Hi there, ill keep it short and sweet.

Can a simple minion like the pigs from the beginner game that do not have strain thresholds voluntarily suffer 2 strain which actually does 2 wounds to their group to universally move from medium range (1 maneuver) to short range, and then from short range to engagement (2nd maneuver), and then attack in melee combat. It doesn't seem correct to me. I believe a nemesis NPC could do this as they have a strain threshold but for standard minions to voluntarily take wounds just allow them a 2 range charge seems a bit op especially when facing down groups of trash mobs.

I've found people on the forums saying NPCs cannot voluntarily suffer strain but then the counter argument is that they suffer wounds to make up for that. The issue i have is that at the start of the game when you're 1 shotting things in the very first encounter ( with Oskara anyway) facing a 5 wound pig or a 3 wound pig doesn't make a difference to the PCs however taking 4 wounds each from their crappy axes because they sprinted 2 entire range brackets and attacked is a problem. Does it cover this in the rules?

Just want a definitive answer.

Thanks.

Welcome, kaimera !

Minions can never voluntarily suffer strain, as you've noted. Otherwise what happens when they suffer enough of these strain-wounds to take one of them out? They drink the blood of one of their chums just so they can get close enough to attack their enemies? I suppose it could be them knocking out the guy who's slowing them down but that too seems a little silly.

They can't suffer Strain but they can forfeit their Action for a 2nd Maneuver.

Not directly related to the question, but akin to NPC Strain. Rivals. They can use effects, or invoke effects that would cause strain damage, but this would cause Wound Damage.

This a missed and often over looked fact. Yes, Rivals typically do NOT have a Strain Threshold, but at the GM's discretion can indeed have a Strain Threshold, essentially making them in to a week Nemesis.

Page 309 ECRB.

But the other two posters are correct about Minions and Strain.

And welcome to the forum!!

A minion can NEVER use strain to get a second maneuver! They can only change theire Action for a second Maneuver.

A Rival can ALWAYS use Strain to get a secon maneuver but a Normla Rival has no strain and will suffer 2 wounds instead.

An advanced Rival can also have a Strain limit (this is GM´s choice) an will suffer strain dmg as a player

A Nemesis has always a strainlimit and will act like any player using it.

An Arch-Nemesis can have a complet second Battlephase within a battleround

(Advanced Rival and Arch-nemesis are only names I had come up with to divide thoses posibilitys of even stronger enemys in theire roster, the corebooks still refer them as Rival and Nemesis)

So not to be THAT GUY, but to be that guy, with in the confines of the OP asking a question in regards to RAW, you provide an answer citing non RAW thing...

Perhaps I'm not caught up on my reading, but what the hell is a Battlephase or battleround within the confines of RAW. As far as i know, this game has Narrative Game-play, and Structured Game-play which is broken into Rounds and then into a series of Turns.

I guess we might as well say archduke-minions can spend Strain during their Mega-Segments...

Answering questions with homebrew stuff is not very helpful. Jus' sayin'

There was some additional material printed in one of the GMKits about giving Nemesis characters an extra Action at the end of the Round, and there’s a possibility that they might have also introduced some additional language.

I’d have to do some research to find that reference, however.

Yep, as the Final Turn of the Round, the Nemsis can take one additional action. AoR GM kit supplemental rules. Have never seen SW FFG use the terms Battle Phase or Battle Round. Even Comat Round for that matter. So again, when someone asks for a rules clarification, to throw in weird made up stuff that can confuse them even further is actually prett rude.

There is no need for an Arch, Advanced, Magellan, Bishop anything. The rules make it pretty simple, and when people ask for help, we should stick to the book to provide that help unless they are clearly asking about house rules or going outside/beyond the scope of the rules.

Hi guys, and thank you for the warm welcome.

Incredibly impressed by the quick and detailed replies. I'm sure this will be the first of many posts asking for rules clarification!

Also a special shoutout for Col. Orange for a very imaginative description ( Don't give my GM any ideas! )

Thanks everybody.

R2builder sorry by confusing you with my "Homebrew" names (wasn´t my intension)

just used them to clarify the possible differences between "normal" rivals and rivals a GM want to give Strain, and a "normal" Nemesis and a Nemesis a GM wants give an Extraround /action

also the term Battleround is also just used as a clarifcation since it is a round/action with in a battle encounter.

Well ok an it might happened due to the other RPGs I´played and play and of course I sometimes differences can happen due to translation differences between german and english.

So Sorry again If I triggered a nerv

that said,

I somewhat like the expression of the "archduke-minions" ... may be gamoreans?

Well as you can tell it did hit a nerv. I don't feel that it helps people to give them "helpful" advice from other games. I saw your question about Speak Binary. I know Saga Editing had a something similar. Perhaps I should go to that thread and quote that systems Speak Binary like talent. Bet you would find that real helpful... It would deal with how many squares you are away and and Attack of Opportunities. Stuff FFG doesn't use, kind of like Battle Battlephase...

I guess for me and my group we are very big on using the correct terminology of this game. One is respect for the books, and the devs, and the work they put into it, and then we all know what we are talking about.

I am not trying to be the ultimate D bag here, but I just really fail to see how using non book terms, and info left over from other systems provides any useful to night to someone asking for a rules clarification about RAW/RAI.

And no, Archduke-Minions are Squibs.

Minions can also pay 2 Advantage to take a second manoeuvre.