254 replies to this topic

[chiller087]

Question #2: If Infiltration or Secret Guardian is used to put a unit with the Pilot keyword into play, can that unit enter play as an enhancement? If so, will it need to return to the player's hand at the end of the phase, even though it is now an enhancement?

 

 

ANSWER: 

Effects that put a Pilot card into play are somewhat different in that having the pilot (X) keyword allows you have the Pilot card enter play as an enhancement. Up until Step 6 of effect resolution, the Pilot card retains its printed card type (exclusively “unit” right now). Thus, cards that put units into play (Millennium Falcon (0332), Infiltration (0575), etc) from your hand can target Pilot units within your hand. When you arrive at Step 6 and the Pilot unit is put into play, upon entering play, you can choose to have the Pilot unit become a Pilot enhancement so long as you have a legal friendly Vehicle for it to attach to. From that point forward, it is a Pilot enhancement.

 

If you use a card like Infiltration, at the end of the round, the delayed effect of Infiltration looks for the unit it put into play, but cannot find it. The Pilot unit you chose for Infiltration is now a Pilot enhancement. As Infiltration’s effect cannot find a unit to return to your hand, the effect expires and nothing else happens. (Thus, the Pilot enhancement remains in play).

 

Stay on Target (0702/0712) reads: “You may put a Pilot card into play from your hand or discard pile as an enhancement on a target friendly Vehicle unit.” And the pilot (X) keyword rules state: “When a card with the pilot (X) keyword is put into play by a card effect, the player resolving the effect chooses whether it enters play as a unit or as a Pilot enhancement."

 

While the pilot rules do generally permit a player to make a choice as to how a pilot card enters play, effects like Stay on Target dictate how that choice must be made. This is a situation in which the Golden Rule (card text takes priority over rulebook/rules sheet text, rulebook page 11) trumps the rules text in the pilot (X) keyword and forces one particular choice to be made when the Pilot card enters play. The important point is that such an effect uses a construction starting with “as” (“as a participating unit,” “as an enhancement,” etc) following the “put into play” text. Currently, there are only 3 of these types of effects (Infiltration, Stay on Target, and DS-61-3).

 

This ruling is a reversal of the previous Stay on Target ruling, and also reverses the ruling on Infiltration (0575) as that card uses a similar wording to Stay on Target. (Infiltration reads: “...…put a Character unit into play from your hand as a participating unit on your side. …”) This means that if you play Infiltration and choose a Character unit with the pilot (X) keyword, the unit you choose must end up in play “as a participating unit on your side.” Furthermore, if you use Stay on Target, the chosen Pilot card must end up in play “as an enhancement on a target friendly Vehicle unit.” These two effects, and any similar effects that uses an “as a {SOMETHING}” phrase, dictate a manner in which the card must enter play, which—because of the golden rule that gives priority to card text—the pilot (X) rules will not override.

 

Other effects that put units into play that do not have such “as an…” phrasing that dictates the manner in which the card enters play, however, can still interact with the pilot (X) rules. For example, the Millennium Falcon(0332) says “…put a Character or Droid unit into play from your hand.” In this case, if you put a Character unit with the pilot (X) keyword into play using the Millennium Falcon’s text, you would have the choice of whether that unit enters play as a unit or as a Pilot enhancement. This is because the Falcon does not dictate the manner in which the card must enter play, only the conditions it must meet in order to be chosen to put into play.

--

Erik Dahlman
LCG Developer
Fantasy Flight Games

[Wrath87]

Question: How does "Masterful Manipulation" and "Dark Precognition" interact with "Embers of Hope"

 

Answer:

 

(Hang onto your hat, I’m going to get very technical for a bit. Hopefully it pays off for increased understanding)

 

Masterful Manipulation's (0670) reads: “Reaction: After your opponent’s turn ends, shuffle this objective back into your objective deck to draw 1 card.” This card ability has 3 parts:

  -Timing condition: “After your opponent’s turn ends” which tells you when you can trigger the Reaction.

  -Cost: “Shuffle this objective back into your objective deck.” The cost is identified by the fact that it proceeds the word “to” within the Reaction ability.

  -Effect: “draw 1 card.” This is what you do if you successfully pay the cost.

