This is crystal clear in the rules once you've carefully studied the wording for each entry. I will bold relevant terms.

"Effect Use and Timing [p 5]

Each effect in the game has a timing during which it can resolve. This timing is usually specified within the effect, though some effects use the more specific timing described in this section.

- A “ while ” effect can be resolved during the specified event and cannot occur again during that instance of the event.

- A “ when ” effect occurs at the moment that the specified event occurs and cannot occur again for that instance of the event.

- An “ after ” effect occurs immediately after the specified event and cannot occur again for that instance of the event.

- If two or more of a player’s effects have the same timing , that player can resolve those effects in any order."

"Commands [p 3]

A ship can resolve the effect of a command by spending a command dial or command token with the matching icon at the appropriate time. The effect of the command is based on which component was spent:

- Squadron: Resolve after revealing the ship’s command dial.

- Dial: Activate a number of friendly squadrons up to the ship’s squadron value that are at close–medium range of the ship. Each squadron activated in this way can attack and move in either order. The squadrons are chosen and activated one at a time.

- Token: Activate one squadron as described above."

"Command Tokens [p 3]

When a ship’s command dial is revealed, that dial can be spent to assign the corresponding command token to that ship."

"Engagement [p 6]

While a squadron is at distance 1 of one or more enemy squadrons, it is engaged with all of those enemy squadrons.

- An engaged squadron cannot move

- Squadrons do not engage other squadrons while moving even if a portion of the range ruler is at distance 1 of an enemy squadron. Only the starting and final positions matter for engagement ."

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1. While the engagement entry never explicitly states the word "effect", the effect entry specifies the term "while" as an effect. The engagement entry begins with "while" so it is indeed an effect.

2. All of these effects have different timings as I've shown above. As such, they will never interfere with each other and there is no reason to select the order in which they resolve.

3. The "while" effect, in regards to engagement, is resolved during the specified event [a squadron at distance 1] or in more specific terms: The instant you or your enemy places a squadron in its final position within distance 1 of an opposing squadron.

4. The "after" effect, in regards to using squadron command, occurs immediately after the specified event [revealing the dial]. The "when" effect, in regards to using the token, occurs at the moment the specified event [spending the token] occurs. These in no way interfere with the "while" effect [engagement] that has already resolved and cannot occur again until a new instance of the effect is initiated. This can only happen when there are no enemy squadrons within distance 1 of the squadron you wish to activate.

5. If a new enemy squadron ends movement within distance 1 of a friendly squadron that is already engaged, nothing changes for the friendly squadron. They maintain the same instance of engagement as the condition for the first instance is still met [there is at least one enemy squadron at distance 1]

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The rules are written precisely for these kinds of situations. All of the text related to this subject essentially boils down to this:

- When a squadron ends it movement within distance 1 of an enemy squadron they are engaged

- A squadron is engaged until there are no enemy squadrons within distance 1 of it

- An engaged squadron cannot move

That's it.

Anything otherwise really doesn't make sense in context to the rules as written. Plus, the new "grit" ability would hold little to no merit if your interpretation of the rules were to be true.

Your stumbling point seems to have been the lack of the literal term "effect" in the engagement entry. I believe I have sufficiently proven that engagement is indeed an effect.

I hope this has helped clear it up.

- When a squadron ends it movement within distance 1 of an enemy squadron they are engaged

It's not movement based. If a squadron is within distance 1 of an enemy squadron then it is engaged. It doesn't have to be the one that moved there.

The rest is correct though. I'm surprised this is now on page two when it is quite clear in the rulebooks.

What about when a ship ends its movement over just one of the engaged fighters? Can that engaged fighter be placed so that it is no longer engaged?

What about when a ship ends its movement over just one of the engaged fighters? Can that engaged fighter be placed so that it is no longer engaged?

It will be up to the opponent where the fighter would be placed, but it might be. That is one way to break engagement - bowl them over with a ship, but don't forget your opponent then places the ships, and don't expect them to place the squadrons where they help you.

What about when a ship ends its movement over just one of the engaged fighters? Can that engaged fighter be placed so that it is no longer engaged?

It will be up to the opponent where the fighter would be placed, but it might be. That is one way to break engagement - bowl them over with a ship, but don't forget your opponent then places the ships, and don't expect them to place the squadrons where they help you.

What I do is engage enemy squadrons in front of his ships, forcing him to overlap our ships. Then hopefully, I get to place the squadrons.

What about when a ship ends its movement over just one of the engaged fighters? Can that engaged fighter be placed so that it is no longer engaged?

It will be up to the opponent where the fighter would be placed, but it might be. That is one way to break engagement - bowl them over with a ship, but don't forget your opponent then places the ships, and don't expect them to place the squadrons where they help you.

What I do is engage enemy squadrons in front of his ships, forcing him to overlap our ships. Then hopefully, I get to place the squadrons.

I did this in a match last week, picked a fight in the gap between two asteroids my opponents ship was gunning for, and when he overlapped i separated and dropped some red dice into his rear arc.

Of course - that's a great tactic

The rules on engagement have always seemed pretty clear to me. I like the fact that there are few (so far 1, overlapping with a ship) ways to break engagement while both squadrons are alive. It means that any new ways introduced later in the game are more meaningful and will have more impact on list builds. The main one I thought of so far is Tie Phantoms having a "cloak" ability that lets them break engagement whenever they want.

Two. You are not engaged if the LOS is obstructed.