From what I can tell, from the description about Ion weapons in starship combat, is that if they hit they deal damage and shut down a component of the attackers choice. But does this count as an actual component crit?

The rules for this stuff are a little "up in the air" as to exactly what happens.

Where do you find the rules about shutting down a component? From what I can tell, the Ion rules in the CRB only mention that damage is dealt to the vehicle or droid's strain threshold.

No, it doesn't count as a crit unless it actually crits, the rules are pretty clear.

And they don't allow the attacker to shut down a component of his choice. They just deal system strain instead of hull damage.

Ion weapons have the ion quality, as seen on pg 156. The description on pg 228 is just fluff. They don't miraculously cause component crits any more then laser cannons can reach the long range band even if the description for lasers on 228 says they "produce long-range" blasts.

Where do you find the rules about shutting down a component? From what I can tell, the Ion rules in the CRB only mention that damage is dealt to the vehicle or droid's strain threshold.

On page 287 of the Age of Rebellion book there is an attachment for vehicles, Hydraulic Control Circuits, and it has a mode for "1 Defender chooses ship component affected by Ion weapon quality, as opposed to attacker Mod".

Now in the description for Ion weapons it talks about how they are meant to affect components, and even in Star Wars X-Wing it has some effect other than damage, so I assumed that it had some effect similar to Disruptor weapons, which cause limb damage for their crits as the lowest result.

If you look at the critical hit table (page 244 EotE) you'll see that results 46-54 and 118-126 are component hits, where the attacker chooses which component (chosen from a list on page 245) is damaged, this vehicle attachment lets the target choose which component is damaged instead. It still requires a critical hit and to get the right results on the critical hit table.

If you look at the critical hit table (page 244 EotE) you'll see that results 46-54 and 118-126 are component hits, where the attacker chooses which component (chosen from a list on page 245) is damaged, this vehicle attachment lets the target choose which component is damaged instead. It still requires a critical hit and to get the right results on the critical hit table.

Also, on page 251, the table for spending advantages and triumphs has two entries related to component damage. For 3 advantage or 1 triumph, the attacker can choose a component to be temporarily damaged; or, for 2 triumphs the attacker can choose a component that is destroyed.

There is no specific mention, that I have seen, that relates the ion quality to disabling a component.

If you look at the critical hit table (page 244 EotE) you'll see that results 46-54 and 118-126 are component hits, where the attacker chooses which component (chosen from a list on page 245) is damaged, this vehicle attachment lets the target choose which component is damaged instead. It still requires a critical hit and to get the right results on the critical hit table.

Also, on page 251, the table for spending advantages and triumphs has two entries related to component damage. For 3 advantage or 1 triumph, the attacker can choose a component to be temporarily damaged; or, for 2 triumphs the attacker can choose a component that is destroyed.

There is no specific mention, that I have seen, that relates the ion quality to disabling a component.

Ah, alright then. The upgrade just happens to lessen Ion damage as a coincidence then it seems, a general good upgrade for all ships then.

Thank you for clearing that up.

It is funny, until this conversation I never read the sidebar about applying crits to strain and system strain. Well, won't my players hate that.