Stupid question perhaps, but this one seems to be handled differently by players in my region and I want to know if there is an official rule about this:

Range from base to base is measured from cupboard to cupboard or from plastic stand to plastic stand?

Depends

Attack range is cardboard to cardboard.

Other measurements are from plastic base.

Thank you.

Keep in mind that range is measured to the hull zone, not the ship. The hull zone is the cardboard wedge, not including the arc line width (technically delineated, but that can be a messy term. I prefer no-mans-land interpretation)

You are also required to measure the shortest distance that is within arc. This can lead to some counter intuitive situations where your range measurement crosses another hull zone on the defending ship. This is an invalid shot even if you could measure a slightly longer range that doesn't cross the other hull zone. (Note this is not the same as LoS)

It is surprising how frequently this is not done correctly.

Can someone point me to a section(s) in the rules that I can reference for my gaming group?

13 minutes ago, MrDumbAzCanB said:

Can someone point me to a section(s) in the rules that I can reference for my gaming group?

@Drasnighta

It's all scattered throughout the rulebook.

But the best sections to look at are these:

Measuring Firing Arc and Range (p.7)
To measure a hull zone’s firing arc, use the range ruler to extend the firing arc lines that are printed on the ship token around that hull zone. If a portion of any component is inside the area between those extended firing arc lines, that component is inside the firing arc.
To measure attack range from a ship , measure from the closest point of the attacking hull zone . To measure attack range to a ship , measure to the closest point of the defending hull zone . To measure attack range to or from a squadron , measure to or from the closest point of the squadron’s base .
• Targeting points are not used when measuring range; they are exclusively for determining line of sight.
• When measuring non-attack range or distance between two components , measure from the closest point of the first component to the closest point of the second component .
• A ship or squadron is always at close range and distance 1 of itself.
• When measuring firing arc, range, or distance, ignore squadrons’ activation sliders and ships’ shield dials and the plastic portions of the base that frame the shield dial .

Hull Zones (p.6)
A hull zone is a section of a ship token delineated by the two firing arc lines that border it. It does not include any part of the plastic base.

FAQ (Errata section, p.4)
When measuring attack range for a ship , ignore any portion of the defender that is outside the attacking hull zone’s firing arc , even if that portion is at a closer range.

In summary:

1. attack range between ships is measured between hull zones , and hull zones are defined by the cardboard ship token only
2. attack range to or from squadrons is measured to or from the closest point of the plastic base of the squadron
3. non-attack range or distance is measured between components , i.e. plastic to plastic
4. the green items are always ignored when measuring

Awesome summary, @DiabloAzul . Thanks!

2 hours ago, DiabloAzul said:

To measure attack range to a ship , measure to the closest point of the defending hull zone .

... whithin the firing arc.

From the FAQ (errata)

“When measuring attack range for a ship, ignore any portion of the defender that is outside the attacking hull zone’s firing arc, even if that portion is at a closer range.”

Thanks sheepyhead. Edited with more green goodness.

2 hours ago, DiabloAzul said:

sheepyhead

lol

Okay to follow up with measuring I had this come up today. I know that while the movement tool is on the board you can't use the range ruler to determine where you go as that is triangulation.

BUT can you do this before you move? So say for example I want to make sure I am out of a certain range of a ship can I measure the distance from that ship so I can eye ball a spot on the board so I know where I want to be?

Or say I want to move some squadrons and I want too make sure I that I am only range 1 from a certain squadron can I measure and get and eye ball on the board where range 1 is from that squad then move my squadron to be in that range?

Yes, you may use the range ruler to measure at any time during the game, with the single exception that you can't use it if another measuring tool is on the board at the same time (I believe this has been interpreted to include fingers and tokens as "tools", but I don't recall the reference on that at the moment.

The restriction is different for the maneuver tool, which may only be used during a ship's determine course step (after attacking, through the conclusion of that ship's movement), and may only be used to measure for that ship .

When measuring firing arc, range, or distance, ignore squadrons’ activation sliders and ships’ shield dials and the plastic portions of the base that frame the shield dial .

Doesn't that part imply that the plastic portion of the base is taken into account as only the plastic from the shield dial is ignored?

10 hours ago, Sybreed said:

When measuring firing arc, range, or distance, ignore squadrons’ activation sliders and ships’ shield dials and the plastic portions of the base that frame the shield dial .

Doesn't that part imply that the plastic portion of the base is taken into account as only the plastic from the shield dial is ignored?

It does.

you can measure Distance plastic to plastic, for that very reason, on things that are not attacks (such as Phylom Q7, or “am I close enough to Home One/Toryn Farr”)

Range however, during attacks involving ships, ignores the plastic base as it is measured to or from that ships HULL ZONE, which inherently, is only cardboard.

12 hours ago, Drasnighta said:

It does.

you can measure Distance plastic to plastic, for that very reason, on things that are not attacks (such as Phylom Q7, or “am I close enough to Home One/Toryn Farr”)

Range however, during attacks involving ships, ignores the plastic base as it is measured to or from that ships HULL ZONE, which inherently, is only cardboard.

Thx dras