Subtopic	Posts		Updated
	Archive through February 09, 2008	24		02/09 04:43pm
	Archive through August 09, 2012	25		08/09 07:06pm

CL44 Q&A part 3
CARRIERS AND GROUP THERAPY
Q: Can I send prime teams to sabotage the “inner escort” of a carrier group?
A: Yes, you can. The rule prohibits sabotage of the “escorted” unit but nothing says that the “inner” escort is “being escorted.”
Q: Are the B10’s fighters (436.0) considered a squadron, or hybrid? I say “hybrid” since the SIT doesn’t call it a carrier.
A: The SIT for the B10 does classify it as a single ship carrier, so the fighters are their own squadron for that single ship carrier and have the appropriate cost.
Q: Do both the UH and CV have oversized squadrons?
A: Yes (318.8). Filthy, methane-breathing squadrons.
Q: I am trying to manage my carrier groups honestly within the rules (515.2) in the face of an opposing player who delights in picking off escorts. To keep the carriers alive, I added an extra escort to many groups, such as CVL+CLE+CLE+FFE but when the FFE was destroyed, my opponent said I had to drop one CLE from the group as the rules did not allow a group without a light escort. I protested that the group CVL+CLE+CLE+Empty was valid as long as it consumed four command slots.
A: Yes, it’s legal, if you use a command slot for the missing escort. Rule (515.35) prohibits CVL+CLE+CLE as a three-ship group but allows it as a four-ship group.
Q: A Kzinti battle force has the following carriers (plus escorts): CVL (4.5 fighters), CVE (3 fighters), 2CV (6 fighters each). For these ships, how many ship equivalents (501.91) of fighters are there?
A: You can do this two different ways. One is to count each carrier separate: CVL = 4.5 fighters = 0.77 ship equivalents (SE), CVE = 3 fighters = 0.5 SE, 2x(CV = 6 fighters = 1.0 SE). You then add them together (0.77+0.5+2x(1.0)) to come up with 3.27 SE. You need to consider each group separate before adding them together. Anything less than 0.5 is dropped.
You can also, with fighter types of all the same kind, just add up all the factors and divide by the standard squadron size for that type, six in this case. So, in this example, we would have (4.5+3+2x6) = 19.5 and divide that by 6 for 3.25 SE. Anything less than 0.5 is dropped.
Note that the parenthetical (6-8) refers to the squadron size for the unit in question. A Federation CVB with an F-15 squadron would have a standard squadron size of 8 and would only count as one SE instead of 1.33 SE when counting for SE calculations.
Q: In the case of a tug or LTT (515.0) using a borrowed allied carrier pod, which empire provides the escorts?
A: The empire that provided the tug or LTT.
Q: The rules say that a tug with a carrier pod can be escorted as a carrier. Is there a rule saying that a tug with a carrier pod and a battle pod cannot be escorted?
A: There is no such rule, but of course, the carrier pod must be one that actually has enough fighters for the tug to be classified as a carrier-tug.
Q: Does (or should) rule (517.36) apply to the Lyran KVP (and KVH) for purposes of mixing with other Lyran K-type pods?
A: Yes, all the restrictions on the Klingon pods with weight restrictions carry over to those pods when they are being used by the Lyrans.
Q: What if the Lyran tug borrows a Klingon VAP (or VHP) pod (517.13); would (517.36) apply? Also, what if a Klingon tug borrows the Lyran KVP or KVH pods does (517.36) still apply?
A: Yes, in both situations.

RESIDUAL DEFENSE FACTORS
Q: Does a Residual Defense Unit...
A: Stop right there! It’s a Residual Defense Factor (RDF) not a “unit” at all. Being a “unit” triggers a bunch of rules that we do not want to be bothered with. Start over...
Q: Ahem. Does a Residual Defense Factor exist on an un-devastated planet that has never been captured (508.16)?
A: Yes, the RDF comes into existence as soon as the attackers leave the hex and the combat phase is over.
Q: Can a planet which has never been devastated have an RDF?
A: Yes. The RDF exists after “the defenses” have been destroyed, and as per (508.16) the defenses of a planet are the PDUs and other units on the planet. The 10 points to devastate represents civilian and economic targets.
Q: If planet is devastated and recovers (508.161) does it “lose” its RDF?
A: No, the RDF remains present until the original owner of the planet returns some kind of unit with defensive capability to the planet, i.e. a PDU.
Q: If planet is devastated, captured, liberated or un-garrisoned, and then recovers, does it “lose” its RDF?
A: No. Until some other kind of defense is placed on the planet the RDF will continue to exist. Remember that the RDF is a defense element, not an economic one, and isn’t really related to devastation and recovery at all.

HEAVY QUESTIONS ON VHP PODS
Q: Does the VHP overload Kzinti, Klingon, or Lyran LTTs under (517.41) because it uses the same rule (517.36)? Or is this not a weight issue? Rule (530.225) seems to indicate single weight but this implication of (517.36)-(last sentence) and (517.41) (last sentence) seem to conflict with that concept.
A: No, the VHP is constructed similarly to other pods that do not overload LTTs.
Q: Can the Lyran VHP pod be mixed with other pods?
A: No. The VHP is, based on (517.36), a pod that cannot be mixed with other pods.
Q: Can a Lyran VHP pod (530.23) (which is a single weight pod) perform an R+R mission by being mounted on one tug with a Klingon VHP pod that is not overloaded?
A: Yes, the ability for the Klingons and Lyrans to share pods allows for this, but since the pair are single-weight pods the tug would be overloaded. While VHP pods cannot be mixed with other pods, putting two VHPs on a single tug is allowed, but would be overloaded. Since they are on one tug, it would be a single “R” Fleet Transport mission (509.1-R). 
Q: The last line of (517.36) states: “The VHP pods in Advanced Operations use the same rule.” Is this statement general to all nationalities of VHP pods from AO or specific only to the Klingon, Kzinti, and the implied Lyran pods? Please note rule (530.225) [which has been re-numerated as (530.23) since CL#36] does not mention carriage restrictions for any empire nor does it reference rule (517.36).
A: This rule is specifically for just Klingon and Kzinti pods. That includes any Klingon pods that the Lyrans use or build.
Q: Rule (530.23) gives the Lyrans a maximum limit of one VHP. The online OOB charts (711.3) PRODUCTION NOTES gives a max limit of two Lyran VHP. The online 2008 SITs show a limit of one. Which is correct?
A: This rule is correct, only one VHP for the Lyrans.

STASIS FIELD GENERATORS
Q: If I want to use directed damage on a carrier group, how does that interact with SFGs freezing some of the ships in the group (312.271)?
A: Only the smallest escort can be frozen, and, if it is placed in stasis, it is not considered part of the group anymore. The rest of the group could then be targeted by your one directed damage attack if you choose to not used directed damage on the frozen ships.
Q: You are only allowed to target the outermost escort with an SFG (312.271), so are you generally hoping for random choices to get the rest?
A: Correct. Only the ships selected for the random roll can be frozen. Only the smallest ship in a group can be selected by the attacker, and then the defender chooses his ships by selecting any unselected ships including but not limited to the next smallest ships in the group that were not selected.
Q: New sector bases were added to the game, but not to the SFG rules charts. What table would a sector base with a single SFG (452.11) use? (The rule limits sector bases to one SFG.)
A: A sector base with the one allowed SFG would use the SBA (starbase) tables. It would use SBA-1, -2, or -3 depending on the number of targets but cannot use SBA-4 because no unit with only one SFG can use that.

WAR AND POLITICS
Q: Rule (430.24) describes what happens if the enemy occupies one of my provinces then leaves. My question is just what constitutes occupation. If the enemy entered the province on a given turn, destroyed my only units in the province, and then withdrew on the same Player Turn, did he “occupy” the province or was he just passing through to attack units?
A: To “occupy” a province you have to stay in it (at least temporarily) which means leaving ships in it at the end of the combat phase (not retrograding them out).
Q: At what point in the turn is the roll made for planetary rebellion?
A: This die roll is made in Step 3A-3K on the latest versions of the Sequence of Play.
Q: Rule (305.24) allows for two warring empires to exchange captured ships in neutral territory. Once the Federation enters the war, the WYN Cluster is the only neutral territory available to the Kzintis and Klingons for such an exchange, so can they do the exchange there?
A: Only if both ships are (each) six combat factors or less. The WYNs will simply steal anything bigger.
Q: Can a neutral planet conquered by the enemy be used as the source of an infiltration attack (537.12) against an enemy unit occupying the neutral planet?
A: No, there is not enough infrastructure in place for you to pull this off. (This opens a whole can of worms that we would prefer to keep closed.)
Q: Regarding hospital ships and captured/annexed planets, rule (448.28) says that a planet is annexed when the province it is in is annexed. At that point, the recovery clock of four turns starts (508.25) and the hospital ship (451.31) can cut the time down to two turns. If I understand this correctly, it means that a hospital ship can’t help a captured planet until its annexed?
A: Correct. No doubt your hospital ship is conducting humanitarian missions to save lives, but none of them count for recovering from devastation.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Thursday, August 09, 2012 - 07:08 pm: Edit

CL45 Q&A part 1
F&E Q&A
by Mike Curtis, FEAR

TRANSLATION PLEASE!
Q: What do all of those abbreviations mean?
A: BIR (Battle Intensity Rating), ComPot (Combat Potential), EP (Economic Point), FEAR (F&E Answer Rapporteur), FRD (Fleet Repair Dock), G (ground forces battalion), GCE (Ground Combat Element), MB (mobile base), PDU (Planetary Defense Unit), PGB (Planetary Ground Base), SFG (Stasis Field Generator), SIDS (Starbase Incremental Damage System), SIT (Ship Information Table), SoP (Sequence of Play), SSC (Small-Scale Combat).

MARINES TO THE ASSAULT!
Q: A tug with troop pods and a Marine major general is attacking my colony in a commando raid. Can I land the pods and still keep them when I leave, or does the fact that I am doing a raid count as “retreat” after one round of combat (causing me to lose the pods)?
A: The pods are not detached from the tug (320.4), so you keep them when you leave. You don’t need to “land the pods” as there are means to separately land the troops.
Q: Do my G-factors get the +1 die roll bonus for “only one G defending” even though there are no actual Gs defending the colony? (I assume a colony has no intrinsic G factor.)
A: It takes two successful G attacks to destroy the colony (446.41). This represents elimination of the infrastructure and defeating the local civilian authorities. There are no G factors of defenders on the colony, so, yes the +1 does count as there is really no G factor, but significant obstacles exist to count as at least one G factor even though there are none present.
Q: Can I do one separate G attack (320.43) per G-factor I possess against the colony?
A: Yes, you may.
Q: Do ground combat attacks need to be “declared” before the Directed Damage Phase, or even before the Damage Allocation Phase? Some players seem to think this is necessary and others seem to think it is obvious if a G-ship is going to be making an assault or not. In order to qualify to make a Marine assault, you must pick a BIR of 4 (5 if picking both) and must have one or more G-ships in the battle force under (521.32) and (521.33). Also, per the SoP, the first time a player can designate units doing an assault is in 5-6X3.
A: You missed this entry in the SoP:
(5-4A5): Players identify units that are eligible to participate in troop assaults (521.3) during this round. This is during the damage determination just after the Variable Battle Intensity Rating is determined. This gives the attacker the option to use his troop ships or not.
That step, given an attacker chosen BIR of 4, should be enough for the defender to know a ground attack is possible. If the defender chooses to not use directed damage on those ships/units then he will take the lumps that are delivered later. Nothing further need be done until Step 5-6X3, when the attacker may use from zero to whatever number of GCEs he designated in (5-4A5) to perform the attacks.
Q: A planet has a single PDU but three GCEs were added to defend it. The attacker is making two Marine assaults. Can each GCE defend the PDU once, or can only one GCE total defend the PDU?
A: Each attack by a GCE can be defended by additional defending GCEs. So, in the example you presented above, two defending GCEs can support the single PDU, one in each attack being available to take losses. Of course, if you want to go into further detail you can use Star Fleet Marines: Assault to resolve your ground attacks. Rule (521.382) says you must attack the supported PDUs first.
Q: Can a prime team support a supported ground attack? Rule (521.35) provides that you get +1 for a supporting G and +1 for a supporting prime team. The rule says all bonuses and penalties are cumulative. However, Rule (521.36) states that no more than one additional ground unit can support a G attack, so there’s an explicit limit there. Rule (522.42) (prime teams in Marine mode) provides no guidance on the issue. My opponent says that under (521.35) a supported G attack can itself be supported by a prime team, resulting in a net +2 to the roll. I say that a prime team supporting a G attack is equivalent to a supporting G, and thus the limit of one supporting unit applies under (521.36) and accordingly only a +1 to the roll results. Which is correct?
A: A prime team is not a Marine unit; they are a prime team. When they are acting in Marine mode it is just that, a mode. They are still a prime team not a Marine unit. Thus, you can have a supporting G and a supporting PT and get the +2 bonus.
Q: The counter for a Marine major general has two stars, while the counter for an admiral has one star. Which one out-ranks the other?
A: The admiral counters represent four-star and sometimes five-star admirals, but the point is that there is no rules situation in which one of them outranking the other one would matter.

NEUTRAL PLANETS
Q: The rule in (540.251) states: “...the planet (and its defenses) have joined the team’s empire at the start of the next player turn of that empire (immediately)...” It also states: “Note that if the planet joins your empire it is treated as a part of the adjoining fleet and if that fleet is inactive the new planet is in an inactive fleet area, but defenses can still be added to the planet and it produces income for the gaining empire.”
Rule (540.253) says: “If a neutral planet joins an empire, it produces income and can have PDUs added up to the normal limit, but is not part of the supply or strategic movement grid until the turn after the empire is at war with or allied to the other adjoining empire.”
So, given all of that, my questions:
1. The rules say that defenses can be added to the planet and it further clarifies that only PDUs (and by extension I assume PGBs) can be added to the planet. Can the empire send EPs to the planet via say a tug to allow it to build these defenses? Also could a tug be sent to the planet to add a PDU based on rule (433.422)?
2. If the planet joins an empire that has not been set up yet, can elements of the adjoining fleet be setup on the planet without being forced to accept internment? I would note here that per (540.251) opposing diplomats are allowed to withdraw without being interned and it states that this rule is an exception to internment in this case only. This seems to imply that the planet is considered part of the empire and no longer a neutral. Also, can the empire send additional ships to the planet to help bolster its defense? Could a monitor be sent to the planet?
3. Since the planet generates EPs for “the gaining empire,” can a tug/LTT/TT be sent to the planet to pick up those EPs? Would the tug have to be carrying a diplomatic team to make such a pickup?
A: Answers to your questions:
1. No, the hex the planet is still in is a neutral zone and only delivery of PDUs per (503.63) is allowed.
2. No, the hex the planet is still in is a neutral zone and only delivery of PDUs per (503.63) by tug is allowed. There are also diplomatic missions allowed, but no warships.
3. No, the hex the planet is still in is a neutral zone.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Thursday, August 09, 2012 - 07:09 pm: Edit

CL45, F&E Q&A part 2
Q: It was ruled back in August 25, 2010 that Orion Smuggling cannot be used to take EPs from a planet that joined your empire by (540.25). Is that still true?
In light of (540.251) the EPs clearly belong to the empire the planet joined not the planet itself, so why is there this restriction? Nothing in (540.25) supports this ruling. According to (410.341) Orion Smuggling is a perfectly legal way to move EPs out of a Partial Grid as well as into a Partial Grid.
A: The original answer was correct; you cannot use Orion Smuggling (or any other method) to get those EPs sooner than the rules allow. Nowhere in (540.251) or the rest of (540.25x) does it say the planet shares its income immediately. Rule (540.253) specifically states that the planet does not belong to the supply grid of the empire it joined. Hence, no movement of economic points is allowed. The original ruling stands.
Q: A diplomatically aligned neutral planet generates EPs but is not connected to adjacent grids and is in its own partial grid until such time you are at war with the other neighboring power. They accumulate EPs which may be used to locally construct defenses and/or accumulate. May one use Orion Smuggling to transfer EPs to the planet to augment its indigenous EPs for construction projects?
A: Sure, if you have them per (410.34). You would have to obey all rules concerning the use of EPs for your empire at that time based on your economic condition. If you are at Peace you could cancel PWC or use other diplomatic income to do this. Or, if you were at War but this was an inactive fleet from the general treasury at the local Orion’s rate of exchange. The local planet would not allow you to pull such income via the Orions as they know it would just make their situation more untenable.
Q: Is Pavarak (5403) considered to be adjacent to the Gorn and ISC for diplomatic purposes (540.25) and can it join one side or the other under the diplomacy rules?
A: Yes, Pavarak is open to negotiations by both the ISC and the Gorns. But, the ISC needs to be an active player empire.
Q: Does the same line of thought apply to Circle Trigon (5109) in future scenarios where the Romulans are involved?
A: Yes, it is close enough to the Romulans to be influenced by them. But, the ISC needs to be an active player empire before the rules can be used.

TUG ON MY HEART STRINGS
Q: What happens if the Sabotage mission (534.223) targets a unit such as a Hydran battle tug and successfully cripples it?
A: The tug is crippled and the tug pods are inactive per (509.43). Any minus points are used up during the raid phase as it is its own single combat round per (302.53) with the “transfer or die” effect.
Q: Is a tug repairing a base (509.1-J1) required to be in any battle forces defending that base during the next turn?
Unlike base upgrades, base repairs are considered to take effect immediately, and (302.233) does not list them as a potential required unit. Due to the immediate turn-around of effect, I figured it kept a tug from performing any other function that turn, but that was about it. However, (509.1-J1) says a tug repairing a base is subject to (308.453), which itself mentions that a tug repairing a base is a non-slow unit treated as a slow unit for mauler Directed Damage purposes.
A: Rule (420.6) provides some guidance here even though it is not fully spelled out. Repairs of bases are in Step 2A3 of the SoP. As such, they are instantaneous and not a full turn activity like a conversion from a mobile base to a battle station for example. So, the reference in (509.1-J1) to (308.453) is inaccurate. The transport or set of transports performing the repair can move operationally on the turn of the repair, but do no other transport function that turn.
Q: Is there an enabling rule somewhere that permits the mixing of pod types (509.312) on the disruptor-armed tugs? I would be surprised if you aren’t “supposed” to be able to do it, but by the rules it would seem to require the tug to take two different missions simultaneously.
A: Sorry, but rule (509.312) specifically prohibits this except for some Klingon-Lyran pods per (517.34).
Q: Someone asked me at a convention if the tugs in F&E had anything to do with “the pod people” but I had no idea what he was trying to ask. Do you?
A: He was referring to the classic 1955 science-fiction movie The Body Snatchers. In this movie, aliens would lay a pod next to a sleeping human, and the pod would “hatch” a copy of the human. The movie (and the remake) is worth watching.

AND A FEW QUESTIONS MORE
Q: At what point is a province considered “owned” for the purposes of (430.21) economics?
A: The first check for ownership is at the end of the current Combat Phase. If there are enemy units in the province at the end of the Combat Phase and no friendly units, the province is considered captured (430.22). Once captured, if the occupier continues the occupation, the occupier will receive one EP in each subsequent Economic Phase. If at any time before his Economic Phase the occupier does not satisfy the requirements of (430.22), then no income is generated by the province for the occupier.
Long-term capture (438.0) is counted from Economic Phase to Economic Phase with any disruption during the process, including a successful raid, resetting the clock.
Annexation (448.2) is also counted from Economic Phase to Economic Phase after long-term capture takes effect. Raids do not affect this process unless the raid eliminates the garrison of the province.
Q: How are Hydran hybrid carrier-ships handled regarding rule (534.224)?
A: Hydran hybrid carrier-ships are not covered under this rule. Only Hydran “true” carriers are covered.
Q: Are the Vudar Enclave rules used in the standard General War Grand Campaign scenario (675.5) with all modules?
A: This is a scenario rule, so like the Wind series (601-605) players can include it or ignore it if they wish. It is not a requirement. Players could decide to play (601-603) and stop at the end of Turn #19 if they wish.
Q: A Kzinti 12-ship force executes a fighting retreat, retreating into a hex containing an undefended Lyran convoy. The rules say that the attacking player is required to offer the defending player an approach battle (302.22), but the Lyrans cannot create a battle force to fight the approach battle. Does the Kzinti fleet have to offer an approach battle, and then retreat per (302.775D)? Or may it fight the convoy, and then retreat?
A: Since the Kzintis have 12 ships and there is only one unit in the hex they are retreating into, priority 2 (302.732) is not met, so no fighting retreat is allowed. A standard retreat would be indicated and the convoy would die in the subsequent combat in that hex.
Q: Does a Residual Defense Factor exist on a undevastated planet that has never been captured (508.16)?
A: The RDF only comes into existence when a planet is under control of the original owner and it has no other defenses on it. Don’t try to read too much into it.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Thursday, August 09, 2012 - 07:09 pm: Edit

CL45 CLARIFICATIONS
Upgrades (adding PDUs/PGBs) to a planet with at least one existing PDU/PGB are effective immediately. If the enemy comes to fight there they face all your PDUs/PGBs. Under rule (433.421) if a tug or in the case of a capital system (no tug reguired) a PDU being installed on a planet with zero (0) PDUs/PGBs is redevas-tated, then the PDU/PGB being installed is lost and the recovery clock for devastation is restarted. This is not a rule change, but rather shows that there is a difference between upgrading the number of PDUs/PGBs on a planet and placing the first PDU/PGB on a planet.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Thursday, January 31, 2013 - 02:15 pm: Edit

F&E Q&A from CL46 part 1
by Mike Curtis, FEAR

TRANSLATION PLEASE!
Q: What do all of those abbreviations mean?
A: BATS (Battle Station), BIR (Battle Intensity Rating), ComPot (Combat Potential), EP (Economic Point), FEAR (F&E Answer Rapporteur), FRD (Fleet Repair Dock), G (ground forces battalion), GCE (Ground Combat Element), MB (mobile base), PDU (Planetary Defense Unit), SAF (Special Attack Force), SB (starbase) SFG (Stasis Field Generator), SIDS (Starbase Incremental Damage System), SIT (Ship Information Table), SoP (Sequence of Play), ESSC (Small-Scale Combat).

