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Please note: Omega-based questions go in the Omega Q&A; Magellanic-based questions go in the The Magellanic Cloud Q&A.

Authors, please note that if you have a rules question pertaining to a story, such questions are always carried out through email
By Dennis Surdu (Aegis) on Tuesday, April 28, 2026 - 06:39 pm: Edit

SPP, thank you for the reply. So, are "movement related" and "movement" used interchangeably? The rules are clear that an HET is not "movement" and does not add to the practical speed of a starship. So, since an HET is not "movement", the rules in the least imply that the saucer warp can be used for "movement related" functions. Treating them as AWRs is a very good way to look at it and would add a lot of clarity. Nowhere in the rules that we can find is that cut and dry. So is the ruling "any warp engines located on a separable starship section are treated as AWR until separation"? Does this mean that these warp engine points in a Fed saucer cannot be added to reserve warp?

Thanks again for your time and I sincerely hope you are feeling well.

By Steve Petrick (Petrick) on Wednesday, April 29, 2026 - 02:10 pm: Edit

Yes, such "warp packs" are treated as AWRs until the saucer is separated.

By David Hanson (Glimaash) on Monday, May 04, 2026 - 12:40 pm: Edit

I have a question about launching drones off fighter rails. I was taught long again it had to launch the same facing as the fighter (out the #1 shield). I mention this to my opponent but cannot find anything in the rules that say this directly. The direction can be implied by the FA target restriction, but that is a thin argument. Is there an official ruling in this regard?

Thanks, David

By Steve Petrick (Petrick) on Monday, May 04, 2026 - 02:23 pm: Edit

While (J4.21) does not specifically say that the drone must have the same facing as the fighter, it is the clear intent. Nothing anywhere, short of a blossoming Scatter-Pack provides any other rationale, and (FD7.444) Specifically limits Scatter-Pack fighters to targets in the FA arc of a fighter used as a Scatter-Pack.

By David Hanson (Glimaash) on Wednesday, June 17, 2026 - 02:37 pm: Edit

I have a question about made shuttles with Warp Booster Packs. Can a shuttle turn them off mid turn per J5.14 or is this only for fighters?

Is J5.14 only applicable to fighters?

(J5.13) ACTIVATION: If a manned shuttle is carrying a WBP, it has the option of turning it off during the Energy Allocation Phase of any turn; it must remain off for the duration of that turn.

(J5.14) SPEED CHANGES: If using speed changes in mid-turn(C12.34), the WBP can be turned on (or off) once during the turn in addition to any change made during the Energy Allocation Phase.

G3 detailed sequence of play.
6B8: SHUTTLE & PF FUNCTIONS STAGE
Challenge enemy shuttles to a dogfight (J7.0). Resolve pilot ejection (J6.6). Fighters may drop warp booster packs (J5.41). Fighters may turn warp booster packs on or off (J5.14). The status of the packs at the end of this segment will determine the effects of damage in the subsequent Direct-Fire step.

By Eddie E Crutchfield (Librarian101) on Wednesday, June 17, 2026 - 05:49 pm: Edit

Dave I was looking at it last night. Look at these sections.
(C12.342) Fighters, but not non-fighter shuttles, can make unplotted
accelerations and decelerations (in their basic, non-boosted speed) at
any time so long as no change is within eight impulses of the
previous change and so long as no change is more than one-half of
the maximum non-boosted speed of the fighter. [Note that booster
packs can be turned on and off during the turn (J5.14) and will simply
double (or cease to double) the current non-boosted speed.] Accelerations
to perform a tractor-breaking maneuver (G7.55) can be
made regardless of the time since the previous speed change, but restart
the count for the number of impulses that must elapse before the
next speed change. Note, however, that if the fighter cannot
accelerate to maximum speed due to (J1.22) or (C12.33), it will be
unable to break the tractor.
(C12.343) Non-fighter shuttles can make plotted speed changes,
subject to the same restrictions as (C12.342). Non-Fighter Shuttles
must plot mid-turn speed changes for the remainder of the turn they
are launched on the impulse of launch (landing does not have to be
plotted). MRS and SWAC shuttles are non-fighter shuttles for this
purpose as they are for all purposes not specifically noted otherwise
in the rules. Unmanned shuttles [seeking shuttles (FD1.8) and wild
weasels (J3.11)] cannot make unplotted mid-turn speed changes,
and cannot have speed changes plotted for them, but continue to
move at their launch speed until destroyed, rendered inert, or
crippled. Exception, Cloaked Decoys can have plotted speed

By Eddie E Crutchfield (Librarian101) on Wednesday, June 17, 2026 - 05:56 pm: Edit

Note two other items that apply. (J5.13) ACTIVATION: If a manned shuttle is carrying a WBP, it has
the option of turning it off during the Energy Allocation Phase of any
turn; it must remain off for the duration of that turn

(J5.14) SPEED CHANGES: If using speed changes in mid-turn
(C12.34), the WBP can be turned on (or off) once during the turn in
addition to any change made during the Energy Allocation Phase.
NOTE: (C12.342) explains that this is not a “speed change.”

By John Christiansen (Roscoehatfield) on Friday, June 26, 2026 - 01:02 pm: Edit

In exactly what step in the Sequence of Play does it state that webs dissipate energy? I know it's mentioned in (G10.41) in the rules. I just don't see it in the SoP.

By Ken Kazinski (Kjkazinski) on Friday, June 26, 2026 - 03:45 pm: Edit

I believe it is part of the procedure to recalculate the web strength in the "SHIP SYSTEM FUNCTIONS STAGE - Recalculate web strength (G10.3)."

