Tractor Beams...

By Estarriol, in X-Wing Rules Questions

Okay, I'm sorry if this had been gone over a million times before, but I'm late to the party.

Barrel roll onto an Asteroid. Do I take damage?

I've seen a few posts saying that you do, but I don't get why. The card says you suffer the effect of the obstacle you are on. Looking at the asteroid, if my ship is on one then it cannot shoot.

I thought you only roll for damage if you complete a maneuver and the template or ship base touches the obstacle after executing said maneuver.

The barrel roll from a tractor beam isn't a maneuver.

Why am I taking damage?

You actually can't barrel roll onto an asteroid. If you attempt a barrel roll and it would place you on an asteroid, the barrel roll fails and you need to select a different action.

Now, if you're being barrel rolled onto an asteroid by a tractor beam, that's different. You would roll a red die and take a damage on a hit or crit result (the crit being treated as a crit and coming in faceup). There is FAQ text clarifying that being moved onto an obstacle by a tractor beam also immediately forces the ship to resolve the consequences of that overlap - including risk of damage, stress from debris, etc.

But the instruction to roll for damage comes after performing a maneuver in the Activation Phase, not as a consequence of an attack in the combat phase. The actual consequence of being on an asteroid is merely being unable to shoot. Could you quote a rule which contradicts this argument please?

But the instruction to roll for damage comes after performing a maneuver in the Activation Phase, not as a consequence of an attack in the combat phase. The actual consequence of being on an asteroid is merely being unable to shoot. Could you quote a rule which contradicts this argument please?

FFG ruled via email not long ago that if you were tractored onto an obstacle, be it asteroid or debris cloud, you would suffer the effects as if you had moved onto it during the Activation phase. Tractor Beams came out after the Rules Reference and as such aren't in the rulebook, so you will not find any rule to refer to, but this may help.

https://community.fantasyflightgames.com/topic/205732-tractor-beam-and-obstacles/?p=2123206

Edited by Parravon

Thanks! Wish they'd put it on the card.

Thanks! Wish they'd put it on the card.

They updated the reference card. It's in the latest FAQ. It was kinda shutting the barn door after the horse has bolted. :)

Ok so we now know that yes you can put someone on a obstacle an they roll for damage but what about putting someone off the board? If the tractor beam can put you on an obstacle then it should be able to put you off the board to right?

Ok so we now know that yes you can put someone on a obstacle an they roll for damage but what about putting someone off the board? If the tractor beam can put you on an obstacle then it should be able to put you off the board to right?

No.

Unless stated otherwise, you cannot boost or barrel roll off the board. Tractor Beams do not state otherwise.

Ok so we now know that yes you can put someone on a obstacle an they roll for damage but what about putting someone off the board? If the tractor beam can put you on an obstacle then it should be able to put you off the board to right?

No.

Unless stated otherwise, you cannot boost or barrel roll off the board. Tractor Beams do not state otherwise.

Page 6 under Barrel Roll:

• A ship cannot barrel roll if this would cause the ship to flee the battlefield.
Page 7 under Boost:
• A ship cannot boost if this would cause the ship to flee the battlefield.

The rules for Barrel Rolls and Boosts also say that you cannot barrel roll/boost if it would overlap another ship or obstacle. But the Tractor Beam reference card overrules this with regards to obstacles. So when it comes to performing a barrel roll or boost, all the usual rules apply with regards to tractor beams with the one exception you can overlap an obstacle.

And as DR4CO states, the Tractor Beam reference card doesn't overrule fleeing the battlefield.

I wish the update stated that. Since they have let tractor beam override the core rules about obstacles and the update states boost/barrel is not a maneuver one could say yes you could. Now i am not saying you can or you can't do this. Just looking for an official ruling on this. That's all. Does anyone know if there is a T/O post that state one way or the other?

Just looking for an official ruling on this.

You have one. The rules reference, as quoted by Parravon, is crystal clear on the subject. That is as official as it gets.

Edited by DR4CO

I wish the update stated that. Since they have let tractor beam override the core rules about obstacles and the update states boost/barrel is not a maneuver one could say yes you could. Now i am not saying you can or you can't do this. Just looking for an official ruling on this. That's all. Does anyone know if there is a T/O post that state one way or the other?

The reason for stating that it's not an action is so it doesn't stop the tractored ship from performing a barrel roll or boost as a possible action/free action later in the round. It's also stating it's not a manoeuvre so that the normal steps for executing manoeuvres (move, stress, etc.) don't come into play during the tractoring as they're not intended to be part of that process.

Decloaking a ship is restricted in the exact same fashion. They're merely using the basic game mechanic of the barrel roll or boost to simulate the adjusted movement of the ship, which is probably the easiest way to accomplish it without introducing a whole new game mechanic.