Haven’t used Tibanna Gas much and after last night game I’m thinking of using it for my next game as I started to wish I had more power (don’t we all)

From the big ship rule book

ENERGY

Huge ships can gain ENERGY, which they can spend to perform

special actions and trigger effects. For each point of energy that

a huge ship gains, place one energy token on the Ship card. For

each point of energy a huge ship spends, remove one energy

token from the Ship card and return it to the token supply.

The maximum number of energy tokens that a card can

have at any time is its ENERGY LIMIT. A ship’s energy limit

can be increased with certain upgrade cards. If at any time

a card has a number of energy tokens that exceeds its

energy limit, immediately return the excess energy tokens

to the token supply.

Energy tokens remain on cards until removed by an effect.

ENERGY STEPS IN THE ACTIVATION PHASE

To gain and spend energy, huge ships resolves two additional steps during the

Activation phase. These steps occur between the “Clean Up” and “Perform

Action” steps, and they occur in the following order:

1. Gain Energy: The huge ship gains a number of energy

tokens equal to the number of energy icons shown on

the chosen maneuver on the maneuver dial (below the

speed number).

2. Allocate Energy: The huge ship’s controlling player may remove

energy tokens from his Ship card and place them on any cards with

an energy limit that are equipped to this ship. He cannot place energy

tokens on a card in excess of its energy limit.

3. Use Energy: The huge ship may use one or more of its Upgrade

cards or Damage cards with the “ENERGY:” header. Each card with this

header can be used only once per round.

So after reading this to my understanding if you have a max energy of 5 you do a manoeuvre that gives you 3 energy if you were to use Tibanna Gas Supplies you could only get 2 extra energy not 3 because that would exceed your card limit (the same theory would be applied when your Aft CR90 is crippled and the card only has a max energy of 1) Tibanna Gas Supplies can becomes useless on the CR90 if you like to move slow like me and run Engineering Team because you cannot exceed you energy limit before you allocate energy

Or does Tibanna Gas Supplies come under the use energy step as a way of refilling your energy. So if you gain 3 energy when you move then you allocate them to other cards then use Tibanna Gas Supplies to top up your energy then you can use that energy to take an action that uses energy during your perform action step. It would also mean that you could not allocate that energy to other cards because that step would have already passed

I know what I want it to be but I think its used during the gain energy step please let me know if I’m wrong

They way I/we have played it is as follows:

1; Movement and Gain of Energy according to the dial

2 Allocate energy

3: then you may spend the TGS and gain 3 Energy

It follows the rules, specifically the 3rd point in your post since it has the "Energy" header

thank that is what i was hoping for

As Forensicus states the card has the Energy header and is thus used in the use energy step.

It's great for topping up if you need to so a Recover after allocating energy to other cards. Or if you need more energy for other cards that use energy.

Use in the energy step.

When you gain your energy from your dial.

Not after or during when you allocate it.

By this point it's too late

Good time to use it is late game when you do a fast movement

Correct me if I'm wrong, but you cannot allocate that energy from Tibanna Gas then? I hadn't thought about it, as I feel the card is less useful with a proper setup designed to be energy efficient.

What about those cards which also have an energy limit? What's not clear is the whole rule about not having more tokens on the "card" than is specified as a limit. We all know the CR90 has clear limit of energy tokens on it, but does this apply ship-wide, all upgrade cards?

We know some cards expend energy from the "main pool' of energy tokens, that you had to keep on the CR90 ship cards themselves during allocation, or else you can't benefit from them; such as: Backup Shield Generator, Engine Booster, Comms Booster.

Some cards have their own limit: Ionization reactor (at 5 limit, needs 5 to trigger).

Let's look at that last card in detail: do you have to painstakingly divert 2 rounds of energy gain (let's say you gain 3, then 3 again) to get IR up to 5 tokens, tying up energy usage and leaving none to other cards and wasting that 6th token, or instead did you:

turn 1: gain 3 energy, divert 3 to IR

turn 2: gain 3 energy, divert 2 to IR, keep 1 on CR90 --- does that violate the CR90's max reserves?

Starting with 0 energy, if you gain 3 energy from your maneuver dial, you place these on the CR-90 Aft section card, which has an energy limit of 5. You are not above that limit so you don't discard any tokens.

Now you allocate all 3 energy tokens to the IR Card which also has an Energy limit of 5. All 3 tokens are now on the IR card.

Next turn you again move so you gain 3 energy tokens, which are placed on the CR-90 Aft card. you now have 3 tokens on both cards, but none are above their energy limit so no tokens are discarded.

Now you can allocate 2 more tokens to the IR without exceeding it's energy limit. If you were to allocate 3 more tokens to the IR card, you would have to Discard one token. So it is wiser to only allocate 2 to the IR card, leaving the last energy token on the CR-90 Aft section card. This token could be used to power other cards like Comms Booster, Slicer Tools, Backup Shield Generator, etc. Or simply be left on the Aft section for next turn.

