Several web questions

[Kang]

I have a few questions about webs, having had a real fun game with Web Casters. What an awesome weapon, despite me being on the receiving end of it!

1) Web cast as normal web can be reinforced, extended etc., so:

1a) To extend the web, I presume that the laying ship has to start its movement in the hex of the last anchor of the strand;

1b) When extending the web, do we back-calculate the total energy of the web from the points total? For example, a three-hex cast web thrown with five power points at range 10 will produce three 16-strength hexes. So is the total energy of the web 48? So if I lay another hex on the end of that cast web, it is now four hexes of 12 strength each?

2) When calculating how long it takes to get a ship out of a web under its own power, please can I have a clarifying example? For instance, let's keep it simple, a ship moving at speed 24+1 runs into a web of 2 strength.

Impulse X, Sub-pulse 1, ship hits web.
Impulse X, Sub-pulse 2, 1 movement point expended in the web
Impulse X, Sub-pulse 3, 1 more movement point expended in the web for a total of 2 movement points
Impulse X, Sub-pulse 4, ship moves out of the web

Is that right? Or does the second movement point move it out, since the bit about a 1-strength web in (5M1d) seems to count the one movement point exiting the hex as one of the points required. So the example ship above would escape on sub-pulse 3?

3) When a plasma torp or drone enters a web hex [or any hex for that matter] containing tis target, it explodes (4F4a). So much is clear. But in the case of same-hex combat, where both the target ship [which is a Tholian] and the launching ship are in the web together, this is not so clear.

Since (4F2c) allows the target to move out of the hex before the seeking weapon moves, and since the launched weapon is 'trapped' - even if only partially - for a number of sub-pulses by (5M1d.3), the Tholian could escape simply by moving out of the hex. I presume that's correct, but here's my question: what happens when the Tholian is not moving fast enough to exit the hex before the plasma has expended one movement point in the web - say the Tholian is going speed 0+1. If the Tholian does not exit the hex in the first sub-pulse, does the plasma hit at the end of that sub-pulse, or is it so trapped in the web that it does not hit even though it's in the same hex? We played it that it did hit...

4) The first paragraph of (5M1d) says that 'Any non-Tholian unit...' is slowed down by Web, whereas (5M1d.2) begins with the words 'Tholian ships...' Is it just ships or is it all units? Specifically, I presume that Tholian suicide shuttles are not held back by Web?

5) Is it permitted to lay or cast a single hex of linear Web, providing there is an anchor point in the hex? It's just that (5M2d) says that 'A linear Web strand extends between two anchor points' (emphasis mine). I would envisage a cluster of asteroids 10,000 km across but with all sticky web stuff between them.... It's feasible in my imagination but in game terms?

6) In (5L6a) and (5L6b), Tholian monitors are stated to carry a 'Web - Snare'. What's one o' them, then?

[Scoutdad]

1: Yes - the strength would now be 12 per hex. Add a fifth hex of web and the strength per hex immediately drops again.

2: Your example is correct. The ship would move out of the web hex on subpulse 4.

3: Hmm... Good question. I know how I'd play it (same as you did), but let's see what the official answer is.

4: Correct. Tholian "UNITS" are not affected by web - unless you have two (or more) rival factions on the board. In that case, they are only unaffected by their own webs.

5: (5M2e)ANCHORING LINEAR WEB - Substep 3: Valid Anchor Points states, "... There can be more than one anchor in a given hex."
Given this statement, then I'd say yes, there can be a single hex web.

6: One o' them is a special version available only in the UK. It's a WEb Snare without the snare function. You can use it to absorb damage... but that's about it.

[Kang]

Thanks for that, Tony. "... There can be more than one anchor in a given hex" - well spotted, I hadn't seen that, heh.

I'm still not sure about my 'escaping from web' example though. I still think my example is right - as do you - but I don't know why. Since the statement in the rulebook is that a web strength of one will not delay a moving unit, it suggests that the last one of the movement points required to be expended in the web hex is actually used to move out of the hex. It depends, I think, on what they mean by 'expending' movement points in the hex.

Or, did you mean that it does escape on sub-pulse 3 in my example?

[mjwest]

1a) To extend the web, I presume that the laying ship has to start its movement in the hex of the last anchor of the strand;

The cast web must have a valid anchor on each end of the cast web (one of which can be the casting ship). (On the end means in the same hex as the end, or in an adjacent hex with the intent to extend.) Assuming the anchors are Tholian ships with operable web boxes, they can then start to extend the web.

1b) When extending the web, do we back-calculate the total energy of the web from the points total? For example, a three-hex cast web thrown with five power points at range 10 will produce three 16-strength hexes. So is the total energy of the web 48? So if I lay another hex on the end of that cast web, it is now four hexes of 12 strength each?

This is correct.

2) When calculating how long it takes to get a ship out of a web under its own power, please can I have a clarifying example? For instance, let's keep it simple, a ship moving at speed 24+1 runs into a web of 2 strength.

Impulse X, Sub-pulse 1, ship hits web.
Impulse X, Sub-pulse 2, 1 movement point expended in the web
Impulse X, Sub-pulse 3, 1 more movement point expended in the web for a total of 2 movement points
Impulse X, Sub-pulse 4, ship moves out of the web

Is that right? Or does the second movement point move it out, since the bit about a 1-strength web in (5M1d) seems to count the one movement point exiting the hex as one of the points required. So the example ship above would escape on sub-pulse 3?

The ship escapes on sub-pulse 3.

3) When a plasma torp or drone enters a web hex [or any hex for that matter] containing tis target, it explodes (4F4a). So much is clear. But in the case of same-hex combat, where both the target ship [which is a Tholian] and the launching ship are in the web together, this is not so clear.

If the target Tholian ship is moving 24+1, then yes, it can move on sub-pulse 1, exitting the web, while the plasma remains stuck in the web hex.

However, if the Tholian ship does not move in sub-pulse 1, the plasma would impact then, as they both occupy the same hex at the end of a movement sub-pulse.

4) The first paragraph of (5M1d) says that 'Any non-Tholian unit...' is slowed down by Web, whereas (5M1d.2) begins with the words 'Tholian ships...' Is it just ships or is it all units? Specifically, I presume that Tholian suicide shuttles are not held back by Web?

Tholian shuttles get the same movement advantages as Tholian ships.

5) Is it permitted to lay or cast a single hex of linear Web, providing there is an anchor point in the hex? It's just that (5M2d) says that 'A linear Web strand extends between two anchor points' (emphasis mine). I would envisage a cluster of asteroids 10,000 km across but with all sticky web stuff between them.... It's feasible in my imagination but in game terms?

I don't see why not.

6) In (5L6a) and (5L6b), Tholian monitors are stated to carry a 'Web - Snare'. What's one o' them, then?

I know you are just having fun with this one, but ...

It is just a web box, which also includes the snare functionality.

[Kang]

Another marathon answer session completed. Thanks, Mike and Tony!