 

Dark Precognition (0034) reads: “Action: Draw 2 cards. Then, choose and discard 1 card from your hand.” This card ability has 2 parts:

  -Independent aspect of the effect: “Draw 2 cards.”

  -Dependent aspect of the effect: “choose and discard 1 card from your hand.” (This is known to be a dependent aspect, because it follows the word “then” which requires that the preceding independent aspect of the effect resolve successfully).

 

Embers of Hope (0349) reads: “While this objective is undamaged, your opponent cannot draw cards through card effects.” This constant effect has 2 parts:

  -Conditional clause: “While this objective is undamaged” that tells you under what circumstances the constant effect is “on”

  -Effect: “your opponent cannot draw cards through card effects.” What you do if the conditional clause is true.

 

Lastly, FAQ 3.6 says: “In order to trigger a card ability, the possibility that at least some independent aspect of that card ability’s effect might successfully resolve must exist.”

 

The effect of Masterful Manipulation’s card ability is: “draw 1 card.” An undamaged Embers of Hope prevents the DS player from drawing cards through card effects (the Reaction on Masterful Manipulation is clearly a card effect). As such, no aspect of the effect of Masterful Manipulation can resolve successfully (you *cannot* draw cards), therefore you cannot trigger Masterful Manipulation's Reaction.

 

For Dark Precognition, the only independent aspect of the card’s effect is: “draw 2 cards.” All the rest of the text of the card is a dependent aspect. FAQ 3.6 only cares about if you can resolve independent aspects of the effect. An undamaged Embers of Hope prevents the DS player from drawing cards, so you cannot satisfy FAQ 3.6 during Step 1: because you *cannot* draw cards. Thus, you cannot play Dark Precognition in this scenario.

 

Any card ability that has “draw X cards” (whatever the value of X) as the *only* independent aspect of its effect will be prevented from initiating while an undamaged Embers of Hope is on the table because “draw X cards” *cannot* successfully resolve.

 

This is a very long and technical explanation, but I felt that was necessary to break down exactly *why* Embers of Hope prevents you from initiating these two different card abilities. Hopefully this has made sense and will help you break down how to look at and apply FAQ 3.6 in the future.

 

--

Erik Dahlman
Associate LCG Designer
Fantasy Flight Games

[Majestaat]

Question:

If Leia Organa (Core Set) is destroyed while Dengar (Escape from Hoth) is in play, can the DS player choose to attach Leia to him or does she necessarily have to be captured at an objective?

 

Answer (provided by Erik Dahlman):

Leia’s constant ability causes her to be captured from play, so Dengar’s constant ability can change her destination from “an objective of the dark side player’s choice” to “Dengar” to be captured at. Dengar’s ability allows an alternate destination for cards to be captured at so long as they are captured from play.

[Utinni]

Question: 

Can you chain protect back to the original source? The specific scenario is Qu Rahn is dealt 1 damage directly to prevent him from triggering his Reaction, but the LS player Protects that damage with a guardian, now Qu Rahn triggers his protect keyword to have that damage returned to the original source, but via protect, thus triggering his reaction. Would it work this way?

 

 

Response: (from Erik Dahlman)

Yes. So long as you follow a legal chain of “protect” keywords. However, a unit only “takes damage” if it physically ends up with a damage token on it.

 

You have an undamaged Qu Rahn and undamaged Guardian of Peace in play. DS player tries to Force Choke Qu Rahn. The Guardian of Peace can use protect Character to take that damage, and then, as the Guardian is about to take damage, Qu Rahn can use his protect Character to take that damage onto himself. You could repeat this process an arbitrarily large number of times, but FAQ entry 2.1 says you have to declare when you stop. When you do, either Qu Rahn or the Guardian will end up with that damage. Whatever unit actually ends up receiving the damage token has now “taken damage;” up until that point, neither one of the protecting units has taken any damage.

[chiller087]

Rules Question:
If a unit enhanced with Marek Stele focuses to strike dealing unit damage to an exhausted unit, at which point does the damage "double?" If some of the damage were being moved to a protector, would the protector also take double damage if the protector was exhausted?

 

 

ANSWER (Erik @FFG)

 

Hi Micah,

 

FAQ section 4.12 says: “ ‘Dealing damage’ is a process that generates damage that needs to be assigned to one or more cards.” This combined with the “Damage and Timing Rules” on page 8 of the FAQ show us the following situations:

 

Say the unit enhanced by Maarek Stele is dealing 1 damage.

