Just curious on how this works. It takes two tokens for a large base ship to suffer the affects of being ionnized. However if a large base ship is hit once in a activation but not a second time the token remains but the ship does not suffer the affect. My question; when is the ion token removed?

The end of the rule reads, "Then the player removes all ion tokens from the ship at the end of the Activation phase."

So turn one combat phase my shuttle is hit with an ion cannon and receives a token. No other hits are landed on the ship. The token remains in play.

turn two... I activate the shuttle, take an action, then at the end of the activation phase I remove the single ion token.

That is how I am reading it... is that correct?

Nope, first token stays in place until a second one shows up and Ionizes you. At that point you execute your white 1-straight the following activation, and then both come off.

Hmmm... strange wording then. Why indicate that all tokens are removed at the end of activation? As all effects of being ionized are removed after you execute the 1-straight manuver?

I am probably reading too much into this one. Most of the other stuff is pretty clear...

I believe the Ion interaction with large base ships is expanded on in the insert that comes with those ships. Let me see if I can find it for you.

Huh. Everyone else in my area has assumed that both tokens need to be taken in the same round to stun a big ship.

Dracon: Same in our area too. This just came up in a discussion on BGG forum.

Crooked: The last sentence that I quote is from the Milenium Falcon card... The wording is a bit wonky... I had hoped it was covered in the FAQ but it appears it has not.

So, in the inserts of the large ships, it has a section on Ion Tokens:

"Some card abilities may cause a ship to receive an ion token. A large ship is unaffected by a single ion token; the ion token simply remains assigned to the ship . When a large ship has two or more ion tokens assigned to it, it suffers the ion token effect as normal. The play then removes all ion tokens from the ship at the end of the Activation phase."

Italic emphasis mine.

So, consensus has been that the first ion token remains assigned to the ship until a second one has been gained. It's a hazier rule that really could use some FAQ love, but since these rules override the rules on the Ion card, that's the logical interpretation.

I agree that the token would stay throughout the combat phase but then that last sentence really throws the monkey wrench in it. It indicates that all (all is even bolded) ion tokens are removed.

I think they allow the token to stay as one hit in the current combat phase as it means nothing to a large ship but if it is hit again during the same combat phase then you have a token on it and can add the second.

If you didn't clear the tokens on a ship, in theory a ship could get ionnized once in turn one and then carry the token for the rest of the game until it is hit again.

So I am not terribly crazy... FAQ love would be nice.

edited to clarify rambling and grammar

"When a large ship has two or more ion tokens assigned to it, it suffers the ion token effect as normal. The player then removes all ion tokens from the ship at the end of the Activation phase."

"Suffers the ion token effect ...... then removes all ion tokens"

You don't remove any ion tokens unless you have suffered the effect. Note the use of the word "then" in the above.

The rule insert from the large ships are crystal clear on this one, in my opinion. The ion token stays, until it gets a 2nd ion token, then it suffers the effect and removes both tokens.

The thing is, the rules for ion tokens only take effect when the ship has 2 or more ion tokens on the ship. So you don't remove them because that step doesn't go into effect until the condition of 2+ ion tokens is met.

I honestly don't think it's that confusing. You're just taking the last statement out of context with the second to last.
The first statement describes the condition: When a large ship has two or more tokens assigned to it...
The second describes what happens when that condition is met: suffer the ion effect as normal... The player then removes ALL ion tokens from the ship at the end of activation.
" When a large ship has two or more ion tokens assigned to it, it suffers the ion token effect as normal. The player then removes all ion tokens from the ship at the end of the Activation phase."

Yep, need two hits in the same phase. Ion tokens don't stay on large ships.

Edit: Reread the rules again, I am wrong in this interpretation.

Yep, need two hits in the same phase. Ion tokens don't stay on large ships.

No, this is not correct. As most have been saying above, the token stays on the ship until you suffer the ion effects.

When a large ship has two or more ion tokens assigned to it, it suffers the ion token effect as normal. The player THEN removes all ion tokens from the ship at the end of the Activation phase.

Note the "then removes". It's a "Do X, then Y" structure, and unless you do X, you don't do Y. That means that you don't remove the token until after you've suffered the ion effects. This is both standard English and a confirmed structure in the X-wing rules. Note the ruling for Expert Handling, which has a similar structure:

Perform a free barrel roll action...You may then remove 1 enemy target lock from your ship.

The FAQ confirms that you don't get to remove the target lock unless you complete the barrel roll. Same structure, same conclusion - unless you do the first part, you don't get to do the second.