http://www.fantasyflightgames.com/edge_news.asp?eidn=2267

I find myself intrigued by all three of the new races and I'm looking forward to this expansion more than ever!

Super excited for all this now.

I've got friends champing at the bit to play Nekro and Aborac, though I'm not sure how attractive I finds the ghosts.

Questions which I didn't see clearly addressed by the rules:

• If two Arborec ground forces attempt to build two more ground forces are the GF's counted together in their cost and thus cost one resource total, or must both be purchased individually and thus cost 1 resource each? Additionally can 1 GF and one fighter be bought collectively at the cost of 1 resource.
• Can the Nekro Virus intend to purchase a technology with the Secondary of Technology to intentionally recieive 3 command counters at the cost of 1 command counter and 6 resources? If so, may they use technology credits to reduce this cost if they could research a technology for which they have technology credits? If not do they receive some compensation for action cards which reduce the cost of technologies?
• If a player has both Gen Synthesis and Dacxive Animators do they get to roll to keep their ground forces twice? May 1 GF become 2 GF's in this way?

The Fist of Ferrum said:

1. AFAIK, RAW, if the Arborec want to build 2 GF with 2 GF and they don't have their racial tech, it costs 2 resources, the same as if you have 1 production left on a space dock and want to build a GF. You can never split a build of fighters/ground forces; that would definitely cost 2.
2. It would seem the Nekro can use the Tech primary/secondary to receive command counters instead of technologies. It makes sense that they could reduce the cost of technology with tech specialty planets, but that's just a guess.
3. This one is addressed in the FAQ already; GF revived with Gen Synthesis do not count as destroyed for Dacxive Animators.

Thanks for the response.

One more thing:

• Armored units are an optional rule, but the Nekro Virus start with an Armored unit. What should they start with if you opt not to play with armored units or is this not an option?

Nekro can't buy tech with the Tech SC anyway, so the planetary discounts don't matter for it.

sirjonsnow said:

Except that this means that tech discounts serve no benefit to the Nekro Virus, which may or may not be an impediment, especially in the case of action cards which produce tech discounts. Though I guess it's not that different as when the clan of saar draws "Massive Transport" even though their space docks already float.

sirjonsnow said:

That's not necessarily true. It doesn't say anywhere they can't buy tech. It says when they would otherwise receive tech (for example, after paying for it using the secondary of Technology II) from Strat, Action, or Political cards, they instead receive 3 command counters. The wording is not specific enough for you to rule out receiving the discount.

broken said:

I agree with broken. Recieve does not equal purchase IMO. To make a parallell from real life, you do not gain ownership of (recieve) a ware from a store until AFTER you pay for it. Thus i personally would say that taking the Tech or Tech II SC would be a viable way for the Nekro to get CCs and that planetary discounts would apply for the secondary.

Taking Tech or Tech II would also give the other players opportunity to research techs for the Nekro to later steal.
Or to put it in a thematic way: Those that are NOT Nekro would want to tech up to be able to destroy them since the Nekro moves around so fast...

Fnoffen said:

Agree with this. It looks like you get the command counters when you get a technology card. You have to receive a tech card in the first place to get the command counters instead. This means you can target say a blue tech and you have two blue tech planets to discount from.

This means you can spend the 1 strategy allocation and the four resources (6 - 2 for the planet tech) to acquire the blue technology card. Only once you do that and become eligible to receive the tech into your hand, does your racial ability kick in - receiving 3 command counters instead of the tech card.

Obviously the player could just select Tech as its primary strategy card to gain 3 command counters.

Hmmm doing that would also give other players an opportunity to gain tech, so the Nekro player can copy it. I think I'm beginning to see a strategy form ;D