Dear TI 3rd edition friends,

I'm a sincere fan of this wonderful game!! In my opinion it's the best board game of all times, I'm a bit sad becuase many friends consider the time playing of TI too long, so I manage to play here in my city in Italy (Vicenza) just time to time. Any case yesterday we played a game and the following problems arised...I've carrefully read the rules and the FAQs and also your forum, but It seems to me that my dubts haven't been discussed yet...so I hope some of you much more fond of me in this game may help me!!! this doubts are quite specific so please let answer just expert players! thanks a lot for your cooperation!! the doubts:

1)special race combat's habilities (like +1 during any combat roll granted to Sardak N'Orr) and technologies which grant higher firepower (like Hilar V assult laser) and the action card (hereinfater the AC) Morale Boost (+1 firepower for 1 combat round) do they sum their firepower values?? ex.:

1a)if the Sardak N'Orr ows the Hilar V assult Tec. and the actin card Morale boost, if he plays during the 1st round of a space combat the Morale boost AC, it means that during the 1st round of the space battle its firepowers is increased by 2 (+2)?: +1 race hability +1 Morale boost AC and +3 only for cruisers and destroyers (+1 Hilar V assult Tec.only for cruisers and destroyers)?

1b)if Mentak Coalition ows Hilar V assult laser Tec. and Morale boost AC and he uses the Morale boost AC during the pre-combat action's special hability about the one shot by its up to 2 cruisers or destroyers, it means that the firepower of its cruisers and destroyers are increased by 3 (+3) during this pre-combat phase?

1c)Univ. of Jol-Nar ows Hilar V assult laser Tec. and Morale boost AC, before the begin of a space he declares the use of his Morale boost AC during the 1st combat round, does it means that during the 1st combat round his firepower is 0?: -1 his hability and +1 Morale boost AC, but it's +1 only regarding cruisers and destroyers +1 Hilar V assult Tec.only for cruisers and destroyers)?

2) if 1 or 2 destroyers which belong to Mentak Coalition during the pre-combat phase participate to the Mentak hability's action can they also participate to the Destroyer anti-fighter barrage during the same pre-combat phase?

3)during the action phase a player has run out his Command Counters (hereinafter CC) and ha has also already executed his strategy card, so he declares that he passes. After it another player executes his Logistic strategy card and the player who passed executes the 2nd hability of the logistic card, and he puts the CC that he has just recevied on its command pool area. Is this player allowed to use this new CC as tactical or transfer actions during the same action phase?? or he has to keep these CC till the new game round phase?

4)a player land his ground forces (GF) in a hostile planet which contains only an enemy PDS (and a space dock)but not ground defender forces, are the invaders ground forces subjected to the PDS fire or not??

a similar case: a dreadnought elimiate (by bombardment) the only 1 defender GF in a planet which also contains a PDS, are the attacker GF landed on the planet subjeted to the PDS defender fire??

5)during a retreat/withdrawal after a space battle, PDS belonging to the not retreating palyer, that are in range of firing on the system which receives the retreating fleet, are they allowed to open fire even during a retreat??

6)during a tranfer action both activated systems are within the fire range of an enemy PDS, can the PDS open fire on both systems or it may fire just on 1 sole system??

7)if the attacker plays the AC Local Unrest in a enemy planet where there are only 1 PDS (and 1 space dock) but no GF, what is going to become the planet's status?? just exhausted or it reverts into neutral (provoquing the destruction of the PDS and of the space dock)??

8) the official FAQ about the 2nd Combat question (page 3) says:

Q: If a Dreadnought is damaged by a pre-combat ability, can it be destroyed by a Direct Hit card?

A: Yes, because pre-combat abilities happen during the Space Battle step of an activation. Ships that are damaged by PDS fire (or by space mines in SHATTERED EMPIRE) may not be targeted by “Direct Hit,” since PDS fire does not occur in the Space Battle step.

In my opinion this explanation need to be clarified better...becuase it's said that a Dreadnought cannot be targeted by “Direct Hit" during any pre-combat phase (like PDS fire), becuase the Direct Hit AC is allowed to be played just during the Space Battle sequence (so after the pre-combat sequence). Providing this explanation, I consider that a Dreadnought which has been damaged by a pre-combat ability, it can be destroyed by a Direct Hit card played just during the space combat squence and not during the earlier step of the pre-combat sequence. Is it correct??

