I have a question about builds and initiative. I have been reading a few threads where people have been trying to create 100 point squads. When others critique them, I often see them say something like "Drop x upgrade in order to gain init."

I'm new to the game, so I just don't understand.. I thought initiative went from lowest to highest PS for Movement and Highest to lowest PS for Attack. What would dropping a few points off your build have to do with anything?

Is there something I missed in the manual?

Initiative is about pilots with identical PS. In which order do they move and shoot?

If there are ships with identical PS on both sides the player with initiative moves and shoots first.

I have a question about builds and initiative. I have been reading a few threads where people have been trying to create 100 point squads. When others critique them, I often see them say something like "Drop x upgrade in order to gain init."

I'm new to the game, so I just don't understand.. I thought initiative went from lowest to highest PS for Movement and Highest to lowest PS for Attack. What would dropping a few points off your build have to do with anything?

Is there something I missed in the manual?

"Initiative" is what determines who goes first when there's a tie for Pilot Skill.

Example: Who shoots first, Wedge Antilles or Darth Vader? Both are level 9 Pilots.

Answer: If they have the same number of points in their squad, Darth Vader, as the Empire is the default. However, if they don't have the same number of points, the one with fewer points has the initiative.

If, for example, the Rebels have a 99 point fleet and the Empire has a 100 point fleet, the Rebels have Initiative.

• Wedge will move before Vader, possibly causing Vader to collide with him, but having a slightly harder time getting a Target Lock.
• Wedge will shoot before Vader. If he destroys Vader, Vader will still be able to shoot before leaving the battlefield (Simultaneous Fire).
• However, if Wedge destroys Howlrunner, Vader doesn't get the Howlrunner bonus when shooting at Wedge.

I have a question about builds and initiative. I have been reading a few threads where people have been trying to create 100 point squads. When others critique them, I often see them say something like "Drop x upgrade in order to gain init."

I'm new to the game, so I just don't understand.. I thought initiative went from lowest to highest PS for Movement and Highest to lowest PS for Attack. What would dropping a few points off your build have to do with anything?

Is there something I missed in the manual?

"Initiative" is what determines who goes first when there's a tie for Pilot Skill.

Example: Who shoots first, Wedge Antilles or Darth Vader? Both are level 9 Pilots.

Answer: If they have the same number of points in their squad, Darth Vader, as the Empire is the default. However, if they don't have the same number of points, the one with fewer points has the initiative.

If, for example, the Rebels have a 99 point fleet and the Empire has a 100 point fleet, the Rebels have Initiative.

• Wedge will move before Vader, possibly causing Vader to collide with him, but having a slightly harder time getting a Target Lock.
• Wedge will shoot before Vader. If he destroys Vader, Vader will still be able to shoot before leaving the battlefield (Simultaneous Fire).
• However, if Wedge destroys Howlrunner, Vader doesn't get the Howlrunner bonus when shooting at Wedge.

That's what I was looking for. Is it listed somewhere in the manual, or perhaps somewhere else? I haven't seen this rule listed anywhere, but I like it.

One more question - does the initiative "bonus" as you will gained from choosing a lower point squadron negate abilities on the opposing team that would bring up a player's PS score - for example - Roark's ability to buff a ship up to 12 from say a 6. Would that ability still be in play, or would it negate it, causing the ship he was buffing to use their default PS score?

That's what I was looking for. Is it listed somewhere in the manual, or perhaps somewhere else? I haven't seen this rule listed anywhere, but I like it.

The rulebook mentions initiative several times.

page 4: "If multiple ships have the same pilot skill value, the player with initiative places his ships with that pilot skill first (see “Initiative” on page 16)."

page 7: "When multiple ships have the same pilot skill value, the player with initiative must activate all of his ships with that pilot skill first. Unless otherwise specified, the imperial player has initiative. For more details on initiative, see page 16."

page 10: "If both players have ships with the same pilot skill value, the player with initiative resolves his ships’ combat steps first (see “Initiative” and “Simultaneous Attack Rule” on page 16)."

page 13: "In the unlikely event that each player’s final ship is destroyed at the same time, the player with initiative wins."

page 16: "One player always has initiative, a distinction used to resolve timing conflicts. ..."

page 18 ...

page 21 ...

One more question - does the initiative "bonus" as you will gained from choosing a lower point squadron negate abilities on the opposing team that would bring up a player's PS score - for example - Roark's ability to buff a ship up to 12 from say a 6. Would that ability still be in play, or would it negate it, causing the ship he was buffing to use their default PS score?

No. Nothing of the sort. Initiative does not affect PS at all.

Initiative is merely a tiebreaker, used to determine who sets up, moves and shoots first, between pilots of matching skill levels on either side of the table. That and who puts out the first asteroid are pretty much it.

It's worth noting that while the rule book states that the Imperial player gets initiative in the case of an equal number of points for each side, in a tournament initiative is determined randomly when total points are tied and has no regard for Rebel vs Imperial.

It's worth noting that while the rule book states that the Imperial player gets initiative in the case of an equal number of points for each side, in a tournament initiative is determined randomly when total points are tied and has no regard for Rebel vs Imperial.

I actually assumed that it was randomly done when it was Reb v Reb or Imp v Imp. Good to know that was wrong!

Most people, at this point, just use the competition rules, in which faction doesn't matter and initiative goes purely off of lowest point value, or a roll in the case of a tie.

That's what I was looking for. Is it listed somewhere in the manual, or perhaps somewhere else? I haven't seen this rule listed anywhere, but I like it.

The rulebook mentions initiative several times.

page 4: "If multiple ships have the same pilot skill value, the player with initiative places his ships with that pilot skill first (see “Initiative” on page 16)."

page 7: "When multiple ships have the same pilot skill value, the player with initiative must activate all of his ships with that pilot skill first. Unless otherwise specified, the imperial player has initiative. For more details on initiative, see page 16."

page 10: "If both players have ships with the same pilot skill value, the player with initiative resolves his ships’ combat steps first (see “Initiative” and “Simultaneous Attack Rule” on page 16)."

page 13: "In the unlikely event that each player’s final ship is destroyed at the same time, the player with initiative wins."

page 16: "One player always has initiative, a distinction used to resolve timing conflicts. ..."

page 18 ...

page 21 ...

One more question - does the initiative "bonus" as you will gained from choosing a lower point squadron negate abilities on the opposing team that would bring up a player's PS score - for example - Roark's ability to buff a ship up to 12 from say a 6. Would that ability still be in play, or would it negate it, causing the ship he was buffing to use their default PS score?

No. Nothing of the sort. Initiative does not affect PS at all.

This is the stuff I have read - I just don't recall where initiative favors the lower point build anywhere. I know that in the event of a tie, Imperials always move first. I didn't know about the tournament differences though. So, in the event of a tournament, as an example of Vader vs. Wedge - Vader doesn't necessarily move first?

his is the stuff I have read - I just don't recall where initiative favors the lower point build anywhere.

That is on page 18.