When you pay the Pilot cost to attach a unit as an enhancement to a vehicle unit, can you spend that cost when the unit is already deployed as a unit to make it become an enhancement instead, or do you have to pay that cost when you deploy it from your hand?

Now that I think about it, I assume you wouldn't be able to pay the cost after it was deployed because there is no timing on guidance on when you'd be allowed to change them from unit to enhancement, so I'm assuming the answer is 'no.' You have to choose whether it will be an enhancement or unit when you choose to deploy it.

You have to pay from hand.

Think Pilot Luke and Wedge

Toqtamish is probably right, but we'll probably have to wait for the full text of the rules to say for sure.

Toqtamish is indeed correct. "Playing" a card cannot be done from your play area; it has to be done from your hand to your play area, unless otherwise specified. Also, if you play the pilot on a ship, then the card is no longer a unit; it is an enhancement.

If you have a card effect that allows you to return that pilot enhancement to your hand, then yes, you may play it as a unit by itself at the appropriate time.

Toqtamish is indeed correct. "Playing" a card cannot be done from your play area; it has to be done from your hand to your play area, unless otherwise specified. Also, if you play the pilot on a ship, then the card is no longer a unit; it is an enhancement.

If you have a card effect that allows you to return that pilot enhancement to your hand, then yes, you may play it as a unit by itself at the appropriate time.

Yes, but the announcement (which we all know often omits rules) states: "By paying one resource, you may attach "Hobbie" to any friendly Vehicle unit." That is why I was wondering if it could be done when Hobbie was already in play. But I think we all agree that you cannot. It has nothing to do with "playing" a card.

It's the new Pilot keyword. I'm sure the rules or FAQ will state that it is a keyword that takes effect when "playing" the card, with the number in parentheses being the cost to do so.

It also says right in the article, "May be played from your hand as an enhancement"

Again, we really can't answer this until we actually have the full rules for the keyword revealed. The article tells us some about how piloting works (pilot cards can be played from hand as an enhancement), but that is most likely not the entire text of the rules regarding the keyword.

It also says right in the article, "May be played from your hand as an enhancement"

Touche. I was only reading the paragraph after that one that mentioned Hobbie instead of the one that first introduced the key word.