THANKS A LOT FOR YOUR HELP!!

Stef

1)special race combat's habilities (like +1 during any combat roll granted to Sardak N'Orr) and technologies which grant higher firepower (like Hilar V assult laser) and the action card (hereinfater the AC) Morale Boost (+1 firepower for 1 combat round) do they sum their firepower values?? ex.:

Yes, all combat bonuses that apply will stack.

1a)if the Sardak N'Orr ows the Hilar V assult Tec. and the actin card Morale boost, if he plays during the 1st round of a space combat the Morale boost AC, it means that during the 1st round of the space battle its firepowers is increased by 2 (+2)?: +1 race hability +1 Morale boost AC and +3 only for cruisers and destroyers (+1 Hilar V assult Tec.only for cruisers and destroyers)?

Correct.

1b)if Mentak Coalition ows Hilar V assult laser Tec. and Morale boost AC and he uses the Morale boost AC during the pre-combat action's special hability about the one shot by its up to 2 cruisers or destroyers, it means that the firepower of its cruisers and destroyers are increased by 3 (+3) during this pre-combat phase?

I don't think you can play Morale Boost during pre-combat. I don't have the card in front of me, but I'm pretty sure it says to play it before a combat round. There are no combat rounds during pre-combat.

1c)Univ. of Jol-Nar ows Hilar V assult laser Tec. and Morale boost AC, before the begin of a space he declares the use of his Morale boost AC during the 1st combat round, does it means that during the 1st combat round his firepower is 0?: -1 his hability and +1 Morale boost AC, but it's +1 only regarding cruisers and destroyers +1 Hilar V assult Tec.only for cruisers and destroyers)?

Correct. Although, as above, you don't actually play Morale Boost until just before the first combat round. Jol-Nar can declare the play before Space Combat begins if he wants, he's just announcing it early.

2) if 1 or 2 destroyers which belong to Mentak Coalition during the pre-combat phase participate to the Mentak hability's action can they also participate to the Destroyer anti-fighter barrage during the same pre-combat phase?

Yes, those ships effectively fire twice in pre-combat. I think there's something about the Mentak player getting to choose the order in which he resolves abilities that take place at the same time (ie: regular pre-combat and his racial pre-combat.) But obviously, Mentak would always choose to resolve his racial first because the ships hit by those one or two shots don't get to return fire.

3)during the action phase a player has run out his Command Counters (hereinafter CC) and ha has also already executed his strategy card, so he declares that he passes. After it another player executes his Logistic strategy card and the player who passed executes the 2nd hability of the logistic card, and he puts the CC that he has just recevied on its command pool area. Is this player allowed to use this new CC as tactical or transfer actions during the same action phase?? or he has to keep these CC till the new game round phase?

Once you have declared a Pass, you're done. This player would have to wait until next turn to do anything with the bonus CC. You can always choose to Pass, even if you have things left to do at the time (as long as you've used your SC, that is.) But having Passed, you cannot change your mind later and do stuff again.

This is precisely what makes Yssaril's "skip" ability so powerful. He can effectively pass for one action and then come back to do something later. By skipping every other action and delaying his really important moves to the end, he can wait until everyone else has Passed and then do several things when no one can respond.

4)a player land his ground forces (GF) in a hostile planet which contains only an enemy PDS (and a space dock)but not ground defender forces, are the invaders ground forces subjected to the PDS fire or not??

Yes. The PDS is automated and will fire whether there are GFs present or not. (Alternately, the PDS has its own ground crew not represented by GF tokens.)

PDS fire on incoming enemy GFs during the Planetary Landings step, which comes before Invasion Combat. It is not actually part of Invasion Combat.

a similar case: a dreadnought elimiate (by bombardment) the only 1 defender GF in a planet which also contains a PDS, are the attacker GF landed on the planet subjeted to the PDS defender fire??

A Dreadnought cannot bombard a planet that contains a PDS.

A War Sun can, however, and the answer is still yes; the PDS will fire on incoming enemy GFs, as above.

5)during a retreat/withdrawal after a space battle, PDS belonging to the not retreating palyer, that are in range of firing on the system which receives the retreating fleet, are they allowed to open fire even during a retreat??

