Account Siphon

Account Siphon

Pros

  • a potential swing of 15 credits is huge
  • reinforces what Gabriel Santiago wants to do anyway

Cons

  • you better remove those tags immediately
  • 4 influence, fuck yeah

Thoughts

  • when ran on an empty HQ this card generates +7CE (+9 with Gabe)
  • this number (or closely to) should be the price tag on HQ to prevent useful Account Siphon runs
  • However sometimes it is more important to bankrupt the Corp, so be aware of that
  • Also traces are a good way of "losing" money before the runner can use the Siphon, getting down from 5 to 3 credits sounds like a good idea
  • A different way of doing that would be to rez assets or upgrades after the runner passed the last piece of HQ Ice, such as SanSan City Grid, Private Contracts, Dedicated Server,
  • All this math changes a lot, if the Corp has no way to punish tags (and the runner is aware)
  • If a bankrupt Corp is the main goal then chaining it with Vamp is strong
  • don't use it when there is a Nisei MK II scored and ready, or if you suspect the upgrade in HQ is Caprice Nisei or Crisium Grid
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Djinn

Djinn

Pros

  • essentially 2MU for non-icebreakers
  • tutoring is always welcome, even if "only" for viruses

Cons

  • you have to have 1MU free to begin with

Thoughts

  • very vulnerable to program destruction, since hosted programs also go to the trash
  • so don't host everything immediately on Djinn, if you have still some regular MU to spare
  • Sacrificial Construct or Sharpshooter can protect Djinn
  • the tutor effect is super cheap, paying 1 credit for a certain card (and being able to do that over and over again) is really good
  • the cost is especially cheap in view of maximizing Cyberfeeder usage
  • can be the cornerstone for a Shaper-virus deck via Test Run or Self-modifying Code
  • a Djinn can actually host another Djinn
  • list of all viruses: netrunnerdb.com
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How is it 2MU? —
I think they are saying that programs are typically 1 MU, so hosting 3 programs is essentially 2 additional MU over the 1 you used to install Djinn. However, it's more nuanced than that since Djinn ignores the MU cost of the hosted program, so the actual additional memory varies. —
PAD Campaign

PAD Campaign

Pros

  • nice drip economy
  • needs no clicks to generate money
  • reasonably high trash cost

Cons

  • takes a while to profit

Thoughts

  • can sometimes be played unprotected, but you then have to watch out for Whizzard: Master Gamer, Imp, Magnum Opus and Bank Job
  • so it probably needs some protection, the question is: How big should the price tag on PAD be to discourage the runner from going after it?
  • I'd say a server costing 2-3 credits feels about right, now the runner has to spend 1 click and 6-7 credits to get rid of the Campaign, which needs a full turn with Magnum Opus to recover from
  • Pop-up Window would be good there I guess (especially if there are more assets you can put in the server if the runner does trash this)
  • or other cheap Ice
  • This should give you an opening to play something nice (or steady credits)
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Corroder

Corroder

Pros

  • cheap install cost
  • very efficient boosting and breaking
  • the all-round best Fracter, all others are measured against it

Cons

  • probably the best Fracter out there, even the 2 influence is not that much of a drawback
  • cheap install cost can make it a Power Shutdown target

Thoughts

  • allows the runner early aggression thanks to its cheap cost
  • stays valid throughout the game (unlike Crypsis for example)
  • one of the cheapest Fracters against popular small barriers like Ice Wall and Wraparound
  • hard to say more, just a straightforward and super solid card
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Modded

Modded

Pros

  • good economy card with no upfront cost
  • this essentially does not cost a click to play, so it can be considered a 'fast' economy card

Cons

  • you actually have to install something for it to work
  • so can be useless lategame

Thoughts

  • trades a card for 3 credits
  • this is basically as good as the benchmark econ card Sure Gamble with some minor advantages:
    • you don't need 5 credits to begin with
    • compared to Sure Gamble you save a click and clicks are precious, so if your economy relies on Magnum Opus for example then Modded gives you 1 extra credit compared to Sure Gamble
  • This also helps you get cards out of your hand where clicks are really tight (Wyldside)
  • this works on top of Kate's ability, even The Toolbox "only" costs 5 credits then and cards for 4 credits becomes "free" to play - such as R&D Interface
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