Plays Android: Netrunner
I love playing Android: Netrunner! The game is all about hackers, and I get to be one of them. The best part is that it’s a two-player game, so I always have someone to play against. It’s like a battle of wits, where I have to outsmart my opponent and hack into their computer systems.
One thing I really like about Android: Netrunner is that it’s easy to learn. The rules are straightforward, and there aren’t too many of them. But don’t let that fool you – the game is still challenging and requires a lot of strategic thinking.
The game is played in rounds, and each round is filled with excitement. I start by building my own network, setting up servers and protecting them with ice. Ice is like a firewall that keeps my opponent out. But they’re clever too, and they try to break through my defenses.
The real fun begins when I start hacking into my opponent’s network. I have to make runs on their servers, trying to find and steal their valuable data. But they’re not just going to sit back and let me in. They’ll throw all sorts of traps and obstacles my way to try and stop me.
Each game of Android: Netrunner is different from the last. There are so many cards to choose from, each with unique abilities. It’s like a puzzle that I have to solve, trying to find the best combination of cards to use.
Playing Android: Netrunner has taught me a lot about strategy and thinking ahead. I have to plan my moves carefully, anticipating what my opponent might do. It’s a game of cat and mouse, where every decision matters.
If you’re looking for a game that will challenge your mind and keep you on your toes, then you’ll love Android: Netrunner. It’s a game that I keep coming back to, because it’s always exciting and never gets old. So grab a deck of cards and start hacking!
When I play Android: Netrunner, runs are what get my heart pounding. They’re my chance to swoop in and steal the Corporation’s agendas, while leaving their precious cards in the trash. During a run, I go after one of the Corporation’s servers, hoping to access their cards. Luckily, I have my trusty programs to help me pass through the Corporation’s ice defenses.
Understanding the functions and subtypes of the Corporation’s ice and the Runner’s icebreakers is crucial in most runs. Typically, my icebreaker programs go head-to-head with the Corporation’s installed ice. That’s why it’s so important for both players to be familiar with these elements.
The Ice
Ice is what the Corporation uses to defend their servers and safeguard their valuable data. It’s like defensive software that they install in front of their servers. There are four main subtypes of ice: sentry, barrier, code gate, and trap. Each subtype has its own unique features and characteristics. But that’s not all – ice also has subroutines, which are separate abilities that can affect the Runner.
Subroutines Simplified
Subroutines are special abilities of a computer program called ice. They are marked by the arrow symbol. When the Runner encounters a running ice program, and they can’t or don’t break its subroutines, the unbroken subroutines activate one by one.
Subroutines not only stop the Runner from accessing the Corporation’s servers and ending their run, but they can also cause other problems. For example, they might hurt the Runner or initiate trace attempts.
Icebreakers at Your Service
Hey there! Let me tell you about icebreakers – they’re pretty cool! Icebreakers are special programs that help me, the Runner, get past tough ice during a run. Each icebreaker has its own cool features: strength, install cost, and subtypes that determine what kind of ice it’s made to break.
I use icebreakers to break the subroutines on ice and get through. But here’s the thing – an icebreaker can only handle ice that’s the same strength or weaker than it. So, I need to choose the right icebreaker for the job!
Let’s talk about icebreakers and how they work in the game. Some icebreakers can only break certain types of ice subroutines. For example, if an icebreaker has the ability to break barrier subroutines, it can only use that ability on ice with the barrier subtype. It doesn’t matter if the ice has other subtypes as well, as long as it has the subtype that matches the icebreaker’s ability. However, if an ability doesn’t specify a subtype, then it can be used on any piece of ice.
How to Increase an Icebreaker’s Strength
When I’m running, I have a trick up my sleeve that lets me make my icebreaker stronger for a little while. All I have to do is spend some credits, and boom! My icebreaker gets a power boost. This really comes in handy when I come across tough pieces of ice. But here’s the thing: the strength increase only lasts for as long as I’m facing that piece of ice. Once I’m done with it, my icebreaker goes back to its regular strength.
There are three phases to a run, but not every run will have all of them. Let me break it down for you:
- Initiation Phase
- Confrontation Phase
Understanding the Phases of a Run in Netrunner
When you’re playing Netrunner, it’s important to understand the different phases of a run. Let’s take a closer look at each of these phases:
I. Initiation Phase
To start a run, I need to choose the server I want to attack. I can only attack one server per run. Once I’ve chosen the server, I gain 1 extra click for each bad publicity point the Corporation has. Now, it’s time to check if there is any ice protecting the server.
If there is ice protecting the server, we move on to the Confrontation phase. But if there isn’t any ice, we skip straight to the Access phase.
II. Confrontation Phase
During the Confrontation phase, things get interesting. The Corporation has the opportunity to rez any ice protecting the server, and we both have a chance to use cards and abilities to gain an advantage. This is a crucial moment, as the ice can help the Corporation defend their server and stop me from accessing it.
Once we’ve gone through the Confrontation phase, it’s time to move on to the Access phase. This is where we find out what’s hidden behind the ice and gain access to the server’s contents.
