[DarkSpade]

1) When do you draw a new crossfire card?   Is it right before the first player's turn every time it comes back around to his turn or does something else have to happen to trigger it?

2)  I don't have the cards in front of me for this, so let's assume I'm facing an obstacle with a damage track M / (2) / S. 

If I put down a card that did M(2) damage, that would take care of both the M and the (2) on the damage track, right?  And, a card with MM paired with a S(1) would out right kill it?

3) Are there any really common mistakes people make when playing?  Played twice with two different skill levels of players but both games went the same way.
Scene 1: Game's so easy it's kinda dull
Scene 2: Things get a little rough, but victory is still in sight.
Scene 3: Group is slaughtered.  Abort is successful thanks to one player barely making it out alive.

Seemed that some of the regular obstacles were more of a headache than the hard ones.  Kept looking at the back of the cards to make sure they weren't shuffled in to the wrong deck by accident.

[Namikaze]

1) When do you draw a new crossfire card?   Is it right before the first player's turn every time it comes back around to his turn or does something else have to happen to trigger it?

Just before the Starting Runner takes his/her turn.  So if you've got four runners, runner A is the Starting Runner and it rotates around with each runner getting a turn.  Between the end of Runner D's turn and the beginning of Runner A's turn, discard the Crossfire card (can be shuffled back into the deck depending on conditions set by the Mission), and flip over a new Crossfire card.  Take note of the discarded Crossfire cards to determine the Crossfire Level, which may have substantial effects on the round.

2)  I don't have the cards in front of me for this, so let's assume I'm facing an obstacle with a damage track M / (2) / S. 

If I put down a card that did M(2) damage, that would take care of both the M and the (2) on the damage track, right?  And, a card with MM paired with a S(1) would out right kill it?

Correct.  You can play the colorless damage of a card before you play the colored damage.  That would mean that in your second example, the blue does damage to the first level, the second blue takes the role of one of the colorless damage, the colorless then hits, and the red hits.

3) Are there any really common mistakes people make when playing?  Played twice with two different skill levels of players but both games went the same way.
Scene 1: Game's so easy it's kinda dull
Scene 2: Things get a little rough, but victory is still in sight.
Scene 3: Group is slaughtered.  Abort is successful thanks to one player barely making it out alive.

Seemed that some of the regular obstacles were more of a headache than the hard ones.  Kept looking at the back of the cards to make sure they weren't shuffled in to the wrong deck by accident.

I had similar experiences.  The main thing that exponentially increases the deadliness of the game is the Crossfire Level.  You have to really work hard to clear the obstacles in one round so that you don't increment the Crossfire Level if possible.  Remember that on your turn, you can attack any obstacle, not just the one(s) in front of you.  Also, it's a good idea to have your Starting Runner be someone that can take a little punishment, because when the Crossfire Level increments, it's going to be the Starting Runner that feels the effects hardest (mostly due to more obstacles).  Finally, don't be afraid to let your friends die.  If you're not playing a campaign with Karma increases, then this doesn't matter so much.  But if you're playing a game with Karma increases, then letting one friend die might allow for an Abort round, which (if survived) will get everyone some Karma.  It's a tough decision, but sometimes this happens in Shadowrun too, when someone gets left behind so the rest of the team can fight another day.

[Jamelfr]

1) Right before the starting player's turn. There were some other clarifications in this thread (look for the posts by SevenSpirits, one of the game designer): http://forums.shadowruntabletop.com/index.php?topic=17975.0.

2) Yes to your two questions.

3) Indeed, the third scene of the Crossfire mission is tough : I often get out of there alive with only 1 per players. This is a challenging game, some players talk about a 25-50% rate of having a succesfull mission. If Crossfire mission is too hard for now, you can always use the Ambulators mission to get some play experiences, Karma and upgrades : it is basically Crossfire minus the third round. And yes, some "normal" obstacles are really annoying.

Some strategies might help you, so you can look at this forum or BGG for some videos and threads offering tips. You can also ask questions (as you'd just did). Catalyst recently opened a FAQ page with some videos to help players (I did not see the vid yet) and files, including the Ambulators mission I've just mentionned : http://www.shadowruntabletop.com/shadowrun-crossfire-game/.

In the beginning, I found that game really tough and almost impossible. Sometimes it feels like the cards are drawed in a perfect order to kill you. But after many sessions, I see the logic and planning one must use in a session and now my games are easier : still really challenging but easier. For example, in Crossfire mission, speed is essential in the first rounds : you want to defeat rather quickly your opponent to avoid taking damages and having a too high Crossfire level.

Table talk is also essential so you can determine as a team the best way to play. It is not permitted in the rulebook, but my group often played with the cards face up when we first bought the game. That way, it is easier for the group to plan the next few turns. This might be a problem if you have an Alpha Player who likes to tell everyone what to play, so your experience may vary.


Edit : Namikaze is quicker than me lol.

[DarkSpade]

Thanks guys.   Glad to hear we're losing because the game is hard and not because we're screwing up the rules.   Although, the other way around would have been easier on the ego. 

[Imveros]

Just imagine the feeling when you do win! I will tell you how it feels should i ever win...