Wave 8 isn't out yet, but I've been thinking about a build with:

Lt. Blount

Swarm Tactics

S-Thread Tracers

Cracken

Swarm Tactics

*some missiles

Multiple Bandits

*some missiles

The way I understand it is move in a formation with everyone range 1-2 of Blount. Everyone takes Focus actions. Blount fires Tracers, his ability makes them auto-hit. Everyone gets a TL on the defender, even if they are greater than range 3 from defender. Cracken shoots, then his ability passes a free action to a friendly within range 1. That friendly chooses to TL a new enemy within range 3. This friendly then fires and can use a TL.

Is this possible? My concern is that the rules say a ship can't take the same action twice in one round. So the grey area is Cracken giving away an action and allowing that action to be a TL, after Tracers already gave everyone TL's.

S-Thread Tracers reads "If this attack hits, each friendly ship at Range 1-2 of you may acquire a target lock on the defender. Then cancel all dice results". Does this count as a TL action for each friendly ship?

2nd question: would Blount also get a TL as the ship that fired the Tracers? The Tracers card reads "each friendly ship at Range 1-2 of you may acquire a target lock".

This is different from the wording on Jan Ors Crew which allows use on itself: "when a friendly ship at Range 1-3 performs a focus action..."

It works because with tracers you are not performing a target lock action. However, you cant maintain more than one target lock so you would just be moving the target lock you have.

Oh, and yes, blount also gets a TL.

Also Cracken will fire before Blount. He's got a higher PS.

For me, this is more of an Epic kind of list - one where you're sending a Z95 swarm out to intentionally target a capital ship...

• Get everyone in range 3 of the primary target, and all the Z95s at R1/2 of Blount
• Blount goes out and paints the target with the XX-23, spreading the TL love to all the Z95s around him
• A whole pack of Bandits with Homing Missiles each declare a Focus action, release the missiles while not discarding the TL since it's not required to, and lighting up the target each with a 4-dice attack with TL/Focus.
  

For me, this is more of an Epic kind of list - one where you're sending a Z95 swarm out to intentionally target a capital ship...

• Get everyone in range 3 of the primary target, and all the Z95s at R1/2 of Blount
• Blount goes out and paints the target with the XX-23, spreading the TL love to all the Z95s around him
• A whole pack of Bandits with Homing Missiles each declare a Focus action, release the missiles while not discarding the TL since it's not required to, and lighting up the target each with a 4-dice attack with TL/Focus.

SPITBALL! LOVE it.

Also Cracken will fire before Blount. He's got a higher PS.

My list included Swarm Tactics on Cracken. Doesn't this mean Blount could fire before Cracken if I choose?

<p>For me, this is more of an Epic kind of list - one where you're sending a Z95 swarm out to intentionally target a capital ship..

I'm guessing that aside from Blount, I'll likely need a Bandit pilot to carry a second S-Thread Tracers. This could be a fallback if Blount gets destroyed before he can fire at PS8 (given by Swarm Tactics on Cracken), or if Blount was successful, the second Tracers could be used on a second target once the first is destroyed.

Also Cracken will fire before Blount. He's got a higher PS.

My list included Swarm Tactics on Cracken. Doesn't this mean Blount could fire before Cracken if I choose?

Every pilot with Swarm Tactics would trigger at the beginning of the Combat phase, and you choose the order, so start with Cracken changing Blount, then Blount changing the next Z-95, and you've got three shots at PS8.

<p>For me, this is more of an Epic kind of list - one where you're sending a Z95 swarm out to intentionally target a capital ship..

Perhaps. I'm not very good experienced. Would this list still do well against a Fat Han/Chewie, Decimator, or Phantom? These are enemies I commonly encounter in casual play.

I'm guessing that aside from Blount, I'll likely need a Bandit pilot to carry a second S-Thread Tracers. This could be a fallback if Blount gets destroyed before he can fire at PS8 (given by Swarm Tactics on Cracken), or if Blount was successful, the second Tracers could be used on a second target once the first is destroyed.

