Ive been looking to really get into one of thes lcgs, and i currently own both core sets, but i dont know which one to go really into. All iI've heard so far from netrunner is good due to its assymetrical nature. However I also liked agot even though i only have one core set. I know i am in the agot forum but i was hoping for an insight on why one is better than the other or maybe not better but as to why to choose one over the other.

IconBreaker said:

Why choose? Plenty of us play both.

One consideration that might tilt you toward one rather than the other is cost. A:NR is brand new, while getting any sizable portion of the AGOT card pool will be kind of expensive. So if cost is a factor, AGOT might not be your best choice. If not, both are great.

Pick by which universe you like better. I play both but enjoy agot better because i like swords amd cleavage better than ice and servers.

I play (and really enjoy) both. But if you're looking to invest in only one, here's my take. By the way, the following mostly applies to “competitive players” and/or collectors.

There are four components that I use to evaluate any CCG-like card game: (1) the game's mechanics/card pool, (2) game flavor, (3) the distribution and how much it costs to stay up with releases, and (4) the community.

Here’s my comparison of the two games using these criteria:

1) Thrones is a bit more reliant on deckbuilding than game play, in that your deck tends to dictate how you play the game, at least MUCH more so than in Netrunner. (I’ve seen runners win with only 1-2 cards in play.) This is good for people who favor deck building, though to some extent it also means that net-decking (copying a deck that won a recent tournament) happens a bit more. Also, because Thrones has been out for several years, the card pool is much bigger. In short, if you love deck building, than Thrones is probably a slightly better fit, though Netrunner will no doubt become much better as time goes on. If you like to just pick up a deck and play, Netrunner is probably superior, though Thrones can still be a TON of fun with pre-made decks (from the Core Set, or just net-decking).

2) Flavor is all about personal preference, but I personally feel that Thrones flavor is superior to Netrunner flavor. This is mostly because Thrones has a whole set of very well written books, and it’s fun to control characters. For example, it’s especially exciting to push through a challenge with Robb and Grey Wind together, and especially annoying when a Lannister player knocks off Eddard. Netrunner’s actual “flavor text” (superfluous text on the cards) is extremely well done though, and I’d say overall wittier.

3) Since both are LCGs, I think both are equally attractive in that they are economical, at least compared with most other CCGs. One note, however, is that there are some higher costs for Thrones if you plan to play competitively, because you’ll likely have to go back and buy past chapter packs/sets. This can be good, if you’re willing to spend a bit more for a lot more variety; on the other hand, sometimes it’s nice to get into a game “from the ground up” so that you don’t feel behind right from the beginning when competing with other players.

4) The community is the single BIGGEST factor for me in any game. As much as I like the mechanics of a card game, I’m assuming most people choose card/board games these days because they enjoy the social aspect of gaming. If you want advanced features, incredible art, tactical decision making, etc. you can find that in video games. I’ve been a part of other card gaming communities, and I can say without a doubt Thrones has the best community out there. It’s the right balance of mature (I’m guessing the average aged player is 25-35), intelligent and social. This contrasts significantly from my experiences with Magic The Gather and some other games out there. Though it’s still in its infancy, Netrunner feels like it’s likely going to attract an average age of 18-25. In other words, there will be many mature players, but overall around the world I expect more people who are socially awkward and/or downright annoying to hang out with. (Obviously, each city's play group will vary dramatically, but this is my overall sense based on my GenCon experience and obsessive tracking of online Netrunner forums.) This shouldn’t be as bad as you might experience with competitive Magic players, but I think the community will be noticeably different from the Thrones community.

Overall, both games are great and perform relatively well across #1-4 above, but it really comes down to personal preferences. I’m currently most excited about the new mechanics/cards in Netrunner, but in the long-run I’m most likely to stay with the Thrones community, because that’s what sets this game apart from any other.

Twn2dn said:

Glad to hear you're not abandoning us for the new hotness!

Thanks alot for the responses guys, but i guess i can try to play both considering i do enjoy both games. But considering Netrunner is more accessible at this point since its starting from the ground up i can play it as my main and focus on getting the Agot packs a bit slower. Both games really bring alot of fun in terms of what i like in card games and i guess that was my problem in deciding. But like many of you say i guess can play them both as long as i know how to manage money and how to get them. Thanks again.

Twn2dn said:

I don't know. There are a lot of us who played the game when today's college age crowd were still in diapers. They may not all be as active online yet--or even aware that the game is back--but former players will likely form the backbone of the A:NR community as it gets going. And we're pretty much all over 30. I fully expect the A:NR community to be every bit as cool as the AGOT community.