The rules for a legal crew
Your crew contains 12 distinct cards. It must include at least three different Heat values, with no more than seven cards at any single Heat. All 120 playable cards are available from the start, so you can select a crew without first collecting rare copies. Auto-build is an option if you want to get into a Job quickly.
For example, a Heat distribution of four cards at Heat 1, four at Heat 2 and four at Heat 3 satisfies those Heat limits, provided the 12 cards are distinct. A distribution of eight at Heat 1, two at Heat 2 and two at Heat 3 does not: eight exceeds the seven-card limit. This is a legality example, not a claim that one distribution is best.
Haul fills the bag; Heat fills the alarm
Haul ranges from 1 to 10 and increases your bag when the card appears. Heat ranges from 1 to 5 and increases the shared alarm. A high-Haul card can build a tempting bag quickly, while high Heat can use up the room that both crews need.
Evaluate cards as part of the whole crew. Choosing a card for its Haul alone overlooks what happens when it appears late in a vault. Choosing only for low Heat overlooks the loot you need to bank. Neither stat controls when the Tripwire appears.
Give all four roles a place in the plan
Brains, Muscle, Wheels and Face are the four roles. Flipping all four during a vault earns a Full Crew: your bag doubles when you bank. Including each role in your crew gives you a chance to reach that condition, but does not guarantee the right cards will arrive before it is time to leave.
Check whether a role depends on a single card in your chosen crew. If that card does not appear, you will not complete the set in that vault. More representation can change your opportunities, but each replacement also changes the crew’s Haul and Heat mix.
Keep collection and strategy separate
A Gem Mint slab and a worn copy of the same character have identical gameplay stats. Art variants and grades are collection features. Build your strategy around the playable card’s Haul, Heat and role; collect the versions you enjoy looking at.
A useful way to learn your crew
Begin with auto-build or a legal crew you understand. After a Job, ask whether you repeatedly lacked a role, took more Heat than expected or banked too little to compete. Change one card, recheck the limits and play again. A single unlucky vault is not enough to prove that the crew is bad.
Read the banking strategy guide to connect those choices to a vault, and visit the collection overview for grades and variants.
Your next job
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