The Cyberpunk TCG is a Gig-driven game. Gigs are the axis almost everything else bends around — of the revealed cards that carry rules text, Gigs are referenced more than any other mechanic. Understanding what a Gig is worth is most of understanding the game.
The four card types
| Card type | cards | |
|---|---|---|
| Unit | 49 | |
| Legend | 20 | |
| Program | 19 | |
| Gear | 9 |
Units are the body of a deck — they contest the field and steal Gigs. Legends are the named characters, usually expensive and usually game-swinging. Programs are the netrunner side of the game, and Gear attaches to and improves what you already control.
Keywords you will actually see
These are the templated abilities in the revealed pool, with how many cards carry each one. The counts move as reveals continue; this table is generated from the live catalogue, not written down.
| Keyword | cards | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Play | 19 | Triggers when the card enters the field. |
| Blocker | 14 | Can be assigned to stop an incoming attack. |
| Attack | 12 | Triggers when the card attacks. |
| Spend | 11 | Requires paying a cost to use the ability. |
| Quick | 8 | Acts at a speed the opponent cannot answer normally. |
| Go Solo | 6 | Pay a Legend's cost to field it as a ready Unit that can attack immediately — but it is removed from the game if it ever leaves the field. |
| Defeated | 6 | Triggers when the card is defeated. |
| Call | 3 | Searches or filters your deck. |
| Adrenaline | 3 | Conditional boost tied to the game state. |
Street Cred and RAM
Two resources sit alongside the cost line. Street Cred (★) gates and triggers a range of effects — several cards check whether your Street Cred is higher than a rival's, or by how much. RAM is the netrunning resource; Programs and some Legends consume it, which is what stops the Program half of the game from simply being free value.
Go Solo is the mechanic to learn first
It appears on 6 revealed cards and it is the one with a real trap in it. Go Solo lets you pay a Legend's cost to drop it as a ready Unit that attacks the turn it lands — enormous tempo. The cost is that the Legend is removed from the game if it ever leaves the field. Not trashed, where it could be recurred. Removed. Play it as a finisher, not as a body.