I vaguely recollect there being a rule to the effect that if one ship tried to use a tractor beam to shove another ship into a planet, the tractor beam would instantly break. But when someone asked about that last night, I wasn't able to find it in the rulebook (fortunately there wasn't an actual game involved).
Does anyone happen to know off-hand where this is found?
Or am I imagining things?
Planets and Tractor Beams
Moderators: mjwest, Albiegamer
You know, I would have agreed with you, too.
But, no, it does not look like that question has ever been formally printed in any Communique Q&A or rules update.
So, if it was a ruling, it must have been made on one of the forums, and never made it into Communique.
My error. Will go forth and fix this ...
But, no, it does not look like that question has ever been formally printed in any Communique Q&A or rules update.
So, if it was a ruling, it must have been made on one of the forums, and never made it into Communique.
My error. Will go forth and fix this ...
Federation Commander Answer Guy
Nah. I haven't read the SFB rules in over a decade, so I don't think I'd be confusing an obscure bit of rules trivia like that.
And my guess is that SFB would actually be more likely to let you shove someone into a planet. That game tends to be a bit more unforgiving when you're on the wrong end of a particularly low bit of tactical brilliance.
And my guess is that SFB would actually be more likely to let you shove someone into a planet. That game tends to be a bit more unforgiving when you're on the wrong end of a particularly low bit of tactical brilliance.
As with the map edge thing, the wording is being worked on, but, no, you can't use tractors to shove another ship into a planet. Doing so breaks the tractor.
Note also that you cannot shove a ship into a moon or asteroid, either. This doesn't break the tractor; you just can't do it. (Insert technobabble about large spaces, warp bubbles, and whatever else is required to justify it.)
You can, of course, still drag some hapless sot through asteroid hexes ...
Note also that you cannot shove a ship into a moon or asteroid, either. This doesn't break the tractor; you just can't do it. (Insert technobabble about large spaces, warp bubbles, and whatever else is required to justify it.)
You can, of course, still drag some hapless sot through asteroid hexes ...
Federation Commander Answer Guy
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Steve Cole
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"(5D6b) If a ship attempts to use a tractor beam to push an enemy ship into a planet, the tractor beam is immediately broken. The tractoring ship makes its move, and the enemy ship remains in its hex. A tractored ship may not be pushed into a moon or individual asteroid (the tractor is not broken; the tractored ship simply won't hit the moon or asteroid). A tractored ship may be dragged through an asteroid hex." Mike West 21-10-08
and
"(5D6b) A ship may not use a tractor beam to push (or pull) an enemy ship off the "edge" of a fixed map (or past the boundary of a location map) and force it to leave. If this is done, the tractor is immediately broken, and the enemy ship is left in the last hex row of the map edge. However, a ship may always disengage with a captured or allied ship under tractor." Mike West 21-10-08
and
"(5D6b) A ship may not use a tractor beam to push (or pull) an enemy ship off the "edge" of a fixed map (or past the boundary of a location map) and force it to leave. If this is done, the tractor is immediately broken, and the enemy ship is left in the last hex row of the map edge. However, a ship may always disengage with a captured or allied ship under tractor." Mike West 21-10-08
The Guy Who Designed Fed Commander
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Steve Cole
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