X-wing and Armada work under a permissive ruleset, as in you have to be told if you can do an exception to the basic rules.

For example: Darth Vader and Soontir Fel are both at distance 1 from Rhymer, but medium range from an enemy ship (unengaged for the purposes of this example). Major Rhymer is at close range from that same ship but outside distance 1. What attack dice does each squadron roll? Rhymer clearly rolls one black die (his battery). Soontir Fel clearly rolls one blue die (his battery). Does Darth Vader roll one black die (his battery) or no dice at all? While Major Rhymer would allow him to attack at this range, the rules also state that black dice are not used beyond close range. My assumption is that Rhymers ability would allow Vader to roll one black die, but there is a logical argument to be made that although Vader is allowed to attack with all of his dice, black dice are not rolled at medium range. So Vader is able to attack with "all" of his dice, but only rolls those dice that are appropriate for this range. If his battery were one black and one blue (like a B-Wing) it is entirely possible that he would roll only the blue, but also possible that he would roll both.

Once again, I am looking for specific rules that state WHAT is done, and WHY, not an absence of rules to the contrary.

^^^ This is NOT what you initially asked. You asked about whether Rhymer let you break Engagement rules. Nowhere in Rhymers card affects engagement, thus the reactions to your question. A permissive rule set means that Rhymer would have to address engagement specifically in order to have any effect on it at all. I know personally i was thinking WTF Kinetic, this is some bizarro Rules Lawyer BS you're tapping into.

As far as your above question, lets break it down.

Standard rules-
Attack Range: Attack range is the range at which a squadron or a ship’s hull zone can perform an attack as determined by the armament it is using.
• Each squadron’s attack range is distance 1.

Rhymer Rules-
Friendly squadrons at distance 1 can attack enemy ships at close-medium range.."

Rules Result: Rhymer clearly changes all eligible squadrons (those at distance 1) from a distance 1 to close-medium range.

Standard Rules-
Roll Attack Dice: Gather attack dice to form the attack pool and roll those dice. Gather only the dice that are appropriate for the range of the attack as indicated by the icons on the range ruler.
◊ If the defender is a ship, gather the attack dice indicated in the attacking hull zone’s or squadron’s battery armament.

Rhymer Rules-
"... using all dice in their battery armament."

Rules Result-
Eligible squadrons can now gather all attack dice in their battery armament regardless of the (formerly) appropriate range as Rhymer exempts them from the close/medium/long.

In conclusion:
Rhymer allows all eligible ships (those friendly and within distance 1 from himself, including himself) to fire at up to medium range, using all dice in their battery armament, irrespective of the typical range restrictions (Black only within Close Range, Blue only within Medium Range.).

Then I will drop it. It really doesn't affect anything yet, but if asking for specifics is threatening it isn't worth my time or yours.

Mnemosyne: I think you are spot on, and hit upon what I believed was the logic in the first place. The specific wording of "all dice" overrides the normal range restrictions.

Oh no it has nothing to do with being threatening it is just always concerning to see a fellow gamer approach a ruleset in such an untenable manner.

I suppose one last explanation would help.

At the beginning in X-Wing (cue dramatic music):

There was an entire rule set to digest, and no history of faq/answers to draw from. Everybody "just knew" that some things worked, when in fact they did not. The single most significant example was that torpedoes did not allow the defender to roll an extra die when at range 3, and Ion Cannon Turrets did not allow an extra attack die at Range 1. Most people just assumed they worked exactly like normal attacks because there was no explicit text to say otherwise. It seemed like a safe assumption. This is EXACTLY the same place we are with Armada right now.

Then, a few people pointed out that the rules said "primary" weapons when noting range modifications. Even then, many (most?) played with range mods on secondary weapons anyway under the "it doesn't say it works differently" assumption. The addition of one easily passed over word made the rule read entirely differently. The argument went for a bit, until someone rocked the consensus and asked directly. We found out that secondary attacks are an entirely different creature, and range mods did not in fact apply. We also found out a host of other things were contrary to popular belief/use like Night Beast not getting a focus if he cleared stress with a green, or the fact that turrets do not in fact change the shape/size of your firing arc (and that you still had a firing arc, despite having a turret primary).

