Can you play a block damage card during the play tatic card step? As if not this would give the attacker a significant advantage?

Not unless you are firing at your own units.

Damage-blocking tactics cards block dice and tactics cards that assign damage to an enemy unit. Unblocked damage becomes a damage marker on any units that weren't destroyed. Damage markers cannot be removed with tactics cards; only the end of the battle removes damage markers.

So, in answer to your question, the attacker cannot play damage-blocking tactics cards because there's no damage to block.

Unless you're asking if the defender can play a block damage card, in which case the answer is yes. This is the only time you would play these cards, and they are the only type of tactics card you may play when defending.

I believed that was the case, it just seemed a little unfair, as this gives the attacker a significant advantage.

I think that is as intended.

I am not seeing the advantage described. Both players get an opportunity to block damage after it is assigned. Am I missing something?

I am not seeing the advantage described. Both players get an opportunity to block damage after it is assigned. Am I missing something?

The attacker gets to draw cards (with light sabers) before the defender can roll dice. Some of those may block damage which they can then use to block the defenders attack. The defender can only use any block cards they draw during the next turn. As in many games destroying ships this turn is better than destroying ships next turn since your opponent will throw less dice as a result. This is slightly advantageous to the attacker as it gives them the potential to have more blocks in the in hand for the defenders initial attack.

Each die you roll has a 5.5% chance of letting you draw a card that blocks damage, that number decreases as you draw more blocks from the deck. But sometimes 5.5% can make a big difference.

Personally, I view it as a slight advantage, not a significant one.

I see your point but that is really only applicable if the defender doesn't have a leader. If they did then they draw cards right away and can potentially block damage off the attack or increase damage when defending.

I see your point but that is really only applicable if the defender doesn't have a leader. If they did then they draw cards right away and can potentially block damage off the attack or increase damage when defending.

Not really, more cards are more cards. Even if you start with zero or three in your hand an extra one or two can make a difference.

But since the destroyed units aren't removed until after the defender has had his turn, the advantage is very minimal. If you roll a saber then draw a card that lets you deal 1 damage, it's really no different from rolling a hit.

But since the destroyed units aren't removed until after the defender has had his turn, the advantage is very minimal. If you roll a saber then draw a card that lets you deal 1 damage, it's really no different from rolling a hit.

Oh I agree its minimal, but not for this reason. I am trying to take the unfortunate position of, "its a slight advantage to the attacker, but not much of one and it won't be an advantage in most combats." while still explaining that it exists.

The core issue is on the cards that block damage. Attackers can use the block damage that they just drew this turn, while defenders cannot use them until next turn. This can lead to situations in which the defender loses a unit that could have survived if they could have blocked 1 d, leading to the defender throwing less dice next turn, meaning less damage dealt by the defender next turn.

That being said, often its just better to roll more damage than a light saber, since most light sabers = 1 damage of any color.

Here is an imperfect example that may explain the issue better (in most situations things get more complicated with color of dice versus hit points, the number of units on each side and the randomness of rolling light sabers)

Lets say we have a battle with 3 infantry versus 3 infantry with no cards in either players hands.

Attacker rolls 2 hits and a light saber (good roll). He deals 1 damage to two enemy units and draws a card.

That card has a 13% chance of dealing an extra damage (same as scoring another hit), a 20% chance of blocking an upcoming damage card (more or less the same as dealing a damage) and 66% of being useless this round.

Then the defender rolls the same results. He now had 13% chance of dealing one extra damage and a 86% of having a card that won't help him this turn.

So basically if each side rolls 1 light saber (with 3 dice, you have a 42% chance of at least one light saber), the attacker has a 43% chance of drawing a card that is useful this turn, while the defender only has a 13% chance. This can create a swing of 1 unit going into the next turn which in the above situation is a very powerful since you will be rolling an extra die and have a extra hp (or would have ended the combat).

That being said, this is only true in some very specific situations, in most situations, this won't matter at all as the defender will just block another damage next turn.

This can sometimes have significant consequences even in later combat turns and even the game as a whole.

As the attacker, even on subsequent turns, you still have more opportunities to get timely damage blocking cards. Sure, on turn 1 the defending player may have been able to draw a blocking damage card he can use in turn 2, but the attacking player now has two opportunities to do so before the defender gets his.

But even moreso this could mean the survival of an important unit, as happened in my last game. The Rebels had a Mon Calamari cruiser and were fighting in a space battle where I had attacked using a Star Destroyer. He'd gotten the 6th hit on my ISD...but I had just drawn a damage blocking card in that final round of combat (where I had destroyed his Cruiser). My ISD ended up surviving the battle, and thus was able to continue to rampage across the Outer Rim.

I can see the advantage, but I am not at all bothered by it for three reasons.

1) The defender still has a starting allotment of tactics cards during the first attack.

2) So much hinges on the whim of dice.

3) So much hinges on luck of the draw.

All things being equal, sure the attacker has the edge but with two layers of randomness, all things will rarely be equal. You may not roll sabers or might need to spend it activating a tactics card. There is not a strategy here you can successfully plan for.

But if it does work out in the aggressor's favor, I have no problem with that either. "Fortune favors the bold."