Program Rulings

Afreet
Once a program is installed in a particular place you can't move it around. Programs that are already installed may not be placed inside a daemon that comes into play later in the game. (Wendy Wallace, Netrunner-L, 5/2/96) 
If the Runner has an icebreaker installed in an Imp, and the Imp is installed inside an Afreet, the icebreaker's strength is only reduced by 1. When checking for penalties, the Runner only checks to see where the icebreaker is immediately installed. (Netrunner FAQ v.1.0, 5/22/96) 
You can install one daemon inside another. (Sparky, Netrunner-L, 6/25/96) 
If an effect (e.g., Viral Breeding Ground) returns a daemon to the Runner's hand, the programs installed inside it are trashed; there is currently no effect in the game that can prevent this trashing. (Sparky, Netrunner-L, 9/5/96) 
You can't install part of a program in a daemon. (Skipper Pickle, Netrunner-L, 5/1/98)

 AI Boon
ERRATA: Change strength from "*" to 0. Main card text should read: "At the start of each run, roll a die and add the result to AI Boon's strength for that run." (Sparky, Netrunner-L, 10/11/96) 
If you have an AI Boon with Shell counters on it (cf. The Shell Traders), you can pay the bits to remove the counters and install it in the middle of a run, whenever special effects may be used by the Runner. If you do this, AI Boon is considered to have a default strength of zero - you only roll for its strength at the start of each run. (Sparky, Netrunner-L, 5/6/96) Remember that the Runner cannot react to the Corporation's rezzing of an ice card by using his or her own special effects. (Netrunner FAQ v.1.0, 5/22/96) 
There is no opportunity to jack out between the time you roll the die at the start of the run and the time you encounter the first piece of ice installed on the fort. (Sparky, Netrunner-L, 9/27/96)

Armageddon
For notes on Virus programs, see Boardwalk. 
If you make a successful run on R&D using Demolition Run, you may not give a Doom counter AND trash the rezzed ice on the fort; you must do one or the other. (JD Wiker, Netrunner-L, 2/4/97) If you have more than one "you may do A instead of B," then you can do as many or as few A's as you like whenever B would have happened. However, if B never would have happened, then you can't do any of the A's. Demolition Run means that you never would have accessed cards, so you can't use Armageddon, or related effects. (Tom Wylie via JD Wiker, Netrunner-L, 3/11/97) 
Each time you would access cards, you can use as many Armageddons as you like. (Tom Wylie via JD Wiker, Netrunner-L, 3/11/97) 
You can give the Corp a Doom counter even if the number of cards you would have accessed has been reduced to zero or less. (Tom Wylie via JD Wiker, Netrunner-L, 3/25/97) 
Each time the Corp installs a card, each counter produces a separate effect, but the Corp must roll dice equal to the number of Doom counters in play. If any 6s are rolled, the card is trashed. For each 6 rolled, the Corp removes a Doom counter. This means that more than one Doom counter could be removed with a single installation. (Tom Wylie via JD Wiker, Netrunner-L, 3/25/97)

 Baedeker's Net Map
See Access through Alpha for notes on base links.

 Bakdoor (tm) 
See Access through Alpha for notes on base links.

 Blink
If you fail to break a subroutine with Blink, you may use another icebreaker to break the subroutine. (Charles Keith-Stanley, Netrunner-L, 5/2/96) The other icebreaker can be another Blink. (Sparky, Netrunner-L, 6/18/96) 
On a 1, 2, or 3, the attempt to break the subroutine fails. (Sparky, Netrunner-L, 6/18/96) 
You can break subroutines in any order you want. Any unbroken subroutines affect you in the order listed on the card. (Sparky, Netrunner-L, 6/20/96)

Boardwalk
If a Virus program is trashed, any corresponding Virus counters stay in play; the Corp will still have to forgo three actions to remove their effects. (Sparky, Netrunner-L, 5/22/96) 
Virus counters are given if the run is successful, but not until the end of the run. (Sparky, Netrunner-L, 9/6/96) 
The Corp cannot choose to keep some Virus counters. (Sparky, Netrunner-L, 10/2/96) 
The Corp may forgo actions to remove Virus counters anytime that special effects can be used. (JD Wiker, Netrunner-L, 1/29/97) 
Viruses that say, "Every X counters have this effect," have their entire effect all at once, rather than once for every X counters the Corp has. In this case, the Corp shows you all of the cards at once, so there's no chance of seeing the same card over and over again. (Official Netrunner Rulings, 4/21/97)

 Bulldozer
See Hammer for notes on Noisy cards. 
Ice with no subroutines on it (e.g., Hunting Pack as the only ice on a fort) can be considered to have had all of its subroutines broken. (Sparky, Netrunner-L, 9/5/96)

 Butcher Boy
For notes on Virus programs, see Boardwalk.

