Archetype Beginner Series: Install Runner

420 Install It

Welcome back to the Archetype Beginner Series where we look at the various archetypes in Netrunner with a focus on System Gateway and Elevation (Core) and just a bit of Standard.

In this article we will look at another runner archetype, what I will call Install Runner, which as the name implies is a much slower style of runner who looks to build a board state that has such a strong advantage it will overwhelm the Corp once fully setup. This archetype is a bit more sharply defined than the last so lets dive in.

What Is It?

The Install Runner is a slow to setup runner deck that builds an inevitability engine, in that if they are allowed to get setup the advantage they create will win the game through sheer efficiency and power. This normally takes the form of having ways of breaking ice over and over very cheaply while moving their engine forward during runs or at least having to build advantage without spending clicks. Drip economy is the key of every Install heavy deck, the deck needs to generate value each turn and options that provide a little money over a long period of time are the perfect choice.

The trick is balancing the desire to install and the need to contest the board state, typically a good install deck will allow an agenda or two to slip past because they know once they are online they can afford to contest every action the Corp makes. They can setup a R&D Lock (where the runner knows the top 2 to 4 cards of R&D and thus has nearly perfect knowledge of the Corp’s abilities and will take any agendas from there) and will camp the remote (wait for something to be installed in the remote and then contest it with minimal effort). The downside is of course if the Corp gets setup faster than the Runner they might just win before the Runner can really get their foot in the door.

What Cards?

As before we will look at each faction separately covering what cards are important for each and discussing how they might play this type of deck.

Anarch

Anarch can certainly play this type of slow value install runner, while not the best it has access to a lot of powerful tools to create powerful board states.

• Starting with IDs the best in Core is Topan: Ormas Leader, their ability gives you a solid discount on all installs and can make setting up your board state very efficient. While losing a card for the discount can be a high price there are ways to mitigate that downside and in Standard even turn it into an upside. Generic value IDs, like those discussed in Reg Runner, are also a good choice but often you want an ID that requires less direct interaction with the Corp’s board state for install runner.

  • In Standard we have Sebastião Souza Pessoa: Activist Organizer, who similar to Topan can install connection sub-typed resources at a discount. The big difference is that Seb installs that resource at instant speed upon taking a tag, thus incentivizing him to shake the tag right away so he can get more allies on the board. Seb takes his time to get setup but can produce a massive board of friends to overwhelm the Corp and their plans.

• Events are pretty simple, you will still need burst economy options like Sure Gamble or Wildcat Strike. Since this type of deck is playing the long game options like Scrounge, which while a bit slow can add much needed longevity to a program suite and can bring back anything lost to Topan’s ability. Spending influence on Creative Commission, VRcation, Lie Low or Ritual can help refill your cards and credits. Illumination can be a good one-of to help get your board state set up faster. Events should be pretty basic and simple options that give you card draw and credits, though you can afford to take slower options like Scrounge or Lie Low more easily.

  • Standard brings the classic value additions like Steelskin and Strike Fund, which synergize well with Topan who can trigger them with their ability. The Price is an excellent way to go through your deck quickly to find the important pieces first and will trigger Steelskin and Strike Fund. Katorga Breakout and Privileged Access are good ways to recur key pieces during the longer game. Pinhole Threading is a great bit of tech against any annoying asset or upgrade, and Spree can do some interesting niche stuff to move around various Trojans to attack an important server. Ashen Epilogue can be useful for Anarch who can run through their deck quickly so having a bit of long term insurance is good.

• Hardware again is not Anarch’s strong suite but install runner has a few options it might want to consider that Reg does not. Bling is an interesting console that can provide pseudo card draw and works with Topan’s ability. T400 Memory Diamond gives you some extra MU which can be important when you want to install a whole bunch of programs. Docklands Pass remains useful for making those HQ accesses count and can be run as a one-of. DZMZ Optimizer is very valuable in that it provides MU like T400 but also makes programs cost less, so it can really make the engine come online more smoothly. GAMEDRAGON is useful for boosting the power of one particular breaker which is very useful in this slower value focused decks, turning one breaker into a stronger solution for that turn. Finally, Madani is an interesting choice as it lets you install one program a turn at instant speed, which when combined with DZMZ or other cost reducing cards can get the board setup both quickly and cheaply, as you can install on the Corp’s turn as well.

