The Runner deck must have a minimum of 45 cards (the v1.0
Rulebook mistakenly says 40 cards). (Wendy Wallace, Netrunner-L,
4/29/96)
Central & Subsidiary Data Forts
Ice is installed *ON* a data fort. Agenda, nodes, and upgrades
are installed *IN* a data fort. (Wendy Wallace, Netrunner-L,
5/1/96)
A subsidiary data fort goes away if (and as soon as) there are no
cards left in or on it. So even one piece of Ice will cause the
data fort to stick around indefinitely. (Tom Wylie, Netrunner-L,
4/13/96)
Counters of any kind, including Virus counters, are not
sufficient to maintain a subsidiary data fort. When the last card
in or on the fort is removed, the fort collapses, period. When
that happens, the counters no longer exist. (Wendy Wallace,
Netrunner-L, 5/28/96)
The deck of cards and the player's hand are considered to be
'stored' in R&D and HQ respectively; they are not installed cards
and are immune to effects that target installed cards. (Netrunner
FAQ v1.0, 5/23/96)
Central data forts (HQ, R&D, and the Archives) always exist, even
if there are no cards in them. (Netrunner Rulebook, pp9-10;
Sparky, Netrunner-L, 5/30/96)
Ice & Icebreakers
When the Runner passes a piece of Ice, the Ice remains in play;
it must be passed every time the Runner runs on the fort.
(Netrunner FAQ v1.0, 5/23/96)
When Ice is trashed, any Ice that is outside of it moves in to
fill the vacuum left by its predecessor. (Sparky, Netrunner-L,
4/19/96)
An Icebreaker that targets any of the Ice's keywords will work on
that piece of Ice. (Wendy Wallace, Netrunner-L, 4/29/96)
If a piece of rezzed Ice is modified by some external effect,
then derezzed, it will "remember" the modification if rezzed
again. (Wendy Wallace, Netrunner-L, 4/30/96) If it is uninstalled,
however, the modifications are "forgotten." (Sparky, Netrunner-L,11/11/96)
The Runner can break the subroutines on a piece of Ice in any
order. When the Runner has completed this process, the unbroken
subroutines take effect in the order they are printed on the card.
(Wendy Wallace, Netrunner-L, 4/30/96)
The strength of Ice and Icebreakers can be negative. (Glenn Elliott,
Netrunner-L, 5/9/96)
In general, you can only use an Icebreaker's abilities during an
encounter with a piece of Ice, and that piece of Ice must
correspond to the type of subroutine that the Icebreaker can
break. Any exceptions to this are noted in the individual
Icebreaker's card text. (Skipper Pickle, Netrunner-L, 1/12/98)
Any effect that duplicates the subroutines on a piece of Ice only
duplicates subroutines generated by the text on the card. (Sparky,
Netrunner-L, 11/18/96; Tom Wylie, 8/26/97)
Tracing
The corp can successfully trace with an investment of zero bits.
After all, if trace and link are equal, the trace is successful.
If you don't have a link card out, you're stuck at a link of zero.
(Sparky, Netrunner-L, 4/24/96)
You may only use one Base Link card per trace attempt. You cannot
use parts of two. You can use as many other non-Base Link cards to
increase your link as you like. (Sparky, Netrunner-L, 5/30/96)
Both players have a right to know the number of bits in the other
player's bit pool at any time (see "Public Knowledge"). (Skipper
Pickle, Netrunner-L, 1/8/98)
You can use a Hidden Resource to pay for a trace. You don't have
to reveal the Hidden Resource until each player has revealed the
amount he or she is spending. Thus, you might actually note an
amount greater than the amount in your bit pool. (Skipper Pickle,
Netrunner-L, 1/8/98)
Taking Actions and Playing Cards
You cannot combine actions by playing a card that says make a run
and gain some benefit at the same time that you use an installed
card's special effect to gain a different benefit. (Wendy Wallace,
Netrunner-L, 4/26/96)
If a card tells you to make a run (or do anything else that
normally requires an action), anything the card tells you to do is
included in action of playing the card; you do not have to take an
additional action to make that run, unless the card specifies
otherwise. (Wendy Wallace, Netrunner-L, 4/30/96)
Preps and Operations are assumed to be trashed before their
effects occur. This is the order: 1) pay for the card and make all
decisions; 2) put the card in the Trash/Archives; 3) execute the
card instructions. (Sparky, Netrunner-L, 8/27/96)
Stealth and Noise
You do not have to have Stealth cards in play in order to use
Noisy cards. (Wendy Wallace, Netrunner-L, 4/26/96)
Card Effects
Either player can use special effects during the same times the
Corp can rez cards. However,if the effect requires a cost of one
or more actions, it can only be used during that player's turn.
