Breaking stealth before scanning?

[Jetbaker]

After reading the tournament that just happened am I correct in assuming that you have to break stealth before trying to scan a ship, per Matt, or am I wrong?

 

[CaptBavo]

I got that impression from reading the thread, it has me wondering too.

 

[Delthos]

Call me dense, but which tournament thread?

 

[CaptBavo]

Earth-Centauri Report, around page 4

We have never played recon run that way.

 

[Da Boss]

Thats what Matt ruled to Ken and I on the day - Ken had already played it that way when attempting to scan Dargans

 

[Jetbaker]

thank you that is good to know. An update to the faq might be a good idea.

 

[Greg Smith]

I have to say that I think there are problems with this ruling.

Scanning occurs in the movement phase. Which means that scouts do not have a chance to come into play. It also causes problems with the range effect, since a ship can be scanned and stealth broken when it is within 8" and then move away.

It throws up further questions, such as whether the stealth remains broken for shooting, whether breaking stealth for scanning counts as having stealth broken by another ship for shooting purposes, and whether a ship that fails to break stealth for scanning can retry to break stealth for shooting?

A whole can of worms was just opened.

 

[Jetbaker]

Your right Greg that does bring up some interesting points. I am unsure of what to make of this ruling and wonder if perhaps some clarification from Matt explaining his thoughts, would be helpful. Otherwise it makes a high stealth fleet almost immune to that particular scenario.

Would posting in the rulemaster forum be a better place to get a clarificaion, or are we just supposed to take the ruling at face value.

 

[Foxmeister]

I would hope that it's a campaign specific ruling, and not a general one. As far as I'm concerned, in a Recon Run the attacker gets less FAPs because it's easier to scan a ship with a single roll than it is to destroy one. If breaking stealth is required, the Minbari gain a massive advantage in this scenario over every other race, which means they should face full attacking FAP IMHO.

Regards,

Dave

 

[Da Boss]

Strangely enough I was very supirsed that I nearly won this one............

 

[Jetbaker]

If it was to that tournament only specific that needs to be established. If it is an across the board ruling then that needs to be stated as well. I guess it just needs to be stated what the actual ruling needs to be. I would only hope that scanning would ignore the stealth mechanic like emines do.

 

[CaptBavo]

A whole can of worms was just opened.

I'd have to agree, the thought of breaking stealth first never even crossed my mind.

Minbari would be pretty tough to face in that scenario, or maybe even Psi-Corps to a smaller degree.

 

[David Anla Shok']

A whole can of worms was just opened.

I'd have to agree, the thought of breaking stealth first never even crossed my mind.

Minbari would be pretty tough to face in that scenario, or maybe even Psi-Corps to a smaller degree.

It had crossed our minds, the group mind here locally. We've yet to decide on a house rule. So far we've just had the scout make its roll to do its scout thing. Kind of screws the stealth using ships. I was thinking that the scout get a "break the stealth" roll before trying to do a scout function and give them a bonus to the break roll as they have the extra sensor gear to use.

 

[Burger]

I'm pretty sure that it had been officially ruled the othe way in rulesmasters before, that you do not need to break stealth to scan. It would be completely unfair to Minbari or other stealth ships, since nobody else's defences work. There is no to-hit roll so high hull doesn't help... you can't dodge or intercept the scan. Though I can't find it now, must've got deleted in the Great Burn.

I'd go with a carefully considered and debated rulesmasters ruling over a heat of the moment, time pressured, tournament ruling any day.