Bacterial Programming

Bacterial Programming 5/3

Agenda: Research

When Bacterial Programming is scored or stolen, you may look at the top 7 cards of R&D, add any number of them to HQ, trash any number of them, and arrange the rest in any order.

Illustrated by Pavel Kolomeyets
Decklists with this card

Down the White Nile (dtwn)

#33 • English
Startup Card Pool
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  • Updated 2023-08-31

    If the Runner steals Bacterial Programming from R&D with accesses remaining, what happens if the Corp uses the ability on Bacterial Programming?

    The Runner continues accessing cards from R&D as normal, starting with whatever card is now on top of R&D, and proceeding down through as many cards as they have accesses remaining.

    If the Runner steals Bacterial Programming from HQ with accesses remaining, what happens if the Corp uses the ability on Bacterial Programming to add any cards to HQ?

    The Corp randomizes any cards added to HQ together with the remaining unaccessed cards in HQ, then the Runner continues the accesses as normal. Note that cards entering HQ cannot change the total number of accesses the Runner has.

    If the Runner steals Bacterial Programming from Archives, what happens if the Corp uses the ability on Bacterial Programming to trash any cards?

    The cards trashed by Bacterial Programming enter Archives facedown. The Runner must access those facedown cards like any other cards that have not been accessed yet. The accessed facedown cards are returned to Archives facedown when the access phase ends.

Reviews

I played with Bacterial Programming for the first time tonight in my Punitive Evolution deck, and for the love of Apex this card is out of control.

The specific play that sold me on it was discarding two copies to Archives (it was a calculated risk) and the Runner stealing both (0-0 -> 0-6), letting me draw 14 cards.

Ponder on that for just a moment. Seven cards is a lot of cards, but fourteen? That's... that's a lot more than a lot of cards.

At that point the Runner knew for sure a Punitive was coming up, so they moneyed up, but it wasn't enough.

Mandatory draw up to twenty cards.

Click one, Punitive Counterstrike, no boost. Runner spends half their credits to avoid 6 damage.

Click two, Punitive Counterstrike, no boost. Runner spends their remaining credits to avoid 6 damage.

Click three, Punitive Counterstrike, no boost. Runner is dismayed at the sight of the third Punitive.

Runner is eviscerated.

For a more serious discussion of why it's good, it's a 5/3 with a hugely swingy effect that happens regardless of who gets the agenda. Being able to put seven whole cards wherever you want them is a huge boon, and I'm sure with even the slightest bit of creativity, seasoned Jinteki players will be able to get loads of mileage out of this card.

Give this one a whirl sometime, just the once. You'll be glad you did.

(Whispers in Nalubaale era)
114
Played The Maker's Eye with 4 cards remaining in hand against a PE deck, what could go wrong? Saw 1st card Bacterial Programming, corp proceeds to order the remaining cards and I access a Snare! and another agenda for a total 5 net damage and flatline. Saddest moment ever. —
Brilliant. Truly the most Jinteki of plays. —
Why would the effects combine, instead of resolving the first agenda and then resolving the second? —

Because the Runner doesn't steal the two agendas simultaneously, but rather one at a time. When the first is stolen, the Corp looks at the top 7 cards from R&D and draws them all, then does the same when the second is stolen. Because the top 7 cards were all drawn, the Corp looks at an entirely fresh set of 7 for the second Bacterial Programming.

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