Rule Question:
1) Can the unit with "Cloaking" ability (also: gained by Arbiter's presence in skirmish or combat card) withdraw (instead being destroyed) if oppotent used the following technology cards?

a) Nuke
b) Charon Boosters
c) Spawn Broodling
d) Leg Enchacements
e) Feedback

2) Assuming that cloaked units destroyed by some technology card can withdraw instead, it is possible that not all of Assist units in skirmish use "Cloaking" ability (eg. Arbiters, or Queens with Defilers and "Burrow" card played). In such situation, is the owner of those units forced to destroy non-cloaking unit(s)?

1) Yes

2) I The owner of unit may always choose to destroy his own unit that has cloaking (it will instead withdraw). When given the choice (for example from Charon Boosters), he is not required to destroy non-cloaking units.

I hope that this answers your questions!
-Corey Konieczka
Fantasy Flight Games
Design and Development

That makes Cloaking far more effective than i thought.

I'm still not convinced if units can gain Cloaking "at the start of the battle" from presence of Arbiter (vs B and D, i think it's not possible). So I'll probalbly ask for clarification.

For me, the most suprising is that you can use Cloaking even vs A.

Wow that is a big suprise to me too. I was treating all of that stuff as if cloaking didn't matter. I was using splash as a precedent. I'm actually happy with this answer, cloaking needed a bit of a boost.

Small clarification:

Technologies b) and d) (because they are activated "at the start of the battle") ignore Cloaking, just like Splash Damage. However, Splash is resolved after resolving skirmishes, so it can be avoided by withdraws. That's because of the following rule (which can be found in rules book):

"Remember that the cloaking ability only allows a unit to withdraw if it is destroyed during a skirmish. Cloaking therefore does not allow a unit to withdraw during the Resolve Splash Damage step of a battle."

The nuke card says that 'at the end of the splash damage step' your opponent must destroy 2 additional units.

But keeping in mind that the Cloaking and splash damage rules from page 39 says "Remember that the cloaking ability only allows a unit to withdraw if it is destroyed during a skirmish. Cloaking therefore does not allow a unit to withdraw during the Resolve Splash Damage step of a battle."

So to be really specific, the question I'm wondering about is, does cloaking allow withdrawls vs the nuke card?

Of course it's not possible. I forgot the timing of "Nuke" card. Thanks, EMELT.

That's odd. It gives a major advantage to lurkers and dark templars :

If five zealots (with leg enhancement) charge a zergling and you plan to use burrow, the zergling dies at the start of the battle : end of story. But if the psychotic gang charges a lurker, then the lurker would withdraw because it is always cloaked.

Is Cloaking overpowered now?

Railarian said:

Lurkers also can't withdraw. Cloaking works ONLY during skirmishes.

cyb3k said:

Didn't Corey said it works? That's the thread.

I totally agree with you that if cloaking only applies during skirmishes then the lurker dies. But why did Corey said otherwise?

Railarian said:

Watch reply #2.

That was confirmed by Corey - I sent another questions to clarify the rule, but I didn't quote that response. Here it is:

Thank you for quick reply.

However, I'm still not sure if effects of cards "Leg Enchacements" and "Charon Boosters" can be avoided by "Cloaking" ability. Just because:

- Both of those cards can be used only "at the start of the battle", so before any skirmishes are set; so that only units with pernament "Cloaking" (Dark Templars, Lurkers) could eventually withdraw
- I found the following quote in rulesbook: "Remember that the cloaking ability only allows a unit to withdraw if it is destroyed during a skirmish. Cloaking therefore does not allow a unit to withdraw during the Resolve Splash Damage step of a battle." (page 39.), those technologies don't destroy units in skirmish, so Cloaking can't be used at all

Is my understanding correct?

By the way, are those both technologies, activated "at the start of the battle" (and others, e.g. providing Detector, or "Maelstrom"), considered to be "special abilities" (so that they can't be used together in the same battle with each other, or with some event cards) ?
According to rules, only one of special abilities can be used at the start of the battle.

Is activating Defend token also considered as "using special ability" ?

Yes, since cloaking in the base game only lasts during a skirmish, permanent cloaking also only applies during a skirmish. Therefore, cloaking cannot be used during "start of combat" (before skirmishes). Sorry for the confusion in my last email.

Only one card that uses the text: "at the start of the battle" may be used in each battle. This DOES include these technologies. The defend order does not count towards this limit.

I hope that this answers your questions!
-Corey Konieczka
Fantasy Flight Games
Design and Development

So out of the original 5 situations you asked about at the beginning of the thread, would the only ones where cloaking would allow a unit to withdraw are the situations with spawn broodling, and feedback?

EMELT said:

Exactly. In any other cases, it doesn't protect units at all.

The only still questionable situation is the retreat / withdraw from battle with General Du'Galle:

"When it is present at the start of a battle, opposing non-cloaking units that retreat or withdraw are instead destroyed."

However, only cloaking units can withdraw... And, retreat isn't resolved during skirmishes, so that I'm not sure if those units can use then "Cloaking" at all.