Cue the music!
Its the New Newb Revue-oo-oo...coming right at you!
This time we continue our talk on Economy in Fantasy Flight Games' Android Netrunner, focusing on the Corps' Identities and Agenda through the Order and Chaos expansion. In our first article, we laid out the basics and the follow on articles will cover the card types for the Corps and Runners. Getting all of those into a single article would have made for a L----O----N----G article and I was afraid that I might miss a key point or the reader might get lost in the verbiage. The main focus of these articles is to share a little of what I have learned to hep the newer players understand a very key concept in the game. Any comments from the higher skilled players are more than welcome, as I do not claim to know it all. Now, let's dive in and start making you some cash and move from a Noob to Newb or better.Show me the Muh-KNEEEE!!!Following the construct we established in the first article we have:
- Taxing. The idea here is to make the Runner pay extra to do even simple things and to make runs so expensive that can’t do anything at the end of it (like pay to beat Traces or to Trash cards) or make more than a run a turn.
- High Trash Cost. These cards all make other cards more expensive for the Runner to trash or make it more expensive for the Runner steal an Agenda...all of which tax the Runner.
- Identity: Jinteki "Industrial Genomics" (The trash cost of each card is increased by 1 for each facedown card in Archives)
- Identity: Weyland "Gagarin Deep Space" (As an additional cost to access a card in a remote server, the Runner must pay 1 credit). This makes any remote run more expensive as this happens before stealing agendas or trashing assets/upgrades. - Agenda: Jinteki "Fetal AI" (If Fetal AI is accessed from R&D, the Runner must reveal it. When the Runner accesses Fetal AI, do 2 net damage. Ignore this ability if the Runner accesses Fetal AI from Archives. As an additional cost to steal Fetal AI, the Runner must pay 2 credits.)
- Agenda: Neutral "NAPD Contract" (The advancement requirement of NAPD Contract is increased by 1 for each Bad Publicity the Corp has. As an additional cost to steal NAPD Contract, the Runner must pay 4cr.)
- Agenda: Neutral "Utopia fragment" (As an additional cost to steal an agenda, the Runner must pay 2cr for each advancement token on that agenda. Limit 1 per deck)
- Traces.
- Identity: NBN "Making News" (2cr Recurring. Use these credits during traces). Great card for "Tag Storm" decks...where you want to load the Runner with tags and then use those tags for a little resource trashing or to cause Meat Damage through Scorched Earth, Punitive Counterstrikes, Dedicated Response Teams, etc... - Agenda: NBN "Restructured Data Pool" (CLICK: Trace2 - If successful, give the Runner 1 Tag). Having the chance to make the Runner spend money or get a Tag and not having to wait for the Runner to do anything? Priceless!
- Runner Lose Credits: No Identies or Agendas
- Runner lose Clicks
- Neutral "False Lead" (Forfeit False Lead: The Runner loses 2 CLICKS if able). True you lose an Agenda, but it’s only a "1 pointer" and at the right time...like the runner has 2 clicks left and they need to run your scoring server with the agenda in it that you can score next turn? Situational and timing is everything.
- ICE with Sub-routines. Both of these Agendas give the Corp player the capability to add another sub-routine to a piece of ICE. You can seriously mess with the Runner's math as they calculate the cost of a run.
