This is the twenty-first 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 Council of the Crest, as approved by the lead designer Michael Boggs.
Updates: RNG Key[]
If a Runner with RNG Key runs on an R&D with Breaker Bay Grid rezzed in its root, what number does the Runner need to name in order to gain credits from accessing a Vanilla?
The Runner must name -5.
Can the Runner choose to access an upgrade installed in the root of R&D or HQ as their first access, reveal it, and gain credits with RNG Key?
No. Installed cards cannot be revealed, and if no card is revealed by RNG Key then it has no card to reference for the rest of its effect.
No One Home[]
If the trace on No One Home is unsuccessful, can the Runner choose to avoid/prevent fewer than the total incoming tags/damage?
Yes.
When a Snare! resolves, when does the Runner have to choose between preventing the net damage or avoiding the tag with No One Home?
Because the net damage and the tag are simultaneous, No One Home triggers after the corp pays 4 and immediately before the rest of the ability resolves. If the trace is unsuccessful, the Runner then chooses between avoiding the tag or preventing the net damage.
If the Runner has two copies of No One Home installed, can they use both the first time they would suffer net damage or take tags?
Yes. Both copies of No One Home meet their trigger conditions simultaneously, so the Runner triggers them one at a time. The Runner makes the decisions to trash each copy of No One Home or not when resolving the ability on that copy, so the first trace will fully resolve before the Runner has to decide whether to use the other copy.
So if an ability like Snare! would both give tags and deal net damage, the Runner can avoid all of those effects with two unsuccessful traces from two different copies of No One Home?
Yes.
If the Runner uses a No One Home the first time in a turn they would take damage, can they install a second No One Home and use it the first time that same turn they would take tags?
No. No One Home only triggers the first time the Runner would either take tags or take damage. Even though the later event may be the first time one of those two things has occurred, it is not the first time that the event encompassing either of the two options has occurred.
Marathon[]
If the run initiated with Marathon is unsuccessful, is the Runner still prohibited from running that server again?
Yes. The restriction on running the server again is independent of the "if successful" ability.
If the Runner is redirected to a different remote server during a Marathon run, do they still gain and add Marathon to their grip if the run is successful against the new server? Which server are they prohibited from running again during that turn?
Yes. "If successful" effects work as long as the server the run is against is a server the run could have been initiated against. So if the Runner is moved to a different remote server, they can still continue the marathon. The restriction on future runs in the turn applies to the server that the Runner was redirected to.
What if the new server is a central server?
The "if successful" ability cannot resolve on a central server, so the marathon ends. The Runner is prohibited from running that central server for the remainder of the turn.
Anansi[]
If the Runner bypasses Anansi with an encounter bypass ability (e.g. Inside Job), does Anansi still do 3 net damage?
Yes. Bypassing causes the encounter to end immediately, which is the trigger condition for Anansi's ability.
If the Runner bypasses Anansi with an approach bypass ability (e.g. Charlatan), does Anansi still do 3 net damage?
No. If the Runner bypasses the ice as it is being approached, they immediately pass it without encounter it, so there is no encounter that has ended.
Can the Runner use Hunting Grounds to prevent Anansi's ability?
No. Anansi has a "when encounter ends" ability, not a "when encountered" ability.
If Anansi is derezzed or uninstalled during an encounter, does it still do 3 net damage?
No. Anansi is no longer active in either case, so its ability cannot trigger.
Code Replicator[]
If the Corp uses Code Replicator to force the Runner to approach the outermost piece of ice a second time, is the Runner still prohibited from jacking out?
No. The Runner is only disallowed from jacking out the first time they approach a piece of ice in a run. This rule is not tied to any specific piece of ice.
Azmari EdTech: Shaping the Future[]
If the Corp names "event" for the card type for Azmari EdTech, does the Corp still gain 2 if the Runner plays Employee Strike?
No. Following the rules for playing events, "when played" abilities do not meet their trigger condition until the event in question is active in the play area. Employee Strike blanks Azmari EdTech as soon as it becomes active, so its ability is no longer active and cannot trigger.
Armed Intimidation[]
When the Corp scores Armed Intimidation, can the Runner choose either of the options then prevent/avoid the damage/tags?
Yes. The ability forces the Runner to choose one of the options, but once an option has been chosen, the resolution can still be modified or prevented.
Death and Taxes[]
Does Death and Taxes trigger when the Runner trashes one of their own cards?
Yes.