Last night I had a 1-evade ship come under fire from an enemy ship with the Gunner upgrade. It rolled one hit, and this question came up. Must I attempt the Evade roll, even if I'm completely content eating the damage?

We took a quick glance at the original paper rulebook, and since the section on evading didn't contain the word "may" anywhere, we decided I had to try the evade. I made it, and the Gunner redo turned into three hits instead.

I'm curious about the official ruling in case it ever comes up again.

Why in the world would you want your ship to die?

Never mind, misread the question

From the FAQ:

Q: During an attack, can the defender choose not to roll defense dice? Can the attacker choose not to roll attack dice?

A: No and no.

You're right about the defender not being able to roll evade dice, but you don't have to make an attack, so you're not forced to roll attack dice. Yes, if you declare an attack you have to roll dice, but you don't have to declare an attack.

Yes, if you declare an attack you have to roll dice

Which is what the FAQ entry, and the original question is about. Notice the FAQ answer begins with the words during an attack

Yes, if you declare an attack you have to roll dice

Which is what the FAQ entry, and the original question is about. Notice the FAQ answer begins with the words during an attack