  -If the original target of that damage is exhausted:

    -Maarek Stele doubles that damage to 2 in Step 1 of Damage Resolution

    -An eligible protector may now reassign any amount of that damage to itself (up to the usual limit of its remaining damage capacity)

      -If this protector is also exhausted, nothing else happens at this point, as you’ve passed Step 1, where you generate the damage the striking unit is trying to deal

    -If applicable, prevent any of the damage with shields.

    -Any damage remaining is now dealt to the appropriate target (the original target or the protector, if it reassigned any)

 

  -If the original target of the damage is ready:

    -You have 1 damage to assign to the original target

    -An exhausted protector decides to reassign 1 of that damage to itself.

    -Shields prevent damage, if applicable

    -The protector takes 1 damage.

 

Long example short, Maarek Stele’s text applies in Step 1 of Damage Timing and Resolution, when you generate the damage to be assigned.

[Utinni]

After writing the following question, I realized that my real question is whether or not when the cultist is moving a pilot enhancement (or any enhancement really), does it still fit the "in play" status as defined in the rule book. The answer would be yes judging by the response.

 

Rules Question:
Question regarding the interaction between the Cularian Cultist and DS-61-3. Assuming DS-61-3 is attached as a pilot. For purposes of the Cultists ability, if DS-61-3 is moved to a different fighter unit, does its ability trigger? On a similar vein, as I understand, by definition a pilot in hand is counted as a unit until it is played as an enhancement. If the cultist uses his ability to move a pilot enhancement, does it cease to be an enhancement once it is removed since it is no longer attached to a vehicle and thus would be discarded?

 

Response (Erik Dahlman):

1) The Cularin Cultist’s ability only moves enhancements around. DS-61-3’s ability says: “After this card enters play….” Moving an enhancement to a new target doesn’t cause the enhancement to leave or enter play, so you cannot use DS-61-3’s ability if you move him with the Cularin Cultist.

 

2) When you have a Pilot enhancement in play (as an enhancement), it functions in all ways like an enhancement. If you use the Cularin Cultist’s ability to move the Pilot enhancement, it moves from one Vehicle unit to the new one, exactly if it was an enhancement. If the Pilot enhancement was removed by some other card effect, it would be discarded like normal, but using the Cularin Cult’s ability moves the Pilot enhancement just like any other enhancement.

[theChony]

This didn't go the way I thought it would, but excited to try this for fun:

Question:> Hi, Assume a pilot unit entered play as a pilot enhancement. Now this pilot enhancement is captured from play and placed on the DS objective, The Hunt for Han Solo. Is the captured card treated as a unit card to trigger the reaction on the objective?

When you go to trigger a Reaction, you always use the current characteristics of the card in question. By the time you’re allowed to trigger “The Hunt for Han Solo’s” Reaction, the Pilot card hasleft play and is no longer an enhancement, but a unit card again. The Pilotcard loses all memory of what it was while in play (a Pilot enhancement) and only looks at the printed characteristics of the card (in this case, beinga unit).Thus, you’d be allowed to trigger the Reaction on “The Huntfor Han Solo” to reveal that Pilot card and remove a focus token from a Scum and Villainy card.--Erik DahlmanAssociate LCG Designer

[dbmeboy]

In the case of Cularin Cultist, what defines an eligible unit for an enhancement?

 

An eligible target is anything that meets the enhancement requirements of the enhancement being moved. i.e. If you have an enhancement that says “Enhance a Force User unit” then you can move that enhancement to any Force User unit controlled by the same player.

 

1. Rookie Pilot has been put into play as an enhancement using Stay On Target.  Where, if anywhere, can the Cultist move Rookie Pilot?

 

Nowhere. The Rookie Pilot does not have any inherent text that allows him to enhance anything. He was put into play by another card effect obeying all the rules of the card that put it into play. As it has no other eligible targets, it cannot be moved to a new unit. Per update, he'd be immediately discarded.

 

2. Wedge, Luke, or Black Squadron Pilot are in play on a Fighter, having used their gametext to enter play as an enhancement.  Where, if anywhere, can the Cultist move them?

 

To any other Fighter (or Speeder, if Luke/Wedge). Fighters (and Speeders) are eligible options for these cards to enhance because of their game text. As such, the Cultist can move them to those targets.

