Have I got this correct?

"Blue Critical ....... if the defender does NOT have any command tokens, the defending hull zone loses one shield instead"

Just rethinking this card (after writing it off fairly early)....

Rules Reference Page 2, Step 5 resolve damage says:

"The attacker can resolve one of its critical effects. Then the attacker determines the total damage amount......"

So: I roll 3 red and 3 blue on my VSD, say against a frigate with three shields and no command tokens. I get, amongst other things a blue critical that is not evaded. Say after defence tokens, 5 damage including the blue crit.

The blue critical ion cannon effect takes place first and immediately removes one shield from the defending hull zone.

Then all other damage from the attack is applied, after modification for braces, redirects etc.

But the ion cannon shield loss can't be braced or redirected, and the blue crit still then counts as a damage result, so total damage is one shield plus 5 damage, unless braced, in which case will be one shield plus 3 damage. Redirects may still apply but can't redirect the ion shield loss.

Having used the ion cannon hit any applied damage cards are face down.

All sounds correct to me.

Edit - Actually the only thing slightly off is the defended uses defence tokens before you trigger the critical effect.

That's the bit I'm still trying to get right as well.

Step 4 is spend defence tokens - so you can evade, brace or redirect if you want.

But in Step 5 resolve damage, the first thing it says is The attacker can resolve a critical effect. Then the attacker determines the total damage amount.

So the defender could evade the blue crit in step 4 by forcing a reroll, but apart from that, he HAS to lose a shield from the targeted hullzone, regardless of redirects or braces.

Is what I think it does.

If he doesn't have any command tokens and isn't able to get rid of the critical with an evade token then yes he'll lose the sheild. Then you apply the damage including 1 damage for any dice that rolled a critical icon.

So presumably then, if the defending has no shields, the card has no effect?

So presumably then, if the defending has no shields, the card has no effect?

IF they have no Command Token, and IF the target zone has no shields...

Correct.

The Ion Cannon batteries will have no effect.

You're best just activating the Default Critical Effect instead..... That'll at least make them spend their contain token if they have one...

Think of it like ACM when it was the wave 1 hotness where you triggered it and did the adjacent damage first before damage was applied even with redirect