<p>A runner can trash any card with a trash cost when they access the card, so long as they pay the trash cost in credits. However most Ice and Operations have no trash cost, thus they cannot be trashed.</p>

<p>There have been cards printed in more recent sets like <a href="https://netrunnerdb.com/en/card/11058" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Boom!</a> and <a href="https://netrunnerdb.com/en/card/11098" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Sapper</a> that have trash costs. Bear in mind that encountering installed ice is not the same as accessing, you cannot trash installed ice this way.</p>

<p>In addition to these new cards, some older cards like <a href="https://netrunnerdb.com/en/card/07028" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Edward Kim</a> or <a href="https://netrunnerdb.com/en/card/20011" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Imp</a> would allow you an alternate method of trashing these cards without a trash cost.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-01-08T16:23:32.107Z
2018-01-08T16:23:32.107Z
Andrew
<p>No, Runners do not have the option of trashing cards that have no trash costs. They may trash cards with trash costs. Special care should be taken when accessing multiple cards (see page 18). From <a href="http://www.fantasyflightgames.com/ffg_content/android-netrunner/support/android-netrunner-core-rules.pdf" rel="noreferrer">page 18 of the rules</a>, under Access Phase:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>HQ: The Runner accesses one random card from HQ and any upgrades in its root. Any cards the Runner does not score or trash return to HQ.</p>
<p><strong>Trashing Cards</strong> - If the Runner accesses a card with a trash cost, he may pay credits equal to its trash cost in order to trash it to Archives faceup.</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-01-19T03:30:27.363Z
Um, don't you mean 'no'?
ire_and_curses
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-01-19T04:24:13.510Z
@ire_and_curses, No, I mean yes. "Does the runner have the option of trashing the card? **Yes, Runners have the option of trashing cards that have trash costs.** So, yes they have the option, if it has a trash cost as I clarified. It would make less sense to say, no hey don't have the option of trashing a card.
user1873
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-01-19T04:29:22.123Z
Ok. I found your wording confusing, since in the case described by the OP, the card doesn't have trash costs, so they *don't* have the option. But since you meant to use your wording, that's fine.
ire_and_curses
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-01-19T04:29:34.443Z
Now that I think about it, I could word it the other way. It would mean the same thing. "No, Runners do not have the option of trashing cards that have no trash costs. They may trash cards with trash costs." Is that clearer?
user1873
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-01-19T04:30:12.903Z
Yes, I find that alternative wording clearer.
ire_and_curses
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-01-19T04:56:27.383Z
Of course, there are some cards that let the runner trash accessed cards "even if they wouldn't normally be able to" (paraphrased)...
The Chaz 2.0
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-01-19T05:22:22.660Z
I was just waiting for you to change the polarity of the first word :)
Tacroy
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-10-05T05:38:32.820Z
And now we have some Operations and Ice with trash costs. :P
Andrew Vandever
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-01-19T02:59:23.707Z
2013-01-19T04:31:09.963Z
2020-06-17T09:01:24.697Z
user1873
<p>A sneaky runner managed to make his way into my corporate HQ. I let him pick a card at random from my hand (I had no upgrades), and it just happened to be a piece of ICE or an Operation or maybe even an Agenda.</p>

<p>Does the runner have the option of trashing the card? There's no listed trashing cost, so if they <em>are</em> allowed to trash the card, what does it cost?</p>

<android-netrunner>
Can a runner trash ICE or Operation cards after a run on the HQ?
Tacroy
# Can a runner trash ICE or Operation cards after a run on the HQ?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2013-01-18)

A sneaky runner managed to make his way into my corporate HQ. I let him pick a card at random from my hand (I had no upgrades), and it just happened to be a piece of ICE or an Operation or maybe even an Agenda.

Does the runner have the option of trashing the card? There's no listed trashing cost, so if they *are* allowed to trash the card, what does it cost?

**Tags:** android-netrunner


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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2013-01-19. Score: 8 | Accepted answer

No, Runners do not have the option of trashing cards that have no trash costs. They may trash cards with trash costs. Special care should be taken when accessing multiple cards (see page 18). From [page 18 of the rules](http://www.fantasyflightgames.com/ffg_content/android-netrunner/support/android-netrunner-core-rules.pdf), under Access Phase:

> HQ: The Runner accesses one random card from HQ and any upgrades in its root. Any cards the Runner does not score or trash return to HQ.
>
> **Trashing Cards** - If the Runner accesses a card with a trash cost, he may pay credits equal to its trash cost in order to trash it to Archives faceup.

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: Um, don't you mean 'no'?  
> **username_2**: @username_3, No, I mean yes. "Does the runner have the option of trashing the card? **Yes, Runners have the option of trashing cards that have trash costs.** So, yes they have the option, if it has a trash cost as I clarified. It would make less sense to say, no hey don't have the option of trashing a card.  
> **username_3**: Ok. I found your wording confusing, since in the case described by the OP, the card doesn't have trash costs, so they *don't* have the option. But since you meant to use your wording, that's fine.  
> **username_2**: Now that I think about it, I could word it the other way. It would mean the same thing. "No, Runners do not have the option of trashing cards that have no trash costs. They may trash cards with trash costs." Is that clearer?  
> **username_3**: Yes, I find that alternative wording clearer.  
> **username_4**: Of course, there are some cards that let the runner trash accessed cards "even if they wouldn't normally be able to" (paraphrased)...  
> **username_0**: I was just waiting for you to change the polarity of the first word :)  
> **username_5**: And now we have some Operations and Ice with trash costs. :P  

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### Answer by username_1 on 2018-01-08. Score: 0

A runner can trash any card with a trash cost when they access the card, so long as they pay the trash cost in credits. However most Ice and Operations have no trash cost, thus they cannot be trashed.

There have been cards printed in more recent sets like [Boom!](https://netrunnerdb.com/en/card/11058) and [Sapper](https://netrunnerdb.com/en/card/11098) that have trash costs. Bear in mind that encountering installed ice is not the same as accessing, you cannot trash installed ice this way.

In addition to these new cards, some older cards like [Edward Kim](https://netrunnerdb.com/en/card/07028) or [Imp](https://netrunnerdb.com/en/card/20011) would allow you an alternate method of trashing these cards without a trash cost.


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