 

3. Wedge, Luke, or Black Squadron Pilot have been put into play via Stay On Target onto a vehicle that did not allow them to use their gametext.  Where, if anywhere, can the Cultist move them?

 

Nowhere. Same reasoning as the Rookie Pilot above. Without their game text, Wedge, Luke and Black Squadron Pilot have only the Vehicle that Stay on Target placed them on as an eligible enhancement option. Per update, they cannot stay on a non-Fighter (or Speeder) Vehicle in the first place.

 

3b. If the Cultist can move them to a Fighter (or Speeder for Luke/Wedge), does their gametext remain blank?

 

If they somehow *did* get moved (can’t think of any effect right now that would do so, but being hypothetical), they would not get their text, as they entered play in a manner that didn’t grant them their game text, and being moved is not entering play, so you cannot gain the text without leaving play and then entering play again.

 

4. Jedi Lightsaber is on Luke Skywalker.  The recently spoiled IE Tarkin blanks its (Lightsaber) gametext:

- Does it immediately get discarded for not being on an eligible target as it no longer has an eligible target defined?

 

Yes. A blank enhancement that is attached to another card is immediately discarded if the attachment state is illegal from either direction (i.e. if the enhanced target no longer meets the requirements or the attachment itself loses the appropriate text allowing it to be used as an attachment there). 

 

Basically, to be attached to another card, both the enhancement being used as an attachment and the card being enhanced must meet the requirements.

 

4b (addendum): Enhancements that are *not* attached to other cards will remain in play if blanked. This is something that I have noted to make sure it’s added to the next FAQ.

 

 

*UPDATE WITH FOLLOW UP INFORMATION*

 

The pilot keyword contains the attachment permission “Enhance a friendly Vehicle unit.” If this keyword is lost (through the blanking of a printed text box by another card effect, it being stolen by some card effect, etc), you lose the permission to be an attachment on that card, and thus are discarded (same as if the Jedi Lightsaber loses the “Enhance a Force User unit” text and is discarded.)

 

This has the following extra consequences that are minor reversals of the previous rulings.

 

1. Wedge/Luke/Black Squadron Pilot on non-Fighter (or Speeder) cards.

 

The texts of these 3 cards means that, while you can do the Stay on Target effect to put them on any friendly Vehicle unit (they meet all the criteria to be targeted and affected by Stay on Target), as soon as they attach to a non-Fighter (or Speeder), they are in an illegal attachment state and are immediately discarded. (They don’t have the necessary “Enhance a {whatever this is} unit” text to remain.)

 

2. Rookie Pilot

 

Given that the Rookie Pilot has no legal places to stay as an enhancement by himself, he will be immediately discarded. Again, Stay on Target can place him on a Vehicle unit (he meets all criteria for the effect), but once there, he no longer has any text allowing him to remain, so he is discarded. This effectively means that the Rookie Pilot cannot pilot any ships (which is a reversal of previous understanding that was only brought to light through consideration of the pilot keywords in conjunction with textbox blanking effects).

 

Stay on Target gives you a set of conditions to fulfill that allow you to do something, but the cards involved must have the necessary text in order to allow the attachment state to continue beyond the point of resolution of Stay on Target. (Stay on Target doesn’t care if the attachment stays there or not, it only gives you the option to try and create an attachment state). In order to remain attached to a card, the appropriate “Enhance a {SOMETHING}” text must exist and the card being enhanced must match the {SOMETHING} criteria.

 

[Tripnrocket]

Question

Can I use award ceremony to put baron fel into play as an enhancement on to a fighter.

While he is in your hand, Baron Fel is an Imperial Navy Character unit. As such, he is a legal choice for Award Ceremony. Because Baron Fel has the pilot keyword, when you use an effect that puts him into play you can choose to have him enter play as an enhancement on a friendly Vehicle unit. Now, because he is a Pilot enhancement, you would not commit him to the Force because he is no longer a unit (and you cannot commit non-units to the Force).

--
Erik Dahlman
Associate LCG Designer
Fantasy Flight Games
edahlman@fantasyflightgames.com

[Tripnrocket]

Rules Question:
If I have "the executor" from objective set 66 enhanced with "maarek stele" from "the emperor's sword" objective 149 wil the executor's effect do double damage to focus units or objective or does this abillity only work when striking. "Maarek stele" Enhanced unit deals double damage to exhausted units and ibjectives. "The executor" Reaction: after a unit is sacrificed deal 1 damage to target unit or objective.

