Just to clarify something about movement points

By Bivistheman, in Imperial Assault Rules Questions

So I keep seeing people post that you must end your movement before you declare an attack. If you don't use all your movement points then attack can you use the rest of your movement points after you attack?

@Bivistheman

Short answer: Yes :)

Longer answer:

When people are saying "you must end your movement before you attack", what they mean is that you have to stop in a legal space to attack (so, for example, you can't attack while standing in the same space as an enemy figure). Movement in this game can seem a little weird at first glance, but here's the basic rundown:

  • When you perform a Move action, you gain movement points equal to your speed. Using a Move action does not actually move your figure!
  • There are other ways to gain movement points during your activation - for example in skirmish there are some command cards you can play, in campaign heroes can spend up to two strain to gain that many movement points. Again, these movement points are added to your pool but do not have to be spent right away.
  • At any time during your activation you can use as many movement points as you want to actually move your figure. So for example if you have 4 movement points built up you could move two (stopping in an empty space), perform an Attack , and then move two more.

And that's the basics! If you can remember the above then you're 95% of the way there. However there are a few little side rules and exceptions to be aware of as well:

  • If a figure ever gains movement points outside of its activation (for example if an Imperial Officer orders someone else to move) then all of those movement points have to be spent immediately and all at once.
  • If you ever gain movement points from a special action then those movement points also have to be spent immediately and all at once. A special action is something with the little arrow symbol next to it. The command card "Urgency" from skirmish mode is probably the most common example of this: as a special action you gain movement points equal to your speed plus 2, but you have to use all of those points at once without pausing to shoot in between.
  • If you ever have an ability or mission effect tell you to "Move X Spaces", that's different from "Gain X movement points". Moving X spaces has to be done all at once - so you can't for example pause to shoot half way through. The advantage of moving spaces, though, is that you can move through things like enemy figures or blue terrain without taking a movement penalty.

In other words: Movement rules allows you to enter a space with another figure if you have enough movement points to end movement legally afterwards. You cannot end movement in a space with another figure. (You need to end movement to perform an action or an attack.) Otherwise you can (start and) end movement as many times during your activation as you have moment points.

Edited by a1bert

Is there any scenario that would prevent you from using the rest of your movement points if you stop to do an attack, open a door, etc.

Yes, there are.

1) If you don't have enough movement points to end movement legally, for example with 1 mp left and all adjacent spaces are occupied by figures. (Or you just don't want to go backwards away from the mission objective.)

2) If an event happens or an ability triggers and you become stunned with no action(point) left to remove it. You cannot voluntarily exit your space while stunned . You might be technically able to spend the points to move, the figure just doesn't move. But, you might be able to spend movement points for abilities given by mission rules even while stunned .

One other possible exception to moving again is massive figures.

-After a Massive figure ends its movement in spaces containing at least one other figure, the Massive figure cannot move any more during this activation.

In the LotA app

if a stormtrooper has the instruction: move 3 to attack Diala.

if she is blocked by other rebels, AND if the trooper is close enough,

can he move 2 points into the blocking enemy rebel, gain access to Diala, fire, then use the 3rd movement point to move back into a legal space? All in that 1 instruction?

Or will he simply shoot the rebel blocking her( you know, since he’s the closest rebel)

Please help.

Edited by Madha77er

The AI in the app doesn't save movement points. The activation instructions already take this into account, so the figures only perform the applicable activation instructions and nothing else.

You can do whatever you want though - the app doesn't see what you do.

Edited by a1bert

That helps a lot, and it makes sense.

Thanks!!!
:)