This is the sixteenth in a series of unofficial FAQs released with each new data pack. Below are rulings from the ANCUR staff regarding some of the cards in Blood and Water, as approved by the lead designer Michael Boggs.
Alice Merchant: Clan Agitator[]
When Alice Merchant makes a successful run on Archives, does the Corp trash a card from HQ before or after the Runner accesses cards?
Before.
Jarogniew Mercs[]
If the Runner has zero tags when they install Jarogniew Mercs, how many power counters are placed on it?
Four power counters are placed on Jarogniew Mercs: 3 + 1 for the tag taken from its ability.
If the Corp plays The All-Seeing I while Jarogniew Mercs and another resource are installed, what happens?
The All-Seeing I attempts to trash all resources at the same time. Since there is another resource installed, Jarogniew Merc's ability prevents it from being trashed.
Māui[]
Does the Runner place credits on Māui when they install it if there are pieces of ice currently protecting HQ?
Yes. The value of X is already greater than 0 when Māui is installed, so credits up to that X value are immediately placed on it.
If the Corp installs another piece of ice protecting HQ during a run on HQ, does Māui gain an additional credit for use immediately?
No. The number of pieces of ice protecting HQ sets the value of X, but credits are only replaced up to that X value at the beginning of the Runner's turn.
If a piece of ice protecting HQ is trashed during a run on HQ, does Māui ever lose a credit?
No. The number of pieces of ice protecting HQ sets the value of X, but does not affect the credits currently hosted on Māui. Cards with recurring credits only ever get refilled up to the indicated value, the recurring credit mechanic never removes credits that are already there.
Bug Out Bag[]
If the Runner installs Bug Out Bag with Career Fair, how many power counters are placed on it?
Lowering the install cost of Bug Out Bag has no effect on the value of X. The number of counters placed on Bug Out Bag is always equal to the number of credits actually paid to install it.
How many tags must the Runner have for the Corp to use Best Defense to trash a Bug Out Bag with 5 power counters on it?
The number of tags the Runner has does not matter for playing Best Defense to trash Bug Out Bag. The Value of X is only set during the time at which it is paid. Once installed, the cost of Bug Out Bag is assumed to be 0.
If the Runner has two Bug Out Bags installed, will both copies trigger at the end of the Runner's turn?
Yes. The condition for the Runner to have no cards in their grip is part of the ability's trigger condition, so it is checked at the end of the turn instead of when the ability resolves.
If the Runner uses Fall Guy to prevent Bug Out Bag from trashing itself, do they still draw cards?
Yes. Trashing Bug Out Bag is part of the effect of the ability not a cost or condition.
Keros Mcintyre[]
Does Keros Mcintyre gain 2 if the Corp derezzes a piece of ice? How do the players know if the Runner or the Corp is responsible for the derez?
Unless otherwise stated in the card text, the player who owns the card is always assumed to be the owner of any abilities on that card. Keros Mcintyre's ability only triggers if the Runner is responsible for the ice being derezzed. If a Corp card derezzes a piece of ice (e.g. Test Ground), or if a Runner card tells the Corp to derez a piece of ice (e.g. Muertos Gang Member), then Keros Mcintyre does not trigger.
Mass-Driver[]
If the Runner breaks all the subroutines on a piece of ice with Mass-Driver, can they still break the subroutines on the next piece of ice that would not normally resolve?
Yes.
If the Runner breaks all the subroutines on a piece of ice with Mass-Driver, then breaks one of the first three subroutines on the next ice encountered, does the fourth subroutine on that ice resolve or not?
Only the first three subroutines on the next piece of ice are ever ignored. If the Runner breaks any of those subroutines, then the effect of Mass-Driver does not pass on to the next subroutine.
Warroid Tracker[]
Does a Warroid Tracker installed in the root of R&D trigger when the Runner uses Keyhole to trash a card?
Yes.
If Warroid Tracker and Adonis Campaign are installed in the same server and the Runner makes a run and trashes both cards while accessing them, how many times does Warroid Tracker trigger?
The Runner accesses cards in a remote server one at a time in the order of their choice. If Adonis Campaign is accessed and trashed first, both trash events will trigger Warroid Tracker. If Warroid Tracker is accessed and trashed first, it will trigger once for itself, and then it will not trigger for Adonis Campaign because the ability is no longer active.
If Warroid Tracker is installed in a remote server with other cards and the Runner plays Singularity to run on that server, how many times does Warroid Tracker trigger?
Singularity trashes all cards in the server simultaneously, so Warroid Tracker will trigger only once.
