Gotta figure out how RLB works first.

This is probably a dumb question but I'm not seeing why you would want to take Rapid Launch Bays? Giving up deployments and the ability to do stuff early only seems like a drawback

Gotta figure out how RLB works first.

Oh, Truthiness... If only you were paying attention to the Rules Forum...

As if reading the card tells us what we need to know.

(It doesn't.).

I'm thinking

Raider II

Kallus

Flechette Torpedoes

Ordnance Experts

Activate first and turn off many named squadrons in Short-Medium range out of 2 arcs.

Screed will guarantee one of those and Impetuous can give you another shot.

Take that Rieekan Aces.

Raider II doesn't have an Ordnance slot. Works really well on Raider I though, especially with Kallus for those aces: add in a blue for the accuracy.

In fact, it's kinda interesting: the Arquitens pack has been seen as a fix for Victories, but with the flechettes I think it's also a big fix for Raiders. Up until now, I've struggled to justify kitting out the Raider solely as an anti-squadron ship - yeh it's great for shooting at squads, but I couldn't get it to do enough damage to make it a justifiable investment. With flechettes, however, it's an absolute killer, and I can definitely see this being included in a squadron-less fleet.

The coolest bit about flechettes is that they are "spend a die", so no scattering out of getting activated,

RLB seems real interesting.

You know, depending on how it works. I think there are only 5-6 different things it could mean, lol.

The coolest bit about flechettes is that they are "spend a die", so no scattering out of getting activated,

I noticed this and appreciated it. It also reduces damage by 1, which is a bit of a nice "drawback".

This is probably a dumb question but I'm not seeing why you would want to take Rapid Launch Bays? Giving up deployments and the ability to do stuff early only seems like a drawback

It makes it a bit easier to decide when the begin the fighter engagement. You can actually protect your bombers without a need for an escort. Couple that with a flight officer you could basically decide which ship or fighter squadron you want to hurt by throwing a flotilla at them since RLB only stops movement not shooting. Couple that with Fighter Coordination teams and you can still move a bit.

Would the Defender have been better with 4 blue anti squadrons?

Only for hunting Scatter-equipped aces. Rolling two accuracies against a double brace squadrons leaves you with two (possible) damage, the same as the brace would have left after three or four hits. Black is half again as consistent as blue anti-squad (.50 vs .75), so the Defenders are much more effective against generics than other 4-blue units like Interceptors and Phantoms. I expect that 6 hull/speed 5 is presently being underestimated as a true superfighter, but we will see if my predictions hold true.

Now I'm confused by RLB, you place them instead of activating squads, but it doesn't seem like they activate when you place them. The not being able to move part seems like it's there to prevent you moving them with coordination teams during the activation in which you placed them.

This is probably a dumb question but I'm not seeing why you would want to take Rapid Launch Bays? Giving up deployments and the ability to do stuff early only seems like a drawback

It makes it a bit easier to decide when the begin the fighter engagement. You can actually protect your bombers without a need for an escort. Couple that with a flight officer you could basically decide which ship or fighter squadron you want to hurt by throwing a flotilla at them since RLB only stops movement not shooting. Couple that with Fighter Coordination teams and you can still move a bit.

I would note that this puts the deploying ship within black range of its intended victim (assuming it survives the round). I would also point out that Speed 2 starships outpace Speed 2 squadrons significantly, let alone Speed 3+, so I expect the Rebels near me than never bothered figuring out how to cope with B-wings will now use them in designed lists (MC80CC with Engine Techs springs to mind). Imperials might get some use out of it as a dropoff surprise (Raiders can haul 2 squadrons anywhere they please, YV-666 plus Ruthless Strategists comes to mind), but they are fewer Imperial squadrons that need the speed boost than the shield ImpStar pointed out.

Now I'm confused by RLB, you place them instead of activating squads, but it doesn't seem like they activate when you place them. The not being able to move part seems like it's there to prevent you moving them with coordination teams during the activation in which you placed them.

They can't move but they are unactivated. So when deployed within range of a target, they can shoot. Traps with patient fighter screens are possible, or for Rebels specifically, hurling your ship at a high value target only to disgorge otherwise hilariously slow B-wings on top of their victim seems plenty nice to me.

Now I'm confused by RLB, you place them instead of activating squads, but it doesn't seem like they activate when you place them. The not being able to move part seems like it's there to prevent you moving them with coordination teams during the activation in which you placed them.

You can move them with FCT after they are done activating.

But that sorts of defeats their main application: with Flight Commander.

Move ship, drop squads, shoot (but not move).

Without FC you can drop them, shoot with them (but not move), move ship, then FCT.

I think the latter will tend to leave them behind.

Now I'm confused by RLB, you place them instead of activating squads, but it doesn't seem like they activate when you place them. The not being able to move part seems like it's there to prevent you moving them with coordination teams during the activation in which you placed them.

You can move them with FCT after they are done activating.

But that sorts of defeats their main application: with Flight Commander.

Move ship, drop squads, shoot (but not move).

Without FC you can drop them, shoot with them (but not move), move ship, then FCT.

I think the latter will tend to leave them behind.

Hold on now, RLB doesn't say that the squads you place are activated. It just says you place them and they can't move during your ship activation.

I think with Rapid Launch Bays they just didn't have enough room for "activate and" before the "place 1 of your set aside squadrons."

