Considering taking a pair of bombers to an escalation tournament but I had a question.

The tracers say that every friendly ship at range 1-2 gain a target lock on the defender. You're considered to be range 1 of yourself (Jan Ors crew as an example) so does that mean the person who fired the tracers gets one too?

Thanks in advance

Edit: it doesn't say every other friendly ship so I think I'm OK...

you get one yourself as well. Just remember the other ships must be at Range 1-2 (tracers) of you and at Range 1-3 (Acquire a TL) of the Defender

This may sound like a stupid question:

Can ships without targeting computer accquire a TL via the tracers?

They can be assigned a blue target lock by Jendon, thats settled long ago...

Yes. Any ship can acquire and maintain a target lock when an effect allows it. The only thing the target lock action icon does for you is give you an Action that involves acquiring a target lock.

Thanks.

you get one yourself as well. Just remember the other ships must be at Range 1-2 (tracers) of you and at Range 1-3 (Acquire a TL) of the Defender

[bold for emphasis mine]

You're going to tell me this is a stupid question but...

According to the rules the Range 1-3 limitation is part of the "Acquire Target Lock Action" and that is predicated on the Target Lock symbol. There are other game effects that allow one to acquire a Target Lock.

The XX-23 S-Thread Tracers state "If this attack hits, each friendly ship at Range 1-2 of you may acquire a target lock on the defender." The XX-23 S-Thread Tracers do not say anything about a range limitation to anything other than to the friendly ship that attacked the defender. Also this is not an action itself. It is acquiring a Target Lock.

Are we sure this additional requirement of Range 1-3 of the defender isn't something we are inserting ourselves and not part of the rules?

Shouldn't the only limitation be the one that is printed on the card and that is a requirement that friendly ships be at Range 1-2 ?

It's unfortunate that the wording of the Acquire a Target Lock section of the rules is written in a way that leads some people to believe that the 1-3 range restriction only applies to the action. I don't think that's the case, but by all means, submit a rules question to that effect. Just keep in mind that, if it turns out that "acquire a target lock" doesn't carry the range 1-3 restriction, then Dutch Vander has been better than we thought for years now and nobody noticed.

I think what's actually happening here is akin to barrel rolling. Consider these phrases:

Perform a Barrel Roll action: Do the steps outlined in the RR under Barrel Rolls. Must have an action available, must be able to take an action.

Perform a free Barrel Roll action: Do the steps outlined in the RR under Barrel Rolls. Must be able to take an action.

Perform a Barrel Roll: Do the steps outlined in the RR under Barrel Rolls.

Consider why these phrases would be any different?

Perform an Acquire a Target Lock action: Do the steps outlined in the RR under Acquire a Target Lock. Must have an action available, must be able to take an action.

Perform a free Acquire a Target Lock action: Do the steps outlined in the RR under Acquire a Target Lock. Must be able to take an action.

Acquire a Target Lock: Do the steps outlined in the RR under Acquire a Target Lock.

For the sake of argument (we are on a forum after all!)

There is a distinction made between acquiring a token and performing the action. You can acquire a token when stressed, you can't perform the action (even when free) while stressed. I'm not sure that this case is different.

Several different abilities allow ships to perform target locks actions on ships outside of range 1-3 and you can maintain a target lock on a ship that has moved outside of range 1-3.

I think that they left off distinguishing which token went where on the card for the sake of simplicity and space concerns on the printed card.

For the sake of argument (we are on a forum after all!)

There is a distinction made between acquiring a token and performing the action.

You can acquire a token when stressed, you can't perform the action (even when free) while stressed. I'm not sure that this case is different.

Several different abilities allow ships to perform target locks actions on ships outside of range 1-3

Two. Two different abilities allow ships to acquire a target lock (not "perform the acquire a target lock action") on ships outside Range 1-3. One of those isn't released yet.

(Ignoring Huge-ship-only cards for the moment.)

and you can maintain a target lock on a ship that has moved outside of range 1-3.

I think that they left off distinguishing which token went where on the card for the sake of simplicity and space concerns on the printed card.

And before you say "the distinction just didn't matter before": Dutch Vander.

As I said I could go either way. However:

At the start of the Combat phase, you may assign 1 of your blue target lock tokens to a friendly ship at Range 1 if it does not have a blue target lock token.

And

When acquiring a target lock, you may lock onto any enemy ship in the play area.

STS-321 let's you get a Target Lock outside Range 3 and Colonel Jendon's ability says "assign". It does not say allow others to "acquire" which is what

After acquiring a target lock, choose another friendly ship at Range 1-2. The chosen ship may immediately acquire a target lock.

Like I said I could go either way but this seems to indicate that one cannot "acquire" a target lock outside range 3 even with XX-23 S-Thread Tracers unless specifically giving that ability. Too bad.

Either way Colonel Jendon's range 1 limitation to other friendly ships still makes his ability very ineffective. Maybe in Epic but otherwise the range 1 limit takes away any advantage it might have had.

[bold emphasis is mine, umm for emphasis]