Trace Amount Card Reviews

Genesis - Trace Amount Review

63% - 314 out of 500
61 % - Runner 121 out of 200
64% - Corp 193 out of 300

Our staff has put together a first blush analysis of the newly released data pack Trace Amount. We’ve used a one through five scale; five being the best. The cards are listed in numeric order. Our reviewers are listed in alphabetical order. Disagree with our assessment? Let us know in the comments!

A middle of the road pack this month with a couple stand out cards but most just pulling in average numbers. Runners take the top spot, and the Corp is on their heels.

Top 3
Compromised Employee (Trace Amount) 24 out of 25
Fetal AI (Trace Amount) 23 out of 25
Trick of Light (Trace Amount) 19 out of 25

Bottom 3
Vamp (Trace Amount) 9 out of 25
E3 Feedback Implants (Trace Amount) 13 out of 25
Snowball (Trace Amount) 13 out of 25
Jinteki: Replicating Perfection (Trace Amount) 13 out of 25

[CRB='forums/uploads/an/med_vamp-trace-amount.jpg'] Vamp 9 out of 25

Kennon - 2 out of 5
Vamp is sadly just an inferior version of Account Siphon. Sure, Vamp scales to take out any amount of Corp credits that you can afford, but in order to be practical it will cost at least as much as Account Siphon does up front and is considerably more expensive to drain the Corp for the same amount, on top of not giving you a return on your investment. Sure, if you can keep the Corp poor, it’s a very good thing, but Anarchs seem to have the weakest economy, so I’m not sure where they’re going to get the creds to use this at the moment.

Nerdcore - 1 out of 5
I’m not sold on Vamp. Granted, if you could combine with Stimhack you could be in for some major awesome, but since you can’t, meh. If you have cards in hand for recovering your economy say first or second turn, this could be good, but otherwise, I think it may become my go-to proxy card.

NuFenix - 2 out of 5
Being able to reduce the total credits of the Corp so they can’t rez or advance as much is a positive thing for the Runner. But reducing your own credits in the process, unlike stealing them in the case of Account Siphon, and still having to deal with the tag after, just makes me wonder when this event will be chosen over others. Because there are extreme deck ideas they may find a use for it is the only reason I don’t give it a 1.

Scud - 3 out of 5
Effectively Closed Accounts for the Runner, the effect is pretty great. If, for example, there is unrezzed ICE on a Remote server and you can get into HQ, you can guarantee that you won't have to deal with that ICE this turn. It seems to support the richer, Whizzard-based Anarch build that the Genesis cycle seems to be making possible, although if you can get some economy into a Noise deck, Vamp can keep the Corp from building tough-to-break servers. It is definitely a skill card - if you use it at the "wrong time," you're going to end up in a worse position than if you hadn't played it at all. At 2 pips of Influence, it is easily spashed and I think it may be at its best in a Shaper deck but it does combo very, very well in-faction with the next card on the list...

Toqtamish - 1 out of 5
I just don’t see this card as furthering any of the current themes with Anarch. It’s not a Virus, it is not helping you to trash the corps cards. If anything it is hurting you from trashing their cards as it is taking credits that you could otherwise be spending on trashing their cards. Anarchs currently have the weakest economy, now granted the next card does help with that, but even then I can see better uses for the credits than using Vamp.
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[CRB='forums/uploads/an/med_liberated-account-trace-amount.jpg'] Liberated Account 18 out of 25

Kennon - 3 out of 5
Well, it looks like a great economy card for Anarch at first glance, and I’m willing to give it a fairly favorable look just because that’s a rare thing right now, but I’m not certain that the efficiency is there. Sure, it looks tempting at first glance because you see those 16 credits and a click to take 4 at a time, but we need to look a bit deeper here. With a base cost of 6, you’re actually only netting 10 credits and it takes two clicks before you’ve started to actually make money over your initial investment. For comparison’s sake, take a look at Armitage Codebusting which costs 1 for 12, meaning you net 11, and has paid for itself from the first click. I like the big chunks, but I’m not sure this will be as effective as I want it to be.

Nerdcore - 4 out of 5
I love it. Though I won’t be burning too much influence to stick it into every runner deck, I can see it happening more often than not as a one of or “Crud... two influence... AH!” I love it for Whizzard’s ability to recover after trashing several cards, but I like it more for an early game play and letting it sit, and using several 4th clicks to clear and build up for a run.

NuFenix - 4 out of 5
As other have explained in regards to the efficiency, whilst it takes time to become cost effective, being able to give the Runner, and Anarch in particular, useful amounts of credits per click can help when you have a card you need to play. I think many Anarch decks will run it, to reduce their reliance on spending influence for other faction’s cards.

Scud - 4 out of 5
Liberated Accounts is the real deal. Simply put, it is a source of 10 extra credits and it gives them to you four at a time. Yes, you lose three clicks (playing it and activating it twice) before you make a profit but after that, the tempo it gives you is pretty great, especially for Anarchs with their usually empty pockets. This is a solid mid-game card for Anarchs, letting them build a full rig with much less difficulty after the Corp gets its footing.

Toqtamish - 3 out of 5
Good economy boost for Anarch and something they sorely needed in faction. Netting you 10 credits is a pretty good deal. Now the fact that you need 6 credits to be able to play the card in the first place could be problematic but once you get this out you can quickly gain back those credits plus two extras. Can certainly help when it comes to trashing more of the corps cards with Whizzard or playing Virus cards. Now it is a Resource which makes it vulnerable if you are unfortunate enough to get tagged and being such a large credit boost would be a ripe target for the corp to force you to get rid of it.
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[CRB='forums/uploads/an/med_satellite-uplink-trace-amount.jpg'] Satellite Uplink 15 out of 25

Kennon - 4 out of 5
The old saying goes that knowledge is power, and while there’s a chance that I might be overrating the capability to gain this much knowledge, I’m inclined to think that I’m not. Infiltration is already one of my favorite cards for the expose ability rather than the credit generation, and I think this will likely replace it in my Criminal deck. Bumping up to two cost is painful, but in the midgame, the better card advantage gained in only using up one of my cards for twice the effect is going to be fantastic in determining where to run.

