I read foresight can trigger before the take action step is this true only as against second player or does it matter

Foresight always triggers before the perform action step. It happens after the end of the check difficulty step (which is the last step of executing a maneuver) and before the action step.

There are some other things that get a bit more complicated, though.

There are other abilities--notably Afterburners and Fine-tuned Controls (Aethersprite ship abililty)--that take place in the same timing window of after executing a maneuver. If you are attempting to use Foresight against a ship that has Fine-tuned Controls, it is advantageous to be first player so that you can perform your attack before the enemy ship has an opportunity to boost/barrel roll out of your bullseye arc.

Also, bear in mind that if you are using Foresight and your opponent executes a maneuver that lands outside your bullseye, then uses an ability like Fine-tuned Controls to boost or barrel roll into your bullseye, you still cannot perform the Foresight attack against them, as Foresight needs to be added to the ability queue before the boost/barrel roll and at that time there would have been no legal target for the attack.

10 minutes ago, Maui. said:

Foresight always triggers before the perform action step. It happens after the end of the check difficulty step (which is the last step of executing a maneuver) and before the action step.

There are some other things that get a bit more complicated, though.

There are other abilities--notably Afterburners and Fine-tuned Controls (Aethersprite ship abililty)--that take place in the same timing window of after executing a maneuver. If you are attempting to use Foresight against a ship that has Fine-tuned Controls, it is advantageous to be first player so that you can perform your attack before the enemy ship has an opportunity to boost/barrel roll out of your bullseye arc.

Also, bear in mind that if you are using Foresight and your opponent executes a maneuver that lands outside your bullseye, then uses an ability like Fine-tuned Controls to boost or barrel roll into your bullseye, you still cannot perform the Foresight attack against them, as Foresight needs to be added to the ability queue before the boost/barrel roll and at that time there would have been no legal target for the attack.

Would slam then be the only action that could trigger it?

6 minutes ago, Skyworthy said:

Would slam then be the only action that could trigger it?

Currently yes since SLAM is also considered a maneuver unlike other movement actions.

13 hours ago, Hiemfire said:

Currently yes since SLAM is also considered a maneuver unlike other movement actions.

Adaptive Ailerons is also a maneuver.

33 minutes ago, mcgreag said:

Adaptive Ailerons is also a maneuver.

Adaptive Ailerons isn't an action.

18 hours ago, Maui. said:

Also, bear in mind that if you are using Foresight and your opponent executes a maneuver that lands outside your bullseye, then uses an ability like Fine-tuned Controls to boost or barrel roll into your bullseye, you still cannot perform the Foresight attack against them, as Foresight needs to be added to the ability queue before the boost/barrel roll and at that time there would have been no legal target for the attack.

Does placing Foresight (or Snap Shot) into the ability queue require a valid target? Wouldn't both you and your opponent have to announce your respective abilities (Fine-Tuned Controls and Foresight) at the relevant trigger (after [someone] executes a maneuver), then you resolve them in player order? I was under the impression that you only measure as part of the resolution of the ability, not as part of the triggering.

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5 minutes ago, emeraldbeacon said:

Does placing Foresight (or Snap Shot) into the ability queue require a valid target? Wouldn't both you and your opponent have to announce your respective abilities (Fine-Tuned Controls and Foresight) at the relevant trigger (after [someone] executes a maneuver), then you resolve them in player order? I was under the impression that you only measure as part of the resolution of the ability, not as part of the triggering.

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Yes, a valid target is required for ability queue attacks. From page 31 of the rules reference regarding Abilities and the Ability Queue, emphasis mine:

Quote

Q: What is meant by a requirement for an ability?

A: A requirement for an ability is a conditional if-statement, such as "if you are tractored" or "if the defender is in your bullseye arc." A ship being in arc at range for an attack made as part of a triggered ability, such as Snap Shot or Foresight, is also a requirement for that ability.

If an ability's requirements are not met at the time the ability would be added to the queue, it cannot be added to the queue.

If the ability's requirements are not met at the time the ability would be resolved from the queue, the ability is not resolved and is instead removed from the queue.

If an ability instructs you to make a choice, such as choosing a ship, that is not itself a requirement to initiate an ability

So a ship executes a maneuver and lands outside the arc/range of foresight/snap shot, then at that trigger moment the ability requirements are not met and it cannot be added to the ability queue.