The Imperial Class deck "Armored Onslaught" contains the card "Reactive Armor". It has this text:

While defending, if you roll an [Evade] result on a black die, apply +2 Block to the defense results.

Verena's "Create Opening" has this text:

Exhaust this card while a hostile figure adjacent to you is defending to apply -1 [block] or -1[Evade] to the defense results.

So, assume Verena attacks an adjacent unit and that unit has the Reactive Armor. The Imperial player rolls an [Evade] result.

Verena decides to use "Create Opening" to apply -1 [Evade]. Does the Imperial Player still receive the +2 Block?

From the Rules Reference, there are 2 entries for timing-specific conflicts:

Conflicts:

During a campaign, mission rules are resolved first, followed by

effects from the Imperial player, then effects from the Rebel players.

Timing:

During an attack, in both a campaign and a skirmish, resolve

mission rules first, followed by effects triggered by the attacker,

then effects triggered by the defender.

The question though is that is if Verena uses Create Opening to remove the [Evade], does that mean that the Imperial Player no longer gets the +2 Block since there is no longer an Evade? Or does the +2 Block get applied immediately (and permanently) upon the roll (or immediately in step #4 in "steps of an attack" since it's not worded as an 'action' that you need to trigger).

It really comes down to asking *when* the Reactive Armor is checked & when it applies it's effect.

It's also worth noting that the text on Reactive Armor is slightly different then the Nexu. The Nexu reads:

While defending, apply +1 [block] to the defense results for each [Evade] result.

I'm not sure if that is significant or not. The Nexu doesn't mention the 'roll', it only references the 'result'. Do these cards work the same?

For timing conflicts during attacks, you resolve Mission rules first, then Attacker Rules then Defender Rules.

So the Imperial would roll an evade, then Verena is given the option to use Create Opening to remove it before the Reactive Armor triggers.

Except the text says "if you ROLL an [evade] result" - not convert [evade], or for each [evade]. I would say regardless if you remove the evade or not, it was still rolled, and the +2 block still occurs.

On the other hand, if the evade was removed from a figure with Cunning, they wouldn't be able to apply the block.

What I struggled to get my head around before, is that effects aren't "always on"

I.e., even if they say when rolled apply x, you still have to trigger that ability.

This is where the timing conflict comes in.

During an attack, mission rules, attacker then defender.

So in the first example, the Verena Player can choose to apply her ability as the attacker before the Imperial defender can choose to apply their ability.

It doesn't really matter that it was actually rolled. Any negative modifiers essentially make it so that it wasn't rolled.

For example, if I roll an evade on my defense dice, and you roll 2 damage and a surge on your attack dice, the surge is cancelled and cannot be targeted by any "if you rolled a surge" abilities.

If Verena is attacking, Create Openin g is certainly an attacker ability. If some other rebel is attacking, it is debatable, but I assume it is.

Also bookmark: Ability Resolution Order during attacks https://www.boardgamegeek.com/thread/1631857/ability-resolution-order-during-attacks

Thanks a1bert for the info! You always have great explanations and it's much appreciated!

I completely agree that "Create Opening" is an action and the Verena get's the first action during #4 of the attack phases. However, the part that is odd to me is the wording on Reactive Armor. It is not worded the same as the Nexu. On the Nexu, it adds a block for each [evade] result. However, the wording on Reactive Armor is: "if you *roll* and [evade] result on a black die, apply +2 [block] to the defense result".

That seems to imply that the +2 [block] applies immediately after the roll during step #2 of the attack, and that this specifically does not need to wait until step #4.

Perhaps I'm just reading the card too literally?

Reactive Armor happens during step 4.Apply Modifiers, because it is adding or removing symbols or accuracy. (As defined in the RRG.) All abilities (apart from surge abilities) have to be performed during step 4 to modify the attack/defense results.

Note that conceivably the defense die could be rerolled, which is another reason why Reactive Armor cannot happen during step 2.