NEW RULINGS
(204.38) An extra starbase built (upgraded from a smaller base) in addition to the starting starbases before a starbase is lost can be considered a replacement for a starbase lost after the time the new starbase is built.
(318.432) If extra escorts are added, their loss does not create “ghost” escorts that take up command slots without providing any benefit.
(433.22) The conversion of a captured ship to your technology counts against the capacity of the base.
(443.4) A base must be undamaged to start the upgrade process. A base could be crippled or damaged by SIDS during the upgrade process and this would cancel the upgrade. (The funds paid for the upgrade are still there, “attached” to that base, and the upgrade can resume once the base is repaired.
(446.12) A convoy setting up a colony cannot simultaneously act as a supply point.
(525.23) No empires can share HDW modules.

PRODUCTION
Q: The Kzintis can only have one BCE (escort variant of a battlecruiser, highly desirable for increasing the ComPot of carrier groups) in service at a time (440.7). What if someone captures several Kzinti BCs? They convert them to native technology and want to convert them all to BCEs. Is that legal or would the capturing empire also be limited to having just one BCE in service? Can they sell them back to me?
A: Only standard variants (305.23) can be made from captured ships. A conjectural ship is not a standard variant.
Q: Does the production of a scout pod or pair of scout pods for a given empire count as the allowed scout ship substitution on a given turn under (432.41)?
A: Of course it does as the rule you cited states.
Q: Captain’s Log #43, page 96, seems to state that the Kzintis can produce any number of drone ship conversions. However, the Order of Battle (705.3) says in the F&E 2010 rulebook that they cannot build more than two DFs per turn.
A: The published rule (705.3) controls the situation, and the Q&A is incorrect. Note that the version of (705.3) in F&E 2010 covers only the drone frigate (the only Kzinti drone ship in the basic game) but does state that this applies to all drone ships. Advanced Operations lists all of the drone ships and other ships that count against this limit as of the time it was printed:
“Can produce (by any means) no more than two drone ships of all types combined per turn. MDC, DND, CLD, count against this limit. Replacement of battle pods counts against drone limits; two battle pods built on the same turn count as one drone ship (one pod counts as one ship).”
Q: The Kzinti special construction rules state that they may substitute a DWE for an FF once per year starting in Y172. However, the SIT says that the YIS for the DWE is Y174, and all other indications everywhere else are that the DW and its variants are introduced in Y174. The question is, is the Y172 substitution note an error, or are these early DWEs prototypes?
A: The DWEs in Y172S and Y173S are the prototypes. You can build a DW in place of the DWE if you desire but you can only build one DW hull per year until Y174 when normal production of the DWs kicks in. The historical Kzintis were so desperate to keep their carrier groups alive that they used the first DW prototypes for escort variants. Go Furrballs!

CONVERSIONS
Q: What happens when a BATS with one or two SIDS steps is upgraded to a SB? Would the number of SIDS steps remain the same after conversion, or would it increase proportionately? On the one hand, since the SB would be crippled if the BATS were crippled during the upgrade, it doesn’t seem like two SIDS on the BATS should remain two SIDS on the SB. On the other hand, if the number of SIDS increased proportionately, you would end up increasing the cost to repair the base by upgrading it, which also doesn’t seem quite right. Perhaps SIDS steps which existed before the upgrade began would be treated differently than ones taken during the upgrade?
A: See the (443.4) ruling on this question.
Q: If the DMH (Romulan DemonHawk) replaces both of its modular sections, does it cost two economic points to do so?
A: As per (525.64) any modules need to be taken from already existing SparrowHawk or SkyHawk modules that have been produced earlier.
Q: Does the DMH replacing both of its sections cost it two movement points?
A: No. It costs only one movement point per (525.65).
Q: The Romulan Fleet’s Tholian Border Patrol Detachment sets up in hex 3319. Since that fleet area has no starbase, can one ship be placed on the starbase at 3518 in order for it to be converted?
A: The Romulan Patrol Detachment is not inactive while the Romulans are at war, so the question of having a starbase to convert a ship at is not valid.
Q: Does activating a Vulture dreadnought (525.66) take up starbase conversion capacity?
A: Yes, it is a four point minor conversion.
Q: Does activating a Vulture-V count against heavy carrier production?
A: Yes, it is classed as a heavy carrier by both fighter factors and the SIT for that ship.
Q: Does making a modular conversion count as operational movement? Could a ship that had its modules changed but didn’t otherwise move be added to a reserve fleet?
A: If the conversion is done in the Production Phase it does not count as operational movement and the ship can be added to a reserve fleet. If the conversion is made during operational movement, then it counts as operational movement even if the ship did not change hexes and the ship cannot join a reserve fleet.
Q: Is a conversion from a Hydran FFT to an AH a one-point conversion under the SIT or a two-point conversion under (433.241)? The SIT says that an AH may be converted from FF for one EP. I say that the SIT controls the situation, that the FFT is an FF and for this reason the cost to convert this FFT to an AH is one EP. My opponent says rule (433.241) requires the FFT to be “unconverted” to a CU or HN and then converted again to AH for a total of two EP. Who is right?
A: He is. The term “FF” in this case refers to a base hull, not a variant such as an FFT. (An FFT is a transport, not a standard frigate.) All of these categories refer to base hulls:
FF = HN, CU, and CR.
DD = KN and LN.
DW = DWF and DWH.
NCA = MHK, IRQ, CHY, IRC, and MKI.
CA = RN, DG, RGR, LC, LB, and LM.
You know what? This game would be much simpler if we all got together and wiped out those methane-breathing scum and didn’t have to put up with them having two parallel fleets that confuse the heck out of everybody, myself included.
Q: When converting a captured ship to your technology does the tech conversion count against the conversion capacity of a starbase? Rule (433.22) is not clear in this regard of the technology conversion.
A: Yes, this counts against the conversion capacity of a starbase. See the ruling on (433.22) in this issue.
Q: Can a conversion facility (minor or major) be used to convert a captured ship to your technology on the same turn the ship was repaired, provided the repair facility is in the same hex?
A: Yes, it is the same as any other ship being converted.
Q: Can I convert a Lyran FFT directly into a DWS?
A: Yes, but not as a single two-step conversion. It’s actually three steps. First, pay an EP to convert the FFT transport into standard frigate, then pay for the two-step conversion into a DWS. To be done in a single turn, this must be done by the same base and the base must have enough total capacity to do both.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Thursday, January 31, 2013 - 02:15 pm: Edit

F&E Q&A from CL46 part 1
by Mike Curtis, FEAR

COMBAT
Q: I have a Lyran destroyer at a completed colony. Enemy forces have attacked and caused 12 points of damage. Can I cripple the destroyer for five points and let the seven remaining points fall on the colony with the intent of retreating the crippled ship and leaving the colony behind (to cover the retreat)?
A: No, the colony cannot be given up as voluntary damage points per (446.42). The enemy has to attack it on purpose.
Q: If a SAF is already crippled, is it automatically presumed disrupted (and thus there is no need to shoot it)?
A: That is correct. According to (520.41) the SAF is considered disrupted even if it started the combat round crippled. This could happen in a rare instance where it was involved in combat away from a base or PDU and then entered combat already crippled. This disrupted state represents the reduced effectiveness of the SAF. According to this rule you cannot destroy an SAF in an assault although in normal combat you can. If you catch one away from a base and do 18 points of damage to it with directed damage, with no other modifiers, you will kill it.
Q: My opponent is using an engineer regiment as an SAF. I say I can disrupt it with 12 damage points (same as a SAF) but he says I must use 16 as an engineer regiment is an eight-point unit. Who is right?
A: He is. Abraham Lincoln said: “If you call a tail a leg, a cow still has only four legs.” Being an eight-point unit, the engineer regiment needs 16 damage points to be disrupted (crippled) and eight more to be killed. Unlike an SAF (520.41), you actually can kill the engineer unit outright.
Q: Under (526.254) a Logistics Task Force (LTF) can resolve SIDS at 4.5 damage points [nine by directed damage under (308.8)]. Can the LTF be crippled by spending the 54 (27x2) points of damage required? And then killed the next round for the additional 26 (13x2) points?
A: You can always use the full amount to direct cripple/kill any unit. SIDS are available so you can eat an elephant one bite at a time instead of trying to eat the whole elephant at once.
Q: Sequence of Play Step 5-3B establishes when the players make the determination whether ESSC will apply to the combat hex. In the event that both players have the option to elect ESSC or elect normal combat (i.e., ESSC is not mandatory or selectable by only one player), then what is the proper procedure for making the determination? Is the determination made secretly and simultaneously and then revealed (with ESSC occurring only on mutual selection), or is the determination made by one player, announced, and then made by the other player? Or is it just a generic handshake/negotiation?
A: See the last line of (310.115): “If both players have three or fewer ships which exceed the limits of 14 and/or 19, and both agree, this option may be used.”
Q: Due to the mauler I have on the battle line, I can deal out 44 damage points. Can I use them to cripple a DN in the formation box (36) and then kill it (5+3) as a single directed damage attack?
A: No, you cannot, as the two are separate attacks due to the nature of the formation rules.
Q: Can a SWAC be used from the support echelon (302.35)?
A: Yes, if the carrier supplying the SWAC is also in the support echelon.
Q: Can a SWAC from a starbase be used in an approach battle to that Starbase?
A: Yes, it could be used in the approach battle just as the base’s fighters can be used.
Q: Rule (302.7) does not place any restrictions on the use of a SWAC by a retreating force. I can’t find any restriction in (518.0) either. As the rules do not seem to restrict this we are currently playing as though a retreating Federation force can deploy a SWAC without restriction and recover it if it is not lost due to specific use or directed damage.
This however does not seem right to me. A slow-moving shuttle dropped out the back of a carrier that is accelerating in an effort to withdraw from combat should not be recoverable. The max speed on a SWAC with booster packs in SFB is 16 and it cannot use its EW capability if towed by tractor per SFB rule (J9.132). Booster packs are not available until Y180 in any case which gives a SWAC a max SFB speed of 8 prior to Turn #24.
With these things in consideration, can a SWAC be recovered by a retreating Federation force, or is its use during retreat an automatic loss for the Federation? Or should there be some limited chance of recovery (say a 1 in 6 chance) as it is moving, unlike a stasis ship that is auto killed?
A: The use of a SWAC is permitted by (518.0). You are overthinking the issue. Combat in F&E is an abstraction of several battles over many days. Remember that the pursuer can attack crippled vessels not in the pusued battle force.
Q: Do the rules mean that any time the owner of a planet fights over his own devastated planet he can absorb three damage points with the RDF (even during raids but not in ESSC) for no bad effects? Rule (508.162) says that you can’t re-devastate to rack up points, but I suppose the defender can soak off three damage in raids and then three more in the combat phase.
A: Yes. Just think of it as the owner knows the terrain in and around his planet and uses it to his advantage every time.

SPECIAL QUESTIONS
Q: The Kzinti Order of Battle (705.3) refers to “three carrier pods and two battle pods at start.” Since Kzintis use their pods in pairs, does this refer to pairs of pods?
A: That is an old version of the Order of Battle, before light tactical transports (which use single pods) appeared in the game. Current versions of the Order of Battle (on our website) correctly show six individual carrier pods and four individual battle pods, which can be used singly or (by a tug) in pairs.
Q: I haven’t played F&E for about 12 years, but am thinking of getting the 2010 boxed set. Have the expansion sets been updated as well for the 2010 rules, or can I use my old ones?
A: Generally speaking, all of the expansions are still 2000 edition (ISC War was done for 2010), but errata for them is online and (given that) they work quite well with the 2010 version of the basic game. The staff is working to upgrade the expansions but it took well over a year to upgrade F&E from 2000 to 2010 so please be patient.
Q: Rule (204.38) states that strategic movement capability is reduced by every starbase destroyed and not replaced, but that building extra starbases doesn’t add to your capability. So, if I build a new starbase on Turn #5, and another one gets destroyed on Turn #10, do I retain my original capability?
A: As long as your net loss is zero, then you retain your original capacity.
Q: Can Tholian ships in the raid pool move more than two hexes from Tholian territory?
A: They can do so because they won’t stay for any period of time and will return to the capital thereafter.
Q: When does the Depot reactivate (424.13) after you lose your capital? Once the shipyard is fully rebuilt? Or once you start rebuilding the shipyard?
A: If the depot is located at the capital shipyard then the depot becomes active again once the replacement shipyard is complete.
Q: Can you put ships in the depot on the turn it is complete or do you have to wait for next turn?
A: Follow the steps of the Sequence of Play and you’ll know the answer. On the turn the depot is complete, it will be completed in the Economic Phase of the SOP. The use of the depot would be available during the Combat Phase of that turn (which happens later), but not during the Production Phase, which is already over.
Q: Can an extra escort be added to a CVEG under (515.2)?
A: Yes, based upon precedence under (502.922) CVBGs. Since a legal escort carrier can add one additional escort it still meets the intent of “one additional light or escort carrier and one additional light (SC4) escort.”
Q: Does the bonus for an undevastated capital planet (523.12) apply for every planet in the capital system or just once for the main capital planet (Klinshai, Earth, etc).
A: It only applies to the capital planet, not planets in the capital system. So, only once per empire.
Q: Are Klingon and Lyran fighter HDW modules interchangeable the way KVPs and VP2/3 are?
A: No empires can share HDW modules.
Q: When the Tholians enter the war voluntarily, per (604.15) and (604.151), do they enter the war halfway through the turn (which would be at the beginning of the Alliance turn) or at the beginning of the turn (so that they can react and use reserve fleets during the Coalition turn)?
A: The Tholians cannot enter the General War prior to their phase of Turn #22 unless they are attacked earlier; see additional provisions under (503.3).
Q: Does the Hydran special supply tug (509.1O) as specified in (509.5) provide an exception to being able to move when it cannot trace a line of supply to Hydran controlled space? Rule (509.51) specifies a limited number of ship turns of supply available to be used when it and any accompanying Hydran ships are out of supply.
A: Yes. The Hydran supply tug, as long as it has supply-turns left, can supply itself and other ships stacked with it. Once it hits zero supply-turns, it no longer functions and has to be resupplied itself to function.
Q: I was able to move a Romulan ship into the Orion Enclave at hex 3012 and immediately declared internment to force the Orions to go neutral. The Federation had two police cruisers (one at each planet 2811 and 2812) which he reacted to my ship (instead of leaving the now neutral territory) and attacked my ship. As I read (503.511), is this not “reconquering”?
A: As soon the Romulan entered Orion space and activated neutrality the Federation ships have to leave. You cannot react to a ship that is activating neutrality (503.511).
Q: Do convoys building a colony (446.12) still act as a supply point?
A: No, this is similar to (412.24) NO DOUBLE DUTY: Because a tug cannot perform two missions at the same time, a tug which is setting up a mobile base cannot simultaneously function as a supply point. The same applies for building colonies.
Q: Does a convoy have to be on a Strategic Movement Node under (414.3) to be moved strategically?
A: Yes, it does. Although, unlike ships, the convoy unit is a redirection of surplus freighters to an area, the ships being released back into civilian use and the naval staff to form the new convoy need to be at a Strategic Movement Node to form the new convoy (which is, essentially, moving a convoy).
Q: When, exactly, during the Sequence of Play, is the Imperial War Reserve activated? Is it on the turn the Klingons attack the Federation and is also at war with the Hydrans and Kzintis? See above question for why it matters with respect to diplomatic income.
A: War status with another empire is checked when the player empire is determining the total number of economic points available to the empire. This is in Phase 1C. So, in a normal game with the Klingons going to war with the Federation on Turn #7, the IWR would be available for activation on Turn #7 during the Production Phase (2B). The Klingons have already decided to go to war so that’s fair.
Q: Can crippled ships use cloaks?
A: No, see (203.83) which says so. Crippled ships cannot use cloaks during evasion or operational movement.
Q: Can an operational base, moving in conjunction with friendly ships, enter a hex containing an enemy or neutral planet?
A: No, it cannot. See (453.21).
Q: The rules for Four Powers War (607.34) lists several Kzinti SC units. What are they?
A: Scout frigates with a deceptive designation so they can sneak past the Klingons.
Q: The scenario timeline says that the Tholians drop to 75% economy on Turn #26. Does that assume they entered the war (historically) on Turn #18?
A: Yes, it does. If they enter the war later, they drop to 75% economic output the same number of turns later.
Q: Rule (509.0) says that an LTT might be 1/2 or 2/3 of a tug, depending on the mission, and cannot do some missions at all. Likeways, a theater transport is 1/3 of a tug for those missions it can perform. Is that wording intended to allow me to assemble whatever combination of tugs, LTTs, and theater transports that are convenient to perform the task I need accomplished? For example, can an LTT and two theater transports build a colony?
A: In specific cases where three theater transports may be used to perform a mission, one LTT may be substituted for one of the three theater transports. This does not necessarily mean the reverse is true; one cannot argue that any number of theate transports can be substituted for an LTT or TG unless specifically allowed by the rules.
Q: What is the repair capability of a BSX?
A: This is listed in (420.42) in F&E 2010 as 4. That chart lists all of the existing bases.

MONEY TALKS
Q: Can you scrap ships without using Advanced Deficit Spending (447.0)?
A: Certainly. While the rule isn’t crystal clear, it does say that you can scrap ships whether you’re in debt or not. In effect, scrapping ships without being in debt means you have arranged for a line of deficit credit but didn’t actually use it.
Q: Can you scrap auxiliaries? The Alliance has a bunch of auxiliaries that I’d happily trade in for EPs.
A: No, auxiliaries are not ships, they are units. Only ships can be scrapped.
Q: Can I put one battle pod and one cargo pod on a Kzinti/Klingon/Lyran tug and carry five EPs somewhere? I want to blockade run some EPs but want a resilient ship if it gets intercepted.
A: Certainly! This is actually clever. Any of the tugs that use pairs of pods and account for the pods separately can do this.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Tuesday, July 16, 2013 - 05:30 pm: Edit

F&E Q&A from CL47 part 1
===

COMBAT
Q: Can the ISC use the echelon formation (324.0) in a pursuit battle (307.0) if it meets all the requirements of (324.1) and (307.2) as the pursuer or (307.3) as the pursued?
A: No. See (324.15): Echelon formations cannot be used by a Battle Force conducting a pursuit. They can be used by a Battle Force being pursued.
Q: I have a monitor in a hex with a planet, which also contains a tug upgrading a mobile base. According to (519.22) the monitor is treated as a base in regards to the approach of the planet. That being the case, I have two “bases” at the planet: the mobile base being upgraded, and the monitor. Can the monitor be the “focus of the attack” and make the tug upgrading the mobile base the “excluded” base?
A: Sorry, but no. The rules define the monitor and mobile base as “colocated” so they’re both in the battle. The situation here is that the monitor is a ship acting like a base and (with no positional stabilizers) will be as close to the base as it can be.
Q: What if a starbase with F14+2 reacts its 12 fighters out of the hex? Does that mean that it can put up an eight-point independent squadron (502.95) in two rounds of combat?
A: This represents two squadrons of fighters, one of eight factors and one of six factors. As long as the damage is taken on the six-factor squadron first, the eight-factor squadron remains. See (501.91), (501.61), and (302.452) for more information.
Q: For the purposes of the die roll to determine if pursuit is successful under (307.21), does the missing escort for a tug with carrier pods count? The missing escort obviously counts against the number of ships. I note that carriers with missing escorts (307.22) count as the actual number of ships for the die roll but as the required number of ships for formation of the pursuit force.
A: Correct, it counts against the size of the force but does not count for the die roll. (In other words, send some other ship.) This applies to any carrier rolling for pursuit. If the carrier is missing escorts below the number required by (515.2), the group takes up that minimum number of slots (that’s how the command software works, and it keeps players from using high-density unescorted carriers), but the “group” only counts the actual number of ships when checking for successful pursuit under (307.21). During pursuit, the escort spread out to expand the search area but then rejoin the carrier when the enemy is contacted.
Q: Can a single rescue tug (537.2) rescue a ship in combat, and then keep a ship out of pursuit during the pursuit battle? Or is each of those items a different rescue tug action?
A: Yes, if assigned properly one tug can attempt to save a unit in battle and then later save the same ship or another ship in pursuit. The rescue tug can attempt to save the same or another unit from the pursuit battle. Remember, it is the role that the tug is assigned and not about the unit(s) it saves.
Q: If the enemy has more ships at your capital than your whole fleet and you retreat from an adjacent hex with a smaller fleet, does that mean that the smaller fleet can’t enter its own capital because it is “outnumbered” and retreat priority 2 fails?
A: Yes, this is how retreat priority 2 works (302.732)..
Q: When determining if (310.0) Small Scale Combat can be used with a force of a carrier without escorts and two other ships which have not been previously designated as ad hoc escorts under (515.34) and (515.35), would it disqualify such a battle force from using (310.0)?
A: Players must follow rule (310.11). Small Scale Combat qualification is done in Sequence of Play Step 5—3B; ad hocs are added next in Step 5—3C, so it is not possible to use the ad hoc rule to lower one’s ComPot to qualify for SSC. The carrier may go without escorts as long as there are available command slots for the missing escorts.
Q: Is an FRD a valid target for infiltration (537.12)?
A: The rule specifically uses the term “ships” so only ships can be infiltrated. Infiltration cannot be used against non-ship units such as the following (this list is not exhaustive): FRD/FRX/PRD, a fighter factor, a PF, a CPF, an unassigned pod, a fighter depot, a diplomat, a prime team, a Marine major general, an admiral, a SWAC, a cloaked decoy, an engineer unit, a shipyard, a reserve counter, or a repair deport.
Q: About special raids...
A: Sound of whistling. (The staff is working to fix these.)
Q: How do Tholian Pinwheels (322.31) affect retreats via (302.721)? May the rest of an allied force retreat behind the cover of a surviving pinwheel?
A: So long as a pinwheel remains un-dissolved at the end of any combat round, it can cover the retreat of allied ships as outlined in (302.741).

