Offensive Fire Declaration

seangallagher77 · Post by **seangallagher77** » Thu Jun 11, 2009 11:40 pm

Thanks for answering all of my other questions, everyone. Here is another...

What is the proper procedure for Offensive Fire declaration?

For example, if I decide to fire and the other captain wants to fire as well, does he wait until I specifically say which weapons are firing at which targets and then he does the same? Or, does one captain just say "I will fire" and the other captain says "I will fire, too" (then weapons and targets are declared with the first captain going first).

I know it probably isn't that important, but let's say I was down to my last photon (the others being destroyed) and my opponent said he was going to fire. I may be interested in seeing what he is firing or maybe even direct targeting before I decided to attack as well. This way, I could decide to my fire my last photon if I thought it would get destroyed from his fire.

USS Enterprise · Post by **USS Enterprise** » Thu Jun 11, 2009 11:54 pm

I'm not positive on the answer, and when I play stuff like that is flexible, but all I can say is in a serious game this is not trivial. It can mean a lot.

mjwest · Post by **mjwest** » Thu Jun 11, 2009 11:59 pm

Think of it as bidding that only stops when both players "pass".

So, as an example, when it comes to fire declaration, you pass and say you aren't firing. If you opponent passes and doesn't fire, then the phase is over and you move to the next phase.

If, however, your opponent chooses to fire, he has to declare what he is firing. Let's say he says he is firing two disruptors, but holding his phasers. At that point, it comes back to you, and you have to either decide to fire or pass. Either way, your opponent then gets to decide whether to add to his fire, or pass and stick with his current decision.

If both of you pass, then your opponent fires his two disruptors, fire is resolved, and you move on.

However, let's say that doesn't happen, and let's go for a longer example. You are in a damaged DW with only one overloaded photon left (you fired your phasers in the Defensive Fire Phase to kill off incoming drones). He is in his D5 which has three disruptors and three phasers left. It is now the Direct Fire Phase.

You chose to start the process and declare you are holding fire. (I.e. you "pass" in the bidding.) Your opponent decides to get some action going, and declares he is firing two of his disruptors. You do not believe the damage caused by the two disruptors will get your last photon, so you choose to hold fire again. Your opponent, however is trying to draw out your last shot, so he decides to add the last disruptor into the equation. Since he added to his fire, you get another decision. At this point, you figure the photon is toast, so you declare you are firing it. Your opponent now realizes that you will likely disable at least one of his phasers. He realizes he should have fired a phaser instead of the third disruptor. However, since he has already declared all three disruptors, he can't "take them back". So, he decides to fire two phasers, too. You have no more weapons, so you don't add any fire. Your opponent still has a third phaser available, but he doesn't think it will get damaged, so he decides not to fire it. He also adds no more fire. Now that you have both chosen not to add any fire (i.e. you both "passed"), fire declaration is over and all of that weapons fire is resolved.

USS Enterprise · Post by **USS Enterprise** » Fri Jun 12, 2009 12:02 am

You can't take them back?

Didn't realise that.

And you said the D5 only had 3 Disruptors, but he fired 4...

Scoutdad · Post by **Scoutdad** » Fri Jun 12, 2009 3:50 am

USS Enterprise wrote:You can't take them back?

Didn't realise that.

Yep. It's like an auction... once the bid is in, it's in.
You can declare your fire one weapon at a time, if that's the way you want to do it... but once you've declared it will fire (and it's target) - you can't decide to hold fire or change targets.

And you said the D5 only had 3 Disruptors, but he fired 4...

That was simply an error on Mike's part. Since the D5 had been damaged and only had three disruptors left, the later fire declaration should have added only one additional disruptor to the mix.

USS Enterprise · Post by **USS Enterprise** » Fri Jun 12, 2009 3:52 am

mjwest · Post by **mjwest** » Fri Jun 12, 2009 4:18 am

Yeah, screw up on my part. Sorry about that.

So, I fixed the example.

USS Enterprise · Post by **USS Enterprise** » Fri Jun 12, 2009 4:26 am

No prob.

Nobody's perfect.

Wolverin61 · Post by **Wolverin61** » Sat Jun 13, 2009 1:03 am

We've always played offensive fire that you declare you're firing, what weapons you're firing and the targets, and that's it. If you want to fire something else, you've got to wait until next impulse, because you didn't declare it.