If the Runner uses Salsette Slums to remove a card from the game, does Warroid Tracker still trigger?
No.
Loki[]
If Loki gains a subroutine with a self-reference from another piece of ice, such as a trap like Kitsune, what happens?
Everything in the subroutine resolves as normal, except for any effect with a self-reference in it. The reference does not refer to Loki, so it cannot resolve.
If Loki gains a subroutine from a Mausolus with 3 advancement tokens on it, does the regular text resolve or does the parenthetical text resolve?
Loki gains the subroutine text but not the ability text that says to resolve the parenthetical, so only the regular text will resolve. Even if Loki were to somehow copy the other ability, it would contain a broken self-reference and thus would not work either.
If Loki gains the subroutines from NEXT Gold, what are the values of X?
Loki does not have any way to set the value of X, so the subroutines do 0 net damage and trash 0 programs.
If the Corp chooses a NEXT Opal or NEXT Silver for Loki's ability, how many subroutines does Loki gain?
When Loki's ability resolves, it gains the subtypes and subroutines of the chosen ice simultaneously, so Loki is not counted as a rezzed NEXT ice until the ability completes. Loki gains as many subroutines as the NEXT Opal/Silver had before the ability began to resolve.
If the Corp chooses a Hive for Loki's ability, and then the Corp forfeits a False Lead during the encounter, does Loki gain another subroutine?
No. Loki only gains subroutines at the time that its "when encountered" ability resolves.
What happens if the Corp chooses a deflector ice (Bullfrog, Mind Game, Susanoo-no-Mikoto) for Loki's ability?
Most deflector ice change the Runner's position "instead of passing" that ice. In these cases as well as the case of Bullfrog, the subroutine gained by Loki contains a broken self-reference, so the Runner is not deflected because the Runner will not pass the named piece of ice.
What happens if the Corp chooses Cell Portal for Loki's ability?
Cell Portal only uses a self-reference for the "Derez Cell Portal" part of its effect. The copied subroutine will send the Runner to the outermost piece of ice protecting the attacked server (usually the server Loki is protecting), but nothing will be derezzed. If Loki is encountered again later in the run, Loki will still have Cell Portal's subroutine, in between the printed subroutine and any subroutines gained by the second resolution of its "when encountered" ability.
Obokata Protocol[]
When the Runner accesses Obokata Protocol, can the Corp use Tori Hanzō to replace the net damage with brain damage? Does this prevent the Runner from stealing the agenda?
The Corp cannot use Tori Hanzō's ability on the net damage from Obokata Protocol because Tori only works on net damage that is dealt by the Corp.
Mirāju[]
When does Mirāju's effect resolve? Does the Runner start running on Archives immediately upon breaking Mirāju's subroutine?
When the Runner reaches step 4 of the run and would pass Mirāju, if they broke the printed subroutine they instead run on Archives and the Corp derezzes Mirāju.
When the subroutine on Mirāju resolves, does the Corp have to draw a card in order to shuffle a card from HQ into R&D?
No. "Then" does not imply any causation, it is merely an indicator of order of resolution.
If the Corp does not have any cards in HQ and does not draw a card when the subroutine on Mirāju resolves, do they still shuffle R&D?
No. The Corp cannot shuffle a card from HQ into R&D.
Shipment from Tennin[]
Can the Corp play Shipment from Tennin on their first turn?
No. The Runner does not have a last turn to reference.
Reeducation[]
If the Corp uses Reeducation to add more cards from HQ to the bottom of R&D than the Runner has in their grip, does the Runner still have to randomly add cards to the bottom of their stack?
No. If the Runner does not have enough cards with which to resolve the effect, then they are not "able" to do so.
Standoff[]
Can players trash their opponent's cards during a Standoff?
Yes.
Success[]
When the Corp plays Success, can they split the advancements among more than one card?
No.
If Jemison Astronautics plays Success, which goes first? Jemison or Success?
Jemison Astronautics must go first because it is a chain reaction that meets its trigger condition while paying the costs of Succes.
If the Corp forfeits a NAPD Contract to Success while they have a bad publicity, how many times do they advance a card?
The Corp advances a card 5 times.
Does the ability on Success trigger the abilities on public agendas?
Yes.
Whampoa Reclamation[]
Can the Corp use the ability on Whampoa Reclamation to add the card used to pay for the ability to the bottom of R&D?
Yes.
Can the Corp use Whampoa Reclamation while there are no cards in Archives?
No. The effect of the ability does not have the potential to change the game state.
Mass Commercialization[]
If Tennin Institute has placed an advancement token on a Runner card, does that increase the credits gained from Mass Commercialization?
Yes.