Benchmarking Master Cards

Let me begin by stating that I believe the best benchmark for master card pricing is 1 pool for a master phase action. Ascendance is the starting point for this argument.

Ascendance - 1 Master Phase Action resulting in a first turn profit of +1 Pool

The next step would be Short Term Investment.

STI - 4 Master Phase Actions results in +2 Pool

There is an original outlay of 1 pool (and 1 MP action) and then after taking 3 more MP actions, you realize a gain of 2 pool. The reason you don't profit 4 pool for your 4 MP actions is that the master card slot has a value. To profit 2 pool from an Ascendance you need to use 2 master card slots whereas with STI you only need 1 master card slot for the net 2 pool gain. It could be said that the savings of 1 master card slot with STI costs you 1 pool and the one turn delay until you break even costs you 1 more. These two cards are perfectly balanced.

Let's now look at Info Highway. It costs 1 MP Action, and 1 Master Slot. So whatever effect it produces should be the equivalent to 1 Pool Gain and instant profit like Ascendance. IH, in fact, lets you do 2 extra transfers per turn. So, while IH seems free, it actually has an opportunity cost. If you weren't playing an IH you could be playing an Ascendance which would result in a 1 pool profit. Therefore, the initial cost of the speed of 2 extra transfers is 1 pool. (This gets much more complex because the card is unique, and is a location so is therefore vulnerable to burning or stealing--how do you put a cost on that? I'll ignore the long-term cost/benefit for simplicity sake) Let's look at the three cards next to each other now.

Now onto the pre-7/7 Tomb.

It costs 3 pool, 1 MP Action, and 1 Master Slot. Examining its use with an 11 capacity vampire, you would receive the equivalent of four pool from the blood bank to put on your vampire in the first turn. You realize a profit of 1 blood (balanced with Ascendance) and a speed bonus of 4 transfers. If IH gives you 2 transfers for -1 pool, then how much should the speed of 4 transfers cost? -2 Pool. I believe the Tomb allows the equivalent of a 3 pool gain on the turn it is played.

What if the Tomb cost 5 pool? You'd pay 5, do 4 transfers and receive the equivalent of 4 pool from the blood bank. You'd receive the benefit of the speed and be at -1 pool profit at the end of the first turn. On that same 11 capacity vampire you'd pay 5 pool and get the equivalent of 5 pool on the vampire. That is a break-even proposition--except that you got an IC member out in 2 turns instead of three.

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