Nerdcore - 2 out of 5
I go back and forth on this... I like it, but at the same time, I’m more inclined to save the money and use the flexibility of Lemuria Codecracker or Infiltration before I go whole hog on this. I can see as a 1 or 2 of in faction or 1 of out as a way of prepping for a 3-5 ICE server, making sure you don’t waste a bunch to just get killed by a Junebug or Snare!. If it was a little lower costed Influence wise I’d like it more.

NuFenix - 3 out of 5
What the Runner doesn’t know, can and often does indeed hurt them. Infiltration is a common card amongst decks, as knowing if that is an agenda building up or a lethal trap, can make or break a game. I like the fact that Satellite Uplink allows you to expose up to two cards, for when Corps go for multiple cards advanced (I’m looking at you Jinteki!), but costing 2 credits and 3 influence for non-Criminals, stops the score getting any higher.

Scud - 3 out of 5
Satellite Uplink really shines in the mid- and late-game, when you need to be sure that what you are running on is an Agenda, not a PAD Campaign AND that the unrezzed ICE in front of it isn't, you know, Archer. In the early game, though, I will almost always rather have the flexibility of Infiltration.

Toqtamish - 3 out of 5
I like it, the ability to expose more cards can be very powerful in this game and for only 2 credits it really is a bargain, Criminals are rarely hurting for credits to spend. Now exposing cards is something that Criminals already excel at so I am not sure they really needed another card that lets them do that. If this cards influence cost was not so high I could see this being in many a runner deck if not all of them.
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[CRB='forums/uploads/an/med_e3-feedback-implants-trace-amount.jpg'] E3 Feedback Implants 13 out of 25

Kennon - 1 out of 5
Mainly just useful for Criminals right now with Aurora and Peacock as the other Criminal icebreakers only cost 1 cred to break subroutines anyway. Possibly useful in the future if we start seeing more icebreakers that cost more than one credit for their built in break effect, but right now, I don’t think it has a home.

Nerdcore - 3 out of 5
The way I see this being played is letting your breakers go super-efficient for any of the 2c: Break ICEbreakers. 2 for 1’ing on any of those is pretty nice, and this gives Crim a little more efficiency. I can see this shining out of faction for a few builds, and perhaps becoming very good in later packs.

NuFenix - 2 out of 5
If you use only Criminal icebreakers, or face against bioroid ice, then this card is amazing. But if you use other ice, don’t face HB often, and don’t want to risk waiting to draw into this card, as there is no reward for multiple copies in play, then the usefulness of the card is sadly limited.

Scud - 3 out of 5
This is a legitimate one-of in any deck no matter what breakers you are running, just in case you come up against HB. E3 Feedback Implants is b-a-n-a-n-a-s against Bioroid ICE. You no longer have to slow down to talk your way past that Janus 1.0, simply blow right on by for 1 click and three credits WITHOUT EVEN HAVING A KILLER INSTALLED. Sorry for yelling, I just get excited. Aside from Bioroid ICE, this card has limited usefulness outside of Criminal. In-faction, however, it can really help Peacock and Aurora become viable options, freeing up your Influence for other, tricksier cards.

Toqtamish - 4 out of 5
This card really knocks down the HB Bioroid ice in effectiveness. No more burning up extra clicks to get by those bioroids, now you can do it for the low cost of 1 credit per subroutine on the ice. Now you can do more runs against HB than before as you are not using up clicks on getting by their ice. Criminals often have extra credits and this gives them another use for those credits. HB is a very popular choice for players when picking a corp faction and this will no doubt make some players change their minds and for that fact that it can essentially “force” a change in the meta it easily scores 4 out of 5 for me.
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[CRB='forums/uploads/an/med_compromised-employee-trace-amount.jpg'] Compromised Employee 24 out of 25

Kennon - 4 out of 5
Wow. Just Wow. I haven’t had this chance to play with this yet, I admit, but this is the card that makes me want this Data Pack ASAP. Gaining creds for actions that the Corp takes is beautiful because it punishes them for doing what they would normally want to do and thus allows for credit generation without wasting clicks. When that action happens to be rezzing ice, I get even more excited because the Corp is then handing me tools with which to defeat them. The best featuers? Non-unique and uses no memory, so it’s going to be not unreasonable to have multiples in play. Once you do, the Corp is in for a world of hurt as they try to protect themselves. The recurring cred for traces is just icing on the cake at this point, but icing that I’ll readily take since Criminals don’t tend to bump their link strength like Shapers do.

Nerdcore - 5 out of 5
After a few test games and watching my attempts to stop the runner completely break down as I paid for my own ICE to be broken, I can confidently say that this is a solid card, and will probably find a home in almost all competitive decks from now on. Getting bonuses to equal out Haas-Bioroid’s core Identity is nice, and it helps keep pace with Weyland over a game. Did I mention you have half of NBN’s Making News passive? Packing almost all of the corp core abilities onto one card or their equivalents is pretty boss. Watch for this to be a game changer.

NuFenix - 5 out of 5
A weakened version of +1 Link, that pays you for the Corp defending themself by rezzing ice, and is easily splashable in non-Criminal - Where do I sign?! Personally, I expect most, if not all of my decks to use this card, as there is little incentive not to do so.

