Hi everyone

I'm a bit confused by the optional deployment rule. As i understand it i can deploy groups or figures in every status phase, as an imperial player. I can deploy every deployment card from my hand.

So why do i need the rule optional deployment or can i only deploy deploymentcards in the status phase when the missions says optional deployment?

The problem i have atm is that i dont see any sense in optional deployment when i normaly can deploy everything i have in my hand and i have enough thread to do so.

Greetings Voddster

Partially correct. You can only deploy at the beginning of the mission exactly what is specified, and nothing more. Sometimes, this will everything you have, other times, you'll keep cards in your hand and the mission will tell you when to resolve the optional deployments. This is most common with "open groups" where you can choose additional deployment cards that are kept in your hand (and hidden) until you have enough threat accumulated and met the requirements to resolve optional deployments.

Additionally, when a deployment card goes back into your hand because the last figure is defeated, those cards become optional deployments during subsequent status phases (assuming you have the threat to pay for them, and that the figure was not unique).

Reference points:

"Open Groups" RRG, Page 20
"Deployment" RRG, Page 11
"Defeated" RRG, Page 10

In RRG page 20 says that:

Open Groups

During a campaign, most missions allow the Imperial player to choose a number of Deployment cards known as open groups.

• These Deployment cards are kept secret in the Imperial player’s hand until deployed.

• The Imperial player can deploy figures from an open group during an optional deployment.

• Whenthelastfigureinagroupisdefeated,theDeployment card returns to the Imperial player’s hand of Deployment cards.

So basically the cards in/from Open Groups are the cards in your hand(s) and are those that you may deploy and are the ones that you already are deploying

Hi thanks for the fast answer

I get it now i was totaly confused by the special setup of some mission where it says: "increase the thread by twice the thread level and resolve an optional deployment"

I thought only in this mission the optional deplyoment is allowed. But if i'm correct optional deployment is allowed in every status phase in each mission. The special setup rule i was writing about is only for the start of the mission.

Greetings Voddster

Sure thing! I can't sleep!

You can always optionally deploy during Step 3 of the Status Phase in the campaign. (Assuming, of course you have the threat to pay for it).

"Optional Deployment" is more of a subclassification of the deployment rule. Read it as "A deployment that is optional and not mandatory".

The two *most common* times you can "optionally deploy" are:

1) During the status phase, when you reinforce and/or optionally deploy. You pay threat, and follow the rules for reinforcements and/or "optional" deployments as stated by the mission (most likely at deployment points).

2) When an event triggers that states you resolve an optional deployment.

Non-unique figures that only have 1 figure in their group (like the Probe Droid), are never reinforced, and can be optionally deployed if they are defeated and you have the threat.

Reference

"Status Phase" RRG, Page 23