Just read this power on the site and Say WHAT?

Smash - what the heck is that? Is that the same as the old Void - out of the game.

Anyone?

No, the Cudgel just sends (potentialy) more ships to the Warp. They aren't out of the game. I created a power like this called the Weapon (it was actually the very first alien I created, back in 1985 or so).

Cudgel is kind of like Vacuum, it's just that Cudgel rubs it in, while Vacuum gets revenge.

I do think that it would be a very good idea for FFG to clarify any potential confusion by just saying "Send to the warp", rather than using more colorful language like "Smash". For my part I do think that they are sent to the warp, not destroyed forever, but that's based on nothing more than a gut feeling. It would be unfortunate if the game needed a FAQ to clarify issues such as these.

The tagline on Cudgel's card says "Opponent loses more ships", which I would easily interpret as "extra ships get sent to wherever they would normally be sent". Which would normally be the Warp.

Of course, if Cudgel is also Void, those extra ships would be eradicated, just like the ships that were lost before the power to smash was used. Now that would be a menace...eradicating 8 ships at once.

Dsarvess said:

Don't worry. The actual text on the card (if you zoom in and look) reads: "... when you win an encounter ... use this power to force your opponent to lose extra ships of his or her choice equal to the number of ships you had in the encounter, in addition to any ships he or she would normally lose."

I do think that "The Power to Smash" is one of the most entertaining power descriptors I've seen, right up there with the classic POWER OF MASS (which my brother would always say in a deep, fake-reverb voice).

MarkHB said:

Exactly. If you look at any of the versions of alien powers, from this set or at least a coupe of previous ones, you'll find that they say stuff like "You have the power to crash-land," or "You have the power to cling." It's just flavor text, and not meant to reflect actual game mechanics, though it does sometimes correspond closely to mechanics, such as "You have the power to negotiate."

I like it when the "power to" flavor is kept simple and direct. I've seen a ton of homebrew powers that have things like "You have the power to alter things in the game in minor and sometimes major ways" (or worse). Oi, it rubs me the wrong way.

Even worse are failed attempts at humor. Nothing makes me run away from a homebrew faster than "You have the power to [lame joke here]."