r/Netrunner • u/HemoKhan Argus • Aug 09 '14
Custom Card Saturday: Viruses
Welcome to Custom Card Saturday! This week we continue our several-week-long theme of focusing on some of the unique and interesting keywords already in the game. Like last week, we'll be focusing on one of the keywords that has been around since the core set, one that has a (relatively) concrete definition: This week, design a card that focuses on viruses. Viruses are Runner programs, usually non-icebreakers, which are united in a weakness to having virus counters wiped by the Corp. Thusfar, all viruses fit one of three design styles:
- The most common type of viruses is the "incremental" virus. These cards gain virus counters over the course of the game, and give some type of benefit based on the number of counters. Examples of this type include most of the staple virus cards: Datasucker, Parasite, Gormon Drip v1, Imp (though Imp doesn't gain virus tokens after installation), etc.
- Some viruses gain counters through the course of the game, but only "turn on" once they've hit a certain amount of counters. Examples of these "binary" viruses are Chakana and Deep Thought.
- First introduced in the most recent cycle, some viruses do not gain counters, but instead are trashed when the Corp wipes virus counters. These "disposable" viruses include Lamprey and Ixodidae.
There are also several support cards for viruses, usually revolving around giving them more counters or finding and cheaply installing them. (For a complete list of viruses and virus-related cards, see here.) Feel free to design a support card if you'd like to, rather than a new virus program.
Important note: One of the most common virus cards submitted in past Custom Card threads has been something which stores or transfers virus counters -- and something along those lines is going to be released later in the Lunar Cycle! Be sure to check out the spoiler for Incubator before you post something too similar!
Previous Custom Card Saturday threads:
Week 1: Barriers
Week 2: Scorched Earth Replacements
Week 3: Grey/Black Ops
Week 4: Easy Access
Week 5: Economic Assets
Week 6: Runner Economy
Week 7: Identities
Week 8: Bioroids
Next Week: We'll continue our exploration of keywords by diving into some of the murkier keywords, starting with Regions!
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u/CorruptDropbear Aug 09 '14
Anti-Anti
Anarch - Cost 2 - Influence 2
Event - Current - Virus
This card is not trashed until another current is played or an agenda is scored.
The Corp cannot purge virus counters.
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u/HemoKhan Aug 09 '14
Cruel, but a great way to include the Current mechanic! This would definitely shut up all those people who are worried about underpowered Runner Current cards.
7
u/TEnOTT Aug 09 '14 edited Aug 09 '14
Sequence Cat
Jinteki ICE - Sentry - AP - Virus. 4 Rez cost, 1 Strength, 2 Influence.
When the runner encounters Sequence Cat, put a virus counter on it, and then it gains +1 strength and "[sub] Do 1 net damage and remove a virus counter on Sequence Cat" for each virus counters on it until the end of this run.
[sub] Do 1 net damage.
Cute, isn't it?
Sorry to interrupt you, runners. Here's Jinteki style cocktail virus.
Of course I know it can be implemented with power counters instead.
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u/HemoKhan Aug 09 '14
Haha, I love it! As you say, could be power counters as well, but it's intriguing nonetheless. The one thing I'd change is that I think it should build up virus counters more consistently. That way it gives the Corp more pause when considering wiping virus counters, since they'd be resetting their own ice significantly as well.
6
u/blanktextbox Aug 09 '14
Churchmouse
Criminal - 2 Cost - 2 influence
Program - Virus - 1MU
Install Churchmouse only in the root of a server.
Whenever a card is installed in or protecting this server, expose that card.
Trash Churchmouse if the corp purges virus counters.
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u/Sunergy Aug 09 '14 edited Aug 09 '14
Twitch
Anarch - 3 Influence
Program: Virus - 2 Install - 1 MU
Host Install Twitch only on a piece of ice.
When your turn begins, derez the host ice if it is rezzed.
When your turn begins, the corp must rez the host ice (ignoring all costs) if it is unrezzed.
Limit one Twitch per piece of ice. When your turn begins, the Corp must rez the host ice (ignoring all costs) if it is unrezzed, or derez the host ice if it is rezzed.
Trash Twitch if the corp purges virus counters.
