Hi,

When an NPC is killed during a fight, do you remove an initiative NPC slot?

Thanks,
Vyzzini

I do.

No, since initiative slots are owned by the side and not by an individual .

The last NPC slot is ignored, since any NPC can use any NPC slot. And each slot someone has to act.

I can see there are two answers, both on the other side of the spectrum. I think it boils down to preference over any real game rules issue.

2P51 removes a slot, probably because there is an NPC or minion group less. But then I would ask which slot to remove? The first? The last? Perhaps one in the middle if three or more NPC initiative slots were generated? Seeing as to how Initiative is determined before the first combat round only (page 96, Determine Initiative) removal of slots tends to make one side slower or faster, conceptually.

That is, in fact, the same problem c_beck has (if you want to call it a problem, see below). By not removing a slot and just keeping the last slot unused, any other NPC's conceptually become faster. The more NPC's and minion groups are taken out of action, the faster the remainder becomes, as they will always choose the top slots, unless it is a very strategic and calculated move to 'go last'.

Personally, in FFG Star Wars, I always tended to remove a slot, like 2P51 does. As for which slot to remove, I actually removed the last slot each and every time. It sort of 'feels right' to have a side that is suffering casualties redouble their efforts and fight harder (faster). Effectively this is the same as what c_beck does. However, I hadn't thought of the option to skip a fast slot before, and strategically delaying your sides actions by choosing lower initiative slots. This thread actually made me rethink what I always did from the start of Star Wars, Edge of the Empire.