Cobalt Leader's card text: "When attacking, if the defender is at Range 1 of a bomb token, the defender rolls 1 fewer defense die (to a minimum of 0)."

It seems like the sequence of events provides a narrow scope of effectiveness of this pilot. Correct me if I'm (probably) wrong:

I.
1. Drop thermal detonator / Seismic Charges / Ion Bombs / Bomblet Generator / Proton Bomb
2. End of activation phase detonates
3. beginning of combat phase, bomb is no longer present thus not allowing for trigger card text

II.
1. Drop Cluster Mines / Proximity Mines / Conner Net
2. Enemy ship a. already overlaps when it is dropped b. moves across it
3. bomb detonates
4. beginning of combat phase, bomb is no longer present thus not allowing for trigger card text

III.
1. Drop Cluster Mines / Proximity Mines / Conner Net
2. Nobody overlaps
3. ships in range deal with card text ramifications.

Seems to me that ONLY scenario III allows for the card text to trigger confining the card text to the action bombs thus providing for a pretty narrow strategic window of opportunity. (e.g. cluster mine to detonate leaving the other to trigger the card text, dropping 4 action-bombs all over the board and then circling back to attack ships that are dumb enough to fly within range 1 of them)

There are 2 scenarios not mentioned here, but you're not far off the mark on how useful this pilot ability is:

IV.
1. Drop thermal detonator / Seismic Charges / Ion Bombs / Bomblet Generator / Proton Bomb
2. End of activation phase, Nym prevents detonation
3. Ships in range deal with card text ramifications.

V.
1. Equip Minefield Mapper
2. Place mines at strategic locations on map
3. Ships in range deal with card text ramifications

Yup. Nym and unexploded action bombs are basically the only way to trigger the ability, unless you're doing some serious jank with Snap Shot.

I'm pretty sure if there is an enemy at range one of an end of activation bomb it is better to let it blow lol...

minus one dice is at best 1 more dmg, so exactly what a seismic charge would deal...

But seriously, you would be surprised how it can be a pain to navigate around many action bomb laying around and then having to also stay at range 1 of it...

21 hours ago, muribundi said:

I'm pretty sure if there is an enemy at range one of an end of activation bomb it is better to let it blow lol...

minus one dice is at best 1 more dmg, so exactly what a seismic charge would deal...

But seriously, you would be surprised how it can be a pain to navigate around many action bomb laying around and then having to also stay at range 1 of it...

this^

My guess is he's designed to work with minefield mapper and action bombs, choking up the map between asteroids and forcing bad flying choices for your opponent.

*cast necrospell: "Resurrect"*

Question on the interaction between Captain Nym (Scum) and Cobalt Leader.

The Scenario:

• Captain Nym (Scum) is sitting at Range 1 of a friendly bomb token.
• Cobalt Leader declares Captain Nym (Scum) the target of an attack.
• Cobalt Leader decides to use his pilot ability to see if Captain Nym (Scum) is at Range 1 of the bomb token (that is friendly to Captain Nym [Scum]).
• Captain Nym (Still Scum) uses his pilot ability to "Ignore Friendly Bombs" (the bomb token is friendly to him).
• Can Cobalt Leader, in context of his pilot ability, say that Captain Nym (Yup, Still Scummy) is at Range 1 of the bomb token that is now being ignored?

I argue yes, because Captain Nym (Scum) is ignoring the bomb - not the entire game state and certainly not Cobalt Leader (as evidenced by Captain Nym [Scum] pilot ability's use of "[...] you may ignore [...]"). Captain Nym (Scum)'s ability would have to instruct Cobalt Leader to ignore the bomb token in order to not trigger his ability - Cobalt Leader does the measuring for Range 1 of the bomb token, not Captain Nym (Scum).

Others argue no, because how can Captain Nym (Scum) be at Range 1 of something he's not acknowledging the existence of? Evidence: if he ignores a mine token when he overlaps it, it does not detonate (per FAQ) even though the mine token - by all rights - should detonate on the overlap and Captain Nym (Scum) should just be ignoring the detonation effect. If Cobalt Leader can use his ability than the mine token should detonate as Captain Nym (Scummy-Wummy) is ignoring the mine and the mine is not instructed to ignore the overlap detonation trigger.

I know which camp I fall into, but I see and understand both arguments. Is it possible this needs a FAQ response and it hasn't happened yet because hardly anyone plays Captain Nym (Scum) and/or Cobalt Leader? Or is the answer obviously one or the other for reasons I'm neglecting to consider?

