A solid and interesting bit of recursion, Retrieval Run may not have seen a lot of use but it is at least known as an understandable card. The main issue that it runs into is the three credit cost, and the possibility of ICE over archives increasing that cost even more. Given that Archives is very often a target of Anarch decks, that can limit when this card is useful. In addition, spending a click and three credits to install a card from the heap that may cost far less isn’t always the best economic idea.

Yet there are plenty of programs (mainly icebreakers) that cost far more than three, and this can be a smashingly good way to get them back into play if they were trashed. Combined with Inject it is even stronger - good card draw that is going to dump those expensive programs into the heap for the runner makes a strong case. Even for the now returning Yog.0 it is a discount to install, once it is in the heap, making Retrieval Run a worthwhile investment. Assuming of course, Archives isn’t too heavily ICE’d.

It is a solid card that has a few drawbacks that are entirely circumstantial, and can be worked around. Noise isn’t going to use it because of how fast Archives becomes ICE’d against him, but other runners can find it very useful.

Fun and specific recursion. Iconic to anarch in that is make use of run on archive.

Why oh why would you use this? At 3, a lot of programs are cheaper to install (like Corroder). The answer is : because the best programs cost a lot!

At 2 influences, you can use this tool in any factions. There is two uses for this.

1. As an in-faction tool to get back lost program (from SDS Drone Deployment for example). It is an expensive replacement for Simulchip. But it is free of influence for anarch. With it, you can get back any programs. Which means you can get back Botulus or Chisel and put it back on an ice! It might be more expensive than the original program, but it extend you game plan that much more! Free passage on an ice is no joke.

2. Draw aggressively (with tools like Moshing), trash the expensive programs, and use Retrieval Run to put those programs on the board at a much lower cost.

Which program are good for such a purpose? Anything that cost more than 3, obviouly. And some of those are really good. Here are some examples :

1. Femme Fatale, economy of 6 and will let you bypass one ice. At 1 influence, you can have 3 of them.
2. Amina, probably the best or second best decoder of the game, an economy of 4.
3. There is Ankusa and Mass-Driver, but you need a specific plan to use those, since they are very inefficient.

A fun combo is with Tapwrm. You lose it to any purge. Then use Retrieval Run to make a successful run on archive (a central server) to put it back on the board, to the immense frustration of the corp. You might not make up for the credits spent on the next turn (Tapwrm usually net you 1 or 2 per turn), but it create a decision point for the corp : stall you in getting credits at the cost of losing their turn, thus basically giving you 4, or watch you get rich (especially if they have 20+ credits, that is a difficult decision).

That raccoon on card is exactly what personify this card, completely in sync with the quote. Fun card.

This card is for Shapers. I think this card is Anarch because it would be too powerfull for Shapers to get it for free. This card is in particular useful early game, to install expensive programs i.e. Torch or Femme Fatale: Trash the expensive program in your discard phase, and next round Retrieval Run.

Alternative combo could include Test Run and Scavenge: Play Test Run with Torch. Scavenge by trashing Torch, and finally Retrieval Run to get Torch back. This is 3 clicks and 6 credits to get two programs worth up to 18 credits in total.

I am not quite sure how the Test Run "if it is still installed" plays together with trash and reinstall? Worst case you'll have to play the combo over two turns.