B5: Shadows' Anti-Fighter Defences

[AdrianH]

From P&P:

During the Movement phase, you may opt to convert the Beam weapon into one that will devastate enemy fighter formations.

It doesn't say exactly when during the Movement phase, though.

If you have to declare this when the Shadow ship moves, the fighters will just run away. It still has its uses, against ships which can dodge or after moving double speed to get next to an enemy ship which you can't now attack with the beam in normal mode because you're facing the wrong way. But it does make this "anti-fighter defence" useless against fighters.

But if you are allowed to declare that you're converting your beam into anti-fighter mode right at the end of the Movement phase, after fighters have moved, then it becomes much more useful against fighters. Are you in fact allowed to do this?

 

[Da Boss]

If you know you are going to be jumped - say by Vree bombers then it can be the only real defence you get - even if you activate it aginst them in your move phase?

 

[AdrianH]

There is no "your" move phase - during the movement phase, you take it in turns with your opponent to move ships. The problem is that if you think you're about to be jumped by Vree Tzymms (or perhaps they were already sitting on your last turn) and you declare when you move your ship that the beam is in anti-fighter mode, then the Vree player laughs at you, moves his Xorrs into their range (15") and out of your range (12" if it's a Young Ship, 9" if it's a Stalker), then moves his Tzymms out of range when the capital ships have all moved and it's the fighters' time to move.

Which, since the book doesn't actually say "when the ship moves" but "during the movement phase", is why I asked.

 

[Da Boss]

yeah I get that - I mean't your ships move phase - however not being attacked for a turn can be important for regen of damage / criticals / shields and given that fighters can move of your fire arcs anyway - AF maybe the only thing you can do against fighters - if he chooses not to fire at you for a turn - thats often a big thing for a Shadow Ship. Its not great but might be the only thing you can except run..........

 

[AdrianH]

The best defence against fighters has always been a couple of Scouts parked one either side of your big ship, preferably in such a way that they can shoot at something else if no fighters venture into their forward arcs.

Note that everyone else gets to declare their anti-fighter attacks at the end of the Movement phase, after fighters have moved. It may make sense for Shadows to declare then that their weapon is being used in anti-fighter mode, even though it only fires during the Attack phase. It's still in the Movement phase and therefore obeys RAW.

 

[Burger]

Shadows best fighter defence is shields. If there's too many, SM and self-repair
The Shadows biggest advantage is their ability to not take a fight if they don't like the odds.

 

[AdrianH]

Refusing to fight is of some use in a campaign but isn't much use in a one-off game.

Nobody has yet answered my original question. Since the book only says that the beam must be declared to be in anti-fighter mode during the movment phase, but does not specify when during the movement phase, can the declaration be made at the end of the movement phase? That is, during the same part of the movement phase in which everyone else would use their real anti-fighter. (Obviously being a weapon, the beam doesn't actually fire until the attack phase.)

 

[Burger]

Oh I don't know about that. I've seen tournament games where Shadows / Vorlons have kept their distance until the last few turns, then come out of hiding, blapped a couple of enemy ships, and won the game. A bit frustrating for the opponent but quite ancienty behaviour really.

As with other actions that are taken during the movement phase, I would say you have to declare it when that ship moves.