Answer:

Hi Rodney,

Maarek Stele’s ability works for any damage the enhanced unit deals to exhausted units. In the case of the Executor, this includes damage it would deal by its Reaction ability (so long as the target of that ability was exhausted, obviously).

--
Erik Dahlman
Associate LCG Designer
Fantasy Flight Games
edahlman@fantasyflightgames.com



On May 6, 2015, at 3:10 PM, no-reply@fantasyflightgames.com wrote

[dbmeboy]

Q:

Can cards be played from hand during the reveal objectives part of game setup? Specifically, if the LS player reveals Journey Through the Swamp and triggers its Reaction to grab a creature, can the DS player play Chain Reaction from their hand to also put a creature into play?

 

A:

During the Reveal Objectives step of game setup, there are no Action windows, so no “Action” abilities could be triggered, but any relevant Interrupt or Reaction abilities could be triggered provided the player has the appropriate resources available to pay for them. (Keep in mind, objectives are revealed one at a time, in an order of the controlling player’s choosing, first by the DS player, then by the LS player).

--

Erik Dahlman
LCG Developer
Fantasy Flight Games

[dbmeboy]

Q:

How does Darth Vader (Attack Run) interact with keyword abilities?

 

A:

Keywords are card abilities. Thus, Vader will interact with them on that level. That said, he only stops ones that have a point of initiation. This is most of them, but not all.
 

Of all the keywords, only a few of them have any function during an engagement: edge (X), shielding, protect, and targeted strike. Of these, only edge is a constant; all the others have points at which they initiate. Thus, Darth Vader's ability can stop the use of shielding (if Darth Vader is attacking, obviously it's too late for him to stop it if he's defending), any sort of protect, and targeted strike.
 

--

Erik Dahlman

LCG Developer

Fantasy Flight Games

[dbmeboy]

Q:

If DS-61-3 is "Put into play as a unit" using Bail Out, can he trigger his Reaction?

 

A:

 

If you use Bail Out on DS-61-3, his Reaction will *not* trigger as he is already in play (so he does not enter play).

 

The wording on Bail Out is not just “put into play” but, and very importantly, “put into play as a unit” (emphasis mine). At the time you play Bail Out, DS-61-3 (or any other Pilot card) is an enhancement, so simply “putting them into play” would not work. The extra qualifier is needed to change the state of the card back to a unit from an enhancement. But, at no point during this process, does the card leave play. And, as such, at no point during this process does it enter play (it’s already there), which is the required triggering condition for DS-61-3’s Reaction ability.

[CataractCowboy]

Further clarification on new vader

Rules Question:
How does the new Darth Vader (Pilot (2) (While enhanced unit is participating in an engagement, an opponent cannot initiate card effects)) interact with 1. Passive Card Text 2. Keywords (including targeted strike, edge etc) 3. Fate Cards including twist of fate Basically does Vader stop all of those things?

Hi Stephen,

 

When Darth Vader’s ability is active (i.e. he’s piloting something and participating in the engagement), anything that has a point of initiation cannot be initiated. This stops:

 

-Any triggered ability (i.e. anything that starts with “Action” “Reaction” or “Interrupt” (Or any “Forced” version of the preceding three types)

-Any passive ability that has a point of initiation. This category mostly includes Fate cards, which would initiate at when you reach their priority number.

-Any keyword that has a particular point at which it initiates (the relevant keywords that Darth Vader stops are: shielding, protect, and targeted strike).

 

Things that Darth Vader’s ability does *NOT* stop:

-Constant passive abilities (passives that don’t “turn on” at any particular point).

-Keywords that are constant (the only relevant one during an engagement is “edge”)

 

Hope that helps!

--

Erik Dahlman
LCG Developer
Fantasy Flight Games

[mischraum]

Q:
I was asking about Trust Me and using protect.

A:
As long as 2 damage (the cost) is dealt successfully (either to Trust Me, a System Patrol Craft, or some combination of both), the event cancel (the effect) of Trust Me will resolve.

--
Erik Dahlman

[dbmeboy]

Q:

Can Hidden from the Empire prevent Pilots from being played as enhancements?

