Ship overlap and can't move

By Blitz, in Star Wars: Armada Rules Questions

Hi All

I had a look through the forums but I don't think I could find an answer to my question.

When two large ships overlap is there anyway to move them out of the way?

e.g. I was having a game on the weekend when the VSD and the Corvette had a head on crash. The problem was that both ships were moving slowing so even when the next turn started they still couldn't move out of each others way until of course the corvette got blown up and the VSD carried on.

Is this how it is meant to be resolved if you can't move without overlapping another ship? With even larger ships still to come in this came I feel like this might happen more and more.

Thanks for you help

Andz

Hmm,

I think so, the speed is only reduced for the round then back to full.

Remember when they first hit, you reduce the speed so if moving 3, it does not touch and stop, but is moved back to as if speed 2, if it overlaps then speed 1 and so on.

Normally the gap allowed the ships to move.

Also you do not trace the movement, so if you can fly over and not overlap your fine.

Thanks Larac

Yeah the problem was that both ships were moving at speed 1 already so even when their speed returned the to normal the following turn they still couldn't get out of each others way. Speeds 1 and 2 just don't give you the room to clear the medium ship base size.

I was just a bit worried with even larger based ships being introduced you could end up with a pile up that can't go anywhere.

Use navigate to increase your speed, remember overlapping doesn't change your speed dial it only prevents you from making a move if you will overlap in the final position.

Hmm, this is an interesting situation I hadn't thought of.

The Corvette definitely has the speed to get out of the crashfest by selecting Nav commands. Whether or not he can afford to spend his dial on Nav when he's facing the front arc of a Vic is another story.

But imagine what would happen with two Vics facing off. Or, as you suggest, two even larger, slower ships in a few months. It certainly seems plausible that there could be situations where two ships get into a position that eliminates any future movement until one of them is blown away.

Could even be a viable tactic. You run into a ship with fewer hull points and just whittle them down while you repair your shields. No matter how many sheilds they have you inflict 1 hull point of damage every player turn.

We had this issue last night. A Vic and a Neb Frig colliding and not being able to move out of the way or past each other. The Neb eventually broke ;)

We need to find a "fix" for this ASAP because the idea of ships bumping into each other like bumper cars, in the same spot, in the middle of space is a little concerning.

I mean it's not quite how I envision cap ship combat in the Star Wars universe.

We need to find a "fix" for this ASAP because the idea of ships bumping into each other like bumper cars, in the same spot, in the middle of space is a little concerning.

I mean it's not quite how I envision cap ship combat in the Star Wars universe.

Thought the same thing when it happened in my game, but the fact is, you do see this in one of the films and two ships just slowly tear each other apart, so I'm ok with it now,

We need to find a "fix" for this ASAP because the idea of ships bumping into each other like bumper cars, in the same spot, in the middle of space is a little concerning.

I mean it's not quite how I envision cap ship combat in the Star Wars universe.

Thought the same thing when it happened in my game, but the fact is, you do see this in one of the films and two ships just slowly tear each other apart, so I'm ok with it now,

If you don't mind me asking.......in which movie did this happen?

There is a fix: Don't run your capital ship head on into another capital ship.

Personally, if you go for a ram it makes sense that they have a hard time disentangling, if you ask me.

We need to find a "fix" for this ASAP because the idea of ships bumping into each other like bumper cars, in the same spot, in the middle of space is a little concerning.

I mean it's not quite how I envision cap ship combat in the Star Wars universe.

Thought the same thing when it happened in my game, but the fact is, you do see this in one of the films and two ships just slowly tear each other apart, so I'm ok with it now,

If you don't mind me asking.......in which movie did this happen?

It happened in Empire.

We need to find a "fix" for this ASAP because the idea of ships bumping into each other like bumper cars, in the same spot, in the middle of space is a little concerning.

I mean it's not quite how I envision cap ship combat in the Star Wars universe.

