The Pursuant Flight Commander

By Cremate, in Star Wars: Armada Rules Questions

I've recently become aware of different interpretations on how the Pursuant -title and Flight Commander interact and figuring out that interaction might tell us something about commands in general and Flight Commander specifically.

The subject has come up - briefly - on the forums before here , but that is about all I could find.

Swm16-flight-commander Swm26-pursuant

The main question is whether Flight Commander merely shifts the effect (resolving) of the squadron command or whether it also shifts the trigger . The Rule Reference isn't particularly helpful in that regard, as there doesn't seem to be much of a distinction between the spending (trigger) and resolving aspects of a command.


RULES REFERENCE p.3 :
Command Dials "[...] can be spent at the appropriate time to resolve that command. "

Command tokens " Command tokens can be spent at the appropriate time to resolve the lesser effect of that command. "

Commands " A ship can resolve the effect of a command by spending a command dial or command token with the matching icon at the appropriate time " and " Squadron: Resolve after revealing the ship’s command dial ".

Basically, spending and resolving are either intrinsically linked - and cannot be separated - or they aren't and can happen at two different times so that it is triggered at one point (by spending) and resolved at another.

If they are linked , it would mean that you spend the dial and/or token at the time when you resolve the command and that you resolve the effect the moment you paid the price (spending the dial/token); for FC that would mean after step 3 (execute maneuver) of the ship's activation. It also means that you cannot use FC the round you discarded the Pursuant-title, as its trigger is 'locked in' at a different timing window.

If they are not linked , it would mean that you always spend the dial and/or token at a specific time (after having revealed the dial and having chosen whether to spend the dial for a token), only to resolve it later. This would allow for postponing the resolution of a squadron command from Pursuant if also having FC. It would also mean that squadron commands always have to be declared at the same time (after revealing the ship's dial), regardless of whether you resolve it immediately or postpone it with FC, and that you have missed your opportunity to resolve a squadron command with FC if you didn't declare it before attacking and executing your maneuvre. In other words, if you get to the moment you would resolve the effect, it would have been too late to declare it.

Thoughts? How do you play it?

Edited by Cremate

At the start of a ships activation you reveal the dial and either chose to resolve its effects or spend it to receive a token

Pursuant allows you get to resolve a 2nd command of sqn when you reveal your dial.

Flight commander gives you the ability to resolve a sqn command after moving instead of its normal timing window.

2 hours ago, Cremate said:

I know what you mean and where this will lead to (i have some bad rapid launch bays flashbacks).

You want to know if you are able to move the resolve of the squadron command from a Pursuant with the Flight Commanders.

I know that there will be a few who will say otherwise, but i say yes. You can move the reslove of it.
Your question about linked or not might mean if you moving the resolve or if you are moving the effect of the resolve with the Flight Commanders.

Imo it does not matter. Flight Commander say you can resolve the squadron command after the movement. It does not matter if this is already "triggered" or not.

Normal resolve without any upgrades:
You reaveal a squadron command.
You decive if you use it this turn or if you place a token on the ship.
After the reveal (and decission use or bank) you can resolve a squadron command, by using a dial, token or both.

Resolve with Flight Commanders:
You reaveal a squadron command.
You decive if you use it this turn or if you place a token on the ship.
After the reveal you can resolve the squadron command or use the Flight Commander. In this case you resolve it after the movement.

Resolve with Pursuant:
You reaveal any command other than squadron.
Discard the titel and you can resolve a squadron command in the same way as you would resolve a dial (full squadron value), but without the ability to add a token!

Resolve with Flight Commander and Pursuant:
You reaveal any command other than squadron.
Discard the titel and you can resolve a squadron command in the same way as you would resolve a dial (full squadron value), but without the ability to add a token!
Now you can choose to use the Flight Commander to delay the resolve untill after the movement.

This red line is the one that is in question. Are you able to move the resolve. And imo the answer is yes. It does not matter where the resolve comes from (dial or Pursuant). You can just delay it after the movement with the Flight Commander.

But this is, as i said, again not 100% clear. And there will be some who think it will be the other way around (and this is fine, they might be as well right). This is the way i see it and the way i would rule it currently.

I agree with Tokra, the combo works.
Pursuant does not specify that the squadron command be resolved immediately. In fact it says to treat the command as if you had spent a dial. So whatever options you would have in that case, a Flight Commander for example, also apply to the Pursuant's command.

Further argument:

You resolve it as if you spent a dial...

Even if you were to add a token, you’d only be resolving it as if it’s a dial...