X-Wing Official Rulings

By OfficialRules, in X-Wing Rules Questions

[Note: this is an amendment to the prior ruling from October 3rd, 2018]

Q: If a ship with Han Solo [Rebel, Gunner] is made to engage at initiative 7 (through Roark Garnet, Heightened Reflexes [Force Power], etc.), must it perform Han Solo's bonus attack first?

A: Yes. Han Solo [Rebel, Gunner]'s effect occurs at initiative 7 before any ship at that initiative engages (including the one to which Han Solo is equipped), so Han Solo's bonus attack is always performed first. This means that it cannot perform Han Solo's bonus attack and then perform a subsequent attack from the same turret arc.

Q: How do bomb and mine devices interact with remotes?

A: Each bomb device (Bomblet, Proton Bomb, Seismic Charge) has the following adjustment to the reference text found in the Rules Reference:

-Change all instances of "ship" to "ship and remote."

Mines do not affect remotes.

This will be reflected in a forthcoming update to the Rules Reference.

Q: If one effect says to "treat an action as purple" and another says to "treat an action as red," what happens?

A: Actions have three difficulties, from least to most restrictive: white, red, and purple.

If two or more effects would alter the color of an action from its default color, the action is treated as the most restrictive of those colors. So, if an action is "treated as red" and "treated as purple" at the same time, it is treated as purple, as this is the most restrictive.

Q: If an effect instructs a ship to gain an additional lock token (such as Petty Officer Thanisson [Crew]), can a player choose to assign the ship a lock token with a different number from the first lock token?

A: No. It must gain a lock of the same number as the first (which, in most cases, causes the ship to lose the original lock, resulting in only one lock token).

Q: If a Quadrijet Transfer Spacetug uses its "Spacetug Tractor Array" action and cannot choose a ship in its front arc at range 1, what happens?

A: The action fails.

Q: If a ship that is equipped with Kanan Jarrus [Crew] uses Inertial Dampeners [Illicit] to perform a white stationary maneuver, in which order to Kanan's ability and the "gain 1 stress token" portion of Inertial Dampeners' ability occur?

A: Both abilities have the same timing window: after the ship executes the maneuver. Thus, after the ship executes the white stationary maneuver, if the player chooses to spend one Force charge to activate Kanan, two abilities enter the ability queue: Inertial Dampeners' "gain 1 stress token" and Kanan Jarrus' "remove 1 stress token." The player who controls both effects determines the order they enter the queue, and then the abilities resolve in that order. If a player wants the ship to gain and then remove a stress token, Inertial Dampeners' ability should be placed into the queue before Kanan's ability.

Q: Dalan Oberos [M12-L Kimogila]'s pilot ability reads "At the start of the Engagement Phase, you may choose 1 shielded enemy ship in your bullseye arc and spend 1 charge. If you do, that ship loses 1 shield and you recover 1 shield." Must both "that ship loses 1 shield" and "you recover 1 shield" be able to resolve for either to resolve?

A: Yes. "That ship loses 1 shield and you recover 1 shield" is a single effect, and so both parts must be able to resolve for either to occur.

Q: Do Paige Tico [Crew] and "Deathfire" [TIE Bomber]'s abilities supersede the "one device per round" limitation?

A: Yes. These abilities allow one ship to drop a second device in the same round (at the relevant timing windows), as they do not include the "if you have not dropped or launched a device this round" limitation (as included on Elon Kappehl).

Q: While a ship executes a Tallon Roll maneuver, if it cannot be placed at the middle position (center line aligned to the center line of the template), is it able to fully execute the maneuver?

A: Yes, provided there is a valid position at which to place it. While executing a Tallon Roll, if a ship can be placed in at least one of the three possible positions (center line aligned to the front, middle, or back of the template), it must choose one of the valid positions, and it fully executes the maneuver. If a valid position exists, it cannot choose an invalid position to partially complete the maneuver. As with a barrel roll, while resolving this, the player may attempt to place the ship at the front, middle, and back before choosing a valid position.

Q: If an effect says that a ship "loses a shield" (or "loses shields"), has that ship suffered damage?

A: No. While suffering damage does cause a ship to lose shields (if applicable), if an effect causes a ship to lose one or more shields directly, it has not suffered damage.

