I have to agree with Tokra.

Now, I'm not sure if that logic was presented here before, but this is how I personally see the situation using RAW:

"You" on the card definitely refers to ship. However, because of the way "turn" is defined (RRG p11 :During this phase, the first player activates one of his ships. Then the second player activates one of his own ships. Players continue taking turns in this manner until all ships have been activated) whenever player has to activate a ship, it is their turn to activate for all the ships in that player fleet, even if those ships are already activated and can't activate anymore.

Based on this, I would say that Strategic Adviser can be used by a ship even if the ship is already activated before using adviser. However I do agree that the matter currently requires clarification and is at TO discretion.

Didn't want to make a new post, so I thought this might be the best place for it. In the new FAQ it states: "Q: During Setup, can ships and squadrons resolve card effects before they have been deployed?
A: Yes. During Setup, ships and squadrons that have not yet been deployed are in play, and their ship, squadron, and upgrade cards are active, unless that ship or squadron has been destroyed or set aside." Is this saying that when I want to deploy a ship and I have SA on it, I can exhaust SA as a "deployment"?

It was ruled at the recent Toronto Regionals that strategic advisor cannot be activated if the ship it is equipped to has already activated. It could be ruled differently later, but from my experience using it during the regional, allowing use after the ship it is equipped to has already activated would be outrageously powerful for a 4 point upgrade.

47 minutes ago, Kerg12 said:

Didn't want to make a new post, so I thought this might be the best place for it. In the new FAQ it states: "Q: During Setup, can ships and squadrons resolve card effects before they have been deployed?
A: Yes. During Setup, ships and squadrons that have not yet been deployed are in play, and their ship, squadron, and upgrade cards are active, unless that ship or squadron has been destroyed or set aside." Is this saying that when I want to deploy a ship and I have SA on it, I can exhaust SA as a "deployment"?

No, it just means that abilities that somehow affect deployment are not ignored at that stage (they are only ignored when the ship is set aside).

57 minutes ago, Kristjan said:

allowing use after the ship it is equipped to has already activated would be outrageously powerful for a 4 point upgrade.

If you don't mind me asking - why? (As I felt it would be only a minor difference) The only scenario I can think of is ISD activating first in the round to kill catch of the day and then to use SA later to delay Demo activation (and this still felt too far fetched to me)

5 hours ago, Kerg12 said:

Didn't want to make a new post, so I thought this might be the best place for it. In the new FAQ it states: "Q: During Setup, can ships and squadrons resolve card effects before they have been deployed?
A: Yes. During Setup, ships and squadrons that have not yet been deployed are in play, and their ship, squadron, and upgrade cards are active, unless that ship or squadron has been destroyed or set aside." Is this saying that when I want to deploy a ship and I have SA on it, I can exhaust SA as a "deployment"?

It will not work. because during the deployment you deploy ships. You do not activate them. You could not even exhaust the SA at all, because it will never be your turn to activate (no matter if it is the ship or player).

5 hours ago, Kristjan said:

It was ruled at the recent Toronto Regionals that strategic advisor cannot be activated if the ship it is equipped to has already activated. It could be ruled differently later, but from my experience using it during the regional, allowing use after the ship it is equipped to has already activated would be outrageously powerful for a 4 point upgrade.

You mean more than flotilla spam for 18 points that is happening right now ?
The SA is just a try to counter this (even when it will totally fail, when the MC80+5 Flotilla, some are using, just get another activation. It will make it even worse now (imo).

I don't think it would be to powerful when you can activate it even if the ship already activated. And as PT106 said, this case will happen rather rarely. After all it has to be a large ship, and you are giving up the officer slot for it. A slot where you have so many great choices now with wave 7.

I'm in the camp that you can use the card after the ship activates, and that "your" in this case is the player.. as the interpretation that "you" the ship passes it's turn and the other player activates "instead" would mean your ship does not activate this turn...

Just now, Daht said:

I'm in the camp that you can use the card after the ship activates, and that "your" in this case is the player.. as the interpretation that "you" the ship passes it's turn and the other player activates "instead" would mean your ship does not activate this turn...

Unless it is instead of activating.

Then you havn't activated.

Which you havn't done, because the only way you check if a ship has been activated is if it has a face-up dial on its ship card...

... which you don't have.

... Right?

1 minute ago, Drasnighta said:

Unless it is instead of activating.

Then you havn't activated.

Which you havn't done, because the only way you check if a ship has been activated is if it has a face-up dial on its ship card...

... which you don't have.

... Right?

But the card doesn't say instead of activiating you pass your turn, it says "you may exhaust this card to pass your (the ship's) turn and your opponent activates instead. They need to keyword "instead" along with "replace" and half the remaining dictionary for clarification this wave

5 minutes ago, Daht said:

I'm in the camp that you can use the card after the ship activates, and that "your" in this case is the player.. as the interpretation that "you" the ship passes it's turn and the other player activates "instead" would mean your ship does not activate this turn...