Scud - 5 out of 5
You want to give me a credit every time the Corp rezzes a piece of ICE? Uh, ok, yes please, thank you. A nice source of passive income that also gives you a recurring credit to help out with all the pesky Traces that the Corp has up its sleeve after What Lies Ahead and this pack, Compromised Employee fits well into any deck, really. And at one pip of Influence, it's exceedingly easy to grab a couple-two-three, as we say here in Chicago. And since it isn't unique, you could be getting three credits every time a new piece of ICE comes online.

Toqtamish - 5 out of 5
Free money! Okay, twist my rubber cybernetic arm. 1 influence! 1 free recurring credit during traces! 1 credit every time the corp rezzes a piece of ice! This card will likely end up in nearly every runner deck as it is just such an efficient, great card that really there is no reason to not use it. I can just imagine how frustrated corp players will be seeing their actions giving the runner credits. Mwahahaha!! and *sniff tear* depending on which side I am playing when this is in play.
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[CRB='forums/uploads/an/med_notoriety-trace-amount.jpg'] Notoriety 14 out of 25

Kennon - 3 out of 5
I’m putting this one smack in the middle for the moment until I have the chance to play with it. running successfully on all three central servers in the early game is certainly possible, and the price is right for Noteriety to still be affordable afterward. The effect past that is pretty awesome, as being able to earn agenda points off of my own deck instead of having to dig through the Corp’s deck seems like a huge boon. Color me cautiously optimistic.

Nerdcore - 3 out of 5
Yes and no. In the right kind of deck under the right circumstances, say a heavy skip build for Criminal, I can see this working out great. A free point and a free forfeit for any possible future cards? I like it. The setup is a little much, but if you get it, it can work out. Overall though, probably a little too situational.

NuFenix - 2 out of 5
I have rated this lower than my companions, because having your entire turn mapped out by having to run against all 3 central servers, paying to break through any ice, and then play this, just makes me question how often it will work. It can be tough trying to break through one server, but 3 in a turn can be potentially Herculean!

Scud - 4 out of 5
I am probably overrating Noteriety slightly, but golly gee, I don't care because I have dreams of making Data Dealer useful. Since you add Noteriety to your score area as an Agenda, you should be able to sac it for 9 credits - it's like adding one-point Agendas to every Corp!. Also, in the official Match system, three copies of Noteriety might be enough to give you the Match win, depending on how well your opponent did/does as the Runner.

Toqtamish - 2 out of 5
I want to like this card but the fact you need to make 3 successful runs on your first 3 clicks of your turn just seems like too much. just seems like an awful lot that needs to go right and also potentially a lot of ice to break through. Now at the same time this card could give you the game when you are looking for that one last point and just can’t find it in your opponents cards.
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[CRB='forums/uploads/an/med_snowball-trace-amount.jpg'] Snowball 13 out of 25

Kennon - 3 out of 5
Well, I do have to admit that this one knocks the flavor right out of the park- it just keeps getting bigger and bigger! In Shaper, we already have Battering Ram to use, which offers a higher base strength, which I think might be more practical between the two, even though the Ram uses 2 memory. Still, most folks are probably using Corroder instead, which is cheaper up front, plus a higher base strength than Snowball. Really, Snowball just shines against a heavy barrier deck where you can steamroll through an entire run with minimal paid pumps to it. Sadly, corps purposefully vary their ice for that very reason, so I find that chance unlikely.

Nerdcore - 3 out of 5
True rating reserved until Wunderkid. She’ll be able to take full advantage of this card’s potential in ways Kate can’t. For now though, you have a flavorful option that can punish a corp if they have a poorly built server and can probably fit into any deck if they don’t want Corroder. Me? I’ll wait for some other tricks.

NuFenix - 3 out of 5
A handy alternative for Shapers who want something cheaper and less memory intensive than Battering Ram, and don’t have the influence spare for sing a Corroder. The ability interests me, as it will save you credits going against a deep server, but only so long as it uses multiple Barriers.

Scud - 2 out of 5
A decent Fracter that is mostly on par with Battering Ram (slightly cheaper and uses less MU) but still inferior to Corroder, Snowball can be pretty dangerous in-faction when teamed up with Tinkering and the full Personal Touch suite. Between this and ZU.13 Key Master, the beginnings of a much faster Shaper deck are emerging. I think when we get Cyber Exodus in our greedy little mitts, Snowball will look a lot better.

Toqtamish - 2 out of 5
An interesting alternative for Shapers that helps save on 1 MU vs Battering Ram. Would be most useful of course if your opponent has laid down a lot of barriers in a row. I do like how the effect on it snowballs so it is very fitting to its name. I just don’t think it is as good as Battering Ram. Maybe have two of these and one Battering Ram in your deck to ensure you can put out the right breaker depending on the situation.
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[CRB='forums/uploads/an/med_dyson-mem-chip-trace-amount.jpg'] Dyson Mem Chip 15 out of 25

Kennon - 2 out of 5
Ok, I’m rating this one with the caveat that I’m certain it will go up in relative value as we go along. With the increasing use of traces and their importance, the link from Dyson Mem Chip will get better, and as we get more and more programs, the memory cap will feel like more and more of a hinderance. Right now I dont’ feel the need for this in my decks, but one day, I just might.

Nerdcore - 4 out of 5
I like this a lot more than I probably should. I’m eager to include an option like this into several of my decks, because I’ve been shying away from some of the other options out there. I’ll take the extra slots and no influence cost to stick two cards onto one, even if I’m paying more for it up front. Though I can’t see a three of, as we get more support programs like Imp or Magnum Opus, this will probably start finding its way into decks more and more.

