Hi all, I've been going through the updated rulebook and FAQ, but find myself still needing clarification on this (probably thoroughly discussed) topic. What's the difference between dealing and assigning damage? My current understanding is that after attackers and defenders in a combat are declared, damage then gets assigned, then cancellation occurs, and then after that, damage gets dealt. But in cases when combat between units is not happening, but damage is being dealt to a unit or capital zone, is damage still "assigned"?

Numerous cards trigger off of assigned damage, but the Core Set rulebook never uses the word "assigned" to describe how actions and spells (and other such non-unit, non-combat effects) deal their damage.

Thanks for any help in allaying my confusion!

Easiest way to put it: Deal damage = assign + apply damage. In combat, each is its own step, with an Action Window in between, non-combat effects assign + apply immediately, no Action Window in between.

Remember though that non-combat damage is a triggered effect, and as long as it is not forced it can be responded to before it is resolved, meaning that while you may not play an action inbetween the assign and apply damage steps, you could play an action of your own that resolves before any damage is even assigned to your unit. In some cases this will have the same general effect as that in between action window, allowing you to save your unit, or sacrifice it for another effect before it takes lethal damage and is removed form play.