Readers! I have seen the future. I have seen it and it is made... of cardboard! It is freakin’ incredible. And it is called… Netrunner.
Well, specifically, it’s called Android: Netrunner and it’s the reboot of Richard Garfield’s near legendary follow-up to Magic. Originally released hot on the heels of the world’s most popular collectible card game, Netrunner gained a hardcore of fans but simply couldn’t get enough momentum to keep running as a viable option and was quickly canned by its publisher.
Fast forward nearly twenty years and Fantasy Flight have picked up the license, listening to the clamouring noise from a growing number of fans who have scoured the likes of eBay, scavenging together enough cards to make a deck and try it for themselves. Throwing their full weight behind the relaunch, FFG have streamlined with game with the assistance of Garfield and their own Living Card Game specialist, Lukas Litzsinger. This new version has learned lessons from the last twenty-odd years of gaming evolution and – in my opinion – couldn’t be better.
This is asymmetric gaming at its finest, demanding that players develop two entirely different skillsets. A single Runner goes up against some of the largest Corporations that the future can offer, hacking their way into computer systems in a bid to steal Agendas from under the company’s nose. Of course, such valuable information is well protected by many complicated and dangerous traps and firewalls, referred to in-game as Ice. Breaking through these requires equipment, skills and – most of all – plenty of money. Manage to get seven points’ worth of Agendas or force the Corporation to run out of cards and you win.
On the flipside, the Corporation is also looking to gain those seven Agenda points by spending credits to ‘advance’ them, but can also grab the win by destroying the Runner player and making them flatline. Certain Ice and traps can be sprung to cause their opponent damage of different types, forcing them to lower their hand limit and eventually wiping them out of the game. These are the basics of Android: Netrunner, and they’re simple enough to get your head around. Then you start to play and things get a lot deeper…
Each side has different identities available to them, opening up their own supply of cards. The identities aren’t simply there for show – they each have a very obvious effect on how you’ll play. On the runner side for example, there are Shapers, Anarchs and Criminal characters, and each one will require that you adopt a new strategy. Anarchs love to cause chaos, Criminals stop at nothing to get what they want and Shapers create convoluted systems to destroy their Corp enemies. One thing to remember though; no matter what Runner you choose to represent you, when it comes to your enemy you should attack early and attack often.
The faceless Corporations, the Big Bad of our piece, are – like I said – intent on the destruction of the Runners, but each in their own way. Some (hello Weyland!) simply build up a huge amount of money and smash the Runner like a nut beneath a hammer. Others, such as Jinteki, are more tricksy and deceptive, luring them into traps and letting Runners destroy themselves. Again, despite representing companies, you still get the feeling of character when you play the Corp side (and an immense feeling of satisfaction when you crush the Runner scum like a gnat).
I can guarantee that you’ll end up preferring one side or the other. Personally I prefer playing Runner; I love idea of darting from server to server, picking out information as quickly as possible and taking down a massive company piece by piece. However, if you’re going to become truly great at this game you’ll need to work on mastering both sides – especially if you’re looking to get into tournament play. Players will often face off against each other twice, playing both sides, so be sure to put in plenty of practice.
You’re also going to have to put some time into learning how to craft the perfect deck. Android: Netrunner allows for deckbuilding straight out of the box, expanded through the release of regular Data Packs. These (roughly) monthly sixty-card sets bolster an already powerful arsenal and will let you really boost the power you have. While most of the cards you hold will be from your chosen faction, you also have a certain amount of influence points at your disposal to spend of cards from other areas, letting you tweak things exactly how you please. Running with a Shaper deck but feeling the need to get more money coming in quickly? Get some Criminal faction cards in there and boost your income. Your options are vast, but the game’s so balanced you’ll never have a massive advantage no matter who your opponent is.
Being an FFG product, you’ll expect a certain level of quality from Android: Netrunner and you won’t feel let down. Sure, it’s pretty hard to go wrong with a bunch of cards and handful of tokens, but what you get in the pack is nicely put together. Tokens are on good, thick stock, cards are sturdy (though as always, if you’re expecting to play a lot, get them sleeved ASAP) and the art throughout is great, really capturing the near-future vibe of the A:N universe.
So, Netrunner is near perfection, but it’s not total perfection. Despite it’s insistence that deckbuilding is doable straight out of the box, that’s not entirely true. The rules state that you can have up to three copies of a single card in decks of your own creation, but many included in the base set only come with one or two – this means that if you’re serious about going a bit hardcore, you’re going to have to pick up the expansions. Sure, being an LCG you know exactly what you’re going to get in each set – there’s no chasing rares or random packs here – but it’s still a bit of a pain in the butt.
I have to state that I truly hated the original Android game – too much going on for too little payoff, in my opinion – but I really believe that Netrunner works brilliantly within its world. The characters and companies make sense, and you can see why FFG have seen fit to bring Netrunner under the umbrella – it slips perfectly into this futuristic nightmare of noir as the Runners fight desperately to score points (in this case, literally) against the corporations that strive to control them.
Finally, one of the most well regarded card games of all time has been given the due attention it so richly deserved. Yes, it’s been some time in the making, but now it does feel that Netrunner (in its shiny Android coating) is here to stay. Now, if only I could just improve my Corp game…
