Can you play Ice before a remote server?

[ertai999 0]

Hello

Quick question… can you put Ice down where there is no remote server?
For example, turn one I have zero remote servers and decide to spend my 3rd click playing Ice in front of a server that I have yet to have played (ie I plan to play it on a later turn)

 

[Paul Grogan 0]

Sure.  The remote server doesnt exist until you put something in it or on it.  By placing a piece of ice there, you have created a remote server.  Just that there is nothing 'in' at at that point.

[echoMateria 0]

To explain further; the Android Netrunner Rules of Play rulebook, page 6 states:

"

Remote Servers
The Corporation has no remote servers at the beginning of the
game. The Corporation creates remote servers by installing
cards. Cards in remote servers are active if rezzed and inactive
if unrezzed.
There is no limit to the number of remote servers the
Corporation can have at any given time.

Ice
The Corporation installs ice to protect his servers. Installed ice
is always dedicated to a particular server and placed in front
of that server. Ice can protect an empty server. Ice is active if
rezzed and inactive if unrezzed.

"

So you can create a remote server with any applicable card, including Ice and Ice can protect an empty server.

[Joe K. 0]

You can also run on an empty server just to see if the Corp is going to rez ice

[Khudzlin 734]

Unless you have an effect that triggers off a successful run on a remote server (like Bank Job), it doesn't seem very useful, especially given the risks.

[TBossAZ 0]

Khudzlin said:

Unless you have an effect that triggers off a successful run on a remote server (like Bank Job), it doesn't seem very useful, especially given the risks.

That could change depending on what future expansions may bring though…

[Khudzlin 734]

TBossAZ said:

 

That could change depending on what future expansions may bring though…

Well, what could change is the number of such effects. For now, there are only 2: Bank Job and Desperado (other successful run effects trigger only for central servers). Of the two, only Bank Job is enough reward in itself to run the risk (and my point is about risk vs reward).

[USP45 2]

As a follow-up to this - it seems that because ICE and Servers are related to each other you could theoretically have a remote server that had something (Agenda, Asset, whatever) that used to be there and was stolen and still have your ICE and Server continue to exist yeah?  Then you can install another Asset or Agenda into that remote server with all the previous ICE intact.

i.e. the ICE doesn't go away just because whatever it was protecting does.

[Khudzlin 734]

As the rules say, a remote server exists when one of 2 conditions is true:

• there is a card installed there (agenda, asset, upgrade)
• there is ICE protecting it

Good point about a ICE not disappearing if the content is stolen/trashed. If there was no ICE and all content is removed, the remote server disappears, though (both of the above conditons are then false). The intent is to prevent the runner from attacking an unprotected empty server (no cost beyond the click and no risk) just to trigger bank job.

[Miggyfan 0]

Hi,

 

I think the above has answered my question but just to clarify...

 

If I have no remote servers and choose to install Ice as a new remote server, if the runnner then runs against the ice can I rez the ice so the runner must try to break it's subroutines even if it is not protecting anything? I can cause damage to the runner at no benefit to him?

 

Or if Ice is installed as the first card in a new server, is a run on the ice deemed successful since the Ice IS the server and not protecting it?

 

I'm guessing the card would be installed vertically in this instance and not horizontally as per normal Ice as a bluff?

[Nerdmeister 144]

Hi,

 

I think the above has answered my question but just to clarify...

 

If I have no remote servers and choose to install Ice as a new remote server, if the runnner then runs against the ice can I rez the ice so the runner must try to break it's subroutines even if it is not protecting anything? I can cause damage to the runner at no benefit to him?

 

Or if Ice is installed as the first card in a new server, is a run on the ice deemed successful since the Ice IS the server and not protecting it?

 

I'm guessing the card would be installed vertically in this instance and not horizontally as per normal Ice as a bluff?

You can always rez ICE when the runner approaches it (assuming you can afford the cost).

ICE is not part of the server per se but rather protecting it. Regardless of wether there is anything in it or not.

ICE is always installed horizontally and in front of the agenda/asset/upgrades. If there is nothing in the server just place the ICE in such a way as to make room for installment of such cards.

[etherial 62]

Hi,

 

I think the above has answered my question but just to clarify...

 

If I have no remote servers and choose to install Ice as a new remote server, if the runnner then runs against the ice can I rez the ice so the runner must try to break it's subroutines even if it is not protecting anything? I can cause damage to the runner at no benefit to him?

 

Or if Ice is installed as the first card in a new server, is a run on the ice deemed successful since the Ice IS the server and not protecting it?

 

I'm guessing the card would be installed vertically in this instance and not horizontally as per normal Ice as a bluff?

 

Yes, you can rez the ICE. The ICE is placed horizontally and is protecting nothing. If the runner does not Jack Out and you do not end the run with an end the run effect (like from an ICE subroutine), the run is successful. Presumably the runner is running that server to try to activate some other effect, like Bank Job or Dirty Laundry.