So when I ask for specific rules to back up the common understanding, it is because I/we are trying to digest the entire rules set all at once, and it is easy to miss a single word (like primary in X-Wing) here and there. Discussing it, and positing the contrarian position, allows all of us to look at the rules again with a specific question in mind. I'm betting that despite how much tighter they are being written this time (practice makes perfect), we will eventually come across one little word somewhere that flies in the face of common understanding. What I wasn't counting on is some internet warrior deciding to jump in and turn the whole thing negative, rather than letting the grownups have a pleasant conversation about hypotheticals. In retrospect, that was as inevitable as Super Star Destroyers and Nazis. :-)

You've argued an untenable stance for multiple pages, solely just to be contrary, and you're really going after someone for telling you that you are not making sense in your reasoning?

It is not as if Inksplat called you an idiot while never addressing your stance. Quite the opposite. His first post in opposition to yours displayed no real hostility, he simply pointed out where your argument fell apart. It was only after you continued to belabor the non-point that he and others became less then hospititable. Perhaps it's because you accused them of making unbacked inferences when your entire stance is asserting that a card effects part of the rules it doesn't even mention. Maybe they just thought you were trolling after a bit.

There are going to be enough actually unclear or genuinely confusing rules in this game that there is absolutely no need to further people's confusion by making what you know is an absolutely convuluted backwards argument.

If you want to play Devils Advocate how about you do it with a rules stance that amounts to more then, "well it doesn't say he doesn't effect that part of the rules, therefore he does". Because that stance doesn't further anyone's understanding of the rules. It's just bad logic. You have to know no ruleset can function in that manner.

Your last batch of X-Wing examples, particularly the range modifications vs secondary weapons, only really highlights that to many gamers don't read the game rules with real purpose.

I've played a lot of x-wing and Armada...Inksplat you have been correct in each rule interpretation. Kinetic you need to re-read the rules. Discussion DONE.

So uhh... To get back on topic, since the FAQ was released, the Admiral Chiraneau card was spoiled. How do you feel that this impacts the Tie Bomber + Major Rhymer alpha strike?

To the OP: As per RRG, any card that reads it affects friendlies includes themselves. The exception is if the card says it affects *another*, so for example, Rhymer is affected by his own ability, but Howlrunner is not.

Regarding the engagement argument, when the RRG says things like MUST, those are the fixed rules unless *specifically* countered by card text. So in the case of Ryhmer, his exception counters the 'must' of the attack distance, but not the 'must' regarding engagement rules. Ergo, if Rhymer and buddies are at medium (blue dice) distance from a ship, they can attack it using their anti-ship dice, but if a squadron of X-Wings gets within distance 1 of them, they are considered engaged and *must* fight the X-Wing squad because nothing on Major Rhymer's card specifically addresses the rules on engagement.

Be careful not to interpret rules in this game. The RRG is actually very complete and clear on everything (with a couple of tiny exceptions that were covered in the recent official FAQ). If a component advises of an exception, it's an exception to a *specific* rule as addressed on the card.

I would like to point out just how powerful the majors ability is, normal rules say thT squadrens attack at DISTANCE 1 not short range, and I suspect that MEDIUM range is about 3x as far as a normal squadren can shoot, so it is quite significant

It is actually about double.

Range 1 is the largest bracket, range 2 is the smallest, range 3-5 are equal.

So Range 1 is a little under a 1/3 of the entire length, Range 3 (or Medium Range I believe) is a bit more than half the length.

It is still a huge boost though and I will be taking him everywhere

I think you're getting "range" and "distance" mixed together a bit. There is no range 3-5, as the range side of the ruler only has three sections. There's technically not even range 1, 2, or 3, since the rulebooks instead describe ranges as close, medium, and long.

The distance side of the ruler is the side with five distance bands numbered 1 through 5.

Rhymer increases anti-ship attacks from distance 1 to a range of close-medium.

I have no idea why anyone felt the need to necro this argument thread. Guys, these posts are nearly 2 months old and were well covered. Time to let it be?

What you should be worrying about is flying your bombers from one obstacle to another. Squadrons in obstacles are not considered engaged. Engaged problem solved. I hate it when luke gets into an asteroid field just ahead of my VSD and I cant use any of my 6 ties to stop him from blasting through my shields.

RRG pg6 engagement, pg7 LoS, & pg8 obstacles&obstructed

I think Major Rhymer will be great with ruthlessness, 2x cluster missiles and munitions failsafe for 38 points.

This will allow to fire a cluster missile at range 3, and potentially make 2 direct hits to one ship at range 1. Thats 6d +2 hits for two turns.