Hello all,

I started playing the game last week with my girlfriend. She has played the runner a total of nine times, and I have played 3 different corporations. I have lost all 9 times so far. What am I doing wrong? I've put 3 ICE on the important places, it just feels like she always has that extra click to make more money. I tried using the two starter decks they prefer, and she has been playing as the same runner.

Am I doing something wrong? I always protect my R&D and HAND, I also protect all Assets and Agendas. Next time we play I will be the runner, I just did not want to give up but I'm at a point where I feel the corporation does not have it as easy. Having only 3 clicks does not make things any easier either!

To keep it short (and not make a bunch of assumptions)…once y ou start playing the runner, and look at how they poke and prod at the corp, it will make you a better corp player.

Need more details.

That said, you don't have to protect everything. You don't need to install ICE on Archives if there's no agenda in it (alternatively, you can install ICE there when something enters it face-down that's not an agenda just to trick the Runner into wasting a click and creds by running there). You don't really need to protect assets with high trash costs like PAD Campaign since going after them can be costly for the Runner, allowing you to further consolidate your position and advance your agendas.

When I started playing my experience as the Corp was quite frustrating.

I think the game as the Corporation is more difficult, in that it requires much more confidence with the game itself. More experience, basically.

Syphus is right, playing as a Runner will definitely help you understand strenght and weaknesses of the Corp.

tallmike101 said:

This triggered something for me… my group felt the same way when we started until we realised we were making a huge mistake.

The mistake was assuming the Runner got a free draw at the start of their turn. They do not. Runners are 4 actions per turn, any of which could be to draw a card. The Corp is 3 actions per turn, any of which could be to draw a card, and a compulsary draw. Once we figured that out the game got way better, and the Corp became lots of fun to play.

The other tip is to recognise that ICE is just there to stall the Runner, the game itself is about bluffing; ideally you want the Runner to waste resources running when they have nothing to burn. If you just build one remote data fort and pad it with ICE you are just letting the Runner commit to a specific ingress route to deny you VP, and capture their own.

steelwulf99 said:

Well, we've definitely been playing the game wrong. I assumed it worked like Magic the gathering and every other card game I've ever played. I actually played her as the runner yesterday and I won, go figure.. although I also was using the draw a card each turn rule. Maybe I'll try to play her again as the corp with her NOT drawing. Thanks for the update, that may have been the problem afterall!

tallmike101 said:

This is probably the biggest mistake players from other games make. Netrunner doesn't work like Magic. They're designed by the same guy but Garfield went out of his way to make Netrunner as unlike Magic as possible. Throw out everything you think you know and re-read the rulebook with a clean slate. It will make a BIG difference for you.

tallmike101 said:

Let us know how you go - I hope it works out for you like it did for my group