Playing Home Front from the Return to Hoth campaign. The red deployment point is active, but occupied by a snowtrooper. The other two snowtroopers are ready to kill the last refugee when they activate (3 dmg already to refugee, but refugee has bonus +1 health due to boon bonus). Jann is hurt badly and needs only 3 more damage to be killed, and therefore end the game in a loss for the IP. The Rebels will activate first and only need to inflict 3 damage on Jann.

As I get to deploy before their activation, I decide to deploy a double sized unit. Since the red deployment point is occupied by a snowtrooper, I must place the new unit in the next closest spot. I choose to place the unit so that it occupies the closest square to the deployment point, but also is adjacent to Jann, which allows her to survive the next attack, since her special ability is to choose an adjacent figure to be the target of her attack if she is declared as the target. The rebel players concede defeat, because they understand that their first attack won't be enough to kill Jann and I will then kill the last refugee with my snowtrooper activation.

After this there was some sour grapes about the loss and the rebel players first made me account for every threat accumulated and spent. When this didn't work, they told me that the double sized unit needed to be rotated to occupy two spots that were both closest (rotated 90 degrees), which would mean that it would not be adjacent to Jann, and therefore she would be killed before I could kill the last refugee.

I guess I'm looking for a ruling on what happened. Is there an official FFG rule clarification that proves either way what is correct? I'm ok with losing if the rules make it so, but just want to be sure my victory was not done by abusing the rules.

I've attached photos of the recreated scenario. Before and after placement of the newly deployed figure.

Thanks!

When placing a figure you only worry about one of the squares, and then rotate the figure until it's legal, so this seems fine...

But was Gideon not able to strain move one to the right and double attack? Or Loku do a move and attack and do enough damage with one attack?

Yup. For a large figure, one of the spaces it occupies must be as close to an active deployment point as possible, the rest of the spaces do not matter except for validness (where the figure could end movement).

The same applies to Pounce, which is a placement within 3 spaces.

When placing a figure you only worry about one of the squares, and then rotate the figure until it's legal, so this seems fine...

But was Gideon not able to strain move one to the right and double attack? Or Loku do a move and attack and do enough damage with one attack?

Even if Gideon did, he'd still only be able to kill off the E-Web. His average damage is 2, with a maximum of 4. He rolls a single surge on average, which gives him pierce 2. Jann rolls a 1 block and 1 surge cancel 50% of the time. His first attack would remove 4 health from the E-Web at best, requiring his 2nd attack to finish off the E-web. Remember, all attacks against Jann are redirected to the E-Web. Once he's done this, Jann activates AND the Snowtroopers before any of the heroes activate.

With Loku, if he moved, that would only give him a single attack left. Even if it insta-killed the E-Web, he's used all of his actions and then the refugee gets killed next.

So to be clear, the deployment point is where that snowtrooper is? The one adjacent to Gideon

What you did is perfectly legal. Since you cannot deploy to that point, you pick the "closest point possible", which are these points (I've re-uploaded your pic)

Since it's a large figure, you must pick one that you can legally place it which is any one of these

So to be clear, the deployment point is where that snowtrooper is? The one adjacent to Gideon

What you did is perfectly legal. Since you cannot deploy to that point, you pick the "closest point possible", which are these points (I've re-uploaded your pic)

Since it's a large figure, you must pick one that you can legally place it which is any one of these

Great! That's exactly what I thought.

It was a bit of a bummer to have to defend myself after the Imperial win. Made the win more hollow.

Anyway, we try to keep to the rules as much as possible, but sometimes misteaks are made.

Thanks!

Ya that is legit and a great play by you, well done. Your Rebel players should lighten up a bit, it is just a game