Federation Commander

Here's another Web Zinger for you Rule slingers!!

In THOLIAN ATTACK, rule 5M1d-2 states that a Tholian ship may "lock" on to a web hex and forfeit it's status as web-proof and may elect this change in the Transporter step.

Hmmm....this sounds terribly similar to announcing Anchor status as described in 5M2e-7. But this is done in the Tractor Beam step. I can't help but think that "locking" a ship to a web hex should give it anchor status as well even though it is trapped. So why are these done in different portions of Other Functions?

This also leads me to believe that the relevant clause in 5M1d-2 is redundant, frivolous, and apparently (at least to me) useless.

Thus here are my specific queries...

1 - What is the tactical advantage, if any of giving up a Tholian's web-proof status?

2 - Even if "locking" to a web hex is an intentional rule provision that is seperate from declaring anchor status is there a rationale behind performing it during the Transporter step as opposed to the Tractor step? I would think that they would occur more or less simultaneously.

3 - It seems that Tholian ships can turn and fire their weapons while acting as stationary intermediate, corner and end anchors as long as they obey all other provisions of being ship anchors. Am I correct?

They are completely different.

Being an anchor and forfeiting your "pass-through" ability are totally different, and a "locked" ship is not an anchor. If you want it to be an anchor, you need to make it an anchor.

1) The biggest advantage I can think of its making yourself a much more difficult tractor target.

2) The timing is probably so that it can happen before tractor beams are used (which is presumably the reason for being able to change the status). The reason for separate status could be so that a Tholian ship can "get stuck" even if it is currently ineligible to be an anchor (for whatever reason).

3) Yes. Being an anchor or being "stuck" does not in any way affect the Tholian ship's ability to use its weapons.

Thank you Mr. West! Your explanation has made this matter far more coherent! I'd say I have the The Web rules licked! Alright!!!!