1.) I make a run. When i grow up the strength of an icebreaker (for example from 2 to 5), can i use this strength to go for a second ice or do i have then 2 strength?

2.)Datasucker: " Hosted virus counter : Rezzed piece of ice currently being encountered has -1 strength until the end of the encounter."

When i have 2 virus, is the strenght then -2? Do i lose the virus?

3.) Inside Job: " Make a run. Bypass the first piece of ice encountered during this run."

Does Bypass mean the first subroutine of an ice?

1.) I make a run. When i grow up the strength of an icebreaker (for example from 2 to 5), can i use this strength to go for a second ice or do i have then 2 strength?

Strength boosts only last for the ice currently being encountered. Once you are done, you go back down to the base strength.

There are a few exceptions to this (like Gordian Blade, Snowball, etc) that say that they keep the strength for the remainder of the run.

2.)Datasucker: " Hosted virus counter : Rezzed piece of ice currently being encountered has -1 strength until the end of the encounter."

When i have 2 virus, is the strenght then -2? Do i lose the virus?

You have to spend (get rid of) datasucker virus counters in order to use them. But yes, in your example you can spend 2 virus counters to reduce the strength of the ice currently being encountered by two.

Datasucker stays installed when you spend the tokens.

3.)Inside Job: " Make a run. Bypass the first piece of ice encountered during this run."

Does Bypass mean the first subroutine of an ice?

No, it means the entire piece of ice. None of the subroutines have a chance to fire because the ice is never encountered. In addition, none of the on-encounter effects happen either (because of the previous statement).

thx

No, it means the entire piece of ice. None of the subroutines have a chance to fire because the ice is never encountered. In addition, none of the on-encounter effects happen either (because of the previous statement).

Can I just clarify this please, as the FAQ v1.2 that just got published seems to indicate otherwise. On p.2 it uses the example of Femme Fatale, but says that if you bypass ice, because you aren't breaking the subroutines, they all trigger. Or at least, that's how I read it.

Apologies, but I've only played this game 7 times, and I'm still learning it. Which is made more difficult as my buddy is currently the one who owns it (until it gets re-stocked and I can get my own copy...)

Thanks!

You misunderstood the example in the FAQ.

Nungunz had the right idea about Inside Job (and bypassing in general), in that none of the subroutines (or conditional abilities such as the one on Tollbooth) go off when you bypass an ice. But he was wrong in his statement because the ice is still encountered, which matters for certain effects such as the subroutine on Chum (which is where the FAQ example comes in). So if you bypass an ice, you encounter it, but then immediately circumvent all its effects, which also means you didn't break any subroutines even though none of them triggered, which is why you take damage from Chum's subroutine effect if you bypass the ice after Chum.

You're right, I was thinking the example stated you bypass Chum and the next piece of ice also. Presumably, in that instance, you wouldn't take the damage because Chum's subroutine never fired?

Honestly, there was a time when I thought I understood this game...

Right, if you bypass Chum its subroutine is not resolved, so Chum's damage effect would never come into play whether you break the subroutines on the next ice you encounter or not.

The game might take a little getting used to, especially because many other card games play quite differently, but in my opinion it's probably the most straight-forward and stream-lined card game card I've ever played, at least until we see more outlandish card effects that create more wonky rules interactions.