Recon Specialist allows you to gain a focus token when you use a focus action. Would using Kanan's ability gain you a token?

Recon Specialist allows you to gain a focus token when you spend a token. Would using Kanan's ability gain you a token?

Re-read the card: Recon Specialist gives you a focus token when you use a Focus action.

So Kanan could Focus and he gets two Focus tokens. Using his ability will not net him anymore.

Recon Specialist gives an additional Focus token when you perform a Focus action. No synergy with his pilot ability.

Recon Specialist gives an additional Focus token when you perform a Focus action. No synergy with his pilot ability.

That is how we played it but another person disagreed and believed that you were performing an action when using Kanan's ability.

Recon Specialist gives an additional Focus token when you perform a Focus action. No synergy with his pilot ability.

That is how we played it but another person disagreed and believed that you were performing an action when using Kanan's ability.

They were incorrect. A focus action is a specific, defined thing in the game: using your action in the perform action step, or a free action, to use the focus action.

It's not 'doing anything involving a focus token'.

Have I gone completely mad? What Kanan has an ability that has anything to even do with gaining a Focus token much less a Focus Action?

Now if we were instead talking about Lando's crewman ability that I can see. Here a ship spends on action to use Lando and then assigns Focus and Evade tokens as described. This is NOT the same as performing those actions. If said ship has PtL and say the Falcon tile and a Recon Specialist it could then use the Evade action for a token there OR it could use PtL and perform an actual Focus action and gain two tokens due to Recon Specialist. Gaining a Focus token outside of performing a Focus ACTION, as a free action would still count, does not trigger RS.

If you have a Decimator with three Recon Specialists onboard it could gain FOUR tokens when it performs the Focus action.

Have I gone completely mad? What Kanan has an ability that has anything to even do with gaining a Focus token much less a Focus Action?

I feel like it's easy to get mixed up in the terms, especially when you're new to the game. I thought when the HWK and Recon Specialist came out that every time you spent a Focus token, you immediately got another. So I thought it worked great with the Blast Turret. Later, I realized I had misunderstood the acquiring and spending of the token. Same type of misunderstanding here about spending a token.

So to reiterate others, a focus action is one way of acquiring a focus token.

Spending a focus token is never an action.

I realize that many fail to recognize the differences between taking a Focus Action, acquiring a Focus Token, and spending a Focus token. I guess I see Kanan, which looks a lot like Keyan, and wonder where the Focus confusion is coming from.

Re-read the card:

*twitch*

I realize that many fail to recognize the differences between taking a Focus Action, acquiring a Focus Token, and spending a Focus token. I guess I see Kanan, which looks a lot like Keyan, and wonder where the Focus confusion is coming from.

Because his pilot card ability says to spend a focus token. And people confuse spending a focus token with performing a focus action.

Anyone who is confused by that should do themselves a favor and re-read the rulebook in its entirety before playing again. I'm not being sarcastic -- after playing a game for awhile, rulebooks can be surprisingly informative, now that you know exactly what it is talking about.

Then, for a healthy adjustment, take a gander through the FAQ document.

Anyone who is confused by that should do themselves a favor and re-read the rulebook in its entirety before playing again. I'm not being sarcastic -- after playing a game for awhile, rulebooks can be surprisingly informative, now that you know exactly what it is talking about.

Then, for a healthy adjustment, take a gander through the FAQ document.

That doesn't clear it up on its own. For a game as finicky with its wording as X-wing has become, the wording in the rules calls it "the focus action" while recon refers to "a focus action". Since, strictly speaking, a focus action could be an action that gives a focus (the focus action) or an action that requires a focus there is some wiggle room in the wording (although the spirit of the card still suggests otherwise). But, If they felt they needed to errta "treat this" to "treat your" then its a pretty valid question.

Since, strictly speaking, a focus action could be an action that gives a focus (the focus action) or an action that requires a focus there is some wiggle room in the wording..

Er, no. An Action is an Action. the Focus Action is the Focus Action. Both are clearly defined within the rules of the game. There's no "wiggle room" here. When the bearer of a Recon Specialist performs a Focus Action, they receive an additional Focus token. That's all there is to it.

Since, strictly speaking, a focus action could be an action that gives a focus (the focus action) or an action that requires a focus there is some wiggle room in the wording..

Er, no. An Action is an Action. the Focus Action is the Focus Action. Both are clearly defined within the rules of the game. There's no "wiggle room" here. Then the bearer of a Recon Specialist performs a Focus Action, they receive an additional Focus token. That's all there is to it.

The Focus Action is, in deed, the Focus Action. However, the card does not read "a Focus Action" it reads "a focus action", there is a difference. One refers directly to a particular action the other may refer to a group of actions, hence "wiggle room".

There is no wiggle room. You are reading the rule book wrong, which may be a larger problem.

It says when you take "a focus action". The focus action is clearly defined. It does not say "an action that gives you a focus."

The wording X-Wing uses for what you're talking about is usually "when you are assigned a focus token." That is where your alternative options would come into play.

Careful reading of the sections explaining Actions should clear that up.

Don't try and apply grammar and language rules to the game. Follow the rulebook, as it creates its own dictionary/grammar policies.

EDIT:

If you're caught up on the capitalization, they use "smallcaps" when identifying an action the first time. Elsewhere in the rulebook, they do not capitalize the actions again.

The Focus Action is, in deed, the Focus Action. However, the card does not read "a Focus Action" it reads "a focus action", there is a difference. One refers directly to a particular action the other may refer to a group of actions, hence "wiggle room".

No. The capitalization is my own, For Emphasis Only. FFG do not use capitalization. See: Night Beast:

You're looking for a loophole where there is none. There is no "wiggle room". Recon Specialist does not trigger off Outlaw Tech, or Garven Dreis, or Lando Calrissian crew, or any other methods of acquiring a Focus token there are. It triggers - as stated explicitly on the card - when you perform a Focus Action.

The Night Beast example is also found in the rulebook, sans capitalization when describing his ability.

Compare with Jan Ors crew wording for a good comparison of "focus action" and "other ways of getting focus"

Sometimes you think things are simple and then someone comes along wanting the rules to read a certain way to suit their need...

Rules lawyers pop up in every game.

Sometimes you think things are simple and then someone comes along wanting the rules to read a certain way to suit their need...

In this case they are still simple.