Tech Talk - Anonymous Tip

Hello and welcome back to Tech Talk! Each article in this series will take an in-depth look at a single card, analyzing its strengths, discussing when to include it out-of-faction, and hopefully providing tips on what to do when you find yourself on the other side from it. This week we take a look at Anonymous Tip (Core).

DOCUMENTATION: The Corp loses a game of Android: Netrunner when they cannot perform the mandatory draw at the start of their turn because their deck is empty. Corp deck size is the game timer so it would stand to reason that drawing too many cards too quickly would actually be a detriment to the Corp. However, with the Core Set, the average size of a constructed Corp deck is 49 cards, which, after the initial 5-card draw, gives an average maximum game length of 44 turns. That's actually quite a number of turns. And if you go all 44, you run the risk of losing due to decking.

The players who argue against Anonymous Tip point to the fact that you are speeding up the game, which is usually what the Runner wants. The reason the Runner wants a fast game is that it takes the Corp time to set up. Because of the Corp's click-deficit, the Runner has the momentum in the early game. So, doesn't it make sense that anything the Corp does to get set up faster would actually balance the scales in the early game?

Let us answer that for you - Yes. Yes it does.

Anonymous Tip is 0 credits and 1 click to draw three cards. That's Diesel for Corps and we all know how good Diesel is, right? Runner's routinely spend Influence to bring it in out-of-faction. That's because accelerated card-draw can be a good thing.

One true drawback to Anonymous Tip (because that whole "speeding up the game" thing is, clearly, bunkum) is the fact that you have a hand limit and, often, you'll need to discard at the end of the turn you play it. This is a bummer, especially if you're holding all of your "good cards" after the draw. However, if you find that happening too often, there is a simple solution (okay, maybe not "simple" but still...) - make sure that there aren't just a few good cards in your deck. If you're relying on SEA Source + Scorched Earth + Scorched Earth to win you games and the rest of your deck isn't really all that awesome at anything, well, it isn't Anonymous Tip's fault that your deck is one-dimensional. In order to make use of extra card draw, you have to build your deck in such a way that, most of the time, you'll be drawing something useful. Anonymous Tip isn't a very good tutor-effect card, since it is indiscriminate, it doesn't look for anything in particular. You're far better off with Aggressive Negotiation (Core), Archived Memories (Core), or Precognition (Core) in that case. But, if you have a balanced deck with multiple threats, straight card draw can rock the house.

The other actual drawback to Anonymous Tip is the fact that the Runner can target your hand. If you are drawing extra cards to the point that you are discarding some unplayed, that means that your hand is probably full of really good things. If you put Anonymous Tip in your deck, you have to plan on fortifying HQ even more than usual. It also means that you are probably going to have to drop AT LEAST one piece of ICE on the Archives. This is both a curse AND a blessing, though. You can get the Runner to waste a click and some credits by playing Anonymous Tip, tutting at the cards you draw, immediately putting a piece of ICE on the Archives, and then discarding something from your hand due to hand limit. If you were able to dump something unexciting (that third copy of Wall of Static or something), you may just put a little dent in the Runner's efficiency.

INSTALLATION: After all our talk about the overstated dangers of Corp card-draw, this may seem hypocritical, but you really only want to use Anonymous Tip when you HAVE to. If you haven't seen an Agenda in a while and you are all set to advance one through, do it. If you need another piece of ICE a.s.a.p., do it. If you desperately need some sort of economic boost, do it. Alternately, if you find yourself installing cards far faster than you are drawing them, do it. This isn't likely to be the case, but sometimes the Corp can go on an installing-binge that makes the Tech Talk office Christmas party look like an exercise in self-control. On the flip side, there will be times, many in fact, where the right play will be to discard an Anonymous Tip if you are over the hand limit.

All this talk of hand limit may turn on that Research Station (Core) shaped lightbulb over your head. This is not a terrible idea. With an Influence cost of one, Research Station is obviously meant to be splashed into other Corps. Anonymous Tip also sports an Influence cost of one. Coincidence? Probably not. If you are going to use Research Station, you'll be able to chill a bit about protecting the Archives. However, don't let the needle in a haystack feeling of holding a huge hand trick you into thinking you can leave HQ more vulnerable. It is well worth the Runner's clicks and credits to let you build up a big old hand, then spend money trashing your Research Stations and forcing a massive discard. Then, suddenly, you'll be wishing you had gone ahead and dropped some ICE on the Archives...

IMPLEMENTATION: From the obvious synergy with Research Station, Weyland is a pretty good fit for Anonymous Tip. ICE up your central servers tight, get yourself one beefy Remote Server to pump Agendas through, and sit back, picking and choosing your card plays.

Jinteki can couple Anonymous Tip with the awesome Precognition (Core) to enable killer draws. However, that's two of your three clicks, so make sure you're holding suitable discard fodder since you'll probably only be able to install one of the three cards you draw.

Haas-Bioroid is probably the least likely to want Anonymous Tip. The bonus they get for the first install each turn means that they usually like a slow and steady build up. Archived Memories, however, means that they can retrieve cards from the Archives that they were forced to discard, so Anonymous Tip isn't a terrible fit.

COUNTERMEASURES: It would seem like a no-brainer to hit the Archives often, to keep the Corp honest about what they are discarding and doing that will probably end up forcing her to clog up her hand with Agendas, throwing away useful ICE or Operations. You can try the opposite, though, to good effect - let them toss cards away willy nilly, don't take the bait, and lull them into a false sense of security. If you act like they would never, ever throw away a card worth spending a click to see, they will, eventually, throw away a card worth seeing. Wait until the mid-game, until there are a number of face-down cards in the Archives, then make a run. If they were ever going to toss an Agenda, it would be when you have shown no interest in dumpster diving. Oh, and if the Corp has used Anonymous Tip a couple of times and suddenly, mid-game, drops a piece of ICE on the Archives before discarding, run HQ - call their bluff, because they probably have something good in hand.

Scud is a former editor in educational publishing and is currently working on his first novel and prepping for grad school. He played the original Netrunner, played Dreamblade competitively, and writes and self-publishes a couple of comic books at Lonely Robot Comics. Also make sure to check out his Android: Netrunner blog here at CardGameDB,Electric Sheep.