In the Rules Reference the restriction on cloaking and devices says, "Each ship cannot drop or launch a device during the same phase that it decloaked."

Obviously this expressly forbids decloaking, then dropping a device. But does it stop you from dropping a device, then decloaking?

I don't think it does, since that would require the game to look into the future and say, 'since you're planning on decloaking this phase, you can't drop that device first.'

1 hour ago, ConomeOnTheVine said:

In the Rules Reference the restriction on cloaking and devices says, "Each ship cannot drop or launch a device during the same phase that it decloaked."

Obviously this expressly forbids decloaking, then dropping a device. But does it stop you from dropping a device, then decloaking?

I don't think it does, since that would require the game to look into the future and say, 'since you're planning on decloaking this phase, you can't drop that device first.'

You are allowed to decloak after dropping a device.

2 hours ago, ConomeOnTheVine said:

In the Rules Reference the restriction on cloaking and devices says, "Each ship cannot drop or launch a device during the same phase that it decloaked." 

Obviously this expressly forbids decloaking, then dropping a device. But does  it stop you from dropping a device, then decloaking?

I don't think it does, since that would require the game to look into the future and say, 'since you're planning on decloaking this phase, you can't drop that device first.'

yes, exactly. it means what it says.

it forbids dropping a device after decloaking, but not decloaking after dropping a device.

the rules are very clear here. timing is very important for applying the rules properly. if you drop a device, there is nothing stopping you from decloaking. the rules never take future intent of players into consideration, it's all about the here and now. after all, this is a strategy game. having a bad plan is better than having no plan at all, but the rules don't limit a players planning unless necessary.

obviously, repositioning before dropping or launching devices is extremely powerful and hard for the opposing player to plan around, so it's limited as much as possible. that being said, you can use moff jerjerrod to boost your squad before dropping or launching devices, but that kind of requires you to build your whole list around it.

dropping a bomb with a quadjumper, boosting with cad bane crew, decloaking forwards, moving on to activation, activating another quadjumper and tractor beaming your first quadjumper forwards, then activating the quadjumper that dropped a device and boosted, performing a blue three straight to loose the stress from the red cad bane boost - and finally using the spacetug tractor action after having moved forwards at speed 10, is perfectly leagal, no questions asked.