AdmiralGrafSpee
Mongoose
Question - if a ship has the trait "quick launch" and it performs the "suicide shuttle" special action, does it launch one or two suicide shuttles?
Thanks,
-Tim
Thanks,
-Tim
SF - Quick Launch and Suicide Shuttles
- Thread starter AdmiralGrafSpee
- Start date
doublenot7
Mongoose
I believe the ship would launch two shuttles.
Captain Jonah
Mongoose
The launch suicide shuttle charged is singular, you prepare a suicide shuttle.
Though I did ask this a while ago and got no answer. Can a suicide shuttle be detected as such, if it cannot be detected as such then the Gorn launch 2 shuttles one of which is the suicide requiring the enemy to evade or destroy both.
For all Gorn players everywhere an answer to this would be nice, hint hint :wink:
Also since the rule says the shuttle is prepared and launched on the special order I suspect you cannot hold them, otherwise you could prepare one on one turn and one on the second then launch both for Cloaked Rom hunting.
I suspect Msprange will pop up at some point to tell us to read the rules exactly as writen :lol:
Though I did ask this a while ago and got no answer. Can a suicide shuttle be detected as such, if it cannot be detected as such then the Gorn launch 2 shuttles one of which is the suicide requiring the enemy to evade or destroy both.
For all Gorn players everywhere an answer to this would be nice, hint hint :wink:
Also since the rule says the shuttle is prepared and launched on the special order I suspect you cannot hold them, otherwise you could prepare one on one turn and one on the second then launch both for Cloaked Rom hunting.
I suspect Msprange will pop up at some point to tell us to read the rules exactly as writen :lol:
Iron Domokun
Mongoose
I believe that, in regard to the "do you know if it's an SS?" question, everyone would know. Everything else in the rules is open information.
By no means an official answer, but here's my take on the whole deal:
1) the Launch Suicude Shuttle special action definitely refers to the SS in the singular form, so that leads me to believe that even wiht Quick launch, you'd only be able to launch one suicide shuttle a turn.
2) Now, can you still launch two shuttles that turn? Sure.
2a) Is the identity of the SS a secret? I wouldn't think so. ACTA is all about speed w/o record keeping. Having secret suicide shuttles defeats the propose of fast and open.
1) the Launch Suicude Shuttle special action definitely refers to the SS in the singular form, so that leads me to believe that even wiht Quick launch, you'd only be able to launch one suicide shuttle a turn.
2) Now, can you still launch two shuttles that turn? Sure.
2a) Is the identity of the SS a secret? I wouldn't think so. ACTA is all about speed w/o record keeping. Having secret suicide shuttles defeats the propose of fast and open.
Greg Smith
Mongoose
scoutdad said:
That is my take on it, too. You can still only syphon off enough anti-matter for one shuttle in one turn.
Absolutely nothing is secret in ACTA.
This one is going to take a ruling from Mathew. As far as I can tell yes the rules implies a single Suicide Shuttle but, is that by design of just a syntax error. In the source material it is possible to ready and launch multiple Suicide Shuttles in a turn. This may be a case where lumbering Gorns can pull of something most empires can not.
doublenot7
Mongoose
It strikes me that the special trait trumps out the single suicide shuttle text. The single suicide shuttle launch is the standard norm, while the trait is not.
Iron Domokun
Mongoose
Equally, it could be argued that since it takes power to arm a SS, and Gorns don't get twice the power to arm SS as everyone else, you only launch one.
Remember that shuttles aren't just used for suicide missions, you also use them to move Marines around, and Gorns got plenty of those.
Remember that shuttles aren't just used for suicide missions, you also use them to move Marines around, and Gorns got plenty of those.
Captain Jonah
Mongoose
Now I could be called slightly Biased in favour of the Gorn :lol:
But the rule clearly is written in the singular all the way through, you prepare a bomb, charge a suicide shuttle, you launch a suicide shuttle. The Gorn special shouldn’t double that number just because they can launch two shuttle at once.
Hang on a minute, I’m reading what the rules say and applying it exactly, I need more coffee, this isn’t SFB. Its Monday morning, I need a lot more coffee…… :?
Now since it seems that suicide shuttles are detectable as such the shell game idea is no good since launching two shuttles at once doesn’t hide the SS.
So next question, the rule says prepare and launch, do you have to launch or can you hold it in readiness, charge a second one later and then as the Gorn launch both from just in front of a cloaked targe…Erm Romulan :twisted:
Yes I know the rule says prepare AND launch so they are probably unstable and need to be gotten of the ship ASAP but the Gorn need all the advantages they can get to demonstrate thier natural superiority over everyone else :wink:
But the rule clearly is written in the singular all the way through, you prepare a bomb, charge a suicide shuttle, you launch a suicide shuttle. The Gorn special shouldn’t double that number just because they can launch two shuttle at once.
Hang on a minute, I’m reading what the rules say and applying it exactly, I need more coffee, this isn’t SFB. Its Monday morning, I need a lot more coffee…… :?
Now since it seems that suicide shuttles are detectable as such the shell game idea is no good since launching two shuttles at once doesn’t hide the SS.
So next question, the rule says prepare and launch, do you have to launch or can you hold it in readiness, charge a second one later and then as the Gorn launch both from just in front of a cloaked targe…Erm Romulan :twisted:
Yes I know the rule says prepare AND launch so they are probably unstable and need to be gotten of the ship ASAP but the Gorn need all the advantages they can get to demonstrate thier natural superiority over everyone else :wink:
Kirksfolly
Mongoose
I played my second game last night and this came up. After a quick discussion we decided it was a single launch as the Special Action text clearly refers to a single shuttle and you suffer a power drain for the action. I can't see how you could suffer two power drains in one turn so it was one shuttle for us. Maybe I have an advantage in that I never played other SF games so don't have previous experience influencing my thoughts! :lol:
Also had an excellent game! 8)
Also had an excellent game! 8)
Just got an email from Matthew regarding this question.
Here is Matt's response:
Well, let's see what the books says...
P13: 'The charges _an_ antimatter warhead and loads it onto _a_ shuttle.'
P14: 'This ship can launch and recover _two_ shuttles per turn.'
Nowhere does it say you can launch two suicide shuttles. You _can_ launch two shuttles but, if you take the Special Action, only one of them will be suicide flavour.
Here is Matt's response:
Well, let's see what the books says...
P13: 'The charges _an_ antimatter warhead and loads it onto _a_ shuttle.'
P14: 'This ship can launch and recover _two_ shuttles per turn.'
Nowhere does it say you can launch two suicide shuttles. You _can_ launch two shuttles but, if you take the Special Action, only one of them will be suicide flavour.
scoutdad said:
I do believe you missed one line of my email there
Rambler said:
It is not an error. You really can only charge one such shuttle.
AdmiralGrafSpee
Mongoose
Thanks for the replies everyone!
A question then. Assumr I'm running a Gorn ship. If the Suicide Shuttle Special action means you charge ONE shuttle as a suicide, could you not launch it, conduct a second subsequent (next turn or later turn) Suicide Shuttle Special action, and then launch 2 of them at a target ship in one turn?
Kirksfolly
Mongoose
billclo said:
I think that sounds good...provided you dice to see whether the antimatter warhead goes off prematurely while it's hanging around on the ship! Score 4+ and both shuttles are launched successfully. Otherwise the one prepped this turn launches as normal but the other explodes on board. :lol:
