What happens when a Remote, like Buzz Droid Swarms or Probe Droids, get dunked on by a Rigged Cargo Chute or Spare Parts Canister?

Imagine that a CIS player has placed one or more of these remotes onto the battlefield, only to have some someone else sweep in and dump a debris cloud right on top of them. Does the remote suffer any ill effects, or are they functionally "immune" to obstacles? The Rules Reference states on page 9 (under Devices) that Devices (including Remotes) ignore the effects of obstacles when they relocate, and the rules for obstacles (page 13) all only refer to "ships" when describing their effects. Since that seems to be the closest we'll get to a direct answer from the rules, I would argue that nothing would happen... but I can see other (increasingly silly) possibilities, including "roll for damage and assign stress."

nothing happens. the game effect of overlapping should occur (even though that effect is reserved for ships according to the rules reference, more on that in the next paragraph), but neither the device or obstacle suffer any further consequences. buzz droid swarms cannot overlap objects while relocating, but that's only while relocating. DRK-1 droids aren't affected by overlapping obstacles ever.

funnily, Buzz Droid Swarm states that "you cannot overlap an object this way" - and as we all know, obstacles are objects. how ever, Overlap (page 14 of the RR) only mentions ships. it is therefore debatable whether a Buzz Droid Swarm can ever overlap anything other than a ship ever (or even if objects other than ships can overlap anything ever), in which case it and the ship that caused it to relocate would suffer 1 (hit) damage.

i've been of the impression that it cannot overlap other objects as well, but since overlap is a game term we're led to believe that we should follow what the rules reference says about overlapping - and that only describes ships overlapping.

luckily, what FFG lacks in technical writing, they make up for in pretty pictures. this baby is from page 23 of the RR (notice the small image on the bottom right with the clear X indicating that it cannot relocate if it overlaps an obstacle).



maybe at some point, we might see them roll for damage from asteroids and debris just like ships do. that's not the case as of right now according to the rules, though. they should of course receive stress unless they're calculating, but that's besides the point.

3 hours ago, meffo said:

funnily, Buzz Droid Swarm states that "you cannot overlap an object this way" - and as we all know, obstacles are objects. how ever, Overlap (page 14 of the RR) only mentions ships. it is therefore debatable whether a Buzz Droid Swarm can ever overlap anything other than a ship ever, in which case it and the ship that caused it to relocate would suffer 1 (hit) damage.

The "this way" clause specifically refers to a Buzz Droid Swarm being relocated (the game term for "moving" a remote), which is different from them (or any other device) being placed (a game term generally associated with dropping or launching a device). So, technically, you can always use your Discord Missiles to launch (place) your Buzz Droid Swarm token onto another object, even a friendly ship.

6 minutes ago, emeraldbeacon said:

The "this way" clause specifically refers to a Buzz Droid Swarm being relocated (the game term for "moving" a remote), which is different from them (or any other device) being placed (a game term generally associated with dropping or launching a device). So, technically, you can always use your Discord Missiles to launch (place) your Buzz Droid Swarm token onto another object, even a friendly ship.

yes, that's in my first paragraph.

3 hours ago, meffo said:

nothing happens. the game effect of overlapping should occur (even though that effect is reserved for ships according to the rules reference, more on that in the next paragraph), but neither the device or obstacle suffer any further consequences. buzz droid swarms cannot overlap objects while relocating, but that's only while relocating. DRK-1 droids aren't affected by overlapping obstacles ever.

(double post)

27 minutes ago, meffo said:

yes, that's in my first paragraph.

And in your second paragraph:

3 hours ago, meffo said:

funnily, Buzz Droid Swarm states that "you cannot overlap an object this way" - and as we all know, obstacles are objects. how ever, Overlap (page 14 of the RR) only mentions ships. it is therefore debatable whether a Buzz Droid Swarm can ever overlap anything other than a ship ever , in which case it and the ship that caused it to relocate would suffer 1 (hit) damage.

