As a player started from the 2E, not until I got my own Millennium Falcon did I feel confused about the explanation given in the Rule Reference.

The Q&A is stated as below:

Q: How is Han Solo [Rebel, Modified YT-1300]'s ability categorized? Is it a dice modification? Is it a reroll? What is its timing window?

A: Han Solo's ability is treated as a dice modification effect that is not a reroll. Because it is a dice modification effect, when attacking or defending, it triggers during the Modify Dice step. Note, however, that it can also affect other die rolls, such as the roll to determine if a ship suffers damage from overlapping or moving through an asteroid.

Yeah, I fully understand that Han's ability is a dice modification, but the explanation of when it trigers in an attack really troubled me.

Shouldn't it trigger immediately after Han rolls dice rightly before his opponent modifies the results?

The official explanation is just sound like, no matter what timing window is indicated in the card text, because it's a dice modification, it always trigers during the Modify Dice step.

It is mentioned in PP10 (RR 1.1.0), the paragraph of DICE MODIFICATION , that "Dice modification occurs during the respective Modify Attack Dice or Modify Defense Dice step, unless otherwise stated."

Now let's just have a look on Han's card:

It obviously says "After you roll dice," and it is definitely a "terms used to indicate the specific timing of an effect".

In PP20 (RR 1.1.0), the paragraph of TIMING says:

" After : The effect resolves immediately following the timing specified."

The timing window when Han's ability trigers may cause problem in scenario like below:

In the extended turn, the Rebel player has his Han in the range 1 of an asteroid, with only 1 Hull point left.

The Republic player has his Plo Koon with 1 Hull point left as well in the range 2 of Han's turret arc but not in the bullseye arc, and in the range 2 of friendly Luminara.

In the Engagement Phase, Han attacks first and rolls 3 attack dice against Plo Koon, having 3 blanks as a result.

The problem now comes to the reality:

According to the Q&A, Luminara modifies the attack dice first. Since there are no Hits and no Crits, there is no need for Luminara to use her pilot ability. So she finishes her Modify Attack Dice step. Then, Han uses his ability to reroll all his dice, and has 3 Hit this time. Plo Koon rolls his 3 defense dice to defend, and sadly gets 2 evades only. The game ends.

According to my understanding of the Rules Reference, it should be solved like:

Han trigers his pilot ability to reroll all his dice first, immediately after his attack dice roll and rightly before the Modify Attack Dice step. He gets 3 Hits from the reroll.

After that, Luminara starts her Modify Attack Dice step, decides to use her pilot ability to change 1 of the Hits to an eyeball result.

It is then Plo Koon's turn to roll 3 defense dice. He gets 2 evades, evading the attack successfully and counter strikes back.

I hope the way how I resolve the effect makes more sense, and if it is possible, that FFG sees this and agrees, correcting the Q&A in the later version of Rules Reference.

So first, Han's ability is a weird rules mess, but at least we do have an understanding of how it works. As of right now, the Han ruling is part of the Rules Reference, so there's not much debate about when it happens; it resolves during his Modify Dice step like any other dice modification ability. With any dice modifying ability like Han's that can be used outside of combat, when that ability is used during combat to modify dice, it is resolved during the appropriate Modify Dice step.

There are abilities that can modify dice during combat and outside of the Modify Dice steps. These abilities always say "while you [defend/attack]" and specify the alternate timing.

i'm 100% with @Maui. on this one.

Well, as mentioned, Han's ability may trigger while rolling a die to check the effect of moving through or overlaping an obstarcle - that's why there is no terms like "while you defend or perform an attack" stated.

Besides, there is an "After you roll dice". Thus I can't stop thinking that it should triger immediately after the dice-rolling.

Anyway, in an official event, there's no doubt it should triger during the Modify Dice step in an attack, unless FFG corrects the answer as I thought.

However, I tend to keep my point and discuss how to resolve it each time I play Han with my opponents.

