[ACTA:SF] Transport Marines

[Totenkopf]

I'm a bit confused regarding how this particular SA is played out and when certain events take place. From my reading it only says that in order to transport Marines onto an enemy ship, there are two criteria that must be met:

1. The enemy ship must have no shields
2. The enemy ship must be within 2" of the attacking ship at the conclusion of the attacking ship's movement.

But when does the raid take place? During the movement phase, attack phase, or end phase? If during one of the latter phases, what happens when the enemy ship moves away during its movement phase?

 

[MongooseMatt]

During the Movement Phase, after the attacking ship has moved.

 

[Iain McGhee]

I'd go with (at the end of) the movement phase like most SAs since it doesn't say otherwise (unlike the tractor beam SA for example).

Edit: Ninja Matt strikes again

 

[Iron Domokun]

Seems very situational and difficult to pull off.

 

[Ben2]

It makes it a later game action, or for when you have a ship on it's own with the shields down.

However it says that the attacking ship has 0 shields in the arc facing the target ship for that turn. I'm guessing the intention is the 90 degree arc, but it doesn't say. Can this be clarified in the FAQ?

 

[GalagaGalaxian]

Seems very situational and difficult to pull off.

Indeed, but it can be potentially devastating in the middle of a fight with the right ship. A ship with a lot of marines and a lot of transports can do several criticals, even with 1in3 odds.

 

[billclo]

Seems very situational and difficult to pull off.

Indeed, but it can be potentially devastating in the middle of a fight with the right ship. A ship with a lot of marines and a lot of transports can do several criticals, even with 1in3 odds.

Certain Klingon ships tend to do well with this tactic, being as they have a lot of transporters. But it is risky as well.

 

[Totenkopf]

During the Movement Phase, after the attacking ship has moved.

Thanks for the quick response Matt, and that is how I "assumed" it would work, but I wanted to be certain and now I am!

@ID yeah, I looked at that ability and I just thought to myself...should I even bother printing out that SA counter? I could see it being useful in very selective situations, mostly where you want one ship to put damage on two ships without splitting up your firepower too much. Risky for sure.

As an aside, someone please share with us the first time you use this SA, and how it worked out.

 

[Ben2]

Not at all risky if you've lost your shields as well. Then you may as well go for it.

 

[GalagaGalaxian]

True, but it is that ships only special action for the turn. It'll be tough to see if its worth spending it on a hit and run compared to say boosting shields, All Power to Engines! to get some breathing room, or Overloading the weapons to do more "reliable" extra damage.

 

[Iain McGhee]

Used it a number of times. Mostly with Klingon ships against targets which have taken higher levels of criticals if there's another enemy ship more deserving of my gunner's attentions (park it so the forward arc's on the other target, side/rear arc's on the transporter target where the Klingon's phaser -2 and-3 can finish it off if necessary). Sometimes if a ship's crippled with nearby enemies and is unlikely to last another turn anyway.

 

[Totenkopf]

Used it a number of times. Mostly with Klingon ships against targets which have taken higher levels of criticals if there's another enemy ship more deserving of my gunner's attentions (park it so the forward arc's on the other target, side/rear arc's on the transporter target where the Klingon's phaser -2 and-3 can finish it off if necessary). Sometimes if a ship's crippled with nearby enemies and is unlikely to last another turn anyway.

What was the outcome in most of those scenarios? Was it beneficial? Or did it fail to do much of anything?

 

[Iain McGhee]

Depends how lucky your dice are, doesn't it ? I was scoring roughly 2 criticals on average first time (few ships have enough marines to make a worthwhile second attempt IMO, unless you're desperate), lots more on a few occasions. Mostly going for enemy ships with criticals of 4+ in at least one system (since if you push it up to 6 it can't repair it and is effectively out of the fight with several of them and several at 5+ are almost as bad, even if only for a turn).