If I agree that Cobalt can zap Nym (Scum), will you change your mind about Viktor Hel vs "perform this attack twice?" I jest.

I can't think of anything obvious here. Both sides make sense, and there's nothing too clear in terms of a RAI to help a 50/50 tossup. Maybe the key is Inquisitor, with his zombie of a range-1 attack, where at times it's both Range 1 and not Range 1 (like when attacking Fenn Rau with Concord Dawn Protector and Autothrusters). I guess the game already has examples of ignored-and-not-ignored, so perhaps it's best just to give it to Cobalt Leader.

I was wracking my mind for examples one way or another, kind of started to think about Dash with (or versus) Snap Shot. If he's ignoring obstacles when he moves, can Snap Shots be obstructed? I don't really have a great answer there, either. And for a second I thought I'd thought of another example where Dash wouldn't want to ignore obstacles (Debris Gambit) but then remembered it was Small-Ship only.

The NE TO Consortium concluded that if Dash Rendar chooses to ignore obstacles during the activation phase, because the attacker measures range and if the attacker measures through an obstruction it then dubbed an obstructed attack, Snap Shot would not be obstructed at Dash's whim. Because it is Dash measuring range for the attack and he does not see the attack as obstructed due to him ignoring obstacles.

To that end I concluded that Cobalt Leader, likewise, is the one measuring range from the bomb to the defender so - as Cobalt Leader has no instruction to ignore the token - Captain Nym's agility can be reduced by one. For reasons I (clearly) don't grasp or agree with the NE TO Consortium (not an official name BTW) voted 4 to 1 that Captain Nym's ignorance of the bomb prevents Cobalt Leader from reducing his agility value by 1...I'm basically fishing the forum for a reason I can understand.

I, and the NE TO Consortium, will budge on the Viktor Hel ruling when FFG says we're wrong in a FAQ

In the Dash example above he only ignores the obstacle during the activation phase not the combat phase.

For me, the plain language "Nym (crumb) ignores the bomb" is enough, mostly. Other than the commandment from FFG in the FAQ, I think it's got more than Genius/TrajSim, for example. And while some rulings from the NETOCon (pronounced Neat-o?) might get me quite bent out of shame with the underlying logic, I think I can live with this one.

*edit* Bah, I don't like my tone, but don't know how to rephrase it. I think the above sounds gruff, which wasn't my intent.

If people are ruling that Nym's ability to ignore friendly bombs can prevent Cobalt Leader's ability, then am I correct that an attack from Cobalt Leader at Nym through a friendly mine at range 1 would present Nym with these two options?

1. Ignore the mine and roll 1 defense die.

2. Don't ignore the mine, roll 0 defense dice and add 1 evade result.

20 hours ago, joeshmoe554 said:

If people are ruling that Nym's ability to ignore friendly bombs can prevent Cobalt Leader's ability, then am I correct that an attack from Cobalt Leader at Nym through a friendly mine at range 1 would present Nym with these two options?

1. Ignore the mine and roll 1 defense die.

2. Don't ignore the mine, roll 0 defense dice and add 1 evade result.

You are correct. However, the argument has been made for a third option:

3. Ignore the mine, Cobalt Leader cannot use his ability and - because the attacker measures range and determines obstructions - add an evade result because the attacker measured through a friendly bomb token.

This third "option" appears to be trying to have your cake and eat it too. If Nym ignores the bomb and that act prevents Cobalt Leader from being able to say Nym is at Range 1 of the token that same act must also prevent Cobalt Leader from saying Nym is obstructed behind that token.

The advantage is Nym's if he can ignore the friendly bomb token at Range 1 that does not obstruct the shot to shutdown Cobalt Leader's ability.

As I've said, the only thing that makes sense to me is Nym ignoring a friendly bomb has no effect on detonation effects, measurements, or abilities unless Nym is the active ship. His pilot ability is " You may ignore friendly bombs." not " You may choose another ship, they ignore bombs that are friendly to you ."

I have a related question. In the scenario pictured below the Defender is within range 1 of several cluster mine tokens. Is the Defenders agility reduced by 1 for each bomb token at range 1 or just is itsxagility reduces by only 1, irrespective of how many bomb tokens are within range 1?

I believe it is just a loss of 1 agility as the ability specifies the defender only rolls "1 fewer defense die" if it is at Range 1 of a bomb token.

This would be A LOT clearer if it said "of at least 1 bomb token" rather than "of a bomb token."

Quote

When attacking if the defender is at Range 1 of a bomb token, the defender rolls 1 fewer defense die (to a minimum of 0).

Yes, only one... like obstructed, either it is true or it is false.