The theory seems sound, but the firepower seems a little lacking. What missiles were you thinking of using?

The other thing is your assumption that the S-Thread Tracers is going to allow a target lock even if it's beyond Range 3. This doesn't sound correct. There's nothing on the S-Thread card that says the normal range isn't used.

The other thing is your assumption that the S-Thread Tracers is going to allow a target lock even if it's beyond Range 3. This doesn't sound correct. There's nothing on the S-Thread card that says the normal range isn't used.

I disagree. The text on the card as we know it so far is: "If this attack hits, each friendly ship at Range 1-2 of you may acquire a target lock on the defender."

As I read that, as long as the friendlies are in R1-2 of the ship that fired the Tracers, they can acquire the lock regardless of their own range to the target.

The other thing is your assumption that the S-Thread Tracers is going to allow a target lock even if it's beyond Range 3. This doesn't sound correct. There's nothing on the S-Thread card that says the normal range isn't used.

I disagree. The text on the card as we know it so far is: "If this attack hits, each friendly ship at Range 1-2 of you may acquire a target lock on the defender."

As I read that, as long as the friendlies are in R1-2 of the ship that fired the Tracers, they can acquire the lock regardless of their own range to the target.

I'm not disputing the friendly ships or the range from the ship with the S-Thread Tracers, so I'm not sure why you felt the need to link those. But maybe you should read the section on target locks that you linked to, because even that says that you can only lock onto a ship at Range 1-3. And without any kind of range qualifier on the S-Thread Tracers card, one would assume it's like any other target lock (action or not) and has a maximum Range of 3. I think if it were to entitle you to lock onto a ship that's out of range, it would specify that, like the ST-321 Shuttle title does.

There's some assumptions going on here on both side of the argument, and until it's released, we won't get an answer one way or another from FFG. But my money's on Range 1-3.

For me, this is more of an Epic kind of list - one where you're sending a Z95 swarm out to intentionally target a capital ship...

• Get everyone in range 3 of the primary target, and all the Z95s at R1/2 of Blount
• Blount goes out and paints the target with the XX-23, spreading the TL love to all the Z95s around him
• A whole pack of Bandits with Homing Missiles each declare a Focus action, release the missiles while not discarding the TL since it's not required to, and lighting up the target each with a 4-dice attack with TL/Focus.

Add A'baht

Apply cold to burned Huge ship areas xD

The other thing is your assumption that the S-Thread Tracers is going to allow a target lock even if it's beyond Range 3. This doesn't sound correct. There's nothing on the S-Thread card that says the normal range isn't used.

I disagree. The text on the card as we know it so far is: "If this attack hits, each friendly ship at Range 1-2 of you may acquire a target lock on the defender."

As I read that, as long as the friendlies are in R1-2 of the ship that fired the Tracers, they can acquire the lock regardless of their own range to the target.

Parravon's right. "Acquire a target lock" works the same whether it's an action or not, so any friendly beyond range 3 of the target would be unable to use the Tracers' effect. As another example, if Tarn Mison is being attacked by a ship at range 4-5 in Epic play, his target lock ability wouldn't work, since the attacker is out of range.

The only effect currently in the game that allows a ship to gain a target lock on an out-of-range enemy is Colonel Jendon's pilot ability. That's because it tells you to "assign a blue target lock token," instead of using the "acquire a target lock" wording.

Ah, fair enough. I see what you meant. I withdraw my previous.

The only effect currently in the game that allows a ship to gain a target lock on an out-of-range enemy is Colonel Jendon's pilot ability. That's because it tells you to "assign a blue target lock token," instead of using the "acquire a target lock" wording.

Also the shuttle title, for what that's worth.

For me, this is more of an Epic kind of list - one where you're sending a Z95 swarm out to intentionally target a capital ship...

• Get everyone in range 3 of the primary target, and all the Z95s at R1/2 of Blount
• Blount goes out and paints the target with the XX-23, spreading the TL love to all the Z95s around him
• A whole pack of Bandits with Homing Missiles each declare a Focus action, release the missiles while not discarding the TL since it's not required to, and lighting up the target each with a 4-dice attack with TL/Focus.

