Hello, I have a question that arose last night during a pick up game. I had a B-wing equipped with advanced sensors and attempted to target lock a target that was just beyond target lock range. No other ship was in range for a target lock either.

My question is that since the target lock was not a viable action, am I now forced to do a different action because of this? The card says you 'may' perform an action before revealing your maneuver, but since I wasn't able to do my action chosen, do I have to now be locked in to using AS regardless? I felt that I should be able to not use AS as the action was not legal and thus not completed. The wording 'may' on the card I feel supports this. Also, according to the rules and FAQ, in the case of a boost or barrel roll, if you cannot complete the action as initially intended you can choose a different direction or not boost/barrel roll at all. Why should this be any different in this case?

My opponent felt that declaring use of AS was an activation of an ability itself, and since the chosen action was unable to be completed, I could choose a different legal action, but not choose to not use advanced sensors and thus be locked into now performing an action that I didn't want to do. We chose to continue with his feeling and I had to focus instead and the complete my maneuver, sacrificing any action after movement at this point.

I have tried finding info on this and can't seem to find a definitive answer, another topic with a very similar question was asked but the thread was from 2014 and had people arguing both ways. Thanks for any and all feedback in advanced.

Advanced Sensor's ability is "[timing junk], you may perform a free action." Then there's "If you use this ability, you must skip your 'Perform Action' step...."

Wouldn't be a terrible question for the Rules Form, but I would certainly rule that if you didn't perform an action, you didn't perform an action.

It's a good question and the rules aren't absolutely clear in terms of the writing, but I can tell you how everyone will play it:

If you didn't get to perform the action, you didn't perform the contingent ability that granted you it. If you Push the Limit for a target lock and then find the target out of range, you don't perform the action and don't use your once per turn use of Push. Same with Advanced Sensors. If you try to take an action before your manoeuvre, then to all intents and purposes you haven't used Advanced sensors.

I couldn't find you a written rule, but I've never seen it played any other way.

Ah, yes, Push the Limit! Good precedent there:

If a player uses Push the Limit to attempt an action he is unable to perform (such as attempting to Target Lock a ship that is out of range), he may perform a different action or decide not to use Push the Limit at all.

Push the Limit has the same [timing junk] [perform a free action] [then some other stuff happens] structure as AS, so there's no reason to expect them to behave differently when you don't wind up performing the free action.

I'll just throw in my two cents that I agree with the other people.

In all cases where you are using an ability or action that relies on positioning restrictions, if you can't do the thing you get to back up and do a different thing. In this case that would include "not using Advance Sensors"

You are never penalized for attempting to do a thing if it turns out you can't do it. Until there is a precedent for that or it is explicitly stated somewhere I see no reason to ever assume that is the case.