I have a query about the overlap rules and how it interacts with defence tokens.

If you overlap a ship, you reduce your speed temporarily by one to try to not overlap down to 0 where you don't move. Your speed marker however stays at your current speed, but you temporarily are moving at speed 0.

Defence tokens can't be used if you are speed zero. Does this work off your actual speed or your temporary speed, I think it works off your actual speed. However, if it worked off your temporary speed there would be the potential for manouvring tactics to block ships movement down to 0.

Am I right in think it is your set speed? or is it the temporary speed that applies in relation to defence tokens?

The page 8 of the rules reference has the answer IMO, it says this in the overlapping section:

If a ship temporarily reduces its speed, its speed returns to the number indicated on the speed dial after it finishes executing its maneuver.

So as soon as the maneuver is executed the ship again counts as moving at whatever it's speed dial says - thus can use defensive tokens (as speed will be greater than zero)

That's a really good question...

I think I agree with the above post. I think that position is further corroborated by the following bullet point under "Speed" on page 11

"A ship’s speed is constant until the ship resolves a [navigate] command or uses an upgrade card effect to change speed."

In both cases the speed remains at whatever non-zero speed the ship was traveling at despite being temporarily reduced.

I think the short answer is that the temporary bit for reducing your speed ends as soon as the maneuver has been executed, then you're considered speed 3 or however fast you were trying to move.

Okay, then it works as I thought it did. The temporary speed reduction is just for the manouvre phase

I had nightmares of people cornering a star destroyer and pummeling it with no way of defending it.

That is one of those situations where you just have to keep in mind the ship is moving regardless of how far it actually moved on the table.

I have a query about the overlap rules and how it interacts with defence tokens.

I'd like to add that to the above that you can also only spend Defense tokens during the attack phase. My friends and I initially thought that they could be used against all forms of damage.

RRG, page 4.

Defense tokens can be spent by the defender during the “Spend Defense Tokens” step of an attack to produce the effects.

You got it Keffisch. I think he was more worried about the potential of being counted as speed zero by being forced to backtrack on the move tool in the event of an on table overlap. Seeing as ships not moving can't send defense tokens, this was a valid fear, but not a logical one.

Just an observation, but because you can measure your moves ahead of time, collisions should be rare. But then again, based on how slow and plodding ships are, maybe it will happen a lot? Corellian Corvette suicide ships?

You got it Keffisch. I think he was more worried about the potential of being counted as speed zero by being forced to backtrack on the move tool in the event of an on table overlap. Seeing as ships not moving can't send defense tokens, this was a valid fear, but not a logical one.

Just an observation, but because you can measure your moves ahead of time, collisions should be rare. But then again, based on how slow and plodding ships are, maybe it will happen a lot? Corellian Corvette suicide ships?

Probably more like the ISDs attempting to corner the Millennium Falcon in ESB,

Yeah, with Victory class star destroyers being limited to movement 2 at most, and probably the same for the Imperial class I was worried that people would just blockade possible positions you can go and prevent you moving.

I assumed it would not work as I envisioned the ship moving but, it might have reflected that you are moving in a tight space and hence can't deal with incoming fire as well as dodging other capital ships. Also wanted to clear it up before coming up against an opponent who decided that you are at speed 0 if reduced to it by overlapping.

I still worry that 4 suicide ram squadrons of Corvettes with fighter escort is going to break the game, but what do I know.

The thought did cross my mind. But Corvettes are not that cheap really. And chances of all 4 making it there to do that is slim. Also have to think your opponent would have to be very good about putting his ship where you needed it. I think seeing that tactic attempted would be a complete waste of time in most cases. I also feel that if I came up against an opponent who did make collision kills his primary goal, I would simply not play them anymore. If a players goal is to find the cheesy rule problems to win, by all means throw them into traffic and save us from their silly problem.

I still worry that 4 suicide ram squadrons of Corvettes with fighter escort is going to break the game, but what do I know.

Just my thoughts.

Would the solution to being fenced in for Star Destroyers to RAM the weakest target? After all, a corvette only has 4 hull. And if a VSD is within range to ram, it must be in range to roll 6 attack die from the forward firing arc. If the attack is successful and severely weakens the rebel ship, the ramming might just finish it off. For instance, if you use the Dominator and Expanded Launchers a VSD can fire 3 Red, 2 Blue, and 5 black dice in a single attack. At distance '1' a Corvette's defense token do nothing. So it is left with only 1 re-direct token. So a rebel commander better hope the Imperial doesn't roll a 7 or higher or there won't be a ship left to obstruct the VSD.

