Adam Smasher, overpowered is the point.
He’s not just a psychopath; Adam Smasher is an unstoppable force. He’s the living embodiment of the concept of “one-man army,”... depending on your definition of “living.” One doesn’t kill Adam Smasher; you hope to survive him. He’s a reminder that society, with all its culture and structure, is an illusion over a primal soulless void.
So he’s 50€$.
At the high side of competitive play, he’s a third of your 150€$ budget. In the Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2-player starter, he doesn't show up until the final campaign scenario, and only then if Arasaka is losing. He’s a valuable corporate asset, after all. His time can’t be squandered. And yes, he’s a specialist. So, no, you can’t use two.
Unlike the other Characters, Adam Smasher does not have a Veteran or Elite version. He has two GREEN and two YELLOW actions, for a total of four actions in an activation. His skills are 3 Melee, 4 Ranged, 2 Tech, and his full conversion body has 4 Armor. That’s a lot of high values in one basket. You might consider spending a few more eddies on a weapon or two, as his top-tier skills and four actions make great use of most firearms.
His first special ability is Monster. When he takes out a rival model, he refreshes an Action token. That can keep a killing spree rolling if your rival tries to swarm him. His second special ability is Unkillable. This is more of some bookkeeping, as it defines him as a Cyber-Character at all times, and when he dies, he doesn’t drop a body token. Narratively speaking, he’s incapacitated at best, likely pulling himself out of the rubble of whatever building you just dropped on him.
So how do you fight Adam Smasher? We’ve got a few tips for you. First, don’t expect everyone to survive. Sacrifices will need to be made for you to achieve your goals. If the mission requires taking out rivals, aim for other targets.
If you’ve got another objective, keep Smasher distracted. Spread out and sacrifice your people one at a time. He’s only one model, he can’t be everywhere at once. Adam doesn’t have a Reflexes bonus, so he can’t disengage quickly. He’d much rather pummel whatever model had the hubris to get within Reach. If he’s in a Brawl, he has to target other models in the brawl, so that at least limits Smasher’s threat range.
He’s also vulnerable to some of the programs that target Cyber-Characters. He opposes these attacks with his Tech skill, which is lower than his armor. Monowire is also able to put a wound or two on him if you insist on trying to neutralize his presence.
We wish you luck; you’re gonna need it.
-Mack
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