Scrounge pairs an immediate Program-recursion (install from heap) with an “eventual” recursion (bottom from heap), under a non-interactive condition (spending an extra [click] is kinda like making a “non-taxing, auto-succeeding run”).

Design

Doesn't force a shuffle (which saves time). You can still trigger a shuffle if you want to draw it sooner (like by Boomerang), or even tutor for it immediately (like with Mutual Favor or Muse).

Doesn't require a run (unlike NSG's Katorga Breakout, versus FFG's Déjà Vu); but it is a Double, cannot recur Events, and so on.

While “undertucking” (IE. Add 1 _ from your heap to the bottom of your stack.) is frequently irrelevant, it is more relevant in Netrunner than most card games. Which (in a Core set like Elevation), can clue in newer players about how your deck-count changes during gameplay: the rate of card flow, the importance/presence of recursion, and so on. That is:

• In Dominion–likes (where you redraw a five-card hand every turn, while drawing from smaller decks too), you will reshuffle your discard-pile into your draw-pile every few turns.
• In Magic: the Gathering–likes (where you draw one card at the start your turn like the Corp, but lack any basic-action to draw more, and won't be playing more than a single card a turn from hand anyways), you almost never “bottom out”, with Ashen Epilogue–style recursion being unplayable outside of a minority of archetypes/formats.

Notes

• Can (quasi-)reverse Stavka’s double-destruction.
• Can mitigate a Saisentan.
• At just 1inf/5, it's very splashable into: Criminal (for not getting locked out, if your singleton icebreaker gets Destroyer's/AP'd); and Shaper (for… all your programs, if necessary).
• BTW, if you install a Muse and tuck a Coalescence, does it let you Muse for that same Coalescence ?

Scrounge is to anarchs, what Simulchip is to shapers... Almost.

At its core, Scrounge is recursion for programs, and it also installs it, on top of getting back in the stack another program.

As such, it can help to mitigate rig shooting. It is one of the reason to use it.

But in theory, this card should synergize better with self trashing program, but would it be good? Let's look at which programs self trash themselves after use :

• Fermenter
• Gourmand
• Chisel
• Self-modifying Code
• Cupellation

There are also program that get trashed by the corp, with purge or trashing their ices :

• Physarum Entangler
• Botulus
• Slap Vandal

And programs that become have a shelf life :

• Coalescence
• Devadatta Drone
• Propeller
• Revolver

From this list, we can see that using Scrounge to cycle program is actually fairly good. And at 1 influence, it is easy to splash out of faction.

This combine really well with “Knickknack” O’Brian and Spec Work.

For most decks, this could be a 1x in the deck, for rig shooting mitigation and a way to extend the game a bit, if it goes long. Even 2x for deck that cycle programs aggressively.

Art, name and quote all synergize together with the effect of the card. Is that Topan on the art? In any case, this is a work of art and a good, if slightly niche, card. Good design.