As much as that is RAW (and likely also RAI), what happens with linked missile tubes if you don't spend 2 Advantage to fire the second one?

The 2 Advantage triggers a hit from the second tube. It is fired either way.

But Guided ordinance that misses can still potentially hit on subsequent rounds as long as you can keep paying the Advantage. So where/how do you have to spend the Advantage to get one/the other/both when you factor in Linked as well?

When a weapon with the Linked quality is fired, it represents the entire weapon assembly (including all launchers/tubes/barrels/etc.) firing together. The various missiles/torpedoes/grenades/roungs/slugs/bolts/etc. are all tracked as a single attack*.

*Note that even weapons without Linked function the same way, as a single attack from a Blaster Pistol can still affect multiple enemies (by hitting a Minion Group), friendlies (by triggering one or more Despair while firing into an Engagement), and environmental features (by using Advantages/Threats/Triumphs/Despairs to modify the environment).

This is important to the resolution of weapon qualities. Guided may only be activated when the attack misses, and Linked may only be activated when it hits. So if the attack hits, it ends (Guided may not be activated) even if Linked is not activated.

However, if the attack misses and Guided is activated, the following attacks may still activate Linked if they hit or Guided if they miss (as above), until the attack either hits (with or without activating Linked) or misses without activating Guided.

In one of my games, the GM houseruled 'ion torpedoes' and 'ion missiles' which our group has used to devastating effect. We've used them to disable enemy ships and capture them. In general, ion weapons aren't as powerful, but with the breach that the missiles/torpedoes have, even with the reduced damage the GM gave them, they're a lot more powerful than light ion cannons for small craft.

I'd be worried that such weapons might be too good. Light ion cannon are weaker than laser cannon, but most ships have less SST than HTT. If ion torpedoes do damage on the level of proton torpedoes, then they are going to be very strong. I'm not against such weapons existing, but they really should have inferior base Damage, Critical, and possibly Breach values compared to regular proton torpedoes and concussion missiles.

The ion torpedoes have a base damage of 5 and may have a lower breach value too. They also cost 150% as much as proton torpedoes.

That's probably not too bad. What's the Critical Rating?

That hasn't come up yet actually, because when we've had advantages we've used them to activate linked.

As much as that is RAW (and likely also RAI), what happens with linked missile tubes if you don't spend 2 Advantage to fire the second one?

The 2 Advantage triggers a hit from the second tube. It is fired either way.

But Guided ordinance that misses can still potentially hit on subsequent rounds as long as you can keep paying the Advantage. So where/how do you have to spend the Advantage to get one/the other/both when you factor in Linked as well?

When a weapon with the Linked quality is fired, it represents the entire weapon assembly (including all launchers/tubes/barrels/etc.) firing together. The various missiles/torpedoes/grenades/roungs/slugs/bolts/etc. are all tracked as a single attack*.

*Note that even weapons without Linked function the same way, as a single attack from a Blaster Pistol can still affect multiple enemies (by hitting a Minion Group), friendlies (by triggering one or more Despair while firing into an Engagement), and environmental features (by using Advantages/Threats/Triumphs/Despairs to modify the environment).

This is important to the resolution of weapon qualities. Guided may only be activated when the attack misses, and Linked may only be activated when it hits. So if the attack hits, it ends (Guided may not be activated) even if Linked is not activated.

However, if the attack misses and Guided is activated, the following attacks may still activate Linked if they hit or Guided if they miss (as above), until the attack either hits (with or without activating Linked) or misses without activating Guided.

Your thorough - albeit dry - analysis takes the fun out of the whole thing. Nevermind... Hrumph!

Your thorough - albeit dry - analysis takes the fun out of the whole thing. Nevermind... Hrumph!

I spent six years GM'ing various Warhammer 40k RPGs. I have resolved attacks from weapons firing bursts consisting of mixed ammunition types, where every individual round must be tracked because it will resolve differently depending on which character it hits and where it hits them. So I've thought long and hard about this sort of thing.

Seriously, though, it was a good question!

If you want something to really give your GM conniptions, careful reading shows that technically, when the Blast quality is triggered on a missed attack, it does not cause a "hit". Since FFG rules for cinematic RPGs are by necessity somewhat vague, there is nothing that explicitly says you cannot trigger both Blast and Guided on a single missed attack, provided you have the requisite Advantages/Triumphs. And the following attack will also have the Blast and Guided qualities...

Of course, the wording of Blast could also be interpreted such as that a weapon with Blast could never trigger Guided, whether or not the Blast quality was activated, so I'd recommend not antagonizing your GM!