AP-5 reads:

When you perform the coordinate action, after you choose a friendly ship and before it performs a free action, you may receive 2 stress tokens to remove 1 stress token from it.

Just out of curiosity, is the following possible? AP-5 coordinates an action to a friendly ship, takes 2 stress and removes a stress from the friendly ship. The friendly ship tries to perform a boost but can't perform it. Therefore AP-5 is free to coordinate another action or perform another action entirely. AP-5 coordinates an action with chopper to a second friendly ship, takes another 2 stress and removes a stress from the second friendly ship.

Or to top it off: AP-5 coordinates an action to a double stressed ship, takes away one stress. The friendly ship still can't perform an action because it's still stressed. Therefore AP-5 coordinates another action to the same ship, again taking off a stress. Now the friendly ship got rid off both stress, AP-5 took 4 stress and a damage from Chopper.

Short answer: No.

To elaborate... There are several reasons why you can't do this. First off, when you use the Coordinate action, you have to choose the friendly ship first. That ship is then locked in for the free action which Coordinate provides. AP-5's ability works separately from the Coordinate itself, so removing/taking stress is handled on its own. At that point, AP-5 has completed his action (Coordinate), and the chosen ship has a free action it may spend as it chooses. It can try to boost, but if it fails, it can choose something else... but it needs to be something which that ship can do. If it cannot (or chooses not to) perform any action, the Coordinate is wasted (aside from AP-5 removing stress).

Secondly, you normally can't perform an action if you are stressed. As you mentioned, of course, the Chopper crew card lets you get away with this, as there's no requirement for AP-5 to have no stress tokens to start with. However, that comes down to what is probably most important rule of all, that prevents this from happening.

Thirdly... you cannot perform the same action twice in one round. If AP-5 has Coordinated once already, he cannot Coordinate again that round, even if somehow given another opportunity (which Rebels have plenty of ways to do).

Thanks for your answer.

I think I see, what was wrong with my line of thinking. I thought coordinate would work differently: I thought AP-5 could coordinate an action and if the friendly ship couldn't perform the action (boost not possible. Target out of range for TL etc.), AP-5 could either coordinate another action to the friendly ship or could choose to do another action entirely, a focus action for AP-5 for example.

But I guess once you coordinate, you're commited to the coordinate action, right? No taksies backsies... Then my whole question is redundant.

At least I learned something about coordinate

I'd argue that AP-5 couldn't do it, but I disagree with a lot of the reasoning above.

First, per Airen Cracken in the FAQ, I think there's precedent enough to suggest that if the target of a coordinate cannot perform the desired action, the coordinated ship could attempt a different action, you could coordinate a different ship, or perform another action entirely, entirely at AP-5's discretion.

Second, I think if a particular Coordinate fizzles, you wouldn't run afoul of the "once per turn" restriction on particular actions any more than you'd be subject to it with Target Locks if the ship you want to lock is out of range.

Next, I think you could make an argument that AP-5 wouldn't trigger unless the recipient of the action is actually able to perform the action. So if you wanted to coordinate a boost to someone stressed, you'd measure the boost, if it fits, you'd then remove the stress and finish the coordination. The text of AP-5 says "before it performs a free action" to me implies that the ship in question actually performs the free action. I'd consider this a lot like Push the Limit, where if you attempt to Push into an action which doesn't work, you don't receive the stress.

2 hours ago, theBitterFig said:

"before it performs a free action" to me implies that the ship in question actually performs the free action.

This. "Before it performs a free action" isn't just giving you a deadline, it's refining the timing window. If the ship doesn't perform a free action, there's no "before action" timing window, just like there's no "before revealing your dial" window when you're ionized.

Yes, this means that AP-5 is recursive. Droid precognition confirmed.

Joined this thread to ask about AP-5’s ability combined with Inspiring Recruit.

if AP-5’s chosen ship has 2 stress tokens, can both be taken away using AP-5’s ability? I’ve searched the faq looking for something similar and found something about wingman and Kyle Katarn not working together, but I don’t know if it applies here.

thanks in advance!

2 hours ago, RoockieBoy said:

Joined this thread to ask about AP-5’s ability combined with Inspiring Recruit.

if AP-5’s chosen ship has 2 stress tokens, can both be taken away using AP-5’s ability? I’ve searched the faq looking for something similar and found something about wingman and Kyle Katarn not working together, but I don’t know if it applies here.

thanks in advance!

Yes, AP5's ability combos with Recruit.

On 3/5/2018 at 5:31 PM, theBitterFig said:

per Airen Cracken in the FAQ, I think there's precedent enough to suggest that if the target of a coordinate cannot perform the desired action, the coordinated ship could attempt a different action, you could coordinate a different ship, or perform another action entirely

I'm pretty sure this is the way it works. Unless there's an exception I'm unaware of then FFG's policy seems to be "actions cannot be wasted".

26 minutes ago, sharrrp said:

I'm pretty sure this is the way it works. Unless there's an exception I'm unaware of then FFG's policy seems to be "actions cannot be wasted".

Actions certainly can be wasted! Ever see one of those discussions about "missed" opportunities including taking Actions when they could be taken but not doing so.

I'll point out how the Action Cracken grants can easily be "wasted" if there is no target in range that could perform a useful action.

29 minutes ago, StevenO said:

Actions certainly can be wasted! Ever see one of those discussions about "missed" opportunities including taking Actions when they could be taken but not doing so.

I'll point out how the Action Cracken grants can easily be "wasted" if there is no target in range that could perform a useful action.

That's not at all what I mean by wasting an action. You can miss an action sure or not be able to do one but there's basically no scenarios that just fizzle and do nothing, after performing the action, based on game condition. Nothing where you do actually perform the action and use up your opportunity to do so and nothing happens because you misjudged a range or whatever.

The only sort of exceptions are things dependant on a die roll, like for instance Black Market Slicer Tools or Lando Calrissian. Those all work the same way and are slightly different cases though. In this instances your action is essentially to gamble and see what you get.

2 hours ago, sharrrp said:

That's not at all what I mean by wasting an action. You can miss an action sure or not be able to do one but there's basically no scenarios that just fizzle and do nothing, after performing the action, based on game condition. Nothing where you do actually perform the action and use up your opportunity to do so and nothing happens because you misjudged a range or whatever.

32 minutes ago, emeraldbeacon said:

You can't show that because it goes to show that actions can be wasted! Of course ISYTDS has let you look through your opponent's DD so you now know what cards are still available in it and by extension which may be hiding face-down out in play.