(Netrunner FAQ v1.0, 5/23/96)
If the Corp and the Runner can both perform functions (the Corp
rezzing a card, or the Runner using a card effect, for example) at
the same time, the Runner always gets the first opportunity to
perform any functions he or she likes, and then the Corp performs
any of its functions. (Sparky, Netrunner-L, 10/11/96)
If a player has multiple effects to process at any given time
(e.g., start of turn, end of turn, start of run, end of run), that
player chooses the order in which the effects are processed. Thus
the Corp could rez a Holovid Campaign at the start of his or her
turn, then gain a bit from that Holovid Campaign at the start of
that turn. (Sparky, Netrunner-L, 5/22/96)
When card effect A prohibits an effect of type B, the blanket
prohibition always takes precedence, and effect B does not happen
(even if a card "forces" you to do it). (Sparky, Netrunner-L,
7/10/96)
If an effect targets multiple cards, all decisions are made
regarding those targets before the effect is resolved (e.g., if
the Runner plays Hunt Club BBS, all of the cards to be exposed are
chosen before they are exposed) (Netrunner FAQ v1.0, 5/23/96)
If an effect generates multiple consequences, those consequences
are processed in the order they appear on the card. (JD Wiker,
Netrunner-L, 2/11/96)
Trashing Cards
Only cards with a trash cost (nodes and upgrades) can be usually
be trashed. These are the cards with the trashcan in the lower
right corner. If you pay that number of bits, you can trash the
card instead of watching it go right back to where you got it.
(Sparky, Netrunner-L, 4/18/96)
If a player's effect trashes a one or more of a particular card
type, that player chooses which specific cards are trashed, unless
the effect indicates otherwise. For example, if an Ice subroutine
trashes a program, the Corp chooses which program is trashed.
(Wendy Wallace, Netrunner-L, 4/26/96) That player also chooses the
order in which the cards are trashed. (Sparky, Netrunner-L,
5/15/96) In the case of an effect that trashes multiple cards, all
of the cards are trashed (resolving the trashing effect), then the
consequences of the trashing are dealt with. (Netrunner FAQ v1.0,
5/23/96)
When the Runner accesses a card, that card's effect, if any,
takes effect before the Runner has an opportunity to trash it.
(Sparky, Netrunner-L, 5/19/96) When the Runner trashes cards in a
fort, all of the trashing happens simultaneously; there is no
"sequence" to the trashing that occurs at the end of a run.
(Sparky, Netrunner-L, 7/10/96)
If the Runner is tagged, the Corp may trash a Hidden Resource in
the same way that it can trash any other resource. (Sparky,
Netrunner-L, 10/18/96)
If the Runner manages to trash an installed agenda with
advancement counters on it, those advancement counters are lost.
(JD Wiker, Netrunner-L, 12/23/96)
Archives/Trash
Anytime a Corp card that the Runner has seen goes to the Archives
it goes to the face-up stack. (Wendy Wallace, Netrunner-L, 5/1/96)
Any card that goes to the Archives that has not been seen by the
Runner goes to the face-down pile. (JD Wiker, Netrunner-L,
1/20/96)
No rearrangement of the Trash or Archives is allowed, except as
specified by the rules or a card effect. (Sparky!, Netrunner-L,
5/8/96)
The Corp may look through the Runner's trash at any time; the
Runner may look through the face-up cards in the Corp's Archives
at any time. When players recover a card from respective discard
piles, it is common courtesy to show the opponent which card they
are retrieving. (Sparky, Netrunner-L, 7/25/96)
Dealing & Taking Damage
Each subroutine is a separate source of damage. For instance, if
three subroutines on a single piece of Ice do 1 brain damage each,
the Runner must take or prevent each 1 separately, rather than
taking (or preventing) 3 brain damage all at once. (Sparky!,
Netrunner-L, 5/14/96)
Each source of damage must be dealt with separately and
immediately. Let's say you're using Blink to break through
Cortical Scrub. You roll a 3 attempting to break the "Do 1 brain
damage" subroutine. You must immediately deal with the 3 Net
damage from Blink. Assuming you survive, you then attempt to break
the "End the run" subroutine. You roll a 1; you take 1 Net damage
from Blink. Now you take the consequences of the unbroken
subroutines: 1 brain damage and an ended run. (Sparky!, Netrunner-
L, 5/14/96)
Cards that go to the trash as the result of damage are chosen
randomly, and they go to the trash in the order in which they were
randomly chosen. (Sparky, Netrunner-L, 5/15/96)
Discarding
You only check your hand size at the end of your turn. If your
hand size is reduced, you are not forced to automatically discard.