FORMING A BATTLE FORCE
Q: Can the Federation NCV, NHA, NHV and NSV carry a SWAC shuttle (518.22)? If so, can they carry a heavy SWAC shuttle (317.31)?
A: The NCV can carry one SWAC (E2A). The NHA, NHV, and NSV, as they carried F-111s, could not use SWACs because of SFB rule (R2.113).
Q: Can a GVX be used in a CVBG (502.921)?
A: Not unless it has only X-ship escorts. A GVX can only have eligible X-ship escorts; see (523.352). A GVX in a mixed-tech CVBG would in effect share non-X-ship escorts and therefore could not be part of a mixed-tech CVBG. In theory, a CVBG could be formed if all eligible units are X-ships.
Q: Up to three APTs or PTRs (total) can be added to a battle force outside of its command limits, but only if a planet is included in the battle and only by the defending side. For purposes of this rule (529.233), could it also be used this way at a colony?
A: See (446.31) which says a colony planet is a planet for purposes of the rules concerning colonies, but cannot serve as a supply, retrograde, or strategic movement point. This would also apply to the APT/PTR limit, so no, you can’t.
Q: If a Convoy (414.5), Military Convoy (526.152), or Engineer Regiment (541.21) is assigned escorts at the beginning of the Combat Phase under (105.IW) Phase 5 Step 3C, does the loss of escorts cost the owning player a “blank” command slot for purposes of later rounds of combat?
A: Convoys and engineers units [and troop ships (521.37)] are not carriers and have no specific rules requiring escorts; they are allowed but not required. A convoy or engineer can lose an escort and just shrink and be that size during the next round.
Q: My opponent has a carrier group consisting of a SAV+ ADW+FWE. This was formed at the beginning of the Combat Phase, per (515.14). During combat, the SAV is killed and the ADW is crippled. We are now into pursuit (Phase 5, Step 8 of the SoP). Is this still considered a carrier group, giving the ADW protection by the FWE, during the pursuit combat round?
A: This rule is very clear that once a carrier group is formed in the Battle Force Determination Step (Phase 5, Step 3C of the SoP), it cannot be altered until the Pursuit Step, and then, it is permissible but not required to reorganize. This is the only time a carrier group status is changed until the end of the Combat Phase. As such, even without a “carrier” in the group, it is still a carrier group and treated as such in all ways.
Q: If a single ship scout carrier in the free scout position sends its fighter squadron to the line as an independent squadron, and that squadron is the fourth Federation squadron (502.93) in the battle force with The Third Way in effect, does that squadron count against command limits?
A: By the definition in (308.533) a scout carrier in the free scout position can send its non-hybrid fighters as an independent squadron (302.35) and therefore can be used as the fourth independent Federation squadron under The Third Way. There are only three ways to send an independent squadron to participate in a battle and be used in The Third Way:
1. From a carrier or base in an adjacent hex.
2. From a carrier in the support echelon (including bases sending fighters forward in a approach/multi-system battle).
3. From a scout carrier in the free scout position.
Q: Can an ISC HDW be in a gunline? If so, are they limited to three alongside NDDs or can all six ships of a gunline be HDWs and their variants?
A: HDWs and HWXs cannot be in a gunline (324.42) as they are treated as SC3 units and the SIT lists them as such.
Q: While any ship carrying a pod cannot be part of a battle group (315.23), what about FFTs not carrying a pod? The SITs don’t seem to be marking them as BG capable.
A: A lot of work went into making the SITs right, so if a unit has no §, it cannot be in a battle groups. LTTs and theater transports are not trained for battle group operations.

TUGS WITH CARRIER PODS
Q: Tugs with carrier pods [mission (509.1B)] or SCS pods [mission (509.1Q)] do not require escorts, but can be escorted. However, rule (515.261) says that an unescorted tug counts as two ships meaning (to me) that it does require escorts. So what is the rule? If a tug with carrier pods does require at least one escort, then the wording in (509.1) should be changed a bit as it implies that tugs could be single ship carriers.
A: This was something that was added in Fighter Operations and adding rules to earlier rules (in a different book) often gets “messy.” The rule allows tugs with carrier pods to be used in a battle force, but they count as a minimum of two ships even though they are just a single ship. Yes, this does sound contradictory, but it really isn’t. Let me give you some examples that do not include the exceptions for certain carriers in (515.2).
Example 1: You have a fleet including a tug with carrier pod(s) with six fighter factors and you want to escort it. You need to have two escorts per (515.22) at a minimum or it will count as three command slots. If it is an unescorted tug, it will just count as two slots. So, it will be either three slots with protection or two slots with no protection.
Example 2: You have a pursuit force including a tug with carrier pod(s) with 12 fighter factors and you want to use it in a pursuit battle. You can use it in unescorted mode and it will count as two slots or you can escort it and have a minimum of three escorts per (515.21).
Example 3: You have a fleet including a tug with a carrier pod with three fighters and want to use it in a battle force. It can have either one escort per (515.23) or go unescorted but it will take up two slots either way.
It should be noted that in all cases the fighters on the tug do not take up command slots and this is never a way to count command slots when the carrier is present in the battle line. Fighters fed forward in groups per (302.35) do count.
If you have escorts at the start of the battle and lose them all in battle, per (515.26) the tug reverts back to the two command slot requirement as the escorts are not required under (515.26).
Bottom line, tugs with carrier pods are no longer single ship carriers in the 2010 ruleset.
Q: Can an unescorted tug with carrier pods (515.26) use the formation bonus even if it takes two command slots?
A: The two command slot requirement is not a ship requirement and, as such, a single unescorted tug is a single ship that qualifies under (308.7) as it is not a carrier with escort requirements per (515.26). That means it counts as two ships in your command limit but can be in the formation bonus position.
Q: Do the Kzinti/Klingon tug battle pods, individually, add +2 command rating each or just one +2? While a Fed or Hydran tug battle pod adds +2 as they can only carry one, it seems to me like the Kzinti/Klingon tugs should only add +1 per pod as they carry two pods, so if they carried a battle pod and a scout pod or carrier pod, they wouldn’t have a command rating of 10. The ISC battle pod is only +1 and it’s a more recent product.
A: The command rating is increased by +2 but only one pod counts. Rule (509.34) says you use the best command rating of any one pod so there is a +2 but only one +2.

MOVEMENT
Q: Can a pinned group of ships (203.51), where an additional number of ships has moved on from after the pinning, still be considered a sub-stack that still has potential movement and thus, generate another reaction into that hex from ships that did not react initially?
Rule references associated with this question are all of (203.5) and arguments are:
1. Rule (203.51) says that pinned ships cannot resume moving if another stack later moves in, but that makes sense as you have to complete a stack’s movement before you can start another stack. Thus, we are not sure if it really implies that the pinned ships are stopped. If they are stopped by the very act of pinning, then there really is no “residual movement” of pinned ships to react to.
2. When you leave a part of your fleet behind to satisfy pinning, said pinned fleet is still moving and that when it officially stops it creates additional reaction opportunities (even though the pinned fleet can’t move out of the hex it hasn’t been declared to have stopped yet). That can matter when you are not fully pinned, so that in this instance you can decide whether to stop the pinned fleet first or move then stop the continuing fleet first. That decision can affect reactions considerably.
A: When units are pinned they are FORCED to stop ALL operational movement because the enemy took an action to stop any further movement of the pinned units. There is nothing to decide here as the enemy has done it for you. The only decision is to decide which ships are left behind to satisfy the pinning requirement. “Pinned” means: to hold, press, hold fast, hold down; restrain, pinion, immobilize. Once a unit is pinned it is no longer capable of using operational movement; any remaining operational movement pulses are lost for the pinned unit.
Q: Can two uncrippled ships (each with a defense factor of seven or more) tow an FRD (421.23) as part of a retreat?
A: Yes, they are treated as a tug alternate under (509.1-F).
Q: Rule (509.1-F) states that tugs performing other missions cannot also tow an FRD, and that an unassigned tug or LTT can be assigned this mission during the retreat step, but I never found an enabling ruling allowing the alternate tug [two eligible ships (421.23)] to tow it during the retreat step.
A: Consider them enabled.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Tuesday, July 16, 2013 - 05:30 pm: Edit

F&E Q&A from CL47 part 2
===
UPGRADES AND CONVERSIONS
Q: Can a tug or LTT in conjunction with an engineer (541.33D) upgrade a base as a two-step upgrade, i.e., BATS to STB to SB? I note that two LTTs can upgrade a BATS to SB under (509.1-J2) and (516.21-J).
A: With the 2010 revision of the rules, base upgrades are done differently than in the past. You now have an expanded hierarchy of upgrades. They are MB/OPB to BS to BATS to STB to SB. Using an LTT or ENG you can get one level of movement. Using a tug (509.1-J2) you can improve two levels already, so adding an ENG to a tug you still only get two levels of upgrade. If you added an ENG to a LTT and paid for two levels, the ENG can help the LTT do this. If you want the ENG bonus you need to have it do it by itself and go one level at a time.
Q: The ISC can convert a CVS/CV to a BCV according to the SIT. Does such a conversion under (433.0) cost the ISC an allowed carrier build?
A: We had to go back to the designer on this one since nobody knew why he inserted the rule that a Kzinti CVL converted to a CV counts as a carrier build. He intended that to be a general rule, so any conversion of a carrier to another kind of carrier counts if the ship gains fighter factors in the deal.
Q: This is a question on multiple conversions.
Rule (433.19) in F&E2K10 says: A major” conversion (at the capital starbase) can make up to three conversions so long as the total cost is less than five economic points.
Rule (450.52) in PO says: The capital starbase (433.12) or “major conversion facility” (450.12) can make two or three conversions in a single turn as long as the total cost of those conversions is five EPs or less.
The key difference is “less than five” vs. “five or less.”
A: The 2010 rules should say “five or less.” The designer has repeatedly apologized for sloppy rules writing in earlier editions. These days, the staff (which includes Jean) don’t allow such sloppy wording (except they missed that one).
Q: Rule (523.115) states that conversions of allowed regular warships into X-ships must take place at an SBX. The costs for the majority of such eligible conversions are more than three points. Is such a conversion considered to be a major conversion that can only be done at the capital?
A: No, any SBX can do it. See (523.424).
Q: Could a Sector Base (452.0) convert a single Romulan modular SparrowHawk or SkyHawk under (433.432) when moving during the (3B2) Operational Movement Step?
A: Rule (452.11) specifically states what STBs do with other empire’s special abilities such as the Federation SWACs and Klingon SFGs. There is no mention of Romulan module conversions, so, no, they cannot do this.
Q: Can the Romulans use Conversion During Repair (425.2) to gain an one EP discount converting a FH to a NH or a FHB to a NHB? Rule (425.25) Hull Types Conversion During Repair says they do not gain a discount when changing the hull type. On the 2012 SITs the NH is listed as a "Super Heavy Cruiser" and the FH as a “Heavy Cruiser” but this is just a conversion from a CA to a CC. Should the Romulans get their discount or not?
A: They can have their discount. Look at the base hull of the FH and NH. Both are FH(3) under the base hull listings in the SIT, so you are not changing the hull type.
Q: Several FH-to-NHx and the FH-to-SUB conversions have the "double-dagger" two step discount marking, implying that the FH and NH are different base hull types. The SIT is internally inconsistent on this point with regards to conversion during repair. Can you explain?
A: The double dagger ‡ two-step FireHawk conversions are all related to the SuperHawks not the NovaHawks. The exceptions are related to SPx-to-NHx. Remember, the SIT is very specific and a specific rule always trumps a general rule.

ECONOMICS
Q: Can an HDW (525.21) be produced at a starbase (431.52) or MSY-DW yard (450.1) in place of the standard DW?
A: Sorry, but no. HDWs can only be produced at SBs via the Y178+ War Destroyer construction rule (442.53) and using any available conversion capacity of that SB. HDWs are not on the list of approved starbase DW substitutions.
Q: Can you use strategic movement to place a colony?
A: No. You would have to use strategic movement on a previous turn to arrive at an eligible colony hex then, by rule (446.1) during the Operational Movement Phase, the first payment of colonial development occurs.
Q: How many Free Fighter Factors do empires receive on Turn #1? Or on Turn #6 or Turn #12?
A: When a scenario starts on a fall turn, then you use (442.63) and use ½ your normal yearly allotment rounded up.
Q: Does (431.37) let you build a unit before its YIS date?
A: No; rule (431.37) does not create an exception.
Q: Rule (541.11) states that initial engineer units are activated on the first turn an empire is actually at war. The Order of Battle has the initial engineer units listed with the at start forces for convenience. Does the engineer unit just pop up when an inactive empire is invaded? Or must the newly activated empire wait for their first production phase to activate it?
A: Engineer units are activated during the Production Phase of any turn in which an empire is at war (e.g., the first turn). The problem with being attacked is that your units aren’t ready.
Q: The ISC can build minor shipyards, so can I assume that a CL is their CW and their DD is their DW for that purpose?
A: Yes. See page 2 of the ISC War rulebook.
Q: Can minor shipyards be built at a captured major planet? At a starbase in captured territory? In annexed territory?
A: Rule (450.13) says that it can’t be in foreign territory.
Q: While performing a selected mission from (541.33), is an engineer unit able to perform any or all of the listed missions of (541.34) which simply states “In addition to the above missions”?
A: Rule (541.31) implies that it performs one mission a turn, so, just one mission from either (541.33) or (541.34) per turn.

WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN?
Q: In the SIT what products are “TO” and “NO”?
A: “TO” stands for Tactical Operations, a place for any ship that we might add sometime, perhaps in a product of that name or perhaps some units would go into other products. “NO” means Nebulous Operations, a catch-all place for any ship that just isn’t needed in F&E and will probably never be added to the game.
Q: How are the units treated after the heading for the different products? For example, it says “AO: FD7, D5J, D5S, 3xE4, E4R, ADM.” What exactly does that mean?
A: It literally means that if you are using Advanced Operations, then you add those ships to the order of battle.
Q: Does “unbuilt variant” in the Ship Information Tables mean something or is it simply a textual note?
A: This comes from SFB and means that empire had the capability to build an unbuilt variant but didn’t do that for some reason. The empire did not know how to build “conjectural” units, but gamers might want to. In any given game the players must decide if they will stop at historical, unbuilt, or conjectural ships.
Q: If the Hydrans lose their capital, build a new one off map, then recapture the old one, then lose the old one, then does (511.41) capital defense priority apply?
A: No. The “capital” is now off map and (511.41) is moot.

RUNNING THE BLOCKADE
Q: Can a blockade runner that decides to end its turn in the hex it targeted be intercepted as any normal raid on a particular hex (nearby ships reacting on it, including free police ships)?
A: Any ship on a blockade run can be intercepted only one time along the path it traveled, but it could be any of those hexes. This includes the hex it targeted. See (320.54) for details.
Q: Will a blockade runner that is on a one-way blockade run then block supply and other paths for the rest of the turn at the target hex? It seems strange to think that a blockade runner can block supply for a whole enemy fleet, leaving it vulnerable to a whole lot of hammering.
A: Since the target hex must be a friendly or neutral hex per (320.511) and normal rules that allow for blocking of supply and other paths are met, then, yes. Don’t leave open enemy space behind you.
Q: What determines “friendly hex” when it comes to a blockade runner targets? Surely the same empire, but what if it is conquered territory?
A: See (102.0) Basic Terms: FRIENDLY: This refers to a unit or hex which is owned by forces of the same empire or an allied empire.

WEB OF LIES
Q: Rule (439.15) states that ships destroyed when trapped in a web only give Tholians salvage if the Tholians keep the hex. However, if they destroy a ship in the web, losing the hex or not, should the attacker get any salvage at all? After all, these hulks surely wouldn’t be left intact after any combat round or a retreat.
A: Yes, the salvage from any ships destroyed while trapped in the web is calculated at the end of the combat phase for that particular hex. It is recommended that a space on the gaming table be designated for the storage of ships destroyed in the web for a particular hex and then, at the end of the combat phase, when ownership of the hex has been determined, the salvage can be calculated and awarded to the owner of the hex.
Q: Can a tug perform Mission W Rescue from the support echelon on a self-killed unit that was stuck in a Tholian web?
A: No, see rule (537.223).
Q: While Tholians cannot send ships to another empire to build webs (512.4), what if they take over a planet outside of Tholian space? Would a planet and/or any base there then gain the web as well?
A: If the base has a supply path to Tholian territory, yes.
Q: Do ships that die while trapped in a Tholian web Generate Salvage (439.0) for the attacker?
A: Enemy units that are destroyed while conducting combat trapped (512.32) inside of a Tholian web do not yield salvage for the attacking player unless the attacker fails to meet the requirement of (439.15).
Q: Do ships that die while trapped in a Tholian web get a depot (424.0) roll?
A: No (512.32); the specialists cannot reach the ship.

THOSE POOR CONQUERED THOLIANS
Q: If the Tholians lose their Dyson Sphere (511.2), can they build a new capital/shipyard somewhere else?
A: It will have to be at a starbase within the original Tholian space per (511.31).
Q: If the Coalition sends a truly massive force and destroys all Tholian supply points in a single turn, while also capturing the Tholian capital (511.2), are the Tholians toast? Under the literal wording of (511.31) the Tholians may not designate a new capital at all, because of the “must be in original home territory” provision cannot be satisfied.
A: If every hex of Tholian space is occupied, the Tholians are conquered. By rule, they cannot create a new capital until some of their space is liberated. Any ships left would have to be adopted by allies as homeless ships or be out of supply permanently. In either case, with or without help from allies, they could try to recapture some part of their space and build a new capital there. This applies to any empire, but the Tholians are uniquely vulnerable to it because they have a very small empire with no off-map area where they can hide.
Q: If the Tholian capital is attacked on Turn #10, before they are at war, is there any way to build/create things like prime teams, APT/PTRs, POLs, or other non-standard type units during the enemy’s turn using deficit spending and/or salvage?
A: As they are not at war until they are attacked and have no source of diplomatic income, there isn’t much they can do other than place their PWC as best they can and survive the onslaught, if they can. It takes time to gear up for war, and if you can destroy them in one turn, you can prevent them from gearing up. This is true of any empire but only the Tholians are small enough for a one-turn blitzkrieg to really work.
Q: Let us suppose that 36 Tholian ships escaped the destruction and capture of all of Tholian space. Twelve ships could be adopted by the Federation immediately as homeless (410.5). If the Gorn adopt 12, and the Kzintis then adopt the last 12, would those ships be considered in supply for their trips back to Kzinti/Gorn space?
A: Yes, as long as each empire adopting had a supply path along that route.
Q: Can the Gorns adopt 12 homeless Tholian ships even though they are not yet at war?
A: The Gorn player would have to have some source of income to pay for the six economic points required for this, e.g. (540.23), but yes, per (410.5).
Q: If the Tholians are completely pushed out of their home space (503.3), could the Federation cede them a province and planet that they could then use as a home through (448.1), even though they own nothing adjacent? This would then give them "territory" and if they could magically make 90 EP appear, they could build a new shipyard for their impressive production schedule (i.e., four PC hulls per turn).
A: While a good idea to help out the poor Tholians, who are galactic invaders by the way (448.13), the adjacency clause requires the Tholians to have adjacent territory to the Federation to receive this ceded province. Without any territory, they cannot meet that requirement. The Tholians could capture a neutral zone hex adjacent to Federation space and then meet that requirement. If the Klingons don’t destroy the Tholians in the first shot (but do put the Tholians in a tiny surviving area) the Federation could cede them a province.
Q: Suppose the Klingons capture 2219 and reactivate their old colonies, then the Feds capture the hex. What happens? Are the Klingon colonies now captured and pay EPs to the Feds? Can the Feds liberate Tholia but keep the Klingon colonies?
A: The Klingon colonies (511.223) only function under Klingon control. The Federation could cede the hex to the Tholians.
Q: Can one or more crippled ships be included in the initial formation of a pinwheel?
A: Nothing within (322.2) prohibits this.