Just what I tried Saturday.

Blount and 4x Tala with Concussion.

Only Problem: Tarkin was on the Raider, so no Focus to fire the Tracer...

The only effect currently in the game that allows a ship to gain a target lock on an out-of-range enemy is Colonel Jendon's pilot ability. That's because it tells you to "assign a blue target lock token," instead of using the "acquire a target lock" wording.

Also the shuttle title, for what that's worth.

The only effect currently in the game that allows a ship to gain a target lock on an out-of-range enemy is Colonel Jendon's pilot ability. That's because it tells you to "assign a blue target lock token," instead of using the "acquire a target lock" wording.

Also the shuttle title, for what that's worth.

So, could this also mean that normal target lock aquisition rules may not apply for S-Thread tracers? Jendon can pass a TL to ships that normally do not get a TL and ST321 ignores range, so why would S-thread not work similarly and let other ships ignore range restriction? The only requirement listed is your range from the ship using the tracers, so I would assume range to the target does not matter. I will be interested to see the FAQ on this when it comes out.

Why do you assume range to target doesn't matter? It matters with nearly every other instance of acquiring a target lock, action or otherwise.

The rules for acquiring a target lock state Range 1-3. Card abilities can override rules, but they are generally carefully worded so there's no doubt that a particular rule is overridden. ST-321 for example, leaves no doubt about the range being "any enemy ship in the play area". But that's the only card ability that overrides the target lock range limit.

Jendon (lacking ST-321) acquires a target lock using the normal rules for target lock range. But because once you've acquired a target lock, if the range increases later, you don't lose it, and that allows Jendon to be able to pass the blue token to another ship that may be out of range to acquire the target lock themselves. The second ship is not the one acquiring the target lock. They're just benefiting from being close to Jendon.

There's nothing on the S-Thread Tracers card that states the normal range limits for the target locks are ignored, so we must assume that the normal target lock rules apply. The only mention of range is to ships near the active ship. And because the S-Thread Tracers is a missile upgrade, Jendon can't take it anyway. So he's not even a factor in this argument, unless he's one of the ships benefiting from another ship using S-Thread Tracers AND he has the ST-321 title.

Honestly, I don't think this one needs a FAQ entry. It's pretty clear already.

What Parravon said - considering the shuttle explicitly states its ability to target lock anywhere, we should logically expect s-tracers to say the same if it was possible.

I disagree with Parravon.

If a ship with Fire-Control System was, somehow, able to attack at Range 4, would you not acquire a Target Lock on the defender?

Every method we've had for target locking thus far is range dependent for one reason or another (the Action specifies 1-3, FCS requires an attack, et c.), with all exceptions expanding those methods (Sensor Team and St-321 both allow for the Action to expand, for example).

The one exception to the above that I've noticed? "Dutch" Vander, who is worded in a similar fashion to the S-Thread Tracers. The ruling of the latter will also catch the former, and the old boy needs a buff.

But, even in the case where Parravon is correct, it still allows for expert-level plays in one direction or another.

• If he's right, then a range-counter will target-lock with the rear of his alpha-strike list, and focus with the fore, knowing that those in the rear will maintain their initial TLs when the tracers are fired, which is good as they won't have a shot on the Tracers' victim.
• If he's wrong, then the tracers will be used on the more point-heavy ships, causing them to soak multiple volleys as the out-of-range ships will likely be in-range later, and having received their free TL a while back.

The former is better vs a balanced-list, the latter is better vs a priority-list. Which are the tracers designed to combat?

I will say that this is likely to be FAQ'd, whomever is correct.

Also, it's likely to come up in games, as an Alpha-Strike list wants to engage at Range 3. The Tracers work for friendly ships at Range 1-2, so if fired from the fore of the formation, the folks in the rear may well be at R4-5 from the target.

Alpha-Strike fleets vs anyone who is particularly mobile will adapt a loose formation, so someone's guaranteed a shot, no matter how well Fel bucks and weaves, so the R1-2 option is important to note.

