If you're going heavy on trashable programs, you will probably want to run EITHER three Self-modifying Code OR three Clone Chip, depending on what sort of Geist deck you're building. Thanks to NAPD Most Wanted Clone Chip now has an effective influence cost of 3, meaning this becomes a very either-or type decision (although a mix of the two is possible, and running less than three may be necessary if other Influence options prove to be powerful). Both cards produce the powerful effect of "trash this card, draw 1, fetch a trashable Program I need right now, trash THAT card, draw another 1" which tacks "draw 2" onto the classic strategy Shapers have been using since Creation and Control. The point is that these two cards are very strong if you have any number of trashable programs, and should always be considered if not used.

The decision on which to use is tricky. Clone Chip is best if you anticipate needing your trashable programs many times each (the big one here is one-shot Criminal icebreakers like Shiv), while SMC functions better if you expect to need a very specific program in a very specific scenario (good for "silver bullets" like Deus X). Essentially it's a question of doing the same thing every game but with reliability and repeatability, or being more versatile and able to respond to disparate threats but less able to do it again. The former will work better for slow Geist decks that want to build a game plan resilient enough to stand up to corp punishment, while the latter works better for a fast build that aims to turn the ability to frustrate everything the corp does early on into a quick win.

So while we're on the subject, what general plans can the program-focused Geist deck execute on?

• Abuse the Cloud breakers (Crowbar, Shiv, Spike) to crack open servers, then use Crescentus to hold them open. You'll need Link to make this work, which combined with the non-boostability of the Cloud breakers makes The Helpful AI incredibly synergistic here: It provides the link to drop your Cloud MU requirements to zero, it can be trashed to boost an icebreaker in a pinch...and of course when it's trashed Geist gets a card! Forger is a nice console to run, also offering the requisite link and being trashable for a card if there's tagging afoot. Security Chip makes use of any excess Link you accrue, boosts ALL your Cloud icebreakers, and self-replaces thanks to Geist's ability, making it a powerful include as well (although Influence becomes pretty tight at this point)

This build wants Clone Chip for recurring icebreakers, and a small number of standard breakers so you're not trashing Spike to get through Paper Wall. Ambitious Runners can try to minimize the standard breaker usage by picking up an AI breaker, Grappling Hook, and/or e3 Feedback Implants instead (Overmind pairs nicely with Cloud breakers that consume no MU and is useful with Hook and Implants so that it only has to expend one counter, while Crypsis is handy by itself for those times when you just absolutely need to break that one thing). Special Order is a worthwhile Event, fetching the Cloud breaker you need or just fetching it to power up your other Cloud breakers for the run at hand.

You'll want to reliably hit all your rig pieces, and hit them often. Fortunately, Geist has access to a number of deck thinning options that no other Runner can make use of! Cortez Chip and Fall Guy represent two credit swings for only the click spent to play them, with some added side functionality as a bonus. Muertos Gang Member draws TWO cards for Geist, so while it's not quite Diesel if you think you can get decent use out of the effect it's very worthwhile. I suggest using it while the corp has nothing out but rezzed ICE and then running whichever server they derez an ICE on. If they re-rez it you can claim your two cards and a credit swing equal to the ICE's rez cost, if they don't then you've bypassed it! Muertos is usually very situational, but in Geist's hands the worst case is pretty much "draw two cards" which isn't ideal but is far from being a dead card. Technical Writer is great econ if you're going to be installing a huge number of Cloud breakers. Of course one COULD always thin their deck by simply clicking for cards, but if you can find the deck space these minor benefits on top of your card-click can be well worth the cost of the deck slot (and at 0 creds to play and self-replacing, that's the only cost you're going to be paying!)

Finally there's the matter of econ. This will probably be to personal taste, although as mentioned above Fall Guy is worth a couple creds in exchange for nothing more than the deckslot you put him in. Gorman Drip v1 is stronger with Geist but still not the greatest, so perhaps a traditional economy base is the way to go.

• The other main program-based build for Geist is the "toolbox" build. This one runs more standard breakers (the exact suite generally depending on personal taste), but uses a number of one-off trash programs. It will probably want one copy each of the Cloud breakers mentioned above (they can drop into a full rig and act as a decent one-shot in a pinch), but it also wants a single Deus X, Sharpshooter, Crescentus, maybe a Disrupter, probably DaVinci, a Grappling Hook, maaaaybe LLDS Energy Regulator depending on your deck's particulars. This build will become more interesting as more programs with a useful trash effect are printed.

Even though they won't trigger Geist's ability, you probably also want to run a few things like Faerie that can help force you through in the midgame temporarily. The idea of this deck is to use Geist's ability to delay running out of tempo while you burn through temporary but powerful tools to score seven Agenda points before the corp can react with more than a few token objections that are easily put down by your one-off defenses. SMC can fetch the programs you need to make this happen, or sit on the field threatening to fish out a silver bullet answer to whatever problem the corp is throwing your way. Geist pulls off the toolbox rush archetype well due to the number of trash cards in it, even though most of his influence ends up going on some handy Shaper cards as a result. Consider some quick multi-access cards as well to further speed up the game plan.

