ACM and Redirect interaction: different analysis

By Thraug, in Star Wars: Armada Rules Questions

The widely accepted interaction between ACMs and a Redirect defense token is that ACM damage can't be moved with a Redirect. I recently went over all of the rules pertaining to the usage of Redirect and Assault Concussion Missiles and based on my interpretations of the all rules/FAQs/Q&As, I believe the Redirect defense token can move ACM damage. Allow me to explain why. Keep in mind, I'm a die-hard Empire player, so this negatively affects my game, but that's ok!! :D

Note, for easy look-up, words of the same color are to be back-referenced when encountered.

Here are the important steps, quoted from the Rules Reference Guide, in the order played:

ATTACK (pg 2)

4 . Spend Defense Tokens: The defender can spend one or more of its defense tokens.

5 . Resolve Damage: The attacker can resolve one of its critical effects. Then the attacker determines the total damage amount. Then the defending squadron or hull zone suffers that total damage, one point at a time.

Here are the relevant rules definitions, quoted from the RRG and card text:

DEFENSE TOKENS (pg 4)

Defense tokens can be spent by the defender during the “Spend Defense Tokens” step of an attack to produce the effects described below:

Redirect: The defender chooses one of its hull zones adjacent to the defending hull zone. When the defender suffers damage from this attack , it may suffer any amount of damage on the chosen zone’s shields (up to the shields remaining on that zone) before it must suffer the remaining damage on the defending hull zone.

Brace: When damage is totaled during the “Resolve Damage” step , the total is reduced to half, rounded up.

CRITICAL EFFECTS (PG 4)

Critical effects resolve at the beginning of the “Resolve Damage” step of an attack.

ASSAULT CONCUSSION MISSILES CARD:

Black Dice Crit: Each hull zone adjacent to the defending hull zone suffers 1 damage .

My claim is that ACM damage can be moved with a Redirect token. Following this example attack (using numbered steps from RRG) involving ACM, Redirect and Brace.

  1. Declare Target
  2. Roll Attack Dice
  3. Resolve Attack Effects
    1. Modify Dice
    2. Spend Accuracy Icons
  4. Spend Defense Tokens:
    • The defender spends a Redirect and a Brace token.
  5. Resolve Damage: Attacker resolves ACM.
    • My claim: By the definition of the Redirect token, any damage from this attack can be redirected . Since ACMs are activated within " this attack ", and do damage , they are eligible for redirect movement , and allow the defender to move any ACM damage to the Redirect shield.
    • Then, total the Damage , and now the Brace token takes effect.

The basis of my claim is that once the defender spends the Redirect defense token, any damage the defender suffers from this attack , whether it's from dice or effects, can be redirected, and that I believe ACM damage is considered to be from this attack because it is resolved within Attack Resolution. I have not asked FFG about this and am not aware of any replies to other inquiries about this topic. Comments?

This topic was debated in this thread , where the masses concluded Redirect doesn't allow for movement of ACM damage. It may be useful to read that thread after this thread to see why they made their conclusions.

Edited by Thraug

As much as I can appreciate the thought and the nice formatting you used.... no.

This has been clarified by FFG. There is no further discussion to be had.

Damage from critical effects is applied FIRST, before damage is totalled (When brace comes into effect) and before damage is assigned (when redirect can be used) and is specifically considered to be from a source other than the basic attack in either case, so it cannot be halved as part of the total, nor redirected as part of the damage assignment step.

Edited by Tvayumat

"Damage from this attack" is not damage from a critical effect. "Damage from this attack" is specifically the damage counted from the dice pool.

You keep adding the word 'any' which isn't in the rule.

Also note that the redirect it says

"zones adjacent to the defending hull zone" so the extra damage from ACM is not done to the defending hull zone it hits the adjacent hull zones. I believe this is why the redirect will not work.

FFG says no.

FFG says no.

I heard this in David Walliams' voice. Thanks.

ComputerSaysNo.jpg

FFG says no.

I heard this in David Walliams' voice. Thanks. ComputerSaysNo.jpg

But of course! :-D

Thanks folks. Where is the official FFG statement on this, the FAQ or an email question? Just want something to use to prove it when the question comes up during play.

Thanks folks. Where is the official FFG statement on this, the FAQ or an email question? Just want something to use to prove it when the question comes up during play.

It's a critical effect, not regular damage.

Redir has no effect on a critical effect, just damage.

It's right in the timing of your first post.

You choose the critical effect, then total damage. So first, you choose your critical effect. ACM? Boom, 1 damage to each arc. Then you total the damage as revealed by the dice or other modifiers, then you can move however much that totaled damage is.

The critical effect happens as soon as you select it.

And the acm damage doesn't go to the defending hull zone so you can't redirect it even if you could consider this damage as total damage (and you can't)