The wording of Sarco's ability can be a bit of a headache:

"When defending, instead of using your agility value, you may roll a number of defense dice equal to the speed of the maneuver you executed this round."

For the sake of argument, let's say that Sarco has 2 tractor beam tokens (to get his agility out of the picture). If he is being shot at range 3, how many dice can he roll?

1) The speed of his manoeuver + 1 extra dice for range

2) The speed of his manoeuver

The question came up during a friendly game. If you focus on the "instead of using your agility" then it seems option 1 is possible, but if you stay hung up on "you may roll a number of defense dice equal to the speed" (and read that this number of dice cannot be modified) then option 2 can also be likely. I'm leaning towards #1 and the scenario seems as though it would be rare, but I'd rather get a second opinion now.

Thank you!

Range bonus and obstruction are added to agility value, so they're added to the value he's using for his agility instead.

Cloak, however, changes your agility value, so it *wouldn't* be added to his speed.

1 hour ago, dotswarlock said:

If you focus on the "instead of using your agility" then it seems option 1 is possible, but if you stay hung up on "you may roll a number of defense dice equal to the speed" (and read that this number of dice cannot be modified) then option 2 can also be likely.

Quote

4. Roll Defense Dice: The defender rolls a number of defense dice equal to its agility value.

• The defender resolves any card abilities that allow him to roll additional or fewer defense dice.

• If defending at Range 3 against a primary weapon attack, the defender rolls one additional defense die.

• If the attack is obstructed, the defender rolls one additional defense die.

• All additions or subtractions to the number of defense dice being rolled occur before the player rolls the defense dice.

If the number of dice rolled could not be modified, then range and obstruction bonuses wouldn't work either, because it's the same wording. Instead of 'rolling a number of defense dice equal to its agility value', you 'roll a number of defense dice equal to the speed of the maneuver you executed this round'. Same wording, same effect, same bonus.

Cool, thank you!

I'm pretty certain (and someone will correct me I'm sure if I'm wrong) that the "range 3 against a primary" and "obstructed shot" ALWAYS give the extra die. I don't think there are any effects that can turn that off. Not directly at least.

Inquisitor makes attacks effectively "not range 3" and Dash crew makes all shots unobstructed but neither of those actually stops the bonuses directly. They just change the board in ways that mean those particular effects (and potentially others as well) no longer meet their triggering condition.

Sarco is ambiguously worded.

If it said "When defending, you may roll a number of defense dice equal to the speed of the maneuver you performed this round," then you clearly would not get range and obstruction bonus dice.

If it said "When defending, you may treat your agility value as equal to the speed of the maneuver you performed this round," then you clearly would still get range and obstruction bonus dice.

But it doesn't say either of those things. What it says is "When defending, instead of using your agility value, you may roll X dice." Did they mean that your maneuver speed just becomes your defense dice pool? Or just that it replaces your Agility in the calculation? The second one is how we're treating it upthread, and right now I think that's how I'd rule on it, absent further clarification.

I had parsed it as the first version and wondered why anyone would ever use him. Now I believe it is the second version... and I still wonder why anyone would ever use him.

1 minute ago, gamblertuba said:

I had parsed it as the first version and wondered why anyone would ever use him. Now I believe it is the second version... and I still wonder why anyone would ever use him.

Well, if he's tractor beamed (or for some other reason, his agility's been reduced) he could use the speed of his maneuver to keep it at 2-3 or 1 if he's beam double tractored or outmaneuvered by wedge

1 minute ago, DeathstarII said:

Well, if he's tractor beamed (or for some other reason, his agility's been reduced) he could use the speed of his maneuver to keep it at 2-3 or 1 if he's beam double tractored or outmaneuvered by wedge

Expose! How could we forget expose! /s

2 hours ago, digitalbusker said:

Sarco is ambiguously worded.

If it said "When defending, you may roll a number of defense dice equal to the speed of the maneuver you performed this round," then you clearly would not get range and obstruction bonus dice.

If it said "When defending, you may treat your agility value as equal to the speed of the maneuver you performed this round," then you clearly would still get range and obstruction bonus dice.

But it doesn't say either of those things. What it says is "When defending, instead of using your agility value, you may roll X dice." Did they mean that your maneuver speed just becomes your defense dice pool? Or just that it replaces your Agility in the calculation? The second one is how we're treating it upthread, and right now I think that's how I'd rule on it, absent further clarification.

They meant exactly what they wrote - that the speed of the manoeuvre replaces your agility value in the calculation.

4 minutes ago, thespaceinvader said:

They meant exactly what they wrote - that the speed of the manoeuvre replaces your agility value in the calculation.

I think you're probably right about what was meant, but I respectfully disagree that that's what the card says.

"When defending, instead of using your agility value, you may determine how many defense dice to roll using the speed of the maneuver you executed this round."

vs.

"When defending, instead of using your agility value, you may roll a number of defense dice equal to the speed of the maneuver you executed this round."

You're overthinking it.

1 hour ago, thespaceinvader said:

You're overthinking it.

A: Of course I am.

B: I'm not wrong.

From the Rules Reference (emphasis mine):

"Roll Defense Dice: The defender rolls a number of defense dice equal to its agility value.
• The defender resolves any card abilities that allow him to roll additional or fewer defense dice.
• If defending at Range 3 against a primary weapon attack, the defender rolls one additional defense
die.
• If the attack is obstructed, the defender rolls one additional defense die.
• All additions or subtractions to the number of defense dice being rolled occur before the player rolls the defense dice."

That is why Sarco Plank is written like that. It's just like the rules reference wording.

12 hours ago, Willy Jarque said:

From the Rules Reference (emphasis mine):

"Roll Defense Dice: The defender rolls a number of defense dice equal to its agility value.
• The defender resolves any card abilities that allow him to roll additional or fewer defense dice.
• If defending at Range 3 against a primary weapon attack, the defender rolls one additional defense
die.
• If the attack is obstructed, the defender rolls one additional defense die.
• All additions or subtractions to the number of defense dice being rolled occur before the player rolls the defense dice."

That is why Sarco Plank is written like that. It's just like the rules reference wording.

Good catch. I think you're probably right that this is why Sarco Plank is written this way.

20 hours ago, gamblertuba said:

I had parsed it as the first version and wondered why anyone would ever use him. Now I believe it is the second version... and I still wonder why anyone would ever use him.

Because he has an EPT slot that allows him to get mindlink, therefore using his action to tractor someone on an asteroid and then still have a focus from an external source. His ability is a bit on the lackluster side, but can still be used in a frontal attack. And as others have mentionned, he can be almost immune to tractor beams (aside from the initial boost or barrel roll), which is not half bad.

That's why he was in my list at any rate.