  • In Standard there are a few more choices, Keiko is a solid console spot as it gives extra MU and value from the companions, while Gachapon provides similar value to The Price only it can be fired on the Corp’s turn to get similar to value to Madani. Boomerang is always a good option and is easier to install in an engine deck as they often have various discounts and tricks. Simulchip is a great choice to instantly get back an important program like Botulus. LilyPAD can be a solid choice for the extra MU and it draws a card when a program is installed letting you continue forward with each installation. Buffer Drive is good for Anarch as you can save a card for hitting the heap for later, and works well with Topan’s ability.

• Programs are the real bread and butter of install runner, you will want all the good Anarch breakers like Buzzsaw and Cleaver. When properly supported both can break any ice for cheap allowing you to make runs at will in the late game. Botulus and Leech support the fixed strength breakers by avoiding difficult ice or reducing its strength. Fermenter is great value overtime and can just tick along as you get setup. Gourmand is good against assets or other difficult to trash cards and replaces itself. Carmen or Echelon are good sentry breakers with Echelon being the better long term option due to its scaling. Unity can be a good alternative to Buzzsaw. While Azimat can be good tech against assets. Conduit and Devadatta Drones can provide a solid installable win condition. While Tranquilizer deserves a mention as it can be installed with Madani on the Corp’s turn with a Cookbook down and it will de-rez the ice as your turn begins. Mayfly can be a cheap early option for those runs you must make early before you have everything setup.

  • Standard adds a few nice options with Stargate acting as an alternative win condition in faction. Audrey V2 is a solid option because it can tackle any ice though it is normally only good for one or two runs a turn. Hush is a solid tech option turning off the text of some nasty ice. Chisel can be combined with Devil Charm to destroy problem ice or taking something down very slowly. Revolver can provide a decent alternative sentry breaker while Cupellation is a good option against assets and provides some multi-access as well.

Resources are mostly drip economy options, Rent Rioters while slow when installed with Topan’s ability makes the math work out better. Cookbook is just good value for the various virus programs you will install. Verbal Plasticity is a good way to solve Topan’s card draw issues as it can be installed cheaply. Though it is very slow and click intensive Smartware Distributor can provide enough long term economy in Core for an install heavy deck. Telework Contract and Open Market are solid drip economy and the slower pace is fine for the install life style. You might consider Knickknack O’Brian for value during runs when an installed card is no longer providing value and having installed it cheaply with Topan will make it a net gain in credits.

• Standard adds some great resources with the companions, Paladin Poemu helps with all your installs, Mystic Maemi helps with smoothing out event costs and because of the slower pace of the decks Trickster Taka is not bad to help pay for those runs you do make. Combined with The Twinning and you have a strong win condition letting you sweep HQ and R&D every few turns. Light The Fire is a solid bit of tech against some really upgrade heavy servers, while Bankhar remains a useful tool for applying your early pressure. Lago Parano Shelter provides a valuable way to get through your deck quickly, and then you put it back together with Ashen. Arruaceiras Crew is a strong ice destruction tool that works well in many types of deck but is strong when you can use it multiple times which slower decks can take strong advantage of. Dr. Nuka is great card draw, and Stoneship Chart Room remains a solid bit of tech against kill. You might want to consider Environmental Testing as well, it rewards you for installing programs and hardware and since this type of deck does a lot of installing it can help turn that into some nice credits.

Criminal

Criminal struggles the most with install runner but it can get the job done well enough. Generally Criminal has a strong run based economy which is not exactly in line with the install runner life-style but it uses some click compressing tools to make runs into install actions as well.

• Starting with IDs the generic value options from before still work but Barry “Baz” Wong: Tri-Mafia Veteran is our best option as he can install cards when ice is rezzed. This gives him a lot of strong versatility and also lets him install cards during runs which even if it does not solve the ice in front of him it still lets him install some other useful bit of money or tool.

  • Standard brings in Az McCaffrey: Mechanical Prodigy the king of install Crim, which is fitting as the son of a Shaper. He loves to install hardware and resources as he gets a discount and can generate a lot of value over the course of the game even if it is a bit slow compared to the typical Criminal.

• Events you can play the generic value cards like Sure Gamble, Clean Getaway and the like but you will want your event economy to be less run focused than most criminal decks. Lie Low can be good burst draw to find those important tools quickly, and Mutual Favor can be a useful tutor to help establish an early board presence. Splashing out Illumination is a great choice to turn a big hand of cards into a board state. Creative Commission and VRcation can fill the holes in your draw or credit economy. Scrounge is not a bad option to get some key cards back in the late game but fits less into the Criminal game plan than with the other two factions.

