Hey folks (and Rules Team),

Any thoughts on the timing window(s) in which one may use an ASiS card, Disrupter. It's an Anarch program, inf 1, cost 1, 1 MU, Trash: Prevent a trace. that trace initiates again with a base strength of 0.

So when would a runner be able to use the trash to prevent the trace?

1) When trace triggers but before Corp spends creds to increase trace

2) After Corp spends creds but before Runner spends creds to increase link

3) After Runner spends creds.

Since the word prevent is used as opposed to cancel, or "cause to trace to fail" or similar I'm thinking it would be #1. But I'm not completely firm, as it seems that would make for a weak effect (at least in the current card universe). However, a difference of 4 trace, say on an Ash, could be the difference between a win and loss, so I could see #1 being it too.

The #2 option seems way powerful for the runner as they can make the corp spend enough to cause the trash but then not have enough to get a "reasonable" trace (whatever that might be).

I include #3 for completeness, but I can't think of a time you would trash a program AFTER spending any creds, recurring or not, in a link increase.

Thanks,

Tobin

-tpl

Sorry for the double post…browser timed out … so I tried again…and hey it worked both times.

-tpl

My guess is #1 because "prevent" has a special timing: it interrupts whatever it is preventing so it never happens (I also agree that any other timing would be overpowered).

Thanks for actually posting this here. I hadn't gotten the chance. There's a huge thread over on BGG about it yeat no one else came over here to ask.

I'm curious to hear the actual answer.

I just reread the rules on page 21 of the rulebook on prevent and avoid effects and it says "… can be triggered whenever the effect that they are preventing or avoiding is resolving"

So it looks to me like the runner can use it at any point in the trace based on the above rule and since the prevent mechanic occurs completely outside the timing structure that all other abilities use.

Tzeechel said:

Yes, after mulling it over a bit more and seeing what others are saying I'm thinking that you can prevent at any time from the original trace being announced to when the trace is about to resolve. In cases where credits are spent by either side then the credits (at least those from one's credit pool - not cards) would return - after all, the trace was canceled right?

So the only question I have is whether the same thing would happen for recurring credits used by card effect (NBN, Net Police, Compromised Employee)? I don't have feelings either way…but it would be nice to know before Regionals.

My two cents.

-tpl

The official ruling from Lukas has been posted on BGG already. You can cancel the trace only at the point of its initiation, before the corp gets to spend credits (which makes perfect sense to me, even though everybody is whining about it).