When I’m playing Netrunner, there’s this phase called the Confrontation. It’s all about approaching and potentially encountering some ice. I have to take it one piece at a time, starting with the outermost one. Each piece of ice protects the server, and I have to pass through each one in order to get to the next. I keep going until I’ve either passed all the ice or the run ends. If I manage to pass all the ice protecting the server I’m attacking, then I move on to the Access phase.
Getting to the Ice
When I’m approaching a piece of ice as a Runner, I have to make a decision. Do I want to keep going or do I want to jack out? If I decide to jack out, that means I’m ending my run, and it’s considered unsuccessful. But there’s a catch – I can’t jack out if I’m approaching the first piece of ice during a run.
If I choose to keep going instead of jacking out, the Corporation gets a chance to rez the piece of ice I’m approaching and any other non-ice cards.
Remember, the Corporation can only rez ice when it’s approached.
So, if the piece of ice I’m approaching gets rezzed after the Corporation has the opportunity to rez cards, then I have to deal with it – I encounter it.
If I rez cards and the piece of ice I rez is not rezzed, then I pass it. Then I keep going by either approaching the next piece of ice that protects the server or moving on to the Access phase if there’s no more ice to approach.
Encountering Ice
When I encounter a piece of ice, I can break any subroutines on that ice. Once I’m done breaking the subroutines I want to break, the remaining unbroken subroutines on that ice activate in the order they’re listed on the card. If a subroutine ends the run, then the run immediately ends and no more subroutines on that ice activate.
Breaking Subroutines – When I encounter a piece of ice, I have the ability to break its subroutines using the abilities of my installed icebreakers. I can choose to break the subroutines in any order I want. There is no limit to the number of cards I can use to interact with the ice, but usually, one icebreaker is enough. However, it’s important to remember that before I can interact with a piece of ice, the strength of my icebreaker must be equal to or higher than the strength of the ice.
Note: Breaking all the subroutines on a piece of ice doesn’t mean that the ice is destroyed. The ice remains installed and will still be encountered during every future run against the server it’s protecting.
Once I break through the ice’s barriers and any other obstacles they throw my way, it means I’ve made it past that piece of ice. From there, I can either move on to the next piece of ice guarding the server or, if there’s no more ice left, proceed to the Access phase.
III. Access Phase
When I’ve successfully gotten past all the ice protecting the server, I’m given one last chance to bail out. But if I choose to press on, the Corporation has a last opportunity to activate any cards they want. After that, it’s game on, and I gain access to the Corporation’s cards. Here’s how it works:
When I’m playing, I can access cards from different places, like R&D and HQ. Let me explain how that works.
First, let’s talk about R&D. When I access a card from R&D, I get to see the top card and any upgrades that might be with it. It’s important to note that unless I score the card, trash it, or a card’s text tells me to reveal it, I don’t have to show the accessed cards to the Corporation. It’s like my little secret!
Now, let’s move on to HQ. When I access HQ, I pick a random card from there, along with any upgrades that might be present. Any cards that I don’t score or trash go back to HQ. It’s like diving into a treasure chest and taking whatever I find!
Speaking of treasures, if I come across an agenda while accessing cards, I get to steal it. Once I take the agenda, I put it faceup in my score area. If the agenda has any special abilities that happen when I steal it, I resolve those too. Plus, the agenda gives me agenda points, which adds to my overall score. I can’t say no to stealing agendas – it’s just too tempting!
Lastly, let’s talk about trashing cards. When I access a card, I have the power to trash it. This means I remove it from the game completely. So if I don’t like what I see, I can simply get rid of it and move on.
So there you have it – accessing cards, stealing agendas, and trashing cards are all part of the game. It’s a thrilling experience with lots of surprises and strategic decisions. Now go out there and have fun exploring those card stacks!
If you’re a Runner and you come across a card that has a trash cost, you have an interesting choice. You can choose to pay credits equal to that trash cost in order to trash the card and send it to Archives, face-up. It’s like saying “goodbye” to that card, forever.
But what happens if you have access to multiple cards? Well, lucky you! You get to decide the order in which you access them. You can access one card from HQ, then maybe an upgrade that’s installed in the root of HQ, and then go back and access another card from HQ if you have the ability to do so. It’s like putting together your own little puzzle.
Now, let’s say you’re accessing multiple cards from R&D. In this case, you have to draw them in order from the top of the deck. Then, you have to return any cards that you haven’t scored or trashed in the reverse order. This helps preserve their positions in R&D, kind of like keeping everything neat and tidy.
When I’m running in the game, I have to make sure I deal with each card completely before moving on to the next one. It’s not just about seeing what’s on the card; I might have to steal it or pay to trash it. I can’t just leave it hanging. Sometimes, though, I reach a point where I have enough points to win right away. If I manage to score an agenda that gives me seven or more points, it’s game over for my opponent, no matter what other cards I might have accessed.
Finishing up the Run
Once I’ve done everything I needed to do with the cards I accessed, I have to return any cards I didn’t steal or trash to where they were before. So, for example, if there’s a face-down card in a remote server that I didn’t mess with, it goes right back to that server. And if I accessed a card from HQ, it goes back to HQ. After I’ve dealt with all the cards, the run is over. Any bad publicity credits I haven’t used during the run, I give back, and then I can move on to my next action.