The last reviews for this card were in mid-2015 and they politely said "hey, maybe you could consider playing this card in a few lists, but this card is kiiiiinda garbage." And that is still sort of true, but Predictive Algorithm got a gigantic boost in last 2015: Data and Destiny dropped, and New Angeles Sol: Your News got printed.

Chances are, if you've ever given New Angeles Sol any serious thought, you've already poured over the list of all corp currents and given Predictive Algorithm a good thinking through. Predictive Algorithm is comically more impactful in a Sol deck than it is in any other deck. When you play Sol, Predictive Algorithm just doesn't go away. Whereas Predictive Algorithm used to just tax the runner for 2 once, now for the rest of the game, if the runner wants to steal an agenda, it's going to cost 2.

There's a lot of shenanigans you can get into with this. Combine Predictive Algorithm with Red Herrings and it is possible the runner just doesn't have the money to take your agenda. Red Herrings generally isn't reliable enough to be a solid defensive upgrade, but Predictive Algorithm makes it a lot more viable. Additionally, NBN has a handful of agendas that do something nice for you whenever the runner accesses them, like Explode-a-palooza, TGTBT, and Award Bait. Predictive Algorith helps you put the runner in situations where they might access agenda and yet be unable to take it, letting you get 5 off your Explode-a-palooza without giving up agenda points. Neat trick. Just hope they don't have Film Critic.

Unfortunately, even thought Predictive Algorithm got a huge power boost, it STILL isn't making it into a lot of decks. The reason: Targeted Marketing. Targeted Marketing costs the same, but can potentially slow the runner down even more than Predictive Algorithm. It's a great situation: either the runner gives you a bunch of money to rez all your stuff and play all your operations, or you've disrupted their strategy. Predictive Algorithm, while a nice bonus, seems not to be as good.

With Temüjin Contract, runner economies are kind of bananas right now. Predictive Algorithm is probably ESPECIALLY not great right now. But it's still a decent effect.

• Consider it if you need a few extra currents for your Sol deck.

• Consider it if you want to slot some Red Herrings to combat Rumor Mill.

• Consider it if Targeted Marketing is too hard to play because it makes you make choices and choices are hard.

A current that I think doesn't yet have the deck to go with it.

In general I believe Predictive Algorithm will be a current that works exceptionally well for Harpsichord Studios, the upcoming NBN ID that only allows one agenda to be stolen per turn, in a deck filled with the ever expanding suite of NBN agendas that NBN doesn't mind being accessed.

In this deck it'd have the advantage of being cheaper than man hunt as a way to turn off potentially nasty runner currents (such as Hacktivist meeting), make any rush style play put more pressure on the runner (as they'll need to find 2 extra credits in addition to drawing for breakers) and can provide big swings when things like TGTBT's and explodapalooza are accessed but the runner can't afford to steal them.

While turning the next agenda stolen into a mini NAPD might not be the most valuable effect in a faction full of currents with more teeth; Predictive Algorithm might find a place in niche decks and as a cheap current for decks that just want an easy off switch for Runner currents.

In a deck that is all tax, like RP tends to be, this is icing on the cake, and is quite oppressive when played. If you're not already burning hanging influence, its a good way to do it in RP. An agenda spread of NAPD, Fetal and TFP makes PA quite good. With NBN, adding herrings, rsvp, ash, bandwidth and UCF and other taxers. this can bring in glacier NBN. Its not the greatest, but free is a tough price to argue against.

The deck needs to be built around this card in order to make it work, one cannot just splash it anywhere since it would only be useful the one time the runner access an agenda and needs an extra 2 credits to steal. I suspect that it would presently be best in Industrial Genomics: Growing Solutions.

One can make a runner fall on a Fetal AI and have to pay a total of 4 credits to steal it on top of the 2 net dmg. But in a Genomics deck that protects its Red Herrings with absurd trash costs, if combined with Red Herrings, Genomics can make stealing a naked Fetal AI way more expensive than expected. Imagine a scenario with Predictive Algorithm out and also having one server with Hokusai Grid, Red Herrings and Fetal AI. That would be 9 credits and 3 net damage without counting any of ice in the server.