Played the game for the first time today, really enjoyed it.

I want some clarification on the first step of the Headquarters phase.

On page 13 of the Rulebook it says ' Place the first planet token on the leftmost faceup planet (from the perspective of the player who started the game with the initiative token). This is the new first planet.

The wording seems slightly confusing. Does it assume that the first planet was captured and therefore the next planet becomes the new first or... does it mean that regardless of the state of the current first planet, the one to its right now becomes the first planet?

What was the first planet at the start of the round *must* have left play during that round - either someone claimed it in battle and put it in their victory display, or it left the game because no one battled there (or it stalemated). The new "first planet" (ie what started the round as planet #2, adjacent to the first), becomes the "first planet" in the HQ phase.

(Note: For the time between when the first planet left play and the HQ phase, there is no "first planet" - it only gets re-assigned in the HQ phase.)

Ah, I missed the part that says the planet gets removed.

Cheers.

Can I add to this question, does Goff Boyz gain the attack bonus during the same round if they were in the 2nd planet and the 1st planet got taken or removed/claimed?

No.

The designation of "First Planet" is updated in the HQ phase (see RRG, p. 28). It does not happen "automatically" when the first planet in line is captured or removed. The second planet remains the second planet for that Combat Phase.

No, as PBrennan said, from the point when the first planet gets scored or removed from the game (RRG p21: 3.2) until the point in the Headquarters Phase (RRG p21: 4.2) when the first planet token is placed on the next planet in line there is no active first planet in play. You therefore can't trigger or use and actions that rely on there being a first planet in play.

Assuming you know you can't use "1st planet effects" on that 2nd planet until the token gets moved in Headquarters phase ....the 1st planet token is kinda useless no?

You'd think that...until after a very heated, involved battle at the second planet takes place and you absentmindedly try to put it in your victory pile because it looks like the first planet in line. (Yes, I have done this....)

Ha, it's almost happened to me too! Kind of awkward: "wait, didn't we just do this part???????????"

There are some moments where the First Planet Token is very important.

For example, the Exterminatus card allows you to kill all non-Unique units in a Planet as long as it's not the First Planet, so you have to be very careful about when to use it, or you may loose your chance to wipe out a lot of targets.