NuFenix - 3 out of 5
I’m going with a middle score on this, as the meta is still in flux with the new traces added to the game. As traces get more varied and useful, the Runners will expand the amount of Link they need, until the Corp stops using it. Combining Akamatsu Mem Chip with Access to Globalsec will prove useful, although the extra credit cost on combining them feels slightly off putting.

Scud - 3 out of 5
Akamatsu Mem Chip costs 1 credits and 1 pip of Influence to splash. Dyson Mem Chip gives you +1 Link and erases the Influence cost at the price of two extra credits. While Shapers don't really need more Link and Criminals don't particularly need more MU (other than what Desperado provides), Anarchs will positively salivate for this card. They have few sources of +Link and are always, always hurting for more MU to install all those wonderful Viruses. As future packs no doubt add additional programs that Criminals will want to run, this card will only gain in value.

Toqtamish - 3 out of 5
While not particularly useful for Shaper it is good for the other two factions. Link strength is becoming something that is more important as we get into this cycle because of the emphasis on trace it has. Having that extra link strength can help save you credits instead of spending them on avoiding the trace. I see this particularly useful for Anarch as the extra memory is also good for helping them host their viruses if they don’t have a djinn out or it is already maxed out.
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[CRB='forums/uploads/an/med_encryption-protocol-trace-amount.jpg'] Encryption Protocol 14 out of 25

Kennon - 3 out of 5
With Anarchs becoming somewhat popular here thanks to Whizzard, Encryption Protocol looks mighty tempting. Making those Melange Mining Corps, Adonis Campaigns, etc more expensive to trash puts the Runner in an even tougher spot in deciding if it’s worth the credits to deny you something. On the other hand, Imp is proving to be an extremely popular way of trashing cards as well, and as it avoids the trash cost aspect entirely, I’m not sure this will be as effective as I would like right now.

Nerdcore - 4 out of 5
I’m calling Trash-focused Whizzard decks to rule the first part of Regionals, and Corps are going to need all the help they can get to stop that from happening to them. I like this for that reason. Maybe it won’t make a huge difference, but it can boost it to where trashing becomes more expensive than the Runner would like. Granted, time will probably prove me wrong, but for now, this is going to be filed in the “Pretty good” section.

NuFenix - 2 out of 5
Being 0 cost and influence 1 giving it the option to fit in any deck is nice. However the problem for me is that it only applies to installed cards, meaning it is useless for HQ and R&D. Because of this, I don’t think it is as useful as it could be.

Scud - 2 out of 5
Eh. This isn't a terrible card but I can't see making room for a card that really only makes PAD and Adonis Campaigns slightly safer. If your opponent is running Whizzard (and I have yet to see a Whizzard deck in actual play), I guess I can see it as a way to make his ability a little less effective. The only place I can see a possible place for it right now is in an Asset/Upgrade-heavy NBN fast advance deck.

Toqtamish - 3 out of 5
Good card to have in hand when facing Whizzard who is becoming popular locally and I am sure in other places too. Forcing the runner to spend more credits or just push a card outside of their ability to afford to trash has its uses. Against other runners it is not as useful however so I did not rate it overly high.
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[CRB='forums/uploads/an/med_sherlock-1-0-trace-amount.jpg'] Sherlock 1.0 15 out of 25

Kennon - 3 out of 5
Now that is one sweet pipe! Anyway, on to the actual abilities. Wow, those are some high base strength traces that are potentially quite nasty to the runner by retarding their draw and taxing their credits to replay the programs that you’ve bounced to the top of their deck. If a Runner can’t break or beat these traces, Sherlock eats their next turn almost certainly. Sadly, I can’t bring myself to rate one of the Bioroid ices beyond a three at the moment due to their inherent “click to break” clause. Still, at only 2 influence pips, I could see another Corp springing this on a Runner to great effect.

Nerdcore - 4 out of 5
I’ve already dropped Sherlock on some unexpecting runners, and it slides into an NBN tagger deck quite well, giving you more bang for your tagging buck as you take out both their resources and programs, plus give them some deck reset, which is so far unheard of in this game. Pretty solid. What bugs me is that Sherlock still has the Haas Bioroid passive, and a good runner that hasn’t invested in some of the neat trace tricks from this pack can still plan around him. That being said, he’s still a solid ICE that will see play over Ichi, because runners are going to WANT to break it after their first encounter.

NuFenix - 3 out of 5
The obvious comparison for Sherlock is Ichi, as both deal with programs, both are Sentries, and have a strength 1 less than cost. A weakness of Sherlock is that the Runner can avoid it by breaking the subroutine, or by beating the trace. An advantage it does have however is that Sacrificial Construct can’t protect a program hit by Sherlock. Overall, I think it will be down to personal taste in which is used.

Scud - 3 out of 5
A Strength 5 Sentry that gets rid of the Runner's programs is pretty great. Sentries are the hardest ICE-type to deal with effectively right now (as long as its Strength is 4+, that is) and, therefore, the most likely to fire off on the Runner, especially on the run during which you first rez it. Sherlock is a Bioroid, so he has that pesky "click-to-break" drawback, but at only one point of Strength behind Archer, if you put him behind a couple other Bioroids, he's going to cost the Runner a lot of credits, regardless of the outcome. Trace4 is a pretty hefty starting point, so unless you're up against a fully kitted out Shaper, the Runner is going to need to spend some credits to avoid them. If the Runner lets the Traces go off, you set them back four clicks and the cost of the two programs you uninstall. If the Runner has an appropriate breaker, they are still going to have to pay (5 for Ninja; 8 for Femme Fatale; 10 for Pipeline; 1 or 2 Datasucker tokens and 2 Credits for Mimic; 7 for Crypsis).