WHEN CAN I GO TO WAR, DADDY?
Q: I can’t find anything mentioning when the Federation 5th Fleet is released. Sure, it has a detachment of most of the fleet that can leave when the Klingons attack, but the last few ships are stuck in an unreleased status apparently until the end of time.
A: On Turn #10 Spring Y173 or later, it is released if the Romulans enter Federation territory or adjacent neutral zones. It would also be released if the Gorns attack the Federation.
Q: If the Romulans don’t attack the Federation on Turn #10 and the Gorns go to limited war, is a declaration of war or an attack on the Tholians the same as declaring war on the Federation?
A: No. The only thing attacking the Tholians at this time will do is put the Federation on a limited war status which they will already be at. The Kzinti and Gorns will be able to send expeditionary fleets to Tholian space to assist the Tholians.
Q: If the Romulans don’t attack the Federation on Turn #10 (603.5) and the Gorns go to limited war, what about capturing of neutral zones?
A: The capture by the coalition of any neutral zones adjacent to the Federation or Gorns is a declaration of war against the respective empire.
Q: If the Romulans don’t attack the Federation on Turn #10 and the Gorns go to limited war (603.5), is an attack on an adjacent minor planet (e.g., 3912) an attack on the Federation?
A: Yes it is.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Wednesday, March 19, 2014 - 11:13 am: Edit

F&E Q&A from CL48

CONVERSIONS
Q: Under rule (523.424) an X-starbase can convert standard warships to X-ships regardless of the conversion cost. Under (450.17) minor shipyards can produce X-ships as long as the base hull type produced is allowed in that type of shipyard. Would a major conversion yard be capable of converting standard warships to X-ships as any base hull type can be converted in that yard? Or would a major conversion yard be capable of converting an X-ship to an X-variant of the base X-hull? This might be a stretch, but the rule does not say in regards to conversion and I would like to know if this possible.
A: There is no enabling rule that permits a major or minor conversion facility to perform X-conversions. Also the last part of (523.115) limits such conversions to the SBXs: "Such conversions can only be performed by an SBX." As such, major or minor conversion facilities under (450.1) may NOT perform X-conversions. For what it’s worth, there was considerable debate when the "conversion facility" rule was written about the idea of an "X-conversion facility" and it was not approved.
Q: Can a captured war cruiser (any empire) be converted into a new heavy cruiser (same empire)? Also are variants except for survey cruiser variants available?
Rule Reference: (305.231) [excerpted] A captured ship refitted and put into use is considered a ship of the new owning player for all purposes (except that a ship of one empire cannot be converted into a variant of the capturing empire’s equivalent ship, but only into a variant of the original owner).
Explanation: A DW is not a variant of a FF; nor is an NCA a variant of a CW. A true variant installs/replaces weapons and other systems compatible within a given base hull but does not change the base hull. The capturing empire simply does not have the luxury of researching and developing a base hull conversion for one-off conversions of captured ships.
A: No, you are converting the ship to a new base hull type and you do not have the design infrastruture to do it. Changing a CW to a CWS simply requires changing the equipment installed in the hull, and you already make the new kind of equipment. Changing a CW to an NCA requires a new hull structure that you have no way to build. (OK, in theory you could hand-build just about anything, but it would cost far more than building a new NCA of your own design from scratch.)

PRODUCTION
Q: Rule (518.12) states "SWACs can only be produced in the original Federation capital shipyard." So if the Federation loses the capital and rebuilds the capital shipyard off map, the only way to build SWACS again is to recapture Earth and rebuild the shipyard there. Is this correct?
A: Yes, this is correct.
Q: I realize that (441.444) specifically states "Kzinti" in the rule for Heavy Fighter Modules (defining a cost of 2+8), but it seems to me that this would cover any empire using the 3rd Way in games that it is allowed.
A: Any player empire that is qualified to pursue the 3rd Way either in stock or custom scenarios that wishes to add Heavy Fighter Modules will pay the same price (2+8).

CAPITAL ASSAULTS
Q: During a capital assault, after the defending forces are split, can (501.61) be used to transfer fighters from a carrier or FCR in one system to a carrier in another system? This question would also apply to PFs and G-factors since they transfer like fighters. I cite rule: "(501.61) BETWEEN ROUNDS: Ships and bases of the same empire in the same hex can transfer fighters between each other between Combat Rounds as long as the receiving unit has the capacity to hold the fighters. For example, a Federation FV group in the Reserve might give up its fighters to a CVB group in the Battle Force, allowing it to remain at full strength. Carriers which transfer fighters to other carriers are not in or supporting the Battle Force and cannot be attacked. In the case of Federation SWAC shuttles see (518.32)."
My opponent says that (511.54) would prohibit such transfer from occurring.
I further cite rule: "(511.54) STEP 4: The Defending Player takes his static fleet and deploys it in the boxes of the first column in any or all of the system boxes; he can divide the ships or put them all in one system. Each ship/group can only be in one system. (Defense limited units must be assigned to specific planets.) These units cannot leave the system they are deployed in. If they do, they must retreat from the capital hex (if they can). Individual defending ships and groups can retreat from a capital hex [this is an exception to (302.72) which requires a simultaneous withdrawal by all forces], but they must all go to the same hex. Monitors (519.0) are assigned to the fixed defenses of whatever planet they are assigned to and must be included in the Battle Force (and they use a command slot)."
A: A ship or base cannot per (511.54 Step 4) move from one static location to another. This is a political limitation not a limitation on the assets on such ships/bases. These are typically the things that are kept track of like coinage in the hex in question. There are only so many non-PDU fighters/PFs/Gs/etc. in a hex (which are not counted in this as they are not ships or bases by definition). They are freely exchangeable per (501.61) between rounds at the player’s discretion. (511.54 Step 4), again, only limits the ships/groups. There is nothing in this rule limiting the coinage elements of the ships that are freely exchangeable.
Q: I am confused by the capital defense rule (511.531).
A: Well, we all are.
Q: Ahem, the capital defense rule requires the player to divide his fleet between static and mobile forces. While carriers must be divided as equally as possible, it has been ruled that a carrier in the static force could transfer its fighters to an empty carrier in the mobile force. How does this affect the original division of ships into static and mobile forces? Do we have to assume that the fighters on all static force ships count against the mobile forces where they will probably end up?
A: That isn’t necessary, and can’t be done that way in any event. Fighters count as part of the ship they are on. Once the division is done, it is done, and a later transfer of fighters from the static to the mobile group has no effect on the division that was done earlier.
Q: When dividing the ships into static and mobile groups under (511.531) what do I do about escorts? If I have one carrier with its usual escorts and one carrier that lost its escorts in combat, do I have to split up the escorts so that neither can form a legal carrier group?
A: Rule (511.537) says that carrier escorts are counted as a base hull, so if you have five CWs, two CWDs (drone), one CWE (escort), and two CWGs (commando), you put five CW-hulls in each group. If you’re careful, you can be sure to place the building blocks of a carrier group where you need them. In your example of the two carriers, you could keep the existing group intact by simply placing equivalent hull types in the other group. That said, it is theoretically possible to imagine a situation in which a carrier might not have enough escorts.

WHAT GOES WITH WHAT, AND WHERE DOES IT GO?
Q: Regarding a carrier that conducts a (319.00) offensive fighter strike or whose fighters conduct a (205.7) reaction, is the carrier part of the (302.563) support echelon?
A: If the fighters are in an adjacent hex, then no, it can’t be.
Q: Does the last phrase of (601.12) "The ships left behind cannot count non-ship units, slow units, or auxiliaries," mean that the ships left behind MUST contain the slow/non ships or that these do not count as part of the six ships?
A: The six ships have to be red-blooded ships, not some other kind of trash units. It means that such listed units do not satisfy the requirement of six ships. Leave them or move them, whatever you want to do or tactically need to do, but they don't count for the requirement of six ships.
Q: Rule (322.43) says that Carrier Groups (515.0) can only enter pinwheels as individual ships losing all group benefits. Does the carrier have to be escorted? Can you make any escorts part of the pinwheel to fulfill the requirement?
A: If the carrier is in the pinwheel for the combat round, it does not have to be escorted as the specific rule (322.43) takes precedence over the general rule (515.0). This includes the requirement for escorts and the number of command slots taken up. Also, per (322.43) the Tholian player can break up carrier groups between combat rounds if they want to use those ships in pinwheel(s). You can include any escorts, but they are considered stand-alone ships and not part of a group, fall under rule (515.543), and are limited in their offensive ability.

THE MEANING OF NEUTRALITY
Q: What does "occupied" mean in the context presented in rule (503.622)?
A: It means you occupy the hex with a combat ship (including police ships), a base, or a planet-based unit. A group of fighters on an independent mission cannot occupy a hex, neither can a convoy or small transport (even if carrying an admiral, diplomat, prime team, or general). A logistics task force has enough ships in it to "occupy" a hex. Also note that rule (503.622) also provides ways to "capture" the ship, meaning for example that a hex is "captured" if one of your warships simply passed through the hex and no enemy ship has passed through the hex after that time. We could not find a rule stating that you lost the income of a captured neutral zone hex because an enemy ship moved into an adajcent hex, but that ship could prevent the initial "capture" of the hex.
Q: Regarding rule (540.253): Do neutral planets which are allied with an empire (for example, Sherman’s Planet in 1910) accumulate economic points when not at war? My opinion is that they don’t accumulate economic points, but my opponent says that they do. There are conflicting rules on this, such as:
"(540.15) PEACETIME: Diplomatic teams function for empires at peace, so the Federation and Gorns could each use one of their teams to negotiate trade deals with each other and raise some money that could be spent during the pre-war period or saved for later."
"(540.2) [Last line]...Any EPs generated by diplomatic teams may be spent by the owning empire even if at peace."
"(540.251) [Extracted] ...Note that if the planet joins your empire, it is treated as a part of the adjoining fleet and if that fleet is inactive, the new planet is in an inactive fleet area, but defenses can still be added to the planet and it produces income for the gaining empire..."
A: Once diplomats persuade a neutral planet to join their empire the income of the new planet is treated as "normal" income for that empire under the economic conditions for that empire; it is in no way considered "diplomatic" income.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Wednesday, March 19, 2014 - 11:14 am: Edit

F&E RULES AND RULINGS from CL48

(205.141) This rule states that crippled units may not use reaction movement. Players asked if a crippled carrier could react its fighters. This was not an obvious or simple question. To be sure, it could, but what are a few fighters going to do when they get there? Rule (501.9) allows fighters from disparate carriers to be combined for pinning purposes, but there are no rules allowing fragmentary squadrons from different carriers to be combined for other purposes. That being the case, they cannot be combined. Therefore, the ruling is that only a crippled carrier with six fighter factors could send them as a reaction force in this way. There is no special exception for CVEGs, which can combine fragmentary squadrons from the two crippled carriers for purpose of combat and pinning, but not reaction.
(305.231) A captured ship cannot be converted into a new base-hull type, so a CW could not be converted to an NCA or a DW to an HDW.
(314.23) As a special exception, the "one going to a province" rule does not prevent two allied empires (for example, the Klingons and Lyrans, just to randomly pick two allied empires that just happen to be adjacent to the WYN Cluster) from both sending a ship to the WYN Cluster on the same turn.
(320.512) This rule is intended to allow a ship to drop off and/or pick up economic points from the target hex. The latest version of the Sequence of Play provides for this in (3A-4H).
(411.4) Trade with the WYN Cluster is a complicated matter. A ship that ends the turn in the Cluster is given enough supplies by the WYN to leave the Cluster, but once it has left, it is subject to the normal supply rules. Therefore, the ship must be able to obtain supplies in the hex it enters when leaving the Cluster or it is out of supply and treated as such.
(450.13) FEAR previously issued a ruling that (450.13) was intended to prohibit the construction of a minor shipyard in any capital hex, not just the "capital shipyard hex." (That would include the second Romulan capital and the second and third Gorn capitals.) This ruling was appealed based on the theory that the "intent of the rule" was merely to keep it out of a "capital shipyard hex." That "intent" was apparently inferred when the designer casually chided a player that the rule was there to keep him from expanding his capital shipyard.
FEAR referred the matter to the game designer who, after reflection, decided that whether or not he originally thought about hexes of a multi-capital system, it is a good thing that the rule prohibit minor shipyards from being built in any capital hex.
(537.12) INFILTRATION: Once per turn, one resistance movement on one planet can attempt to infiltrate one of the ships (not bases) at the planet's location. (Note that this is one attack per turn not one attack per planet per turn.) The attacker first designates three targets (which must be any three ships with the lowest defense factors) then the defender may (but is not required) designate up to three of the other remaining ships if available (if less than six targets are available then selections are limited to those ships; no selection may be identical). Roll two dice; if the result is an "11" or "12," a ship is destroyed. If the result is a "10," a ship is crippled (a crippled ship would be destroyed). Any other result has no effect. Roll one die to determine which of the designated targets was infiltrated. This cannot attack an unbreakable group such as a convoy, an SAF, or an LTF. This allows one resistance movement per empire.
(603.UF1) The Romulans in Sector "F" lose all production and generated cash to the Romulans fighting in Sector "E" for Turns #10-#12.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Monday, August 04, 2014 - 03:36 pm: Edit

CL#49: F&E: Q&A
by Mike Curtis, FEAR

ABBREVIATIONS
BATS (battlestation), CWL (war cruiser leader), E&S (Espionage & Sabotage, a prime team mission), FEAR (F&E Answer Rapporteur), G.O.D. (game’s overworked designer), NZ (neutral zone), OOB (order of battle), PDU (planetary defense unit), POL (police cutter), RDF (residual defense factor), RDU (residual defense unit), SIT (Ship Information Table), SOP (Sequence of Play).

CALL THE COPS!
Q: Can a police ship be called up in captured territory as long as the hex in question is in supply from the main grid and was original territory?
A: Note carefully that the hex itself must be in supply before placement of any police ships is done. The placement of all police ships is done simultaneously; one cannot place a police ship to open a wider supply path for another police ship during the same turn.
Q: So you’re saying the supply for the target hexes intended to receive POLs have their supply evaluated simultaneously prior to placing all of the POLs in that phase/step?
A: This is consistent with a previous ruling on the subject and the SOP. Consider the steps:
(105.IW) 1A2 Evaluate Supply Status.
(105.IW) 2B3 Call up and place police ships (531.12).
There is no chance to reevaluate supply until (105.IW) 3B1.
Q: According to rule (531.122) an additional police vessel can be built “counting them against frigate production.”
Is this “normal' production” (subbing for a production FF) or “any” production [allowing a FF (min) yard to produce the POL as a FF variant]?
A: According to rule (450.12) POLs can be substituted for a frigate but only if they are the same hull type as the yard builds.
Q: According to rule (531.44) police carriers are allowed to make fighter strikes. Can they perform a fighter strike into a neutral zone hex?
A: No ships ever leave your territory, so, yes.

ARE WE OVERREACTING?
Q: If an enemy fleet is two hexes away from your Fleet Alpha and moves parallel to your position, and if your fleet Alpha contains a scout, then your fleet Alpha is permitted via reaction movement to move one hex toward the enemy fleet, and then react again to enter its hex. But if you have a second force, Fleet Beta, which only had to react one hex and has completely pinned the enemy fleet (so it does not move again) can Fleet Alpha enter that battle hex with its second hex of movement even though the enemy fleet did not move again?
A: According to rule (205.33) regardless of how an enemy force comes to a stop in a hex, a force of eligible reacting units may use extended reaction movement to enter the hex of the now stopped unit. So Fleet Alpha can enter that hex whether Fleet Beta pinned the enemy or the enemy just stopped on his own account.
Q: The Klingons have captured NZ planet 1506 and have a squadron there. Kzintis attack the BATS in 1507, and the entire Klingon squadron reacts to that battle. The NZ planet becomes independent again and an RDU magically appears there. Can the Kzintis, leaving 1507, do a fighting retreat to 1506, destroy the RDU, and then retreat on to 1505?
A: This has been clarified before. An RDU is not a unit. In fact, it hasn’t been called an RDU since 2009 and was changed to RDF in the 2010 rulebook. As such it does not block retreats or pursuit and you can’t just attack them for the sake of attacking them. This applies to fighting retreats as they do not block retreats which is a requirement for the fighting retreat to happen, per (302.77).

A ROSIE SCENARIO
Q: Does the Four Powers War use the base F&E map as printed? It seems to me there is some room for fiddling in Hydran territory and along the Klingon-Tholian border at that time. Additionally, is the introductory write-up and subsequent scenario historically accurate and integrated into canon?
A: Yes and yes. The only difference on the map is a bunch of the BATSs are actually BSs at this time. Which ones are specified in the new scenario. The borders in question are correct on the base F&E map for the Four Powers period.
Q: In the Winds of Fire scenario (617.B1), do the planets with one PDU have a heavy fighter half-squadron on them? These planets were liberated before the start of the scenario but after the deployment of heavy fighters under (530.212). Do the bases outside of the capital hex have heavy fighter squadrons on them? The bases were established after the deployment of heavy fighters under (530.212)
A: You can assume the Kzintis put the heavy fighters on them as that is the level of PDU technology available.

SHIPS OF FOOLS
Q: The OOB for the Romulans says that the Romulans are able to convert only one KRS. Does this include additional D6Ss that the Klingons might sell to the Romulans where the conversion would not be from the KR to the KRS, but instead from Klingon to Romulan tech?
A: Rule (317.4) specifically limits the Romulans to no more than one KRS in service at any given time, and for now, that’s where it stands. One might assume that in a non-historical war between the Romulans and Klingons a captured ship could be converted, but given the hard rule (317.4) a captured D6S would have to be converted to a standard KR.
Q: Are empires other than the Klingons and Romulans permitted to sell, give, or exchange ships to their allies and then convert them for three EPs (the cost of captured ship conversions and Klingon/Romulan conversions)? For example, could the Lyrans sell DWEs to the Klingons, and the Klingons then convert them for three EPs each, to get a better small escort?
A: Other than provisions for Kestrel transfers, sale of ships to the WYN, and specified transfers of units to empires, there is no provision in F&E that permits any other units or equipment to be transferred to another empire. In theory, a house rule at your table, or a special scenario rule, might allow that. I did check with G.O.D. but he was unwilling to add such a “sell a ship” system, saying that the logistics of spare parts would be impossible.
Q: Is it permissible when scuttling a carrier to transfer the fighters to another carrier as part of a new carrier build or a carrier conversion? For example, could one scuttle an FV and use its four fighter factors as part of the fighter factors necessary to convert a D6V to a D6U?
A: There is no provision allowing this to happen. Once fighters are on a carrier, there they stay or they go away once the carrier is salvaged. This was built into the “fighter annuity” system and to allow such things would unbalance the system.
Q: According to rule (506.5) the Gorns can roll for activation of ships from the off-map area. Can they decide not to activate an off-map ship on a given turn (delaying the activation until later when they can presumably afford it better) or is the activation die roll mandatory?
A: There is no requirement that the activation charge be paid immediately but the Gorn player must pay the activation charge before the ship is allowed to be used on map. This activation charge could be paid on a later turn but since it is a refit it can only be paid for during the Gorn’s production phase. Delaying the activation charge of released off-map Gorn ships does not prevent future activation die rolls for other ships on following turns.
Q: Under rule (303.5) do CWLs only exist in combat, or if you have three or more CWs in a given hex, can you assume one is a CWL for the purposes of its increased command rating even when it is not in combat, perhaps to establish a reserve fleet?
A: This rule (303.5) specifically states that it is used when forming a battle force so you cannot assume a CWL is present for a reserve designation.
Q: Can the Lyrans build a new survey cruiser (NSR) and fit it with two Klingon-type scout pods? Does it generate six EW points? (The NSR has two EW points and each pod generates two, which in my accounting says six EP total.)
A: This is a SIT reference and the SITs are part of the rules. The SIT limits it to a maximum of four EW points.
Q: Are the Lyrans permitted to build the SCS even though they are never permitted to build a CVA?
A: Yes they are. The can build one per year (502.72) and doing so takes up a CV build slot.
Q: Is there a generic Free Trader in F&E?
A: Not specifically, but there is the Prime Trader (PTR) which is effectively the same thing. Any time you want to know if a ship exists check the online SITs which list all of the ships.
Q: Is there any provision in F&E for the use of remote-controlled fighters as detailed in SFB Module J2?
A: There is no such provision in the rules; this level of detail is abstracted within F&E.

A CAPITAL IDEA
Q: According to rule (511.5), during a capital assault the attacker is required to reveal his battle force prior to the defender in Step 5. The defender then makes his/her battle force in Steps 6 and 7. Is the attacker required to identify all aspects of his/her battle force (command point use, MMG mission, rescue tug assignment, drone bombardment, etc.) or only the ships and units that will be present in the battle force?
A: The full battle force must be revealed, including all of those questions. This is part of the “home field” advantage of defending a capital. How certain ships such as commando ships or maulers are used later is up to the attacker and not revealed.
Q: It is Turn #7. The Hydrans have lost their capital but are still on the map. Do the Hydrans receive the Hydran Guild Treasury Bonus (442.42) at five EP a turn, as they’re not all off-map? My opponent says that the rule about the IC implies that they do not receive the bonus. I content that the IC rule has nothing to do with the Guild bonus.
A: Regardless of whether the Hydran shipyard was captured, the Hydrans receive the Guild bonus starting no earlier than Turn #7 (or later) once the Federation enters full war status as an enemy of the Klingons.

THE PRIME RATE
Q: Can a wounded Prime Team (522.5) be restored to full status at any time? The rules make mention of being able to move it via strategic movement and it can be restored, but that it cannot leave the capital again that same turn
A: This rule implies that the wounded team can be “healed” at any time, but restricting them to the capital for the remainder of the turn. There is no shipyard requirement. So, yes, you can “heal” a wounded prime team at any time they reach the capital with or without a shipyard.
Q: Under rule (534.224), a successful E&S mission destroys half of a given carrier’s fighters. How does that interact with CVAs that have two squadrons, CVDs that operate a very large squadron, or other special cases?
A: You do just what it says and destroy one half of the fighters, rounded down, for all carriers. You are looking for special cases where there are none. Remember, though, the destroyed fighters are replaced during the normal Sequence of Play.
Q: In reference to (522.0) and (534.3), does a prime team assigned to the target ship in the previous combat phase modify the success roll of such a mission?
A: Defensive missions for prime teams are assigned in Phase 2B7 in the SoP. E&S missions are in step 3A-2B. Prime teams can be moved to any friendly unit in 5-6X5. The defensive missions are assigned in your player turn, though. So, you would need to assign them as a defensive mission during your Production Phase to protect a target from an E&S mission in the following player turn.

