Federation Commander

[ericphillips]

In 8DK5 - Moray Eel of Space, I want to play it, and was going to give it a shot today as a solo. It seems like a good scenario for teaching another player, as you can make it two of the same ship, and teach him those systems by showing it in use.

I do need some clarifications before trying it. It says under the rules for biting attacks that the eel will instantly move to the hex of the ship that hit it with direct fire to make a bite attack.

Question: Does this mean it "jumps" there? The main problem I see is that if the move would possibly take it across a hex with drones or suicide shuttles in it.

Comment: Darn, this eel is fast: If two ships hit it, each 20 hexes away in the opposite directions, it can jump to the first (20 hexes) then to the other (40 hexes), moving 60 hexes the process. Wow.

Question: If the eel's biting attack moves it more than 6 hexes away from a seeking weapon, that weapon loses tracking and is removed from the board?

Thanks for the help!

[terryoc]

It doesn't "jump", it moves there through the intervening hexes. So yes, it could get impacted by drones or seeking shuttles if this movement causes it to move through them. That is one tactic for hurting the Eel. And yes, if two ships hit it in the same impulse, it will travel an incredible distance to bite them both. It's a monster, it ignores certain rules that everything else must obey.

As for the question about seeking weapons, I'm not sure. You can launch seeking weapons at an Eel up to the normal tracking limit, can't you?
_________________
"Captain" Terry O'Carroll, fourteen papers published including six best of issue
"Man, Terry, you are like a loophole seeking missle!" - Mike West

[ericphillips]

Well, the movement thing with drones and so on could be cool. I guess use the shortest path to the bitten ship.

As for seeking weapons, it says that seeking weapons "... cannot be targeted on a Moray Eel from a range of more than six hexes." I would think that means if the Eel moves out of that range, targeting is lost.

[mjwest]

The Eel doesn't "jump", but simply moves however many hexes are necessary to bite the ship(s). So, yes, you can line things up to make it run over your drones, suicide shuttles (hint hint), and what-not.

I have to say that if the Eel moves farther away than six hexes from a drone, yes, it loses tracking. However, since you have complete control over whether this happens, this should not actually be much of a restriction.
_________________

Federation Commander Answer Guy

[ericphillips]

Thanks for the help. Now I will go and save a planet from the Eel!