The Ackbar Slash was designed to maximize firepower, giving Rebel Mon Calamari cruisers the ability to make use of broadsides while also splitting Imperial lines. In doing so added damage was created by any Imperial broadsides that missed and were ultimately intercepted by the Imperial ship on the other side that "caught" stray shots.

This got me thinking. Is there a way to create and then take into account shots that miss or are otherwise caught/intercepted? Obstructed attacks already reduce the number attack die. So the idea is nominally there. This gives rise to at least 3 scenarios I'd like to see operable in the game, though I suspect it would have to be a house rule.

Scenario #1:The Ackbar Slash (AS)

Pieces: 3 Capital ships,

Circumstances: 2 friendly capital ships in each others' firing arcs with the enemy ship between them, residing in both fields of fire. Keeping with the fluff, we will refer to the 2 allied ships as the Imperial.

The AS is predicated both on maximizing firepower and taking advantage of a situation that makes the Imperials vulnerable to collateral damage. I think it is important that Rebel (and, ultimately, even Imperial) players be able to perform this iconic maneuver's second component. For this I would suggest that, when the 'Imperial' ships fires on the 'Rebel' ship between them, any dice that do not result in hits or actionable results (like accuracy) be rerolled against the 'Imperial' ship on the other side . This depleted dice pool will reflect shots that missed (it's not like the shots were never fired). Finally, for the second 'Imperial' ship to be eligible for damage, it must be both within range 1 of the targeted 'Rebel' ship' AND the line-of-sight (LOS) from the first 'Imperial' ship firing must pass through the Rebel ship and intersect with the second

'Imperial' ship. The second 'Imperial' ship may use defense tokens if available.

Scenario #2A: Firing through obstructions: starfighters

Pieces: 2 Capital ships and at least 1 starfighter squadron

Circumstances: 2 opposing capital ships with a squadron between them.

Though ungainly for targeting starfighters, turbolaser blasts that did happen to hit starfighters simply vaporized them. This was true regardless of whether or not the fighters were friendly or not. In the Rogue Squadron series fighters of each side were often described as being warned away from fire zones. I propose that, if a single blue die result in a blank while firing on a capital ship, it be rerolled against the squadron regardless of affiliation. Only 1 blue dice can be used in this way. Squadrons are eligible only if they are are bisected by the same LOS used to target the enemy capital ship. Defense tokens cannot be used by the squadron if available , to represent the random and fluke nature of such shots. The single rerolled blue die must be rolled against the first squadron in the bisecting LOS, measured from the attacking capital ship , regardless of affiliation in the event of multiple squadrons.

Scenario #2B: Firing through obstructions: capital ships

Pieces: 3 Capital ships

Circumstances: 2 opposing capital ships with a ship of either affiliation between them.

The game already incorporates a penalty for firing on capital ships obstructed by another capital ship. I would not change this regarding the target ship. However, as for the obstructing ship, I propose performing something of a reverse of the AS. Reduce dice for the attack as necessary for the intended attack. Any dice that result in blanks from this initial attack are then rerolled against the obstructing ship regardless of affiliation. This limited dice pool represents obstructed and thus potentially damaging to the ship doing the obstruction. This ship may use defense tokens as well.

*IN ALL THREE SCENARIOS THE ATTACKER CANNOT MODIFY RESULTS ON THESE "COLLATERAL ROLLS" AND ONLY STRAIGHT HITS COUNT.

*IN THE EVENT OF MULTIPLE SHIPS, CAPITAL OR SQUADRON LYING BETWEEN THE ATTACKER AND DEFENDER, ONLY THE FIRST SHIP MEASURED FROM THE ATTACKER'S LOS IS SUBJECT TO A COLLATERAL ROLL.

That makes me feel old. I still have the RPG book that is from some where. Who ever wrote that for West End Games must of been a fan of Lord Nelson.

That makes me feel old. I still have the RPG book that is from some where. Who ever wrote that for West End Games must of been a fan of Lord Nelson.

It was in the Rebel Source Book. I remember it too. Its funny cause it had all these Capital ship tactics, but the West End Games RPG did capital ship combat even worse than the FFG game.

want to point that blue dice don't have blanks just accuracy results so they cant "miss" as in scenario 2

but other than that this is a great idea and very simple to add to the game.

want to point that blue dice don't have blanks just accuracy results so they cant "miss" as in scenario 2

but other than that this is a great idea and very simple to add to the game.

A roll of all Accuracies would be a miss, wouldn't it?

It's essentially how a mate and I play warhammer 40K, if a heavy weapon is fired at a unit in a building or behind some cover, if it makes the cover save the hit is resolved against the building, leads to lots of buildings being demolished

Edit, Infact more than once we had a unit take more damage from being on the second or third story of a building that blew up accidentally after a shot "missed" them, than if they had taken the original damage heh

It's essentially how a mate and I play warhammer 40K, if a heavy weapon is fired at a unit in a building or behind some cover, if it makes the cover save the hit is resolved against the building, leads to lots of buildings being demolished

Edit, Infact more than once we had a unit take more damage from being on the second or third story of a building that blew up accidentally after a shot "missed" them, than if they had taken the original damage heh

That sounds awesome. Especially for a fleet game, collateral damage, obstructions, and the idea that massive turbolaser beams continue out into space capable of still being dangerous seems an important element to me. Having to worry about your own ships while firing on a cruiser that is cutting between you or being forced to repair because you took a stray hit would make the game more strategic and fluffy to me. Plus, if I may say so, I do think these are relatively simple rules to implement.