Android: Netrunner – My Journey in a Dystopian Future: Part 1 – Welcome

Those who read my blog post about New Discoveries will know I’ve got into Living Card Games from Fantasy Flight Games this year. If you're not familiar with them, here's their official spiel of what a Living Card Game is:

"A Living Card Game® (LCG®) offers an innovative fixed distribution method that breaks away from the traditional Collectible Card Game model. While LCGs still offer the same dynamic, expanding, and constantly evolving game play that makes CCG’s so much fun, they do away with the deterrent of the blind-buy purchase model that has burned out so many players. The end result is an innovative mix that gives you the best of both worlds.....While the LCG Core Sets provide a fantastic stand alone game experience, those that wish to can expand even further! Monthly installments of expansion packs, each a set of fixed cards, provide ongoing and regular additions to the available card pool. These expansion packs add customization, variety, and an ongoing sense of theme to your experiences with the Core Game, while evolving the play environment in exciting new ways."

I bought The Lord of the Rings LCG first and have really enjoyed its solo and cooperative play. My most recent purchase was Star Wars: The Card Game, a very cinematic experience filled with thematic battles, vying for the balance of the Force.

But the game that has captured my imagination the most, the game I can’t stop thinking about……is Android: Netrunner.

As the video states, one player takes on the role of the Corporation, protecting his servers, playing assets, operations and upgrades and ultimately attempting to advance and score seven points worth of Agendas.

His opponent - playing as the Runner - is also trying to score seven points, but by hacking into the Corp's servers and stealing those Agendas.

With the Runner you’re prodding and poking at the Corp’s servers, looking for a way in, making him spend money to stop you. Catch the Corp without enough funds and you’ll be all over his cards – taking cards out of his hand, out of his deck, everywhere.
The beauty of playing the Corp is knowing. You know what cards are on the table, you know when the Runner has just declared a run on a server and you’ve got a trap waiting at the other end for him. It’s beautiful stuff

You can watch Fantasy Flight Games’ complete Netrunner tutorial by following the links after the video above and here’s an article on the game by Robert Florence at Rock Paper Shotgun: Cardboard Children - Android: Netrunner

  

With deep deckbuilding supported by regularly released “Data Packs”, this game is an engrossing addition to any gamer’s collection, bound to take centre stage.

Welcome to Android: Netrunner and my journey in this dystopian future. There’s a lot more to come……..