QUESTION: I want to retrograde a force. Does the force itself "hold open" the entire retrograde path (since these are hexes moved not a "supply path" full of uncounted freighters)?

ANSWER: Only the six hexes surrounding the starting hex of the retrograding units are "opened" by the retrograding units. Once beyond that area, they must have an open path (not of their own making).

QUESTION: Heavy Fighters, F-14s, and F-15s have added combat factors due to their quality. When pinning, do I count ship equivalents or combat factors?

ANSWER: Rule (203.54) says each ship equivalent of fighters pins one ship. A group of eight factors of F-14s is still only one ship equivalent according to (302.352). You must count ship equivalents, not attack factors.

QUESTION: Cripples are half of a "pinning point", as are 3-5 fighters. Can I combine a cripple and a few fighters for one pinning point?

ANSWER: All the fighters in your fleet combine their efforts for pinning. Crippled ships can combine for pinning. But you cannot combine say three fighter factors and a crippled ship for 1 pinning point (203.54). Only like things can combine: fighters with fighters, PFs with PFs, crippled ships with crippled ships. A force with three ships, one crippled ship, and nine fighter factors could pin four ships and two crippled ships.

QUESTION: Can a carrier leave its fighters behind to resolve pinning requirements and continue moving? For example, a force of Hydran ships are pinned by Lyrans. Could they leave fighters (and some ships) behind to resolve the pinning, and send the fighterless ships on to the target?

ANSWER: No, they can't. See rule (203.53).