Medium states:

Whenever you make a successful run on R&D, place a virus counter on medium. Etc…

The rulebook states:

After the Runner has passed all of the ice protecting the attacked server, he has one final opportunity to jack out. If he chooses to continue, the Corporation has one final opportunity to rez cards. After rezzing cards, the run is considered to be successful and the Runner accesses the Corporation’s cards by looking at them.

So:

It sounds like a virus counter is placed on medium simultaneously as the runner accesses cards. And so, the runner gets to determine the order and can thus put a virus counter on medium before accessing R&D. Can someone confirm this is correct, or say why it's not?

Yes you are correct. This is exactly as it was in the original. You gain the benefit of virus counter on the run that you get to place it.

DeathByLiche said:

It's also why Medium states it gives you an additional card for each virus counter *after* the first one. So the first time you run with it, you don't get additional cards.

Here's a related question. Mediuim doesn't refer to these as "hosted" virus counter. The Corporations ability to Purge Virus Counters specifically states "removes all virus counters HOSTED on cards" (emphasis theirs). Would that mean this ability does not work on Medium, or would any virus counters automatically be considered Hosted, even if the card does not use the term Host?

A counter is said to be hosted by a card if it is on that card. So, yes, virus scan would remove all virus counters from medium.

I have another question about Medium, so I thought I'd just tack it on here.

Relevant text: "Each virus counter after the first on Medium allows you to access 1 additional card from R&D whenever you access cards from R&D."

If I have two copies of Medium out, each with two virus counters on them, do I access two additional cards when I access R&D? In other words, do their abilities stack?

Yes, they do. It's nasty. Of course, that just means the Corp is going to decide to purge all your counters that much sooner.

radiskull said:

Yes, but since the Corp now has to give up a turn to do that, the Runner will get a free set of runs if the Corp wasn't capable of locking everything down before initiating that.

DeathByLiche said:

Hi,

I must add that in the original, it was the other way round:

@Virus counters are given if the run is successful, but not
until the end of the run. (Sparky, Netrunner-L, 9/6/96)

(taken from http://www.netrunneronline.com/rules/?s=3 )

So if in Android: Netrunner the counter is given before accessing cards, this should be added to the FAQ.

Btw does there already exist an official FAQ list?

Cu, Frizzler

It does not need to be in the FAQ at all the rules tell you when the run is succesful. Also it doesn't matter if it is different from Netrunner CCG. This is Android:Netrunner. There is no FAQ yet. The game has only been out for release for two weeks.

hollis said:

You are mostly correct. The virus counter does indeed get placed on the first run, but it is not done simultaneously. The virus counters are placed on Medium a full step before cards are accessed, so the runner does not need to determine the order.

4. The Runner decides whether to continue the run.
…Either the Runner JACKS OUT: go to [5]
…Or the Runner continues the run: go to [4.1].

4.1. **symbols for paid abilities and rez cards listed here**

4.2 The run is considered to be SUCCESSFUL.
• Trigger any abilities resulting from successful run.

4.3. Access cards, then go to [6].
• If an AGENDA is accessed, the Runner STEALS it. If a card with a TRASH COST is accessed, the Runner may pay its trash cost to TRASH it.
• All accessed cards not stolen or trashed are returned to the server in their previous states.

Timing Structure of a Run
pg. 33

Medium says "Whenever you make a successful run on R&D, place 1 virus counter on Medium.", so the virus counter is clearly placed during step 4.2.

One other thing about Medium that I got wrong at first.

The additional card access is optional, because of the word "allows" in the card text :

Each virus counter after the first on Medium allows you to access 1 additional card from R&D

Since cards from R&D are accessed one-at-a-time, this can save your life as the runner. Let's say you can access 3 cards thanks to Medium. You first pull an agenda, and then a Snare! You can decide now to not access any further cards from Medium.

There's a thread over on board game geek where they got a ruling or playtester confirmation on that. Compare to The Maker's Eye, where you are given no choice.

prune said:

I'm surprised that was in question. The difference in the wording seemed quite clear after reading the cards when I got mine on Friday.