The Command Card reads:

“During Emperor Palpatine’s activation, he may suffer 1 wound and gain 1 suppression token to perform an attack. He may do this any number of times. After Emperor Palpatine performs an attack, the defender gains 1 imobilze token.”

As it is written, it looks like the Emperor takes a wound for every attack including his first.

Is that what it is supposed to do, or should there be a line stating “after his first attack”?

Before anyone responds, the golden rule on pg 3 of the RRG reads: “If an effect on a card or another component contradicts rules found in the Learn to Play booklet or Rules Reference, that component takes precedence.”

Meaning that for the round, Palp’s attacks are now changed to the rules given on the Command Card. I would love to be proved wrong, cause I think it’s crap like that, but as written, I think that’s how the Command Card operates. The question is, was that want the designers meant to do?

3 hours ago, JediPartisan said:

The Command Card reads:

“During Emperor Palpatine’s activation, he may suffer 1 wound and gain 1 suppression token to perform an attack. He may do this any number of times. After Emperor Palpatine performs an attack, the defender gains 1 imobilze token.”

As it is written, it looks like the Emperor takes a wound for every attack including his first.

Is that what it is supposed to do, or should there be a line stating “after his first attack”?

Before anyone responds, the golden rule on pg 3 of the RRG reads: “If an effect on a card or another component contradicts rules found in the Learn to Play booklet or Rules Reference, that component takes precedence.”

Meaning that for the round, Palp’s attacks are now changed to the rules given on the Command Card. I would love to be proved wrong, cause I think it’s crap like that, but as written, I think that’s how the Command Card operates. The question is, was that want the designers meant to do?

Not quite. Nothing in that card prevents you from making an attack action during Palpatine's activation. It just lets you choose to perform attacks (not attack actions so you can perform more than one during that activation) if you suffer 1 wound and 1 suppression for each.

So if I understand what you’re saying, you’re saying that the wording “Attack” does not encompass the wording “Attack Action”, so that when Palp does the “Attack Action” during his activation, he can do so without taking damage. That’s the best reason I’ve heard yet.

Unfortunately there is a precedence for the wording of the “action name” and “action name + action” being encompassed by just saying the “action name”.

So Attack = Attack or Attack Action.

On the HH-12 Stormtrooper card it reads: “Cumbersome (You cannot use this weapon and move during the same activation.)”

They did not use “Move Action”, they used “Move”. There are more examples, in the RRG and on other cards, but I guess if everyone agrees that Palp should get his attack without taking a wound, then who cares what the card says. 😁 Like I said, I think Palp should get the first attack without taking damage, but the card is pretty clear and if anyone challenged that, they would be correct. But if I have the majority on my side, I’m good. 😁

Thanks for your response.

19 minutes ago, JediPartisan said:

So if I understand what you’re saying, you’re saying that the wording “Attack” does not encompass the wording “Attack Action”, so that when Palp does the “Attack Action” during his activation, he can do so without taking damage. That’s the best reason I’ve heard yet.

Unfortunately there is a precedence for the wording of the “action name” and “action name + action” being encompassed by just saying the “action name”.

So Attack = Attack or Attack Action.

On the HH-12 Stormtrooper card it reads: “Cumbersome (You cannot use this weapon and move during the same activation.)”

They did not use “Move Action”, they used “Move”. There are more examples, in the RRG and on other cards, but I guess if everyone agrees that Palp should get his attack without taking a wound, then who cares what the card says. 😁 Like I said, I think Palp should get the first attack without taking damage, but the card is pretty clear and if anyone challenged that, they would be correct. But if I have the majority on my side, I’m good. 😁

Thanks for your response.

OK, maybe my explanation wasn't the best. I'll try putting it another way.
Palpatine's command card says " he may suffer 1 wound and gain 1 suppression token to perform an attack". It's a choice you have to have him take 1 wound and 1 suppression to make attacks, but it's not an imposition. Meaning that during it's activation he may make his normal attack action (you choose not to use that effect at that time) and whenever you like during that activation you may "pay the cost" and make more attacks.

29 minutes ago, JediPartisan said:

Unfortunately  there is a precedence for the wording of the “action name”  and “action name + action” being encompassed by just saying the “action name”.

So Attack = Attack or Attack  Action.  

It’s a one-way road, and I think you are looking at it the wrong way.

An attack is always the result of either an “attack” or “attack action”, but just because you did an attack does not imply which one you did.

In your Cumbersome example, Cumbersome takes effect on both “moves” and “move actions” because both result in a move. Whether you use one of your actions for a “move action”, or you have an upgrade card that gives you a “free move”, cumbersome prevents you from shooting.