FREEZE! PUT YOUR HANDS UP!
Q: Under rule (312.233), a Klingon stasis ship is trying to freeze ships in an enemy battle force consisting of CVL+CLE+EFF CVL+CLE+EFF (six ships). The freeze attempt on the first carrier group resulted in random targeting, and on the second group it succeeded. For random selection, which ships are eligible for selection by the Klingon player? Rule (312.233) says the original target cannot be selected. Rule (312.271) says only the smallest unfrozen escort can be selected by the attacker for random targeting. Does this mean that the CLE of the second carrier group is the only eligible unit for random targeting?
A: Under (312.202), if the result is a randomly selected ship, the procedure in (312.232) is resolved immediately. Under (312.233), neither player can select the original target of that attempt or a ship already frozen by a previous attempt. This trumps all further random selection procedures. Since the SFG player can only select one eligible ship from each carrier group (the smallest unfrozen ship — one of which was the original target) he is left with only the smallest unfrozen ship of the other carrier group. The SFG player would use all three of his random numbers on the other, non-frozen escort (barring an optional fighter or PF selection). The defender can then only select one CLE from each group and one of those CLEs will have two numbers.
Q: Under (312.232) is the Klingon player forced to assign numbers for fighter factors if there are fewer than three eligible ships that can be assigned numbers for random selection?
A: The SFG player is never required to select enemy fighters or PFs as SFG random target nominees even if there are limited numbers of eligible ship targets.

THOSE PESKY THOLIANS
Q: Rule (503.33) states that the Tholians may not move more than two hexes outside their territory “including neutral zone hexes.” Does this inclusion mean that the neutral zone hexes are included in their territory (solely for this calculation) or are they part of the two hexes distance they may enter?
A: They are not included in Tholian territory but are part of the distance that the Tholians can move. They are stuck there, unless supported by (503.331).
Q: What happens when the Tholian bases are destroyed and their planets and all of their territory is captured? Do they fade away into history, or do they operate like the Free French or something? I would argue that if all Tholian space is captured, there is no Tholian space and (503.33) no longer applies.
A: This is an interesting question, as there are no rules to create a “Free Tholia” operation. Frankly, we’re not going to create such rules or a player seeing the Klingon Fleet of Devastation coming across the border would simply have all ships run for Federation territory and become “Mercenary Fleet Tholia” which is what you guys really want anyway.
Rule (503.33) limits the Tholians to operating within two hexes of their territory. If they lost all of their territory, they will stay close to home and try to fight their way back in. (They might be adopted by the Federation as a homeless fleet just so they could be in supply, but that doesn’t allow them to wander around the Federation as extra ships for Star Fleet. Frankly, it would be bad for the game to allow that to happen.) If they fight a battle in a hex two hexes from their original territory, they cannot retreat into a hex farther away (and would be destroyed if they did so, meaning they fight to the death in that hex).
There is a slight exception in (503.331) which allows the creation of a detached fleet that can operate farther from home. That detached fleet is the limit of a Free Tholian operation.

MORE QUESTIONS
Q: On Turn #5, Klingon ships have entered the Federation neutral zone hot on the tail of Hydran ships. After one round of battle, the Hydrans decline their first retreat option. If the Klingons decline their retreat option, and then the Hydrans retreat, are the Klingons interned? Or is it a moot point as the Federation has now (presumably) declared war?
A: In this rare case, the Klingons must then retrograde after the combat phase. 
Q: In reference to (446.51) could a colony base be given a PF module under (502.62)? Colony bases act like a colony and like a mobile base. Rule (446.51) states that the colony base can have up to two fighter modules and one PF module.
A: Yes, a colony base can be the recipient of one of the PFs flotillas from (502.62) as it is a base also.
Q: A Klingon D6G is attacking a base (521.35); the Klingons also have an extra prime team in the hex. Can they have the second Marine battalion and the prime team, both of which support the first Marine battalion for a +2 assault? That could conceivably go up to a +4 if the VBIR was +2. Is that the intent?
A: Read the last sentence of (521.35) for your answer. The maximum modifier cannot exceed +2 or be less than -2.
Q: In reference to (302.564), does a carrier with scout sensors get the +1 added to the group if the entire group is targeted under (308.101)? Other applicable rules include (308.52), (502.92), (515.16), (527.21), (532.226), and (440.6). A single ship carrier like a PFT or unescorted Federation NVH/NVA, or unescorted Romulan TH, would automatically get the +1 under (308.52).
A: Yes, the scout defensive bonus would apply to the total directed damage calculation just like the single ship calculations.
Q: In reference to (432.241), how are free fighter factors considered when using them to convert a Hydran hybrid ship to a carrier, e.g., PAL to SD? Rule (432.242) lets you use an FFF for every two fighter factors on a hybrid ship, but like the rest of (432.24) is silent on said conversions.
A: Refer to the SIT for the cost as they have this already calculated. Free fighter factors are per carrier fighter, so they are worth two EPs in the cost calculation.
Q: What happens to the eastern neutral zone hexes (5301-5304, 5401-5403, 5501-5503, 5601-5602, 5701-5702, and 5801) after the General War? Presumably, the Gorns annex them, but do they keep them afterwards?
A: See (625.Y21) and (625.Y423) in the ISC War rulebook.
Q: Can a convoy that is alone at a base (i.e., no defending ships, the convoy is the only mobile unit that one side has) retreat from the base combat if it survives the first mandatory round of combat?
A: Under rule (302.741) the convoy must remain with the base until the base is no longer there then conduct a slow retreat per (302.742).

NEW SHIPS FOR F&E
For complete background, see the Shipyard Report section and the SFB data there, but in summary:
War Dreadnought Variants: These ships (Hydran DNWV, ISC DNWV, Kzinti DNWS, Lyran DNWZ) were modified at or near the end of the General War, some of them specifically for use against the Andromedans.
Seltorian Support Ships: These non-historical Seltorian ships (DSX, FFT) might be needed to operate the Seltorians in full campaign mode.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Monday, March 30, 2015 - 03:49 pm: Edit

CL50 Q&A By Mike Curtis
=======
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

ABBREVIATIONS
F&E2KX (F&E 2010), FEAR (F&E Answer Rapporteur, i.e., Mike Curtis), FEDS (F&E Department Supervisor, i.e., Chuck Strong), FCR (forward carrier resuply ship), FSD (fighter supply depot), PDU (planetary defense unit), POL (police cutter), SoP (Sequence of Play).

TUGS
Q: In view of rules (509.1-D) and (412.23), can a tug validly assigned to the supply tug role (509.1-D) on the Phasing Turn later be converted at the beginning of combat of the Non-Phasing Turn to the “regular warship” role (509.1-M)?
Here is an example: On the Alliance Phase of Turn #11 the Federation designates a Federation tug to act as a supply point under rule (509.1-D) in hex 1704, co-located with the Kzinti starbase that is still there. On Coalition Turn #12 the Klingons and Lyrans send a large force to assault this starbase, and consequently also attack the supply tug. An approach battle is offered as required. After this is declined, the Alliance player asserts that he is converting the tug from Mission D (supply tug) to Mission M (regular warship). The Coalition player objects, stating that (509.1-M) says that regular warship is the only assignment that can be changed during the turn so it is not possible for the supply tug to change missions until Alliance Turn #12.
A: The rules do not allow a supply tug to voluntarily change missions until the normal tug assignment step at the start of the owner’s next turn, so the Federation player cannot change the tug to a regular warship. It might seem (based on SFB) that the tug can simply “drop its pods” and become a warship, but the supply tug mission is more than carrying pods; it involves a chain of freighters; the tug is just the “tip of the supply convoy.”
Q: Continuing the above example, the Coalition player says that the tug cannot move because of rule (412.22). However, the Alliance player says that this cannot be the case, because an exception is provided in that “(412.23) COMBAT: If the tug is attacked, see (302.21). If the tug is forced to retreat or is destroyed, it immediately loses its status as a supply point.” Thus, the Alliance player reasons, the tug can change missions.
A: The tug can move, but doing so involves an involuntary loss of its status as a supply tug. That does not imply that it can voluntarily convert itself to a combat ship without retreating, which is impossible as per the previous question. See the ruling on (509.1-M) in this issue.
Q: Rule (412.23) speaks of a tug being “forced to retreat” but since retreat cannot be forced the wording of this rule seems imprecise. What does it mean?
A: See the ruling on (412.23) in this issue. The phrase “forced to retreat” refers to the tactical situation. This rule does not create an option to abandon the supply mission and still remain in the hex.
Q: Can a tug assigned Mission W (509.1-W) that has rescued an allowable unit under (537.2) during the owner's phasing half of a turn also perform the same mission, should it be in combat in the owner’s non-phasing portion of the turn?
A: There is no enabling rule that permits a rescue tug to perform the mission twice in a turn cycle (so it can’t). However, if the tug were assigned the rescue mission during the Phasing Player Turn but did not perform any rescue tug actions during that phasing turn, then said tug may be used in the following Non-Phasing Turn as a rescue tug.


WHEN DOES A BATTLE START AND END?
Q: Can a player use a fighter storage depot (445.21) to transfer fighters to a hex where all remaining units on one side have been annihilated (302.55)? Here’s an example. During operational movement on Turn #A9, the Kzintis send a fighter strike of 18 independent fighter factors from hex 1401 to attack a group of three E4s in hex 1402. During the Reserve Movement Stage the Klingon player sends a powerful reserve, including a carrier, to this battle hex. On Combat Round #1, the Klingon fleet scores 25 damage points; the Kzinti fighters score four damage points. The Klingons take four fighters (of which there are five) and the Kzinti 18 fighter factors are annihilated, with seven damage still remaining. The Kzinti player then attempts to use (445.21) and his two currently unused fighter storage depots in range of hex 1402 to send 12 more fighters to hex 1402; presumably to attempt to force a Klingon ship to be crippled for no economic damage to the Kzintis. The Klingon player objects, citing rule (302.55) for the proposition that the battle hex is resolved, and thus no longer subject to receiving aid from the fighter storage depots under (445.21). The Kzinti player counters that the “carriers” of the strike force in 1401, while not in the hex, are still (in a way) participating in the battle, so the combat hex is not resolved. The Klingon player argues that the carriers are still not in the hex, and that (302.55) clearly resolves the issue. There is also the possibility that the Sequence of Play does not completely play out until post-damage resolution, so there is still some opportunity to send fighters from the fighter storage depots. However, the Klingon player points out that the specific overrides the general, and that the annihilation rule provides that the battle hex is resolved upon annihilation, and thus the fighters may not be sent from the fighter storage depots. 
A: If a traditional FCR can provide this resupply fighter support to a co-located unit supporting an independent fighter squadron, then a fighter supply depot may provide the same effect under (526.315) even if not co-located. This would be considered a specified capability of FSDs. Annihilation under (302.55) is the general rule and the intent of this rule is to identify cases where one or both players have exhausted all means to conduct combat operations in a battle hex. Nowhere under (302.55) does it identify that all units must all be from the battle hex itself. One or more players have the ability to use co-located FCRs or properly supplied FSDs acting as FCRs to provide fighters to a base or carrier supporting an independent fighter squadron in an adjacent battle hex.
Q: In the last part of (451.32) we find: “the hospital ship can automatically heal one ‘wounded’ unit of the listed types per battle round.” Does the hospital ship have to be in the support echelon to perform this task? As a follow-up question, can the hospital ship heal a wounded prime team or Marine major general on any turn, or can it only heal it the round it was wounded?
A: The “alternative” is in reference to the die roll and not the entire process; the requirement for the hospital ship to be at least in the support echelon remains to automatically heal one “wounded” unit of the listed types per battle round.
As to when a listed unit is permitted to be healed, the rule language is present tense and current round. The hospital unit must make the “healing” attempt on the round that the casualty occurred, must be at the specified location of said units, and be at least present in the support echelon or in the battle force.
Q: Are slow units in (439.17) and (302.742) destroyed in the slow unit battle eligible to produce salvage?
A: Slow units destroyed in the Slow Unit Battle (302.742B) do not generate salvage.


A CAPITAL BATTLE
Q: When does the use of command points by the defenders in a capital assault need to be announced? It is possible for the attackers to offer an approach, it is declined, then the attackers spend multiple rounds attacking already devastated planets in the capital that the defenders do not send ships to defend, and then only set up their first battle line after the attackers have re-devastated all those planets with no resistance, and then finally move on to an un-devastated planet that the defenders wish to send ships to.
A: In multi-hex battles all defender command point assignments must be announced when the first battle force in the hex is presented by the defender per (308.92).
Q: In a capital hex pursuit fight, is the limit of “no more than -3 points carry over per system” (which is written in the rules in a sentence specifically referring to voluntary minus points) something that pertains to involuntary minus points? For example: In a given turn, an attacker is left at -10 involuntary points (from dead PDU fighters) in System A and -12 involuntary points (from dead PDU fighters) in System B. The attacker then retreats and the defender pursues. Does the defender get to benefit from -12 points (the maximum allowed from involuntary points) or -6 points (the maximum allowed if -3 per system applies to involuntary points)?
A: Rule (308.242) clearly sets forth the number of minus points that can be carried over. In the above example the defender currently has a total of -22 involuntary points from prior rounds of combat in the multi-hex system but can only take 12 of these minus points into pursuit per (308.242).
Q: When a multi-planet/multi-system hex is captured by your opponent, how do the modifiers in (537.112) work? For example, if (0617) is captured and there are four troop ships in the hex, do those troop ships have to be assigned to specific planets or do they all “stack” to create a modifier for the entire hex? Or would they each be assigned to a specific planet, and only apply their modifiers to that planet? The issue here is the term “location” used in the rule, as it is not defined. Is a location a planet? A system in a multi-system hex? Or is it just a hex? Also, how would (537.112) work if the planet in question is both a Hydran planet, and the former capital planet? Would the modifier be a +4, or still just a +2?
A: For the first question the troop ships have to be assigned to specific planets. For the second question all (537.113) modifiers are additive (so +4 in the case you cited)

TROOP SHIPS
Q: Where in the SoP are escorts for troop ships assigned? By the wording of (521.372) it appears they can be assigned “on the fly” well after battle lines are revealed but before any dice rolls are conducted.
A: Escorts for troop ships under (521.372) are assigned each round in SoP Phase 5-4A5. There is no requirement that these troop ship escorts must remain assigned round-to-round since the troop ship escorts are “different from carrier escorts" as per (521.372) above. This is further supported by (521.374) below where these escorts cannot escort a troop ship if crippled.
Q: The escorts assigned to a troop ship only need to be crippled to allow directed damage on the troop ship itself, but how exactly would a squadron of fighters (assigned to escort the troop ship) be crippled? Would it be half of the fighter strength? Just killing one fighter factor since at that point it is no longer a whole ship equivalent, or something else?
A: There is no provision for “crippling” a fighter or PF unit, so you would have to completely destroy it before using directed damage on the troop ship. As with a warship escort, the directed damage attack on the fighters and the subsequent directed-damage attack on the troop ship all count as one directed-damage attack for purposes of the limits on how many directed-damage attacks can be made.
Q: Is it correct that carriers can be escorted in the support echelon, but troop ships cannot? Rule (521.381) says that if troop ships are placed in the battle force, then they may be escorted. I don’t see anything that says whether troop ships in the support echelon may or may not be escorted.
A: At the time (521) was written the concept of the support echelon did not exist, so the rule doesn’t define this either way, but given everything else said about the support echelon, it seems clear that the troop ships there can be escorted.

CONSTRUCTION AND CONVERSION
Q: Can the ISC build a DD or acceptable variant under (442.53) at a given starbase in Y178+? The ISC treats its DDs as DWs for the purposes of construction and tactics.
A: The ISC DD is a later design and equivalent to a DW so it can use the rule, as can the Tholian DD. The same does not apply to other destroyers, and specifically to any empire that has both a DD and DW design.
Q: Can the Hydrans, per (709.2), if they retain the capital, start performing FF->DW conversions on Turn #10, when the DW shows up on the accelerated build schedule?
A: If the Hydrans retain their capital, then they can produce units permitted under the accelerated schedule (709.3) to include conversions of allowed accelerated construction units.
Q: Can an empire convert a ship from a carrier to an FCR? If you do, is there any savings in EPs spent on fighters? For example, would a Romulan WarHawk (2.5 fighters, 5 EP) converted to a BattleHawk-FCR (6 fighters, 6 EP) have to pay for the fighters all over again?
A: An empire could convert a carrier into an FCR assuming some published conversion on the Ship Information Table allows this. You cannot convert a carrier to an FCR if the base hull of the carrier has no FCR variant. That said, you would have to pay for the un-conversion under (433.24) and (433.241), and then pay to convert the base unit into an FCR. Because the carrier’s fighters were already paid for, they could be used in the conversion but any excess fighters (i.e., not used) would be lost. However, this is on a factor-to-factor basis and not an EP basis. In the case cited with a WarHawk with 2.5 factors of fighters, the owning empire must pay for the un-conversion to a base hull then pay the FCR conversion plus 3.5 EPs to cover the additional fighter factors added to the FCR. (Once carrier fighter factors exist they CANNOT be split back into FCR or hybrid factors.) So while an empire could do this type of conversion it would be inefficient and expensive to do so. That said, war often creates situations in which an inefficient and expensive action has to be taken.
Q: How are the Lyrans are permitted to build the space control ship even though they are never permitted to build a CVA? But since the SCS counts against the CVA limit, what is the maximum number of SCSs the Lyrans are permitted to build per year? Just one? (Assuming that the SCS build already falls within the PFT limitations per turn.)
A: An SCS replaces the CVA and is limited to one per year, but for the Lyrans it replaces a CV. See (502.72) and (701.0) which refer to the empire-specific carrier builds, but are universally limited to one per year.
Q: In the F+E 2000 basic rules (and all previous rules sets), in section (700.0) Annex (701), it states: “Can always substitute a CA or CC for DN; CA for CC.” 
In the F&E-2010 basic rules set, this line is no longer present, and most empires do not have a specific substitution note allowing them to substitute a CC/CA for a DN. (The Federation and Romulans have this exception and the Lyrans an equivalent one regarding substituting a catamaran for a trimaran.) Is this an intentional rules change or an accidental omission?
A: This was an accidental omission from section (700.0) of F&E2010. See the ruling on this matter.
END

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Monday, March 30, 2015 - 03:49 pm: Edit

RULES & RULINGS from CL50
(302.742B) Slow units destroyed in a slow unit battle do not generate salvage.
(412.23) This rule should say “retreats” rather than “forced to retreat.” Retreat can never be forced and the wording of the rule refers to being compelled to do so by the tactical situation. A tug which loses this status adopts Mission M (regular warship) but cannot be assigned another mission during the current turn.
(521.381) Troop ships can be escorted in the support echelon.
(509.1-M) A tug can change from this mission to another one during the turn (as the various missions are adopted at various points in the Sequence of Play). In effect, an unassigned tug is waiting for an assignment.
(701.0) Any empire can always substitute a CA or CC for DN or a CA for CC.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Friday, May 20, 2016 - 05:48 pm: Edit

