I want to make sure I understand initiative, specifically when opposing players have matching high PS ships.

So let's say I have a 98 point squad, and my opponent has 100 - so I get to choose who has initiative, right?

Let's say I choose to let him have initiative, and we're activating until our last two ships, both at PS 9. Since he has initiative, will the activation and attack flow like this:

- he moves PS9

- I move PS9

- he makes start of combat phase decisions

- I make start of combat phase decisions

- he attacks with PS9

- I attack with PS9

Etc.

Do I have that right?

Yup.

Yup.

This has been another installment of "Short Answers to Long Questions."

Tune in again next week

I want to make sure I understand initiative, specifically when opposing players have matching high PS ships.

So let's say I have a 98 point squad, and my opponent has 100 - so I get to choose who has initiative, right?

Let's say I choose to let him have initiative, and we're activating until our last two ships, both at PS 9. Since he has initiative, will the activation and attack flow like this:

- he moves PS9

- I move PS9

- he makes start of combat phase decisions

- I make start of combat phase decisions

- he attacks with PS9

- I attack with PS9

Etc.

Do I have that right?

And as StevenO so eloquently stated, you are entirely correct.

Yup.

This has been another installment of "Short Answers to Long Questions."

While the actual question isn't very long that background information already provides all of the answers and is just looking for confirmation. It's always nice to see someone thinking for themselves instead expecting someone else to do it for them.

Yup.

This has been another installment of "Short Answers to Long Questions."

While the actual question isn't very long that background information already provides all of the answers and is just looking for confirmation. It's always nice to see someone thinking for themselves instead expecting someone else to do it for them.

Indeed it is.

Also, anytime that there are abilities that share the same timing, the player with initiative goes first. You kind of touched on that when you mentioned "start of combat phase decisions" but it can also hit at other timing windows.

Let's say I choose to let him have initiative, and we're activating until our last two ships, both at PS 9. Since he has initiative, will the activation and attack flow like this:

- he moves PS9

- I move PS9

- he makes start of combat phase decisions

- I make start of combat phase decisions

- he attacks with PS9

- I attack with PS9

Etc.

Do I have that right?

--snip--

Here is where I get messed up - would he move before me AND shoot before me, or would he move AFTER me, but shoot BEFORE me? It always seems out of order to me that he moves first AND shoots first - I would think he moves second but shoots first. Am I just confused and need to get over it?

The player with Initiative both moves first and shoots first.

They also place an obstacle first, place ships first, et c.

That's a large part of the reason why "Initiative Bids" are a thing.

Initiative is NOT a +0.5 to pilot skill.

I think the biggest problem is a lot of players of other games will have an understanding of what "initiative" is based on those other games. And that's usually where, if you have the initiative, you can generally wait and see where the opponent is moving to before reacting to it and making your move, or shoot first and hope to destroy the opponent before getting shot yourself. Players with initiative will often move last and shoot first in this type of game, and they generally don't feature a "Simultaneous Fire" rule like X-wing does. Some games I've played have given the player with the initiative the option to either move before or after the opponent during the movement phases, and also given them the option to shoot before or after the opponent shoots.

In X-Wing, initiative is not really used like that. If you replace the word "initiative" with "timing priority" when reading the rules, then you get the true meaning of how it works. When you have an event where ships/abilities have the same timing, the player with timing priority goes first. Which sometimes doesn't quite equate to the general understanding we may have of initiative from other gaming systems, but it does make more sense to me.

Initiative in X-wing is simply a timing priority decider.

--snip--

Here is where I get messed up - would he move before me AND shoot before me, or would he move AFTER me, but shoot BEFORE me? It always seems out of order to me that he moves first AND shoots first - I would think he moves second but shoots first. Am I just confused and need to get over it?

The player with Initiative both moves first and shoots first.

They also place an obstacle first, place ships first, et c.

That's a large part of the reason why "Initiative Bids" are a thing.

Initiative is NOT a +0.5 to pilot skill.

This and "timing priority" is what I needed - thank you!