Toqtamish - 2 out of 5
It is interesting but honestly the card seems very meh to me for some reason. Now it does have some very powerful traces on it making it harder for the runner to beat the trace especially if they do not have a high base link strength. But it comes with that same bioroid disadvantage of being able to be broken by clicks and now if they do that if they have E3 Feedback Implants in play they can then spend 1 credit to break the other subroutine, which really is a bargain when to beat each trace with zero link strength would have cost them at minimum 8 credits. Its got good strength and decent subroutines that get rid of programs but really to me does not seem worth placing in a HB deck.
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[CRB='forums/uploads/an/med_jinteki-replicating-perfection-trace-amount.jpg'] Jinteki: Replicating Perfection 13 out of 25

Kennon - 3 out of 5
Much has been said about the new Jinteki identity. At the moment, I think it’s some really awesome new space for Jinteki, but it’s not quite as awesome as some people have thought right off the bat. Keep in mind that it just says they have to make a run, not a successful run. This changes the power level quite a bit.

Nerdcore - 1 out of 5
I think this is our first Little and Less for Netrunner, a card that is super hyped, but super useless. Under the right plan and deck, this clearly will be a pain in the butt, however with no way to make the runner continue after handling the first piece of ICE, I don’t see it being too useful. For now. I feel bad giving it a 1, but it’s too easy to work around. Internet, prove me wrong.

NuFenix - 2 out of 5
Limiting what the Runner can do is a key part of a Corp player, and making it where a Runner cannot run against a remote server without running against a central server forces them to spend a click they may not want to. However, if they are wanting to run against a central server anyway, it is not a punishment. Plus, because they don’t have to be successful and simply make a run, they can jack out after the first piece of ice. As a result, I feel the net damage caused from the core identity will impact the Runner more in the long term.

Scud - 3 out of 5
Making the Runner lose a click is a pretty strong effect. Since Jinteki is the Corp most able to punish the Runner for successfully hitting HQ and/or RD (Snare!, Fetal AI, Neural Emp), it makes sense that they would be the most comfortable with an ID that makes the Runner target the Central Servers. This is a very interesting ID but I don't think that all the pieces (*cough* Bullfrog *cough*) are available yet to make it really shine.

Toqtamish - 4 out of 5
I am rating this probably higher than some think it is worth, which is fine. I get really excited with all of the new identities as they get revealed as I enjoy the possibilities they open up in the game. Now yes this does not permanently block the runner out of your remote servers. But what it does do is make each of your ice that much more effective as instead of just protecting one of the central servers that same piece of ice is also protecting each of your remote servers for no extra cost. The key with this card will be making running your central servers very costly for the runner. Also it can help to channel the runner into your traps as you know with reasonably good odds where the first run will be made on every single turn. Jinteki is not the easiest corp to play and yet that in itself helps to make it more appealing. As cards get previewed and added to the rest of the genesis cycle I see this identity becoming better and better.
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[CRB='forums/uploads/an/med_fetal-ai-trace-amount.jpg'] Fetal AI 23 out of 25

Kennon - 4 out of 5
This is just about everything a Corp like Jinteki could want out of an agenda. Not only does it play into their damage theme by dealing 2 when the Runner accesses it (as long as it’s not from Archives), thus punishing them directly for attempting to win the game, but it also potentially keeps the Runner from scoring it if they’re unable to pay. Considering the net damage removing cards from their hand, those two abilities can really push the Runner’s tempo back, just for trying to win.

Nerdcore - 5 out of 5
Win, and win HARDER. Jinteki is poised to become a major force going forward, and it’s not just because of this, but because it becomes a damage sticker like no tomorrow, especially on a Maker’s Eye or Medium-charged run. Got it in hand? Neural EMP fixes that pesky runner quickly. If you can’t tell, I like it a lot. I think that it’s going to be a standard for Jinteki for quite some time.

NuFenix - 4 out of 5
It feels hard to say anything different to Kennon above, other than the fact that on initial viewing, 5 advancement for only 2 points may seem low. But when punishing the Runner for net damage for accessing it, and then making them pay for the privilege of stealing it on top, it may cause a Runner to become paranoid at the card advancing before them to be a Junebug or a Fetal AI.

Scud - 5 out of 5
You got Agenda in my Ambush! You got Ambush in my Agenda! Two great tastes...you know the rest. The Runner loses cards and credits just to get 2 Agenda points. That's pretty tasty, if you define tasty as "makes the Runner cry a little bit on the inside," which I do.

Toqtamish - 5 out of 5
Love it. Not only does it do 2 damage it also forces the runner to spend money just to steal the agenda. If they used up most of their credits running your central server and then ran the remote server with this card in it they might not have enough credits to steal it. Even if they do steal this agenda they have still lost 2 cards and 2 credits just to get the 2 agenda points. Also a great card for Jinteki as now when you are placing a number of advancement tokens on a card and don’t stop they won’t know if it is a Fetal AI or perhaps a Project Junebug.
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[CRB='forums/uploads/an/med_trick-of-light-trace-amount.jpg'] Trick of Light 19 out of 25

Kennon - 3 out of 5
I actually think this is going to be an extremely useful card for Jinteki and possibly splashed in Weyland. There are many times that I’ve built up a Project Junebug several advancement tokens, but a smart Runner has knowledge or a hunch and just won’t run on it. Trick of Light lets me drop an agenda into another remote server and maybe move those right across to score it. Weyland might like to do similar things with their ice that can be advanced.

Nerdcore - 4 out of 5
Jinteki’s gotten some cool toys in this set, and I think we’ve found the first card that Weyland will pay out the ears for in Influence to use. Trail of Light seems like it’s perfect for Weyland to make some quick scores by moving the advancement off the advancable ICE and onto their agenda seems like it can be really, really good. I hope that plays off. I think everyone else will probably mention it, but moving off of exposed traps is also going to be a key play, or bluffing and going from an Agenda to a Trap to tantalize the Runner.