Q&A from CL51
====
F&E Q&A
by Mike Curtis, FEAR
=
ABBREVIATIONS
BIR (battle intensity rating) EP (economic point), F&E2KX (F&E 2010), FEAR (F&E Answer Rapporteur, i.e., Mike Curtis), GCE (ground combat element), MSY (medium shipyard), PDU (planetary defense unit), SIT (ship information table), SoP (Sequence of Play).
=
PRODUCTION
Q: When setting up a mobile base, rule (510.22) says if the tug is destroyed or forced to retreat, the base is destroyed. Rule (510.23) adds the wording that if the tug abandons the base, it is also destroyed. What happens if the tug is crippled?
A: For guidance here we must look at what is required for the mobile base to be set-up. This is in (510.22) and specifically in (510.221) with reference to (509.1-C), where the tug must remain with the base until it (the mobile base) is operational, which is at the start of the next player turn. This does not say anything about being uncrippled to perform this duty. Remember, you have those ever-so-capable staff officers to make sure this stuff gets done! So, the now crippled tug, at the beginning of the next player turn during the SoP Step 1F, is required to take on a new mission (Tug Under Repair) (509.1-I), at the tug mission assignment of the SoP. The game designer later confirmed that this was how the rule was written.
Q: Can the Federation substitute a CAD (heavy drone cruiser) in the same year they also already substituted a NCD (new drone cruiser)? Rule (432.44) allows one substitution per year and the rest by conversion. The Federation order of battle in (702.0A) allows the first two CLD (light drone cruisers) and first CAD to not count against these limits.
A: In this specific case, the first CAD conversion under (525.321) and the first two CLD conversions under (525.322) don't count toward the Federation's general drone production rules. Note that these exceptions apply to these specific CAD/CLD conversions; the Federation is still limited to one drone ship substitution per year.
Q: My opponent believes that in Spring Y170 the Paladin is listed as an activation and should cost only one EP to build. My claim is that the Hydrans have no mothballed ships to activate. One of us is wrong. Is the activation a “typo” and/or the real question is how much should the PAL cost to build?
A: The PAL is indeed an activation, but a special case in that it is a conversion as well. See the special rule (442.51) which says Hydran Paladins (converted from Templars on Turn #2 and Turn #4) cost five points each. Fighters are free for these two ships, reflecting the activation of reserve units.
Q: Scenario rule (625.596) says that MSY-SpH (CW) and the MSY-F5L (DW) should be in 4716 or 4318. The MSYs can only be built at major planets or starbases according to rule (450.13). Hex 4716 would be the most logical choice as the MSYs would be built by the ENG unit to save money and to more quickly get the yards to produce ships needed in the General War.
A: This was a typographical error, the MSY-SP and the MSY-F5L (DW) should be in 4718.
Q: The Lyrans kill and then capture a Kzinti BC in Y169; can they convert it into a CV?
A: No, per (305.45) conversion of captured ships into maulers, tugs, or carriers is expressly prohibited.
Q: ASC production is covered by (526.46) but that rule does not list the date they can be built. According to the SFB Master Ship Chart for the ASC (R1.31) these units can be deployed when an empire has deployed a warship SCS. According to rule (502.71), SCSs can be built on the third turn of PF production. However, I notice on the SITs and in the downloadable Order of Battle pdf that the date available used for the ACS is the second turn of PF production (not the third).
For example, the Kzinti ASC has a date available Spring Y181 on the SIT and Y181S+ in (762.0) on page 18 of the downloadable Order of Battle pdf. However, per (600.2) the Kzinti third turn of PF deployment is Fall Y181. When can empires build an ASC, on the second or third turn of PF deployment?
A: CVS and ACS are covered by (530.223) [and SIT] other heavy fighter carriers are under the (70x.0) [Kzinti = Turn #20, Y178S, for both].
=
CONTROLLING THE GEOGRAPHY
Q: A Kzinti province contains several Lyran ships and a Kzinti minor planet with 2PDU and a monitor. We believe that the planet and PDUs do not stop Lyran control of the province, vs. disruption, but are unsure if the monitor changes the status or not as it is tied to the planet.
A: In (519.111) Monitors are limited to the planet they are deployed on until relieved by PDUs totaling 12 combat factors. They are tied to the planet and as such do not exert a sphere of influence beyond the system of the planet they are located at. They cannot contest a province as such. Monitors are more like a PDU in this respect and as such fall under (430.25) where they cannot affect the province that the planet is in.
Q: According to rule (446.12) a colony can be started only during Operational Movement. I also assume it could be started if the tug were in the target hex at the start of the turn and didn’t move, as I believe the term “Operational Movement” is just defining the phase in which a colony can begin construction in. In the 2010 rules, (509.1-X), this also allows start of construction to be in the Strategic Movement Phase. Which is allowed? Only in Operational Movement per (446.12) or during both the Operation and Strategic movement phases per (509.1-X)?
A: As (509.1-X) is more recent and more specific on the transport operations rules being combined into one rule to rule them all, allowing the colony to start in either shall be allowed. Granted, you would have to have a strategic movement node at the location of the colony to be able to start in the Strategic Movement Phase.
Q: The ISC War rules make no reference to the Kzinti bases on the Lyran border being destroyed. There is reference to the other bases being destroyed in the same area in (625.E433) and (625.E442) for both the Federation and Klingon border and Lyran bases on the Kzinti-Lyran border, respectively. Is this an oversight? One would think, with the ISC’s extensive planning that any bases there would have been destroyed/removed also.
A: This was an oversight, the Kzinti bases along the Lyran border were also destroyed at the end of the war. CHANGE TO READ: (625.E433) Kzinti Base and Planet Disposition: All bases along the Klingon-Kzinti and Lyran-Kzinti Neutral Zones were destroyed except for a newly built BTS at 0904 (“Rampart”).
Q: I have a question about diplomats and the Tholians. The rule states that Tholians won’t do trade deals. Can you use their nodes to strategically move diplomats if they haven’t been attacked? Rule (503.31) says they will attack and try to destroy any foreign unit which enters their territory; does this trump (540.144) diplomatic ships cannot be pinned by neutral ships?
A: Per (540.11) the Tholians do not use diplomacy. As such, it would be difficult to imagine that the Tholians would recognize any interstellar protocols for diplomatic safe passage through their territory as they would be highly suspicious of any foreign entity within their space that they didn’t invite to serve Tholian interests. Foreign diplomats and their assigned transport units that enter Tholian space without permission of the Tholian player may be attacked by the Tholians under (503.31); the restriction of (503.34) forbidding Federation, Klingon, and Romulan units still applies in this case. Tholian territory is defined as original Tholian space under the control of the Tholians or any territory that is annexed and controlled by the Tholians.
Q: The Planetary Operations rulebook has colony cost as 2+2+2 (2 EP each for 3 turns) but the SIT (2015) has colony cost as 1+1+1. Which is correct?
A: Colony build cost was corrected in CL#37 and is now 1+1+1 (and has been for several years). All Q&A/Rulings files from all issues of Captain’s Log are free on the BBS.
Q: It is obvious that a starbase in a partial grid must pay for replacement fighters for a unit that is not at the starbase. However, it is unclear whether the starbase must pay for replacement fighters when the unit is in the hex of the starbase. These rules seem to indicate that a starbase might need to pay for replacement fighters for all units, regardless of where they are in the partial grid. Although the (501.55) reference does seem pretty clear cut, there is an ambiguity in that (413.41) deals with situations where supply is being paid for because the units being supplied are not in the hex of the starbase (i.e., when five units pay one EP for supply, they also receive 12 replacement fighters).
The confusion comes from the fact that in most of the rules regarding fighter replacement, it just mentions the obvious: the carrying unit must be in supply. However, when dealing with a partial grid, supply is handled differently depending on where the unit is in the grid. Obviously, empires that use a lot of fighters will be greatly impacted by the way these rules are interpreted as this situation happens frequently. Please clarify which way it works.
A: Yes the ships are in supply, but supply isn’t what dictates whether or not you get free fighters. What (501.5) says is that it’s connection to the main grid that gets you free fighters (the fact that you also get supply by connection to the main grid is irrelevant to the free fighter issue). Rule (501.5) gives you an alternative to getting some replacement fighters if you happen to be in a partial grid. The confusion here is the previously unwritten assumption that supply by itself dictates access to free fighters. According to (501.5) it doesn’t. Free fighters come with a connection to the main grid (which incidentally also produces supply). It works like this if you’re sitting on a base in a partial grid:
So long as the ships stay on the base or planet in a partial grid they are in supply, but they don’t get free fighters. Note that the instant you jump off the base or planet, you will be out of supply (unless of course your movement puts you into supply some other way), so providing supply per (413.41) actually does matter.
If you wish to purchase fighters for those otherwise supplied ships in the partial grid, then you must also supply those ships for purposes of (413.41), which will then benefit them if they leave the base or planet. So, each EP will provide supply for up to 5 ships and also provide 12 replacement fighters. Those 5 ships will then be in supply even if they move off the base or planet and also don’t put themselves into supply some other way. They also happen to get 12 replacement fighters per EP.
If the ships supplied per (413.41) remain at the base or planet — or pick up supply in some other way during the turn, then they’re still in supply (this time by two different methods, one per (413.41) and the other by being at the planet or base). Supply by multiple methods is irrelevant; if you’re in supply you’re in supply. However, fighters are not provided by supply; they’re provided by connection to the main grid. Rules (501.5) and (413.41) now also allow such ships to get some fighters back (12 per EP).
Q: Rule (512.0) says Tholian planets are protected by Tholian web, and it says Tholian bases not part of the Tholian supply grid are not protected by web. Rule (446.0) says colonies are planets, and its colonies are not part of the supply grid. Are Tholian colonies protected by web?
A: Tholian colonies and colony bases that have a supply path to the Tholian Capital or are inside of original Tholian territory are protected by Tholian webs.
Q: Is a Tholian OPB protected by web? It is not on the (512.0) base list either, but (453.0) says treat OPBs as set-up MBs which would put them in web by 512.
A: Tholian operational bases that have a supply path to the Tholian Capital or are inside of original Tholian territory are protected by Tholian webs.
Q: During the time when the Kzintis are at war and the Federation is not (presumably Turns #1-#6), can the Fed-Kzinti commercial convoy (443.0) be attacked if it moves outside of inactive territory? Or does doing this activate the Federation (as the commercial convoy is presumably a Federation unit)? For example, on Turn #1, the Federation-Kzinti commercial convoy leaves the starbase at 2204. It reaches the starbase at 1704 on Turn #3. It doesn’t want to get caught in open space when the Federation is inevitably attacked on Turn #7, so it wants to go through the Kzinti off-map zone back to Federation space. So on Turn #4, the Federation-Kzinti commercial convoy moves two hexes from the starbase in 1704 into hex 1702 hoping to move off map on the next turn. Can the Coalition attack the Federation-Kzinti commercial convoy on Turn #5, even though the Federation is still not involved in the war? Would doing so provoke the Federation into Limited War (602.49)?
A: Moving outside of the Marquis space in provinces 1704 and 1801 in Kzinti space would make the Federation-Kzinti commercial convoy a target for Coalition forces without causing Limited War. If the alliance does not want this to happen, they can also get a jump on the trip back to the Federation off-map area by forming up a new convoy on Turn #4 in the Barony per (443.34). This would shorten the time to get to the Federation by three turns.
=
COMBAT
Q: Can an escort (515.15) that was in a battle hex, but not assigned to a carrier, be assigned to a carrier in a later battle hex during the same player-turn?
A: Escort determination is done, according to (515.14), at the start of the Combat Step for the battle hex in question. So, you can only assign escorts then.
Q: Hospital Unit Combat Support (451.32): When during the Sequence of Play does a hospital unit attempt to restore killed or wounded personnel?
A: This has not been formalized on the SoP until now. Hospital units may attempt to restore casualties during Phases 3A-5A and 5-6X4; change to read:
3A-5A: Determine if any eligible raid casualties’ ships can enter repair depot system (424.32). Hospital units may attempt to restore raid casualties (451.32).
5-6X4: Conduct ground assaults (521.3); determine fate of Prime Teams used in ground assault (522.4) - Mission 2. Hospital units may attempt to restore battle round casualties (451.32).
Q: When there are cripples and slow units (302.742), there can be a pursuit battle and a slow unit battle. Rule (302.742A) is explicit that plus/minus points are divided between these two combats as the pursuer sees fit; this supports the idea that this is all one battle round fought in two parts. Do the attacker and defender pick one BIR for both parts? Is there one variable BIR roll for both parts? Is there one damage roll per player for both parts?
A: According to rule (105.0) SoP, 5-8C: Conduct pursuit battle (repeating Phase 5, Step 3 through Step 6). Then in 5-8D: Conduct Slow Unit pursuit battle (repeating Phase 5, Step 3 through Step 6). Each battle of this round is handled separately but the pursuer must split plus/minus points before fighting the pursuit battle.
Q: Can the defender use a base’s EW in the approach battle (302.2)?
A: No, per (302.22), this is not allowed. But, an EWN (537.35) would apply if available.
Q: Allied Retreat Priority Question (302.76): Assume there are three Coalition ships in a hex. One is Klingon, one is Lyran, and one is Romulan. They are attacked by a superior force. The Coalition selects the Lyran ship as the flagship and excludes the Klingon and Romulan ships from the battle. The Lyran ship is destroyed. The other two Coalition ships retreat. Whose retreat priority do the ships follow? The Lyran flagship was destroyed and isn’t retreating, but it was the last flagship selected. Can the retreating Klingon and Romulan retreat using the Lyran flagship’s priorities?
A: Rule (302.76) specifically says to use the retreat priorities of the empire which provided the flagship of the last battle force and as such and does not say anything about the flagship’s survival. Therefore, in this case, if the Coalition players want to retreat together under (302.76) then they use the prior-round flagship’s priorities even if the flagship was destroyed in that round. Otherwise, the surviving forces can utilize (302.761) and retreat separately.
Since F&E is a grand strategy game, it is difficult to know what happens at a tactical or operational level as it may been established as part of the battle plan that the flagship made arrangements and/or determinations with its supply grid as to what actions were to be followed in the event of a group retreat. The F&E rules in this case are an abstraction of those actions.
=
SPECIAL CASES
Q: Is blockade-running an acceptable substitute (or concurrent with) Romulan limited war raids (314.14) and (314.3) to move KR parts (320.512) from Klingon space to Romulan space?
A: No, by rule (314.32) the Romulans can conduct raids into the Federation (only). They cannot raid Tholian, Gorn, or other territory. Rule (314.32) is a specific rule that allows for pre-war raids into the Federation only.
Q: According to rule (521.81) a battle force cannot buy extra G factors without a valid supply path during its combat. Does this prevent a partial grid from buying extra troops? For example, if a SB is cut off from the main grid and has EPs available, can it buy extra troops?
A: A battle force can purchase GCEs from a partial supply grid so long as the purchasing unit has a valid supply path to a valid supply point in the partial grid and there are available funds to purchase the GCE within that partial grid.
Q: What pods can the Lyran NTG in Special Ops use? I haven’t seen anything in SO to say whether it can use Lyran-style pods, or just K-pods (presumably in pairs).
A: The NTG along with the NSR can use the both the Klingon pods and Lyran pallets. This is from (R11.97) and (R11.75) respectively in Star Fleet Battles.
Q: The rules say: “The four-turn requirement for long-term capture is counted from Economic Phase to Economic Phase.” Is the Economic Phase always the capturing player’s phase? For example, if the Klingons captured a Federation province on Coalition Turn #10 and kept it captured without interruption, would Long-Term Capture occur on the Klingon Turn #14 Economic Phase? If Klingons capture a Federation province on Alliance Turn #10 would the Long-Term Capture also occur on the Klingon Turn #10 Economic Phase?
A: The long-term capture process begins at the very start the very next Economic Phase of the upcoming player turn. If player A is the phasing player and captures province Q, then at the start of player B’s Economic Phase the long-term capture process clock begins for province Q. However, if player A is phasing but player B somehow captures province P from player A, then at the start of players B’s Economic Phase the long-term capture process clock begins for province P.
Q: The rules make no mention of needing to be in supply to be declared a supply point. There are numerous situations where one would want to declare a tug that is out of supply at the start of a turn as a supply point that would become a valid supply point as soon as a few ships were moved during operational movement and opened up a supply path to the tug in question. Does a tug need to be in supply at the start of a turn to be declared a supply point?
A: Based upon (412.21), (411.1), (411.2), (410.1), and (411.31) a tug is allowed to assume Mission D at the start of a turn. Then at various times throughout both player turns, the supply tug may find itself out of supply and back in supply depending of the various player actions through the full turn cycle. If the supply tug itself does not have a valid supply route open after a given supply check is made, then it may not perform its supply mission until a valid supply route is reestablished (after a given supply check is made) to the supply tug. All other supply rules apply normally.
=
SLOW UNIT RETREAT
It has been cited that the current rule (302.742) creates what feels like an inconsistency between regular pursuit (where cripples are required to participate) and slow-unit retreat (where at least one slow unit is required to participate).
In regular pursuit combat the pursuing player may use a directed-damage attack on as many crippled ships as he wants within the amount of damage he generated. Further, all crippled ships are eligible for directed damage, even those cripples not on the line.
However, in slow-unit-retreat combat, only the slow units in the battle force are subject to damage, and only one slow unit may be attacked using a directed-damage attack. Since many slow units have little or no command rating this might mean that only a very few slow units may be in the battle force and then maybe only one unit if the player chooses an eligible flagship with a command rating of zero. The player may have arranged to kill off slow units with higher command ratings during the regular combat rounds prior to retreat so as to leave only low or zero CR units going into slow-unit retreat. In a capital retreat, there may be a dozen or so slow units retreating but under the current rules only the units in the actual slow-unit battle force take damage. After the one round of slow-unit battle, the units not in the battle force retreat normally.
Therefore, we are changing (302.742D) as follows:
(302.742D) If there is more than one slow unit, all of them are combined into one single battle. Form a normal battle force using the slow units (and their assigned escorts, if any) to include an eligible warship as the flagship. However, only the flagship and the units that fall under its command rating may use their offensive attack factors including any eligible assigned attrition units in the counter attack. Units not part of the selected slow-unit battle force may still send their assigned attrition units forward if permitted by rule. Any damage suffered by the slow-unit retreat force must first be fully resolved on all units of its battle force with any remaining excess damage applied to any units that were not part of the battle force; no damage can be resolved on the assigned attrition units not included in the battle force.
In addition, the pursuing player may designate one or more of the slow units and declare it to be a single target for a directed-damage attack even if the targeted slow units are not part of the selected battle force or are included in the support echelon. The pursuing player may use the special ability of a mauler if there is one in the pursuing force in this attack. Slow units in any formation or free scout position are still protected normally by their respective rules. Slow-unit escort groups can be targeted as part of this special directed-damage attack but either the whole group is included in the attack or any eligible escorts (outside escorts and/or ad hoc escorts) of that group could be included in the attack at the pursuing player’s option.
All ships that are included in a slow-unit retreat (this includes, but is not limited to, ships escorting slow units, ships towing FRDs, LTFs, or overloaded ships) are treated as slow units themselves for the purpose of this rule only.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Friday, March 17, 2017 - 05:15 pm: Edit

F&E Q&A for CAPTAIN'S LOG #52
by Mike Curtis, FEAR
Edited by Ryan Opel, Son of FEAR
Assistant Editors: Chuck Strong, Richard Eitzen

ABBREVIATIONS
BIR (battle intensity rating), ComPot (combat potential) EP (economic point), F&E2KX (F&E 2010), FEAR (F&E Answer Rapporteur), GCE (ground combat element), MSY (medium shipyard), PDU (planetary defense unit), SIT (ship information table), SoP (Sequence of Play).

PURSUIT BATTLE FORCES
Q: I am in a pursuit situation. Can crippled carriers that have fighters on them that are in the pursued force, but are in excess of command limits (307.31), use those fighters to absorb damage in the pursuit battle?
My force that is caught in pursuit consists of C8, D6M, D6D, and eight crippled D5s and then over and above that, I have 4xD5, 4xF5, 4xE4, D6V, 2xE4A (all of these are crippled ships that do not contribute offensive ComPot because they are in excess of command limits). The pursuing force scores 13 damage points. Of these, 12 damage points are used in directed damage attacks on a D5 and an E4A (not on the main battle force), leaving one point of damage left over. One point of damage is enough to force the destruction of a crippled E4 if it were on the main battle line, so am I forced to resolve the one point of damage (either by destroying an E4 or some other ship, or by crippling one of the uncrippled ships on the line)? If so, can the crippled D6V give up a fighter factor (that is also not in the main battle force) to resolve that one point?
A: Let’s refer to the rulebook.
(307.31) CREATION: The retreating player must form his Battle Force as follows: First include all crippled ships, then add up to three uncrippled ships. From this force, designate a flagship. If the Battle Force exceeds the Command Rating, the force is used as is although excess ships (selected by the owner) do not count in the combat potential but can be damaged. If the Battle Force does not exceed the Command Rating of the flagship, additional uncrippled ships may be added up to the maximum rating.
Note that (307.31) specifically authorizes excess crippled ships to be damaged by pursuit damage but not attrition units assigned to those excess crippled ships.
So yes, every pursued crippled ship is “in the battle force” even though it is not contributing combat potential. So it would be part of that retreating battle force for all the normal damage rules. It would force you to resolve that last damage point on a crippled E4 since the damage rules require you to score the point if it would do something (in this case, kill a cripple).
While crippled carriers or crippled PFTs may be counted as excess crippled units not contributing their compot to a pursued force and may be damaged during the pursuit round, any of their assigned attrition units may not be used to resolve any pursuit round damage unless they are used as an authorized independent squadron or flotilla contributing combat potential to the pursuit battle force. However, once all pursuit damage is resolved, any attrition units that now find themselves homeless could use the normal rules to find another home (if one is to be found) or be destroyed if none is available.
There is no “main battle force” or “pursued battle force,” (these terms are not used in the rule anywhere); there is just the “battle force,” some of which is perhaps not counting its combat potential, but all of which are potential damage/targets. The only other entity besides the “battle force” are the “reserves” which are all of the ships not in the battle force, and in the case of a pursued force can only consist of uncrippled ships. Reserve ships can never be used to resolve damage.

RETREATING
Q: The Hydrans are on the map fighting in the 01xx row in a hex adjacent to their off-map area. There is an adjacent hex also in the 01xx row and also adjacent to their off-map area with no enemy forces in it. Do they have to retreat to the off-map area since this is their supply source or could they retreat to the open hex on map thus staying on the map and still being 0 hexes from supply?
A: Let’s refer to the rulebook.
(302.733D) Of the remaining available retreat hexes in which his force would be in supply, the player must select the one with the shortest supply path to a supply point.
In this case, the off-map area is the supply point, and is one hex away. Therefore, if a retreating unit is adjacent to both its off-map area and an empty (non-supply point) hex that is also adjacent to the same off-map, then the retreating unit must retreat to the off-map supply point. This is because, after the unit retreats, the shortest supply path to the off-map area is “zero” (since you are now in that area) and the empty (non-supply point) hex is still one hex away from the off-map supply point.
Q: An operational base can retreat as a slow unit, but it can withdraw when towed by a tug. Since the only point you can withdraw from the battle is in Phase 5-1 the only way to tow an OPB out of combat is to withdraw before combat. Is this correct?
A: No. Let’s refer to the rulebook, which allows you to evacuate the OPB with the tug from the battle itself.
(537.232) A rescue tug can, instead of rescuing a crippled ship in the pursuit battle, rescue one slow unit (avoiding pursuit entirely). This can only be a “single ship” so it could rescue an auxiliary or monitor but not a convoy (or LTF or SAF). FRDs cannot be rescued in this way as they have their own overriding movement rules. The rescued ship may be from an allied empire. This is done during the formation of battle lines for the pursuit battle.

MOVEMENT
Q: Can an operational base move during the operational portion of the turn and then be towed by a tug during the strategic movement portion of the turn?
A: Let’s refer to the rulebook.
(204.21) The moving units must begin and end their Strategic Movement on a friendly Strategic Movement Node. They must not have moved by any other means on the current Player Turn.
This rule is fairly clear. An operational base cannot use operational movement and then move or be moved strategically during the same player turn.
Q: May an FRD (using operational movement, either under its own power or towed) enter a hex containing a devastated neutral or enemy planet? The hex is otherwise empty and there are no defending units of any kind at the planet.
A: Let’s refer to the rulebook.
(421.22) LIMITATIONS: FRDs cannot enter a hex containing enemy units.
(508.162) This residual defense factor is not a “unit” in any sense. It has no attack factor and cannot cause damage. It does not block pursuit or retreat.
By these rules, an FRD may enter a hex containing a devastated neutral or enemy planet that is otherwise empty of enemy or neutral units as a devastated planet is not a unit.


