Using multiple icebreakers

By Hoggarth, in Android: Netrunner Rules Questions

Let's say I am playing corp and the runner goes after a server with ice on it. I rezz the ice and it's a barrier with a strength of 5.

A.) Can the runner use multiple icebreakers to gain enough strength to interact with the ice, or does each icebreaker need to be able to match/beat the strength of the ice?

B.) If so, do the icebreakers have to BOTH be able to break the barrier type? Can he use one that breaks barrier and one that breaks sentry, but use the combined strength?

I am really new to ANR and trying to get it all right. Unfortunately, the guy teaching me to play doesn't have a rulebook so I'm not sure everything he is "teaching" me is right.

Page 18 of the rulebook says "There is no limit to the number of installed cards a Runner can use to interact with the encountered ice, but he generally only needs one icebreaker. Remember that before an icebreaker can interact with a piece of ice, the icebreaker`s strength must be equal to or higher than the encountered ice's strength."

The second part of that is what leads me to believe that you cannot combine two or more icebreakers in order to gain enough strength.

Thanks!

The reason you can use multiple cards is because some cards have synergy (more below). You cannot stack strengths together; each breaker must be able to match strength to do anything to the ICE, and it must have a relevant ability (such as breaking the correct type of ICE subroutine).

Look at the Anarch breakers. Yog.0 and Mimic have no ability to boost their own Strength.

Look at Wyrm. It can reduce ICE to Strength 0, but before it can interact with ICE, it needs to be the same Strength AS the ICE. Also, Wyrm can ONLY break if the ICE is Strength 0, and at the cost of 3cr per subroutine. Ouch!

BUT! You can boost Wyrm to match the ICE, then use Wyrm to lower the ICE to Strength 3. now you can use Yog.0 or Mimic to break.

Thanks!

I'll take a look at those specific cards and see how they work together. Of course that's another thing I'm trying to do, read up on all the cards to see how things work. perhaps then I'll be able to answer most of my own questions ;)

ICE is a problem and Icebreakers are tools to fix that problem. You choose the right tool for the job. Occasionally (as in the case of Wyrm), you will use multiple tools, but in general, you only use one.

Has anyone ever found a good use for Wyrm? I realize it can be used as in the cases stated above, but it just too crazy expensive.

1. Using it it to reduce strength of something so that the fixed breakers (Mimic, Yog.0, Morning Star) can work.

2. Reducing strength of ice so that parasite kills the ice.

3. Throw Wyrm on Dinosaurus and use bishop to make breaking using any method more affordable.

Any other creative thing you can come up with....however it's still not a very good card.

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3. Throw Wyrm on Dinosaurus and use bishop to make breaking using any method more affordable.

Nope. Dino can't host an AI.

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3. Throw Wyrm on Dinosaurus and use bishop to make breaking using any method more affordable.

Nope. Dino can't host an AI.

Herp a derp!

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3. Throw Wyrm on Dinosaurus and use bishop to make breaking using any method more affordable.

Nope. Dino can't host an AI.

Herp a derp!

You can always touch your Wyrm though ;)