Questions about action card "Massive Transport"

By RPGamer, in Twilight Imperium 3rd Edition

I couldn't find the answers of these questions about action card "Massive Transport" in this forum and BGG.

The questions are :

1. If the starting system was activated by the command counter of the space dock's owner in the game turn before "Massive Transport" is played, can the space dock be moved by "Massive Transport"?

2. If the ending system was activated by the command counter of the space dock's owner in the game turn before "Massive Transport" is played, can the system be the target system of "Massive Transport"?

3. When playing "Massive Transport", do you need to activate any system?

4. Can the fighters (maximum 3) belonged to the space dock go with it?

5. Can the moved space dock produce during the later turn if the target system has not been activated by the owner's command counter? Or subject to some conditions, such as not the same round on which the space dock is built?

Thanks in advance!

those are good questions. As far as I'm aware; this action card functions regardless of the activation of the system. So theoretically, you could build at your dock, massive transport it to another location, and then build again. I would say the fighters can not tag along, since it only says you move the dock, they would have to have a carrier, another dock, or be destroyed.

RPGamer said:

1. If the starting system was activated by the command counter of the space dock's owner in the game turn before "Massive Transport" is played, can the space dock be moved by "Massive Transport"?

Yes. Since the card doesn't state otherwise, and since you aren't using a Tactical Action to move it, there is nothing preventing it. Previously activated systems merely prevent you from moving ships out during another of your Tactical Actions. EXAMPLE - if you are attacked in that system, those ships CAN retreat, and move out of the system (assuming they survive the round of combat), even if it was activated.

RPGamer said:

2. If the ending system was activated by the command counter of the space dock's owner in the game turn before "Massive Transport" is played, can the system be the target system of "Massive Transport"?

Yes, same thing as above - the card doesn't prohibit that.

RPGamer said:

3. When playing "Massive Transport", do you need to activate any system?

Since the card doesn't say otherwise, no.

RPGamer said:

4. Can the fighters (maximum 3) belonged to the space dock go with it?

This is a tougher question, but I would be inclined to say YES, because the Saar space docks moving also allow fighters to go with them.

RPGamer said:

5. Can the moved space dock produce during the later turn if the target system has not been activated by the owner's command counter? Or subject to some conditions, such as not the same round on which the space dock is built?

As long as it wasn't just built that round there is nothing stopping you from building there later.

Thanks to awp832 and sigmazero13 for your kindly answers.

I'd agree with sigmazero13 more because his analysis looks like reasonable.

But why I asked these questions is I have worried about its over power.

If the space dock can produce at the targeting system in the same round as long as the targeting system can be activated,

it will facilitate very much fulfilling the secret objective requiring a space dock and 8 more ships on the controlled Mecatol Rex. (Sorry, I can't look up the objective name now.)

Anyway, before we get the official answer I'll take it and still love this epic game.

play it however you like, but I don't think it's that overpowered. All action cards are vulnerable to sabotage, and as far as production goes: an extra chance to produce units in that turn (which will cost you additional resources) is probably actually less powerful than (or at least, equal in power to) stopping your opponents from producing in their system via Signal Jamming or Spacedock Accident.

I believe that the fact of the dock been moved to a planet could be interpretd as it was build there, and folow the rules of building a dock in a planet....so u cant activate there to build units.

This is just how I play it but:
1. A space dock cannot be moved out of an activated system. This would be done to eliminate the possibility of double building and double moving any units.
2. A space dock can move into an activated system. The only advantage this confers still takes an entire round to take effect. Essentially it takes one less turn to build on a planet you conquered, which is fair
3. No, the system does not need to be activated. This becomes fairly obvious when considering points one and two.
4. Unless there is a carrier to hold the fighters, I would say that you had to move the pieces.
5. As long as the building follows normal rules, then yes the space dock can build that round. Because of the way I see point one, yes the space dock can build the same round it was moved. This card then would allow you to build on a space dock that was previously built, but had not already produced that round.
I think these rulings keep the card powerful enough that players will want to use it without making the card so powerful that it becomes an issue of being toasted if no one sabotages the card.

I don't understand what all the fuss is about. Unexpected Action would also let you double build, and you don't have to move your space dock to do it.

Eradicator said:

I believe that the fact of the dock been moved to a planet could be interpretd as it was build there, and folow the rules of building a dock in a planet....so u cant activate there to build units.

It's not the same case. A "new" space dock is one that you have taken from your reserves and put on the board. Thus, if you build one, it's "new", and if you capture one with an Agent, it's "new" (because you are putting one from your reserves on the board). MOVING the Space Dock is NOT new.

If you used that interpretation, that would mean that if you moved the Saar space docks, then you couldn't build on the same round, even if you used Production or Unexpected Action - and the Saar certainly don't need to be made any weaker!