Now lets assume that later in the game the CR-90 has lost all 3 shields on the aft section and 1 on the fore section. You move so you gain 3 energy, which you put on the CR-90 Aft section card that already had 3, for a total of 6 tokens. This exceeds the energy limit of 5 so 1 token is discarded. With the 5 energy tokens you distribute 2 to a Quad Laser and uses 2 on Slicer Tools leaving 1 token. Still being in the Use Energy step, you discard Tibanna Gas Suipplies and gain 3 more tokens on the CR-90 Aft Section for a total of 4. You can't distribute these as that step has already passed.

In the Perform Action Step, your aft section action is Recover. You remove all 4 tokens on the Aft section card, and can now recover 4 shields, which is enough to replenish both the fore and aft section shields.

I hope this example clearly showcases how each card has it's own energy limit, and when TGS can be used.

That's the kind of scenario example that should have been in the Huge Ship rules.

Thanks!

Ahh yes.

After re reading the rules, I was a little off on that ruling.

Just like mentioned above.

There are three phases to the energy step.

1)Gain energy for your movement.

2) Allocate energy

3) Use energy.

In step 3 is where you would use cards like the gas supply. And any other cards with the energy header.

So it is after you allocate your energy.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but you cannot allocate that energy from Tibanna Gas then? I hadn't thought about it, as I feel the card is less useful with a proper setup designed to be energy efficient.

This is correct, since the Gas is gained after allocation

Starting with 0 energy, if you gain 3 energy from your maneuver dial, you place these on the CR-90 Aft section card, which has an energy limit of 5. You are not above that limit so you don't discard any tokens.

Now you allocate all 3 energy tokens to the IR Card which also has an Energy limit of 5. All 3 tokens are now on the IR card.

Next turn you again move so you gain 3 energy tokens, which are placed on the CR-90 Aft card. you now have 3 tokens on both cards, but none are above their energy limit so no tokens are discarded.

Now you can allocate 2 more tokens to the IR without exceeding it's energy limit. If you were to allocate 3 more tokens to the IR card, you would have to Discard one token. So it is wiser to only allocate 2 to the IR card, leaving the last energy token on the CR-90 Aft section card. This token could be used to power other cards like Comms Booster, Slicer Tools, Backup Shield Generator, etc. Or simply be left on the Aft section for next turn.

Now lets assume that later in the game the CR-90 has lost all 3 shields on the aft section and 1 on the fore section. You move so you gain 3 energy, which you put on the CR-90 Aft section card that already had 3, for a total of 6 tokens. This exceeds the energy limit of 5 so 1 token is discarded. With the 5 energy tokens you distribute 2 to a Quad Laser and uses 2 on Slicer Tools leaving 1 token. Still being in the Use Energy step, you discard Tibanna Gas Suipplies and gain 3 more tokens on the CR-90 Aft Section for a total of 4. You can't distribute these as that step has already passed.

In the Perform Action Step, your aft section action is Recover. You remove all 4 tokens on the Aft section card, and can now recover 4 shields, which is enough to replenish both the fore and aft section shields.

I hope this example clearly showcases how each card has it's own energy limit, and when TGS can be used.

Great rundown of the Energy steps. I just wanted to point out here, since people will probably be reading this as an instructional, that Slicer Tools does not have an energy rating - you do not allocate energy to it during the Allocate step, and it's ability doesn't trigger during any of the Energy phase. It's an Action, which uses energy that is stored in the ship's general energy pool on its card.

And although Tibanna Gas does seem a little underwhelming at first when you realize that you can't allocate energy with it, it's actually a great upgrade that I would almost call an auto-include for Huge ships. You may design your CR90 with energy efficiency in mind, but sometimes things don't go your way and you need to be able to power 3 guns, use Slicer Tools with the Fore, and Recover with the Aft, all in the same turn. There's a reason it's Limited.

And although Tibanna Gas does seem a little underwhelming at first when you realize that you can't allocate energy with it,

A couple people have said this now and I just want to point out. You can't allocate the energy from it THAT TURN, but only because you aren't receiving the energy until after the allocate energy step. Once you have the energy it is just normal energy and if you don't spend it that turn it can be allocated to other cards on the next turn (or any subsequent turn). The way it was being phrased in a couple posts here made it sound like you had to keep the tibanna gas energy separate because it could never be allocated.

Just wanted to clarify that.

Granted, the corvette seems so starved for energy I can't imagine not spending it, but that is another thread.

Sorry about hhe slicer tools. Shiuld have checked first that it was an action.

And you are absolutely right that you can keeo the energy and distribute it in a later turn.