  • Standard provides a few more options, taking Bravado is never a bad idea in Criminal and neither is Pinhole as it helps you take out that key asset or upgrade. Window of Opportunity is a nice event for install Crim as it gives them a run and an install while de-rezzing ice which can easily make the run successful. Katorga Breakout is a nice slot to picking up any lost cards from any nasty rig shooting. Bahia Bands can be very useful as you can use Cezve credits to install during a run which can really help setup a powerful rig.

• Hardware is a larger part of install Crim than the other factions, more so in Standard than here in Core but you still have a lot of great options. Docklands Pass helps add extra pressure to HQ runs, while Pennyshaver is constant value for each run you make which can help support your more expensive deck. Mageletric Rapid (748 Mod) like Docklands makes HQ more threatening as you can use it during a critical turn to shutdown threatening ice or pressure the Corp’s money. DZMZ Optimizer is a consideration as getting discounts on installs and the extra MU are welcome in any install deck. GAMEDRAGON Pro is another solid include as it can help boost the somewhat lack luster ice breaker suite of Criminal past its weak points.

  • Hardware in Standard is Criminal’s specialty, with Boomerang taking center stage. While it is valuable in any criminal deck the slower speed of install Crim really loves to see it over and over again to brute force past ice on the runs it does need to make. Baz and Az make installing it a breeze, thanks in part to Masterwork (v37) as it gives card draw for installing hardware and allows you to install at the start of a run. Combined with Prognostic Q-Loop and you can make running into a multi install action to really crank the efficiency out. Hermes remains a great console for any deck. Flip Switch and Poison Vial are nice support hardware for Criminal decks. Finally, you add Alarm Clock into the mix and you can do all the Masterwork Q-Loop tricks for no click. Simulchip is a good tool for getting things like Revolver back or anything else that got hit you really need.

• Programs are mostly just breakers for Criminal in Core, Carmen is never a bad choice and Sang Kancil can get the job done if you lack the influence to spare. Programs are a great place to spend influence for Crim, Unity and Cleaver are never a bad pick with a little Leech support. Fermenter is not a bad pick up to help with long term money and Azimat is good for a cheap influence spend to deal with assets.

  • Standard provides some better breakers with Curupria, Shibboleth, Revolver, and Cat’s Cradle in faction. Cupellation is a great installable way to deal with some really annoying assets and get multi-access on demand. Now we come to Cezve, the card that really holds it all together. Being able to use this card along side a variety of effects that install during a run allows for some real value and even at its lowest floor it can just make running really cheap. It really helps keep the Masterwork Q-Loop engines afloat and can charge cards like the Twinning along the way. Hush is a nice option for certain ice if you think that is the right meta call.

• Resources is another strong suite of install Criminal, a bit more in Standard than Core but they still have some solid options. Open Market provides good value to install many common Criminal resource types while also just providing money each turn if you are not holding or do not want to install resources. Red Team and Fransofia Ward make for easy target with Open Market and provide some value on their own. Telework Contract is a great grab as it gets money at a slow pace which is just how these decks want it. If you are really struggling for cash Rent Rioters is not bad with Open Market.

  • Standard provides some nice options with The Class Act helping draw the right cards, while No Free Lunch is a cheap installable that can keep you safe against some really nasty kill lines. As mentioned the deck really works well with The Twinning and can include Paladin Poemu to help ease some install costs. An interesting include can be Environmental Testing to get paid for all the cheap installs you make and Dr. Nuka Vrolyck never hurts for card draw.

Shaper

Shaper is often considered the install runner faction, it enjoys taking it slow and setting up making a massive euro-game board state to crush the Corp with high value breakers and slow economy.

• For IDs most Shapers will do you right but Magdalene Keino-Chemutai: Cryptarchitect is your best bet, they give you a free click at the end of your turn to install a card, effectively giving you a 5 click turn often enough. Even if you click to draw to discard you are getting through your deck just that little bit faster, which even in a slower deck style is good value. The ID should provide some sort of passive value to help keep your slow tempo running, IDs that ask you to interact for value are less desirable here.

  • Standard you can always get value from Lat: Ethical Freelancer who acts like Maggie above but for card draw instead, which ID you want is pretty much up to you or the general shape of the meta. Lat does not like Corps that have a consistent low hand size or one that gets above 5. Another solid option is Arissana Rocha Nahu: Street Artist, she can install cards during runs letting you compress a bit of install time and giving her unique lines to install the right program at the right time.