 Cascade
For notes on Virus programs, see Boardwalk. 
The cards are trashed from the top of R&D. (Sparky, Netrunner-L, 5/15/96)

Cloak
ERRATA: Should say, "If you use any of the bits, replace them from the bank at the start of your next turn." (Sparky, Netrunner-L, 10/11/96) 
If bits are removed from a Stealth card because the Runner uses a Noisy card (and not because they're being spent), those bits get replaced at the beginning of the next turn. (Netrunner FAQ v.1.0, 5/22/96)

 Clown
Ice can have a negative strength. (Sparky, Netrunner-L, 5/17/96) 
Clown is cumulative; if a Runner has two copies of Clown installed, all ice is encountered with its strength Boardwalk reduced by 2. (Netrunner FAQ v.1.0, 5/22/96)

 Cockroach
For notes on Virus programs, see Boardwalk .

 Crumble
For notes on Virus programs, see Boardwalk.

 Deep Thought
For notes on Virus programs, see Boardwalk.

 Disintegrator
Ice with no subroutines on it (e.g., Hunting Pack as the only ice on a fort) can be considered to have had all of its subroutines broken. (Sparky, Netrunner-L, 9/5/96) 
You cannot use Disintegrator to derez the ice after using Dropp to break the subroutines on that ice. (JD Wiker, Netrunner-L, 1/6/97)

 Dropp (tm) 
ERRATA: Should say, "[0]: Break all subroutines of a piece of ice, and end the run." Delete the rules text "Using Dropp ends your run." (Sparky, Netrunner-L, 10/11/96) 
You cannot use Startup Immolator after using Dropp to break the subroutines of a piece of ice because Dropp ends the run before the Runner can choose to use Startup Immolator. (Netrunner FAQ v.1.0, 5/22/96) 
Dropp ends the run after the Runner finishes the piece of ice he or she was encountering when it was used. (Netrunner FAQ v.1.0, 5/22/96) The subroutines are broken, but the ice is not successfully passed; game effects triggered by "passing" ice are not triggered by breaking subroutines with Dropp. (Sparky, Netrunner-L, 11/11/96) 
Crystal Palace Station Grid will force you to pay an extra bit to break each subroutine on a piece of ice; if you cannot pay for all of the subroutines, you cannot use Dropp to break them. (Netrunner FAQ v.1.0, 5/22/96) 
You cannot use Pattel's Virus after using Dropp to break the subroutines of a piece of ice because Dropp ends the run before it can be considered successful. (Sparky, Netrunner-L, 5/30/96)
You cannot use Superglue to derez the ice after using Dropp to break the subroutines on that ice. (Tom Wylie, 12/21/99)

 Emergency Self-Construct
For the remainder of the game, you lose one of your actions each turn; if some effect gives you additional actions (e.g, Quest for Cattekin), you would still have the benefit of the additional actions. (Wendy Wallace, Netrunner-L, 5/2/96) The "three actions per turn, instead of four part" refers to your base actions only. (Sparky, Netrunner-L, 7/15/96) 
Emergency Self-Construct cannot prevent meat damage that is marked unpreventable (e.g., Cinderella). (Sparky, Netrunner-L, 7/10/96) 
You can't use prevention effects unless you have something to prevent, so you can't activate Emergency Self-Construct without being flatlined. (Sparky, Netrunner-L, 7/10/96) 
Each activation of Emergency Self-Construct sets the Runner's base actions to 3 per turn. You can hit the ESC key as many times per game as you like, and each time your base actions per turn will be set to 3. (Tom Wylie, 8/26/97)

 Enterprise, Inc., Shields
You can use it multiple times for large lumps of damage, but you cannot hold over the damage prevention; each source of damage must be paid for separately. (Sparky, Netrunner-L, 9/13/96)

