Narn E-mine variant - ionic burst

[Kevin Clark]

Is it me or can this be read two ways?

Does the E-mine Ionic Burst cause damage in addition to the disruption effect. The wording is a bit vague. My guess is not, like the HARM missile, but I'm arguing with a rules lawyer. If it does do damage it would certainly become my E-mine variant of choice.

 

[LaranosTZ]

These sorts of questions are best suited for the rulesmaster forums, but to answer your question, no, ionic burst mines do not cause damage. All they do is disrupt SAs.

 

[G´berg]

Last thing I noticed was that the ionic burst caused a disruption (avoiding the oponent to make SAs), and gained the weak trait.

So they indeed caused damage... ¿is it diferent now? in armaggedon it hasn´t changed, so...

With the weak trait it´s worth taking at least one in each battle to disrupt and still perform an effective antifighter role, but more than one I would think twice. Depends on the size of the enemy fleet.

 

[Silvereye]

The rules for Ionic Mines can be found here SFoS, Pg 82. The Energy Mine trait was revised here Armagedon, Pg 5.

It works exaclty like a standard Energy Mine, and causes damage like one, but with the Weak trait. However it also has a more important secondary effect. Any ship caught within the explosion will be unable to use a special action in the following turn, and loose the effects of any existing special action they have undertaken this turn. The energy mine does not have to cause damage for the disruption effects to happen.

Just be careful when using them on ships on CAF!, as they will be able to target freely afterwards.

 

[Voronesh]

Yer it has to do damage, otherwise it would make the weak trait kinda useless.

 

[Sulfurdown]

Comms Disruptor is SAP, but I think that it doesn't do any damage IIRC.

Does a ship really get to target freely if it's CAF! has been neutralized? I was under the impression that when a SA was neutralized you still suffer all the restrictions but get none of the benefits?

 

[Wulf Corbett]

Does a ship really get to target freely if it's CAF! has been neutralized? I was under the impression that when a SA was neutralized you still suffer all the restrictions but get none of the benefits?

A recent decision by Matt Sprange on the Rulesmaster forum has said that when a SA is lost, ALL effects, positive & negative, are also lost. Thus, if you attempt a SA but fail, you can still launch a flight of fighters.

Wulf

 

[Keith]

On reading the rules there is nothing to say a ioic burst looses its ability to damage (unlike the other SA dirupting effects).
It could be argued that it is a little overpowered because unlike then other effects it is automatic and covers an area. Though the fact that no hits can cuase criticals may balance this.
It can be particularly effective against the devastating effect of battle laser CAFing so popular with the Minbari and Centari. The bonus (from a Narn standpoint) is that the hull value of 6 many of the Centari ships means there is no downside to the weak trait.

 

[Voronesh]

But the Comms disruptors actually need to do a hit on a ship to have any effect.

The ionic e-mine just needs to have a ship within effect radius. Youre either in or out. Weak has no part to play in that.

Weak is mostly in to give you limited anti fighter capability with it. And flake some paint off enemy ships. But seriously Hull 5 ships get less than 2 damage points from a G'quan with ionics. Hardly anything you would care about, especially since the damage can NEVER cause crits.

I often to the e-mine pulse, placing emine on my own ships to clean em off fighters. Do i ever look back on losing 1-2 damage points? Nahhh.