As was pointed out, not all attacks result from attack actions. Not all moves result from move actions, and effects will grant you Dodge and Aim tokens without taking the appropriate action.

Additionally, saying "you may do something" is always optional ("may") and is always giving you an additional possibility for your turn, unless something in the text says otherwise. For your reading to be correct, the Command Card would need to read "During Emperor Palpatine’s activation, he may... He may not take an Attack Action during his activation."

9 hours ago, nashjaee said:

It’s a one-way road, and I think you are looking at it the wrong way.

An attack is always the result of either an “attack” or “attack action”, but just because you did an attack does not imply which one you did.

In your Cumbersome example, Cumbersome takes effect on both “moves” and “move actions” because both result in a move. Whether you use one of your actions for a “move action”, or you have an upgrade card that gives you a “free move”, cumbersome prevents you from shooting.

I don’t see how what I said disagrees with any of that. My comment was that Attack or Attack Action doesn’t matter as long as an attack was made.

9 hours ago, Lemmiwinks86 said:

OK, maybe my explanation wasn't the best. I'll try putting it another way.
Palpatine's command card says " he may suffer 1 wound and gain 1 suppression token to perform an attack". It's a choice you have to have him take 1 wound and 1 suppression to make attacks, but it's not an imposition. Meaning that during it's activation he may make his normal attack action (you choose not to use that effect at that time) and whenever you like during that activation you may "pay the cost" and make more attacks.

So the point we’re arguing about is, “...he may suffer 1 wound and gain 1 suppression token to perform an attack".

Break it down even further to, “...to perform an attack.” There is no specificity on when or which attacks, it’s just, “...to perform an attack.” The rules do have keywords of “After” or “When”, if there was to be granularity where one attack does not cause you to take a damage.

Again I believe the card was VERY poorly written (the designers are not perfect), but as written, Palp is supposed to take damage for every attack he does in that round, or he can just not do attacks and not take any damage. There is no rule that specifies that Palp is guaranteed his attack action in a given round and for that matter, the card does not stop him from doing an attack action. What the card does do is say that Palp takes 1 damage and 1 suppression for each and any attack.

Like I said, let’s just ignore the card and go with subsequent attacks, but if someone challenges this (especially in a tournament) I will run from the ensuing argument. 🤪 😳 😬

1 hour ago, JediPartisan said:

Break  it down even further to, “...to perform an attack.” There is no specificity on when or which attacks, it’s just, “...to perform  an attack.” The rules do  have keywords of “After” or “When”, if there was to be granularity where one attack does not cause you to take a damage  .

Well, the problem with breaking it down like this is that you are discarding critical information. The interpretation you’re presenting would work if the card was worded thusly: “During your activation, before performing an attack you must suffer [...]”.

But that’s not what it says. It says (paraphrasing) “during your activation, you may suffer [...] to perform an attack”. It is giving you another way to perform an attack. It does NOT remove or alter the normal attack action you can perform. You can pay the cost of 1 of your actions to perform an attack; you can ALSO pay the cost of suppression and damage to perform an attack.

To be honest, the card is worded just fine. We just have to make sure we are not adding or removing information when we read it.

59 minutes ago, nashjaee said:

To be honest, the card is worded just fine. We just have to make sure we are not adding or removing information when we read it.

Exactly what you’re doing by assuming that the damage doesn’t apply to all attacks.

47 minutes ago, JediPartisan said:

Exactly what you’re doing by assuming that the damage doesn’t apply to all attacks.

That's just not true. As always, do what the rules say, and don't do what they don't say. The card does NOT say it applies to all attacks you make (the hypothetical wording from my previous post would do that). It DOES give you the option to suffer damage in order to perform attacks. This does not stop you from spending an action to perform an attack as usual. Nor does it say that doing so forces you to suffer damage. I think you are misreading the actual text as the hypothetical text I wrote.

10 hours ago, JediPartisan said:

Break it down even further to, “...to perform an attack.”

This is what in my opinion you shouldn't do. The important part of the card is not that but the "You may" part. That is giving you a choice. You could make an attack action during that activation (choosing not to use the command card's abbility at that point) and then make the other attacks suffering the wound and suppression.

Attack and ATTACK action are not the same. You can make more than one attack in some circumstances, but you canalways make a single atack action.

So during your activation, you can make your normal attack action. Then you may take wounds and suppressions in order to make other attacks.

It's quite simple. And only one personin the wholeworld is reading it differently....

11 hours ago, JediPartisan said:

Exactly what you’re doing by assuming that the damage doesn’t apply to all attacks.

No, he's following the rules and not adding anything extra. Universal law of correctly playing any board/card/tabletop game, do what the rules say. If the card doesn't say this affects your default ability to take an attack action, it doesn't.