[Console_Cowboy]

So SRA has become my go-to system for Shadowrun, replacing SR5. It's rules-lite, low-prep approach keeps me from leaving a datatrail for the corps to follow and means I don't have to spend two nights eating soy takeout while planning a run with a random collection of drekheads that can't wrap their head around complex ideas.

With that in mind, what SR5 books would you recommend for gamers looking to just get updates, info, and details on the world and the metaplot?

My first thoughts are the Seattle Sprawl Box Set and Lockdown, but I've been laying low for a while and wanted to get the skinny from other runners in the know.

[Beta]

The Boston book is a campaign book, obviously including information on the lockdown.  (I think it would actually be a tremendous one to convert to an Anarchy campaign – might struggle a bit converting the traditional GM runs everything style, but the basic environment I think would work well).  However the Boston book is ‘back in time’ a bit by this point in the timeline.  So I’d suggest adding Market Panic, which covers what is happening with the Big 10 Mega-Corps (and some with the Corporate Court) following Boston.  The Seattle boxed set is even more recent, but I think Market Panic helps fill in the picture more.

[Gingivitis]

I have been prepping my players to run Lockdown since before Anarchy was released.  I am running them through pre-lockdown Boston to get them used to the culture, the rules, and play style before we go full lockdown.  I am doing runs that introduce things like the Catacombs, Salem, the Rox, the leylines, MIT&T, major players, the Mafia, the harbor, etc.  All stuff from the front of the Lockdown book.

The book is really good for setting.  It's probably better for Anarchy than for SR5 since most of the NPC write ups are unusable as is, the maps are terrible, and CFD is a mess unless used purely as a story device.

[Beta]

The book is really good for setting.  It's probably better for Anarchy than for SR5 since most of the NPC write ups are unusable as is, the maps are terrible, and CFD is a mess unless used purely as a story device.

Exactly :-)  We storied our way through big parts of it (using SR5), and I really think that SRA would have sped some parts up (instead of trying to figure out if the shaman could make a barrier that reached from this roof top to that roof top, have more license to just make it so because it is good story -- or to make it not quite reach if that is more interesting, etc)

[Console_Cowboy]

So SRA is a vaccine for CFD?