- Agenda: Haas Bioroid "Project Wotan" (Place 3 agenda counters on Project Wotan when you score it. Hosted agenda counter: Choose a rezzed piece of BIOROID ice currently being approached. For the remainder of this run, that ice gains "= End the Run " after all its other subroutines.) - Agenda: Jinteki "Nisei MkII" (Place 1 agenda counter on Nisei Mk II when you score it. Hosted agenda counter: End the run)
- "Psi Game" mechanic. Solely a Jinteki mechanic for now, but just another way to drain 0-2 credits from the Runner every time they hit
- Identity: Jinteki "Nisei Division" (Whenever you and the Runner reveal secretly spent credits, gain 1cr). This card actually gives you credits for playing the Psi Game. So it REALLY costs you 1 credit less to play. A lot of times you want bid 0 credits so you don’t lose credits...but you can now bid 0 credits and make a net 1 credit profits or bid 1 credit and break even. You are harder to predict now and this will help you win more Psi games. - Agenda: Jinteki "The Future Perfect" (When the Runner accesses The Future Perfect, you and the Runner secretly spend 0cr, 1cr, or 2cr. Reveal spent credits. If you and the Runner spent a different number of credits, prevent The Future Perfect from being stolen. Ignore this ability if the Runner accesses The Future Perfect while it is installed.)
- Surge Economy.
- Identity: Haas Bioroid "Engineering the Future" (The first time you install a card each turn, gain 1cr). Very nice bonus as you are ALMOST always installing something every turn. Makes vertical builds a little easier as a 2nd layer of ICE is now "free" (Pay 1 credit for 2nd level and get a credit for the install)
- Identity: Weyland "Building a Better World (Gain 1cr whenever you play a transaction operation). To maximize you want to have lots of Transactions...other surge cards mostly... mo money, mo money, mo money!
- Identity: Weyland "Blue Sun" (When your turn begins, you may add 1 rezzed card to HQ and gain credits equal to its rez costs). This a mixed surge card. First is you have to have card rezzed...an Upgrade, Asset or ICE. Then you can pull it back into hand get credits equal to its install cost to do more things. Where this is really beneficial is when you rez high cost ICE like Curtain Wall (14 credits) using Oversight AI (1 credit) and then use Blue Sun's ability to pull Curtain Wall back to hand for net profit of 13 credits!!! Runners can beat this by making a run and breaking the ICE on Oversight AI which then trashes the ICE. BioRoid ICE and BioRoid Efficient Research does the same thing. Runners also need to be aware that Blue Sun NEVER has an empty credit pool as long as they an Asset, Upgrade, or ICE rezzed. - Identity: Weyland "GRNDL" (You start the game with 10cr and 1 Bad Publicity). 5 credit surge from the start of the game!
- Agenda: Weyland Agenda "Superior Cyberwalls" (The Corp gains 1cr for each rezzed Barrier (as well as all Barrier ICE gaining +1 Strength). Does Weyland have an in faction Barrier ICE? Oh, hell yes! This is multi econ benefit Agenda. The +1 Strength for Barrier taxes the Runner a little bit more and if you maximize Barrier ICE in your build you can get a couple credits just for scoring,
- Agenda: Weyland "Hostile Takeover" (When you score Hostile Takeover, gain 7cr and take 1 bad publicity). Classic surge.
- Agenda: Jinteki "Encrypted Portals" (All Code Gate ice have +1 strength. When you score Encrypted Portals, gain 1cr for each rezzed Code gate). Jinteki version of Superior Walls...only for Jinteki's favorite ICE, Code Gates.
- Agenda: Weyland "High Risk Investment" (Place 1 Agenda Counter when scored and when used you gain 1 credit for each credit in the Runner's Credit Pool). Neat way to get cash. If you mix it with the Titan Transnational Weyland ID you can add Agenda Counters whenever you score agendas
- Click Based. Very simple...spend a CLICK or two and get more than credit/click in return. These are my favorite Econ Agendas. Averages >1 credits/click and once your score they can never be trashed/stolen. Money on tap...or well...on click ;-)
- Agenda: Neutral "Gila Hands Arcology" (CLICK, CLICK: Gain 3cr)
- Agenda: Weyland "Government Contracts" (Spend 2 Clicks: Gain 4cr). LOVE this one the mostest.
- Agenda: Weyland "Government Takeover" (Spend 1 Click: Gain 3cr). Love this one a little less as it is a 9 advance cost agenda and limited to only 1 per deck.
- Drip. No drip Identities or Agendas
- Recurring Credits.