Clearly, a buzz droid can overlap obstacles or other devices upon being "placed," or when another obstacle or device is placed (or relocated) onto them . The main question is what happens when they do overlap. (A hypothetical question at best, really, since I think it's reasonably clear the answer is "nothing happens")

14 minutes ago, emeraldbeacon said:

And in your second paragraph:

Clearly, a buzz droid can overlap obstacles or other devices upon being "placed," or when another obstacle or device is placed (or relocated) onto them . The main question is what happens when they do overlap. (A hypothetical question at best, really, since I think it's reasonably clear the answer is "nothing happens")

it's quite clear you're right and i didn't express myself properly. thanks for keeping me honest. will edit now. i even double posted. O_o

hmm... no, wait! i meant it's debatable whether any object other than a ship can ever overlap other objects. not just remotes. since "overlap" in the RR only describes ships overlapping.

i'm confused now.

8 minutes ago, meffo said:

it's quite clear you're right and i didn't express myself properly. thanks for keeping me honest. will edit now. i even double posted. O_o

hmm... no, wait! i meant it's debatable whether any object other than a ship can ever overlap other objects. not just remotes. since "overlap" in the RR only describes ships overlapping.

i'm confused now.

I think in this case, you have to go back to the old adage of "do what it says to do, don't do what it doesn't say to do." The Rules Reference forbids ships from overlapping other ships (instead, they move backwards along the maneuver template to a point where they no longer physically overlap). It does not, however, forbid other objects from overlapping one another... therefore, since it is not prohibited, it is permitted.

It also explains what consequences and effects are derived from a ship overlapping an obstacle... but lacking any information about what happens when a device/remote (or other obstacle!) overlaps an obstacle, we simply do nothing - the game doesn't tell us to do anything, so we simply don't.

(Apropos of nothing, now I want to try and stack as many obstacles/devices on the table in one place as I can, just to make maneuvering in that area a nightmare... drop a rigged cargo chute onto another obstacle, then plunk a Prox Mine or two into the same mess...)

39 minutes ago, emeraldbeacon said:

I think in this case, you have to go back to the old adage of "do what it says to do, don't do what it doesn't say to do." The Rules Reference forbids ships from overlapping other ships (instead, they move backwards along the maneuver template to a point where they no longer physically overlap). It does not, however, forbid other objects from overlapping one another... therefore, since it is not prohibited, it is permitted.

It also explains what consequences and effects are derived from a ship overlapping an obstacle... but lacking any information about what happens when a device/remote (or other obstacle!) overlaps an obstacle, we simply do nothing - the game doesn't tell us to do anything, so we simply don't.

(Apropos of nothing, now I want to try and stack as many obstacles/devices on the table in one place as I can, just to make maneuvering in that area a nightmare... drop a rigged cargo chute onto another obstacle, then plunk a Prox Mine or two into the same mess...)

i'm definitely not saying objects cannot overlap, but it's not sufficiently clear either. it's mentioned several times in the rules by now, but the section called "Overlap" (page 14) doesn't describe anything other than ships overlapping other objects, never the other way around. there are some devices and obstacles that are said to overlap objects apart from that, though. i just think it'd be nice if the term was more clearly defined and useful. it's always written as one thing overlapping another and never that it goes both ways, or in other words that two objects overlap each other.

here are a couple of examples from page 9:
"• A device that relocates does not count as moving through or overlapping obstacles."
"• If a device is placed overlapping a ship, it is placed under the ship’s base"

there are more in the FAQ section and where the remotes are described in detail. i just think it feels a bit inconsistent. if an overlap occurs, both objects should overlap each other.

i like the idea of several rigged cargos with some spare parts stacked on top of a couple of proximity mines topped up with a conner net though.

3 hours ago, meffo said:

i like the idea of several rigged cargos with some spare parts stacked on top of a couple of proximity mines topped up with a conner net though.

Like a little obstacle/device Jenga tower.