Notably, that the Tracers distribute TLs to everyone at R1-2 of the shootist, and are R1-3 themselves, you could potentially acquire a TL from a ship's length out from Range 5!

This could still be a rockin' 199-point Team Epic list of eleven Z95s:

Lieutenant Blount — Z-95 Headhunter 17
Swarm Tactics 2
XX-23 S-Thread Tracers 1
Ship Total: 20

Airen Cracken — Z-95 Headhunter 19
Swarm Tactics 2
Homing Missiles 5
Ship Total: 26

9x Bandit Squadron Pilot — Z-95 Headhunter 12
Homing Missiles 5
Ship Total: 17

So, you'd have 10 Z95s firing Homing Missile, two of them at PS8 after Blount releases the XX-23.

Hilarity ensues.

And as Anjun posted above, Tarkin is the natural defense against this list. But... and it's a big butt (and I cannot lie) is Tarkin going to be somewhere in every build just in case a Z95 Homing Missile swarm shows up?

The only effect currently in the game that allows a ship to gain a target lock on an out-of-range enemy is Colonel Jendon's pilot ability. That's because it tells you to "assign a blue target lock token," instead of using the "acquire a target lock" wording.

Also the shuttle title, for what that's worth.

So, could this also mean that normal target lock aquisition rules may not apply for S-Thread tracers? Jendon can pass a TL to ships that normally do not get a TL and ST321 ignores range, so why would S-thread not work similarly and let other ships ignore range restriction? The only requirement listed is your range from the ship using the tracers, so I would assume range to the target does not matter. I will be interested to see the FAQ on this when it comes out.

Why do you assume range to target doesn't matter? It matters with nearly every other instance of acquiring a target lock, action or otherwise.

The rules for acquiring a target lock state Range 1-3. Card abilities can override rules, but they are generally carefully worded so there's no doubt that a particular rule is overridden. ST-321 for example, leaves no doubt about the range being "any enemy ship in the play area". But that's the only card ability that overrides the target lock range limit.

Jendon (lacking ST-321) acquires a target lock using the normal rules for target lock range. But because once you've acquired a target lock, if the range increases later, you don't lose it, and that allows Jendon to be able to pass the blue token to another ship that may be out of range to acquire the target lock themselves. The second ship is not the one acquiring the target lock. They're just benefiting from being close to Jendon.

There's nothing on the S-Thread Tracers card that states the normal range limits for the target locks are ignored, so we must assume that the normal target lock rules apply. The only mention of range is to ships near the active ship. And because the S-Thread Tracers is a missile upgrade, Jendon can't take it anyway. So he's not even a factor in this argument, unless he's one of the ships benefiting from another ship using S-Thread Tracers AND he has the ST-321 title.

Honestly, I don't think this one needs a FAQ entry. It's pretty clear already.

I disagree with Parravon.

If a ship with Fire-Control System was, somehow, able to attack at Range 4, would you not acquire a Target Lock on the defender?

Every method we've had for target locking thus far is range dependent for one reason or another (the Action specifies 1-3, FCS requires an attack, et c.), with all exceptions expanding those methods (Sensor Team and St-321 both allow for the Action to expand, for example).

The one exception to the above that I've noticed? "Dutch" Vander, who is worded in a similar fashion to the S-Thread Tracers. The ruling of the latter will also catch the former, and the old boy needs a buff.

But, even in the case where Parravon is correct, it still allows for expert-level plays in one direction or another.

• If he's right, then a range-counter will target-lock with the rear of his alpha-strike list, and focus with the fore, knowing that those in the rear will maintain their initial TLs when the tracers are fired, which is good as they won't have a shot on the Tracers' victim.
• If he's wrong, then the tracers will be used on the more point-heavy ships, causing them to soak multiple volleys as the out-of-range ships will likely be in-range later, and having received their free TL a while back.

The former is better vs a balanced-list, the latter is better vs a priority-list. Which are the tracers designed to combat?

