Hello,

Can you please clarify this for me? There are cards like 'Leebo' crew card that says 'Action: Perform a free boost action . Then receive 1 ion token'. In this case , can I perform an action from the action bar and then perform the free boost action given by Leebo too, in the same turn, since the action is free? Or I can just perform a normal action or the action 'Leebo' gives you (so only one action per turn) ? The rules are confusing regarding this. I would appreciate a response from an official FFG staff member but anyone else is also welcome with an advice, since this has generated quite the debate in our play group. Thanks and regards.

"Free action" just means an action that is performed out of sequence or in addition to your regular action. In the case of Leebo, you have to spend an action to activate the card (because it has the Action: header), which in turn allows you to take a free boost action. The boost action is free, by definition, because it was not your one action that you took during your "perform action" step.

"Free" does not allow you to

• perform the action at any time
• perform the action more than once
• perform the action while you are stressed

Any card that includes the header "Action:" requires you to spend an action to do it (normally your one action in the perform action step). Sometimes those cards have a list of things you are supposed to do and sometimes one of the things on that list is itself an action. When that is the case it has to be listed as a free action or some of the rules don't work right. For example, you could have an upgrade card called "cool stuff" that read

Cool stuff

Action: do A then do B

So, you have to use an action to do the cool stuff action, and then you get to do "A". "A" just might happen to be another action.

Is there a limit to the number of free actions you can take in a round? You can't boost as your action and then gain a free action later to boost again, right?

Also, can you Push The Limit from a free action? Or do you have to be performing an action from your bar, or use a card with the Action header to trigger? I know you can't use equipped cards with PTL, since Experimental Interface covers that.

Thanks.

Is there a limit to the number of free actions you can take in a round? You can't boost as your action and then gain a free action later to boost again, right?

Also, can you Push The Limit from a free action? Or do you have to be performing an action from your bar, or use a card with the Action header to trigger? I know you can't use equipped cards with PTL, since Experimental Interface covers that.

Thanks.

There is no limit to the number of free actions you can take in a round. However, you cannot perform the same action more than once in a round, so you can't boost boost boost boost boost...

Free Actions operate just like regular actions, except that they aren't given by the "Perform Actions" step of the activation phase. That means you CAN PtL/ExInt off of them, if you so desire.

Note that the only thing that blocks a Free Action is Stress; every other form of action-denial simply skips your "Perform Actions" step.

Thanks for the clarification. Stress prevents a ship from being given a free action, too, yes? You can't use squad leader to give a stressed ship an action.

Thanks for the clarification. Stress prevents a ship from being given a free action, too, yes? You can't use squad leader to give a stressed ship an action.

A ship that is stressed cannot take any actions, free or otherwise. So, no you cannot use Squad Leader to give a free action to a stressed ship. If your ship with Squad Leader was stressed, it still cannot give a free action to another ship that isn't stressed, as the use of Squad Leader is an action itself.

Thanks for the clarification. Stress prevents a ship from being given a free action, too, yes? You can't use squad leader to give a stressed ship an action.

A ship that is stressed cannot take any actions, free or otherwise. So, no you cannot use Squad Leader to give a free action to a stressed ship. If your ship with Squad Leader was stressed, it still cannot give a free action to another ship that isn't stressed, as the use of Squad Leader is an action itself.

Unless you're Tycho "Stress Me Plenty" Celchu.

Well he's always been the exception to every stress related debate.

Figured a discussion with someone not familiar with how stress and free actions work should also be made aware of any exceptions.

Any and every topic regarding stress will usually have an "except for Tycho" post at some stage.

Nailed it.

Any and every topic regarding stress will usually have an "except for Tycho" post at some stage.

Just like every topic about whether an attack hits or not has an "except for Blount" post at some stage.

Thanks for the clarification. Stress prevents a ship from being given a free action, too, yes? You can't use squad leader to give a stressed ship an action.

Actually, you could use Squad Leader to give a Stressed Ship an Action but it could NOT take that action effectively negating Squad Leader. At least that's how I read it.

To put it another way we know that Tycho can perform actions even while he has Stress. If you have a higher PS ship it CAN use Squad Leader on Tycho which then allows Tycho to perform an action; if Squad Leader couldn't give a free action to a Stressed ship then it couldn't hand one to Tycho either although Tycho is in a unique position of being able to use it.

I'm not sure what the most possible actions in a turn are. You could use Tycho with PtL, Daredevil, and Experimental Interface to perform three Actions each turn all by itself. You could then throw in Lando, Cracken, and someone with Squad Leader to potentially give him three more actions but he might run out of available Actions first.

Just to add a little more detail. If the Leebo card was printed to say:

"Action: You may perform a Boost Action. Then, receive 1 ion token"

Notice that I omitted the word "free". Technically, this is you performing 2 actions. One action to use the card, another to Boost. Though, according to the rules, you can only do 1 action. The wording is confusing here. By adding the word "free", it's just a further clarification, and no longer considered your "one action" granted during the "Perform Action Step". That's why several cards, like Engine Upgrade, say "Your Action Bar gains the [boost] action" instead of "Action: Perform a Boost Action."

And, just to reiterate, free actions cannot override stress tokens or allow to perform the same action multiple times unless a card says otherwise (Tycho as others have pointed out).

Sorry for the repetition, but I always struggled with this and repetition was the only was I finally understood it.