Now I'm confused by RLB, you place them instead of activating squads, but it doesn't seem like they activate when you place them. The not being able to move part seems like it's there to prevent you moving them with coordination teams during the activation in which you placed them.

You can move them with FCT after they are done activating.

But that sorts of defeats their main application: with Flight Commander.

Move ship, drop squads, shoot (but not move).

Without FC you can drop them, shoot with them (but not move), move ship, then FCT.

I think the latter will tend to leave them behind.

Hold on now, RLB doesn't say that the squads you place are activated. It just says you place them and they can't move during your ship activation.

The antecedent of "it" is the placed squadron. Why then would "activation" in that sentence when the card has been dealing with squadrons then refer to the ship's activation?

Now I'm confused by RLB, you place them instead of activating squads, but it doesn't seem like they activate when you place them. The not being able to move part seems like it's there to prevent you moving them with coordination teams during the activation in which you placed them.

You can move them with FCT after they are done activating.

But that sorts of defeats their main application: with Flight Commander.

Move ship, drop squads, shoot (but not move).

Without FC you can drop them, shoot with them (but not move), move ship, then FCT.

I think the latter will tend to leave them behind.

Hold on now, RLB doesn't say that the squads you place are activated. It just says you place them and they can't move during your ship activation.

What else does the squad command you're executing do?

Edit: and why specify "not move" during this activation?

I think with Rapid Launch Bays they just didn't have enough room for "activate and" before the "place 1 of your set aside squadrons."

But it does say "you may instead...". That reads not activated to me. And it also says "during this activation..." which I would read as while the ship is doing stuff the turn this effect was played, nothing can move that squad....not FCT, not the hand of the emperor himself...

It ONLY matters what it says on the card.

If it doesn't specifically say that they come in activated then they come in in their default state, unactivated. This is part of the activation though, the placement.

The only restriction is they cannot move this activation. This activation referring to the squadron that you have placed with the squadron activation.

Ergo, this is an activation, and it can still shoot. It only can't move.

Adar Tallon would still work with this, for example.

I don't understand why people want to read things into a card or a ruling when there is absolutely no support for that position.

Now I'm confused by RLB, you place them instead of activating squads, but it doesn't seem like they activate when you place them. The not being able to move part seems like it's there to prevent you moving them with coordination teams during the activation in which you placed them.

You can move them with FCT after they are done activating.

But that sorts of defeats their main application: with Flight Commander.

Move ship, drop squads, shoot (but not move).

Without FC you can drop them, shoot with them (but not move), move ship, then FCT.

I think the latter will tend to leave them behind.

Hold on now, RLB doesn't say that the squads you place are activated. It just says you place them and they can't move during your ship activation.

What else does the squad command you're executing do?

Edit: and why specify "not move" during this activation?

It ONLY matters what it says on the card.

...

I don't understand why people want to read things into a card

Doesn't specifically state the Squadron is activated, either. Could be meaning the Ship Activation... So, y'know... As you said, you can only read what it says on the card.

And the Card does not tell us enough information, either way...

NEVERTHELESS

The Debate is ongoing : https://community.fantasyflightgames.com/topic/237054-rapid-launch-bays-can-fighters-placed-in-this-way-attack/ If you wish to take up the mantle...

Let us leave this for General Spoils and discussions, and not Rules Minutia.... Which should be discussed in the Rules Forum above where appropriate

It ONLY matters what it says on the card.

If it doesn't specifically say that they come in activated then they come in in their default state, unactivated. This is part of the activation though, the placement.

The only restriction is they cannot move this activation. This activation referring to the squadron that you have placed with the squadron activation.

Ergo, this is an activation, and it can still shoot. It only can't move.

Adar Tallon would still work with this, for example.

I don't understand why people want to read things into a card or a ruling when there is absolutely no support for that position.

I'm not reading "into" anything. I'm reading the card. The card is showing the squad command symbol, which is during the SHIP ACTIVATION. Like you pointed out, nothing on the card is saying the squad is activating. I even pointed out the card says "instead of activating..."

Gotta figure out how RLB works first.

Oh, Truthiness... If only you were paying attention to the Rules Forum...

As if reading the card tells us what we need to know.

(It doesn't.).

I don't tolerate you silly Rules Lawyers over there well because I just jump to the practical solution. It's the Soldier in me. I will grant you that the card is very poorly worded, but I think it's pretty easy to infer the intent from what's there. Step 1) place squadrons down and activate those squadrons. Step 2) those squadron may now shoot, but not move. If they FAQ it a different way, I will eat crow without complaint.

I think RLB gives Phoenix Home the extra tokens from Garm.

Gotta figure out how RLB works first.

Oh, Truthiness... If only you were paying attention to the Rules Forum...

As if reading the card tells us what we need to know.

(It doesn't.).

I don't tolerate you silly Rules Lawyers over there well because I just jump to the practical solution. It's the Soldier in me. I will grant you that the card is very poorly worded, but I think it's pretty easy to infer the intent from what's there. Step 1) place squadrons down and activate those squadrons. Step 2) those squadron may now shoot, but not move. If they FAQ it a different way, I will eat crow without complaint.

I like jumping to practical solutions, too... But I get beaten down for them.

For one, I'm called a Rules Lawyer.