Team Netrunner (4 player variant)

I’m in favor of coming up with a 4 player variant … I think that could be a lot of fun. I posted this previously, but would love to hear thoughts and discussion in a thread.

At the moment, my friends and I play simple variant:

Corps vs Runners

  1. Corps have a shared credit pool and can install ice on each others servers.
  2. Runners have a shared credit pool and share their resources.
  3. Anything that would specifically target either corp or runner must be delegated to one of the members of that team at the point of playing or installing the card. Anything that targets the ‘credit pool’ targets the shared pool.
  4. The turn order is Corp 1, Runner 1, Corp 2, Runner 2. In the first round, Corp 2 cannot be the target of a run.
  5. If at any point a runner is flatlined, they are removed from the turn order, or if a corp is decked, they are removed from the turn order.
  6. First team to 10 points wins. Both runners flatlined is a corp win. Both corps decked is a runner win.
  7. All unique cards are unique to every player i.e. There can only ever be one Jackson Howard in play.
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For reference, the rules for an ONR multiplayer format may be located here:

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Some questions:

  • Runners can choose which corp’s servers they run on? Even on the first turn?
  • Can ice subroutines be targeted at the runner who isn’t currently running? And ambushes?
  • Can a runner “delegate” an Event’s effects on the other runner? Same with corps and Operations? If possible, can the effects be partially delegated?
  • Resource sharing:
  • Is the resource sharing optional or mandatory? For example, if one runner has a Wyldside installed, does the other runner have to lose the click and draw two, or can they choose not to?
  • What about resources like Theophilius Bagbiter, can the runner who doesn’t own it choose to take advantage when they’re rich, and ignore it when they’re poor?
  • Can Runner 1 put his cards on Runner 2’s Supplier/Personal Workshop? Can Runner 2 install Runner 1’s cards off Supplier/PW?
  • Do recurring credits on a resource recur at the start of both runners’ turns, or only on the owner’s?
  • Can both players have 3 Underworld Contacts installed for a total of 6 credits at the start of each of their turns (assuming both have 2 link)?

It sounds interesting. Did you already playtest it a bit? What are the biggest non obvious changes?

IE, does it skew early/mid/late game a lot in one side’s favour?

What does sharing resources mean for runners? Both players can click Kate (twice as often usable)? Both can use ProCo installed by one player?

Can corps share their assets (ie, both players able to click Melange)?

I’ve tried this, but the games take ages and lose some momentum. Wanted to come up with something quicker.

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Good points.

  • We’ve played that runners can only run on corps that have had a turn.
  • No, only the running runner can be subjected to ambushes and ice sub routines.
  • No event/operation sharing. The team member playing the card receives the benefit. If it’s a economy operation, it goes into the shared pool.
  • You can only ever install cards into your own play area (as a runner). Personal Workshop requires that the card be installed at some point, and then it would go into your team-mates area which is against the sharing idea.
  • All resources are shared, so Wyldside fires for both players. Either runner could have an installed Aesops and use it when needed.
  • Recurring credits depend on the type of card they come from. They reset on their owners turn. Currents are not shared for example, neither are Prepaids. If a current specifically targets a corp or runner, the player must delegate at the point of playing it.
  • Yes, suddenly crappy cards make a bit more sense.

Thanks for the questions n feedback! This will really help compile a more thorough ruleset.

At the moment the biggest consideration is how many points are required to win. Too few and the runners win easily, too many and the corps win easily. We’ve found 10 to be a sweet spot but may adjust during testing.

Kate can be double clicked by both players, but because they share a credit pool, they both benefit from such play. Both can use ProCo installed by one player. That’s the idea. Because of the sharing nature you can build some really interesting synergies. Like the example of

Assets can’t be shared as they are installed into the owning players servers. They can be defended, but corps can’t make use of each others assets. This may change as we get more games under our belt.

I hope you don’t mind questions, I think it’s going to be helpful to make this fool-proof and fun to play!

What about ice that does stuff for the corp? Architecht, gain credits subroutines. Which corp player gets the benefit?

The owning player or controlling player? I think those terms should get into this, so some things benefit the owner (who installed it), some controller (who’s area it’s installed in) or both.

For example:
Resources are considered to be controlled by both runners.
Ice is controlled by the corp in who’s server it is installed from the moment it is installed. Ice effects only damage the currently running runner and only trigger for the controlling (or owning?) player.

Note: keep different protectors or hiliarity ensues later on :smiley:

I think this might be a fun excercise in deckbuilding as well. Where you can use super influence heavy ice and then give it to the other corp.

You could get 12c per turn using a something like 6 underworld contacts, 6 grifter, 1 access to globalsec and 2 1 link runners. Each player would have to make a run every turn but if your running pumpable breakers (and you’ve got them set up) what else are you going to do with 12c per turn. If you could work in 6x datafolding this could be 18c per turn.
I’m not gonna say this is a good idea but I feel being able to play a monolith every turn might be a good amount of income.

