Death and Taxes

Death and Taxes 2[credit]

Operation: Current - Transaction
Influence: 3

This card is not trashed until another current is played or an agenda is stolen.

Whenever the Runner installs a card or trashes an installed card, you may gain 1[credit].

The only certainties.
Illustrated by Kathryn Steele
Decklists with this card

Council of the Crest (cotc)

#58 • English
Startup Card Pool
Standard Card Pool
Standard Ban List (show history)
Printings
Rulings
  • Updated 2024-03-29

    ANCUR UFAQ 21 [Michael Boggs]

    Does Death and Taxes trigger when the Runner trashes one of their own cards?

    Yes.

Reviews

So far, I’ve been playing this card out of Azmari EdTech: Shaping the Future and it is making me a lot of money. I also see potential synergy with Gagarin Deep Space: Expanding the Horizon using must-trash assets. Here are some popular cards that I love seeing on the Runner side and how much they might make you:

Cards to Profit off of:

Shaper:

Anarch:

Criminal:

Common Self-Trashing Resources:

Mini-factions:

Even popular corp cards like MCA Informant, the Fairchild suite, and Bulwark, which make the runner trash their own stuff, will help trigger Death and Taxes.

Weaknesses:

  • The runner can immediately play a current from hand or go on a deep dig for an agenda, leaving you with a 2 loss

  • The card ironically doesn’t tax the runner like Scarcity does so a runner in a losing position won’t be affected

  • Conversely, a corp in a losing position can’t use this card to recover and would much rather prefer a traditional burst econ card

  • Border-line dead draw if found in the late game after the runner is fully set up

I won’t argue that Death and Taxes is as universally good as Paywall Implementation – profiting off of the runner’s most fundamental win condition (successful runs) will always be a strong ability. However, Death and Taxes can be good given the right build. Using Jua, Threat Assessment, and Degree Mill to force the runner to re-install their cards and then profiting from the recycling using TechnoCo and Death and Taxes feels deliciously evil and I implore you to try it out yourself.

(Council of the Crest era)
Great analysis! I've seen some evaluations of this card ding it for costing 2, which is fair. I just want to point out that it is actually a Transaction, meaning a) BABW plays it for net 1, and b) you can Barney it (though it is removed form game once it gets overwritten by a steal or another current) —