I've got into a rather... emotional dispute with a fellow local player lately, so brace yourselves, another Nantex thread incoming!

So. Imagine this. A Nantex-class bumps into another ship. Having executed a maneuver - not having to fully execute it, albeit - it uses the Pinpoint Tractor Array ability to hop off the bump. Now comes the tricky part: my oponent insists that Nantex now gets to perform their "normal" (action step) action. I stay firm they do not.

My argumentation: The ship has bumped. As per the RR, page 14 (Overlap):

Quote

A ship fully executes a maneuver if it does not overlap a ship. If a ship executes a maneuver and overlaps a ship, it must partially execute that maneuver by performing the following steps:

Now, there are 3 of these steps, first being to "railroad" back to a legal position; Second to be placed down touching the enemy ship one bumped into; Third, skipping this activation's Perform Action Step.

Once these 3 steps are completed, the ship is considered to have (partially) executed a maneuver and is free to trigger it's "after you have executed a maneuver..." abilities, including PTA. By this time, however, the ship has skipped the Perform Action Step.

My opponent's argumentation: While bumping, the PTA ability has been used and now the ship's "final position" is not the one touching the enemy ship. Faced with the 3 steps of "bumping" mentioned above, the enemy insists that because his ship is no longer placed touching my ship, as per step two, he does not have to skip it's Perform Action Step.

Now, while we have resolved the situation on the spot with other player's input, the (in my opinion incorrect) interaction favoured by my opponent has been seen on today's Worlds Stream - which sparked some... ungraceful commentary toward me.

Given that I perform a local community's judge role I want my rulings to be fair. Perhaps I'm really missing something? I've been called out as only taking my own opinion into account so I'd like to know your insight on the manner, folks.

Tagging some frequent guests of this sub: @thespaceinvader , @theBitterFig , @Hiemfire , @Lyianx , @nitrobenz , @Magnus Grendel

Cheers!

you opponent has no argument what so ever. pinpoint tractor array clearly triggers after executing a maneuver and has nothing to do with resolving that maneuver what so ever. if you partially execute a maneuver, you skip your perform action step, no matter what abilities trigger off of you executing a maneuver (zari bangel not included).

the pinpoint tractor array ability is not part of executinging a maneuver, partially or fully. it triggers after that.

@meffo is entirely correct. Being at range 0 does not prevent your action step (indeed the rules specifically tell you you can end up at range 0 without colliding*).

Since being at range 0 does not prevent your action step, not being at range 0 does not prevent you losing it

41 minutes ago, Ryfterek said:

my oponent insists that Nantex now gets to perform their "normal" (action step) action. I stay firm they do not.

They are wrong. Regardless of anything else, the manouvre dialed was not fully executed.

42 minutes ago, Ryfterek said:

the (in my opinion incorrect) interaction favoured by my opponent has been seen on today's Worlds Stream

This was also wrong. The fact it is on a stream is meaningless; people make mistakes during games. If the query had been raised and ruled on by a TO at worlds, this might be relevant.

*Two ships starting side-to-side touching both doing a straight, for example

Basically, @meffo nails it: your opponent got the timings all wrong.

• Rules Sections (Activation, Maneuver, Overlap)
  • [1] Reveal Dial
  • [2] Execute Maneuver
    • {2.1} Maneuver Ship
      • For partial execution:
      • (2.1.1) Move the ship backward along the template until it is no longer on top of any other ships, etc etc.
      • (2.1.2) Once the ship is no longer on top of any other ship, place it so that it is touching the last ship it backed over, etc etc.
      • (2.1.3) The ship skips its Perform Action step.
        • Also note: this rule says nothing about whether or not you're touching a ship. Touching a ship is irrelevant at this point.
    • {2.2} Check Pilot Stress
• {2.a} "After [Partially] Executing A Maneuver" triggers like Pinpoint Tractor Array happen here. This isn't an explicit step, but it happens *after* all of (2.1.x) and also {2.2}. You've clearly been given the instruction to skip the Perform Action step long before PTA triggers.
  • [3] Perform Action

To piggyback on @meffo 's explanation, I think the best way to explain the "overlap a ship on maneuver" mechanic of skipping the perform action step is that the act of the "bump" (to use casual parlance) causes your perform action step to be forfeit, no matter what you do. Perhaps a better way to explain it in layman's terminology is, "if you bump, you will skip your perform action step this turn. It doesn't prevent you from doing things outside of that step, that could grant you actions... but for this turn, when it finally comes up, your perform action step is going to be skipped."

I would consider asking your opponent their opinion of several similar situations.

1. If you execute a 3-speed maneuver, and the side of your base lands on the edge of an asteroid, THEN you use Afterburners to clear the asteroid... do you still skip your perform action step? After all, you're no longer at Range 0 of an asteroid.
2. What if you fly completely through a gas cloud with your maneuver (no Ailerons involved)? If you're not at Range 0 of the cloud, do you get to perform actions?

1 hour ago, theBitterFig said:

Basically, @meffo nails it: your opponent got the timings all wrong.

• Rules Sections (Activation, Maneuver, Overlap)
  • [1] Reveal Dial
  • [2] Execute Maneuver
    • {2.1} Maneuver Ship
      • For partial execution:
      • (2.1.1) Move the ship backward along the template until it is no longer on top of any other ships, etc etc.
      • (2.1.2) Once the ship is no longer on top of any other ship, place it so that it is touching the last ship it backed over, etc etc.
      • (2.1.3) The ship skips its Perform Action step.
        • Also note: this rule says nothing about whether or not you're touching a ship. Touching a ship is irrelevant at this point.
    • {2.2} Check Pilot Stress
• {2.a} "After [Partially] Executing A Maneuver" triggers like Pinpoint Tractor Array happen here. This isn't an explicit step, but it happens *after* all of (2.1.x) and also {2.2}. You've clearly been given the instruction to skip the Perform Action step long before PTA triggers.
  • [3] Perform Action

One other thing worth mentioning: FFG should do the total activation flowchart in the rules reference. All the steps for all the parts of Activation in *one* place. It's not hard to piece together, but having it as one continuous flow makes it a lot easier to understand what happens when.

Nothing for me to add. Thanks for the tag though.

Responding since I was tagged, but our other esteemed regulars already covered pretty much every angle and I agree with the above responses.

15 hours ago, Magnus Grendel said:

The fact it is on a stream is meaningless; people make mistakes during games.

Yep. Even Paul.