ACTA: Firing at Fighters on Escort Duty

[LaranosTZ]

This is sort of two questions, as the answer to one depends on the other.

1. Can you fire seperately on fighters that are running interceptor duty on a friendly vessel?

if so,

2. What happens if an opponent split-fires an interceptable gun against the fighters on interceptor duty, and the ship itself? Do the fighters get to act as interceptors against those shots, do they die first, etc. etc.

This came up in a game recently, we figured the answer to 1 is 'yes' but the way we handled the second, since all shots are supposed to be simultanious and this is not just the same ship, but the same gun, is that the fighters have the chance to intercept the portion of the shot that targets the main vessel, but if the part that was directed at them kills them they are vaped at the resolution of the shot, regardless of the results ot the interceptor roll.

 

[Greg Smith]

Yes you can shoot at them.

 

[katadder]

i would go with the way you ran it for the same weapon. if however he fired one weapon at the fighters and one at the ship run it in the way it was declared: so if a centauri ship declared ion cannons at the fighters 1st and matter cannons at the ship then see if fighters survive to get to intercept.

 

[Burger]

But do fighters act as interceptors to defend themselves from the attack?

Rules as written say no. They give the interceptors trait to the ship they are defending, they do not get the interceptors trait themselves.

 

[Davesaint]

But do fighters act as interceptors to defend themselves from the attack?

Rules as written say no. They give the interceptors trait to the ship they are defending, they do not get the interceptors trait themselves.

But then again, aren't fighters now ships?

 

[katadder]

But do fighters act as interceptors to defend themselves from the attack?

Rules as written say no. They give the interceptors trait to the ship they are defending, they do not get the interceptors trait themselves.

not to defend themselves from attack no, they have dodge for that, which is better anyway. however in theory as you can have one fighter supporting another then you can give a fighter an interceptor.

 

[Burger]

But do fighters act as interceptors to defend themselves from the attack?

Rules as written say no. They give the interceptors trait to the ship they are defending, they do not get the interceptors trait themselves.

But then again, aren't fighters now ships?

Yes but when you put a fighter on interceptor duty, you have to specify which ship they are acting as an interceptor for. No other ships (including themselves) get any benefit.

 

[B_Steele]

The fighters can totally be shot at.

They can Dodge if permitted, but not intercept for themselves.

 

[LaranosTZ]

I didn't ask if they could intercept for themselves, I assumed they could not. What I am asking is if they could still intercept for their ship, given that:

A. It was the same ship firing at them

and

B. It was split fire from the same -weapon-.

Since firing is supposed to be simultanious, and in this case it's not even just the same ship, but the same -weapon- would they still get to act in the roll of interceptor for the ship they are protecting?

 

[Burger]

No reason why not (according to the rules that is). As long as, as katadder said, the attacker doesn't resolve the attack on the fighter first and destroy it.

 

[ShopKeepJon]

So, just so I have this completely clear...

...if a player firing an 8 AD weapon system allocates 4 AD to a fighter flying escort and 4 AD to the ship being escorted, what happens?

A. The firing player gets to decide the order in which the AD are resolved allowing him to destroy the fighter before the fighter can serve as an interceptor.

B. All of the AD from the weapon system is resolved simultaneously allowing the fighter to serve as an interceptor regardless of whether it is destroyed in the same attack.

Please note that the fighter is not trying to act as an interceptor for itself, just for the ship that it is escorting.

ShopKeepJon

 

[lastbesthope]

I'd go with A

The attacking player gets to choose which order the different weapon systems are fired in, so it stands to reason they get to choose which order they fire at which ships.

LBH

 

[LaranosTZ]

Even if those shots are from the same weapon?

 

[Burger]

Yep, A. Same as if you split fire between two ships and one of them explodes: you resolve the explosion damage before the attack on the second ship.

 

[lastbesthope]

Even if those shots are from the same weapon?

I'd say so, yes.

LBH

 

[LaranosTZ]

Coolcool, question resolved then.

 

[ShopKeepJon]

That's what I thought, but it is always good to get it confirmed by people more experienced with the game.

ShopKeepJon