This is a combo Rules & Strategy inquiry based on a rule I see no one use. ie. it's optional but what sense can we make out of it?

Has anyone taken this rule literally in any game they've played. Or have they seen a player do the following?

See my '***' highlighted text for what I'm talking about.

Complete setup rules on the back of the FACS Rules Reference booklet (and also in the 2012 Rules of Play):

4. Place Obstacles: Starting with the player

who has initiative, each player takes one obstacle

token from the supply and places it in the play

area. Obstacles cannot be placed at Range 1

of each other or at Range 1–2 of any edge of

the play area. (got it no problem)

***After the last obstacle is placed,

the player who does not have initiative chooses

an edge of the play area to be his own; his

opponent’s edge is the opposite side of the

play area.***

No one I've seen on YouTube competitive play chooses to move to the other edge to then place forces.

I take it to be more like card text rules that say "may" do this.

And any idea what is FFG's thought process behind that rule. Apart from maybe leaving an unusual option open?

This is all I can think of. As far as the actual placement step prior to deciding the edge:

Players occasionally place one or two obstacles that their opponent brought to the table just to mess with them during 'Turn Zero'. Such as 'I know he has a swarm and he brought small obstacles to place in three corners so I'll place two of them in the way where didn't want them and now when he places one of his smaller then two of my larger obstacles he might have problems with his strategy.'

I can also see something in casual play set up like 'oh man I don't have Dash Rendar's Outrider expansion pack but you brought space debris I want to place.'

Or now with the Minefield Mapper upgrade being able to place cluster mines essentially like obstacles. Then maybe you want to take advantage of the rule "the player who does not have initiative chooses an edge of the play area to be his own; After the last obstacle is placed."

Thoughts?

Been playing for about 18 months and I've never seen or heard this rule get used.

This is one of those things that's different in the tournament rules than in the Rules Reference. That's why you never see it done this way on YouTube, because those guys are mostly either at tournaments or playing as though they were.

That's one thing I forgot to do is download tourney rules. I thought of that after I posted it. But that's what I was thinking about YouTube that and the efficiency of just staying on one side with all your stuff. I would think no one does this at home. It's an odd rule. I guess FFG is just leaving the option open. But who would have thought even as an FAQ that a player would think that way. I just happened to be reviewing the rules to teach someone how to play a basic game. It's one of those rules you gloss over because really you wouldn't think of it ;

No.

This certainly isn't the first time this has been asked and I even think it's at the third time it's been asked in that past month. I guess the last one was just over a week old (and on pg 2) and will cover some of the thoughts on it:

42 minutes ago, StevenO said:

No.

This certainly isn't the first time this has been asked and I even think it's at the third time it's been asked in that past month. I guess the last one was just over a week old (and on pg 2) and will cover some of the thoughts on it:

Thanx. I search didn't find that. Or it could have been another term I was going to post a Q about and found the answer about 'discarding cards' flips them over in the rules reference book but says retutn them 'to the box' in the 2012 rules was confusing. Then I ran across this unusual choose edge rule. I did double-take I said what wait how come I never caught that?

It's easy to see why it was missed.

There may be some small reasons to allow obstacles to be placed before a player picks a side but they are few. I'll admit to not recently looking at the material you found that in but doesn't that same material also mention the "Imperial" player getting initiative? In a case like that it may also make more sense to make side selection variable but when you start looking at anything that is more tournament like it doesn't make much sense to use.

5 minutes ago, StevenO said:

It's easy to see why it was missed.

There may be some small reasons to allow obstacles to be placed before a player picks a side but they are few. I'll admit to not recently looking at the material you found that in but doesn't that same material also mention the "Imperial" player getting initiative? In a case like that it may also make more sense to make side selection variable but when you start looking at anything that is more tournament like it doesn't make much sense to use.

Thanx for the link to the other thread that was ore in depth than I thought it could be. I'm going to have to read it a second time. I can see how obstacle placement could be affected depending on the experience of the players.

The original 2012 rules of play say Imperials get init if there is a tie. But that was when there were few ships.

2015 force awakens core set rules reference says low points get init. If tied break it however you want. you might know better but most often players roll a red die and a hit gets to choose. I can't recall if it's in the rules elsewhere. It seems I read it. I think someone said heavers Poe world champ either one match or the champ was a mirror match (more or less) came down to who won init because they both knew how to fly ;

thanx again for the input. It makes more sense why it might be considered as a strategy.