New to the Game - B5:ACTA 2ed Rules Question

[Burger]

May also be worth saying that although stealth reductions from scouts do not stack (ie. you can't get +3 to stealth rolls from 3 scouts), stealth reductions from different sources do stack. So if you've got a scout lock, the target has been hit by another ships' weapon system and is within 8", then you do get +3.

As Adrian says the same does not apply to rerolls.... you can never reroll a reroll in ACTA.

 

[Greg Smith]

And there is nothing to stop you using one scout to lower stealth and a second to reroll misses.

 

[Zarash]

Thanks guys. Also, since it says alternativley then I take it that means you pick one or the other. Either you can give stealth a -1 or you can reroll a weapon system correct?

When you choose one weapon system do the weapon system have to be the same on each ship?

For example I am playing Vree and I have the Vaarl with scout and I want to attack a Vorlon transport with a Vaarka which has an Antimater Shredder, and I also want to attack with a Xill Battle Saucer. Can I use the Shedder on the Vaarka, and the Antimatter Cannon on the Xill as well, or do I have to use the Shredder on Xill as well since its the same weapon system? I am unsure as it says weapon system as in one type and not systems.

I have a question about Beam weapons. If a ship has a hull of 3 a beam will hit it on a roll of 3? Also, since it has hull 3 you can only reroll 4's even if it has a hull of 3 right? Just asking this because i believe I seen a few fighters with a 3 hull.

I am sure more questions will follow. There is no one here to teach me and I like to play games as correctly as posssible. I do house rule a little sometimes.

 

[Da Boss]

Thanks guys. Also, since it says alternativley then I take it that means you pick one or the other. Either you can give stealth a -1 or you can reroll a weapon system correct?

Correct

When you choose one weapon system do the weapon system have to be the same on each ship?

You choose the weapon system when the ship (or fighter as it works for them too) fires

For example I am playing Vree and I have the Vaarl with scout and I want to attack a Vorlon transport with a Vaarka which has an Antimater Shredder, and I also want to attack with a Xill Battle Saucer. Can I use the Shedder on the Vaarka, and the Antimatter Cannon on the Xill as well, or do I have to use the Shredder on Xill as well since its the same weapon system? I am unsure as it says weapon system as in one type and not systems.

You can choose any available system per ship per successful scouting roll - so in your example you could use the Shredder on the Vaarka and the Cannon on the Xill

I have a question about Beam weapons. If a ship has a hull of 3 a beam will hit it on a roll of 3? Also, since it has hull 3 you can only reroll 4's even if it has a hull of 3 right? Just asking this because i believe I seen a few fighters with a 3 hull.

beams always hit on 4+ regardless if the hull is higher or lower.

If you are using the superior system invented by Triggy then it always hits on 3-6, with re-rolls on 5 or 6.

Basically ignore the hull score when using Beams

 

[Zarash]

You answered before I got done editing lol.

I have a question about Beam weapons. If a ship has a hull of 3 a beam will hit it on a roll of 3? Also, since it has hull 3 you can only reroll 4's even if it has a hull of 3 right? Just asking this because i believe I seen a few fighters with a 3 hull.

WOW daboss ytou did it again lol.

Thanks again for all the answers.

 

[Zarash]

I have an odd question I was thinking about. Depending on the size of a base a fighter has you could put more or less fighters touching an opponents base. Also the same with fighters touching a ship base. It looks like most people use a hex base for fighters. Does that mean the most fighters you can have dogfighting another fighter would be 6?

Also, what type of bases do people use for ships? I see alot of people use round bases. I also see some with hex bases. I take it that the bases really do not matter.

 

[Burger]

Yeah most people use hex bases for fighters, and yes it is however many you can cram around the mini! Sometimes a smaller base is an advantage, sometimes a disadvantage.

Correct. ship base size doesn't really matter for much. Only for purposes of base overlapping, which is not allowed. So if you are using Drazi for example, who tend to fly in a bunch and need their boresights all lined up, then using a smaller base is an advantage.

 

[basaint]

On his question about stacking, wouldn't it 'kind of' be considered stacking for the initial Initiative with more scouts than your opponent?

Just thought Id throw that out there.

 

[Zarash]

Also, if I have 2 scout ships can I target a different ship with each scout ship, or only one ship for each special ability it does? So I could target 2 different ships each having a stealth score with each scout, or I could target 2 different ships with each scout for rerolls?