Thought the same thing when it happened in my game, but the fact is, you do see this in one of the films and two ships just slowly tear each other apart, so I'm ok with it now,

If you don't mind me asking.......in which movie did this happen?

It happened in Empire.

In Empire the two ISD didn't bump into each other until one was destroyed. They slid past each other and in the background behind the MF and dancing TIEs you can see them peeling away from each other. yes they would have been damaged as the book said but they turned away from each other avoiding destruction.

We need to find a "fix" for this ASAP because the idea of ships bumping into each other like bumper cars, in the same spot, in the middle of space is a little concerning.

I mean it's not quite how I envision cap ship combat in the Star Wars universe.

Thought the same thing when it happened in my game, but the fact is, you do see this in one of the films and two ships just slowly tear each other apart, so I'm ok with it now,

If you don't mind me asking.......in which movie did this happen?

Empire Strikes Back: Two Imperial-class Star Destroyers collide trying to chase the Falcon

Lol so the officers on the bridge falling over to the sound of the colission alarm was because they were banking too hard?

Lol so the officers on the bridge falling over to the sound of the colission alarm was because they were banking too hard?

Just what the movie again and you will see what I mean.

Interesting, I'll check it out.

I just watched the scene again and you will see through the bridge windows the ISD is "diving" away from the ISD near it.

In fact the bridge windows are level with the edge of the other ISD's hull so it looks like they didn't even touch/bump into each other.

Just watched it again and it looks like they don't collide.

Even if they do sideswipe each other they're passing each other and aren't stuck in one spot bumping against each other.

Either way, no fix is needed, all the ships need to do, especially a faster ship, is rev up the speed dial and use maximum yaw to escape the other. Bigger ships might struggle, especially with slower command cycles. Still, it shouldn't be a problem. Either the smaller ship escapes or gets obliterated.

Lol good point, but you have remember it is a board game. You have to imagine things are in constant motion.

I actually like this part of the game. On a 6x3 board you should have lots of room. And if you find youself in this situation it may have been bad planning.

To me it's just something to consider in your planning.

I've even used it out of desperation to try and win. Ramming speed.

Think of the alternative. If they were to "fix" this and allow ships to fly past somehow this would totally get abused. If you can't move past and you keep ramming that is your own fault. Especially on a big board.

Lol good point, but you have remember it is a board game. You have to imagine things are in constant motion.

I actually like this part of the game. On a 6x3 board you should have lots of room. And if you find youself in this situation it may have been bad planning.

To me it's just something to consider in your planning.

I've even used it out of desperation to try and win. Ramming speed.

Edited by Vetnor

Ya you are probably right and I see what you are saying now. I don't think it would matter which way the rules are, there will be players that abuse it.

I think playing properly the ramming rules are good.

If anyone abuses rules like that at my table they just don't get invited back.

Tournaments could be a different story I suppose.

Discussed this in another thread. Could you goat an imperial player into having two VSDs or ISDs cross paths head on (Just like the ISDs in Empire)? I guess in a 6 turn limit you wouldn't see them explode, though each ship would take 2 damage each turn once it happened. Seems like it'd be impossable to do, but it's easy to get tunnel vision in the game.

I would absolutely ram a ship to finish it off. I have also lost a ship this way.

Its not FFG's fault that Star Wars space battles are 2D coplanar WW2 ship engagements in a confined area...

As a side note, this forum's habit of having people threaten 'not to invite people back', 'not to play with them again' or even the ludicrous 'punch them in the face' clearly denotes the speakers as children. I'd advise a sudden onset of maturity...

Pg. 8 of the rules reference PDF under Overlapping 3rd bullet point.

If a ship must execute a maneuver at a reduced speed
due to overlapping another ship, it is allowed to overlap
the maneuver tool in its final position.

Being able to put the tool on the right side of the ship and click it to the left can give a shorter deeper angle that may allow for an escape.