I'm probably being a wally but somebody help me out. A squadron within range 1 of an enemy squadron results in both being engaged and thereby 'locked' from moving, yes? So a squadron command allowing movement and an attack is really only good for squadrons that are not currently engaged else they couldn't move anyway?

So if you want to tie up an enemy squadron by moving within range 1 of them, it does NOT matter if they are already activated or not? Because even if they are not, they won't be able to move away when their turn comes if you're still alive?

Also, if an X-wing squad is escorting B-wings, and ties up the engaging TIEs, does the B-wing squad get to move away? Or are they likewise locked in if the TIEs are within range 1 of both Rebel squads?

(*All this is excepted from squadrons with the Heavy keyword obviously)

Finally, this seems to imply squadron battles will inevitably turn into all or nothing engagements. Once engaged there has to be a winner so it seems to me that Imperials with their cheaper ships & swarm ability have a mild advantage since stronger Rebel squadrons will be inevitably outnumbered.

Furthermore, the 6 round limit seems to suggest that starfighters will clash around rounds 2-3, with surviving squadrons repositioning for attack runs in 5-6 for a total of 2 attacks on average. That makes the starfighter element feel a little static, less fluid.

All of these are off the cuff ramblings and do not represent definitive opinions unless they are found to be universally well received.

An engaged squadron cannot move until it is not engaged (except for Tycho). Squadron Commands still allow your squads to attack out of turn, and if they kill the squads they are engaged with then they can make a move after. Escort does not allow other squads to move, it only means enemies cannot attack them.

Positioning squads and utilizing your fighters to tie up the enemies fighters is key to getting the most out of your fighters.

So the escorted B-wings have to linger while the X-wings and TIEs duke it out? I feel like once the TIEs are engaged the B-wings should be able to make a break for it. It's likely range 1 distances will exist between both the escort and the escorted from the attacker since escorts need to be close to provide cover. But can the B-wings attack the TIEs as well -- while remaining immune to attack since the X-wing escorts are still there?

Maybe that's why the range 1-2 bands are not equal, forcing these situations to be more delicate.

Its a whole different range 1 I am pretty sure.

It is not a guarantee that being in range of an intended escort will put you in range of what it was intending to escort. Proper spacing to ensure that your bombers are not getting jumped but also warding off them getting engaged is likely going to be a large component of tending to bomber and escort groups.

Ideally you never want the Escort ability to get triggered, because you'd nearly always prefer your flock be in engaged to just move past the fur ball to it's intended purpose.

1) Engaged swuadrans are indeed locked and cannot move. But the "Range 1" is the "Squadron range 1" which is roughly only 6 cm while "Ships range 1" is 10 cm

2) The Range ruler has 2 sides/faces: one side is the Ships Range and is composed of three equal 10 cm ranges like in X-Wing. The other side has the ranges for Squadrons. These are divided in (from my memory) in Range 1 to 5/6 where Range 1 is the longest (aprox. 6 cm as mentioned above) while the rest is closer to 4 cm or so

3) There is a way to (literally) break up a squadron dogfight: (the following is from my memory of the rules as read during my first and so far only game) when a Ship (the biggun's) makes a maneuver that causes it to overlap 1 or more Squadrons the player who is not in control of the moving ship (ie. your opponent) gets to pick up the squadrons. When the Ship is in its final position the opponent then places the Squadrons around the ship in base contact as he/she pleases. This may cause squadrons to be outside of Squadron Range 1 and they may now fly freely again until engaged again.

Disclaimer: I might remember some of this a bit incorrectly but I think it is correct and I hope it helps

That rule sounds right, I remember it too.

I guess I'm wondering about my B-wing example. If both the B and X-wings are in range 1 of a TIE squad, the TIE must attack the X-wings. But the B-wings are still "engaged," unable to move, and able to fire on the TIE squad freely without risk of return fire (assuming Counter isn't there). Is that correct?

It would seem so

However, in that example the TIEs would be dead incredibly fast anyway. Take this example:

TIE squadron moves into x-wing and B-wing to lock them up, attacks X-Wing.

X- and B-Wings get a squadron order. X-Wing attacks TIE...if it dies, X-Wing moves, then B-Wing moves and attacks. Otherwise B-Wing then ALSO attacks TIE, and if it dies (it really should be by now) still gets to move.

Honestly not going to tie anything up for long like that, especially if you jump something that hasn't yet activated. You'll need to still to swarm them , allowing other squadrons to potentially slip past.

But it's still the only way you might get the chance to have your squadrons disengage in a way that isn't because they're dead. And of course the opponent will only disengage the squadrons if it's in his/her best interest, for instance if he needs them to engage/attack something else

The question is, do you become engaged the moment you come within range 1 of an enemy squadron (so you could create screens), or is engagement measured only after you have finished moving (so you could fly over an enemy fighter and land behind him)?

If it isn't checked at the end of movement that would really devalue fast fighters, A Wings in particular

If it isn't checked at the end of movement that would really devalue fast fighters, A Wings in particular

On the other hand, if it is checked only at the end of movement, that means you can't create effective fighter screens. Fighter movement feels a bit sloppy as it is.

You're going to really feel those A Wings have no value when the Imperial bombers zip 5 right past them and blast your capital ship from medium range.

Anyone know if there is any limitation for ships attacking engaged squadrons?

