So.

How many total clicks would it cost for you to play an account siphon from your heap with same old thing?

I argue that it would cost 3 clicks, 2 for SOT +1 for the cost to play the siphon, and trash SOT and AS afterwards.

My friends say that SOT allows you to play AS out of the heap for a total of 2 clicks (from SOT) and totally ignore the play cost of AS which is (0) credits and a click.

i say it costs 3 clicks and trash SOT as well as AS after it resolves.

They say 2 clicks trash SOT and AS.

Who is correct?

Help!! I refuse to play my 24-0 Andy deck as a result of this arguement. I miss my Andy stomping some corp servers....

It's 2 clicks. It requires you to pay the play cost (which is 0 credits) but not the normal click required to play an event, just as installing something using Modded doesn't require you to spend the click you normally need to install things, or why Sure Gamble doesn't require you to spend the 9 clicks normally required to take 9 credits.

If a card effect tells you to do something (in this case, play an event), you do it. You don't have to spend an extra click.

I've encountered this confusion before and I think it comes from the fact that SOT is not an event. If you want to play it out of your hand then it will cost you a total of 3 clicks (1 to install, 2 to activate), but once it's installed then it will only cost 2 clicks. I'm actually a little confused as to why it is a resource and not an event. I suppose it prevents an SOT from playing itself from the heap but they could have just fixed that by removing it from the game instead of trashing it ala Jackson Howard.

I'm actually a little confused as to why it is a resource and not an event.

I suspect it's because it's such a (potentially) strong effect, that having to have it out as a resource allows the corp player to better plan around it and even proactively get try to get rid of the card (instead of having to take the fourth Account Siphon out of nowhere)

Also don't forget that by not removing it from play, you can actually levy AR the card back into your deck.