This ID explores some interesting new space in the meta. There are several IDs that give the player 1c per turn, ETF, Kate, Ken, two of which are extremely popular, and the third is waiting for its time. Gaining 1c per turn is a huge boost as anyone who has swapped ETF for any other HB ID can tell you. Many of these decks will design their play around firing their ability once every turn for that credit, which will often add up to ~8-12c by the end of the game.

Spark goes the other way. This ID takes money away from your opponent each time you rez a particular subtype that applies to economy assets, ICE, and an upgrade. All of these cards provide an economic advantage to the corp, while hurting the runner economy.

The corp typically chooses to rez assets during the runner's turn after the 4th click. This is the standard window to rez some econ assets such as Adonis Campaign or PAD Campaign , but these can also be rezzed between clicks. This gives the corp an opportunity to rob a credit from the runner before they can play a card, but at the cost of some hidden information. Interrupting the runner from playing Sure Gamble after they clicked for a 5th credit will be the standard example, but breaking up a Test Run install or other predicted action will also be possible. This will force the runner to slow down their tempo to hold an extra credit to anticipate when the taxman will hit them.

The 1c tax during a run can also make a difference. Saving an asset from being trashed before the runner accesses is helpful, but using the rez to block an NAPD Contract steal is a game-changer. Making Pop-up Window, a long-time nuisance into a 2c tax when rezzed for free while turning on a corp income source will make many a runner scowl in disapproval.

The obvious combo with this ID is Rebranding Team, which now makes any asset rez into a 1c tax on the runner. More targets to trigger the ability can push this ability's power into top-tier territory, and opens the potential (however unlikely) for a corp-headlock on an unfortunate runner. Some other combinations to consider are Reversed Accounts to keep the runner poor, Ad Blitz to recur your trashed/expired tax/econ elements (or potentially any asset when paired with Rebranding Team, it looks clear for now, but we may need a ruling here). Finally, I personally like Midway Station Grid in this ID with multi-subbed ICE to tax the runner a little more on every run, further pressuring their economy, and on occasion even shutting down a run.

In conclusion, I think this is a pretty strong ID, possibly good enough for some players to build it into tier 1 decks. I don't think it is strong for Fast Advance, it's ability doesn't do anything to accelerate cards through the corp's hand or advance cards any more efficiently. I think this ID will find itself a home in a heavily-taxing corp glacier. The asset-protection upgrade, Red Herrings works surprisingly well in a deck that focuses on depleting runner credits.

I think Custom Biotics is the second worst corp ID.

The problem with Custom Biotics is that the 'extra' influence doesn't really make up for what is otherwise a blank ID. The standard comparison for an HB identity is ETF, which can very reliably provide 1 credit on most corp turns and the occasional bonus credit on the runner's turn. Does 7 additional influence make up 1 credit per turn? It is a very hard sell at best, since those credits are very important early when the corp is building servers and rezzing a few early ICE on centrals, every credit counts.

A more balanced comparison may be NEXT Design: Guarding the Net. Both Custom Biotics and NEXT Design are essentially blank ID's once the game is underway; neither will be bothered by Employee Strike. But even here, NEXT's early start of 2 or 3 installed ICE and corresponding card draws puts the corp as much as 2 full turns ahead at the start of the match. The corp can focus turn 1 on econ development to develop a credit lead while its servers are already protected. Custom Biotics's 10 influence advantage should look impressive here, but again, with no early game advantage to leverage, the corp struggles against even modest early pressure and econ denial.

I won't compare Custom Biotics to Cerebral Imaging: Infinite Frontiers because I think CI is actually the only ID that is worse than Custom Biotics. My theory is the two worst corp IDs were both placed into HB to somehow make up for how very strong ETF is.

If Custom Biotics had even a modest bioroid-themed advantage, then maybe it would have a chance, but giving up Caprice Nisei, the biggest influence hog in HB glacier decks, for a little extra influence seems like a bad deal. Maybe with Data and Destiny out someone can make an NBN-heavy HB deck using some clever cards like Early Premiere and Product Placement to build a powerful HB glacier deck in this ID, but I don't see this ID ever elevating above the mid-tier jank level of play.

This is a hard card to count on. Most runners will budget their runs to have 1 click left after access, just in case whatever they access is something nasty instead of a juicy agenda. There are cases when the runner may be click-less on access, but an unrezzed upgrade could by Ryon Knight or Ash 2X3ZB9CY, both of which they wouldn't want to hit without a click to spare.

Also, it is worth noting that Film Critic gets around this tax, since Film Critic doesn't 'steal' agendas, which this cost triggers off of.

The best case I can think of to use this is a heavily click-taxing deck, ID: Jinteki: Replicating Perfection, Current: Enhanced Login Protocol, and Region: Ruhr Valley could force the runner out of clicks before they get to access. Even that doesn't really sound good.

A major facet of this card that I think some have overlooked is the information cost of showing the runner what they need to break into your servers. For central servers, where pressure is applied for much of the game and a number of access are expected over the course of the game, this focus is typically more on taxing than ending the run. On a scoring remote, where it is important to keep the runner out, the uncertainty typically favors the corp.

That said, when your ICE is backed up by some strong upgrades (e.g. Caprice Nisei, Ash 2X3ZB9CY) then the role of the ICE shifts more towards a tax as on a central server; forcing the runner to break it multiple times before an agenda is scored.

Some other advantages to rezzing ICE in advance of a run:

• Blackmail runs
• Leave fewer targets for Leela Patel: Trained Pragmatist to send back to HQ
• Rez ICE with strong subs to feed to Wormhole or Orion
• Stop DDoS/False Echo in its tracks

When Will-o'-the-Wisp was first released, it did not get much attention; however I believe the evolution of the meta game and runner deckbuilding now merits it a second look.

Many runner have limited tutors, typically used to accelerate rig building alongside card draw and recursion from the heap to recover any programs lost to fairly common Corp program trashing. Will-o'-the-Wisp does not trash programs, but puts them on the bottom of the runner's stack. This means that Sacrificial Construct and Fall Guy cannot prevent the effect. Given the infrequent use of Will-o'-the-Wisp, few runners are prepared to combats its effects.

As an upgrade, Will-o'-the-Wisp can punish the runner like a trap would when running on a scoring server, but unlike a trap Will-o'-the-Wisp fires for free.

Finally, Will-o'-the-Wisp synergizes well with Ash 2X3ZB9CY, which will allow a successful run with the program-burying effects, but without the opportunity to trash. Architect and Crick allow an opportunity to rescue a trashed Will-o'-the.Wisp from archives to bury once again.