Would the solution to being fenced in for Star Destroyers to RAM the weakest target? After all, a corvette only has 4 hull. And if a VSD is within range to ram, it must be in range to roll 6 attack die from the forward firing arc. If the attack is successful and severely weakens the rebel ship, the ramming might just finish it off. For instance, if you use the Dominator and Expanded Launchers a VSD can fire 3 Red, 2 Blue, and 5 black dice in a single attack. At distance '1' a Corvette's defense token do nothing. So it is left with only 1 re-direct token. So a rebel commander better hope the Imperial doesn't roll a 7 or higher or there won't be a ship left to obstruct the VSD.

I don't see why people keep saying it's going to be hard for the fastest and most maneouverable ship in the game so far to ram the slowest and least maneouverable one with the largest base currently.

It's not like you move like you do in X-Wing is it? You can choose where you're going every turn.

So, you give your "Rams Head squadron" all Navigation commands, accellerate up to RAMMING SPEED, using the command to make extra turns to make sure you ram the target. The Victory, unless he's going full speed can't even turn, so there's a good chance that when he moves he'll ram into one of the Vettes himself. So, ideal situation you put 5 damage cards on a VSD whilst you take 1 each on three vettes and 2 on a single Vette. Now, next turn he will kill that Vette. That will happen. Then if you're lucky he will ram somebody so that's now 6 damage card.

You meanwhile give everybody firepower tokens, concentrate fire somewhere everyone can target and maybe just maybe you take him out with the extra dice and all. But if you don't, no matter, just turn and burn, get yourself into his rear arc for next turn.

Then Luke and his X-Wings (hopefully) swing in and finish the job.

The real risks here now that I think about it aren't maneouverability, it's the following:

1) Being able to kill that second ship the Imperials will have. The Rebels are down to 3 Corvettes, all with damage they can't heal with Engineering actions. This is not great. Especially if they are staying in close formation.

2) Motti will shut this tactic down.

3) Who has the initiative and how soon they move and shoot their VSD is going to be crucial.

4) Damage accrued before making the Ramming Formation plan may make it unteneble. Losing even a single Corvette will ruin the plan.

5) Opponent forces you to play the Minefields Objective.

So what does this mean for list building to me? Well, the following criteria make sense to me.

A) The fleet must be multifunctional. The Rams Head maneouver must be an option NOT YOUR ONLY PLAN.

B) The fleet must make a strong counter initiative bid. You WAN'T to be player 2, NOT player 1.

C) Mon Mothma is a must as she enables the fleet to survive long range to get close, and mean that your two Evade tokens are still usable at point blank.

D) Careful objective consideration.

So, here's what with what we currently know, I would suggest.

1 • CR90a Corellian Corvette - CR90 Corellian Corvette (44) - Mon Mothma (30) - Raymus Antilles (7) - Tantive IV (3)
• Total : 84 • Code : -
2 • CR90a Corellian Corvette - CR90 Corellian Corvette (44) - Enhanced Armament (10)
• Total : 54 • Code : -
3 • CR90 Corellian Corvette B - CR90 Corellian Corvette (39) - Leading Shots (4) - Dodonna's Pride (6)
• Total : 49 • Code : -
4 • CR90 Corellian Corvette B - CR90 Corellian Corvette (39) - Overload Pulse (8) - Jaina's Light (2)
• Total : 49 • Code : -
5 • Luke Skywalker X-wing Squadron - X-wing (20)
• Total : 20 • Code : -
6 • X-wing Squadron - X-wing (13)
• Total : 13 • Code : -
7 • X-wing Squadron - X-wing (13)
• Total : 13 • Code : -
8 • X-wing Squadron - X-wing (13)
• Total : 13 • Code : -

OBJECTIVES:

Opening Salvo : A good Objective for fleets with lots of ships

Fleet Ambush: Forcably splits the opponents fleet

Dangerous Territory: Takes out the risk of terrain for you, and also encourages the opponent to split his fleet.

So, four ships, four X-Wings, Mon Mothma, but also a decent amount of normal firepower as well (Leading Shots on Doddonna's Pride seems like a really good synergy for me.) As tempting as it is, no Engine Techs as they just cost too much. The fleet clocks in at 5 points under, which strikes me as a strong initiative bid, so can choose to be player two and force the opponent to choose your objectives.