Tabletop Spotlight: Netrunner: Terminal Directive
Fantasy Flight Games has a new Campaign Expansion for Netrunner – Come take a look at what’s going on in the Android Universe!
Our friends at Dragon’s Lair Comics & Fantasy brought over the latest Campaign Expansion for Netrunner. This one is a little funky because it’s a Narrative Expansion – But that’s also what makes it cool! Check out Netrunner: Terminal Directive under the Tabletop Spotlight:
Netrunner is a favorite of mine. It’s one of the better LCG style games out there and I highly recommend checking it out. The core set is enough for two players to have hours of fun defending and running on servers. It’s also got a pretty solid competative scene if you’re into the tournament aspect. But that’s not what I wanted to focus on with this expansion. Terminal Directive takes the now iconic gameplay of Netrunner and adds a new layer in the style of Legacy board games. It’s time to go on a Narrative Campaign!
This ain’t your typical Netrunner Expansion. While it does have tons of new cards you can pick-up and use immediately with your tournament decks, I would hesitate to dive right in to deck building if this is your first play through. No, what I would recommend you do is find a friend that maybe favors the Corps/Runners more than you and play the campaign together. If each of you pops a box, you can use the first box to actually run the campaign, and the second for your deckbuilding (when you get there). That way you both get all the cards.
What is the Campaign? Well it’s a new spin on the game. The box has “Open Now” and “Don’t Open” packs. You’re not supposed to follow the instructions and read about the narrative of the game and what’s going on. It’s not for everyone, which is why it really intrigues me as a long time Netrunner player. The story is that of a murder mystery. The Runners and the Corporation are both after data that could impact the investigation in different ways. As you progress thought the campaign, the players will use their PAD sheets and stickers to keep track of things. These will have ripple effects throughout the campaign. In this way, it’s very much a Legacy game where you really only get to experience it once – unless you decide to buy another box and try it again.
Now, you could try to get around that by simply not using the stickers and using a notepad – but the entire point is that you are to play through the game with that sense of mystery. You step into the role of the Corp or the Runner and you get to experience it as it happens. That’s what makes this so unique and different.
“Okay, but that doesn’t really appeal to me – I just want the cards for deck building.” Hey, I get that, too! Narrative Gaming isn’t for everyone and if you just want the cards, then by all means – buy the expansions and bust out the new cards, Identities and Corp Divisions and go to town. You get a play set of each card so you really only need 1 box. There are 163 cards splits between all the various factions so it’s a TON of content. You can simply avoid all the “Legacy” parts of this game – that’s your choice and you’re game.
But, if you are a more casual player then all you need to do is grab a core set, this box, and a willing travel companion. Then you’ll be able to go on this crazy trip. It’s a new take on Netrunner and I think it’s worth trying it out just to see if you enjoy how it impacts your game. Terminal Directive is out and in stores now – so what are you waiting for?! Get to hacking!
Terminal Directive $39.95
An augmented killer is on the loose… Terminal Directive is a narrative campaign expansion for Android: Netrunner The Card Game that allows you and a friend to enjoy a constantly evolving murder mystery in the Android universe.
AdvertisementCorp and Runner compete in a thrilling race for the control of valuable data that plays out over the course of an extended campaign. Each match impacts the larger shape of your investigations. Each data set you unlock leads you in a new direction. You may have run before. You may have pursued your corporate agendas. But nothing you’ve done has yet prepared you for Terminal Directive and the narrative-driven campaign play it brings to Android: Netrunner.
Two PAD sheets, one sticker sheet, one rulebook, and four data sets of campaign cards and stickers allow you to track your progress, even as the expansion provides a massive infusion to your standard, tournament-legal Android: Netrunner matches with 163 new cards (86 Corp and 77 Runner) divided between the Criminal, Shaper, Haas-Bioroid, and Weyland Consortium factions, as well as neutral. With its four new identities and a complete playset of each new player card, Terminal Directive comes with everything you need to grab your Core Set and enjoy a thrilling campaign full of cyberstruggles and meaningful decisions. Altogether, this makes Terminal Directive an ideal second step for new and casual Android: Netrunner players looking to delve deeper into the Net!
Log On. Hack In. Burn Out.
