The “Green Cache”.

Note that it's power counter-based (not virus counter); it can be used only during your turn (not whenever); and, obviously, it's in Shaper (not Criminal).

Without synergies, it's worse than Easy Mark (you break even: gaining four credits while losing two credits, a click, and a card in hand; and you can't play it when bankrupt); but with synergies, it can be ‘blinked’, recurred, charged, ‘sacked’, ad infinitum.

In general, Programs that are “limited-usage” (and which are proactively useable and generically useful) act like Events that (by sticking around) synergize with:

  • Recursion: There's always more Clone Chip–effects than Same Old Thing–effects.
  • Sacrificers: Coalescence, because it is proactive and generic, and because it's permanent, can be fully spent for its full value, then sacrificed for extra value. (cf. Plascrete Carapace, which is reactive and situational, and has When it is empty, trash it., as does AirbladeX (JSRF Ed.).)
  • “Programs-matter” (& “Installation-matters”): That is, the many cards that reference programs (like a program, a program or piece of hardware, etc) explicitly, or implicitly (like You may install 1 card from your grip., Spend hosted credits to install cards., etc; because Events are played not installed).
  • “Counters-matter”: In particular, Coalescence can be charge’d (although, for less value than many other Hosted power counter: … or … for each hosted power counter.).

Coalescence + Sacrificers:

Coalescence + Recursion:

  • Simulchip: “flicker” it thru the heap (installing it for free, after paying for the Chip), earning three net credits.
  • Rejig: “flicker” it thru the grip (installing it for free), earning four credits.

Coalescence + “Power-Counters-matter” (Charging):

  • Rigging Up: [$0][$6] (because “rigging it out” both decreases its cost (by all two credits) and increases its effect (by another two credits)). It's also chargeable by Into the Depths, etc.

Coalescence + “Programs-matter”:

  • Gachapon: “discover” it thru the stack (installing it for free); cf. Sure Gamble’s [+$4] (but Events aren't “Gachapon-able”).
  • DZMZ Optimizer: save 1 extra credit (or two extra credits, if you have two DZMZ’s), as well as using the extra memory-unit(s).
  • LilyPAD: draw 1 extra card.
  • Environmental Testing: “cash out” 25% faster/sooner.

Other interactions/observation:

  • Maven: grants +1 strength indefinitely, as well as funding one Break 1 subroutine. activation (because Maven counts each installed program, unlike Echelon, which counts each installed icebreaker only).
  • Khusyuk: dig one card deeper (by tracking your [$2]-drop “flush”).
  • Paladin Poemu: Coalescence is burst-econ that's as “Poemu-able” as drip-econ (not “Maemi-able" only). It's also installable by Prognostic Q-Loop, etc.
  • Arissana: you can flash it in and use it all up mid-run (thus, neutralizing the “temporary unless trojan” downsides, while still benefiting from the upsides of clicklessness & even ambushability). It's also fetchable by Kabonesa Wu: Netspace Thrillseeker, Test Run, etc.

P.S. You can also read the old Cache reviews, or @YsengrinSC’s ArissanaCoalescence deck.

This card provides a huge amount of draw for big rig shaper lists, on top of a much-needed 2 MU for their lategame. If your deck has 15+ programs in it or has a way to repeatedly install the same program every turn, this is often worth considering. It is, however, a larger than normal tempo hit to install with its 4 credit upfront cost.

LilyPAD works very well with Arissana Rocha Nahu: Street Artist and Urban Art Vernissage to create an engine, as Ari can install a Trojan clicklessly while making cheap value runs (e.g. Dirty Laundry an open server) to draw a card, then pick it up next turn for 2 credits on UAV. This has the solid advantage of always having a program available to install, provided the Corp does not trash the ice hosting this Trojan on their turn. Ika is commonly included in these decks to have a program that Ari can install every turn without risking an ice trash, though a second killer is often played to avoid having to rely on the vulnerable and clunky Ika as a primary breaker.