My thought is that engaged squadrons are supposed to swirling around each in a dog fight and someones Neb-B at medium range would have a hard time targeting enemy fighters in the swirl of fighters. Yet then again you would also want ships to be able to support your squadrons, perhaps at close range? So I don't know if there are any limitations or not. Anyone read or heard anything in this regard?

If it isn't checked at the end of movement that would really devalue fast fighters, A Wings in particular

On the other hand, if it is checked only at the end of movement, that means you can't create effective fighter screens. Fighter movement feels a bit sloppy as it is.

You're going to really feel those A Wings have no value when the Imperial bombers zip 5 right past them and blast your capital ship from medium range.

Much harder to do than it sounds. You can create a loose screen due to the "range 1 bubble". To block everything from range 1 and 2 (fighter ranges), you just need several fighters positoned at Range 1 + half a base distance from the capital ship.

This leaves no room for bombers to go past the fighters for point blank attacks, and the range 1 bubble will cover all of range 2 as well from the angles you position them thanks to range 1 being longer than the 2nd range increment.

Careful placement can create a very wide net, at least for a turn or two until you punch a hole in it.

Edited to say i need to check distances....you might need 2 layers.

My guess is that it will be checked at the end of movement. It seems quicker and easier. Similar to how xwing miniatures "teleport" to the end of the movement template instead of sliding along it.

I think a layered fighter screen would prevent the bombers from slipping past too easily. Offset the distance 1 engagement bubbles along the bombers desired course.

My opinion is that fighter movement is more subtle than we've been expecting, and is largely about zone control and their "threat ranges" rather than directly about their damage output.

Edit : Ninja'd by extropia

Anyone know if there is any limitation for ships attacking engaged squadrons?

My thought is that engaged squadrons are supposed to swirling around each in a dog fight and someones Neb-B at medium range would have a hard time targeting enemy fighters in the swirl of fighters. Yet then again you would also want ships to be able to support your squadrons, perhaps at close range? So I don't know if there are any limitations or not. Anyone read or heard anything in this regard?

I dont think we've heard. I'd quite like it so that you cant target engaged fighters with capital AF attacks myself.

Like several others, I think an effective fighter screen for your ships will be to create multiple bubble layers around your ships, and have other fighters go ahead and engage the enemies fighters, and your fast fighters hopefully get past that battle and hit the bombers.

Anyone know if there is any limitation for ships attacking engaged squadrons?

My thought is that engaged squadrons are supposed to swirling around each in a dog fight and someones Neb-B at medium range would have a hard time targeting enemy fighters in the swirl of fighters. Yet then again you would also want ships to be able to support your squadrons, perhaps at close range? So I don't know if there are any limitations or not. Anyone read or heard anything in this regard?

I dont think we've heard. I'd quite like it so that you cant target engaged fighters with capital AF attacks myself.

First, a Ship firing at Squadrons is sacrifice an attack it could be making on another Ship. Secondly, even the ships oriented to anti-squadron duties don't roll that many dice. Lastly, the round limits on the game don't leave much time for bombers to be tied up, so the ability to extract them from a dogfight is likely to not be so limited.

I do remember from the demo being able to fly past a squadron without being engaged with them, but that could have been for ease of the demo.

When I played the "Learn to Play" scenario I don't recall coming across any rule that says you stop AT Range 1. This is supported by the illustration from this link:

in the example/illustraion below "Deploying your Fighter Wings" you can see the the "Range 1" measured from the TIE clearly overlaps part of the X-Wing Squadron base

Further the text says:

• Whenever an engaged squadron attacks, it must attack a squadron instead of attacking a ship.

and below the image they go on to say "While it is engaged by the TIE squadron, the X-wing squadron cannot fire on the Victory -class Star Destroyer, leaving its captain free to ignore the pesky X-wings in favor of larger and more important targets."

So basically the restriction goes "the other way round": Engaged Squadrons may ONLY attack each other but MAY be targeted by enemy Ships.

That clears it up, right?

Current assumption is the best pure screen is a staggered line, creating a wide bit loose area of control. This will prevent any straight shots at your ships. However that formation is susceptible to a concentrated strike on one area of the screen. Made worse if you use a couple of a wings or squints to tie up some of the surrounding fighters to keep them from joining the furball. This after a turn a portion of the screen is gone leaving you a straight shot at the ships while your interceptors are delaying any late comers.

Another tactic would be to send groups of x wings & a wings (not together they don't mix well) or squints and ties as hunter teams. In this case you spread out your strike groups, you'll loose a couple of fighters but your more spread out strike group can come in from multiple directions.

In the end, needs massive amounts of play testing.

Current assumption is the best pure screen is a staggered line, creating a wide bit loose area of control. This will prevent any straight shots at your ships. However that formation is susceptible to a concentrated strike on one area of the screen. Made worse if you use a couple of a wings or squints to tie up some of the surrounding fighters to keep them from joining the furball. This after a turn a portion of the screen is gone leaving you a straight shot at the ships while your interceptors are delaying any late comers.

Another tactic would be to send groups of x wings & a wings (not together they don't mix well) or squints and ties as hunter teams. In this case you spread out your strike groups, you'll loose a couple of fighters but your more spread out strike group can come in from multiple directions.

In the end, needs massive amounts of play testing.

Actually I think Squads can 'leap-frog' enemies, if they start and end more than Distance 1 away from them. For the purposes of Cap protection I'd say its a better bet to keep your fighters arrayed around your own ships, preventing enemies from landing close enough to the Cap to shoot.

Doesn't work against Rhymer though, which is when you go forward and tie up the enemy far away.