High Energy Turn Question

[sean_68333]

I’ve got a question on the High Energy Turn! special action. Please forgive me if it has already been addressed.

The description says: “If the Crew Quality check is failed, then the ship does not gain an extra turn and automatically increases the Critical Score of its Impulse Drive by 1 for every 45 degrees extra it tried to turn”.

The rules also state: “A Special Action must be chosen and attempted before the ship begins to move”.

So if you use the High Energy Turn! special action you will check to see if it is successful before you move your ship. If you fail, how do you know how much extra you tried to turn? Do you just take 4 points of critical damage to your impulse drive since you could have turned 180 degrees? Or do you not take any damage since you didn’t actually try any extra turning? Or do you have to declare how you plan to move prior to rolling?

Thanks for the input.

 

[Rick]

You declare it first.

 

[Rambler]

You declare it and stat how sharp of a turn you will make. If you only want a extra 45 degrees that's all you have to roll for. If you fail you take a single critical and the move normally as if you never thought about using a High Energy Turn. Note also that if you ship is agile the Max damage you will take is only one because the agile trait turns your 45° turn into a 90° turn and you only take damage for each turn in excess of your normal 90° turn.

Edit: By the same token the most a 45° vessel will take is 3 criticals.

 

[Captain Jonah]

High Energy Turn

What is this strange move, I have not heard of it before.

Not something you see round here :wink: :lol:

 

[sean_68333]

Thanks for clearing that up for me.

Rambler, there are two options for turning within this special action. One is to increase a turn up to 180 degrees. The other is to take an additional turn anywhere during your movement. If you were taking the additional turn, then you could suffer 4 criticals; correct? Or am I missing something again.

Is it me or are High Energy Turns way to risky to every actually use.

 

[McKinstry]

Thanks for clearing that up for me.

Rambler, there are two options for turning within this special action. One is to increase a turn up to 180 degrees. The other is to take an additional turn anywhere during your movement. If you were taking the additional turn, then you could suffer 4 criticals; correct? Or am I missing something again.

Is it me or are High Energy Turns way to risky to every actually use.

We've played two formal games and have yet to see a HET. The punishment for failure is simply too great for a 50/50 risk.

 

[Captain Jonah]

Thanks for clearing that up for me.

Rambler, there are two options for turning within this special action. One is to increase a turn up to 180 degrees. The other is to take an additional turn anywhere during your movement. If you were taking the additional turn, then you could suffer 4 criticals; correct? Or am I missing something again.

Is it me or are High Energy Turns way to risky to every actually use.

Well considering that you are taking direct crits on a column that results in you catching fire, exploding and dying yes they are too risky.

Most people, people not Fed or Gorn anyway generally don't need them since they have either agile or turn 4 cruisers and such. The Feds can use them with those turn 6 cruisers but as its a 50% chance of wrecking your own drives it really is one of those I'm dead if it doesn't work anyway sort of things.

For the Gorn, what is this HET thing, can we eat it, what does it taste like :lol:

 

[Rambler]

Sean you are not missing any thing if you use it to force a additional 180° turn before you are eligible then yes you could take 4 hits.

 

[Captain Jonah]

Sean you are not missing any thing if you use it to force a additional 180° turn before you are eligible then yes you could take 4 hits.

The roll for escalation at the end of the turn and go bang the turn afterwards if you escalate again. Not to mention the criticals caused on the other tables AND the damage you take.

HET, if you are going to die anyway its maybe worth it, otherwise just don't :roll:

 

[scoutdad]

We have used the High Energy Turn special action several times... but then again, we've now got a couple hundred games under our belts (as a group, that is.)
Quite often, you do not need to use the full 180 degree turn. And an agile ship that needs to turn 120 degrees only incurs a 1 critic penalty for failing.

Do not fall into the trap of thinking that an HET can only be used for making a complete turn around.

 

[AdmiralGrafSpee]

I think it is a far more useful special action when using variable crew quality. I agree that the penalty is very high - only do it when its do or die.

-Tim