Criminals in Netrunner have always focused on one thing: Money. Their best cards either make money, steal money, or draw cards to make or steal money. And why not? They’re criminals, after all. Get rich quick is the job description.
But for Mercury, the new Criminal identity in the Liberation Cycle, being a criminal isn’t just a path to wealth. A Nico model, they stole their own freedom from Haas-Bioroid, thus making their very existence criminal in the eyes of their former masters. And so, with a sense of purpose fueled by more than just greed, Mercury is the first Criminal ID to get an inherent multi-access ability. This lets them steal what really matters: agendas.
Check out the new Criminal identity, Mercury: Chrome Libertador, in Through Inaction Allowing, the new fiction by Calvin Wong Tze Loon!
Multi-access was always key to Mercury’s design, but the ability went through a few iterations in playtesting. With bypass being a major focus of Criminal in the cycle, the first pass of Mercury’s ability triggered only when bypassing ice. This made sense with the mechanical themes of the set, and the Criminal card-pool more broadly. In practice, it fell flat. Deckbuilding was simplistic and linear, and the identity’s usefulness was tied entirely to the power of bypass cards.
An elegant solution made the ability click. Instead of triggering only on bypass, Mercury now gets a bonus access when they run HQ or R&D without breaking any subroutines. This still keeps the bypass theme, but broadens it to consider a whole range of other situations. Notably, it triggers whether there’s ice on the server or not, forcing tough choices on the Corp in the early game. It triggers when Mercury just lets subroutines fire, keeping interesting decisions even once Ice is rezzed. There’s also out-of-faction synergies to consider. And the ability leans into Mercury’s training as a martial artist, probing the Corp’s defenses, tactically feinting to find weak points before striking.
Speaking of martial arts skills, some of you may have scoffed at my suggestion that Criminals have always been about money. Wasn’t there a certain pugilist who also forced tricky decisions on the corp? Yeah, about that…
⬩ Hermes
Criminal Hardware: Console
Install cost: 2 – Influence cost: 3
+1
Whenever an agenda is scored or stolen, add 1 unrezzed card to HQ.
Limit 1 console per player.
The world is not beautiful, and yet that is why it is.
Illustrated by Martin de Diego Sādaba
What would a fashion model bioroid be without a bit of jewelry? With Hermes, Mercury gets a console that helps them keep their ability relevant throughout the game, as well as allowing them some flexibility. As an aggressive Runner, you can devastate the Corp early, turning early steals into multi-hit combos. But if you opt for a a control style, you can install Hermes and wait, watching as the Corp has to slow their scoring plan to avoid leaving an opening, giving you time to set up a knockout. And, with some timely derezzes, Mercury can make sure that centrals remain weakly protected, leaving fewer subroutines in need of breaking.
Hermes was a card that often had people worried in playtesting. And yet, it barely changed throughout. While it’s a strong ability, there’s plenty of counterplay for the savvy corp. More importantly, Criminal already has several very good consoles which tend to form the backbone of their economy. Dedicating that slot to a win condition rather than to gaining credits flips Criminal deckbuilding on its head, and gives the faction new, more varied options. Like Mercury, it suggests that there’s more to being a criminal than just money.