Han is not the only card that works like this. Lando (scum crew) and Dooku (crew) are both examples of similar abilities. Like Han, these abilities resolve during the appropriate dice modification step when they are used to modify combat dice.

1 hour ago, Maui. said:

Han is not the only card that works like this. Lando (scum crew) and Dooku (crew) are both examples of similar abilities. Like Han, these abilities resolve during the appropriate dice modification step when they are used to modify combat dice.

I don't think Dooku (Crew) is a similar case but - I agree Lando (Scum Crew) is.

And thus I will ask the same question for Lando - which is more interpretive, the timing of "After ...", or the appropriate dice modification?

The Q&A really makes me feel sad that it was a waste of time to read the whole Rule Reference again and again, and then, what I understood from the text was named wrong because of something that the text said is not correct.

there is not much point in arguing something that everyone agrees with you on. or at least, everyone should agree that han solo's ability is very confusing. it is also a fact that it sparked a lot of debate and discussion before it was clarified. the clarification that FFG posted has been seen as a precedent for how other abilities work as well. all modification that happens to dice while attacking or defending always take place during the appropriate modify dice step. it might not make sense for all wordings on all cards, but at least it works. mind you, a lot of wordings on a lot of cards does not make that much sense at all, especially han solo's wording. don't get us started on resistance leia and the big mess that was changing difficulties of maneuvers, page tico and deathfire, what constitutes an ability's requirement, and so on.



the timing for lando's ability is the same as the timing for han's. it can be used for any dice roll during the game, such as when you overlap an obstacle, when you're subject to the effects of a bomb or device that makes you roll dice, rolling for damage cards like console fire and so on. however, when it is used while attacking or defending, the normal timing of "after" is thrown out the window. since it's a dice modification it will always happen during the appropriate modify dice step, as modifications of dice always do when attacking or defending.

arguing with another player over how an ability works that has been clarified really sounds like an ill advised endeavor. i appreciate the sentiment that it feels wrong to have read the rules and still had your findings overturned by a clarification, though. it's not good practice by ffg - and i know others who frequent these forums really dislike these "because we say so"-rulings. it would be better practice to errata cards and straighten out the rules properly.

it is what it is, though. the game actually works quite well at the moment, even though many card texts and some parts of the rules reference leave a lot to be desired.

7 hours ago, meffo said:

there is not much point in arguing something that everyone agrees with you on. or at least, everyone should agree that han solo's ability is very confusing. it is also a fact that it sparked a lot of debate and discussion before it was clarified. the clarification that FFG posted has been seen as a precedent for how other abilities work as well. all modification that happens to dice while attacking or defending always take place during the appropriate modify dice step. it might not make sense for all wordings on all cards, but at least it works. mind you, a lot of wordings on a lot of cards does not make that much sense at all, especially han solo's wording. don't get us started on resistance leia and the big mess that was changing difficulties of maneuvers, page tico and deathfire, what constitutes an ability's requirement, and so on.



the timing for lando's ability is the same as the timing for han's. it can be used for any dice roll during the game, such as when you overlap an obstacle, when you're subject to the effects of a bomb or device that makes you roll dice, rolling for damage cards like console fire and so on. however, when it is used while attacking or defending, the normal timing of "after" is thrown out the window. since it's a dice modification it will always happen during the appropriate modify dice step, as modifications of dice always do when attacking or defending.

arguing with another player over how an ability works that has been clarified really sounds like an ill advised endeavor. i appreciate the sentiment that it feels wrong to have read the rules and still had your findings overturned by a clarification, though. it's not good practice by ffg - and i know others who frequent these forums really dislike these "because we say so"-rulings. it would be better practice to errata cards an straighten out the rules properly.

it is what it is, though. the game actually works quite well at the moment, even though many card texts and some parts of the rules reference leave a lot to be desired.

Yeah, I agree it's no good to arguing with the wording, and I never want to argue.

The game works quite well and offers game experience better than any others that I know, and that's why we all want it to be better and better - sometimes, may not act rational.

Anyway, as mentioned, in an official event, I'll always follow what the reference indicates.