Hey all,

I played my first game of Brood War with my son yesterday, and we were blown away by its coolness. Things like Leadership Cards and Strategic Areas bring new flavors and angles to the game and we had a blast.

The one aspect of the expansion that neither of us could wrap our heads around was the Defend Order Token.

The Defend Order seems like a colossal game-changer, but its rules are at best vague. You can put the Defend Order Token down on a friendly area at any time during the planning phase, and then Mobilize units to that area, and then place a Guard Token down to gain +2 health when defending.

Does each player get a limit of 2 Guard Tokens? There are 12 Guard Tokens in the box, so I guess this is the case. Or can you use as many as you want? What if you've used both and you want to move the Guard Token later? Is this allowed?

It just seems to me that getting a boost to health, as well as a free Mobilize, is a giant gift to players. What are the limits?

If anyone can settle this, I'd be thrilled.

You may only play 1 defend order during each planning phase, after playing the defence order you may mobilize troops to the area were you place a guard token. This guard token stays until you no longer control that area or you use it. Nowhere in the rules it is mentioned that you are restricted to any amount of guard tokens. The United Earth Directorate (the new fraction added by FFG) has a stage 3 leadership card: Place up to 4 guard tokens in different areas you control. Then destroy 1 enemy transport on any navigation route.

http://new.fantasyflightgames.com/edge_news.asp?eidn=309

This lets me to believe that there is no limit on how much guard orders a player can have.

So if we're out of guard tokens we just place coins or what have we?

I would guess that when you run out no one can use a gaurd token until one frees up. Everything else in the game is limited by the number pieces you have available. I don't suppose that gaurd tokens would be any different. If the was no limit to the gaurd tokens, then there would be no reason to have an area without one on it. Know what I mean? Why not have instant unit support and +2 health in all skirmishes?

Here are some assumptions I'm acting on; except for 2b) and 3) they're rather clear in my opinion, but I thought I'd better ask if you agree.

1) It is only said that the Defend Order is played during the planning phase, but a strict timing isn't mentioned. I suppose it's played instead of another order, but I can't find a rules passage that confirms my assumption.

2) According to the rules, a guard token "cannot be used in conjunction with other abilities that provide a health bonus", for example it "provides no bonus if a player uses another defend token, a “Bunker” Technology card, a “Flawless Defense Plan” Event card, or another guard token".

a) I guess "defend token" means "guard token", and is redundant?

b) What exactly is an ability that provides a health bonus? E.g., does this include a Battle Cruiser / Wraith combat card with +1 health if the unit is a BC? (I suppose not)

c) I guess if there is a health bonus for a single skirmish (like Bunker), the guard token's bonus is just cancelled for that skirmish, but not necessarily for subsequent skirmishes, right?

3) The rules read "He may then immediately move and/or transport units to the chosen area, as if he were executing a Mobilize order on the planet ." Does this also work for Leadership cards that allow certain actions when using a Mobilize Order (e.g. moving units from a card / warp gate)? (I suppose not)

Well, thank goodness I'm not the only one who was a bit perplexed by this new twist.

The timing of the Defend Order is indeed crucial. Do you place your token INSTEAD of an order, or at the SAME TIME as one of the orders? Can you place all four orders and then put it down? Further, do the players resolve the "extra" mobilize in sequence, starting with the first player?

It could be an amazing new mechanic, but it seems slightly...clunky. Why even produce a Defend Token, when you could just place a Guard Token during the Planning Phase and then move your units? Why have two separate tokens?

The defend order counts as one of the 4 orders you can place each turn.

http://new.fantasyflightgames.com/edge_foros_discusion.asp?efid=6&efcid=1&efidt=29016&efpag=0#29107

The order is placed in a friendly AREA, it is resolved immediately (right at that moment during the planning phase - so its during your order placement step). You get to mobilize to that AREA on the planet. And then put a Guard token there (this is so that you can use the defend order in another round even if you haven't had to use the guard token yet. As long as you control the area with the guard token it will stay there until you use it).

"... it provides no bonus if a player uses another defend token..."

I think they meant to say another guard token. You only get the benefit from one guard token and it won't stack with other health bonuses from cards.