Federation Commander

Mike,

I am writing a tactics article and have a question that the rules do not appear to officially answer. An official clarification would be good so I don't provide bad advice or make assumptions.

Situation: 5 Defense satellites are deployed around a moon per the rules. Moons do not block line of sight.

My Assumption/Conclusion: DefSats around a moon can fire through the moon hex at any target without line of sight problems from the moon.

Next question: Do large and medium asteroid hexes generate the +1 firing penalty. The rules are not explicit, but I assume they still do cause to the hit penalty. If so, why don't moons cause the to-hit penalty since they are larger than medium and large asteroids?

Yes, I think you can shoot the moon without blocking line of sight. I'm not certain that a moon has enough gravity for the defSats, but maybe I'm wrong.

A hex containing a large or medium asteroid (and no other terrain) is not an "asteroid hex". (Example: asteroid that Tholians have dragged to use as a web anchor is not an asteroid hex). An asteroid hex is a hex full of asteroids, ranging from gravel up to decent-sized rocks. It may also contain a large or medium asteroid. So just the asteroid itself does not give the asteroid penalty, it's the same as shooting through a normal terrain-free hex.

Thanks Terry.

Terry got it right.

The moon will not block line of sight. The defsats are not treated differently just because they are orbiting it. (Do not, of course, that if you have a base on the moon, the moon *will* then block line of sight because the base is *on* the moon, rather than independently in space.)

A single asteroid is not an "asteroid hex". It is just a rock in space that is ignored unless it is the target of activity.