Q: How is Han Solo [Rebel, Modified YT-1300]'s ability categorized? Is it a dice modification? Is it a reroll? What is its timing window?

A: Han Solo's ability is treated as a dice modification effect that is not a reroll. Because it is a dice modification effect, when attacking or defending, it triggers during the Modify Dice step. Note, however, that it can also affect other die rolls, such as the roll to determine if a ship suffers damage from overlapping or moving through an asteroid.

Q: How does Han Solo [Rebel, Modified YT-1300]'s ability interact with C-3PO [Rebel, Crew]?

A: The "if you do and you roll exactly that many evade results..." portion of C-3PO's ability triggers occurs after the dice are rolled, before the Modify Dice step. Thus, Han Solo's effect occurs after C-3PO's effect has been resolved. If using Han Solo after using C-3PO, the added die must be rerolled.

Q: How does Han Solo [Rebel, Modified YT-1300]'s ability interact with "Midnight" [TIE/fo Fighter]?

A: "Midnight" prevents dice modification. Because Han Solo's ability is a dice modification effect, "Midnight" prevents it from being used.

Q: Which effects are abilities?

A: An ability is text from a card a player controls (such a ship card, upgrade card, damage card, remote card, device, condition card, etc).

A few abilities are constant (such as the "Gain a <frontarc> primary weapon with a value of '3'" portion of Moldy Crow ). Constant abilities are not resolved via the ability queue.

Most abilities are triggered, occurring only at a specified timing window (such as the "During the End Phase, do not remove up to 2 focus tokens" portion of Moldy Crow ). Triggered abilities are resolved via the ability queue.

Each triggered ability has the following parts:

  • A timing (when the ability is added to the ability queue)
  • An effect (what the ability does)

Additionally, an ability can have one or more of the following:

  • One or more requirements the ship must meet
  • One or more costs the ship must pay

A text box can contain multiple abilities if there are multiple constant abilities or triggers that can add an ability to the queue (as in the Moldy Crow example).

Q: What is meant by a "requirement" for an ability?

A: A requirement for an ability is a conditional if-statement, such as "if you are tractored" or "if the defender is in your bullseye arc." A ship being in-arc at range for an attack made as part of a triggered ability, such as Snap Shot or Foresight, is also a requirement for that ability.

If an ability's requirements are not met at the time the ability would be added to the queue, it cannot be added to the queue.

If the ability's requirements are not met at the time the ability would be resolved from the queue, the ability is not resolved and is instead removed from the queue.

If an ability instructs you to make a choice, such as choosing a ship, that is not itself a requirement to initiate an ability.

Q: When is the cost for an ability paid?

A: The cost for an ability is paid when the ability is resolved.

An ability cannot be added to the queue if its cost could not be paid at the time it is added.

If an ability's cost cannot be paid when it would be resolved from the queue, the ability is not resolved and is instead removed from the queue. The ability's cost is not paid.

An ability can have multiple costs. If it does, all costs must be paid to resolve it. If all costs cannot be paid, no costs are paid and the ability is removed from the queue and not resolved.

Q: When specifically during an attack do effects that apply "while you perform an attack" or "while you defend" apply?

A: Abilities are applied at the step in the attack at which they take effect. For example, in the case of Predator, as this is a dice modification, it is applied at Step 2b: Modify Attack Dice. Note, however, that effects resolved during Step 2b: Modify Attack Dice and 3b: Modify Defense Dice do not use the ability queue, as they are resolved in the order described in that section of the rules reference.

Q: If a ship executes a stationary maneuver in arc at range 2 of an enemy ship with Snap Shot equipped (or in the bullseye arc of an enemy ship with Foresight equipped), can the ship with Snap Shot (or Foresight) perform the bonus attack?

A: Yes.

Q: While "Scourge" Skutu performs an attack using Snap Shot, if the defender is in "Scourge" Skutu's bullseye arc, does "Scourge" Skutu add an additional attack die?

A: Yes.

Q: If a ship with Fine-Tuned Controls (or another ability that triggers "after you execute/fully execute a maneuver") fully executes a maneuver in arc at range 2 of a ship equipped with Snap Shot, how is this resolved?

