Okay so after reading through the new FAQ as well as re-reading the Rules of Play, I have a strong need to speak my mind on the matter of Gunners and Cluster Missiles. However, I will attempt to do so with as much as an unbiased viewpoint as possible. If anyone reading this feels I have not done so, I apologize in advance. I’m just out to seek the truth of the matter and hear what others think about the new FAQ.

Let me start with listing the quotes I’ll be using in this article:

The following is directly quoted from p. 19 of Rules of Play under Card Abilities (top-left corner):

“Many card abilities use the word ‘you’ to specifically reference that Ship card.”

The following is directly quoted from p. 20 of Rules of Play under Breaking the Rules (bottom-right corner):

“If one card ability forbids an effect while another ability allows it, the effect is forbidden.”

The following is directly quoted from the Gunner/Luke Skywalker crew upgrade cards specify at the end of their mandatory text:

“You may not perform another attack this round.”

The following is directly quoted from the Cluster Missiles upgrade cards as written:

“Attack [Target Lock]: Spend your target lock and discard this card to perform this attack twice.”

The following are directly quoted from the new X-wing FAQ as of July 22, 2013:

Wave 1 Upgrade Cards

Q:

When a ship attacks with Cluster Missiles,

can it perform the two attacks against

different targets?

A:

No, it must attack the same target twice.

Wave 2 Upgrade Cards

Q:

If a ship using Cluster Missiles hits with

the first attack, but then misses with the

second attack, can he still use Gunner/

Luke Skywalker even though the first

attack hit?

A:

Yes. Each attack granted by Cluster Missiles is

distinct, so either attack can trigger Gunner/Luke

Skywalker.

Q:

If a ship using Cluster Missiles misses

with the first attack and then triggers

Gunner/Luke Skywalker, can it still perform

the remaining attack granted by Cluster

Missiles?

A:

Yes.

Q:

If a ship attacks, misses, and triggers

Gunner/Luke Skywalker, can it target

a different ship for the primary weapon

attack?

A:

Yes.

Based on the above quotations from printed upgrade cards, the Rules of Play, and the latest FAQ release, I come to the following conclusions.

1) The second Q and A listed above under Wave 2 Upgrade Cards disregards the “you may not perform another attack this round” text listed on the Gunner/Luke Skywalker crew upgrade cards, where ‘you’ (as quoted from the Rules of Play) refers to the Ship card in question. According to this and the above quoted Cluster Missiles upgrade card and p. 20 Rules of Play - if the first Cluster Missile attack misses, Gunner/Luke Skywalker triggers and the ship must make an additional primary weapon attack and then that ships combat activation would conclude without executing the second Cluster Missile attack. Therefore, this Q and A is a direct override of the Rules of Play in regards to Gunner/Luke Skywalker and Cluster Missiles.

2) If the second Q and A listed above under Wave 2 Upgrade Cards is an intentional exception to the rules (which it must be, why else would it be in the FAQ?), the author believes that the wording “you may not perform another attack this round” of Gunner/Luke Skywalker crew upgrade cards appears to be ignored and/or does not apply for the purposes of Cluster Missile attacks.

3) The first Q and A listed above under Wave 2 Upgrade Cards specifies that “Each attack granted by Cluster Missiles is distinct, so either attack can trigger Gunner/Luke Skywalker”, and according to the Q and A listed above under Wave 1 Upgrade Cards, “… it [the ship] must attack the same target twice.” It seems apparent to the author that Cluster Missiles attacks are indeed treated as two separate attacks that must be taken on the same target, and Gunner/Luke Skywalker can be triggered on either attack.

This whole unfortunate but necessary journey in rules-lawyering still leaves me in a rather fuzzy understanding of the new FAQ rulings discussed here.

In the spirit of our great game, I’d like to think that my 2 ^nd conclusion stated above is incorrect and only applies in the case of the first Cluster Missile attack missing, as stated in the Q and A quoted above.

If it is not, however – and if my other two conclusions are correct – does this imply that Gunner/Luke Skywalker could trigger on both Cluster Missile attacks if both missed each time?

I think that at the moment when you consider all of those FAQ answers together there's nothing written at the moment that prohibits two gunner activations if you miss with both cluster missile attacks. Cluster missiles appear to be a special exception to the 'you cannot perform another attack this round' statement on the gunner/Luke Skywalker card.

I need to correct my initial post.

When I wrote this article initially I did not keep in mind the errata that was made to the Luke Skywalker/Gunner crew upgrade cards. Initially the card text was worded in such a way that its effects were mandatory and triggered by a ships initial attack missing. The errata given to us in the latest FAQ now states that these cards now read as “After you perform an attack that does not hit, you may immediately perform a primary weapon attack”, meaning that the Gunner/Luke Skywalker crew upgrade card's triggering is now optional at the controlling players discretion.

However, I still believe my conclusion 1) still holds for the purpose of this thread since the rest of the Gunner/Luke Skywalker crew upgrade card text remains unchanged.

I agree that gunner should only trigger one time during the attack. So if you hit with the 1st attack and then miss with the 2nd only then could you have the 2nd attack with gunner. If you allow for the gunner on the 1st and 2nd attack you will break the game. Unless your goal is to sell more Falcons. Then it's a great Idea.

Hello X-Wing players!

I unfortunately made an error in the FAQ concerning the question:

Q: If a ship using Cluster Missiles misses with the first attack and then triggers Gunner/Luke Skywalker, can it still perform the remaining attack granted by Cluster Missiles?

A: Yes.

The answer should be "No." We'll post an updated version of the FAQ as soon as possible. Thank you for your patience!

I believe it has been corrected.

There is a NEW new FAQ.

There is a NEW new FAQ.

If a ship using Cluster Missiles misses with the first attack and then triggers Gunner/Luke Skywalker, can it still perform the remaining attack granted by Cluster Missiles?

A: No.

The latest FAQ change the one from the other day.

Well, that's a lot clearer! No 'Han Shoots Twice' list for me...

Thanks for the heads-up Ken at Sunrise. I think that clears everything up.

So Gunner/Luke Skywalker crew upgrade cards will cancel the second Cluster Missile attack roll if their controlling player allows them to trigger after the first Cluster Missile attack roll. Therefore Gunner/Luke Skywalker cannot possibly work on both CM attack rolls.

Thanks FFG James for the correction!

And thanks jetsetter for quoting the correction for all to see, should definitely clear up the fog on this topic.