[Netrunner for Newbs] ICE Types and You

This is part of a series of short articles I'll be writing to help beginners understand the finer points of running the nets. I'll be mostly covering some of the basic key concepts and strategies that more experienced players tend to take for granted, and how this understanding can significantly improve your gameplay.

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Ice Types

We all know that there are three main types of ice: Barriers, Code Gates and Sentries, each of which can only be broken by Fracters, Decoders and Killers respectively. However, do these ice types actually have some things in common, or are they just ways to make the runner go dig for a different breaker?

Barriers

Barriers are some of the most straightforward ice. The quintessential example of a barrier is probably the Wall of Static: 3 cost, 3 strength, simple "end the run" subroutine. Most barriers follow this template. They have reasonably high strengths for their cost, and their main role is just to keep the runner out.

As a runner, barriers are probably the safest ice type to facecheck (ie. running into unrezzed ice without any way to break it). Of course, you wouldn't know if it's a barrier until you facecheck it, but... yeah. Anyway. Barriers exist just to keep the runner out of a server, end of story.

Weyland has a ton of barriers, as does HB. However, HB barriers are a little different from the average run-of-the-mill barrier because they can also deal damage to you (the Heimdalls being the prime example)! Yikes. Still, these barriers will also tend to allow you to click through the more damaging subroutines, so there's that at least.

Anarchs are supposed to be best at breaking Barriers. See: Corroder, Morning Star.

Code Gates

Code gates are sorta like utility ice. Some of them like Chum or Sensei exist just to help other pieces of ice, while others like Tollbooth, Datapike and Enigma exist solely to tax the runner one way or another. Some have "end the run"s, some have traces, some help the corp make money... it's a grab bag, basically.

For the most part, however, code gates are also safe to facecheck. If you run into a Chum, you simply jack out if there's another piece of ice after it. If you run into a Tollbooth, you pay your 3c and end the run. If you run into Enigma, you lose a click and end the run. It's quite straightforward. You probably wouldn't lose a program or take any damage. Probably.

Jinteki has a fair number of code gates, as does NBN. Weyland has almost no decent code gates, so they'll either export from other factions or just not play any whatsoever. HB code gates are mostly focused on making the runner lose clicks, which turns them into ice designed to support the bioroid titans.

Shapers are supposed to be best at breaking Code Gates. See: Cyber-Cypher, Torch.

Sentries

Sentries are the most dangerous of the lot, and also the most expensive to break as a whole. Sentries specialise in dealing damage, tracing and tag you, destroying your programs and being giant jerks in general. They are dangerous to facecheck, which is why it's usually a good idea to get a Killer out before facechecking a corp famous for its deadly Sentries.

NBN and Weyland has a lot of sentries, but whereas NBN's sentries are mostly there to tag you (eg. Data Raven), Weyland's sentries are there to destroy your programs (eg. Archer). HB's Sentries are there to deal out some delicious brain damage (eg. Janus), and Jinteki Sentries - obviously - are designed to deal net damage (eg. Neural Katana).

For the most part, NBN's Sentries act as a soft "end the run" because there's either a trace or a condition involved in you becoming tag. For instance, Data Raven allows you to end the run instead of taking the tag, whereas Muckraker requires the Corp to trace before tagging. You can usually facecheck these with some measure of security. The same is true of Weyland's Sentries if you don't care about your programs (because you have none, or because they're shit).

Against HB and Jinteki, however, it's usually a good idea to get your Killer out and ready before facecheking them. Now, there are some popular HB/Jinteki variants that don't rely on their sentries to wreck your face, but that's something you'll just have to get a feel for when deciding if it's safe to run naked or not.

Criminals are supposed to be best at breaking Sentries, but they're still kinda shit anyway. Every Killer is extremely costly to use: the most efficient is probably Garrotte, and that costs 7c to install and takes 2 MU. Faerie is great but trashes itself as part of the cost, and Ninja is just hilariously expensive to use. For this reason, many runners just pack a single AI breaker like Knight or Atman for the sole purpose of breaking Sentries.

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Subtypes

• Tracer: traces you, duh. Hard-countered by Gingerbread.
• AP: Anti-Personnel, deals net damage. Hard-countered by Deus X.
• Destroyer: destroys programs. Hard-countered by Sharpshooter.
• Illicit: gives Corp 1 Bad Pub when rezzed
• Trap: usually unavoidable, and trashes itself when its subroutine fires.
• Mythic: fancy ice that either changes subtypes or is supposed to be unavoidable
• Psi: makes you play the Jinteki psi game
• Deflector: moves you somewhere else

So What?

Alright, executive summary time. Barriers keep runners out, Code Gates support other ice and mess with the runner in some mild way, and Sentries wreck the runner's face by destroying programs, tagging him or dealing damage.

If you want to stay safe as the Runner, the first breaker you should tutor is probably a Killer. However, if you want to get through a server, you're better off searching for a Fracter, because many Sentries do not end the run.