I will say that this is likely to be FAQ'd, whomever is correct.

Also, it's likely to come up in games, as an Alpha-Strike list wants to engage at Range 3. The Tracers work for friendly ships at Range 1-2, so if fired from the fore of the formation, the folks in the rear may well be at R4-5 from the target.

Alpha-Strike fleets vs anyone who is particularly mobile will adapt a loose formation, so someone's guaranteed a shot, no matter how well Fel bucks and weaves, so the R1-2 option is important to note.

Notably, that the Tracers distribute TLs to everyone at R1-2 of the shootist, and are R1-3 themselves, you could potentially acquire a TL from a ship's length out from Range 5!

But currently there is no ship that can have FCS and make a Range 4-5 attack. So that remains hypothetical. At this stage of the game, only huge ships can make an attack out beyond Range 3, but none are able to equip a Fire Control System.

Another point of interest would be if Tarn Mison were attacked by a huge ship beyond Range 3, would he be able to target lock his attacker? That hasn't been FAQ'd, so one can only assume the normal target lock range limits apply. There's no exception listed in his text.

Dutch has very similar wording to S-Threads, but his ability doesn't specify the other target lock is to be on the same target as Dutch's.

I still maintain that the normal limits MUST apply UNLESS there's a specific exception in the card text. You can't just assume you can do things that are against the rules. There are multiple abilities and upgrades that allow a ship to acquire a target lock, but I find it odd that this one suddenly is assumed to ignore the normal range limits.

The only effect currently in the game that allows a ship to gain a target lock on an out-of-range enemy is Colonel Jendon's pilot ability. That's because it tells you to "assign a blue target lock token," instead of using the "acquire a target lock" wording.

Also the shuttle title, for what that's worth.

So, could this also mean that normal target lock aquisition rules may not apply for S-Thread tracers? Jendon can pass a TL to ships that normally do not get a TL and ST321 ignores range, so why would S-thread not work similarly and let other ships ignore range restriction? The only requirement listed is your range from the ship using the tracers, so I would assume range to the target does not matter. I will be interested to see the FAQ on this when it comes out.

Why do you assume range to target doesn't matter? It matters with nearly every other instance of acquiring a target lock, action or otherwise.

The rules for acquiring a target lock state Range 1-3. Card abilities can override rules, but they are generally carefully worded so there's no doubt that a particular rule is overridden. ST-321 for example, leaves no doubt about the range being "any enemy ship in the play area". But that's the only card ability that overrides the target lock range limit.

Jendon (lacking ST-321) acquires a target lock using the normal rules for target lock range. But because once you've acquired a target lock, if the range increases later, you don't lose it, and that allows Jendon to be able to pass the blue token to another ship that may be out of range to acquire the target lock themselves. The second ship is not the one acquiring the target lock. They're just benefiting from being close to Jendon.

There's nothing on the S-Thread Tracers card that states the normal range limits for the target locks are ignored, so we must assume that the normal target lock rules apply. The only mention of range is to ships near the active ship. And because the S-Thread Tracers is a missile upgrade, Jendon can't take it anyway. So he's not even a factor in this argument, unless he's one of the ships benefiting from another ship using S-Thread Tracers AND he has the ST-321 title.

Honestly, I don't think this one needs a FAQ entry. It's pretty clear already.

OK, rereading the rule book, "Acquire a Target Lock" is the name of an action, with specific steps, including measuring range. With that being said, is this considered a free action?

Nope. Effects that let you Acquire a Target Lock pay no heed to the "Once per Round" rule.

When an effect says "Acquire a Target Lock", it is the same as "Assign the ship a Focus Token" in practice.

--snip--

I see both sides of the argument. And thus, I wait for an FAQ patiently

OK, rereading the rule book, "Acquire a Target Lock" is the name of an action, with specific steps, including measuring range. With that being said, is this considered a free action?

No, it's not a free action. Check the Rules Ref under the fourth bullet point. Acquiring a target lock, and performing the action to do the same, use the same mechanic. Although it's not an action, it still doesn't mean the range limits are ignored.