Another strong aspect of LilyPAD is that it can be triggered on the Corp's turn. The best ways to do this are through Shaper staples Simulchip and Self-modifying Code, as well as out-of-faction options Gachapon and Prognostic Q-Loop. This can also allow you to have an extra card in hand before the corp can act on their turn, as a small measure of flatline protection.

LilyPAD has clear synergy with DZMZ Optimizer, as both provide benefits for one program install per turn, including the Corp's turn. However, be cautious of designing your deck in such a way that its costs are too front-loaded to keep pace with a Corp who does not intend to let you play a long game. Going past 6 MU may also be unnecessary, though there are certainly many good ways to use MU in a doom rig, and having some free for transient installs like Muse for recursion and Coalescence for additional econ, even after getting your main rig online, is useful for long games.

Speaking of Coalescence, LilyPAD also incentives you to include tempo-generating, cheap, transient programs. Similar cards include Fermenter and Pelangi. You could also consider using multiple copies of Propeller or Revolver, as these are easy to install when drawn and cheap to use, allowing you to interact on low credit totals, which can help offset LilyPAD's upfront cost.

If you are interested in a faster, leaner option, Pantograph will generate click savings less frequently, but with less up-front investment and fewer demands during deckbuilding. Aniccam is another great console option in Shaper, suitable for decks with 15+ events, and also helps protect you against flatlining or tempo loss from stray net damage. I do not currently see any use for this console out of faction, as the only decks that install enough programs to even consider a card like this are virus-heavy Anarchs, who as of this point in time still have the very strong Knobkierie and Maw in faction.

A much maligned card, and with good reason, since there were very few things that could be done with it 'back in the day'. But, since the release of the Borealis' Thule Subsea: Safety Below, Ontological Dependence, and Mr. Hendrik, inflicting core damage has become a much more enticing prospect. Coupled with the (surprisingly still) legal Riot Suppression and MCA Austerity Policy makes Tempus' trace value a means of keeping the runner's credit balance in check, if not outright helping you score Ontologicals along the way. I've had games where a lone Tempus guarded an Ikawah, because the runner knew stealing it would mean dealing with the tag and bag I had in store for him sooner than he wants. All in all, a useful card in core damage-oriented decks, the ones that hurt the most.

A strange card. Netrunner used to have currents, but these were banned because they could sometimes have too great of an ongoing impact and especially for runners you generally have less initiative to desperately find an agenda on demand. In terms of ongoing impact, this feels more like a current or an identity ability than an ice. It adds like $2-3 to the cost of the first run (or gives the corp an extra 2 clicks of value plus a trigger for any identity ability that relies on installs). Depending on how the identity triggers work out, this feels like it would have been too much of an impact on the board state even as a current, and maybe it's too impactful to be an identity ability either.

I don't know 100% if this will get banned, but a cheap ice which punishes any turn a run is made on any server, that's going to squeeze out a lot of decks which are fun and deserve to exist.

Two kind things for Tributary: it's a Jinteki card which doesn't suck, and in particular positive-tempo Jinteki should be encouraged. And the counters to this card are kind of vaguely reasonable if you're okay asking run-often decks to slot 1-2 tech cards like Botulus they probably won't love.

Not a super comprehensive review but one neat thing about this card is that if you combine it with Subliminal Messaging this becomes a 3 credit Biotic Labor in NBN. That's pretty good, except for the trash cost, the fact that it's a two card combo, and it requires Threat 3, but it does save you a bunch of influence, and draws you some cards. You can also do this with Red Level Clearance, which costs some influence but gives you some flexibility, especially if you are using its install mode to get a FA tool like SanSan City Grid or Calibration Testing. You can also use this to compress Doubles into a single click. You can chain this with Pivot, for example, which also requires Threat 3 to compress another operation or install by a click. Other options include Distributed Tracing or Threat Level Alpha, which gives you 2 clicks to spend on tag punishment instead of 1.