldown slot, it can trigger 4 times giving 2 interact tokens each time. [range 3]

SEVEN

Bassilus gets 1 interact token by default, but rolling 3 dice can give up to 6 more. [range 1]

SIX

Memnon gets 3 interact tokens by default. Rolling 1 die can get up to 2 more. Plus a red boost give 1 additional interact token. [range 4]

Vera gets 2 interact tokens by default, but rolling 2 dice can give up to 4 more. [range 1]

Gia gets 3 interact tokens by default. But spending 2 focus (instead of on rerolls) you can do it again (for 3 more). [range 3]

FIVE

Sigyn gets 2 interact tokens by default with her Jammer RIfle. But you roll 1 die which can give up to 2 additional tokens. Plus a red boost will add 1 token. [range 5]

Talya gets 2 interact tokens by default. But you roll 1 die which can give up to 2 more tokens. Plus a yellow boost will add 1 token. [range 1-3]

Xalia gets zero interact tokens by default but you roll 2 dice which can give up to 4 interact tokens. Plus you can spend one focus (instead of using it for a reroll) to get 1 more. [range 1]

FOUR

Play Sigyn’s Oculus Hacker Goggles on the 4 cooldown slot and get 4 interact tokens. [range 1]

Adryel gets 2 interact tokens by default. But you roll 1 die which can get up to 2 more tokens. [range 3-5]

Hiro gets 2 interact tokens by default. But you roll 1 die which can give you up to 2 more. [range 2]

Eradicator gets 1 interact token by default. Rolling 1 die can get up to 2 more tokens. Taking 1 damage to yourself can get you even 1 more token! [range 4]

THREE

Laelia gets 3 interact tokens by default. [range 4-8]

WARNING: There is a drawback to drawing lots of interact tokens. If you ever draw two white interact tokens in the same action, that action fails. Any tokens previously on the object stay there. And if there was a white token on the object BEFORE you take this action, drawing one white token is fine! Only a second white token in the SAME ACTION causes the failure!