As a Corp I don’t always run tag punishment, but I almost always have at least one tagging card. I know there’s been a lot of fuss about Faust lately and debate over whether Adjusted Chronotype is part of the problem and to what degree. To that end, I’m trying to think through optimal trashing strategies for the card.
Assuming the runner has a tag and it is the beginning of the Corp turn. Kill is not an option and I have no other tag punishment in hand. The runner has Adjusted Chronotype in play as well as Wyldside. What considerations should I make when deciding if I should trash one or both of these cards? Which should I trash first? I started thinking of Wyldside like a San San that just has to die as soon as I land a tag, but I’m not sure that’s always the case. If I don’t think my opponent is running Faust, how does that change my play?
In general, I would probably be targeting the Wyldside, as it effectively blanks the Chronotype meaning they’ve invested 6 credits in something that is now producing 0 value. Like most things in Netrunner though, there isn’t a definitive way of doing it. I’ve played Noise enough against NEH to know that having Wyldside cost me clicks for too long can usually let the game spiral out of control in the yellow players favor. In a situation where you were racing the runner to the finish line, it may well be worth it to hit the Chronotype if you just the cards they are drawing to be less valuable than the click they are losing.
The main thing is that all these decks run 2x Chronotype, which you can use to your advantage. Trash Chronotype if there’s one in the bin. Trash Wyldside if there are two of those in the bin. That’s a solid start, though honestly the redundant copies mostly make these trashing tactics a short-lived advantage and not a game-winner.
Definitely a game-to-game call. I like trashing adjusted first in IG (especially if they’re running faust) because I want them to get close to decking themselves before rezzing my blacklist. But as others have said, check archives and check your win conditions.
If you’re running bioroids (and/or Turing), I would usually go for Chronotype first. Likewise, if the runner is broke, trashing Chronotype can make clearing the tag next turn crippling (and if they don’t clear it, you’ve got your opening to trash the Wyldside if you’d like to). If they’re on Faust and already have him installed, though, Wyldside starts to look like a much better target.
I like taking chronotype first, even if a Faust is out, most of the time. Those clicks end up being the most important thing I’ve noticed. Time is money you know…