Squadrons and obstacles

[Churry 40]

Hey all,

 

After moving, can squadrons have their final position be on an obstacle without taking damage? Will this prevent engagement from other squadrons and obstruct LOS?

 

[Drasnighta 26,832]

Yes and Yes.

RRG, Page 8, Obstacles:


• Asteroid Field: The ship is dealt one faceup damage card. Squadrons are unaffected.

 

• Debris Field: The ship suffers two damage on any one hull zone. Squadrons are unaffected.

 

• Attacks that draw line of sight through an obstacle token are obstructed.

 

 

 

RRG, Page 9: Obstructed:

 

Obstructed

An attack is obstructed if line of sight is traced through an obstacle token or another ship that is not the defender.

If an attack is obstructed by one or more ships or obstacles, the attacker must choose and remove one die from his attack pool before he rolls dice during the “Roll Attack Dice” step.

 

• Squadrons do not obstruct attacks.

 

• If line of sight is drawn over an obstacle, the attack is obstructed even if the bases of the attacker and defender are touching.

 

 

RRG: Page 6, Engagement:

• If line of sight between two squadrons is obstructed, those squadrons are not engaged even if at distance 1 of each other, though they can still attack each other.

 

 

 

 

So the Damaging Obstacles don't Damage.  You do heal on the Station.  Your LOS is obstructed (so one less Dice when attacking).  You are Not Engaged, so you are not Forced to attack Squadrons, but you Can if you will...

Note that if the LOS is obstructed, certain special abilities - Such as Mauler Mithel's Damage Smack - Won't Work, either.

Edited November 18, 2015 by Drasnighta

[Churry 40]

Ah that is really good to know. I like to play my lists with a lot of squads...so I need to start using the obstacles more now.

[DerErlkoenig 975]

Ah that is really good to know. I like to play my lists with a lot of squads...so I need to start using the obstacles more now.

Yeah, it can be a good way to avoid being engaged, potentially allowing you to slip by somewhat, or even healing up on the space station.

[Green Knight 9,746]

Camping 3 squads on the station can be very effective.

[Ginkapo 9,321]

I am curious about this one as the help to play guide shows "through" obstacles being one side to the other and not partially through.

Any reason we think that partially through counts?

[Drasnighta 26,832]

Well, there is the point that you count as obscured if you are both on the same obstacle and in base contact with each other.

 

 

 

Page 8, RRG, "Obstructed"

• If line of sight is drawn over an obstacle, the attack is obstructed even if the bases of the attacker and defender are touching.

 

 

 

Of course, are we going to then question the implications of varying translations of "drawn over" ?  

Edited January 16, 2016 by Drasnighta

[Ginkapo 9,321]

Good point

[SmogLord 94]

I think I remember reading somewhere that if two squadrons are on the same obstacle they are not engaged, but can still shoot at each other, however, their shots are obstructed. Is this true? So if two fighters are right next to each other on an asteroid field (touching or not), they can fire at each other, but will each have -1 die. This came up in a game tonight, but there was no consensus.

[Drasnighta 26,832]

That is exactly the case.

You are not engaged, so there is no requirement to shoot at them.

 

However, if you wish to shoot at them, and if you are at distance 1, then you are allowed to shoot.

Squadrons do not have an exception to the obstacles reducing dice by 1 rule, ergo, they follow it.

 

 

 

 

You are correct.  You can shoot.  You don't have to, and if you do, its at -1 die.

[TTC 114]

Squadrons trace LOS to the nearest point on a ship, right?  But ships trace their LOS from the yellow dot, right?

 

So can a squadron attack a ship unobstructed, but the ship's AA fire on the squadron be obstructed?

[Ardaedhel 10,844]

Squadrons trace LOS to the nearest point on a ship, right?  But ships trace their LOS from the yellow dot, right?

 

So can a squadron attack a ship unobstructed, but the ship's AA fire on the squadron be obstructed?

Not quite correct. Squadron to ship, LoS is traced from the point on the squadron base closest to the hull, to the yellow dot. Shop to squadron, LoS is from the yellow dot to the point on the squadron base closest to the hull. So no, you can't have a situation where the squadron is taking shots while obstructed to return fire from the same hull zone.

RRG 7:

When tracing line of sight to or from a squadron, trace

the line using the point of the squadron’s base that is

closest to the opposing squadron or hull zone.

When tracing line of sight to or from a hull zone, trace

the line using the yellow targeting point printed in that

hull zone.

[TTC 114]

 

Squadrons trace LOS to the nearest point on a ship, right?  But ships trace their LOS from the yellow dot, right?

 

So can a squadron attack a ship unobstructed, but the ship's AA fire on the squadron be obstructed?

Not quite correct. Squadron to ship, LoS is traced from the point on the squadron base closest to the hull, to the yellow dot. Shop to squadron, LoS is from the yellow dot to the point on the squadron base closest to the hull. So no, you can't have a situation where the squadron is taking shots while obstructed to return fire from the same hull zone.

RRG 7:

When tracing line of sight to or from a squadron, trace

the line using the point of the squadron’s base that is

closest to the opposing squadron or hull zone.

When tracing line of sight to or from a hull zone, trace

the line using the yellow targeting point printed in that

hull zone.

 

Thanks.  Not sure why I got that in my head...

[Spellbound 27]

I still get people telling me often that my fighters have to shoot the rear if my squadron is in the rear.  Don't know where they got that from.  It's especially frustrating trying to do that with rhymer.