I love Netrunner the setting is really friggen awesome and I like that one of the boxes I wanna buy implies NBN has created The Blackout in order to rule the entire internet. However there is something I have trouble grasping.

How does breaking subroutines work? The rules detail it too complicated it's kinda hard to understand for me(being mentally disabled I can be rather slow) so can someone elaborate how it works in a more laymen term then rules?

Ice generally comes in flavors of Vanilla, Strawberry, and Chocolate.

In order to deal with the ice, you need an icebreaker that affects Vanilla, Strawberry, or Chocolate ice.

Most every piece of ice has a list of 1 to 4 things it will do if you trip over it without an icebreaker. Many will end the run and kick you out, some will mess you up but not kick you out, and some will give you a wedgie, steal your wallet, steal your shoes and then kick you out.

Each ice has a certain Strength. Your icebreaker has to match that strength and so most have a way to pay to boost their strength. One you have matched the strength, you then activate the breaker's paid abilities to break, and thus prevent, the list of stuff that ice would do.

Then you get past the ice, but it will still be there every time you want to run there.

The ebb and flow of how much it will cost the corp to turn on their ice, versus how much it will cost the runner's breakers to break the corporation's ice is a pretty significant aspect of what makes the game tick.