I bought this game, and we are having a heck of a time trying to figure out some rules. We played it last night for the first time to TRY and plow thru it and write down questions as they come up.

So, experts… help me out here.

1. How do you launch more vipers? I see the COMMAND action allows you to activate the vipers, but does this also allow you to launch new ones?

2. Whats the point of launching yourself in a viper? It seems underpowered.

3. While a pilot is in a viper, can he will move to other action tiles and use those?

4. ADMINISTRATION, ADMIRAL'S QUARTERS and BRIG. They all have a skill level. Are these chalanges done by yourself? Or can others help you get out or use the abilities?

5. Why would you use the ADMINISTRATION tile?

6. Say I know that a player is a Cylon. How is he revealed? I know I can openly SAY he is, but how does he start acting like a Cylon and use the Cylon abilities?

7. Once a viper is damaged it is removed from the board and placed on the Damaged Vipers area, correct? If that is the case, how are vipers destroyed.

8. Heavy Raiders are confusing me. When the Heavy Raider Icon is on the bottom of the card, all you do is move it closer to the Viper entrance. You do not add another, correct? How are more added? From my understanding, if there are no Heavy Raiders on the board, when that icon is selected is when another is added.

9. Are the ship actions always done on a crisis card? Even if you pass?

10. Dumb one here, but I couldnt find it… How do you leave the sick bay?

11. Just to verify, in order to Activate a location, you must discard a skill card, correct?

Sorry, a bunch of noob questions, but this was alot to take in and this help will be much appreciated. We enjoyed this game quite a bit, and I just might have to go watch the series now.

Since I have the book in front of me…

1. How do you launch more vipers? I see the COMMAND action allows you to activate the vipers, but does this also allow you to launch new ones?

Activating a Viper allows one of three options: Launch, Move, or Attack (pg. 25)

2. Whats the point of launching yourself in a viper? It seems underpowered.

Piloting a Viper allows you to Move (during your Move Step) and Activate a Viper in addition to your Action Step. (pg. 26) Getting a free move compared to unmanned Vipers can be handy.

3. While a pilot is in a viper, can he will move to other action tiles and use those?

A pilot in a Viper may move to an adjacent space area, or to any spot on Galactica or Colonial One. (pg. 10) If moving to Galactica or C1, the Viper goes back into Reserve and you discard a Skill Card

4. ADMINISTRATION, ADMIRAL'S QUARTERS and BRIG. They all have a skill level. Are these chalanges done by yourself? Or can others help you get out or use the abilities?

They are Skill Checks and resolved as such (pg. 18, Checks on pg. 16), so other people can help or not as they would normally. If you happen to be in the Brig, you'll most likely need help. :-)

5. Why would you use the ADMINISTRATION tile?

Is the President making good decisions during Crisis Checks? Playing Quorum Cards at the right times? If not, then it's time for an election.

6. Say I know that a player is a Cylon. How is he revealed? I know I can openly SAY he is, but how does he start acting like a Cylon and use the Cylon abilities?

An unrevealed Cylon Player may reveal themselves during their Action Step. (pg. 10)

7. Once a viper is damaged it is removed from the board and placed on the Damaged Vipers area, correct? If that is the case, how are vipers destroyed.

Vipers are destroyed on an attack roll of an 8. (pg. 24) There may be cards out there that destroy a Viper as a cost or consequence.

8. Heavy Raiders are confusing me. When the Heavy Raider Icon is on the bottom of the card, all you do is move it closer to the Viper entrance. You do not add another, correct? How are more added? From my understanding, if there are no Heavy Raiders on the board, when that icon is selected is when another is added.

If there are no Heavy Raiders when an Activate Heavy Raiders Icon is drawn, you place one Heavy Raider next to each Basestar (pg. 24) If there are no Basestars on the board, then you don't do anything.

9. Are the ship actions always done on a crisis card? Even if you pass?

I'm not certain about the question. Your turn consists of three steps: Move, Action, Crisis. "Passing" isn't really an option. You could choose to not Move, and you could choose to Do Nothing as your Action (pg. 10 for both), but you still have a Crisis Step. (also pg. 10)

10. Dumb one here, but I couldnt find it… How do you leave the sick bay?

You move out during your Movement Step, or as part of your Move Step if someone plays an Executive Order on you.

11. Just to verify, in order to Activate a location, you must discard a skill card, correct?

Activating a Location is one of the options you have as part of your Action Step. (pg. 10) It says nothing about having to discard a card first.

Hope this helps. :-) … and hope no one already replied as I was typing this up. :-)

Yea… what he said!

BrandonCarpenter said:

Per activation… and you can activate the same viper, or another (i.e., with command)

BrandonCarpenter said:

Vipers are how you defend you civilian ships, and attack cylon ships. You can only use places if you are in them, so no, when in space, they cant. They can you "actions" on cards.

BrandonCarpenter said:

During a players Crisis step, you resolve the upper part of the card, then the Ship Activation Token, and Prep jump icon (if there is one). They are independent of each other.

The sickbay may not be entered (that "hazardous boarder" thing). If you start your turn in sick bay, you get only 1 skill card. But you can move out freely on your turn, or before hand if you get an "executive order" (XO) played on you.

Activating a location you are on is free, yes. Laura Roslyn has a character trait that requires she discard 2 cards before she can activate a location, which may have confused you.

If those are your only questions, you had a great first game! haha. It sometimes takes 3 games just to figure out what your doing wrong! It's worth the effort to learn!

One point as to why piloting a Viper might seem underpowered is depending on circumstances (where you are on the Jump Track, Heavy Raiders and launch ports, etc.), jumping looks like a better option because it wipes the board.

For my first game, I played Helo. We didn't get many Cylon Attack Cards, but we had a few Heavy Raiders come up. The group figured that since I could pilot a Viper, I should try and stop them before they board (using Maximum Firepower) and head to the Armory if I couldn't (using my reroll). I don't remember how many times we jumped to run away, though.

Maybe a new topic…

"If there is no cylons out, and you are not Starbuck, should you pilot or stay on board"

Usually, we want pilots out (CAP). If you are Starbuck, why not? If you have an XO… certainly…

Maybe if a pilot was out already maybe there is something to be done.

But if you get no Fleet actions, piloting can be boring to some (and thus, the expansions have more pilot stuff to do).

Mephisto666 said:

Lee should always try to stay on Galactica if possible (especially with Exodus and his ability to abuse the CAG Title). The reason should be obvious - he gets a free action if he wants to jump into a Viper that gets placed on the board. Even without Exodus he can still abuse his OPT to put "free" Vipers down before XOing or Launching a Scout.
With most other pilots it **theoretically** doesn't matter if you stay on board or fly around a bit, but keep in mind that leaving the Viper will cost you a card, and unless you are Scouting all the time then you've got a lot more options by staying inside. If nothing else you can just chill on Colonial One and get XOed to draw 4 cards…