 Fait Accompli
For notes on Virus programs, see Boardwalk. 
Counters of any kind, including virus counters, are not sufficient to maintain a subsidiary data fort. When the last card in or on the fort is removed, the fort collapses. When that happens, the counters no longer exist. (Wendy Wallace, Netrunner-L, 5/28/96)

 False Echo
If the Runner activates False Echo and the Corp does not rez all of the ice on the fort, a third party can be used to verify that the Corp is not able to do so, but the Corp is not required to show the ice to the Runner. (Tom Wylie via JD Wiker, Netrunner-L, 3/11/96)

 Forward's Legacy
There is no opportunity to jack out between the time you roll the die at the start of the run and the time you approach the first piece of ice installed on the fort. (Sparky, Netrunner-L, 9/27/96)

 Fubar
See Hammer for notes on Noisy cards. 
The ability to choose the type of ice that Fubar breaks can only be used once during the "lifetime" of the program. (JD Wiker, Netrunner-L, 1/14/97) 
Fubar's ability to select the type of ice that it breaks can be used any time an icebreaker can normally be used. (JD Wiker, Netrunner-L, 1/15/97)

 Garbage In
For notes on Virus programs, see Boardwalk. 
Garbage In counters allow you to trash upgrades on R&D, as well as cards stored in R&D. (Skipper Pickle, Netrunner-L, 11/11/97)

 Gremlins
For notes on Virus programs, see Boardwalk.

Hammer
You are not required to have Stealth cards in play in order to use Noisy cards; losing bits from Stealth cards is a penalty, not a cost. (Netrunner FAQ v.1.0, 5/22/96)

 Highlighter
For notes on Virus programs, see Boardwalk. 
The additional cards accessed do not include cards installed in R&D. (JD Wiker, Netrunner-L, 1/3/97)

 I Spy
Cards in the draw pile of R&D, the HQ hand, and the Archives are not installed, thus they are not exposed by the Spy counter. (Netrunner FAQ v.1.0, 5/22/96) 
Counters of any kind, including virus counters, are not sufficient to maintain a subsidiary data fort. When the last card in or on the fort is removed, the fort collapses. When that happens, the counters no longer exist. (Wendy Wallace, Netrunner-L, 5/28/96) 
The Spy counter is given as an "end-of-run" effect. (Sparky on Vienna 22 and the Run chart, Netrunner-L, 9/9/96)

 Imp
See Afreet for notes on Daemons.

 Incubator
For notes on Virus programs, see Boardwalk. 
The Runner cannot choose to duplicate Virus counters given by Corp Virus cards (e.g., Pattel Antibody). (Sparky, Netrunner-L, 10/2/96) 
The duplicate counter stays in the same location where it is duplicated. (JD Wiker, Netrunner-L, 1/28/97)

 Invisibility
ERRATA: Should say, "If you use the bit, replace it from the bank at the start of your next turn." (Sparky, Netrunner-L, 10/11/96) 
See Cloak for notes on Stealth cards.

 Jackhammer
See Hammer for notes on Noisy cards.

 Joan of Arc
Joan of Arc can prevent the trashing of Mystery Box, and the new program will still be installed. (Netrunner FAQ v.1.0, 5/22/96) 
If you have Joan of Arc in play and you access two Chimeras in the same data fort, you access the first Chimera, sacrifice Joan in response, then you access the second and lose the daemon anyway. (Sparky, Netrunner-L, 6/20/96) 
misc.for-sale has an erratum that requires that programs be "successfully trashed"; if you use Joan to prevent the trashing of programs by misc.for-sale, you cannot gain bits for those programs. (Sparky, Netrunner-L, 6/20/96) 
If a single effect trashes multiple programs (e.g., Experimental AI) and Joan of Arc is chosen first, Joan can still prevent the trashing of the other programs; prevention effects can be activated prior to the consequences of the effect. (Sparky, Netrunner-L, 6/27/96)

 Lockjaw
Contrary to Netrunner FAQ v.1.0, if you use Joan of Arc to prevent the trashing of Lockjaw, you will not gain the benefit of +2 icebreaker strength (REVERSEs a previous ruling). (Skipper Pickle, Netrunner-L, 9/29/98)

