How to get into Android: Netrunner

In light of the new landscape Android: Netrunner finds itself, and the intimidating mass of stuff facing new players, Chris has put together a little FAQ to help new players figure out how to explore this phenomenal game!

I want to get into Netrunner, should I get the Revised Core or the Original Core?

Revised core is definitely the correct call. Not only are all cards tournament legal if you end up wanting to explore the competitive side of the game. But the cards that were removed were taken out for a reason. You also get some of the highlights from the first two cycles in the new core set. For more detailed thoughts on the Revised Core see our review.

Should I buy Multiple Cores?

The revised core doesn’t include a full play set of three copies of every card. Despite this I’d argue that you don’t need multiple cores. When first learning the game, you can make very interesting and fun decks without the extra cards, and if you want to expand the game, new packs will add more to the experience than filling in the extra copies. Creating Proxy cards to fill in gaps is common when playing casually, and you could usually borrow cards from people if entering an official tournament.

I bought the original core, does that mean I need to buy a new one?

Not at all! Some of the cards in your original core may not be legal for tournament play anymore, but you can still use them in casual games. Any new cards in the Revised Core are from datapacks in the Genesis and Spin cycles, so you can pick them up separately if you want them. It makes much more sense to pick up some more interesting expansion sets than worrying about buying a whole new core!

I am loving the Revised Core, what else can I buy?

There are currently three main types of Netrunner products. These are deluxe boxes (lots of cards for two factions), Terminal Directive (the campaign expansion), and datapacks (sets of 3×20 cards).

What is Terminal Directive?

Terminal Directive is a campaign expansion. It contains a large number of additional cards for 4 factions (Weyland, HB, Criminal and Shaper). These can be added to your cardpool and played with normally. There is also a campaign mode which can be played through, adding campaign only cards and stickers. 

What should I buy next after Core 2.0?

Terminal directive would be probably the best second purchase, although becoming familiar with deck building is a good idea before trying the campaign.  The big boxes are also ideal for early purchases, due to the number of cards you get in each, and their lack of rotation.

What is Rotation?

To keep the game fresh and interesting, publisher Fantasy Flight Games introduced Rotation to remove older cards from play and allow them to keep improving the game. Any cards removed by rotation will be illegal in tournaments, but you’re still fine to play with them in casual games.

How does rotation of datapacks work?

Datapacks are grouped in cycles of 6 packs. The first rotation has just happened removing the Genesis and Spin cycles. After another two cycles are complete, another rotation will occur, removing Lunar and SanSan.

What products will remain legal for tournament play?

The core set, big boxes and terminal directive should be legal for the foreseeable future. However cards from them may be restricted or put on the ban list, to balance the game.  Datapacks will rotate out of legality over time, as descibed above.

Are all the big boxes equally good?

If you don’t have a favourite faction at all I’d recommend the following order. But choosing the ones that expand the factions you like most is probably the best way.  

• Creation and Control: Contains cards for HB and Shaper. It’s arguably the best big box to get, because the Shaper and Neutral cards in it are excellent and are very commonly played.
• Honour and Profit: Contains cards for Jinteki and Criminal. Lots of solid cards that help both factions.    
• Order and Chaos: Contains cards for Anarch and Weyland. Good for Anarch but weaker for Weyland.
• Data and Destiny: Contains lots of good cards for NBN, and introduces the Runner mini-factions. Whilst the mini-factions are a lot of fun, to get the most out of them you need a fairly good card pool, so it’s less good as an early purchase.

How are the cycles different?

3) Lunar

• Themed around the moon.
• Introduces Currents, Morph ICE, Grail ICE, Priority Events, Shards and Fragments

4) SanSan

• Themed around San Francisco
• Introduces  Cybernetics , Genetics and Public Agendas.  

5) Mumbad

• Themed around India
• Introduces Consumer Grade cards, Political Assets, Alliance mechanic and Deva Breakers

6) Flashpoint

• Themed around a massive hack and subsequent reprisals
• Introduces Terminal Operations, Trashable Operations and the Conspiracy Breakers.

