Federation Commander

First question. Satellite Ships can be launched by transporter or Displacement Device, and (5V1b1) says that Sat Ships are launched in the Transporter Step of the impulse.

Are Sat Ships launched by DisDev launched then too, or are they launched in the Direct Fire phase when DisDevs are normally used? Also, do the Andros have to declare the upcoming intention to use the DisDev to launch a Sat Ship, in the same way they have to declare its other uses?

Secondly, I assume Sat Ships launched by DisDev are 'disrupted' when they appear on the map. However, are Sat Ships launched by transporter 'disrupted' or can they be used straight away? Is there any delay at all in their use, like there is after launching Stingers?

Finally, the rules section (5V1b..) seems to refer to Sat Ships launched by transporter. Are Sat Ships launched by DisDev subject to the speed restriction on launch in the same way as if tehy are launched by Transporter?

First question: dunno. I'd say they would be launched during the Fire phase, 'cause that's when it's resolved normally. Maybe you announce it in the Fire phase and resolve it in Transporter Step?

Second, yep all andromedan ships are disrupted when displaced. When transported... doesn't say that they are. So under the RAW, no.

Third, I assumed that the speed restriction applied to both transporter and disdev launch, but a case could be made that under the RAW, no.

Kang wrote:First question. Satellite Ships can be launched by transporter or Displacement Device, and (5V1b1) says that Sat Ships are launched in the Transporter Step of the impulse.

Are Sat Ships launched by DisDev launched then too, or are they launched in the Direct Fire phase when DisDevs are normally used? Also, do the Andros have to declare the upcoming intention to use the DisDev to launch a Sat Ship, in the same way they have to declare its other uses?

(5V1b) specifically states that satellite ships launched by displacement devices use the (5U) rules. This means they use (5U5b) "Friendly Displacement" rules.

Secondly, I assume Sat Ships launched by DisDev are 'disrupted' when they appear on the map. However, are Sat Ships launched by transporter 'disrupted' or can they be used straight away? Is there any delay at all in their use, like there is after launching Stingers?

Satellite ships launched by either method are disrupted (5U4b). This is an oversight in the rules.
[EDIT: This answer was changed.]

Finally, the rules section (5V1b..) seems to refer to Sat Ships launched by transporter. Are Sat Ships launched by DisDev subject to the speed restriction on launch in the same way as if tehy are launched by Transporter?

Yes, regardless of how satellite ships are launched, they have a maximum baseline speed of 8. That should have been made clearer.

mjwest wrote:

Kang wrote:Secondly, I assume Sat Ships launched by DisDev are 'disrupted' when they appear on the map. However, are Sat Ships launched by transporter 'disrupted' or can they be used straight away? Is there any delay at all in their use, like there is after launching Stingers?

Satellite ships launched by displacement device are disrupted. Satellite ships launched by transporter are not.

Thanks. How 'bout the usage delay, as for Stingers?

Kang wrote:Thanks. How 'bout the usage delay, as for Stingers?

First, please note that the disruption answer was changed. Whether a satellite ship is launched by displacement device or transporter, it is disrupted for one impulse.

Second, aside from this disruption, there is no usage delay. So, a satellite ship may use its weapons in the first impulse after launch, subject to the (5U4b) disruption rules.

Nope, no delay on transporters. So they can pop out and fire on the next impulse. Still gives the enemy a chance to launch seeking weapons in response though, because launches come after transporters in the sequence of play.

terryoc wrote:Nope, no delay on transporters. So they can pop out and fire on the next impulse. Still gives the enemy a chance to launch seeking weapons in response though, because launches come after transporters in the sequence of play.

Terry,

As I said in my edited message above, this is a change. It was an oversight that needs to be corrected.

So, yes, a launched satellite ship will be disrupted (5U4b) regardless of the launch mechanism.

Oh I missed that

Transporter rule (5E3) says you can pick something up and then put it somewhere else within 5 hexes of the unit operating the transporter. Can this be done with a satellite ship out on the map?

My opponent in a recent game wanted to do this, but i convinced them that it can't be done based on what said in (5V1b1) that says a satellite ship can't be recovered and launched with the same power. But better ask and check anyway.

No, you can't use bouncing marines with sat ships. I'm pretty sure this is explicitly prohibited somewhere in the rules. You can only use transporters to launch it or recover it.

If you want to move a Sat Ship already on the map in that way, you can use a displacement device using the Andromedan Displacement rules for the DisDev. So there is a way to do it.

Hangar capacity on Fleet Scale motherships is the same as it is in Sqn scale.

Fleet scale sat ships are the same size, and cost the same as in Sqn scale to transport out of the hangar.

Is that right? Shouldn't they cost half that amount, since the mothership's power systems produce only half as much power as in Sqn scale?

It can't be a play balance thing, like limiting the number of ships a mothership can launch, because the sat ships are only half size in Fleet scale anyway and therefore half the threat!

Kang wrote:Hangar capacity on Fleet Scale motherships is the same as it is in Sqn scale.

Fleet scale sat ships are the same size, and cost the same as in Sqn scale to transport out of the hangar.

Is that right? Shouldn't they cost half that amount, since the mothership's power systems produce only half as much power as in Sqn scale?

It can't be a play balance thing, like limiting the number of ships a mothership can launch, because the sat ships are only half size in Fleet scale anyway and therefore half the threat!

I think this was done to avoid ships having half sizes.

I don't think there was any overall design decision on the transporter cost in fleet scale; it is just how it ended up working. Andros are just weird.