• Events are not the most important part of this deck but will help fill in the gaps so you want things like Sure Gamble, Creative Commission, Ritual, and VRcation. Overclock is a card that gains special value in Shaper in Standard because it can trigger various effects during runs but even here in Core it is very good for making an otherwise expensive run into a very cheap one. Illumination can work out to help get setup when you have a lot of stuff in hand. While Scrounge can be just enough value to justify itself, getting cards back even slowly is fine when your goal is to get valuable cards on the board over a long time frame.

  • Standard just a few more value pieces, Spec Work and Rigging Up are nice for comboing things like Coalescence and other more disposal programs. Harmony AR Therapy can help fill up the tail end of a game to get back valuable econ pieces. Pinhole Threading remains a wonderfully valuable piece to contest scary upgrades or assets. The Price is not a bad shout to round out the deck as a one of in the deck to get a key piece out fast.

• Hardware is mostly just support pieces but a few interesting consoles to discuss. DZMZ Optimizer and GAMEDRAGON Pro help with making installs cheaper and breakers a bit cheaper. Pantograph is not a bad choice as it gives a free install at least 3 to 4 times a game, but it is a trigger largely beyond your control and at a weird timing. Madani is a very interesting console as it allows you install at paid ability speed once a turn. This means you can install mid run to install the relevant breaker or program giving a lot of flexibility to your deck. It also means you can install on the Corp’s turn thus optimizing your DZMZs as you are getting the value on turns your normally cannot. And it helps solve the classic Shaper issue of having a bunch of installable cards in hand and not enough time to install them all. It does not give any MU which is rare for a console and telegraphs what you can install but all that aside it can really allow you to manage to make a consistent install engine. Splashing for a Docklands Pass is never a bad idea in Core if you have the spare influence.

  • Standard provides one critical piece in Simulchip, which gives you unprecedented freedom in moving programs around and re-installing whatever you need when you need it. Getting around the trash clause can be a little tricky but with enough experience you will find the lines, a simple example is that Fermenter trashes itself when you use it so that gives you a free window to use the chip. LilyPAD is a nice choice as it gives card draw while you install programs a thing the deck really wants to do and an extra 2 MU is nothing to overlook. Cataloguer is not a bad way to lock R&D a bit and is installable.

• Programs are where Shaper excels with access to a strong package of breakers and support pieces. Echelon and Unity work better and better as you build your board state and thus work perfectly well with a slower install heavy deck. Conduit and Azimat are good tools that give you a way to deal with assets and a way to close out games. Shaper can also use Mayfly well enough as they often slot Overclock and can make the install cheaper to help cover the costs. Importing Cleaver is not a bad idea but you can also combine Rising Tide and Principia as you can install and sell the Principia for profit while powering up your Rising Tide for late game. Fermenter is a solid choice for a program you can install and get a lot of value from later, especially with discounts. As mentioned before you can use Madani and Tranquilizer de-rez any ice. A lot of options really, suit to taste but start with a strong fundamental breaker suite and move on to more fun options based on your preferences and meta.

  • Standard adds even more options, a big breaker is Propeller as it gives Shaper a great in faction Fracter. We also gain access to Self-Modifying Code and Muse two powerful tutor cards that give Shaper the ability to pull whatever card they want. Another big add is Coalescence which gives you a program that makes money which can alone justify the heavy install runner style. Slap Vandal pairs well with Arissana and Madani as an instant speed answer to ice. Importing Hush is a great piece of tech, while Physarum Entangler like Slap Vandal helps break any ice as an instant speed reaction. Revolver is a good alternative sentry breaker while Cupellation works as a good installable piece of anti-asset tech and multi-access. Finally Boi-Tata is a funny sentry breaker than can combo with any engine that wants to trash programs frequently.

• Resources are here to help round out the deck, Telework Contract is a great go-to option for money over a long time. Knickknack O’Brain is a fun option to help get value out of spent or unneeded installables. Open Market is not a bad choice if you have some influence to spare as it installs our other options cheaply and just drips money.

  • Standard helps round out the package with Environmental Testing to make each install work toward a big payout, Stoneship Chart Room which gives some extra draw and can protect against kill combos and Dr. Nuka Vrolyck who gives even more draw to get to the key programs faster.

Whats the Game Plan?

