Must a figure with brutality have two valid targets to use the ability?

I.E. Can Vader hit a single target with his basic attack and then again with Brutality even though there are no other figures in melee range?

No he cannot attack normal and use Brutality. That would be two attack actions which he cannot do.

He could however use Force Choke and then either Brutality or a Standard attack.

Oh thank you, my bad.

I re-read the Attack topic in the rule book and see now that Brutality counts as a type of attack and isnt just a damaging attack like choke hold.

How about the main question? Can you still use Brutality if there is only 1 target to attack?

I believe you can. "Each attack must have a different target" is not a requirement to use the ability, but rather explains how to use that ability. If you only have one target, you make an attack on that target, and the second attack is lost due to not having a different target.

At the point where you only have one target to attack, then what's the different between "using brutality on a single target", and "performing a regular attack"? Call it what you want, it's the same thing. And since you can't perform an attack with each action, and you can't perform 2 of the same special actions in the same turn... you see where this is going.

So you can follow up with To The Limit, maybe?

Good point nungunz. Then I would say no, you can't perform brutality with only 1 available target. Fantasy Flight has made sure the wording is very specific on everything. So I would say that if they wanted it available with only one target it would read something like "You may perform 2 attacks". The way it is currently written, it's a mandate to perform 2 attacks.

So the first attack can't happen unless you have a target for both attacks? When does the game check for that? Brutality says "Perform 2 attacks." Fine, I am performing my first attack. Resolve. I am performing my second attack. Oh, I can't. Lose second attack.

Here are 3 "what if" situations:

1) What if you had an ability to move between both attacks? (Attack 1 target, then move towards a second target.)

2) What if you had a target for both attacks and after the first attack, the second target moves away?

3) What if you only had one target and made that attack... but somehow a second target interrupted and moved within range of a second attack?

1) I don't see any card that make this an option. Brutality is still only one action. There are modifiers that allow for things to happen before or after an action, but to my knowledge there isn't anything that states for you to do something during an action.

2) I would say that if the target moves away, then you obviously could not complete Brutality. It would still count as using a special action, you just don't get the benefit of attacking twice. It would be no different than if you declared a regular melee attack, and the target interrupted to move away. The attack was already declared, now it's just lost.

3) I still would argue that you can't declare brutality if it's not a possibility at the start of the action. If someone manages to move into place during that first attack, then that's good strategy on the part of the defending player. They shouldn't be punished for that. Darth Vader is already powerful enough, we don't need to give him more advantage.

I got a response on this one. I asked:

Rules Question

Darth Vader has the ability, Brutality. Can he use Brutality on an enemy figure if there is only one enemy to attack (and forgo the second attack)?

For example, Darth Vader is only adjacent to one enemy. I want to use the command card, To the Limit, to gain an extra action. Can I use Brutality to make one attack on one enemy?

Response from Paul Winchester

Hi Jeff,

Yes, as long as you have an eligible target for your first attack, you can trigger Brutality and then when the second half of the ability triggers, the second attack is unable to happen due to the targeting restrictions and the action ends.

Thanks!

Paul Winchester
Creative Content Developer
Fantasy Flight Games