One final thing I'd like to point out is the possibility of going heavy on Hardware and Resources instead of programs. Bookmark is strong flatline defense and can let you store some of the cards you're stacking up from all this trashing, even providing you with a bonus card for your trouble when you cash it in. As mentioned before, Cortez Chip is a two-credit swing at minimal cost, and it drains those credits from the Corp's coffers which can be powerful. Crash Space is also nice flatline defense, and it's less dead against people not using tags when Geist uses it. Decoy is a no-frills anti-tag card that's a lot more attractive with self-replacement. Feedback Filter works against brain damage. Forger is MORE anti-tagging. Muertos Gang Member, as mentioned, is worth two cards instead of one. Sacrificial Construct can save your hardware or Icebreakers. Same Old Thing is handy if your build has powerful Events.

There's a lot of protection against "tag and bag" in here, which can make Geist a good choice to take on anyone using Scorched Earch. Most runners will have to choose two of: holding a large hand, playing their tag/meat damage defense, getting other stuff done. Not so for Geist! With the ability to draw while defending himself from tags combined with the general ability to draw on the corp's turn with ANY trash card, Geist can be incredibly frustrating to flatline and can be built to be even more so with a number of "trash me to laugh in Weyland's face" cards.

Street Peddler deserves special mention. If any of the three cards it grabs are trash cards, then it basically turns into Diesel (you get the trash card AND two regular draws for playing the Peddler, one when you trash it and one when you trash the card you got from it) but for only one influence and with the ability to dump something nasty onto the field mid-run or on the corp's turn.

All-nighter is a lot more attractive as a random include (rather than a combo piece) when it replaces itself, potentially offering a critical click when it's needed or in the worst case simply being cycled out of your hand at literally no cost (one click and one card to play, one click to activate, and it yields two clicks and a card), meaning literally the only reason NOT to run it is if you need the influence for something else. Even if it increases your deck size past 45! So if you ever have spare influence in a Geist deck (unlikely as this may be), filling it up with All-nighters is essentially free.

If you're willing to compromise on SMC/Clone Chips, then some of this stuff can be slipped into the program-focused Geist builds too.

Whoa. That got long. Anyway, Geist is very interesting to me as his ability turns a number of subpar one-shots into "a bonus on top of your click for a card action", as well as improving the efficiency of trash cards and allowing them to be used en masse to form a full strategy, as well as making them efficient enough to use in a more traditional build (allowing card effects to be used that otherwise just wouldn't be worth it)

This goes well with expose, which takes the guesswork out of it (target a specific piece of ICE you know the corp can just barely afford to rez, rather than firing blindly and praying). With the right exposition and timing, it could net you a slew of R&D accesses that the corp thought they could keep out out of with their single piece of big beefy ICE.

The problem is, expose just isn't that strong OR that common and will often want to be aimed at things installed in remotes rather than ICE. Combined with the fact that you have to GET the expose effects AND expose an ICE that the corp can just barely afford to rez AND the corp needs to have WANTED to almost bankrupt themselves in order to rez the ICE, this will often end up just being a two credit drain. Which probably isn't worth the deckslot + click + card. And without knowing what ICE you're aiming at, this is just downright terrible.

...or, is it? Would you play a card that said "The corp loses two credits or doesn't rez target ICE this turn, draw a card"? If so, then one Armand "Geist" Walker: Tech Lord would like a word with you. Trash cards in-faction for Criminal are surprisingly thin on the ground, and the zero cost of this one makes it a neat little gadget for Armand to use for deck thinning plus a small benefit. If you WANT a smaller Armand deck, this is absolutely worth looking into, particularly since in a pinch it can be trashed on the corp's turn to save you from a flatline.

Tag punishment operations are still rare enough that it's worth comparing them all individually, so let's take a look at the competition Closed Accounts will have for your valuable deck slots.

Bad Times: In the best case, Bad Times will knock out two MU of programs of the Runner's choice. In the worst, they have two MU spare and it does nothing. The main strike against Bad Times, however, is the four credit cost. With other tag punishment being either one credit, zero credits, or outright game-winning this cost is difficult to stomach unless you have some specific reason to want THIS effect. Zero influence does mean this will have a place in some specific builds that NEED their influence, though, especially with the advent of the NAPD Most Wanted list.

Freelancer and The All-Seeing I: These two are similar in effect, speeding up and cheapening the process of trashing resources on a tagged Runner. Freelancer trades the ability to hit ALL resources (striking only two) for a saving of one credit, one influence, and no ability to be nullified if you have bad publicity. Neither card does anything you couldn't already do with some time and money, but if you're anticipating wanting to trash a number of resources with your tags then they can be good picks.

Scorched Earth is a whopping four influence, and as such should generally only be imported if it's part of your plan to win. Traffic Accident is in a similar position, but for different reasons: It requires two tags and only deals two meat damage, which is relatively weak unless it's scoring you the flatline.