7) Red Sand

• Themed around Mars
• The most recent full cycle at time of writing. For more detail of specific packs why not read our pack reviews.

8) Kitara

• Themed around Africa
• Released after the new core and rotation, this cycle looks like it will be examining design space opened up by removed cards to a degree, such as doing more interesting things with Virus counters. Only two packs released at time of writing.

I just want 1 or 2 datapacks to expand my options, what packs are good for a small cardpool?

I’d recommend choosing one of the following packs as they have a wide range of interesting cards for each faction, and few cards are reliant on combination with specific cards or identities.

Old Hollywood

• Slightly less good cards for HB and Jinteki
• Only one truly bad card (Rolodex)
• Highlights include Trope, Drug Dealer, Film Critic and Haarpsichord studios
• For sheer fun factor An Offer You Can’t Refuse is fantastic.

Blood and Water

• Slightly less good for Weyland and Criminal
• Only one truly bad card (Traffic Analyzer)
• Highlights include  Shipment from Tennin, Alice Merchant, Obokata Protocol and Daredevil
• When adding to a small card pool, it’s good that this pack has two new consoles, and 5 new agendas leading to varied deck-building.

Sovereign Sight

• Criminal cards less good in small cardpool
• Contains Apex mini-faction card which would be hard to use without Data and Destiny
• Highlights include, Asa Group, Ikawah Project, Gene Splicer and Urban renewal
• Yusuf arguably needs support to work, but with Datasucker in the core set, this support is available.

Which datapacks are most important for competitive play ?

The competitive game shifts a lot over time and many different styles of deck can do well. Whilst most great decks use cards from a wide range of packs, the following packs contain several cards that being familiar with will help playing more competitive decks.  

Escalation

• –Ark Lockdown (Important for stopping recursion)
• Boom! (Main threat of meat damage decks)
• Black Orchestra    (Conspiracy breakers ability to install from heap is strong)
• Fairchild 3 (Powerful ICE- HB)
• DNA Tracker (Powerful ICE- Jinteki)

Crimson Dust

• Aumakua (Great all rounder AI Breaker)
• MCA Austerity Policy(Powerful Fast advance tool)
• Caldera (Great defence against damage decks)
• Mining Accident (Good econ swing for Anarch)
• Breached Dome (Key Jinteki Trap)

Blood Money

• Paperclip (Best barrier breaker in the game, especially important post rotation)
• Beth (Very strong all rounder Shaper Card)
• Temujin Contract (Now banned- but strong in casual play)
• Rumour Mill (Now banned)

I love the theme, do any packs have particularly strong theming?   

23 Seconds is about a massive hack attack and how the corps respond. You can really see the theme in System Outage, Crisis Management & Stock Buy-Back.

The Liberated Mind is supposed to refer to the more spiritual site of the Netrunner universe and cards like Rebirth, The Turning Wheel, The Noble Path and Emptied Mind really evoke this.

I want to see all the weird cards, what packs do I want?

I empathise with this position! Why not try the following packs ?

Intervention

• Frantic coding (Drawing too many cards to find the right thing)
• Top Hat (Picking cards from lower in R&D)
• Fumiko Yamamori (Adding damage to psi games)
• Chief Slee (Adding damage to unbroken subs)
• Wetwork Refit (Modifying ICE to add more brain damage)

The pack also contains great cards such as Best Defence, Preemptive Action, The Gauntlet and En Passant.

Business First

• CBI Raid (Adding all of HQ onto top of R&D)
• Net Chip (Set up a massive hosting network)
• Lakshmi Smartfabrics (Stop agendas from being stolen by revealing them)
• Disposable HQ (Adding some of HQ onto base of R&D)

The pack also contains simpler to use cards like Corporate Sales Team & Palana Foods

Is there a singles market?

No, as there is no random component to buying card, singles are rarely traded. Although you may find alternative art copies for sale that have been won or given away as promotions.

Thanks for answering my questions

No problem imaginary voice! Enjoy the game!