1. If a Unit has only two conflict icons, and both are edge-dependent, and you have them participate in a conflict, but loose the edge battle, do they still have to focus and strike, even though they don't really do anything?

2. Can a Unit with no combat icons participate in a challenge as an attacker or defender? Do they focus and "strike", even though they have no icons?

For instance, if Advisor to the Emperor engages in a conflict, but I lose the edge battle, does he focus and strike, effectively doing nothing?

If C-3PO or Corellian Engineer enter into conflict, given that nothing somehow adds icons to them, do they focus and "strike", even though they have no conflict icons?

I just looked this up the other day because I had the same question. Focusing to strike is not optional. All units participating in an engagement will not leave the engagement without a focus token (barring effects like Tallon Roll). Either they'll receive a focus token from your opponent, preventing them from striking, or you will be forced to focus them to strike. You can't choose not to strike, even if you have no combat icons.

So, one could have them enter into a conflict, simply in hopes that they live through it, and it does not go undefended, or something like that? Perhaps just have them join in because of some effect that they have. But, when they inevitably focus to "strike", nothing happens.

I guess that makes sense.

Exactly, remember. If that's all you have to defend with it's not a bad idea to just send one/both in to defend. If you don't you basically give them the edge in that battle and allow them to do one damage to your objective for being unopposed, where there is a chance you could even win the edge battle, stopping them from getting their edge dependent icons and maybe even getting a heat of battle and doing some damage to theres. Going into battle isn't always about making sure you do damage, sometimes you gotta go in to try to prevent what damage you can.

Budgernaut said:

Just a note: using Tallon Roll during Engagement Resolution won't allow a unit to leave without a focus token; it'll force you to focus them again. Any ready participating unit has to be focused before the engagement can end. So if you can remove a focus token from a unit that has already struck, you will strike with that unit again during that engagement.

Same thing with the Jedi Double Strike card, as soon as you strike it removes the focus, you then must strike again. because you cant leave the engement with being exausted.

Magni

divinityofnumber said:

assuming the engineer focuses and strikes alone in an unopposed attack (but does nothing due to the lack of icons), the 1 damage for unopposed is still dealt to the engaged objective, correct?

From the rule book:

"If all of a player’s participating ready units are exhausted, but his opponent’s are not, the opponent continues to focus and strike with his ready participating units, resolving one strike at a time, until all participating units are exhausted."

bergs206 said:

Well, to be honest, I haven't played a real game yet. I have played a few games, but they were spent teaching someone how to play, so there was a lot of open-handed play, and things of that nature.

I have, however, spent a lot of time sitting at my kitchen table shuffling, drawing opening hands, and pretending to play…