Hi guys,

how does dropping devices and decloaking interfere? In the rule references it says in the device section aswell as in the cloaking section:

"Each ship cannot drop or launch a device during the same phase that it decloaked."

For me as a non-native speaker this sentence is a little bit weird. In what way do the designers want us to read it?

1. I cannot drop and decloak in any order in the same phase.
Then the tense of "it decloaked" (past -> has already decloaked?) does not make that much sense.

2. I can only drop a device before I decloak and not after decloaking.
This is how I would read it, but I am really unsure.

However, for each of those two cases the rules could have been worded way more precisely or do I miss something?

I think you can drop before you decloak, but not after. The rule is there to stop you being able to reposition then drop, not the other way round.

I'd have to go with option 1 of unable to drop or launch at all during the same phase before or after. It is semi-vague wording but talks about the entire phase. Between the two situations you have.

1. You drop/launch a device before you decloak, then decloak, did you drop a device and decloaked in the same phase?

2. You drop/launch a device after you decloak, did you drop a device and decloaked in the same phase?

The tense does sound funky but it is grammatically correct, the entire thing is speaking in the past tense.

Pretty sure the same issue has brought up before using the same wording during 1.0 and had to get an FAQ to explain it in detail, wouldn't be surprised if the same was done.

Edit: Found the 1.0 wording issue, it was the ADV. target computer and using a target lock from Targeting synchronizer. Granted that is the old edition of the game so any rules from then shouldn't really be applied in 2.0, but could be seen as potential answers.

I read it as, "For each ship, you may either decloak, or drop/launch a device (but not both) in any given phase."

Meaning, you can always have one ship decloak, and another ship drop a bomb, but no one ship is allowed to do both. Of course, I think the only ship that COULD do both is some kind of bomber that's carrying an illicit cloaking device...

2 minutes ago, emeraldbeacon said:

I read it as, "For each ship, you may either decloak, or drop/launch a device (but not both) in any given phase."

Meaning, you can always have one ship decloak, and another ship drop a bomb, but no one ship is allowed to do both. Of course, I think the only ship that COULD do both is some kind of bomber that's carrying an illicit cloaking device...

a scum HWK could have that option

1 minute ago, skotothalamos said:

a scum HWK could have that option

So could a Firespray, an Aggressor, a Quadjumper, or Y-Wing, for Scum...

i think the INTENT is "You may decloak, or drop a device, not both"

But the way its written makes me think you can drop a device THEN decloak, but not the other way around.

I could be wrong, but i dont see anything talking retroactively like "If you dropped a device while cloaked you cannot decloak" - even though, again, i think thats the intent.

Given that nobody except those brave enough to use cloaking devices can even do this...im not hurt about it if it is legal to drop then decloak

The amusing thing is if you roll and eyeball on your scum cloak you can decloak then drop because the decloak happens before the system phase.

But can a cloaked ship drop/launch a device?

1 hour ago, Vector Strike said:

But can a cloaked ship drop/launch a device?

Yes.

16 hours ago, emeraldbeacon said:

So could a Firespray, an Aggressor, a Quadjumper, or Y-Wing, for Scum...

I forgot cloaked medium ships were an option!

2 hours ago, skotothalamos said:

I forgot cloaked medium ships were an option!

And with the recent ruling on Cikatro Vizago, you can even cloak a large ship, too, by swapping the upgrade to it.