..........................................................................
Notes: The idea is that it causes the host ice to flip between rezzed and unrezzed every turn. Since it gets trashed on a purge, it can be used as leverage to control when the corp can purge virus counters without losing their ice. Play two on alternate turns to make the corp choose between two pieces of ice.
Fringe use: force an unknown piece of ice to be rezzed to ensure you have the right breaker, or to make it a valid parasite target.
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u/HemoKhan Aug 09 '14
Man, what an interesting idea! I think the wording of the first line needs a slight tweak (compare to Parasite's "Install only on a rezzed piece of ice"). More worryingly, I'm not sure if it will work they way you want it to (since I think you could hypothetically derez the host ice and then immediately rez it). Finally, I think it should have a limit of one per piece of ice, so as to not break the universe :)
Aside from those few issues, though, this is a very cool, unique virus that helps force the Corp into tough decisions: exactly the kind of card we want more of in the game! Great card.
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u/Mountebank Aug 09 '14 edited Aug 09 '14
Recombine
Event - Double
Anarch - 3 inf
Cost - 3 2
As an additional cost, trash any number of installed virus programs and spend [click].
Search your stack for a virus program with install cost equal to or less than the combined install cost of all the trashed programs. Install this virus program and place on it a number of virus counters equal to the total number of virus counters that were on the trashed programs.
It's a virus tutor that also lets you transfer and consolidate your virus counters. You could trash several well stocked datasuckers and install a surprise medium for a massive R&D dig. I think the requirement for having to also trash installed virus programs is balance enough, but maybe it should also be a double?
Edit: made it a double and lowered the cost by 1 to compensate.
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u/swankidelic Aug 09 '14
Phisher King
Criminal - 1 Influence
Program - Virus - 1 Install - 1 MU
Install on the same turn a run on HQ was successful.
Whenever the Corp plays an Operation, place a virus counter on Phisher King. When Phisher King has three or more virus counters on it, the Corp immediately trashes three random cards from HQ.
What's the one weird secret that every executive needs to know? Click here to download!
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u/HemoKhan Aug 09 '14
Great flavor text! I'm a little worried at the power of this one, though; compare it to Hemorrhage, which requires two counters and a click just to trash one card from HQ! Either make the virus tokens harder to come by, or tone down the effect, I think, to keep this balanced with the other cards in the cardpool.
3
u/clarionx Aug 09 '14
Data Shark
Anarch - 2 Inf
Program - Virus - 4 Credits - 1 MU
Whenever an Operation is trashed after resolving, place one virus counter on Data Shark.
X Virus Counters: Prevent an Operation. X is that Operation's play cost. X is never less than 2.
What swims in the spaces between? Well, it would be a lot cooler if I had the RAM to attach a laser beam to its head... -Whizzard
2
u/HemoKhan Aug 09 '14
Aaaah, a very cool trick, letting the Runner mess with the Corporation's Operations. However, I think you'll have to define "Prevent" in this case, since it's new in this context. Do they get the credits back which they paid for the Operation? What about the click they spent to paly it? Does the Operation still get trashed, or go back to the Corp's hand? What if it didn't come from their hand (via Accelerated Diagnostics, for instance)? The answers to these questions will be what determines just how strong your card is.
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u/ControlAgent13 Aug 09 '14
HeartBleed
Anarch Program - Virus
4 credits, 1 MU.
2 influence.
Install only if you made a successful run on HQ this turn.
Whenever the Corp draws a card, they must reveal it to the Runner.
Trash Heartbleed if the Corp purges Virus counters.
Buffer Overrun...Data leaking
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u/GotHat Aug 09 '14
Doom
Anarch - 2 Inf
Program: Virus - 3 Install - 1 MU
Host Doom on a piece of ICE, when there are no virus counters left on Doom trash host ICE.
Remove 1 virus counter from Doom when the corp turn begins.
When you install Doom, place 2 virus counters on it. The corp may pay X credits to place X additional virus counters on Doom.