 

A:

It is not possible to check play restrictions for any act until one knows what that act is. Think of there being a “Step 0” at the beginning of the effect resolution sequence where you declare the act you are intending to perform.

 

At no point during the process of playing a Pilot card as a Pilot enhancement are you “playing a unit.” In this case the act you are attempting to perform is “play a Pilot enhancement.” When you go to check play restrictions in Step 1, Hidden from the Empire will not prevent you from playing a Pilot card as an enhancement, as you are not playing a unit.

 

This ruling has an additional consequence of reversing an earlier ruling relating to the interaction between the pilot (X) keyword and the objective A Hero’s Trial (0633). With this understanding of a “Step 0: Declare intent,” you can declare the intent to play a card with the pilot (X) keyword as an enhancement when it is chosen for the resolution of A Hero’s Trial’s ability. In that case, when you reach "Step 2: Determine the cost,” you will use the pilot cost of the Pilot enhancement to play it from your hand.

 

--

Erik Dahlman
LCG Developer
Fantasy Flight Games

[dbmeboy]

Q:

What happens if Chain Reaction copies the Reaction on Imperial Bureaucracy? 

 

A:

If you use Chain Reaction on the Reaction from Imperial Bureaucracy, you will end up with 6 facedown cards at Imperial Bureaucracy that you can place into edge stacks. 

 

Chain Reaction copies the effect of a Reaction, the effect of the Reaction from Imperial Bureaucracy is to put 3 cards “here.” But, as we have a clear referent for “here” there is no confusion as to where to place those cards from the copied effect. There are no targets, so there are no new targets to choose when you resolve the copied effect via Chain Reaction.

 

--

Erik Dahlman
LCG Developer
Fantasy Flight Games

[dbmeboy]

Q:

1. If I use Protect to Redirect the Friendly Unit Damage (say from a Character to Qu Rahn in order to trigger his ability) will I still get the second half of Let The Wookie Win to deal one damage elsewhere?

 

2. If I use a Shield or The Survivors to prevent the Friendly Unit Damage will I still get the second half of Let The Wookie Win to deal one damage elsewhere?

 

3. If I use Shien Training to redirect the Friendly Unit Damage to an Enemy Unit will I still get the second half of Let The Wookie Win to deal one damage elsewhere?

 

A:

(I apologize for how poorly this reads, there was a several email back-and-forth to cover all of the bases with Erik's responses being stitched together for this answer)

 

In order for a “deal X damage” effect to “resolve successfully” X damage much be placed on appropriate cards in Step 4 of Damage Resolution.

 

A replacement effect would prevent a dependent “then” effect from resolving. While the two situations might be similar, Costs and “then” effects are different.

 

When reading a “then” effect, you should be as literal as possible. If you didn’t successfully do *precisely* what came before it, you don’t get the dependent effect that is written after the “then.”

 

Spice Visions has established a precedent that costs may be transmuted by replacement effects, but there is no such precedent for “then” effects, and they should work differently.

 

--

Erik Dahlman
LCG Developer
Fantasy Flight Games

 

______________________________________

 

So, in summary: Unless 1 damage token ends up on the targeted friendly unit, you do not get to deal damage to the targeted non-vehicle unit.

[Utinni]

Question:
If I have cards at the Imperial Bureaucracy objective and I play Supporting Fire, can I put one of those cards in the edge battle?

Answer from Erik:
Yes, the lasting effect of both A Hero’s Beginning and Imperial Bureaucracy allow you a replacement effect to the placing of a card in an edge stack with one from underneath the objective. Thus, when Supporting Fire instructs you to place a non-fate card into the edge stack from your hand, you could choose instead to put a non-fate card from under the objective into the edge stack.

[dbmeboy]

Q:

What happens if I use Chain Reaction with A Hero's Beginning?

 

A:

If you copy the LS effect, you would place 3 DS cards on the LS objective. Then, the DS player would have 3 cards to place in edge stacks later on (from the LS objective). The LS player would not be able to look at or use those cards.

 

This is the same as if the DS player has played an enhancement on an enemy card. He still controls the enhancement (and is the one who is allowed to trigger any abilities on that card), even though it’s on an opponent’s card.

--

Erik Dahlman
LCG Developer
Fantasy Flight Games