Yeah, I agree with Dras, I don't think that follows. Your opponent activating a ship instead of yours doesn't mean that ship never activates, because it doesn't have a faceup dial.

Sure.

But if the intention was "you activate and do nothing", then they could have said that in, like... 5 words.

Isn't it opponent activates in their turn

you exhaust SAd and your opponent activates in your turn

your opponent activates in their turn ??

This is due to the word 'instead' when talking about activating a ship in your turn. That's a pretty big down side as you have 2 activations to their 4 or 5

15 minutes ago, slasher956 said:

Isn't it opponent activates in their turn

you exhaust SAd and your opponent activates in your turn

your opponent activates in their turn ??

This is due to the word 'instead' when talking about activating a ship in your turn. That's a pretty big down side as you have 2 activations to their 4 or 5

No; "pass your turn" means "do nothing in your turn". It does not mean "let someone else take control of your turn".

But I agree it's hardly ideally worded.

Back in 2015 (before flotillas existed) I tried to do the exact same thing in Shipyards with the card for Bail Organa:

It's not bulletproof, and I would probably have worded it differently today, but I can't help think something like this would have worked better. Maybe: "Before taking a turn to activate a ship, you may exhaust this card instead."

11 hours ago, Kristjan said:

It was ruled at the recent Toronto Regionals that strategic advisor cannot be activated if the ship it is equipped to has already activated. It could be ruled differently later, but from my experience using it during the regional, allowing use after the ship it is equipped to has already activated would be outrageously powerful for a 4 point upgrade.

Alternatively.... if your opponent has any sort of nounce, they will put you in position where you must activate the ship with SA equipped first or risk it being blown up, making it useless as an upgrade designed to add tactical flexibility to low activation lists.

It must be usable at any time before it is tapped, or it is a poor, poor upgrade.

5 hours ago, DiabloAzul said:

No; "pass your turn" means "do nothing in your turn". It does not mean "let someone else take control of your turn".

But I agree it's hardly ideally worded.

playing devils advocate here... because I did read it that way first time....

If its just a case of exhaust SAd & then skip your go and that's it why did they need to put the phrase ' your opponent activates a ship instead ' on the card?

26 minutes ago, slasher956 said:

why did they need to put the phrase ' your opponent activates a ship instead ' on the card?

They didn't need to - and that's why it's in brackets. It's for clarification only.

18 hours ago, PT106 said:

If you don't mind me asking - why? (As I felt it would be only a minor difference) The only scenario I can think of is ISD activating first in the round to kill catch of the day and then to use SA later to delay Demo activation (and this still felt too far fetched to me)

Yes, basically if you can tap it at any time it's a free no strings extra activation for 4 points. The exact scenario you describe occurred in all 4 of my games on the weekend. I had to activate my Cymoon to prevent ships escaping, being able to tap it after activation would have allowed my demo to activate last. This is the exact reason Price and Organa can't go on small ships.

Its still an excellent card, with no after activation tapping it's less useful by mid game, but by then it's already done it's job.

17 minutes ago, Kristjan said:

Yes, basically if you can tap it at any time it's a free no strings extra activation for 4 points. The exact scenario you describe occurred in all 4 of my games on the weekend. I had to activate my Cymoon to prevent ships escaping, being able to tap it after activation would have allowed my demo to activate last. This is the exact reason Price and Organa can't go on small ships.

Its still an excellent card, with no after activation tapping it's less useful by mid game, but by then it's already done it's job.

I see. To be fair, I think that most of the cost of the card is not the point cost, but the opportunity cost of the officer slot and the base cost of the large ship itself, so I don't feel that no strings extra activation for a large ship is too much.

10 minutes ago, PT106 said:

I see. To be fair, I think that most of the cost of the card is not the point cost, but the opportunity cost of the officer slot and the base cost of the large ship itself, so I don't feel that no strings extra activation for a large ship is too much

That extra activation is extremely useful, the other officers have their uses, but being able to avoid being shot entirely because of activation advantage is a big deal. It also allows your large ship to get a better picture of the board before it commits to its move.

Im sure they will clarify it at some point, if they rule it can be used at any time I don't think I would even consider any other officer for a single large base Imperial ship, especially Imperials since we pay more for cheap activations.

Clarified by the latest FAQ:

Strategic Adviser

This card’s effect can only resolve if the ship it is equipped to could activate this turn .

I can understand why, I personally think they missed something here with that ruling.

2 ship build had some real flexibility if it was not limited, now it can be used to punish you, quite badly, by telegraphing ship activation to your opponent.

It wasn't obvious to me so I double-checked:

Quote

This card’s effect can only resolve if the ship it is equipped to could activate this turn

It uses "turn" and not "round". The Learn to Play guide defines turns as: