When does it Occur?

When you allocate the Crit?

Or at the Stage Crits are Resolved?

As it is not the Base Crit Effect, want to be sure.

Overload Pulse occurs in step 5 of an Attack - the resolve damage phase. This follows step 4 the spend defense tokens phase. From the rules reference:

The attacker can resolve one of its critical effects. Then the attacker determines the total damage amount. Then the defending squadron or hull zone suffers that total damage, one point at a time.

Something I initially missed was that the defender will already have used defense tokens before Overload Pulse takes effect. So while having no bearing on this attack, Overload Pulse sets up any future attacks on the target in the current round.

Also note, regardless of the number of criticals rolled, the maximum number of critical effects you can resolve is one. If the defender has ample shields your choice is easy. Go with the Overload Pulse. But when his shields are low or gone you have to weight your options in using Overload Pulse or flipping the first damage card face up effect.

When does it Occur?

When you allocate the Crit?

Or at the Stage Crits are Resolved?

As it is not the Base Crit Effect, want to be sure.

I highly recommend rereading the Attack Procedure on page 2 of the Reference Rules and the "critical effects" section on page 4.

They basically spell out all information that you are looking for.

So, I have a question on Overload Pulse then.

When a Defense Token is in the READY state and it is used, it flips to its EXHAUSTED side.

If you subsequently use an EXHAUSTED Defense token, it is SPENT. (And thus discarded)

I also missed when you resolve the Critical affect step in the rules. If the defender uses Defense Tokens to defend against an attack, the overload pulse could then what, force other readied Tokens to exhaust so, if some other ship COULD attack, the defender has to make some hard choices?

What does the overload pulse actually do?

Exactly what you just said.

It flips their defense tokens. So ships attacking after this one have an easier time. It's a 'set-up card' in that respect.

So, I have a question on Overload Pulse then.

When a Defense Token is in the READY state and it is used, it flips to its EXHAUSTED side.

If you subsequently use an EXHAUSTED Defense token, it is SPENT. (And thus discarded)

I also missed when you resolve the Critical affect step in the rules. If the defender uses Defense Tokens to defend against an attack, the overload pulse could then what, force other readied Tokens to exhaust so, if some other ship COULD attack, the defender has to make some hard choices?

What does the overload pulse actually do?

When a ready Defense token is spent or exhausted, then it is flipped to its exhausted side.

When an exhausted Defense token is spent, it is discarded.

An exhausted Defense token cannot be exhausted again, so exhausting it does nothing.

"Spending" a defense token is not the action of "using an exhausted one and thus discarding it", "spending" a defense token is what you do anytime you use it which leads to either exhausting or discarding it.

Most of the time the target of overload pulse will use as many ready tokens as it can against this attack since resolving the critical effect will exhaust them anyway. The pulse will then exhaust all remaining ready tokens.

Overload pulse weakens the defense of a ship against subsequent attacks by other hull zones, ships or squadrons by leaving only exhausted tokens, which forces some hard decisions on the ship.

Overload pulse is going to be best used in combination with other ships. Attack with overload pulse first and exhaust all the defensive tokens.

Then attack with other ships and if they have to use defensive tokens they will have discard them.

I'm finding I like 2 corvette Bs with all the blue dice. (Yes I have 2 sets).

One with overload pulse and the other with dodonnas pride.

It turns a weak attack into one that will cripple a ships ability to effectively respond to later attacks.

Thanks guys. Wanted to confirm was using the overload pulse the correct way.

So is overload pulse good against ships with brace? As that is used later than the other tokens.

What in the rules makes you believe that brace is used later than the other tokens?

It is spent in the same time slot as any of the others. The effect merely applies to something that happens afterwards.

Edit: it is actually identical to "Redirect" in this regard, the effect of which also applies to things happening in the resolve damage step.

Ah ok, based on the forum I thought it was used later as well. Cheers!

follow up question

Can you use dodanna's pride ability with overloaded pulse? Both require Blue criticals

follow up question

Can you use dodanna's pride ability with overloaded pulse? Both require Blue criticals

No. You can only ever resolve one critical effect per attack. Its either one or the other, but not both..

follow up question

Can you use dodanna's pride ability with overloaded pulse? Both require Blue criticals

You can equip both, but you must choose only one to apply on a given attack. You may only resolve one critical per attack, whether you roll one critical or 47 . . .