No. "PDS Fire" is not an inherent ability that triggers whenever a system is activated. "PDS Fire" is a separate step in the Tactical Action sequence (Step 3, to be precise.) There is no provision for PDS fire during a retreat, so PDS do not fire at that time.

6)during a tranfer action both activated systems are within the fire range of an enemy PDS, can the PDS open fire on both systems or it may fire just on 1 sole system??

The PDS can only fire on 1 system (controlling player's choice.) This happens after the active player is finished moving his ships back and forth. See Page 14 of the core rulebook.

7)if the attacker plays the AC Local Unrest in a enemy planet where there are only 1 PDS (and 1 space dock) but no GF, what is going to become the planet's status?? just exhausted or it reverts into neutral (provoquing the destruction of the PDS and of the space dock)??

The planet reverts to neutral status, the PDS and SD are destroyed. This one is in the FAQ.

8) the official FAQ about the 2nd Combat question (page 3) says:

Q: If a Dreadnought is damaged by a pre-combat ability, can it be destroyed by a Direct Hit card?

A: Yes, because pre-combat abilities happen during the Space Battle step of an activation. Ships that are damaged by PDS fire (or by space mines in SHATTERED EMPIRE) may not be targeted by “Direct Hit,” since PDS fire does not occur in the Space Battle step.

In my opinion this explanation need to be clarified better...becuase it's said that a Dreadnought cannot be targeted by “Direct Hit" during any pre-combat phase (like PDS fire), becuase the Direct Hit AC is allowed to be played just during the Space Battle sequence (so after the pre-combat sequence). Providing this explanation, I consider that a Dreadnought which has been damaged by a pre-combat ability, it can be destroyed by a Direct Hit card played just during the space combat squence and not during the earlier step of the pre-combat sequence. Is it correct??

I think you're getting confused about the meaning of the term "pre-combat."

These are the steps of a Tactical Action. They are resolved in order, and each step is a separate entity:

1) Activate the system

2) Movement

3) PDS Fire

4) Space Battles

5) Planetary Landings

6) Invasion Combat

7) Production

"Pre-combat" is a special term in this game that refers to abilities which happen at the beginning of the Space Battles step (4), but before the actual battle begins. Such as destroyers using anti-fighter barrage, or the Mentak racial ability we were discussing above.

"Pre-combat" does not include things which happen in earlier steps of the Tactical Action, such as PDS Fire (step 3) or space mines (which trigger during step 2: movement, IIRC.)

The "Direct Hit" AC must be played during the Space Battles step (4.) This is what the FAQ answer is saying. As such, it may be used in response to "pre-combat" abilities, because those happen in the Space Battles step. It may not be used in response to PDS fire or mines, because those things happen in other steps, outside of "Space Battles."

Thank you very much Steve for your complete explanation!! I've understod and agreed in all your comentaries, I just need to clarify the last question about the AC direct Hit. I just'd like to know if a Dreadnought which has sustained a damage during the PDS fire step is subjected to the enemy's AC direct hit during the space battle phase. So during a space battle may the AC Direct Hit be played against an dreadnought that has been previously damaged by PDS fire??

thanks for reply!

Thank you very much Steve for your complete explanation!! I've understod and agreed in all your comentaries, I just need to clarify the last question about the AC direct Hit. I just'd like to know if a Dreadnought which has sustained a damage during the PDS fire step is subjected to the enemy's AC direct hit during the space battle phase. So during a space battle may the AC Direct Hit be played against an dreadnought that has been previously damaged by PDS fire??

thanks for reply!

This was explained, the simple answer is no. The AC you ask about only applies during the space battle step of an activation. Since PDS fire happens before this step of an activation the hit happens outside of the step the AC is played during. Thus it cannot be used.

I just need to clarify the last question about the AC direct Hit. I just'd like to know if a Dreadnought which has sustained a damage during the PDS fire step is subjected to the enemy's AC direct hit during the space battle phase.

Ah, I see what you're getting at.

"Direct Hit" must be played immediately after the damage is dealt, so a Dreadnought which was damaged during the PDS Fire step is not a valid target for Direct Hit once Space Battles begin.

Thank you very much for your help!!! now I've clarified al my doubts!!

keep in touch!