CONVERSIONS
Q: Can an empire convert an unlimited number of drone ships into scout versions of drone ships (assuming money and conversion capacity) in a single turn?
A: Let’s refer to the rulebook.
(701.1) May make one scout substitution per turn, and any number of scout conversions.
Empires that use drone bombardment ships have different rules defining how they are built, but in this case you are not building a drone ship, but converting a ship into a scout, which is not limited. Therefore, converting an existing drone ship into a scout-drone version of that same base hull does not constitute building a drone ship.

BATTLE FORCE FORMATION
Q: I’m attacking an enemy force consisting of five SAFs, a convoy, and a supply tug. Each of them has two escorting warships. How is this handled for the battle force and command rating? There is a total of 14 escorts, a tug, five SAFs, and a convoy, way beyond any plausible flagship’s command rating.
A: I can see where this is confusing. The battle force is limited by the flagship’s command rating (along with some other adjustments not in play here) but the rules require that the “slow” units be in the battle force and each is allowed to bring along two friends for its protection. Fortunately, there is a resolution.
Convoys (including units that are treated as “convoys” such as SAFs, ENGs, military convoys, etc.) must be included in an eligible battle force per (302.323). In rare cases where the number of “convoy” escorts exceed the rating of the designated flagship of the battle force, then any escorts that exceed the designated battle force flagship rating are not counted in any calculations to determine the offensive ComPot of the battle force and these same excess escorts may not be used to resolve damage to the battle force (307.31).
There is an exception: If a given escorted “convoy” is selected for a directed-damage attack, but the “convoy’s” escorts were excluded from the battle force calculation due to flagship rating limitations (above), then these excess escorts of that given convoy can only be used to protect the convoy from a directed damage attack (i.e., you must use directed damage on the escorts before the escorted unit).
The enemy commander will have to designate a flagship. Let’s refer to the rulebook.
(302.324) Even ships which are part of “groups” (515.0) must be considered for flagship duty. If the ship selected as the flagship is an escort in a group, it will have to be removed from that group, which could have consequences for the group.
(515.331) A ship used as an escort cannot be the battle force flagship (nor does assignment as an escort remove a ship from the flagship selection procedure) or a member of a battle group.
(302.323) Convoys and FRDs have no Command Ratings. They are required be in the Battle Force (302.231) but are not involved in flagship selection.
This can be bad for the targeted force. They must go through the normal procedure to select the three best flagships and then pick one of those. This could involve removing an escort (making the escorted unit more vulnerable to directed damage) or bringing in an outside ship that just happens to be in the battle hex (which would mean another escort cannot contribute its combat power to the battle force).
Even more fun, nothing under (412.2) prevents a tug serving as a supply point from also serving as a flagship, so it must also be considered for flagship duty.


OVERLOADED SELTORIAN TUGS
Q: Would a Seltorian LTT be considered overloaded when carrying a Klingon-provided KVAP pod? Would a Seltorian tug be considered overloaded when carrying two KVAP pods? This is a double-weight pod for Klingon tugs and LTTs.
A: Yes, they would be overloaded.

FATE OF COMMANDO UNITS
Q. Rule (521.394) is not clear if uncaptured commando units that landed as part of a special commando attack are eligible for salvage by the owner if he retreats or what happens in the case where both players retreat.
A: Units that landed as part of a special commando attack are ineligible for salvage even if they are not captured by enemy forces. If both players retreat from the commando-attacked planet, then the fate of the landed commando unit is determined by whoever retains or regains control of said planet after all units retreat. If the enemy retains control of the planet, then a capture attempt on the landed commando unit is possible. If the original owner regains control of an enemy-captured planet after all forces retreat, then the commando unit returns to normal operations. (This is possible as an original owner of a captured planet could conduct a special commando attack upon enemy garrisoning PDU/PGBs holding one of his original planets. If both forces retreat and no enemy forces remain to garrison the captured planet, then the planet reverts control to the original owner.)

THE RANGE OF EXTENDED SUPPLY
Q: There seems to be a contradiction, or at least some confusion, in the rules regarding the range at which F-ships and X-ships can draw supply. Here are the relevant rules.
(411.1) (SUPPLY ROUTE) DEFINITION:
The Supply Route is a chain of no more than six hexes, not including the hex the unit is in but including the hex containing the supply point (412.0). X-ships‡ (523.43) and fast ships‡ (525.1) can draw supplies from a grid seven hexes away. Federation Express transports‡ (539.325) can draw supply from a grid eight hexes away. (F&E 2010)
(525.134) F-ships can draw supply seven hexes from a source. If out of supply, many of the bonuses are lost. (AO 2003)
(523.43) SUPPLY GRID: X-bases (and Federation LTFs) can supply X-ships seven hexes away and normal ships six hexes away. X-bases connect to supply grids (even to non-X bases) seven hexes away. Federation X-bases could supply an LTF seven hexes away. (AO 2003)
(509.1-D) Supply Source: A transport can be assigned this mission during the Phasing Player Turn during the Assign Missions phase of production (2B7). Tugs and convoys extend the Supply Grid six hexes (412.2), LTTs three hexes (516.2D), and theater transports two hexes (509.22); these cannot be “chained.” (F&E 2010)
It would seem that either (523.43) is irrelevant, or there was some intent that the extenders (tugs, LTTs, theater transports) could not supply X-ships and F-ships.
A: Indeed, (523.43) doesn’t make any sense. Notes from the time that the rules on extenders (509.1-D) were written indicate that the intent was that they extend the grid itself so X-ships and F-ships can draw supply seven hexes from an extender. An extender is the supply grid, and the grid is the grid.

RULES AND RULINGS
(301.914) Scuttled bases immediately cease to be valid supply points, Strategic Movement Nodes, and retrograde points. Bases cannot be scuttled unless the empire is at 50% economic exhaustion or the base is no longer connected to the main supply grid.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Friday, June 28, 2019 - 04:37 pm: Edit

CL53 F&E Q&A
================
F&E Q&A
by Mike Curtis, FEAR
and Ryan Opel, Son of FEAR
Assistant Editors: Chuck Strong, Richard Eitzen

ABBREVIATIONS
BIR (battle intensity rating), ComPot (combat potential), EP (economic point), F&E2KX (F&E 2010), FEAR (F&E Answer Rapporteur), PDU (planetary defense unit), SIT (ship information table), SoP (Sequence of Play).

ADVANCED RETREAT
Q: It is time to retreat. At the time players choose retreat paths, a given hex is a valid option for both players. The defender retreats into this valid hex first (302.72). The hex in question was the only valid hex the attacker could retreat to under (302.733-3D) but the defender retreated into that hex first. (The defender had another choice but picked the one in question to force another round of combat). Does this force the hex to be considered a fighting retreat now?
A: The key here is step (5-7A4) of the SoP. The defending player retreats first using the retreat priorities (302.73). Once that is done, the attacker does the same with the defenders in their new hex location. Retreat is not simultaneous. Start over on the retreat priorities for the attacker and see what hexes are left for them to retreat to.

A MATTER OF MONEY
Q: Is the income (10EPs) from a Commercial Convoy (443.0) subject to the penalties of economic exhaustion?
A: No, they are not subject to economic exhaustion (443.40).
Q: Is the high-risk survey five-EP treasure horde (542.27) subject to economic exhaustion?
A: No, it is not subject to economic exhaustion (652.3).
Q: Does an empire's economic status affect the amount that could be borrowed under (447.11) as limited by (430.62)? Example: EPs may be borrowed when at Limited War (75% of a given empire’s normal at-war economy). However, the value at 75% vs. 100% can make a difference between a maximum of 20% or 10 EPs.
A: Look at (430.62) on how much can be spent more than the amount in the current treasury. This rule states that the maximum amount that can be borrowed is based upon the income last received, so if one’s economy is reduced for whatever reason (limited war, exhaustion, etc.), then whatever income one received the last time one received income (which also includes diplomatic cooperation, trade revenue, and high-risk survey revenue) is used as the basis of this rule (430.62).
Q: May the Carnivons sell ships to the WYNs?
A: Yes, the Carnivons (6HW.522) can sell ships to the WYNs under (449.2) because "All other WYN trade rules apply."

PRODUCTION
Q: The Hydran schedule for Turns #4 and #6 lists Production (511.321) as: One RN, LN, or HN respectively. Does this mean that the Hydrans can produce one RN, and one LN or HN or just one of the three listed on the given turn?
A: It is one ship (total) of any of those three classes (RN, LN, HN) for that specific turn.
Q: If a B10 under construction is “used” (436.24), it cannot be worked on, but costs no money to keep at its current total. However, the rule also mentions “returns to the capital by retrograde,” implying that this is only true if it left the capital hex. So, can a B10 be worked on the turn after it was used in combat in any capacity via (436.33)? If not, does this only apply if it is actually used, or must the Coalition player declare if it is staying in its slipway at the beginning of a capital assault?
A: This is more sloppy rules writing to be corrected in the 2020 edition. Rule (436.24) does not require the ship to leave the capital hex but does cover what would happen if it did in addition to covering what happens if it doesn’t. Note the term “even if.” If you use the ship in combat (in the capital hex or anywhere else), you cannot work on it, do not have to pay to store it, and it does not deteriorate. By the way, rules (436.26) and (436.27) are clearly notes about battleships, not options for selection and need to be moved somewhere else.
Q: If a player is building a Special Attack Force (SAF), the cost can be reduced (521.62) by removing one FTL (five points) or one (or two) FTS (two points each) which are in the shipyard hex, absorbing them into the SAF. However, on the SITs use of troop ships in the building of an SAF is listed as a conversion of the FTL or FTS. Is using the troopship a conversion or a build discount? It matters because the former case consumes available conversion capacity.
A: See (520.0), (521.62), (520.22), and (520.5). An FTL or two FTSs used to reduce the cost of assembling a SAF is considered a “build” with a discount and is not considered as a “conversion.” The assembly of any SAF does not consume any conversion capacity. We’ll clarify the wording on the SIT in the next update.
Q: Rule (450.18) explicitly states a minor shipyard can substitute a variant of the hull for a basic hull, and gives the example that a Fed DD cannot be substituted for a Fed NCL even though they have similar parts. What flexibility does a minor shipyard have?
A: A minor shipyard that produces a given hull “A” may produce a lesser-hulled ship “B” if ship “B” can be converted into ship “A.” This is a non-exhaustive list of examples:
Lyran/LDR CW MSYs may produce DD-hulled ships;
Lyran/LDR DW MSYs may produce FF-hulled ships;
LDR MP MSYs may produce POL-hulled ships;
Gorn BD MSYs may produce DD-hulled ships;
Hydran DW MSYs may produce HN/CR/CU-hulled ships;
Klingon F5W MSYs may produce F5/F5L-hulled ships;
Tholian DD and CW MSYs may produce PC-hulled ships;
Romulan K5L MSYs may produce K5-hulled ships.
A minor shipyard set to build D5s could not produce E5s, E4s, G6s, F5Ws, or even L5s.

CONSTRUCTION
Q: What is the construction cost of Federation PDUs after adopting the Third Way (508.31)?
A: On and after Y181S (Turn #26) the new construction cost of Federation ground bases with doubled fighters is as follows:
Built at Shipyard: 4+6
Self-Generated: 5+6
Upgrade: 7+6
Use the designator “PDU+” for Federation PDUs with doubled fighters. Fed PDUs cannot use F-111s per (527.14).
Q: Regarding the second turn of PF deployment. As I read rules (502.612), (502.62), and (502.63), the Lyrans should get 18 PF flotillas to place on bases and enough PFs beyond those to put a half flotilla on every PDU they have on their original planets (up to one on each minor planet, two on each major planet, and four in the capital). But there is also rule (502.615) which says that if there aren't enough bases to put all the PFs (and the Lyrans don’t have enough bases), than the PFs must be placed on available PDUs within the limits thereon. So, do the Lyrans have to place their base PFs on all their planets’ PDUs (so every PF they get on the second deployment turn beyond the ones they put on a base are blocked from deployment and a PFT can’t pick them up) or only on PDUs on captured planets and/or on any extra PDUs on their original planets?
A: There are four categories for PF deployment; Bases (original and later construction), Initial Home System PDUs (your original planets), added Home Systems’ PDUs (those added to original planets), and PDUs on captured planets — in that order. Rule (502.63) covers the initial Home Systems’ PDU deployment and is a one-shot deal. Any original PDUs lost during the game obviously aren’t there to base PFs on. If you build PDUs later, you will have to buy PFs if you want them.
The other categories are controlled by (502.62). As you receive those flotillas you place them where you wish in the categories defined. You can place these PFs on captured planets (if you have PDUs) first. Only if you have more PFs than slots available and the remainder placed in the replacement pool (502.615) to resupply PFTs once emptied (Phase 6E or 2B4).
Q: Does the tug, convoy, or other eligible colony building unit(s) (446.12) or (445.52) have to be included in the battle force (302.233) during each round of combat at the location of the colony? Rule (446.12) is silent on this matter, but (510.231) or (510.232) may apply.
A: Any unit or units acting in the capacity of a tug setting up or upgrading a base or colony is/are treated as a tug for these said purposes under (302.233).

THE CRUCIBLE OF COMBAT
Q: Do crippled monitors (520.62) and (521.323) provide the die roll penalty to an SAF attack against a planet and do crippled monitors prevent ground assaults against PDUs?
A: Crippled monitors do prevent ground attacks and do defend against SAF attacks. The rules simply cite the presence of a monitor and do not exclude crippled monitors.
Q: Can a rescue tug (537.2) be used to “save” the ship that is required to be killed under (302.617)?
A: According to rule (537.223) ships destroyed by directed damage or which are trapped in a web cannot be rescued.
Q: Can the combined intensity rating (304.5) blunt the effect of a negative variable battle intensity rating roll?
For example, the Coalition player, over many combat rounds during a capital assault, has managed to bring the BIR to 10. The Alliance player picks BIR 1. While the combined battle intensity rating is 11, the maximum allowed is BIR 10. Does the VBIR apply to the higher number? For example, if the combined BIR is 11 and the variable roll of "1" is "-2" BIR, then the net BIR would be 11-2=9. However, if the maximum starting BIR is 10, then the VBIR roll of "-2" BIR would bring the BIR to 10-2=8.
So, in the rare case that one player has forced the BIR to 9 or 10, does any VBIR subtraction apply to the higher combined BIR, or is the maximum BIR 10 before applying a negative result from rolling a “1” or “2” during the variable BIR?
A: Your answer is in the last sentence of (304.5). You apply the VBIR first then apply the increased intensity amount with a max BIR of 10. So a VBIR of -2 would reduce a total of 11 to 9, while a total of 11 would be reduced to 10 if the VBIR was -1 or not being used.
Q: Rule (509.33) states the tug-and-pod combination is treated as one unit, but doesn't explain what happens to the (single-sided) pod when the (double-sided counter) tug gets flipped over due to combat damage.
A: See (509.43). When a tug is crippled the pods cease to function but are otherwise unharmed. Also, in the same rule: Pods are never crippled and never require repairs. The only way to eliminate pods is to kill the ship carrying them.
Q: If a PFT or PDU with PFs is destroyed via directed damage (302.5), must the now homeless PFs be absorbed into an existing under-strength casual PF flotilla (524.21) bringing the casual PF flotilla to maximum strength if no other home is available for them or is that at the option of the PF owning player?
A: We are ruling that PFs from destroyed PFTs/PDUs can be transferred into CPFs per (524.23) but PFs from a destroyed CPF cannot be transferred to PFTs or PDUs per (524.231).


BATTLE FORCES
Q: Do carrier groups in the support echelon sending fighters to the battle line count in (302.321) determining the 50% of total ships required to be of the same empire as the flagship in the battle force? Various rules provide argument for or against this.
A: See (302.563) which specifically says that the support echelon is outside the battle force and (302.35) which further supports that they are “not part of the Battle Force.” As such, they do not count in the battle force requirement of ships from a given empire, although, since the fighter equivalents are in the battle force they would. This is the general rule.
Certain units in the support echelon (drone ships, scouts, etc.) have specific rules which do count them as part of the battle force. Carriers and escorts feeding fighters into the battle force do not have those specific rules. A specific rule overrules a general rule.
Q: Does an Admiral (316.2) affect the command rating of the ship chosen as the flagship for the purposes of the pinning exception (203.55)?
A: See (203.55), (316.21), and (316.214). The presence of an admiral (or Marine major general) does not increase the command rating of a given unit for pinning calculation purposes. The presence of a flag officer only permits one additional unit beyond the command rating of a battle force.
Q: Rule (316.213) makes reference to an admiral increasing the command rating of the flagship in a battle force (not specifying that the ADM is aboard), and in one case specifying that an admiral increases the command rating of his ship. This contradicts the above answer.
A: The designer pleads sloppy rules writing. The clear writing of (316.11) and (316.21) indicates that the battle force is increased but not by increasing the command rating of the flagship. In a theoretical case of a battle force consisting of a battle tug and 11 frigates, the admiral is prohibited from being on the battle tug but still increases the battle force by one ship.
Q: Are tugs with different pods (511.53) considered the same type or different type (i.e., tug with two scout pods vs. a tug with two carrier pods)?
A: Tugs are a specific type of ship and are divided as such per (511.531) and not by their assigned pod or mission. If there are sub-classes (types) of tugs (such as combat tugs and cargo tugs) then these are divided by types. One cannot have two combat tugs in one group and two transport tugs in the other. This also applies to theater transports in a similar manner.

CAPTURED SHIPS
Q: Regarding the conversion of captured carriers to combat duty (302.25). I managed to lose a big carrier and we’re not sure what to do with the situation.
A: First you have to pay the 3EP general cost to convert a captured ship to your technology, plus the cost of repairs. If the original carrier had special fighters (e.g., Federation F-14s), these are replaced by your own standard fighters, which would lower the fighter factors of the carrier. This switchover is a “minor” conversion. The capturing player will have to provide his own fighters for the carrier (this is a new ruling which answers a unanswered question nobody asked before), paying the 2EP cost or using free fighters. Federation F-111s would be replaced by your own PFs or, if you prefer, by your own heavy fighters.
Q: May a player decline to make a capture (305.11) die roll and pass on the chances of capturing a ship? 
Example: 30 Kzinti ships attack 12 Lyran ships on Turn X. Knowing that the hex cannot be won, the Lyran player decides he will fight one battle round as required, and then retreat. During combat, using legal battle lines, the Lyrans score 12 damage and the Kzintis score 24 damage. The Lyrans use directed damage to kill a Kzinti FF. The Lyran self-kills two CAs for (8+4+8+4 =) 24 damage. This way, there are no crippled ships and no pursuit battle. The Kzinti player, hoping to force a pursuit by forcing the Lyran player to accept a captured (and crippled) Kzinti FF in his forces, points out that (305.11) simply instructs the Lyran player to roll two dice and if the result is “2” then the ship is captured. If the FF is captured, then a cripple will be present and pursuit possible. The Lyran points out that all he has to do to not capture a ship is to not order Marines to try to capture it or to not try to tractor it. The Kzinti player replies that F&E is an abstraction and is unconcerned with such localized tactics, so the captured roll is required as written. He mutters “Vulcan logic” under his breath.
A: There is no permissive language in (305.11) which states that “...one enemy ship has been captured.” Fleet admirals do not have time to tell minor ship captains to not capture an enemy ship any more than a football coach can (during the middle of a play) point out to a player that intercepting that pass actually gives the team a worse field position since this is fourth down. Stuff happens in war. One of your ship captains wasn’t thinking of the big picture. The game designer was, however; see the Rulings section where “abandon it” is now an option.

HEAVY METAL
Q: There are carriers of heavy fighters on the SIT whose YIS is earlier than the empire’s heavy fighter introduction date, e.g., the Lyran CSV and Kzinti CVH. Are these ships available for production at their YIS, or not?
A: Specific heavy-fighter carriers on the SITs are available for production prior to the general heavy-fighter introduction date, although the SITs are periodically updated and if anything was in error it will be fixed (so most or perhaps all of those will eventually disappear). By (530.223) “Each empire may, on and after the date specified for the introduction of heavy fighters (or availability of specific ships with heavy fighters), produce one carrier per turn (by substitution or conversion) for use with heavy fighters.” That one-per-turn limit can be taken to include any pre-introduction heavy-fighter carriers.
Q: When can “changeovers” (as distinct from conversions) to heavy fighters begin? The current wording on the online Order of Battle refers to the date of “building or conversion” of heavy fighter carriers, so it is not clear that date governs changeovers. Moreover, heavy fighters do not require a counter or well-defined class (530.2) so it is not clear that YIS for heavy-fighter carriers limits this process either.
A: There is a limit of one free heavy-fighter changeover per turn and this begins on the heavy-fighter introduction date.
Q: Rule (530.222) says that some heavy-fighter changeovers count against PFT limits. Can those be done prior to PF introduction, or what happens if they are done earlier?
A: You are reading it wrong. It says “After the PF introduction date, the construction of a heavy-fighter carrier or conversion of a non-carrier to heavy fighters may be counted against that empire’s PFT limit (530.223) or against its carrier limit.” The rule effectively allows you to do more HF conversions or changeovers than the HF limits by counting them against the PFT limit. Obviously, you cannot use the PFT limit before it appears in your production schedule.