(Sparky, Netrunner-L, 8/8/96)
You only discard down to your maximum hand size at the end of
your turn. If your hand size becomes less than zero, but you still
have cards in your hand, you have until the end of your turn to
get your hand size up to zero, or you will flatline at the end of
the turn. (Sparky, Netrunner-L, 5/22/96)
You cannot end your turn with more cards than allowed by your
maximum hand size. Although the automatic draw at the start of the
Corp's turn is a start-of-turn effect, discarding isn't an end-of-
turn effect, so it doesn't fit into timing. It's just the last
thing you do during your turn. Check for a discard after all 'end
of turn' effects. (Sparky, Netrunner-L, 7/25/96)
Viruses & Forgoing Actions
Virus counters are given only after a successful run is
completed. (Sparky, Netrunner-L, 9/9/96)
As soon as the Corp declares three actions forgone, all Virus
counters given to the Corp are removed. (Charles Keith-Stanley,
Netrunner-L, 5/3/96)
The Corp's mandatory draw is NOT an action. The Corp still draws
a card at the beginning of each Corp turn, even if the Corp has
foregone all of the actions for that turn. (Wendy Wallace,
Netrunner-L, 5/23/96)
Virus counters remain in play even if the program that gave them
is uninstalled. (Sparky, Netrunner-L, 5/22/96)
You can remove virus counters (and be forced to forgo your next
three actions) any time you can rez a card. (Sparky, Netrunner-L,
7/17/96)
Forgoing actions to remove virus counters is cumulative: if you
forgo your next three actions to remove viruses, and forgo another
three before you've paid the penalty for the first removal, you
will forgo six consecutive actions. (Sparky, Netrunner-L, 9/3/96)
If the player is forced to forgo actions, actions dedicated to a
specific purpose (e.g., Wilson, Weeflerunner Apprentice) can be
used to fulfill the penalty. (Sparky, Netrunner-L, 9/12/96)
Cumulative Effects
Unless the card text indicates otherwise, a card referring to
itself (e.g., Broker) refers only to that specific card, not to
the other versions of that card that are also in play. (Sparky!,
Netrunner-L, 5/6/96)
Gaining Actions
You can only take actions during your own turn. (Sparky!,
Netrunner-L, 5/7/96) Neither player can use effects to gain
actions during the other player's turn. (Netrunner FAQ v1.0,
5/23/96)
When an effect gives you an extra action, you gain that action
immediately, even if you gained the action as a result of rezzing
something after the last action of your turn. (Sparky!, Netrunner-
L, 5/9/96)
When a card states that you will get an extra action per turn,
you must declare when you use it. If the card is trashed during
the Corp's turn and the Corp has not declared that it had used the
extra action, the extra action is lost. (Sparky, Netrunner-L,
7/26/96)
You must use all of your actions, if possible. You may
not gain an action that you can neither use nor forgo,
unless a card's text says otherwise. (Skipper Pickle,
Netrunner-L, 10/14/98)
Paying Costs
You cannot spend resources you don't have. If you have 0 agenda
points, and you are required to spend 1 or more agenda points to
activate an effect, you cannot activate the effect; another good
example of this is South African Mining Corp, which requires you
to spend 3 actions to gain 6 bits: if you don't have 3 actions
immediately available to you, you can't gain the 6 bits. (Sparky!,
Netrunner-L, 5/8/96)
Accessing Cards
Unless a node specifically says otherwise, if it is installed, it
must be rezzed in order to take effect. Of all the nodes and
upgrades in v1.0 and Proteus, only Virus Test Site has any effect
when the Runner accesses it while it is both installed AND
unrezzed (it does 1--and only 1--Net damage to the Runner,
regardless of the number of advancement counters on it). (Sparky!,
Netrunner-L, 5/13/96)
The Runner chooses the order in which he or she will access
cards, including any draws or face-down cards as well. That's the
order in which they affect the Runner. If the Runner survives
accessing all the cards there, the Runner can then score agenda
and pay to trash nodes and upgrades. (Sparky, Netrunner-L,
6/12/96) The effect of each accessed card must be dealt with
separately and immediately, before accessing the next card.