 Mouse
Cannot expose ice cards, which are installed on forts, not in forts. (Official Netrunner Rulings, 4/21/97)

 Mystery Box
Joan of Arc can prevent the trashing of Mystery Box, and the new program will still be installed. (Wendy Wallace, Netrunner-L, 5/24/96)

 Pattel's Virus
For notes on Virus programs, see Boardwalk. 
You cannot use Pattel's Virus after using Dropp to break the subroutines of a piece of ice because Dropp ends the run before it can be considered successful. (Sparky, Netrunner-L, 6/11/96) 
Read it like this: "Whenever you make successful run, put ONE Pattel counter on ONE piece of ice that had all its subroutines broken during that run. Each Pattel counter on a piece of ice reduces its strength by 1." (Sparky, Netrunner-L, 5/30/96) 
Ice with no subroutines on it (e.g., Hunting Pack as the only ice on a fort) can be considered to have had all of its subroutines broken. (Sparky, Netrunner-L, 9/5/96)

 Pile Driver
See Hammer for notes on Noisy cards. 
Crystal Palace Station Grid will force you to pay an extra bit to break each subroutine on a piece of ice. Since you pay to break "up to four" subroutines at a time, you can choose to pay only for those subroutines you wish to break. (Netrunner FAQ v.1.0, 5/22/96)

 Poltergeist
ERRATA: Should say, "Put [2] from the bank on Poltergeist ..." and "If you use any of these bits, replace them from the bank at the start of your next turn." (Sparky, Netrunner-L, 10/11/96)

 Pox
For notes on Virus programs, see Boardwalk. 
Counters of any kind, including virus counters, are not sufficient to maintain a subsidiary data fort. When the last card in or on the fort is removed, the fort collapses. When that happens, the counters no longer exist. (Wendy Wallace, Netrunner-L, 5/28/96)

 Rabbit
Note that Rabbit reduces the trace limit, not the trace, so Rabbit merely limits how much the Corp can spend. Barring other effects, the trace value will always be at least 0. (Official Netrunner Rulings, 4/21/97)

 Ramming Piston
See Hammer for notes on Noisy cards.

Rent-I-Con
Each time you use the "break an ice subroutine" effect, a "trash Rent-I-Con at the end of the run" effect piggybacks with it. At the end of the run, all end-of-run effects are processed, one at a time. If you use Joan on the first one, it won't be there for the next one. (Sensei, 11-03-2000)

 Scaldan
For notes on Virus programs, see Boardwalk. 
Each Scaldan counter generates a separate start-of-turn effect, so the Corp may forgo actions between die rolls. (JD Wiker, Netrunner-L, 1/28/97)

 Scatter Shot
ERRATA: Should say, "If you use any of these bits, replace them from the bank at the start of your next turn." (Sparky, Netrunner-L, 10/11/96)

 SeeYa
Cards in the draw pile of R&D, the HQ hand, and the Archives are not installed. (Netrunner FAQ v.1.0, 5/22/96)

 Self-Modifying Code
ERRATA: Should say, "You may use this ability during an encounter with a piece of ice." (Sparky, Netrunner-L, 10/11/96) 
You must pay the program's installation cost. (Wendy Wallace, Netrunner-L, 5/2/96) 
If you can't install the program, it remains in your stack (unlike other search cards, it never states, "bring it into your hand"); note that MU will never prohibit you from installing a program, but sometimes you'll have to trash something else in play to do so. (Sparky, Netrunner-L, 6/17/96)

 Shredder Uplink Protocol
With Shredder Uplink Protocol, you access upgrades in HQ. (Sparky, Netrunner-L, 6/12/96) 
Note that you are treating the run as a successful run on HQ for all intents and purposes, not simply accessing cards stored in HQ. (Official Netrunner Rulings, 4/21/97)

 Signpost
You have to use bits you haven't allocated in the trace/link auction. (Charles Keith-Stanley, Netrunner-L, 5/3/96) 
You can use Signpost even if you do not have a Base Link card in play (the Runner always starts with a base link of zero). (Netrunner FAQ v.1.0, 5/22/96)

