by You can find the decks we have built here, in chronological order.
Our review of Android: Netrunner can be found by clicking into this post.
Android: Netrunner an asymmetric living card game created by Fantasy Flight Games. If you’ll indulge me, we can use that statement as an exposition for all of Netrunner, really. It seems straightforward, but there’s a lot of things I need to clarify before all of it makes sense (unless you’re already familiar with it). First, Android: Netrunner is set in the Android universe, but is actually a reboot/refranchising of Netrunner, a trading card game designed by Richard Garfield (who also created the ubiquitous collectible card game Magic: The Gathering) which was in turn based on Cyberpunk 2020, an RPG inspired by a cyberpunk collection of stories called Mirrorshades. And all that is just explaining the name.
Netrunner is made distinct from other card games (like MTG) in that it is a “living card game” (LCG) rather than a “collectible/trading card game” (CCG/TCG). Functionally, this means that instead of purchasing randomized cards with the hope of either finding the card you want or finding a card you can trade for one you want, you can just directly purchase expansions packs that add a set number of cards to your available pool. In my opinion, this matches a quality over quantity decision – every card in Netrunner can have a use, and the card pool itself is limited. With just the Core set and the four deluxe expansions, you will have at least 1/2 of the total number of tournament-legal cards at any time due to rotation. I’m a fan of that.
What first drew me in to A:N (well, other than it was Chezni’s night to pick a game) was its asymmetric nature – and I’m a sucker for asymmetric games. Each player chooses a side (Runner or Corp) and chooses from a unique pool of cards to accomplish separate ends. The Corporation is trying to advance and score Agendas while keeping the Runner from breaking in to their Servers (where they install Agendas) using ICE and various types of damage. On the other side, the Runner tries to steal the Corporation’s agendas from their hand, deck, or Servers without taking too much damage.
As you might have gathered, there’s a lot to learn. Even once you do, this game is hard. I haven’t played any TCGs or LCGs before (excluding a couple rounds of Magic the Gathering where I was quite confused), but I feel as if I’ve chosen to start learning one of the most complicated ones. This isn’t entirely a bad thing. As Chezni put it: many card games are designed around building your deck, and then playing them is straightforward. Here, Netrunner makes you pay attention at all times. In a sense, it feels like Netrunner is a bit like the Dark Souls of card games (because I will compare everything good in this life to that game): it’s a challenging experience that forces you to be better while playing, rather than just letting you exploit the latest meta in deckbuilding (another couple words I learned in this experience).
I’ve only just begun to learn this game (even after many hours of play and deckbuilding), so I’ll have to leave this impression less complete than I would like. In case you want to try before you buy, I’d recommend heading over to NetrunnerDB to look at your options and KnowTheMeta to see what tournaments are using. Then, you can jump on to Jinteki.net to play (for free!) in your browser – though I’d definitely recommend finding someone to play with and/or teach you. While I’m still learning, I would definitely put this in to Tier One. It has fantastic world-building, remarkable card synergy, and a community that seems friendlier than many. And now, I’m off to play another couple rounds online.