A: This is resolved one of several ways depending on which player is first player.

In all cases, both abilities ("After you fully execute a maneuver, you may spend 1 force charge to perform a boost or barrel roll action" and "After an enemy ship executes a maneuver, you may perform this attack against it as a bonus attack") are added to the ability queue.

If the first player controls the ship with Fine-Tune Controls, that player resolves this ability before Snap Shot is resolved. If, after performing a boost or barrel roll, the ship with Fine-Tuned Controls is no longer in range or arc to be chosen as a target for Snap Shot, Snap Shot cannot be resolved and is removed from the queue.

If the second player controls the ship with Fine-Tuned Controls, their opponent resolves Snap Shot first.

Q: How do abilities that alter the speed, difficulty, and/or bearing of a maneuver that a ship reveals during its Reveal Dial step and executes during its Execute Maneuver step resolve? For example, if Hera Syndulla [Attack Shuttle] is equipped with R4 Astromech and Seasoned Navigator, and also has the Damaged Engine Damage Card, what happens?

A: R4 Astromech and Damaged Engine (and other constant effects that alter the difficulty of a maneuver, such as Nien Nunb [Crew], L3-37's Programming, and Leia Organa [Rebel and Resistance, Crew]) apply only during the Execute Maneuver step and for effects that trigger after that ship executes a maneuver.

So, after Hera's dial is revealed, Hera's player may add Hera's pilot ability and Seasoned Navigator's ability to the ability queue in either order. Both abilities resolve, and if Seasoned Navigator's ability is resolved, the difficulty of the maneuver is increased during the Execute Maneuver step (i.e. the difficulty has not yet been increased when Hera's pilot ability is resolved).

Then, during the Execute Maneuver step, all abilities that alter the difficulty of the maneuver are cumulative as normal.

Note that abilities that alter a maneuver without causing the ship to select a new maneuver on its dial do not affect the ship's "revealed maneuver" as referenced by abilities such as Ric Olié's pilot ability.

Q: After a Nantex- class starfighter executes its maneuver, if it uses its Pinpoint Tractor Array ship ability to assign a tractor token to itself so that it can rotate its turret arc, and then it barrel rolls itself over a debris field as a result of becoming tractored, giving it a stress token, how does this resolve?

A: After a Nantex -class starfighter executes its maneuver, it has the option to add an ability in the queue with the effect of "gain 1 tractor token to perform a <rotate> action."

When this ability resolves, the Nantex -class starfighter pays the cost ("gain 1 tractor token") to resolve this effect. The Nantex -class starfighter gains 1 tractor token, then performs the rotate action. Note that it does not resolve the game effect of becoming tractored (which triggers after the first time a ship becomes tractored each round) until after it fully resolves the ability by completing the rotate action.

Once the ability is fully resolved, the game effect that triggers after a ship becomes tractored is applied to the Nantex -class starfighter (before any other abilities on the queue are resolved), prompting the Nantex -class starfighter's player to move it, if they desire. If they do and this movement takes the Nantex -class starfighter onto a debris cloud, it resolves the effects of moving through or overlapping the debris cloud, including gaining 1 stress token.

Finally, any other abilities on the queue are then resolved in order.

Q: Can Snap Shot or Foresight be chosen as a special weapon to be used for a ship's attack during the Engagement Phase?

A: Yes. The phrase "after an enemy ship executes a maneuver, you may perform this attack against it as a bonus attack" allows the attack to be used as a bonus attack under the specified circumstances, but does not disqualify it from being used during the Engagement Phase.

Q: Do effects that apply “while you perform an attack” (such as Fire-Control System) remain in effect during the Aftermath step of the attack?

A: No. The Aftermath step occurs after every attack, but it is not part of the attack.

Note that this means that a bonus attack performed during the Aftermath step is not subject to any “while you perform an attack” effects from the original attack.

Q: When a ship is instructed to gain two or more tokens from a single effect (such as Admiral Sloane), does this resolve as a single instance of gaining two or more tokens or as two or more separate instances of gaining one token?

A: It resolves as a single instance of gaining two or more tokens. Thus, if a ship is instructed to gain two or more tokens from a single effect like Admiral Sloane, this only triggers abilities that occur “after you gain a token” once.