I have now played a few games as Jenteki vs Shaper and vice versa but have a few basic questions i need answering.

I have 2 icebreakers in play and one can get through multiple ice and one sates in the sub routines that it can get through barriers only.

If i encounter a piece of ice that is then rezzed can i use the STR on one icebreaker and the specific ice breaker for getting through barriers to get through the sub routine or is it one icebreaker per run ?

With CHUM can the sub routine on CHUM be broke at all ?

At present i have not seen much call for link cards is this because i am paying the core and specific starter decks ?

Thanks

You have to pump the strength of your barrier ICE Breaker or your other one that can break anything (providing this is one of its abilities) to get it to the proper strength before breaking the subroutines. There is nothing preventing you from using multiple ICE Breakers during a run, but you have to use them appropriately. One breaker's STR does not allow the other breaker to break the subroutines if it is under the bar.

Yes, Chum's subroutine can be broken. You just have to have the appropriate breaker installed. Use your maths skills to determine if you should do this or if it would be cheaper to break the next IC at +2STR before you make this decision, though.

Edit: To answer your last question, if you're playing casually, and there's not much tracing and/or tagging going on, then, no. You shouldn't have to worry about link too much. Just bear in mind there are things the corp can do while you're tagged (i.e. trash resources for 2 credits each or play/use things like Scorched Earth or Private Security Force, if scored)

You have to pump the strength of your barrier ICE Breaker or your other one that can break anything (providing this is one of its abilities) to get it to the proper strength before breaking the subroutines. There is nothing preventing you from using multiple ICE Breakers during a run, but you have to use them appropriately. One breaker's STR does not allow the other breaker to break the subroutines if it is under the bar.

Yes, Chum's subroutine can be broken. You just have to have the appropriate breaker installed. Use your maths skills to determine if you should do this or if it would be cheaper to break the next IC at +2STR before you make this decision, though.

Edit: To answer your last question, if you're playing casually, and there's not much tracing and/or tagging going on, then, no. You shouldn't have to worry about link too much. Just bear in mind there are things the corp can do while you're tagged (i.e. trash resources for 2 credits each or play/use things like Scorched Earth or Private Security Force, if scored)

Thanks for this i think i understand now. in theory i could break through multiple ice and NOT break any sub routines and therefore take the punishment but i could still continue the run until the piece of ice states 'end the run' providing my STR is equal or greater on ANY of my ice breakers. Is this correct ?

Thanks for this i think i understand now. in theory i could break through multiple ice and NOT break any sub routines and therefore take the punishment but i could still continue the run until the piece of ice states 'end the run' providing my STR is equal or greater on ANY of my ice breakers. Is this correct ?

Yup! The only time the run ends is if you jack-out or hit a piece of ice that has an unbroken End-the-Run subroutine.

Incidentally, you can run with no Icebreaker. If for example, you encounter a Neural Katana and have no Icebreaker installed that can deal with it (or even no Icebreaker at all), you take the net damage, but because Neural Katana doesn't have 'End the run' you pass it regardless of any Icebreaker strength . You may now jack out or continue to the next ICE (or the server if there is no more ICE). You do not NEED Icebreakers to pass ICE, only to avoid the subroutines (unless a subroutine states 'End the run').

Incidentally, you can run with no Icebreaker. If for example, you encounter a Neural Katana and have no Icebreaker installed that can deal with it (or even no Icebreaker at all), you take the net damage, but because Neural Katana doesn't have 'End the run' you pass it regardless of any Icebreaker strength . You may now jack out or continue to the next ICE (or the server if there is no more ICE). You do not NEED Icebreakers to pass ICE, only to avoid the subroutines (unless a subroutine states 'End the run').

I just had a look at Neutral Katana and expected to see a STR 0 card but see that it has STR 3. I thought to pass a rezzed piece of ice i needed to equal it's STR with an ice breaker and then determine what to do with the sub routines. If i dont have the STR how can i pass it ?

Thanks

What do the icebreakers need the strength for? To break subroutines on a piece of ice. If you are not breaking any subroutines, why would your icebreaker need a certain strength? The strength of your icebreakers is only relevant if you are actually using them to interact with a piece of ice.

The run ends only if you jack out or an effect ends the run (most often from a subroutine, but Nisei Mk II can also end the run). You still suffer each subroutine you haven't broken, but ICE doesn't end the run just because you don't have an icebreaker with enough strength,

This is actually one of the most common misconceptions I've seen regarding Netrunner when learning the game (even though the rules do cover it). After playing my first demo-game (but before I'd bought a copy and read the rules myself) I actually wasn't clear on this point myself. People are used to playing games (such as Magic: The Gathering) where you HAVE to push past/through defences to be effective, it seems counter-intuitive to just take damage/other effects (tags, give the corp money) and keep going.

This is the kind of thing which I think an 'FAQ' or 'Netrunner 101' sticky thread could cover, as it comes up so often (seriously, have a look through the 11-or-so pages in this forum alone, you'll find several people asking variants on this same question).