Install runner is a tricky thing to do right, you really need to focus on setting up while applying enough pressure to contest the board just a little bit. The most important skill is understand what is a threat you really need to deal with. In most match-ups you will have the late game advantage so you can afford to allow the Corp to score a few points while you work on getting everything ready. But that does not mean you should be passive and apply no pressure, if you see something that really needs to be dealt with like Phat Gioan Baotixita, take the time to handle it. Focus on getting your economy engine up first, so that would mean focusing on ways to sustain card draw and credits across the turns. An early Fermenter or DZMZ will help make everything come together. While it might be tempted to instantly install every breaker when you see it you only need a breaker when that type of ice in play. You might need to draw past a breaker to find the more valuable early econ pieces of you deck. As a good rule of thumb if you do not think the ice will do damage or otherwise be majorly detrimental it cannot hurt to find out what kind of ice is on the board before getting those breakers down, they are not cheap.

The first few turns should mostly be setting up, finding and installing econ pieces while watching the board. If you see some major threat rise on the board you will need to divert time to stop it. As I have mentioned before there is no bonus for winning 7-0 so letting the Corp get an agenda or two is not often the end of the world. Unless the agenda is comically undefended you can ignore it for the moment. Once you are setup you can establish a full lock. There are two main elements to this, R&D Lock and a Remote Lock.

R&D Lock is when the Runner has the ability to see multiple cards on R&D every turn or two so they can stop any agendas ever reaching HQ and have full knowledge of everything coming in. Conduit is a good tool for helping establish lock as it is repeatable effect that looks at a lot of R&D. This effectively halts the ability of the Corp to score unless they can break lock, by drawing past the lock or by shuffling the deck with Spin Doctor, or a similar shuffle effect. R&D Lock is a really key part of winning as a slow deck as it prevents the Corp from scoring out those last few cards with some sort of trick like Nanomangement to score from hand.

Remote Lock or Remote Camping is when the runner has invalidated the remote so they can waltz in at will. This prevents most Corps from being able to score easily in their remote and can really slow them down. It will force them to try to score by other means which of course is where these two intermingle. If they cannot score in the remote and they cannot see agendas from R&D then the runner will win by sheer inability of the Corp to effect a game plan. This is the full lock aka a headlock, it grabs the Corp and never lets go until they just have to tap out or lose from R&D.

This is only possible when you have a robust economy of credits and breakers that can smash apart most ice with ease. So before you get to that point you will need to pick your runs very carefully. Going for a random single off R&D is probably not worth your time unless you have another compelling reason to make the run. While Reg Runner might take those random runs to keep the pressure up, Install Runner is applying pressure by getting a huge board state. The Corp is on a timer as each turn that passes the Install Runner is only getting closer and closer to that full lock which can be very hard to fight out of and for some decks impossible.

What Beats It?

As you might have guessed any deck that forces install runner to interact with it early will have a distinct advantage. That can come in a variety of options such as fast scoring decks, asset spam, or kill combo. Each pressures the runner in different ways but all share the common thread of applying that pressure early and often. If the runner can defuse the threats then the late game inevitability will just roll the Corp over. So the Corp will need to present those threats in ways the runner cannot easily identify or contest. Often a slow install heavy deck will not have a lot of options to cheat around ice easily so even just a single piece of ice will be enough to keep them out for a few turns. Identifying what you really need to protect against the runner will play a big part in applying that pressure.

For example, in a rush deck, you will need to focus on protecting your scoring remote early as most install runners lack easy early multi-access so them taking singles off R&D or HQ is a lot less impactful compared to other decks. If they cannot contest the scoring remote easily then you can jam agendas out one after the next and win before they can pose a major threat. It really comes down to knowing your win condition and protecting it as best you can.

For a mid-range deck you will need to go faster than you might otherwise to keep the pressure up. The runner should never feel comfortable to sit back and just install cards all game.

For glacier deck it can be difficult but often getting the win in this match-up is making sure you create a scoring server that is very annoying for them to crack with multiple tools to slow or stop the run. You want to waste their time and resources in a way that gives you a window.

The real trick to beating install runner is to overwhelm them with options while they are getting set up and if possible finding ways to remove or limit the effect of certain key economy pieces to slow them down.

Wrapping it Up

That is install runner, the slow and late game focused deck type most commonly associated with Shaper but it is still possible in the other factions. It can be tricky to play at first as the deck demands you be able to identify and deal with major threats in your opponent’s deck early while having limited resources to make those runs. It also asks you to prioritize what to install first to help push the board state forward and those little optimizations are something you can really only get with experience. But that late game inevitability is a very nice thing to have as a passive pressure on the Corp.

Next for Runner will be the opposite of install runner, what I will be calling Hyper-Aggro Runner, the kind of deck that gambles it all on early game multi-access and cheap single use effects to put on the pressure fast and win just as fast.