While theoretically possible, I consider that practically impossible, just like the ludicro scenarios like this in normal play. If you do get this all set up the corp will have a tonne of points under their belt already. IMO.

The way we’ve done it is that even though stuff is shared, the owning player still benefits from the effects. So caduceus gives money to the owner, not the server owner.

Thanks for the answers, this seems like it might be interesting :smile:

Some more questions!

  • Are the resources shared from the corp’s perspective? ie. can one of the corps trash Runner 1’s resource when Runner 2 is tagged?
  • Can both runners have the same unique resource installed?
  • So, I can only host cards on my own Supplier/PW, but the other runner can install them for me?
  • What about agendas? Do agenda abilities only affect the one who scored it? Can a player forfeit an agenda their team member stole/scored (for Archer or Data Dealer for example)?
  • Does Dedicated Response Team trigger on runs on the other corp’s servers?
  • Does Hostile Infrastructure trigger when a runner trashes the other corp’s cards?
  • Does City Surveillance trigger for both runners?

I imagine a double Noise might be quite strong with this, if I understood correctly and they could both mill the same corp? Particularly since they would only need to find one Wyldside and one Aesop’s between them.

I also think FA might be best for the corps, because an agenda left in a remote would have to endure two runner turns before it could be scored (again, if I understood correctly).

I like how different strategies need to be deployed for this kind of game. Definitely going to try this out.

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We’ve been playing with unique identities! Unique cards are still unique to the table.

  • No, tags are specific to the runner. The runners only share a credit pool and their resources.
  • No, unique is unique
  • Yes, you have a shared credit pool, so he could sure gamble into the pool, and then you can install them as per normal workshop windows from the pool.
  • Any card that targets a runner must be declared when installed, so DRT would have be declared when installed. A second DRT could target the second runner. Same with cards that target ‘the corp’.
  • No, assets aren’t shared. So Hostile Infrastructure would happen against the runner making the run on that corp.
  • No, like I say, if the card targets the runner in any way, the runner must be declared as the card is played.

We’ve found tagging flatline ideas to be hectic lol. Corp 1 tags, Corp 2 scorches. Runners have to get their safety nets up and running really fast! I’m not ruling it out, but if Corp 1 sea sources, and Corp 2 has 2 scorched, it’s a first turn runner dead. Hasn’t happened but we’re only about 10 games in so far.

We’ve also managed to lock down a server behind 6 ice to score in. You need a pretty big table lol.

I think it’s helpful to think that if anything isn’t a piece of ice for corps, or a resource for runners, it’s specific to the player who installed it. That helped us cos whenever we had a question about x card we followed specific steps.

Does it target ‘the runner’ or ‘the corp’? Ok I must choose who…

Is it a piece of ice or a resource? No, then it isn’t shared.

Closed accounts, well that trashes the whole credit pool.

I’m thinking that NEH FA paired with HB Glacier/deadcoats might be pretty powerful, with the HB deck acting as a money engine for the NEH deck.

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Do corps share scored agendas? Astrotrain with 6 astro?

How does philotic works?

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I like general concept very much.

But my impression is that runners will dominate this format hard. Two times more targets to attack, Medium can dig both RnD much more effectively. You need to defend 2 HQ to protect from Account siphon(and it is more dificult to spend all your money beacause of share thing).

Any drip economy works twice per turn for runners, while PAD campaighns etc do not.

I imagine support Andy deck which consists only from resources, (allnighters should be good) and carry Proffessor with staff to break any defense. How does corp should protect against it?

I would suggest limiting the maximum number of copies of any given card to 3 to stop any degenerate 6 Astro nonsense. Players also having to use different IDs obviously makes sense.

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Loving the idea! But wondering if it would be even more fun if there was no co-operation between the runners and between the corps. I’m just thinking of the mind games that would go on.

Like if I’m a runner and the crop to my right installs & advances a card in a remote with unrezzed ice or maybe an unknown upgrade, do I run it if I’m not sure I can get in. If I fail the runner across from me might have all the info they need for a easy steal.

If one corp is wide open do both runners mercilessly attack him at the expense of letting the other corp score freely? One corps 20 AP split three ways might not be found fast enough in that case.

What about corp versus corp tactics? Would you be the first corp to blink, or do you wait for the other to attempt to score first and then use the scoring window created if both runners attack him?

You would probably want some form of extra action for the runners and corps to mildly annoy each other, such as if the runner made a successful run on a central server this turn they may spend a click and 2 credits to force the runner opposite to either lose a click or take a tag.

I can’t imagine it would be in any way balanced, but it might just be a lot of fun!

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No, agenda’s aren’t shared. Though points are tallied together. Any counters on scored agenda’s are only available to the scoring corp.