This is a Single-Core teaching deck I use to introduce new players to Netrunner. This goes alongside my blogposts on the same subject: Learning Netrunner 101

This is first and foremost a teaching deck, this means that it may not be the most optimal Core Set deck you can build, but it will contain a lot of important concepts for teaching a new player the basics. Ideally this deck is piloted by the teacher first.

Agendas

Nisei MK II: (4/2) This gives the Corp one “stop the run” at any time they want, a very, very, powerful ability. Great for stopping the Runner’s “glory run”.

Priority Requisition: (5/3) This plays a dual-role in your teaching deck. It’s first job is just to be a really cool ability. You will score Priority Requisition, and then you will rez a really honkin’ big piece of ICE for free! (If you’re playing against a new player, make sure not to rez a Tollbooth over your scoring server, as that’s going to be extremely difficult to break for even a good player).

Its second job is to be a juicy 3 point Agenda that the Runner will steal. Yes - in this teaching deck you’re going to be pulling your punches and maybe allowing them to steal something when they shouldn’t.

Private Security Force: (4/2) This Agenda is mostly because there are no great options for Jinteki out of Core Set. This Agenda will allow you to show off an active Agenda ability. Once this is scored you will be able to do 1 meat damage to a player if and when they are tagged. Unfortunately for this deck you only have a single source of tagging, Snare!

Assets

Melange Mining Corp.: Cheap to trash, but can be really powerful if not trashed. Install this naked and use it once, see if you can get away with using it twice. Good for training the Runner to go trash stuff.

PAD Campaign: Expensive to trash, but potentially very powerful for the Corp if they go unchecked. While it costs FOUR credits to trash, try to explain that this is a single Sure Gamble's worth of credits, and it will eventually pay out way more than the 4 credits it will cost to trash. A good cost/benefit analysis kind of card.

Project Junebug: Use it to bluff an Agenda, then when they run on the server, remind them that if this is a trap, they will be taking some hefty Net Damage. Good to remind the Runner that not everything is worth touching.

Snare!: Woo! Teach the Runner that sometimes even random accesses can result in pain. Also remind them that it will do 3 Net Damage before they go run on an undefended remote (which could be a Snare!). Also point out that it does not fire from Archives and DOES fire from R&D/HQ/Servers.

Operations

Anonymous Tip: Card draw is always nice with 3 clicks.

Beanstalk Royalties: Allows you to get some money back if you go broke popping a Snare!

Hedge Fund: Hedge Fund.

ICE

Ice Wall: Shows the Runner you can advance ICE. This will probably blow their mind at first. You want to give them something not-scary to facecheck if you've put 3 counters on it however, and Ice Wall is perfect for that.

Wall of Static: MVP of Core Set. Put it down and start scoring behind it ASAP. The Runner WILL get through eventually.

Wall of Thorns: Probably the most "wacky" card to include in the deck. WoT is here for Archives protection, go ahead and throw 2 or 3 points into the Archives, but then have the cash on hand to stop their run once they start getting fishy. A wall that hurts?! Explain to them how rare this really is.

Enigma: A great example of a Code Gate. It does something weird (lose a click), and ends the run, without being too punishing. When you rez this make sure to point out that if they hit this on their last click, then "losing a click" means nothing to them, and so they don't have to break this subroutine. (Then remind them that running on the last click is scary!)

Tollbooth: Big daddy. Tollbooth, even now, is a really hard to get around piece of ICE. Throw this on a server you want the Runner to never get into. Almost nobody is ready to do the math on Tollbooth for their first game. Great Priority Requisition target, as you can explain the "on Encounter" ability before they get to the card.

Neural Katana: Your meanest Sentry. Don't warn them about this card, just rez it, and fire away. Once it hits them make sure you discuss the many ways around it - including any Killer they might have in their deck.

Rototurret: A possibly meaner Sentry?? While this one will not hurt their life, this will do a double duty of trashing a program (great for teaching new players about how terrible this feels) AND ending the run. The very low strength will mean it's easy to break later on.

Data Mine: Who doesn't like a Trap? They are very rare and you can use this opportunity to discuss how non-AI Icebreakers have no way of stopping this subroutine from firing.

Teachable Moments

Install a card, then advance it twice in one turn.

Use this move (referred to as IAA, or Install-Advance-Advance) to tell the Runner of the possible plays you could be making. This card could be a 4/2 Agenda I’ll score next turn, with a click left over, or it could be a 5/3 that I will have to spend my entire next turn to score. OR it could be that Project Junebug, which will do Net Damage equal to double the number of advancement counters on the card. If they have more than 3 cards in hand they should be “safe” to run on this. It’s up to them if they want to take the risk.

Drop below 3 credits, then drop a naked Snare!

If the Runner runs on Snare! they will be disheartened, but then you can remind them that Snare! isn’t free for the Corp - they have to fork over 4 credits for the ability. Without those credits the Runner can pay the 0 to trash Snare! and never worry about it again. This teaches the Runner to pay attention to the Corp’s credit pool. If they have 4+ credits: you could get stung!

Use Priority Requisition to rez a Tollbooth.

This allows the runner to see Tollbooth before they blindly run into this piece of ICE. Because Tollbooth has an “on encounter” ability - use this time to explain to the Runner that this ability will always fire, and so any costs associated with breaking the subroutine will be on TOP of this 3 credit toll.

Bonus Mean Teacher Move: Install a Data Mine protecting a Snare! or an advanced Project Junebug.

Say they make a Run with 4 cards in hand, on a server with a twice advanced card (Project Junebug), protected by one piece of ICE. The ICE ends up being Data Mine, so they take 1 Net Damage, bringing their Grip down to 3 cards. At this point you can remind the Runner that before they continue onto the next layer of ICE (or to the server), they are allowed to Jack Out, ending the run. Also remind them that if this is not game point for the Corp, then letting them score an Agenda when you’re not ready to stop them is sometimes the price of Netrunning.

Punish any tag from Snare! by using Private Security Force

Good luck, but if you ever manage to get into this golden scenario, spend 2 of your clicks doing meat damage, and your last click drawing a card. At this point you can discuss the pure hell that would be “PSF Lock”, which would have the Corp spending their three clicks doing three meat damage until the tag is removed. Unfortunately for this deck the Snare! is the only place to get a tag, so this might never come up.