ODDS AND ENDS
Q: Is a monitor (519.0) with a CV pallet a carrier? Specifically for purposes of (534.0) Espionage & Sabotage (E & S) raids, is a monitor an eligible target for crippling a size-class-3 ship under (534.223)? The monitor rules state that it can’t be escorted (519.23) so you aren’t limited by the rule that says you can't attack a ship with escorts. Or, do you have to use (534.224) to attack it with an E & S raid where you attack its fighters.
A: Monitors are a bit of an odd duck. They are specifically listed as non-carrier groups under (515.437) and are not permitted to be escorted (essentially a non-carrier group on one ship). The same is true under (519.23). Monitors cannot react (519.35), enter the hex of the enemy (519.33), or be used in an approach battle (519.32). However, a monitor assigned attrition units can react, and can open or block supply paths, and can be used in approach battles. Monitors act much like a base when assigned an attrition unit.
We have reviewed the E&S mission (534.223) “Cripple a ship” and (534.224) “Damage a carrier/PFT.” Under (534.223) it states: “A ship cannot be attacked if it has escorts, but the escorts could be.” We have interpreted this to also mean that a ship can be attacked with an E&S raid under (534.223) if the ship has no assigned escorts. This includes monitors and single-ship carriers with no escorts. In a like manner, under E&S mission (534.224), if a carrier or PFT is escorted, then the attrition units of the carrier or PFT cannot be attacked by this E&S raid.
The key to understanding both these rules is the escorts. If any carrier or PFT has escorts assigned, then no E&S raid can be used against the carrier and PFT. If any carrier or PFT does not have escorts assigned, then an E&S raid can be used against the carrier and PFT. See the ruling section.
While escorts are normally assigned at the start of combat (and that remains the primary time to do so), they can be assigned to a carrier in the same hex during Operational Movement and any assignment stays in force until the escort and escorted ships move to separate hexes or the owning player says they are no longer a group.
Q: I have a partial supply grid with one ship in it (413.41), and a starbase that is missing two of its fighters. Do I have to spend a full EP to supply them? Or would 0.2 pay for it all?
A: Rule (413.41) says “Each Economic Point produced in a Partial Supply Grid can be used to supply up to five units, including up to twelve replacement fighters.” It doesn’t say each .2 EP can be used to supply a ship and replace two fighters. Therefore, one EP will supply up to five ships and provide up to 12 replacement fighters. No fractions are indicated in this rule. The supply clerks kept the leftover cash.
Q: Does the Federation being at limited war block a strategic movement path (540.22) between the Klingon and Romulan capitals and the Lyran and Romulan capitals? Rule (204.0) is silent on this as well.
A: Rule (540.143) gives guidance on this with the movement of diplomats. Once a war status is in effect (Limited or just war) diplomatic movement is blocked through the war status side. So, yes, in your specific case, such movement is blocked.

AM I OVER REACTING?
Q: Auxiliaries can use Reaction Movement (205.0), but for only one hex (extended or normal). Any attrition units carried could react separately (501.81). So, obviously, an auxiliary in 0705 (co-located with scout or base that can “see” enemy movement in 0703 could use extended reaction and move to 0704, at least telling the enemy if they keep coming it’s going to be a fight. Then, if the auxiliary is a carrier, could its fighters (or its gunboats if the auxiliary were a PFT) then react separately using short-range reaction into hex 0703?
A: Yes! This is intended in the auxiliary rules. It does not even matter if the enemy fleet stopped in that hex two hexes from the base/scout as regular ships could have moved one hex by normal reaction and the second by extended reaction even if the enemy force did not move closer.
Q: Could a real carrier (or a PFT for that matter) move two hexes by reaction (and extended reaction) and then send its fighters a third hex for their independent reaction?
A: While the reaction of a ship and its fighters can be independent, overall reaction is limited to two hexes from the original starting point, so the CV could move two hexes and fight beside its fighters, or move two hexes and stay in the support echelon and send its fighters to the battle group, or move one hex and then send its fighters on an independent reaction.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Friday, June 28, 2019 - 04:38 pm: Edit

CL53 RULES & RULINGS

NOT ALL MAULERS ARE EQUAL
Sometimes when researching the rules, we find a rule that should have been updated years ago but somehow slipped through the editing process. Rule (308.81) was written when the only maulers in the game all had 10 combat factors. This rule included this text: Starbases are key targets, but difficult to kill. To reflect this, the Attacking Player may use Directed Damage (302.5) to score Starbase Incremental Damage Steps (SIDS). Each SIDS costs 18 Damage Points and counts as the one allowed Directed Damage attack for that round. Use of a mauler could reduce this cost to 9 points.”
That last sentence should be updated to read: "The use of a mauler or a mauler effect with an attack rating of nine or more could reduce the cost of the 18 points of a directed damage attack to nine points. Maulers with an attack rating of eight or less points reduce the required 18 points of directed damage by the attack value of the mauler."
Thus, a seven-point war cruiser mauler reduces the required 18-point directed damage cost to 11 points. A lone Tholian PCX, with a six-point offensive rating, could use its six-point X-ship mauler effect under (523.312) to reduce the cost need to score a SIDS to 12 points. When and if added, dreadnought-maulers and X-maulers may have their own specific rules.

CAPTURED CARRIERS
Rules section (305.0) is not specific on how to handle the attrition units on a captured carrier other than Hydran hybrid ships. If a player who has captured an enemy carrier decides to use Option 3 (305.23) and convert a captured carrier to his own use he shall, in addition to the 3-point minor conversion, pay for the attrition manufacturing lines to supply the carrier with the type of attrition units designated for that carrier. PFs would be swapped out for F-111s and vice-versa when dealing with Federation technology/doctrine, or the new owner could decide to replace F-111s with his own heavy fighters.
An example would be like this: The Klingons capture a Kzinti CV and subsequently move it back to the Northern Reserve Starbase. On the next Klingon economic phase they pay for the minor conversion to remove the litter boxes, restock the vending machines, and add Klingon agony booths; the Klingons also pay for the six fighter factors as carrier fighters, costing another 12 EPs or using free fighter factors per the normal rules on carriers.

SHE’S JUST AN ESCORT, HONEST!
(534.223) Under this E&S mission, if a carrier or PFT is escorted, then the carrier or PFT cannot be attacked by this type of E&S raid. In addition, a carrier or PFT can be attacked with this type of E&S raid under (534.223) if the carrier or PFT has no assigned escorts. Monitors with carrier or PFT pallets and single-ship carriers with no escorts are carriers under this rule.
(534.224) Under this E&S mission, if a carrier or PFT is escorted, then the attrition units of the carrier or PFT cannot be attacked by this type of E&S raid. In addition, the assigned attrition units of a carrier or PFT can be attacked with an E&S raid under (534.223) if the carrier or PFT has no assigned escorts. Monitors with carrier or PFT pallets and single-ship carriers with no escorts are carriers under this rule.

TAKE NO PRISONERS
(305.27) OPTION 7: Scuttle the captured ship. Remove it from play with no benefit to either player.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Friday, March 26, 2021 - 02:15 pm: Edit

CL54 F&E RULES & RULINGS

(401.5) The host of eligible homeless ships can choose each turn which eligible homeless ships are supported for that given turn (410.511) and can change these selections every turn per (410.562). A homeless support line set up for a carrier can supply a non-carrier but any “carrier resources” for that turn are lost. A homeless support line for a non-carrier can be used for a carrier but no replacement fighters can be provided and the fighters would be treated as being out of supply.
(450.13) Location: Minor shipyards can be built in the shipyard/capital hex or at any major planet, starbase, or stellar fortress outside of the capital hex of the owning player, even in an inactive fleet area. Smaller planets and bases cannot support these facilities. They cannot be built in foreign territory. The prohibition of engineers building in capitals under (541.32) remains in effect over minor empire capitals.
(450.331) DNs cannot be produced by this method. This includes any DN-hull ship such as a CVA or SCS. And by the way, this covers battleships as well.
(507.22) Gunline groups (324.42) cannot be used when creating a reserve fleet.
(512.37) An infiltration attack cannot target a ship in an unbreakable group such as a 3FE, a convoy, an SAF, and/or an LTF. It cannot target any protected unit or units (carrier, PFT, etc.) of an escort group; any escort can be a target of infiltration attacks if permitted by this rule.
(514.1) You must provide the fighters at the time the swarm is created so once the die rolls total 100 you might have to wait for fighters. In normal production, that means waiting for the next Spring turn (unless you happened to save the fighters from the last or current Spring turn). Using annualized production it would require you to save fighters from previous turns (when you saw the swam total getting close to 100) or wait until an entire year of free fighters had been donated to the swarm.
(534.211) Any attempt to disrupt battleship production counts as the one allowed attack per turn, regardless of the success or failure of the attack. A successful attack will automatically cancel the very next die roll no matter when that die roll is made (even if it is several turns later). A purchased second die roll could still be made.
(537.131) Clarification: Rebellions are suppressed during the Combat Phase of the player who owns the rebellious planet and is trying to suppress the rebellion.
(537.3) If using the Early Warning Network rules, the Tholian capital hex (537.3) includes such a network.
(546.52) MINOR SHIPYARDS: The Seltorians may build a minor shipyard once they establish a base planet. The specific number of minor shipyard facilities are found under (715.22) and cannot exceed two FF and two DD facilities, one minor and one major conversion facility; one CL facility can be built, but only after a medium shipyard is established.
(714.2) LDR MINOR SHIPYARDS: The LDR may build a minor shipyard and a minor conversion facility in any hex of their territory other than 0711 (their capital of Demorak).
(717.2) VUDAR MINOR SHIPYARDS: One Major Conversion Facility activated in:
Fall Y172 inside “The Hole.” May build no more than:
two FW slips for 10 EPs;
one DW slip for 15 EPs;
one CW slip for 20 EPs;
two Minor Conversion Facilities for 10 EPs each.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Friday, March 26, 2021 - 02:16 pm: Edit

CL54 F&E Q&A
by Mike Curtis, FEAR
and Ryan Opel, Son of FEAR
Assistant Editors: Chuck Strong, Richard Eitzen

ABBREVIATIONS
BIR (battle intensity rating), ComPot (combat potential), EP (economic point), F&E2KX (F&E 2010), FEAR (F&E Answer Rapporteur), PDU (planetary defense unit), SIT (ship information table), SoP (Sequence of Play).

WHEN IS A SHIP NOT A SHIP?
Q: Rule (549.42) refers to armed combatants as being able to garrison provinces and planets. Obviously, LACs and SACs are armed combatants (it is in their names) but are LAAs and SAAs considered armed combatants? My opponent says they are, but I am dubious. LAAs and SAAs (armed auxiliaries) are not otherwise explicitly mentioned in this rule. My opponent is wanting to garrison a province with two LDR armed auxiliaries.
A: Armed Auxiliary Freighters have the same speed and equivalent combat power as armed auxiliary combatants. That being the case, they can perform similar functions and can act as garrisons.

PRODUCTION AND CONVERSION
Q: I know the LDR cannot produce DNs by construction or conversion. Can they convert a captured DN to their technology using the normal rules? This rule lists a 3 EP cost to convert between Lyran and LDR size-class-two units. Obviously the Lyrans can handle DNs. Can the LDR do these conversions on a Lyran DN?
A: Yes, the LDR can convert a captured Lyran DN to their technology using (548.23) and (548.14). They could further convert the DN to a DNP if desired.
Q: Where can minor empires (such as the LDR, Vudar, and Seltorians) build minor shipyards and conversion facilities? Rule (450.13) requires a major planet or starbase to be in the hex of a new minor shipyard or conversion facility, but these empires do not have those things. Can an engineer unit be used to construct them in minor empire capitals?
A: See Rules & Rulings where I define this precisely for each of the three minor empires.
Q: What tracks would X-ships use if they make a depot roll under (424.33)? For that matter, there are some other newly introduced ships which don’t have a specific track.
Federation CX: Use the BC track.
Federation DDX: Use the NCL track.
Federation VT: Use the FF track.
Klingon B9/DX: Use the BB track.
Klingon E3: Use the E4 track.
Romulan QE: Use the KE track.
Kzinti CCX/BCX: Use the BCH track.
Gorn CCX/BCX: Use the BCH track.
Hydran X-Cruisers: use the OV track.
Lyran CAX: Use the CA track.
Q: The LDR are permitted (714.22) to convert one POL to MP each Spring turn starting Y169 for five turns total, and according to the rule “there is no cost to this.” Clearly, there is no cost in economic points. Normally the POL-MP conversion is a 2 EP conversion. My question is this: Even if the conversion is “free,” does the conversion still use up two points of conversion capacity at the LDR special conversion facility (548.14), or does “there is no cost to this” mean that the LDR may ignore the conversion capacity limits for this one special conversion?
A: Per (548.14) the no-cost conversions must still use the available conversion capacity to perform these POL-MP conversions.
Q: Would rule (714.22) prevent the conversion of a captured size-class-2 ship to LDR technology, as it says the LDR conversion facility cannot produce a ship of greater than size-class-3?
A: A conversion that produces a size-class-2 unit from a smaller unit is different than a conversion that changes an existing size-class-2 unit, so yes, you can convert a captured DN or CVA.
Q: When a capital shipyard is replaced and finishes construction on a Spring Turn, does the empire receive half of their yearly Free Fighter Factors in that next Fall turn? Rule (511.32) just says that the new shipyard can begin production on the turn after it is paid for. Rule (431.741) says that free fighters are received by a replacement capital only after the shipyard is fully functioning again, which in this case would be the Fall turn. Rule (442.6) is silent on the issue.
A: When a capital shipyard is replaced and finishes construction on a Spring turn, the controlling empire receives half of their yearly Free Fighter Factors in that year’s Fall turn. In addition, based upon the precedent as set in (442.63), if a replacement shipyard becomes available for production on a Fall turn, then “it receives 50% of the annual free fighter allocation (round fractions up, so the 15 Federation annual fighters produce eight free fighters on Turn #7).”
Q: When building a fighter depot (445.31) does the six EP cost include the fighters or just the warehouse?
A: It includes the fighters.
Q: Are there rules in F&E on changing out modules on the Romulan Hawk modular ships?
A: Yes. See (433.43) for the modules on SparrowHawk cruisers and SkyHawk destroyers. See (525.6) for the various Romulan dreadnoughts that can use modules.

SUPPLY
Q: Is it legal for a homeless carrier supplied under (410.51) to transfer its surviving fighters to an out-of-supply carrier which is short on fighters during the transfer phase of combat, and for the homeless carrier to receive replacements at the end (or start of their turn) of a player turn?
A: See (501.61). This rule is clear and there is no other limiting language. Eligible units of the same empire in the same hex can transfer fighters between each other between combat rounds as long as the receiving unit has the capacity to hold the fighters. There are no exceptions made for homeless ships, homeless adopted units, or expeditionary units as either the donor or recipient of the such transfer.
Q: How do APTs/PTRs/FXPs actually supply other ships? Does there need to be something done beforehand to accomplish this, like pay for the supply? What if there were several APTs stacked on a friendly base with a friendly fleet and that base were destroyed, rendering the friendly fleet Out of Supply? Can the APTs co-located with that friendly fleet supply ships in that fleet after the destruction of the base?
A: Any APT/PTR/FXP [(539.134), or (539.234), or (539.334)] used for supplying ships or replacement fighters can pay 0.25 EP per ship-turn of supply or 0.25 EP for four fighter replacement factors. This mission can be assigned during the Economic Phase, or at the beginning of the Operational Movement Phase, or during the Strategic Movement Phase, or is placed in a reserve fleet, or as part of the Final Activity Phase (10C), or at the moment they are assigned to the raid pool for blockade running. The APT/PTR/FXP must be on a valid supply point at the moment of assignment. Ships can be resupplied during any supply check so long as the supplying unit and the receiving unit are co-located in the same hex. Fighter replacement factors cannot be stockpiled and are lost if not used by the beginning of the controlling player's next phasing turn; Federation special fighters can only be purchased within the Federation main supply grid. Replacement fighter factors are replaced during any player's retrograde stage of the sequence of play per (501.51). Furthermore, this mission should be assigned at the beginning of the Operational Movement Phase or during the Strategic Movement Phase, or is placed in a Reserve Fleet, or as part of the Final Activity Phase (10C). We would also add that the mission could be assigned at the moment they are assigned to the raid pool for blockade running. We would further add that the APT/PTR/FXP must be co-located at a valid supply point that can fund the mission at the moment of assignment.
Q: How and when the supply status is evaluated for ships doing special raids?
A: See rule (314.248), (320.25), and SoP (105.0) 1A2. This supply check is the most relevant supply check made prior to any special raids and raid related combat. Therefore, units out-of-supply during this check cannot use special raids without resorting to special supply units.
Q: Can a tug (509.32) that was changed to mission-M (unassigned) during the Economic Phase of Turn X be assigned another, non-economic phase mission later during Turn X?
A: See the SoP (105.0) 1D3. All tug missions are reset to Mission-M at the beginning of the phasing player's turn unless otherwise defined by the owner, which many players do.
Q: Rule (411.722) requires every ship of an expeditionary fleet to be within six hexes of every other ship in the expeditionary fleet. Can ships in an off-map area be mixed together with on-map ships that are within six hexes of the off-map area in an expeditionary fleet under this rule?
A: No, they must all be on the map or in the off-map area. Further, under (411.712) units in an allied off-map area could be designated as part of a expeditionary fleet but since their expeditionary supply path cannot extend into the an allied off-map area, they would be out-of-supply under (411.711) until they enter the map and move back into supply.

SCENARIOS
Q: When totaling the number of ships for victory conditions under (603.3) do ships in the Depot (424.0) and those ships on survey duty (542.0) count in the total?
A: There is no qualifier in (603.3) on the locations of the ships. Certainly, both depot and survey duty would count for active ships.
Q: I have questions regarding (653.0) D. Early Warning (+10). It says: “Move the entire Old Colonies squadron to the capital before the game begins.” Is the Old Colonies squadron activated by this? Does this include all four PGSs?
A: Yes, it activates the squadron. All four PGSs are activated but they are in the off-map area not the “squadron” per se and are activated there, not at the capital.

COMBAT
Q: In (304.5) is the count of the four rounds consecutive or cumulative?
A: The count is cumulative “after every fourth Combat Round involving non-ship units.” It may be possible for the Tholian to have ships in one round then non-ships in another. There is also no requirement that requires the attacker to select a specified BIR each round under (304.5).
Q: In (512.2) may the Tholians alternate between including and excluding their base/planet from their Battle Force provided their ship count for exclusion is satisfied?
A: Yes; as long as all other rules are followed.
Q: Rule (512.5) states that the BIR of the ships in the web “is” 4, plus what the Tholian picks; however, may the attacking player use (304.5) (increasing intensity) to increase the BIR of the attacking force?
A: Yes, the attacker may use (304.5) to increase intensity every fourth round so long as other requirements are met. Note that the increasing intensity number is a separate variable from the attacker-selected BIR.
Q: In the case that the only Tholian unit in the combat hex is the base under attack, does rule (512.5) serve as a specific rule that trumps rule (304.41) which specifies that the other player may select both BIRs? In other words, the Coalition player attacks a Tholian BATS with six ships. There are no other Tholian units in the combat hex. Rule (512.5) says the BIR is “4 plus whatever the Tholian player picks”. However, rule (304.41) allows the Coalition player to pick both BIRs. Initially, rule (512.5) seems to be the “specific” rule overriding the “general” rule of (304.41). However, it was not clear to me if this possibility was contemplated when (512.5) was drafted.
A: Rule (512.5) is the specific rule and (304.41) is the general rule. The web effects trap and nullify the advantage of the attacking ships over non-ship Tholian who can fire their phasers through the web.
Q: How should Tholian pinwheels be treated when located at a Tholian base? In particular, the question is how you treat the interaction between rule (322.31) which says a pinwheel is a “base” with rule (302.2121) and rule (302.2122) which cover action with multiple bases. The key interaction here is this: Do pinwheels at the same “location” as a base have to follow the “action with multiple bases rule”?
A: Pinwheels are “base-like” units but are not bases. Pinwheels at a Tholian base do not use the “multiple base” rules under (302.212). Also bases don’t count toward command limits, where pinwheel ships do per (322.52). This is also supported by the Sequence of Play for Pinwheels and the Multi-Base Special Sequence.
Q: Rule (546.212) in Minor Empires governs special retreat rules for the Seltorians. If combat continues after a successful roll, is the permission retained? Is another roll required if the Seltorian wants to retreat later?
A: The Seltorian retreat die roll in (546.212) is made every combat round during the Retreat Phase 5-7, only if the Seltorian player is considering retreat during this phase. If the Seltorian player doesn’t want to retreat, there is no point in rolling. If a successful retreat roll is made but the Seltorian does not retreat, it is ignored and the Seltorian must roll again in future rounds.
Q: Small-Scale Combat (310.36) says single-sided units (such as PDUs and PGBs) are eliminated by a casualty. Does this include a colony, colony base, or a colony under construction? I am trying to determine how colonies are affected by Small-Scale Combat.
A: A colony base is counted like a glorified PDU. During construction/upgrade one must destroy the building unit.
A colony is a planet, not a unit, so “once the Small-Scale Combat steps are complete the last player remaining may choose to devastate and/or capture (or liberate) any planets there and could then retreat via (302.7).” A colony can also be destroyed by two successful “G” attacks.
Q: Rule (302.733) Special Sub-Priority 3E is confusing as to the “chain of battles” and what does and does not apply to a “fighting retreat.”
A: Multiple or chain retreats involve any battle hexes that are either created or blend into existing battle hexes by any retreating forces; the term does not distinguish between fighting or non-fighting retreats. If a retreating force creates or flows into an existing but yet unresolved battle hex, then that hex is now considered a multiple or chain retreat hex even if existing forces in the hex have yet to battle during the current combat phase; it also matters not what order the phasing player chooses to resolve the remaining battle hex(es). Players should simply note that the hex is now considered a retreat battle hex for the retreating player(s) and any supply points that were disqualified under Special Priority 3E under rule (302.733).