Tech Talk - Data Dealer

Welcome back to Tech Talk where, each week, we take an in-depth look at one card, discussing its strengths, when to play it, and how to play against it. This week we go out on a limb and try to find some nice things to say about the widely reviled Data Dealer (Core).

DOCUMENTATION: Thematically, Data Dealer is awesome. It's cool to have something to do with those Agendas you've been stealing. However, mechanically, Data Dealer looks pretty darn awful. Sacrificing an Agenda? Um, hello, that's how a Runner wins! There's only one other card that gets rid of scored Agendas and, let's face it, Data Dealer is no Archer.

Or is it?

(Hint: It isn't. But it's not completely awful, either.)

Archer (Core) requires the Corp to sac an Agenda in order to rez it. In return, the Corp gets a 6-strength ICE that gets you two credits, trashes two of the Runner's programs, and ends the run. Awesome.

Data Dealer gives you 9 credits for one click and one sac'ed Agenda. Awesome? Kind of. Under the right circumstances. And if you are very, very careful.

If you apply the same criteria to Data Dealer about which Agendas to toss when as you do to Archer, you may just find that the card isn't the dud it looks like. It works a whole bunch like Stimhack, allowing you to alter the tempo of the game by making bigger runs quicker. A sudden 9 credit infusion can allow you to keep up pressure on the Corp when they thought they were going to have some breathing room.

The trick is to not overuse it. If you find yourself playing against Weyland or NBN, get ready to start tossing those itty-bitty one-point Agendas to keep up pressure on their servers. Remember that running doesn't just get you Agendas, it costs the Corp money (rezzing ICE) and resources (when you trash Upgrades or Assets). Keeping the Corp poor means they can't safely, quickly advance Agendas.

When you're up against Jinteki or Haas-Bioroid, you're going to need a bit more restraint. In those cases, you may end up just sitting on Data Dealer, discarding it when you need to get back under your hand limit. However, it isn't always wrong to give up a stolen Private Security Force (core) in order to keep the Corp from winning, for example. Think long and hard about tossing anything other than a one-pointer - if a sudden, successful run will set you up for the rest of the game at the cost of a lead in Agenda points now, it may be worth it.

INSTALLATION: Data Dealer is a lot like ICE for the Runner in that it operates the best when you spring it on the Corp, so don't play it until you're ready to use it. Especially if you are up against Weyland or NBN - they tend to play a little loose with those one-pointers, so don't give them a heads-up that you may be looking for them specifically.

As was said above, BE CAREFUL. Do not trash out too many Agendas unless you think you can force a "decking" win. If you are playing in a timed environment, you need to keep count of how many Agendas you are sacrificing. Remember that, until the Data Packs begin releasing, the average Corp deck packs 19-20 points worth of Agendas. Keep count because you'd hate to shoot yourself in the foot by not leaving yourself enough Agenda points to steal for the win.

IMPLEMENTATION: Data Dealer clocks in at two Influence and honestly, you only want one of them, so it's pretty splashable. At zero credit cost, Shapers might like it since, if it does end up being a dead card, you can install it and feed it to Aesop's for some quick cash. Anarchs will probably be less interested in it since they have Stimhack (Core) in-faction.

COUNTERMEASURES: Don't get comfy once Data Dealer hits the table. It's easy to dismiss the card but just a couple of well-timed uses can really wreck your momentum. Always take the possible 9 credits into account when deciding which servers are safe. Don't assume that the Runner won't toss a 3-pointer to run on you, especially if they are in the lead.

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.