I was running Dash Rendar w/ Kyle Katarn and Push the Limit. The Outrider had 1 stress token at the beginning of the movement phase, i revealed a green maneuver and lost my stress token after successfully performing the move, i then lost my stress token and due to Kyle Katarn got a Focus token. Using the Push the Limit i then did two barrel roles giving me a stress token. During the attack phase the outrider spent a focus token to modify a die roll. At this point my opponent told me that "A stressed ship ((cannot execute)) red maneuvers or ((perform actions))." Saying that because i was stressed i could not spend the focus token. I tried explaining that there is a difference between taking an action to get a token and spending the token, but he tells me that the distinction is not made anywhere in the rules.

Can someone please clarify this situation? It is rather confusing and we both can't come to an agreement on what is right and wrong here.

You are correct that spending a token is different from taking an action, so being stressed does not prevent you using the token.

However a pilot may not perform the same action twice in a round so your double barrel roll was illegal.

I think a rematch is in order. :-)

I tried explaining that there is a difference between taking an action to get a token and spending the token, but he tells me that the distinction is not made anywhere in the rules.

From the rules, this might help you explain it to him.

ACTIONS

The active ship can perform one standard action during the “Perform Action” step of the Activation phase. Ships can also perform free actions as instructed by cards or mission rules. The actions available to each ship are listed in that ship’s action bar.

As an action, a ship may resolve an ability beginning with the “Action:” header on one of its Upgrade or Damage cards.

A ship cannot perform actions, even free actions, while stressed.

So that means that a ship can not perform any action which are things on the action bar, or other abilities that are called an Action when stressed. There's a vital point there, not all abilities are actions. They are only an action if they are on the action bar, or the ability has the "Action:" header in the text.

In the Attack section it says "Focus: The attacker can spend a focus token to change all of his <focus> results to <hit> results."

The key here is that there is no Action: header in that text. That means it is not an action, but rather just an ability.

Also the rules say this...

If a card ability instructs a player to assign a focus token to a ship, this is different than performing a focus action. The ship is assigned the token without performing an action and may still perform the focus action this round.

I post that, because it's another common question new players ask.

Spending a token isn't an action because the rules never define it as an action. There doesn't need to be an explicit rule that says "Spending a focus token is not an action"; if the rules don't call it an action, then it isn't one. You might as well claim that measuring range for an attack counts as an action (since there's no explicit rule that says it isn't), so stressed ships just have to estimate the range.

But, as Cactus said, you also can't barrel roll twice in the same round.

Here is something to consider. If you could not spend a token while a ship has Stress what good would Fel's ability be that gives him a Focus token any time he gains a Stress token? Spend any time on these boards you'll find that Fel is a popular ship but if he couldn't spend that Focus token then what good would he be?

Your opponent is being absurd. Spending a token isn't an action because the rules never define it as an action. There doesn't need to be an explicit rule that says "Spending a focus token is not an action"; if the rules don't call it an action, then it isn't one. You might as well claim that measuring range for an attack counts as an action (since there's no explicit rule that says it isn't), so stressed ships just have to estimate the range.

But, as Cactus said, you also can't barrel roll twice in the same round.

He's not being absurd. It's a very common question for new players to this game, to mistake the actual Action for the Token, and when is the appropriate, and correct, time to make use of them.

Another consideration.

He apparently knows how PtL works. Now if the Focus Action is taken to gain a Focus token and PtL is used to perform the Evade Action giving an Evade token before PtL hands out the stress just how would a ship be gaining ANY benefit if tokens could not be spent while Stressed?

Ya your opponent is getting mixed up pretty bad

Look at fel ability as another example

When he gets stressed he receives a Focus token.

So what's the point in that?

Yah I got a Focus token to do nothing with.

If he insists that he is correct show his this thread, and ask him to explain what's the point of Soontir Fel ability?

He's just one of the best pilots in the game

However your barrel ruling action was illegal.

You cannot perform the same action twice a round. Even if it's a free action.

A free action just means you take an action outside the regular action step.

You cannot take a Focus action and then take another focus action or free focus action.

However being assigned a Focus is not an action such as fleet officer.

Spending a Focus or Evade or Target Lock token is a Dice Modification, and takes place during step 3 or step 5 of the Attack sequence. See your Rules Reference Guide, page 4 & 5.

Taking a Focus action or Evade action or Target Lock action is something you can do with your action during step 3 of the Activation sequence. It will give you the token, which can later be spent during an Attack. See your Rules Reference Guide, page 4.

Spending a token has nothing to do with the action.

Thanks everyone for the clarification! It would appear both of us made an error in rule interpretation this round and a rematch is necessary

Thanks everyone for the clarification! It would appear both of us made an error in rule interpretation this round and a rematch is necessary

And at the end of the day, a rematch isn't a bad thing. Any reason for a game, is still a good reason.

Any reason for a game, is still a good reason.

It's kinda like beer that way.