 Skivviss
For notes on Virus programs, see Boardwalk. 
Being required to draw additional cards via Skiviss, does not use up any of the Corp's normal 3 actions per turn; it is a start-of-turn effect. (Charles Keith-Stanley, Netrunner-L, (5/2/96)

 Skullcap
Each card accessed that deals damage is a separate effect. If you access 10 cards from R&D and they're all Setup!s, you'll have to deal with each Setup! as a separate effect. (Sparky, Netrunner-L, 11/18/96)

 Smarteye
If some effect prevents you from jacking out (e.g., Jack Attack), you lose the ability granted by Smarteye to jack out early. (Sparky, Netrunner-L, 5/22/96) 
The Corp can use Omni Kismet, Ph.D to switch the exposed ice for a piece of concealed ice, which the Runner cannot expose (since he or she no longer has the opportunity to use special effects before the ice is rezzed). (Sparky, Netrunner-L, 11/11/96)

 Speed Trap
The run is considered successful if the Runner activates Speed Trap after passing the last piece of ice on the fort, but the Runner does not access cards. (Sparky, Netrunner-L, 5/13/96)
You can only activate Speed Trap in response to the Corp rezzing an upgrade or a node. Ambush agenda (e.g., Marked Accounts) cannot be avoided with Speed Trap. Virus Test Site does not have to be rezzed, even if it is installed, so Speed Trap doesn't work against it. When the Runner accesses other Ambush nodes from R&D or HQ and the node specifies that it takes effect "even when it is not installed" (e.g., Speed Trap or Doppelganger Antibody), it cannot be avoided with Speed Trap, since the Corp does not rez those cards; however, if they are installed, then the Corp does have to rez them for their punitive effects to take place, and thus Speed Trap can be successfully activated. (Sparky, Netrunner-L, 6/25/96; Tom Wylie, Pacificon, 9/1/96)

 Startup Immolator
ERRATA: Should say, "Use this ability after passing that piece of ice, if you broke all the subroutines of that ice." (Sparky, Netrunner-L, 10/11/96) 
You cannot use Startup Immolator after using Dropp to break the subroutines of a piece of ice because Dropp ends the run before the Runner can choose to use Startup Immolator. (Netrunner FAQ v.1.0, 5/22/96) 
Joan of Arc can be trashed to prevent the trashing of Startup Immolator, and the piece of ice will still be trashed. (Netrunner FAQ v.1.0, 5/22/96) 
You can only use Startup Immolator during a run. (Sparky, Netrunner-L, 6/11/96) 
Ice with no subroutines on it (e.g., Hunting Pack as the only ice on a fort) can be considered to have had all of its subroutines broken. (Sparky, Netrunner-L, 9/5/96)

 Succubus
See Afreet for notes on Daemons.

Superglue
You cannot use Superglue to derez the ice after using Dropp to break the subroutines on that ice. (Tom Wylie, 12/21/99)

 Taxman
For notes on Virus programs, see Boardwalk.

 Vewy Vewy Quiet
ERRATA: Should say, "If you use any of these bits, replace them from the bank...." (Sparky, Netrunner-L, 10/11/96) 
See Cloak for notes on Stealth cards.

 Vienna 22
For notes on Virus programs, see Boardwalk. 
The additional cards accessed do not include cards installed in HQ. (JD Wiker, Netrunner-L, 1/3/97)

 Viral Pipeline
For notes on Virus programs, see Boardwalk. 
Forgoing an action due to a Pipe counter is a start-of-turn effect. A player may choose the order in which his or her start-of-turn effects occur. The Corp may forgo actions to remove Virus counters before forgoing actions to Pipe counters, and thus avoid the effects of Pipe counters. (Sparky, Netrunner-L, 9/5/96) 
Remember that the Runner uses special effects first; then the Corp gets to use special effects. This means that if at any point the Corp has 3 appropriate Socket counters, the Runner will be able to give the Pipe counter before the Corp can forgo actions to remove Virus counters (this is important if the Runner has Code Viral Cache installed). (JD Wiker, Netrunner-L, 2/4/97)

 Wrecking Ball
See Hammer for notes on Noisy cards.

 Zetatech Software Installer
ERRATA: Should say, "Put [2] from the bank on Software Installer ..." and "If you use any of these bits, replace them from the bank at the start of your next turn." (Sparky, Netrunner-L, 10/11/96)