NuFenix - 3 out of 5
This is a card that I would need to try out more than any other in this pack, as it will either work really well, or fall flat. Being able to move advancement tokens around, so that trap they know you have and won’t run against, can have tokens moved from it elsewhere for an agenda, another trap, or even ice, could be potent. But as you are paying a credit and click to play the card, it only really saves a click and credit, which may not be worth it. If it was less influence, I could see it possibly being used in Weyland, but 3 is just too pricey.

Scud - 4 out of 5
Super awesome happy fun time for Jinteki (and pretty alright for Weyland even at 3 pips), Trick of Light is mean. Now it isn't so bad when your opponent is some sort of Ambush-sniffing wizard that never falls for your tricks - you can just shift some of those otherwise wasted clicks'n'credits over to that Neisi MKII or whatever and score it. I play Weyland and almost NEVER advance Ice Wall or Shadow. Now, I can't see why I wouldn't...


Toqtamish - 5 out of 5
I so could have used this card a few weeks ago during a game when I had built up my Project Junebug and the runner didn’t even look at it. Cheap to use and very efficient, something tha Jinteki will likely use often and a great card for them.
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[CRB='forums/uploads/an/med_sensei-trace-amount.jpg'] Sensei 16 out of 25

Kennon - 3 out of 5
Only particularly awesome once you’ve stacked a couple pieces of ice on the same server, Sensei still looks interesting because it has pretty high strength for it’s rez cost and creates End the Run subroutines in a faction that’s pretty light on them at the moment. Interestingly, Sensei effectively has X subroutines, where X is the number of ice on this server, which allows it to scale out pretty far, if you’re willing to spend all the creds. I also really dig the flavor that its teaching the other ice.

Nerdcore - 4 out of 5
I may or may not have put this into my Haas Bioroid deck as a way of cheating even more pain into my Bioroids for the unprepared runner off of a good Accelerated Beta Test. I think this is a good add for Jinteki, and a lot of good will come from its use

NuFenix - 3 out of 5
Useful in deep servers, to either make the Runner spend more credits to get through all the ice in their path (which they may not be able to afford now), or grant End The Run to ice that lacks it. The low influence and reasonable cost makes it easy to splash into any deck. With this ahead of HB bioroid to make it even harder for them to be avoided with click. My only problem with the card is that like Chum, it does nothing alone, making it useless early game.

Scud - 3 out of 5
Sensei suffers from the same problem as Chum EXCEPT that putting one Sensei in front of another makes a Strength 5 ETR Code Gate. While adding ETR to Jinteki ICE is no doubt incredibly useful, Sensei, with its 1 pip Influence cost, just begs to be splashed. Suddenly your Bioroid ICE requires an extra click to pound through. Data Raven becomes even scarier. Sensei begs to be broken, unlike Chum, and will cost the Runner a decent amount to do so.

Toqtamish - 3 out of 5
Well I like its subroutine and I like its cost to strength ratio. Someting that Jinteki can make use of. Sadly it does need to be used at the right time much like Chum you have to be careful when you lay it down which is something that makes Jinteki a bit harder to play as since you really have to pay attention to where and which ice you are laying down. Easily splashed into other factions that lack end the run subroutines on their ice like HB.
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[CRB='forums/uploads/an/med_big-brother-trace-amount.jpg'] Big Brother 14 out of 25

Kennon - 2 out of 5
Feels like a bit of a win more card to me, in that you’re just dumping more tags on someone who already has them and the game doesn’t do much with that right now. I suppose once you reach a certain point of tags on a player, they’re likely to stop wasting the time and effort to remove them all, however, which means you can play some of your effects that require tags with impunity. Still, there is one card that cares about the number of tags- Psychographics. I’m sure there will be someone working on the rapid advancement deck who wants to add a super tag aspect to it so that they could more easily use Psychographics to score agendas in one fell swoop. More power to you, but we’ll need more cards that care about the number of tags the runner has before this is as practical as I would like.

Nerdcore - 3 out of 5
What my own experience with this card has taught me is that there’s a fine line between pressure and not caring. I have hit a runner with two of these in the same turn, and he just stopped caring after he hit the sixth tag and went to 18. Granted, I couldn’t draw a single thing to take advantage of it, but if I could, I could see it being effective. I go back and forth about further inclusion of this card because of this particular game. If you can hit it, you’re guarenteed to finally make Psychographics a great card. If you can’t, then it’s no good and I’d rather go with the other tag-machine in the pack, Chi-Lo City Grid.

NuFenix - 2 out of 5
As this only works when the Runner is already tagged, then it means either you have just given the Runner a tag with cards like Breaking News or Sea Source, or that the Runner never got rid of their tag in their turn. The issue is, will the extra tags trouble the Runner? If you have just given them a tag, then you have a reason to give them more. Whilst if they already had 1 (or more) tags, will 2 more bother them? I believe many player will have a critical point at which they stop trying to remove tags, as there is little reason to remove them if they can’t get rid of them all. Whilst it could work in a Psychographic/SanSan rush deck, that is the extent of the card to me.

Scud - 4 out of 5
My experience may be coloring my rating slightly, but I had tag after tag piled on me with a couple of back-to-back Big Brothers the other night after the start-of-turn scoring of a Breaking News. Suddenly those two tags that go away at the end of the turn don't go away, and now it's four tags, and suddenly you're scrambling to clear tags while the Corp is closing your accounts and getting you fired from Armitage Codebusting and un-liberating those accounts you hijacked and running Psychographics on you. A couple of tags is no big deal. Four or more, especially against a Corp deck built to take advantage of them, can throw the Runner completely off balance.

