(Core Set Perspective)

Very much the 'face' of Netrunner for me, as it was one of the first images I saw of the game, and I think it captures the theme perfectly. It's got technology, attitude and style; what's not to like?

Now, onto more game-related stuff. In my experience (so far), this card might not be the most exciting thing to see, but it never feels like a dead draw. You pull an Access to Globalsec when you don't need it and no matter how much of positive engine of optimism you are, a part of you sighs. This on the other hand is more likely to make you go 'oo!' and think about exciting things like sensible investments in the rigging business, upfront costs vs longterm payouts and all kinds of awesome nerdy crap.

It's almost always handy to have around, something to make your day a little bit easier and something to spend any spare cash you've got on hand. Here's a few things I didn't fully appreciate about this card when I started playing it:

• Like Desperado, it's easy to underestimate how useful 1 can be. In clutch cases, that will be the difference between accessing a card or not, and you never know when you might need it. The more Cyberfeeders you have down, the more guaranteed 'power' you have available for when you need it. Seriously, every little helps!

• In indirect terms, and with the right breaker down, a set of these can neutralise a layer of early to mid-game ICE. A general rule is that ICE stings you once and taxes you thereafter. This weakens sprung ICE further by removing its remaining value. For instance, with good old Corroder and one of these, a Wall of Static only costs you 1 'real' credit to get through, or is free with two. Coupled with something like Datasucker and you'll find yourself worrying far less about money.

• Greetings Anarchs! Oh shucks, you've found yourself robbed of your precious life monies again. Maybe it was the constant running? (right on, fight the power) Maybe it was clearing all those tags? (don't feel bad, that place looked legit to me too) Maybe you just seized the day just a little too hard and now it's choking and calling you an a**hole? Let's not worry about that. Whatever the reason, this means a Virus-loving, plays-by-your-own-rules type is out of luck, right? Wrong! With these handy brain plugs you can be up and using your cute little Murder Haribo again in no time. Don't get caught starving. Feed your needs, with Cyberfeed(ers).

(Core Set perspective)

Ahh...Crypsis. Good old Crypsis...

There's something about him, something kind of deflating. I mean, he's not bad (he's actually very good) but you can't help but feel when you pay that 5 to play him that you've failed somehow.

Whenever you make a run with him, you both know you'd rather be using something else, if you could. You can think of the needed to wind him up as a pull chord, with him dispensing passive aggressive reminders of all your mistakes that made him necessary.

"Sure was smart face-checking that Ichi on your last click, wasn't it?"

"'I'll just click through all their sentries.' huh?"

"Pahaha! Er-, I mean sure, let's go."

If you're playing the Core Set and like taking risks, you could swap him out for a little more economy or fun events, but the truth is that having a Crypsis in your deck is very useful, either for when your plans go sideways or when you get a good money start and can afford to wade through their ICE for a little extra.

(Core Set only perspective! (though I can't imagine it ever not being useful))

"This is not a drink." This card said to me when I first used it, "This is a moment. The moment where you put the future in your hands, when stop doing nothing, and take control. You've only been half alive until now, nothing in your mind but apathy, lethargy and fog. Now comes the fire. Now you come alive. As that cool, carbonated liquid (with a hint of benzene) touches your lips and flows - nay, courses - through you, it's as if the dormant engine within you has ignited into life. That almost guilty shudder isn't a heart attack*, it's you casting off the dust and apathy from your life. (*it might actually be a heart attack. Drink responsibly).

Now feeling rushes into your limbs, your fingertips buzz with creativity and your mind reaches into the infinite for the next move, your next move. You are imbued with the light of imagination. You can do anything. You can go anywhere. Your life is YOURS, you've just never realised it until now. This drink was but the fuel to get you started. So, newly awakened one, what wonders shall your mind envision? What 3 miracles shall you perform today?"

"Ahm...How about two more wind-up robots and an internet connection?"

I then learned the importance of proper shuffling.

Energy-drink fueled visions aside this is a great card for any faction. You won't get the precision of something like a Special Order or similar 'tutor' card, but you will skim through a fifth of a standard sized deck if you play all three, likely putting what you need into your hand through sheer force of numbers.

You can also think of it as a magic potion, putting yourself back into safe levels after a bad hit of damage, with the added bonus that you might draw into some burst economy to keep your momentum going. Against corps like Jinteki, who buy time with money and damage against the runner, a spare diesel can allow you to barely stop for breath.

