We’ve already seen the first Data Pack in the new Genesis Cycle for Android: Netrunner, and we’re still awaiting its release. What Lies Ahead is set to be a roaring pack full of cards that will enhance the game in many ways, but that’s not all we’ve to look forward to.
Fantasy Flight has just announced Trace Amount, the second Data Pack in the Genesis Cycle. With this pack Runners gain new events while the Corporations gain new operations cards. There will also be new hardware, resources, icebreakers, ice, agendas, assets, and upgrades. What’s different about this pack is that Traces, tags, and links take the spotlight.
Trace Amount is all about bluffing. It’s full of surprises and proves in more than one way that a single card in the hand is worth two or more actions on the field. That being said, since the Data Pack is full of bluffing, Jinteki gains a brand new identity card.
One of the new operations featured in the Data Pack is Freelancer. This operation has a cost of zero, though you can only play it if the Runner is tagged. It allows the Corporation to trash up to 2 of the Runner’s resources that are in play. For a zero-cost card, it’s extremely dangerous. This makes being tagged much more of a danger to the Runner. Freelancer gives the Corporation economic control. By stopping the Runner’s resource gain, it will be very difficult for them to break ice placed on remote servers.
I can’t wait for these Data Packs to release. Scorched Earth already keeps Runners scared, and Freelancer will only make things worse for them. Of course, I’m worried as a Runner also, but since I try to run with as little resources as possible, I may be able to get around these little snags. The plan is simple: stay away from tags.