Toqtamish - 3 out of 5
It is a good card for NBN that can help make sure the runner is tagged to trigger a lot of their cards abilities. Can make it harder for the runner to keep clear of tags and certainly more expensive for them to do so. Extra tags is not a bad thing and with a couple of these played the runner can end up with more tags than they can handle.
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[CRB='forums/uploads/an/med_chilo-city-grid-trace-amount.jpg'] ChiLo City Grid 16 out of 25

Kennon - 3 out of 5
As many of the traces already give out tags, there’s a good chance that this is in similar territory to Big Brother right now. Still, I give it a bit higher rating for being repeatable, which could tend to become extremely annoying for a runner. If we get more cards that care about the number of tags that a Runner has, I expect this to get much more useful.

Nerdcore - 4 out of 5
I love the 2-for-1 aspect here on a lot of NBN’s existing ICE. This makes Data Raven even more of a hoss and raises the Matrix Analyzer from good to great. Put this in a server headed off by a Sensei and you’ve got a heck of a run set up, and probably going to get to keep a tag or two on the runner by the time it comes to your turn.

NuFenix - 2 out of 5
Useful for decks built around tag’n’bag, as it means that traces can be used other than ones that give the Runner tags, such as Ash or Sherlock. Not being limited to only once per run can help if multiple traces can be triggered during a run on the server. However, I find it will be competing with SanSan and Amazon Industrial Zone, which between that and the limited deck types, keeps the score low for me.

Scud - 4 out of 5
This might be Jinteki's Data Pack, but NBN comes out smelling like a rose between ChiLo City Grid and Big Brother. Right now, tags are all about quantity, forcing the Runner to slow down and deal with them or face the consequences, and ChiLo City Grid helps pile 'em on. Used to be that I was adamant about Scorched Earth not belonging in an NBN deck (too swingy since your in-house ICE isn't that great and you need to assemble your combo before the Runner just waltzes through and steals the win). Now, feh, run two. Use your other Influence on two Archers and maybe three Senseis, and just see what happens.

Toqtamish - 3 out of 5
In conjunction with Big Brother and the likely tag from the successful trace all of a sudden the runner has 4 tags on them after just one failed trace. This card is only two influence and so could be splashed in to Weyland along with Big Brother to ensure a successful tag n bag. Its a key card for a tag n bag deck but not useful for other NBN themes like agenda advancement for which you would be using SanSan City Grid instead.
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[CRB='forums/uploads/an/med_power-grid-overload-trace-amount.jpg'] Power Grid Overload 16 out of 25

Kennon - 2 out of 5
I want to like this as some targeted destruction for the Corp, but the problem is that all the power here is in the Runner’s hands. They have to have made a successful run, have to have hardware on the board and get to bid for the trace after you do. Since the cost of their hardware on the table is open knowledge and you have to bid first, you wind up having to completely outbid the runner’s possibility of paying in order to destroy something rather than what you think might be a reasonable gamble on your investment. Since the hardware you destroy is cost equal to or less than the difference, the Runner can easily calculate which ones you’re able to destroy due to their bid and then act accordingly. In the end, this winds up being pretty expensive if you want it to work.

Nerdcore - 4 out of 5
It’s going to be difficult, but I’ll bank on the possibility of an upcoming tags=trace mechanic to like it. I won’t run more than one or two until that point, but I’m looking forward to really employing it in NBN denial builds where I can throw some creds into a trace and punish a runner for not paying into the tag.

NuFenix - 4 out of 5
Finally, a means to deal with hardware! Whilst it is restricted to the Runner having successful run against the Corp, it is inevitable that such a thing will happen. With a low cost to play, and only 1 influence, it means that any Corp has the means to deal with hardware. The only thing that stops this being a 5 for me is that it is a trace, and that the difference in the Corp’s trace value versus the Runner’s link strength determines what can be trashed.

Scud - 3 out of 5
While I'm giving this a 3 overall, I think that in a Weyland Tag'n'Bag deck, it's more like a 5. Right now, this is the Plascrete Carapace killer. However, don't dismiss the ability to just brute-force your way to trashing the Runner's console, lowering her MU and forcing some program trashing. Losing programs mid-game is one of the most damaging things that can happen to a Runner in the mid- and late-game. Sometimes it's going to be worth 10+ credits to pull off.

Toqtamish - 3 out of 5
I like that it is usable on the corps turn and this in conjunction with the ChiLo City Grid can result in the runner being tagged and having lost a piece of hardware. It is also finally a card that lets you deal with the runners hardware. Now against a shaper deck this will be more costly to make useful as they will likely have a fairly high link strength. A good card for a Weyland tag n bag deck to ensure they can remove any hardware that might help the runner survive. Also could be used to trash a console and then cost a program or two depending on how much the runner has been relying on the consoles extra memory to host their programs.
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[CRB='forums/uploads/an/med_amazon-industrial-zone-trace-amount.jpg'] Amazon Industrial Zone 15 out of 25

Kennon - 3 out of 5
Ok, so I mentioned earlier that knowledge is power. I still stand by that, so there’s the chance that I might be wrong here, but it seems to me that you can put a price on knowledge and the discount that you get off of installing ice here seems like it might possibly be worth it to give up that knowledge in exchange for saving a considerable chunk of money. Of course, you have to do it twice before you’ve gotten your money back off of the Upgrade itself, but if you want to beef up a particular server, this seems like a good way to work on it. The best part is that its a may ability, so if you have a particular piece of ice that’s important enough, you can still play it face down. In fact, randomly doing that to an opponent might drive a Runner insane trying to figure out why you would decide not to take advantage of the discount.

