As a long-time player of Netrunner, I've seen just about every book (all one of them), e-mail posting, and web page on the game. One thing that has been missing has been a good, comprehensive, general strategy guide. With your help, I will try to make one. It's very difficult to talk about strategy in general terms. So, we just won't start from scratch. Let's take an ancient strategy guide that has been proven throughout the millennia, and adapt it to Netrunner!

What if the ancient Chinese Warmaster Sun Tzu had been alive today? I'm betting he would be a Netrunner fan.

Every so often, I will post one of the philosophies from his 6th century B.C. book, The Art of War. I will then accept e-mailed submissions that describe how that philosophy relates to Netrunner. I will post all thoughtful submissions to this page. Your gems of strategic wisdom will then be available for all to peruse.

A good submission will apply the philosophy to Netrunner in as many ways as is practical, describing its application in a variety of general situations, as well as at least 1 specific situation. Don't forget to discuss Corp strategies as well as Runner strategies. Length can be anything from a couple of paragraphs to several pages. Multiple submissions will be accepted for each philosophy, and for all previously posted philosopies as well.

Apparent confusion is a product of good order; apparent cowardice, of courage; apparent weakness, of strength.

• Doug Kaufman (Washington, D.C., USA)

The wise general ponders the dangers inherent in the advantages, and the advantages inherent in the dangers.

• Ben Matthews (Dallas, Texas, USA)

1. August 1, 1998: Generally, in battle, use the normal force to engage; use the extraordinary to win.

• Neal (somewhere in The Squall)
• Ryan Kelly (Aberdeen, South Dakota, USA)
• Jens Kreutzer (Koeln, Germany)

2. August 11, 1998: One who has few must prepare against the enemy; one who has many makes the enemy prepare against him.

• Al Tokarsky (The 6th dimension)
• Bart Massey (Eugene, Oregon, USA)
• Ryan Kelly (Aberdeen, South Dakota, USA)

3. August 22, 1998: To foresee a victory which the ordinary man can foresee is not the acme of skill, for to lift a rabbit's down requires no great strength; to distinguish between the sun and the moon is no test of vision; to hear the thunderclap is no indication of acute hearing.

• Ryan Kelly (Aberdeen, South Dakota, USA)
• Jens Kreutzer (Koeln, Germany)

4. September 7, 1998: The enemy must not know where I intend to give battle. For if he does not know where I intend to give battle he must prepare in a great many places. And when he prepares in a great many places, those I have to fight in any one place will be few.

• Your name here

5. September 20, 1998: What is of supreme importance in war is to attack the enemy's strategy.

• Your name here

Created on:  August 1, 1998 Last updated on:  September 20, 1998

Created by:  Scott Dickie <codeslinger@mail.com>