Cloak and fading and limits

[JonPerry]

If a ship starts the turn cloaked, and then fades in, can it cloak again that turn? I know the rules say you can only fade in/fade out once per turn, but the rules don't say if starting the turn cloaked count as your "fade out"...yet I thought i remember reading that it does.

[Scoutdad]

IIRC, if you start the turn claoked, turn uncloak... you can still recloak that turn.

[mjwest]

Continuing cloak over the turn break does not count as 'activating' or 'turning on' the cloak. So, if you continue the cloak over a turn break, then turn it off, you could turn it back on later in the turn, subject to any other possible restrictions.

[duxvolantis]

If a ship starts the turn cloaked, and then fades in, can it cloak again that turn? I know the rules say you can only fade in/fade out once per turn, but the rules don't say if starting the turn cloaked count as your "fade out"...yet I thought i remember reading that it does.

As the authorities above have pointed out this is clearly true.

It is a very important factor in some key cloaking tactics:

1) pulling out a "panic fire" volley with the +4 shift by fading in and then fading back out.
2) allowing the ship to return to cloak for an underrun after launching plasma
3) minimizing the cost of cloaking *next* turn by uncloaking if the situation allows and then re-cloaking on impulse 8

[JonPerry]

pulling out a "panic fire" volley with the +4 shift by fading in and then fading back out.

Trying to figure this out. Starting fully cloaked, I declare fade-in on impulse 2. Impulse 3 the enemy does indeed panic and fire at a +4 range penalry....Are you saying that I can then declare fade-OUT during the other functions step of that impulse, impulse 3? That I don't have to finish the fade-in on Impulse 3 and therefor have to wait until Impulse 4 to start fading back out?

minimizing the cost of cloaking *next* turn by uncloaking if the situation allows and then re-cloaking on impulse 8

Cuz I've got the points to spare this turn, so i fade back in with the intent of declaring cloak again on impulse 8, spending 3 impulses of cloak this turn rather than having to spend them next turn. Hadn't thought of that. Neither have my Romulan opponents in our current campaign. Of course they don't read these boards either...

Glad I brought this up.

[storeylf]

pulling out a "panic fire" volley with the +4 shift by fading in and then fading back out.

Trying to figure this out. Starting fully cloaked, I declare fade-in on impulse 2. Impulse 3 the enemy does indeed panic and fire at a +4 range penalry....Are you saying that I can then declare fade-OUT during the other functions step of that impulse, impulse 3? That I don't have to finish the fade-in on Impulse 3 and therefor have to wait until Impulse 4 to start fading back out?

Correct - you can fade out the impulse after declaring fade in. You would more likely do it in the oposite situation, so you uncloak, if the opponent doesn't shoot you declare cloak again so that he can't get a good shot at you. But if he does shoot you can finsih uncloaking now that he has fired his weapons.

Or in a multi ship situation you can uncloak one ship to see how the enemy reacts, if they turn to attack that then it recloaks straight away before giving a clear shot, and maybe you can then uncloak another ship instead if the enemy is now out of position somewhat.

[Jiraiya1969]

2) allowing the ship to return to cloak for an underrun after launching plasma
3) minimizing the cost of cloaking *next* turn by uncloaking if the situation allows and then re-cloaking on impulse 8

Could you expand on these last 2 items? I am getting ready to try running a Romulan squadron soon and having difficulty wrapping my brain around the cloaking rules.