Nerdcore - 2 out of 5
Meh. I don’t like handing information over, no matter the trade off. I’ll pass on this card, though I think it can work out later on, and perhaps better within Weyland.

NuFenix - 4 out of 5 rating
I simply love this card! Whilst this removes the element of surprise to the Runner when they encounter a piece of ice, once they get their rig established they will be able to deal with most, if not all ice that they encounter. The credits saved with this will allow the Corp to spend less clicks getting credits, which can be used elsewhere. Having Akitaro Watanabe in the same server means that the savings from the first ice rezzed (so long as it costs 5 or more) pay for the rez cost of both Akitaro and Amazon, ignoring the clicks on installing them (as that will be mentioned in comments). The only reason I didn’t give it a 5, is that it isn’t useful in every deck, but the majority of mine will include it.

Scud - 2 out of 5
With the right ICE (Tollbooth, Hadrian's Wall, Janus 1.0, maybe even Data Raven), where the surprise factor isn't quite as important since the ICE is still a pain to get through, this is a great card. Honestly, though, most ICE is only going to hit the Runner with its subroutines the first time it's rezzed. Once the Runner knows what they are facing, everything else is just a math problem.

Toqtamish - 4 out of 5
Saving 3 credits on every piece of ice being installed in this server can very quickly make this card pay for itself. Its non unique so you could have 3 copies on 3 different servers making it a huge savings when putting ice on those servers. Saving money in those servers then makes it easier to rez cards in other servers or advance your agendas to get to your win. A great card that with only one influence cost will very easily be splashed in other factions like HB.
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[CRB='forums/uploads/an/med_executive-retreat-trace-amount.jpg'] Executive Retreat 16 out of 25

Kennon - 3 out of 5
Another 3 point agenda, Executive Retreat is most interesting for me for the ability to play the requisite number of required agenda points by using less total cards, thus freeing up deck slots that I can use for interesting effects and decreasing the odds of a Runner grabbing those agendas. I’ll let someone else figure out the exact percentages, but I like the idea. As well, it’s not hard to time the scoring of Executive Retreat at a time when you have 0 or 1 card in hand, which is a minimal loss on the scoring. then a click later, refilling your hand to 5 means you can dig into and enjoy the added non-agenda cards in your deck that this made possible.

Nerdcore - 4 out of 5
In my building with this pack I’ve found this to be an easy switch in for decks that can’t or don’t want to use Priority Requisition. The refresh can come in handy if you end up with a bunch of agendas or just simply don’t like your options, and that’s what I’ll use it for. If Professor Oak’s Revenge taught me anything, it’s that there’s a lot of good a shuffle can do you.

NuFenix - 3 out of 5
This agenda neither wows me, nor disappoints me. Depending on the deck, it can easily switch with Priority Requisition, for players who don’t like changing the total amount of agendas within their deck. Timing when to score it so you don’t lose good cards back to R&D could be tricky at first for players, but making HQ safe from a Runner allows time to boost defences elsewhere.

Scud - 3 out of 5
Executive Retreat's strength is that you can now get to 20 Agenda points in your Corp deck with only 7 Agendas. I think that drawback (shuffling your hand in your deck) is worth it and, if you get the timing right, scoring it when your hand is empty or close to, it can actually be a boon. And let's be honest, sometimes you could use a midgame mulligan.

Toqtamish - 3 out of 5
This agenda will need to be scored at the right time but if you are down to one or two cards in your hand when you score it you have now netted yourself 3 agenda points and 3-4 cards as well. A bargain right there, also useful for when you have a hand that is just not what you need at this point in the game. With 3 agenda points towards the needed 20 or 21 it will be interesting to try a deck with the minimum number of agendas in your deck. That will also help to keep the runner from stealing the points they need to win allowing you more time to work towards victory of your own.
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[CRB='forums/uploads/an/med_freelancer-trace-amount.jpg'] Freelancer 16 out of 25

Kennon - 3 out of 5
From Armitage Codebusting to Wyldside, there are certainly resources that the Corp would love to destroy. The amount of work needed here is far less than Power Grid Overload for a comparable trash effect. Not only will Freelancer probably only get easier to play as this cycle continues, but it provides actual 2 for 1 card advantage. You might have heard before in other games that two for ones are good. Well, in a game with such tight tempo management as Netrunner, that can be even more important.

Nerdcore - 4 out of 5
In the right deck, this is powerful. Quite an edge and lets you handle pesky link strength that you may not be able to reach normally, and wipe out quite a bit of it at once. Especially with so many of my Employees becoming compromised these days...

NuFenix - 3 out of 5
For decks that use tags, this card allows some tremendous efficiency, doing the work of 4 credits and 2 clicks for a single click to play (plus drawing it). Between this and Closed Accounts, a Corp can leave a Runner broke and little to no resources to get back on their feet. However, for Corp decks that don’t make tags, this card will never do anything for them.

Scud - 3 out of 5
Twice the effect for, like, 1/3 the cost, Freelancer is worth it even if the Runner only has one Resource on the table. And with new cards like Liberated Accounts and Compromised Employee (as well as the Connection-type Resources we know are coming in Humanity's Shadow) there will be no shortage of targets. This card is a good addition even to tagging-lite Corps like HB and Jinteki, since it gives you something really useful to do with the occasional tag.

Toqtamish - 3 out of 5
If you are running a corp deck that likes to tag the runner there is no reason not to take this card in 3s. Being able to trash 2 resources for zero is better than the base action that is always available. And there is some really nice resources that have come out and are coming out, even right in this set with Compromised Employee or Liberated Account that you will want to trash from the runners resource row. Can also help a tag n bag deck with their win condition by letting you trash the runners Crash Space(s) and Decoy(s) and now they are open to the needed tag and the meat damage from Scorched Earth.
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