OK, cant find it with search, I know it's been talked about some, R4 with target lock

FAQ says something like, after you spend the focus to activate a weapon, you still get the target lock but cannot use it on this attack?

So, suppose I have a hired gun with torps and R4. I fire the torpedo, spend a focus to modify dice, which then gives me a target lock I can spend on the same attack?

Whereas, with blaster turret, I spend the focus to activate a weapon, but I don't get the target lock until after the attack is complete (like FCS ?) am I interpreting this correctly?

Someone set me straight on how this works now, thanks

No, if the Focus is being spent to pay for the attack (like Blaster Turret or Deadeye), you don't get the Target Lock at all, because at that point in the flowchart there's no defender to lock on to.

Otherwise there's no restriction on spending the Target Lock you get from R4 during the attack in which you get it.

So, Lets say I have my hired gun y wing with R4. I grab an initial lock then focus the following turn, I spend my TL to fire a proton torp, then spend my focus, which gives me a target lock which I can use to modify that attack or keep it for the next round, correct?

Of course R4 is now useless for boosting blaster turret, but it was never very good in the first place

So, Lets say I have my hired gun y wing with R4. I grab an initial lock then focus the following turn, I spend my TL to fire a proton torp, then spend my focus, which gives me a target lock which I can use to modify that attack or keep it for the next round, correct?

Of course R4 is now useless for boosting blaster turret, but it was never very good in the first place

The key to this is the timing chart on page 6 of the FAQ, specifically Step 1.iv. When you declare the target, they don't become the defender until after the cost is paid, and if that cost is a focus token, then you actually don't have a defender to target lock yet, so no R4 trigger.

It's a rather dubious timing rule in my opinion and has curtailed a couple of things. Personally I think when you declare the target in Step 1.iii, is when they should become the defender, but that's not the way it happens.

Once you've established the defender and begun the attack, if you spend a focus token during the Modify Attack dice step (Step 3.ii), then that will trigger R4, and you can acquire a target lock on the defender that you can then use to reroll any attack dice that are unfavourable.

So in your example above:

Step 1.iv - Spend a target lock to launch proton torpedo

Step 2 - Roll attack dice

Step 3.ii - Spend a focus token, which triggers R4, acquire a target lock on the defender.

Step 3.ii - Spend target lock to reroll any attack dice you wish to.

And resolve the rest of the attack from there.

Thanks. I agree that there logic on this ruling is a little bit wonky. I think they did this to nerf u boats, but in so doing they killed the intended purpose of the card in the first place, which I find sad.

Oh well, thanks for the clarification.

Thanks. I agree that there logic on this ruling is a little bit wonky. I think they did this to nerf u boats, but in so doing they killed the intended purpose of the card in the first place, which I find sad.

Oh well, thanks for the clarification.

This was done when they released the Force Awakens Core Set. U-boats weren't around then. Dark Curse got nerfed, because prior to TFA, you couldn't spend a focus to fire a weapon at him that needed it (like Blaster Turret or use Deadeye). Under the new timing, now you can. He still stops focus modification, but it did make him a little more vulnerable.

It is more then that. In a game you have to follow step correctly. If the defender would be right when declared as target, then this could happen:

1 - You could declare your target of Blaster Turret.
2 - Check range.
3 - Make it the defender.
4 - Trigger potential stuff on being declared as defending.
5 - Check if you can pay the cost. You don't have a focus, so you can't.

Bam, bug there, you can't back track the trigger.

When you begin developing a game seriously, you can't act like you are doing a Snake and Ladder, you have to plan for the future.

They had lots of stupid errors and corner cases before because they were careless, now they start to build the game in a lasting fashion.

You can't just say, well it is clear my opponent did not have a focus, there is no rule that ask for checking it.

It is way easier like this, instead of adding a weird step at the start with "Validate you can pay the price". And yet something could trigger before the cost that remove your Focus and the same **** happen.

They done it like this because now they are certain that according to the rules the defender is really defending.

To me, when you declare the target of the attack, then that designates the defender. Then there are criteria that must be met in order to make the attack, etc. ARC, range, LOS, perhaps a target lock or focus token, etc. I don't think they were careless when they made it, but it has grown a lot and gotten a lot more complex with different timing interactions and so forth, to the point that a timing chart is now needed. This all makes the game less enjoyable, as far as I am concerned, but I still like it.

The more stuff you add, the more complex (and often difficult) things become. Its the nature of most expansion based games to do this, and it becomes harder and harder to maintain balance going forward. I think they have done a pretty good job over all (triple U-boats being a notable exception)

Anyway, the ruling is the ruling so we shall just have to live with it

This is the nature of this game. When I first started playing, it was a very easy game to play, and as more expansions have been added, the complexity each one brings adds a little more flavour to the overall experience. The game is only going to be as complex as you want to make it with the expansions you add.

But I don't think it's made the game any less enjoyable. Sometimes you have sit back and carefully work things out when there are multiple things triggering during a round, but when you look back at it and see what transpired during the round, you can imagine the pilots and crews of your ships were busy fighting for their lives with everything they had.