Psychographics is an oddball that your deck generally wants to be built around, but if your deck IS built around it then it's probably a lot stronger than this.

Which brings us to Closed Accounts. At 1 influence to include and 1 credit/1 card/1 click to play, it's cheap to play. The effect is almost universally useful, and if the Runner is broke for long enough that Closed Accounts isn't worth using then you're winning the game anyway! It offers the rare ability to hit the Runner's wallet directly, and if you have incidental tags floating around it does so with big impact and low cost (unlike something like Tollbooth which is a sizable investment). The effect is impactful, gives the corp breathing room, and can create a lose/lose if the Runner must either pay to remove tags or lose the money from this if they don't.

Of course, it's a dead card if you can't land a tag (although it's NOT dead if you land one and the Runner removes it, as the threat of it being in your deck is notable if they have seen it previously). So while it is a potent tag punishment splash-in for thinks like three Snare! Jinteki, it may be wise to limit it to one or two copies and simply hold it over the Runner's head as a threat to force them to waste time and money clearing tags or risk catastrophe. Certainly it becomes less useful in multiples since once you've emptied their credit pool once there's not much point doing so again for a while.

Overall, if you are finding that Runners tend to float tags against you then Closed Accounts is a strong option to punish them for such reckless behaviour. It's a nice tool for tagstorm (although there it must compete against Scorched Earth and stuff like Psychographics and the question is "why are you draining their bank account when you could just be winning the game?"), as well as functioning as a nasty surprise in decks that have incidental tagging lying around but don't make good use of it (Snare is the main thing here). It also gets bonus points against irritating Runner cards like Paparazzi and Account Siphon.

Flagging an amusing if not completely practical interaction with Test Ground. Mother Goddess only counts rezzed ICE, so in an emergency one could use Test Ground to derez key ICE to remove key subtypes from her. This can even be performed mid-run! Of course this interaction should be used incidentally only, with the main purpose of Test Ground being to derez almost-exhausted economy assets, but sometimes it's worth giving up a lot for one turn of surprise lockout.

Also possesses minor synergy with Howler (the ICE Howler spits out gets derezzed afterwards) and can act as a stopgap behind a Bioroid Efficiency Research targeted Bioroid, provided other offending ICE do not exist yet (If the bioroid ICE is broken, it derezzes and Mother Goddess loses its subtypes). Combined with the NEXT ICE and Haas-Bioroid: Stronger Together synergies already mentioned, there's some potential for fun interactions in a few HB builds.

Running it with Chimera and the aforementioned Howler can provide a nice way to shut out a few early accesses while you get your glacier running. Howler even gets your glacier partly built as it does its work, without forcing you to give up on Mother Goddess's protection immediately. A good example of this is placing Mother Goddess on HQ or R&D, then Howler on either the other one or a remote. This provides one run's worth of regular ICE on the Howler server without compromising Goddess, as well as getting the ICE installed and ready to rez once you're ready to move into the full on glacier phase of the game.

And you don't have to sit it in front of a central, either. It costs 4 to rez which can be quite steep early game, but it's a good way to defend an early economy asset with a single ICE that will probably require more trouble than it's worth to get through just to get rid of an Adonis Campaign or something. Overall, a Haas-Bioroid deck with a number of these elements already baked in could potentially benefit from Mother Goddess.

The click cost gives away the "intended" use of this card: to replace a facecheck run. Codecracker lets you expose the outermost piece of unrezzed ICE on a server instead of slamming headfirst into it, which can be a godsend against a number of Jinteki builds and is often a good saving (facechecking ICE will often cost more than a click and a credit unless you can break through and make use of the run right away). And it's not just ICE that this saves you from facechecking, either: No need to bash your skull against that Cerebral Overwriter any more!

Of course, it's not that simple. You have to successfully hit HQ, so it's not useful against ICE on HQ. Plus, after the turn you first use it the corp will know this and can place their nasty stuff on HQ to force you to run through it or start dealing with uncertainty again. Coupled with the fact that facechecking ICE DOES often lead to an access and Codecracker can't replicate that, and that facechecking ETR ICE just costs the click, the card is pretty situational. At 1 influence it's worth importing it if you think you'll need it to offset some nasty surprises, but a depressingly significant amount of the time it doesn't do anything smart play couldn't. And learning smart play doesn't cost you clicks and creds.

...well, not in-game clicks and creds, anyway.

Nevertheless, for a deck that otherwise has no real interest in running HQ it encourages the corp to commit a few more resources there, which can make it a worthwhile include. Similar to the corp strategy of running a Paper Wall or two as your only Barrier to force the Runner to dig up an appropriate breaker that then sits around being useless. This amusingly makes it more useful OUTSIDE of Criminal, since a number of Criminal tools (e.g. Account Siphon) incentivize HQ runs already. Might be nice in Medium decks to either expose R&D ICE or get some of it played on HQ instead...although the real strength is probably in forcing the corp to make difficult decisions regarding remotes. Do they put less defense on the remote (making it easier for you to get in), or let you see what's in it before running?