Title pretty much covers it. I have a core set and one data pack that was gifted to me; I'm looking to buy a few more data packs and expansions and wanted to know if there's any reason to buy the draft packs. I'm a casual player and am still figuring out which factions to focus on. Thanks!

There is no need to buy the draft packs if you are just a casual player. And keep in mind that the data packs do not focus on specific factions. Even if they did, you can still use one faction's cards in another faction's deck using your deck-building influence points (excluding agendas, of course).

Draft packs are great IF YOU WANT TO PLAY SEALED DRAFT. Otherwise just stick with the normal packs

What CommisarFeesh said.

Also take into account that the backs of the draft cards look different enough from regular cards that you will have to use opaque sleeves.

Thanks, folks! I'll stick to the regular data packs and expansions.

Another question on draft, what is the likely hood of a draft pack completing a set or is the best way to complete a set of cards is to buy 3 core sets?

Likely? Not very. SanSan City Grid and Grimoire were Rare in the Cyber War block that's OOP. Desperado not at all. Aesop's Pawnshops were common in that draft pool and were given out as Alt Art prizes so they're quite obtainable.

I believe Desperado was Rare in Overdrive, now also OOP.

Don't know what's in System Crash.

Bottom line, you'll have better luck just buying a third core, if you must have 3x of everything.

Toolbox was also in Cyber War (I got two or three from one draft, so not rare). But I agree, for completion it's way more cost-effective to buy a third Core.

I find myself rather glad that as terrible as it is out of the box, Conquest is reportedly an amazingly good value for its third core set, as it has lots of 1x cards. That means that right out of the gate the card pool for that game is larger than it was for Netrunner, and it avoids the awkward drop-off in value that comes from needing to spend another $40 just to get the 2-3 additional cards that you might really need. Because who needs 3 Zaibatsu Loyalty or Ice Carver, let's not kid ourselves.

Michael Horvath has praised the design of Conquest core set, so my money's on the same pattern holding when AGOT2 comes out...can't wait!

What exactly are the draft packs? Are they blind boosters of sort? Are they needed if you are going to play in tourneys? Would they just be needed in draft specific tourneys? Or can you use the cards in them in regular games?

You would only need them in draft specific tournaments.

You can use them for regular play and normal tournaments, but I highly suggest using opaque sleeves, because the card backs are different enough that you can tell wich cards are from the draft and wich ones are from regular expansions.

Thye are similar to CCG booster packs.

http://www.fantasyflightgames.com/edge_minisite_sec.asp?eidm=260&esem=1

Huh. So the draft pack cards are cards from the sets already out? Are they different art? I guess I wouldnt really be too interested in a draft if I already have all the cards. Or am I misunderstanding? Does draft do well, like are players into it?

Huh. So the draft pack cards are cards from the sets already out? Are they different art? I guess I wouldnt really be too interested in a draft if I already have all the cards. Or am I misunderstanding? Does draft do well, like are players into it?

Nope. same art. There are a few new cards but those can only be used in draft games.

If you already have all the cards* then there isn't much reason to buy them, unless you really like the draft format.

I don't know if netrunner draft does well but its quite popular with magic the gathering (it even has a special darft set: Conspiracy)

* you can have up to 3 copies of each card and some cards are only in the core set once. (San san City grid for example.) So you could do a draft and hope you draw good cards, but there's no guarantee.

Nice. Do the major tourneys for this game have drafts, or is it constructed?

They should of done alternate art cards in the draft packs I recon. Would have given more of a reason to pick them up. But FF seems to be a company that isn't ultra-greedy like that. I come from mostly Wizkids games, and they would of made the draft packs completely different cards, that were super broken and must haves hahahaha.

Right now the major tourneys are all constructed, but the notion of Draft as a tournament format was met with general acclaim at the Worlds LCG SOTU. So we may see it on the docket at Gen Con or the next World Championship.