(G10.31) PROCEDURE: Total the amount of energy added to the web as reinforcement, deduct any lost as deterioration (G10.41), and divide by the number of hexes in the web, ignoring all fractions. This is the strength of the web. The ignored fractions are not discarded; they may be accumulated and recalculated.

By John Christiansen (Roscoehatfield) on Friday, June 26, 2026 - 04:08 pm: Edit

Right, but my question is about the SoP, not web functions. Shouldn't web dissipation be listed in step 8 of the SoP? It sounds like something that might happen simultaneously with "PA panels dissipate power to space (D10.412)."

By Russ Simkins (Madcowak) on Friday, June 26, 2026 - 04:14 pm: Edit

I get your sense that this is missing in the SoP. The SoP is rather specific at times yet leaves it to our human brain's plasticity to fill in the holes.

There is no official Phase for Beginning of Turn nor End of Turn yet both are highly implied by the various rules.

Where in the SoP do reinforcements arrive at the beginning of turn 3 and when do we define their drone/shuttle loadouts?

End of Turn is actually in the SoP (last paragraph) but isn't given a Phase number nor any details on what happens during this Phase but is referenced in several rules.

I ran into all this coding an app to assist me in logging playtesting stuff that runs very tightly to the SoP rails. Computers aren't very good at common sense so everything has to be implicit.

I inserted the implied BoT (Phase 0), EoT (Phase 9), and a Beginning of Impulse into the SoP. BoI is where you tell the Controller (the app) what actions you would like to take this impulse.

FWIW I fudged my own best guess, web deterioration happens just before legendary docs heal crew during Phase 9 EoT.

By Ken Kazinski (Kjkazinski) on Friday, June 26, 2026 - 04:34 pm: Edit

John,

Step 6A Movement
Step 6B4 ...
Reinforce Web; recalculate strength (G10.3).

I re-read your question. I don't think it would be in step 8 as a newly laid web would dissipate before the next movement phase was executed. New webs are laid after current web strength is recalculated. You also would not get a full impulse cycle from the web if it started to dissipate in step 8.

By John Christiansen (Roscoehatfield) on Friday, June 26, 2026 - 04:58 pm: Edit

Russ, I get what you're saying. (D10.412) is listed in Step 8B of the SoP, but that rule refers to "the end of each turn", your inferred Step 9.

There seems to be a conflict between common sense and pedanticism, and since some tactics require strict adherence to the SoP, pedantry wins.

Unless one already exists, maybe a thread could be started for items to be considered for future SoP updates.

By John Christiansen (Roscoehatfield) on Friday, June 26, 2026 - 05:06 pm: Edit

Ken, your second answer violates (G10.41).

Also, newly laid web hexes can last for 224 impulses at strength 0 per (G10.43).

By David Hanson (Glimaash) on Tuesday, June 30, 2026 - 08:24 pm: Edit

In the situation that you have P/F at a GPF ground base at the start of a turn. The PF are on external landing pads. You announce at the start of the turn you are going speed 1 and are going to be taking off, are you allowed to fire weapons during turn 1 prior to imp 32 after the appropriate 4 impulse delay?
If you choose to sit the PF on the planet, are you able to fire weapons without taking off under P2.53?

(P2.412) TAKE OFF PROCEDURE: Taking off from a planet with an atmosphere is conducted by the following procedure. If there is no atmosphere, skip Step #2. (P2.4121)
STEP #1. During the first turn, the unit expends one unit of power and leaves the surface on Impulse #32 (remaining in that hex). This takeoff requires engine power equal to one hex of movement (P2.80). If this power is not allocated, the unit remains on the planetary surface. [The unit could use tractors (P2.432) to take off. This could be done with allocated or reserve power.]

By Gregory S Flusche (Vandar) on Sunday, July 05, 2026 - 01:53 pm: Edit

Let us hope I can word this right.

An Andro Mother ship has a Sat ship in the hanger. The mothership has reinforced the panels. There is not enough BTTY space to drop them to standard levels. This would lead to internal damage.

D10.424 gives the order of precedence of released power. To include the panels of Sat ships ion the hanger.

G19.25 says no transfer of PA energy between the mothership and Sat ships. It does say released power is not transferred power.

The question is, Can the Mothership drop panels to standard levels knowing the Sat ship will pick up the excess energy? Then can it again drop a panel group to off again knowing the energy would be picked up by the SAt ship?

By Mike Kenyon (Scottishenginee) on Monday, August 03, 2026 - 08:36 pm: Edit

PF question ...

By (K2.321), PFs are required to file an EA form when docked and release at Speed 0 and then need to accelerate by SC to speed (up to 15).

1. Is this a plotted speed (never says)? This would effectively make the release need to be plotted.

2. Confirming whether this speed change follows all the rules and governance on a speed change?
2a. Not before 3?
2b. Not after 28?
2c. Not within 8 of another speed change?

By Alex Chobot (Alendrel) on Monday, August 03, 2026 - 11:53 pm: Edit

Gregory: Yes, the mothership can reduce or drop panels knowing one or more Sat Ships will pick it up, per the rules you cited, and (D10.422).

Mike: note the last sentence of (K2.321): “A PF must allocate energy for a full turn’s movement, even if only a portion of the turn remains at the point of release.” Also the following example. My understanding is that a docked PF plots a single speed for the turn, and pays energy for the entire turn at that speed. It may be released on any impulse per (K2.32). The act of release is the mid-turn speed change - it is not plotted, and allowed by (K2.32). It does count for when an unplotted speed change could be made (or plotted across a turn break), and for when the PF is eligible to accelerate beyond speed 15.

By Gregory S Flusche (Vandar) on Tuesday, August 04, 2026 - 07:22 pm: Edit

Thanks Alex thought as much good to get a confirmation


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