My question is: if you discard a R5 astromech droid via Integrated Astromech, do you have to flip faceup any of the damage cards you used R5 to flip facedown during previous rounds?

It seems obvious that in the case of a different astromech - i.e. R2-D6 - that you would no longer have access to the EPT slot, nor the related EPT upgrade card, once the astromech card providing for each was discarded.

Just wasn't sure if the same sort of thing applied to R5 - i.e. the R5 is "keeping" the damage card facedown, and once R5 is discarded, the damage card springs back to faceup. That doesn't seem right, as the flipping mechanic seems to be permanent until modified by a subsequent flip effect, but wanted to get input from the community.

Relevant rules:

R5 Astromech:

"During the End phase, you may choose 1 of your faceup Damage cards with the Ship trait and flip it facedown."

Integrated Astromech:

"When you are dealt a Damage card, you may discard 1 of your Astromech Upgrade cards to discard that Damage card (without resolving its effect)."

Page 20 of the Rules Reference, "Upgrade Cards", states:

"When an Upgrade card is discarded, it is flipped
facedown. The card is out of play for all purposes
except when determining the total squad point
cost of the ship to which it was equipped. If an
Upgrade card is flipped faceup by a game effect,
it returns to play equipped to the same ship."

R5 simply flips cards down. There's nothing that suggests that R5 is a persistent effect "holding" the card facedown.

That's my take on it, too. Thanks!

Do what the card says. Don't do what the card doesn't say to do.

It would be very different if R5 said, "You may ignore the effects of face-up damage cards on this ship. They still count as damage." Then, when R5 gets discarded, you would stop ignoring the crit effects.

But of course, that's not what it says. Flipping the card face-down is an immediate effect. The card doesn't "remember" that it was once face-up.

Yeah, do what the card says. There's nothing in R5s card text to suggest his effect is temporary.

also..there is nothing to suggest that discarding r2-d6 would cause you to lose the ept.

parallel example is the royal guard title on Fel. If he gets the crit that reduces his pilot skill to 0, he is no longer eligible for the title, and thus the 2nd modification. But there has been no reason thus far to think that it works that way.