(Sparky, Netrunner-L, 11/18/96)
If you are accessing multiple cards from HQ, you can choose the
order in which you take picks, and intermingle them with accessing
upgrades as you wish. (Sparky, Netrunner-L, 11/18/96)
If you are accessing multiple cards from R&D, you can choose the
order in which you take draws from the top of R&D, and intermingle
them with accessing upgrades as you wish; you cannot alter the
order in which you draw cards from the top of R&D. (Sparky,
Netrunner-L, 11/18/96)
If you are accessing cards from the Archives, you take all the
cards in the face-down pile and put them in the face-up pile, then
access them one at a time, working down the pile. You can
intermingle accessing cards in the Archives with with accessing
upgrades as you wish. (Sparky, Netrunner-L, 11/18/96)
When the Runner accesses cards stored in HQ, the Corp always has
the right to know which cards were accessed. (Skipper Pickle,
Netrunner-L, 11/11/97)
Advancing Cards & Scoring Agenda
An agenda must be installed before it can be scored, even if it
has an effective difficulty of 0. (Sparky, Netrunner-L, 5/19/96)
It is legal to advance an agenda beyond its difficulty. (Sparky,
Netrunner-L, 6/12/96)
"Advancing a card" is spending an action and a bit to add an
advancement counter to one of your installed cards that can be
advanced. "Advancing a card" is simply one of several methods of
adding an advancement counters to a card. (Sparky, Netrunner-L,
6/12/96)
Unless a card effect prevents it, the Runner must score any
agenda accessed; if an additional cost must be paid and the Runner
does not pay it, the agenda is not scored and returns to the fort
from which it was accessed. (Sparky, Netrunner-L, 10/2/96)
Installing Programs
Once a program is installed in one location, you cannot
voluntarily move it around to another location (e.g., a program
installed in regular MU cannot be moved to a Daemon without
removing the program from play first). (Netrunner FAQ v1.0,
5/23/96)
MU will never prohibit you from installing a program, but
sometimes you'll have to trash something else in play to do so.
(Sparky, Netrunner-L, 6/17/96)
Prevention Effects
A prevention effect essentially occurs "before" the effect it is
preventing. (Sparky, Netrunner-L, 6/17/96)
You can't use prevention effects unless you have something to
prevent (e.g., Emergency Self-Construct can only be triggered when
you flatline) (Sparky, Netrunner-L, 7/10/96) Any prevention effect
on a card is also a condition of play for that card. (Sparky,
Netrunner-L, 12/2/96)
If you prevent a cost from being paid, you prevent that cost's
effect from being played. So, for instance, if you activate a
Lockjaw by trashing it, but use Umbrella Policy to prevent the
Lockjaw from being trashed, your Lockjaw will be saved and your
Umbrella Policy will be gone, but you will not be able to give any
icebreaker a benefit of +2 strength. (Skipper Pickle,Netrunner-L,
9/29/98)
Making Runs and Jacking Out
Unless a card effect says otherwise, there is no opportunity for
the Runner to jack out between the start of a run and the
encounter with the first piece of Ice. (Sparky, Netrunner-L,
7/22/96)
Voluntary Effects
You cannot reveal one of your own cards just because you want to
do so. You must have a reason--a card or game effect--to reveal
it. (Sparky, Netrunner-L, 9/11/96)
You cannot voluntarily trash, or otherwise uninstall, an
installed card unless a game effect specifically allows you to do
so. (Skipper Pickle, Netrunner-L, 11/4/97)
Public Knowledge
Players have a right to know following information about their
opponents at any time: the number of bits in the opponent's bit
pool, the number of cards in the opponent's hand, the number of
cards remaining in the opponent's draw pile, the number of cards
in the opponent's discard pile, the number of tokens/counters on
any card that implements tokens/counters. (Skipper Pickle,
Netrunner-L, 9/18/98)
The Runner knows the following about face-down cards in a
subsidiary data fort: how many cards are in the fort, how many
advancement counters are on each card, and what order the cards
went into the fort; thus, if the Runner played Hunt Club BBS, the
Corp would not be allowed to shuffle cards around inside a single
data fort. This prevents having advancement counters end up on a
card that didn't previously have them, which would be
"unsportsmanlike conduct." (Skipper Pickle, Netrunner-L, 9/10/98)