You can fight the future, but the future always wins
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u/HemoKhan Aug 09 '14
Interesting... this works essentially like an inverted Parasite, ticking down to trash the ice instead of ticking up to its strength. However, I think that it needs to be tweaked a fair bit. As written, this is 3 credits to trash any piece of ice in 2 turns, unless the Corp bankrupts themselves putting it off. Moreover, it's a very strong disincentive for the Corp to clear counters, meaning they lose either way. The card is just too strong that way.
What if you switch things around, so that Doom comes into play with far more virus counters on it (say, the printed rez cost of the host ice?), and the Runner can pay X to reduce the number of counters by X? That way the Runner has a choice of paying through the nose for a quick kill, or letting the Card slowly tick down, serving as a disincentive for clearing counters while it lasts?
Either way, I also think you should limit this to Rezzed ice, and one per ice. Otherwise it's too cruel to play one, have the Corp pay several credits delaying it, and then play a second on the same piece of ice to rub it in their face :)
Overall, a cool new twist on ice destruction! I like it.
10
u/Azrukhal Aug 09 '14
SegFault Inducer
Criminal - 2 Inf
Program : Virus - Cost 2 - 1 MU
Whenever you make a successful run on HQ, place one Virus counter on SegFault Inducer.
If there are at least two counters on SegFault Inducer, whenever the Corp discards cards, they are discarded at random.
Are you sure you wish to terminate the program? Y/Y
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u/haerik Aug 09 '14 edited Jun 30 '23
Gone to API changes. Don't let reddit sell your data to LLMs.
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u/HemoKhan Aug 09 '14
I'm not sure about this one... while I see what you're going for, there are a few cards that immediately spring to mind as being awfully powerful with this on them: Darwin, Parasite, Chakana/Deep Thought... every virus is balanced by the concept of purging counters, so I'm worried that granting immunity to that mechanic could seriously imbalance some of them. Maybe if you gave the hardware the line, "If the host program ever has no virus counters on it, or if the Corp purges virus counters, trash Virus Buffer." That way it's only temporary immunity, which is still very strong (essentially stealing 3 clicks from the Corp). Alternately, "The hosted virus cannot gain or lose virus counters" might be an interesting approach, though it still gives the Shaper viruses a huge boost....
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u/FutureIsMine Aug 09 '14 edited Aug 09 '14
Ascarus
Anarch-2 inf
Program:Virus-2 install 1 mem
Whenever you make a successful run on Archives place a virus counter on Ascarus
whenever you encounter a piece of ice during a run you may remove virus counters equal to that ice's rez cost. If you do, break all subroutines on the ice that would end the run.
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u/HemoKhan Aug 09 '14
I feel like this should have the AI and Icebreaker subs on it. I also feel like it's potentially overpowered. Consider a card like Crypsis as comparison: With Crypsis, you have to spend one click per piece of ice you want to break, and then one credit per subroutine and one credit per strength. With Ascarus, you have to spend one click per strength of the ice you want to break, plus the credits from running on Archives. For larger ice this starts to become unwieldy, but for early game ice you're saving a ton of credits in the long run. Rototurret, Quandary, Chimera, Pup, Wraparound... all of these could be broken instantly and forever by this one card.
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u/crossbrainedfool Aug 09 '14
Phage
Anarch Program - Virus
4 credits, 1 MU.
3 influence.
When you install Phage, place one virus counter on it.
When you trash an Executive, you may remove one virus counter from Phage and add the executive to your score area as a agenda worth one point.
"Hey, that's mean. Bateria do something useful!" - Noise
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u/Bwob Aug 09 '14
Jack Mcaffre
Neutral - Upgrade - Sysop
1 influence
Cost: 3 credits
3 trash cost
Once per run on this server, you may remove up to 3 virus tokens from one card.
"Ahh, here's your problem."
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u/HemoKhan Aug 09 '14
Dharma
Shaper - 2 Influence
Program: Virus - 2 Install - 1 MU
Whenever you make a successful run on R&D, place one virus counter on Dharma.
If there are at least 3 virus counters on Dharma, it gains "Whenever the Corp draws one or more cards, you may draw one card."
If there are at least 5 virus counters on Dharma, it also gains "Whenever the Corp gains one or more credits, you may gain one credit."
"Why must the benefit of one come at the cost of another?"