Before the first Recruit phase even opens, Deep Sky: Tracers asks you to make a decision that will shape every combat for the rest of the match.
You are offered 3 Darknet contracts from a pool of 6. You pick one. That contract stays with you the entire game, providing a passive clause that triggers every combat and a rotating command package that cycles a new ability every turn.
Contracts are not small bonuses. They are strategic identity picks. The right contract amplifies your board plan. The wrong one wastes potential every round.
[PICTURE OF THE CONTRACT SELECT SCREEN WITH THREE CONTRACTS AND THEIR DESCRIPTIONS]
What a Darknet Contract is
A Darknet Contract is a match-long strategic modifier. Once you pick it, you cannot change it. It comes with two parts:
- A passive clause — a small but consistent effect that fires automatically every combat. No cost, no activation, just a free bonus every fight.
- A command package — three rotating abilities that cycle one per turn. On turn one, you get command A. Turn two, command B. Turn three, command C. Then it cycles back to A on turn four.
The passive clause is always on. The command package changes the texture of your combat every three turns. Together, they add a strategic layer that no other system in the game touches — your contract is the one thing on your board that you chose before you saw a single shop offer.
Clause vs rotating command
New players often focus on the passive clause because it is the easier part to understand. It is always active, always visible, always doing something.
But the command package is where contracts get deep. Because commands rotate, they create a rhythm. Every three turns, you know which command is coming. That means you can plan around it — positioning a unit to benefit from a specific protocol, or timing a purchase to match the turn your strongest command fires.
[PICTURE OF A CONTRACT CARD SHOWING THE CLAUSE AND THE THREE ROTATING COMMAND ICONS]
The cycle is straightforward: commands rotate every three turns. Turn 1 uses the first command, turn 2 the second, turn 3 the third — then it repeats. Once you internalize this rhythm, you start seeing the contract not as a bonus, but as a three-turn strategic calendar.
The six contracts at a glance
Aegis Leak
Clause: your leftmost unit gains +2 shield every combat. Commands: Null Guard (blocks one hit), Aggro Hack (forces TAUNT on an enemy), Mirror Hack (reflects the first hit back to the attacker).
Aegis Leak is a frontline contract. Every passive benefit goes to your slot-one unit. If your board runs a dedicated tank in the leftmost position, Aegis Leak reinforces that identity every round for free.
Ghost Archive
Clause: your first glitch purchase each turn costs 1 CR less. Commands: Data Leak (reveals the enemy board), Market Probe (grants a free SCAN), Database Injection (improves next shop quality).
Ghost Archive is an economy contract. That 1 CR discount on your first buy compounds over the match. Across 6-8 turns, it saves 6-8 CR total — nearly enough for an extra tier upgrade. The commands support information and shop advantage.
[PICTURE OF GHOST ARCHIVE CONTRACT DETAIL SHOWING CLAUSE AND COMMAND DESCRIPTIONS]
Echo Smuggle
Clause: any adjacent pair of allies gets +1 power each. Commands: Data Siphon (copies a neighbor's chip), Load Balance (splits the first hit across two units), Syndicate Spoof (fakes a faction tag for synergy).
Echo Smuggle rewards tight positioning. If you build your board with intentional adjacency pairs, the passive clause quietly adds +1 power to both units in the pair — every combat. The commands support creative board manipulation.
Safehouse Breach
Clause: your leftmost unit blocks the first debuff applied to it. Commands: Encrypt (blocks Poison, DREAD, or FEAR once), Damage Limiter (caps damage at 50% HP per hit), Malware Cleanse (clears Poison after round one).
Safehouse Breach is a defensive contract built for matchups where debuffs and status effects matter. Against a V0!D player stacking DREAD and FEAR, or against Worm-heavy boards applying Poison, Safehouse Breach can neutralize key threats.
Jailbreak Writ
Clause: your strongest ally gains +1 power. Commands: Kill Order (focuses the strongest enemy), Overdrive (grants a bonus attack), Overflow (overkill damage splashes to the next unit).
Jailbreak Writ is the aggressive contract. Its passive buffs your carry unit every fight. Its commands amplify burst, focus fire, and splash damage. If your board is built around one strong damage dealer, Jailbreak Writ makes that unit even more dangerous.
[PICTURE OF JAILBREAK WRIT CONTRACT DETAIL WITH CLAUSE AND AGGRESSIVE COMMAND ICONS]
Breach Market
Clause: your first hit each combat ignores enemy shields. Commands: Breach Tag (ignores TAUNT on the target), Chip Corrupt (deals 2 damage and disables an enemy chip), Shield Inversion (converts enemy shields into damage).
Breach Market is the punisher contract. It bypasses defensive setups — shields, taunts, and chip effects. Against opponents who invest heavily in frontline durability, Breach Market cuts through that investment directly.
How contracts affect drafting, loadout, and combat
Your contract choice should influence decisions in every phase, not just sit passively in the background.
During drafting: if you picked Ghost Archive, you know your first buy is discounted — so you can plan your shop spending around that free credit. If you picked Jailbreak Writ, you know your strongest unit gets buffed, so investing in one carry piece has extra payoff.
During loadout: if you picked Aegis Leak, your leftmost slot has bonus shields, so placing your best frontliner there gets maximum value. If you picked Echo Smuggle, your adjacent pairs matter — position your core units next to each other.
During combat: contract commands fire based on the turn cycle. If you know Overdrive is coming on turn 3 (Jailbreak Writ's second command), you can plan your turn-3 board to maximize the bonus attack's impact.
[PICTURE OF A BOARD POSITIONED TO MAXIMIZE AEGIS LEAK'S LEFTMOST SHIELD BONUS]
The players who get the most out of contracts are the ones who build around them, not just benefit from them passively.
What new players should value first
If you are just starting, do not try to master all six contracts at once. Focus on two things:
First, pick the contract whose passive makes sense for your board. Running a frontline tank? Aegis Leak. Want economy breathing room? Ghost Archive. Building around a single strong unit? Jailbreak Writ. That simple filter is enough for your first several matches.
Second, pay attention to the command cycle. After a few games, you will start noticing which turn your strongest command fires. That awareness is the first step toward using contracts strategically instead of just receiving them passively.
No contract is universally best. Each one enables a different game plan. The strongest contract is always the one that connects to how your board wants to fight.
Want to go deeper on contract strategy? Read the contract strategy guide. For the full match walkthrough, check out the first match guide.