- Identity: Weyland "Because We Built It" (1cr Recurring. Use this credit to advance Ice). Free money...can’t be beat, and with Weyland advanceable ICE this is a perfect match.
- Bad Pub. Bad Publicity are free credits for the Runner to use EACH run. This can be very painful for the Corp. Luckily, there are some Agendas that allow you to remove Bad Pub. Being able to remove Bad Pub lets the Corp mess with the Runner's economy.
- Identity: Weyland "GRNDL" (You start the game with 10cr and 1 Bad Publicity).
- Agenda: Weyland "Geothermal Fracking" (Place 2 Agenda Counters on Geothermal Fracking when you score it. CLICK, Hosted Agenda Counter: (Gain 7cr and take 1 Bad Publicity)
- Agenda: Weyland "Hostile Takeover" (When you score Hostile Takeover, gain 7cr and take 1 bad publicity).
- Agenda: Weyland "Posted Bounty" (When you score Posted Bounty, you may forfeit it to give the Runner 1 tag and take 1 bad publicity)
- Agenda: Weyland "Vulcan Cover-up" (When you score Vulcan Cover-up, do 2 Meat Damage. When the Runner steals Vulcan Cover-up, take 1 Bad Publicity).
- Agenda: Haas-BioRoid "Project Ares" (Trash Runner installed cards, if Corp does they get 1 Bad Pub).
- Agenda: Jinteki "Clone Retirement" (When you score Clone Retirement, you may remove 1 bad publicity. When the Runner steals Clone Retirement the Corp takes 1 bad publicity).
- Agenda: Neutral "Profiteering" (When you score Profiteering, take up to 3 Bad Publicity. Gain 5cr for each Bad Publicity taken).
- Agenda: Neutral "Veterans Program" (When you score Veterans Program, you may remove up to 2 Bad Publicity).
- Agenda: Neutral "NAPD Contract" (The advancement requirement of NAPD Contract is increased by 1 for each Bad Publicity the Corp has. As an additional cost to steal NAPD Contract, the Runner must pay 4cr. As the Corp, you need to be VERY aware of this card when you build your deck. It can get pretty expensive to score if your deck allows too much Bad Pub.
- Install for Free/Reduced Cost. All of these help you save some serious ducats when you score them. Curtain Wall or Wotan rezzed for free...saving you 14 credits? oh yeah. Add to that you get a bad ass piece of ICE up and ready to mess with the Runner. BONUS!
- Agenda: Haas Bioroid "Accelerated Beta Test" (When you score Accelerated Beta Test, you may look at the top 3 cards of R&D. If any of those cards are ice, you may install and rez them, ignoring all costs. Trash the rest of the cards you looked at)
- Agenda: Haas Bioroid "Director Haas' Pet Project" (When you score Director Haas' Pet Project, you may create a new remote server by installing up to 3 cards from HQ and/or Archives in that server and/or protecting that server (one at a time), ignoring all install costs. Limit 1 DHPP per deck)
- Agenda: Neutral "Priority Requisition" (When you score priority requisition, you may rez a piece of ice ignoring all costs) - Agenda: NBN "License Acquisition" (When you score License Acquisition, install and rez an asset or upgrade from Archives or HQ, ignoring all costs)
- Agenda: Weyland "Firmware Updates" (Place 3 Agenda Counters on it when scored and each Agenda Counter can place an Advancement Token on a piece of advanceable ICE...at least once per turn...per scored Firmware Updates).
So, that’s the Identities and Agenda. Next up will be the Assets, Upgrades and ICE. So, what’s your favorite Econ Identity or Agenda? Sound off on the forum at.....
SonBae (AKA Jeff Flint) is a long time wargamer and painter and lover of Flames of War, Android Netrunner/40k Conquest/LOTR LCGs and Advanced Squad Leader. From cardboard to lead to cards, he has lost at them all. Follow him @wwpdSonBae on Twitter.
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