(Core Set perspective!)

You can't spell 'account' without certain other words, one of which you might be tempted to call the supposed friend who takes this from their hand and sits there with that smug, 'Sorry, but...' look on their face. In a game that already has a lot of interaction such as: stealing agendas from your hand (please, not that one), peeking at your deck (oi!), destroying critical assets (FF-!) This one has a certain something that just stings.

Maybe it's the stealing of your precious life monies, without which nought may be advanced or popped. That lovely Snare(!), usually so >=D, will suddenly be all >=| , and you will be ='( as they trash it for nothing.

Maybe it's them getting double their money back, like some Netrunner God is going, 'Ha! Ya sure did good there kid. Look at that face, that sad, creditless face. Love it. Have a bonus.' With nothing but 2 tags given out as a consolation prize.

Maybe it's the moment when, after spending a whole turn clawing back some money (any money), they hit you with another.

There comes a point where you'll stop being angry, and just start sobbing. How can something so mean, so vicious, so cruelly one-sided be ok? This is the card most likely to expose you to the wider world of Netrunner, via you going 'Right, I'm going straight onto Youtube to hear how ridiculous this card is from everyone else' then going '...oh...I guess it isn't THAT bad actually...oo, a tournament video!"

Here's why it's not actually (that) bad,

• Up to 10 for a 0 event will seem like a crazy amount of money, and it is, but under most circumstances the runner won't keep anything close to that. From that 10 you can deduct 4 for the 2 tags and anywhere up to the remaining 6 on ICE protecting HQ. Past a certain point it's not even worth it as a money-making tool.

• As a means of draining the corp's money it's more potent, but if the corp is poor it will cost the runner more to do it. If you have some defenses up, they might not consider it if you've got fewer than 5

Of course, there are some exceptions,

• A turn-1 Siphon will always crush you for maximum pain (and maximum gain of their end) if you don't ICE up HQ, so don't forget to do that. If you do, you'll soon learn not to. If you find yourself supremely screwed by chance and drawing no ICE on your first turn (this almost never happens), and you're certain your opponent is planning a Siphon, then consider throwing down and rezzing an asset of some sort, preferably economy, but anything to put that money you're going to lose anyway to some use. They might not even do it after seeing the lower payout they'd recieve.

• Gabriel Santiago: Consummate Professional with a Desperado down will make 3 extra from this, almost removing the 'tag tax'. If you're up against him you need to consider strengthening HQ further. Good news is because of his ability, you'll probably be doing that anyway.

Basically it's still a painful card, but it's not as ridiculous as it first appears. If you have some defenses up on HQ and/or have some form of tag punishment looming as a threat, the runner's net gain will be less than you intitially think, and it won't hurt quite as much (it will still hurt a little).

As time goes on, you'll toughen up to the existence of this card. You'll learn to expect it, prepare for it, and after a while merely wince on the increasingly rare occassions where it manages to get through.

(Core Set perspective)

This is one of the few cards where you immediately realise how good it is. Even with only a couple of games played you'll get this into your hand and try to hide the grin at the (likely) unopposed runs you're about to make. That said, there are a couple of mistakes I made when first using this card that seem to be quite common:

• The first is a rules issue: The you spend on this means you cannot use other 'make a run' events at the same time. That means no sneaky siphoning, you need to earn that one the hard way.

• The second is a question of timing: At first I'd get this and put it down as soon as I had it. I didn't think about what effect this would have, it'd be good no matter what. That was silly of me. In my experience since then, there seem to be two ideal scenarios to play this.

1. Operation Twizzling Fist - Plonk it down as early as you can, before things really get started. Make the corp see the danger, make them sweat, make them react, then wait. Maybe you'll never do anything, but you might (ohh, you might). Now they have another server to think about, one they weren't planning on defending very hard, but now they have to (or do they?) Keep that twizzle going for a while and more often than not, they'll spread themselves out thinner than they'd normally feel comfortable. Then when they've given in to the pressure and ICE'd up archives, lower your fist and carry on as normal. Suckers.

2. Operation Oh-My-God-I'm-Pissing-Blood - Hold it back as long as you can, wailing on HQ from the front with a flurry of increasingly vicious attacks. Get them on the back foot. Get them to put their dukes up right an proper, get them protecting that precious corporate face of theirs with everything they can muster. Then install this and truck 'em in the kidneys.