I hope thats worded right and not to confusing.

 

[basaint]

yes, you should be able to do the Scout trait for each ship you have on the table and as long as they make the crew check.

 

[Zarash]

I think I have the rules almost down now. Thanks everyone. The hardest part is going to be picking a race to play, and buying mini's. Think I am going to start a thread about pickinga race to play.

 

[locarno24]

I would recommend a read-through of this:

The Ships of The.... Index

 

[AdrianH]

Also, if I have 2 scout ships can I target a different ship with each scout ship, or only one ship for each special ability it does? So I could target 2 different ships each having a stealth score with each scout, or I could target 2 different ships with each scout for rerolls?

Each scout can only use its scout trait once, either to reduce stealth or to give weapon re-rolls. As far as the rules are concerned, what scout 2 does is independent of what scout 1 does.

So you can target one ship with a stealth score with each scout, or you can target one ship with each scout for re-rolls, or one scout can target a ship for stealth and the other scout targets a ship for re-rolls. Both scouts can target the same ship or each scout can pick a different target.

 

[Zarash]

Quote
Both scouts can target the same ship or each scout can pick a different target.

So if I have 2 Vaarl's and I target a Sharlin with the same scout trait, then I will have to pick stealth with one and reroll with the other because either scout trait will not stack correct? I could not use the stealth scout trait on both ships since they would not stack together?

I checked out the ships index, but there are no index for Vorlon or Minbari. I know for sure I will be getting Vorlon mini's, because my brother wants to use them. Are there no Vorlon andMinbari ones because people do not use them very often? I am leaning towards Narn or Vree.

 

[Burger]

Not sure what you mean by the "same scout trait". Each of the Vaarls has the scout trait, and each can use it for either of the actions (stealth reduction or rerolls) as it chooses.

If you want to use both scouts to reduce stealth, then you can. It will not stack though: even if both rolls succeed, stealth will only be reduced by 1, not 2. The most common reason you would reduce stealth twice is if your scouts are in danger of being blown up. If only one scout reduces stealth and it is blown up (or loses the Scout trait to crits), then the stealth reduction is lost for the remainder of the turn. By doing it with both scouts, you have a backup in case one is killed. There are other reasons why you may double up on your stealth reductions too - if all your weapons are beams for example, rerolls are useless so you might as well backup your stealth reductions.

If you want to use both scouts for rerolls then you can do that as well. That means any ship firing at that target ship can reroll ADs for two weapons.

 

[Zarash]

Thanks Burger. Yes that helps, and clears stuff up for me.

 

[AdrianH]

I checked out the ships index, but there are no index for Vorlon or Minbari. I know for sure I will be getting Vorlon mini's, because my brother wants to use them. Are there no Vorlon andMinbari ones because people do not use them very often? I am leaning towards Narn or Vree.

There are no Vorlon or Minbari ones because the people who wrote the guides do not play them, and the people who play them never wrote guides.

Here's what I can say based on occasionally playing against Vorlons. All their ships have one weapon, a big forward-facing beam. No, I tell a lie, the Heavy Cruiser has two big forward-facing beams. The only reason the fighter don't have forward-facing beams is that fighters don't have forward-facing, so it gets an all-round beam instead. All Vorlon ships have advanced anti-fighter, and that includes the fighter. All Vorlon capital ships have adaptive armour which reduces damage. All Vorlon ships can self-repair damage and automatically repair crits, even vital systems crits which other races can't repair at all. Vorlons snigger at most crew crits because they don't have crews, which incidentally makes the bookkeeping a bit easier.

No Vorlon ship carries fighters, so if you want them, you have to pay for them.

Small Vorlon ships are fairly manoeuvrable. Cruisers are less so, meaning you'll need to use the smaller ships to cover their flanks. Vorlons like to stay at long range and pound things with their beams.

Vorlons don't have scouts. They get a +1 to break stealth anyway due to Ancient technology, and they can't use weapon re-rolls because those don't apply to beams.

Someone else can write about the Minbari. Ideally someone who actually plays Vorlons can write about those.

 

[Burger]

Minbari are great if you don't like paperwork and book-keeping. Opponent fails a stealth roll... fantastic I don't need to write anything down

 

[Zarash]

I will post a new thread since we are going semi off topic. You guys can help me decide on a race to play.

 

[Zarash]

Burger on your ship sheets why are there 4 squares after each ship trait on them? I think I may be missing something, but not sure what?