Star Wars Armada: Frequently Asked Questions

[AMG_Plummer]

This thread contains many frequently asked rules questions for Star Wars: Armada.

Most of these posts clarify specific interactions between cards, keywords, and rules, that aren't covered in the online Rules Reference. The rulings in these posts are considered official. Posts will be deleted if a ruling changes. 

[DSchultz]

Question: When a card ability allows a player to discard an upgrade [i.e. Sunder, Shriv Suurgav, Darth Vader (Weapons Team/Offensive Retrofit)], can they choose an upgrade that fills more than one upgrade slot (i.e. Boarding Troopers)?

Answer: Yes. Any card may be chosen, as long as it meets the requirements for removals listed in the effect.

[DSchultz]

Question:  If I use Intel Officer to choose a defense token that was spent during an earlier step of the current attack (ie. Thermal Shields), is that defense token discarded?

Answer: No. Intel Officer only affects defense tokens spent after the card text is resolved and will not affect defense tokens that were spent prior to its timing window.

[DSchultz]

Question: How does Mon Karren interact with Thermal Shields or Barriss Offee?

Answer: If Thermal Shields and/or Barriss Offee was resolved and a "Brace" and/or "Redirect" defense token was spent by the defender, the defender now cannot spend any additional defense tokens for this attack.

[DSchultz]

Question: Does Commander Sato replace dice before or after Thermal Shields?

Answer: After. The timing step for Thermal Shields is "after an attacker gathers dice". Commander Sato's timing step is "before rolling", which occurs later.

[DSchultz]

Question: For DBS-404s effect, do a ships shield dials count as "touching"?

Answer: Yes, "touching" is when DBS-404 squadron base is in physical contact with another squadron base or ship base, this includes a ships shield dials for this instance.
It is recommended that you are declaring your intent about what is being “touched” or not “touched” with your opponent to ensure as little confusion as possible.

[DSchultz]

Question: What happens if DBS-404 is on 1 hull left, and uses its card effect which reduces its hull to 0, Is it destroyed and would the attack end?

Answer: Yes. As soon as DBS-404 has been reduced to 0 hull points, it is immediately destroyed, and the attack ends without resolving. However, if it is performing a "Counter" attack, the attack will resolve completely.

[DSchultz]

Question: If I exhaust Intel Officer and resolve its effect, am I able to then discard Intel Officer by Darth Vader (Officer) effect to reroll dice in my attack pool and still have Intel Officer resolve its effect if the Defender spends the chosen defense token?"

Answer: Yes. The Intel Officer declared effect would still resolve.

[DSchultz]

Question: If DFS-311 is defending and the attack is obstructed, when does it force the attacker to reroll a die?

Answer: DFS-311's effect resolves during the "Spend Defense Tokens" step of an attack.

[DSchultz]

Question: Can I intentionally move a squadron out of the play area?

Answer: Yes, you may "move" a squadron out of the play area. Note that they are destroyed if any part of that squadrons base, in its final position, is out of the play area.

Further clarification: You cannot "place" or "deploy" squadrons out of the play area. 

[DSchultz]

Question: If my attack pool contains no blue dice, can use I use my Concentrate Fire dial to add a blue to the attack pool after Clone Gunners effect adds one to it, or must I resolve the Concentrate Fire effects before being able to use Clone Gunners?

Answer: Yes, once you have spent either a Concentrate Fire Command dial, token, or dial+token you are resolving that command, but you do not need to use its effect immediately. You may choose to resolve Clone Gunners effect to add a blue die set to an Accuracy icon into the attack pool before choosing whether to use any Concentrate Fire effects.

[DSchultz]

Question: Does Swivel Mount Batteries remove a die when making anti squadron attacks in “adjacent hull zones”?

Answer: Yes.

[DSchultz]

Question: Does a Salvo attack lose a die when attacking from a hull zone adjacent to a hull zone marked with a focus token from Swivel Mount Batteries? What about Counter?

Answer: Yes. All attacks that originate from an adjacent hull zone are affected.

[DSchultz]

Question: When does the "add" and "remove" die effects of Swivel Mount Batteries take place?

Answer: Dice can only be added during the "Resolve Attack Effects" step of an attack.  Which is after dice are rolled.
The die is removed after gathering dice into your attack pool, but before rolling dice.

[DSchultz]

Question: If the Anakin Skywalker Y-Wing squadron spends a defense token to "ignore engagement", does this also ignore the Escort and Screen keywords?

Answer: Yes!

[DSchultz]

Question: Does Hyperwave Signal Boost work with "Relay"?

Answer: No. "Relay" can only be used when a ship resolves a Squadron Command. Hyperwave Signal Boost is not a Squadron Command

[DSchultz]

Question: For Hyperwave Signal Boost, do you activate the usual 2 squadrons + ships squadron amount, or only the ships squadron amount?

Answer: You activate a number of squadrons up to the squadron value of the ship that has this upgrade equipped. The activations from Hyperwave Signal Boost replace your normal activations this turn.

[DSchultz]

Question: Hyperwave Signal Boost says "exhaust this card to choose a number". Can I choose 0 squadrons to activate?

Answer: Yes.

[DSchultz]

Question: Do Squadrons get to move and shoot with Hyperwave Signal Boost effect?

Answer: No.

[DSchultz]

Question: How many Hyperwave Signal Boost you use at once?

Answer: Multiple copies of Hyperwave Signal Boost can each resolve their effect during the same turn. The only limitation is the number of copies of the card that you have equipped across your fleet. Each Hyperwave Signal Boost effect must be resolved separately.

Follow up Question: Does that mean I can do all of my Hyperwave Signal Boost's at once during one part of "your fleets turn to activate"? or can I spilt up how many Hyperwave Signal Boost's I use each time it is "your fleets turn to activate"?

Answer: Yes. Yes.

[DSchultz]

Question: When equipping upgrades to a ship, can I circumvent any restrictions by equipping upgrades in a certain order?

Answer: No. When equipping upgrade cards, check to ensure that the restrictions and requirements of all upgrades equipped to that ship are met simultaneously.

[DSchultz]

Question: Does Invisible Hand permanently increase the "AI" value of a squadron that is deployed by its effect?

Answer: No. The bonus is lost when the ship finishes its activation.

[DSchultz]

Question: If I place squadrons aside with another effect such as Rapid Launch Bays, can I deploy those squadrons and gain the "AI" increase from Invisible Hands effect?

Answer: No. Each effect resolves separately per the section "Set Aside Ships and Squadrons", "A ship or squadron that is set aside can only be deployed or affected by the effect that set them aside."

[DSchultz]

Question: If a Providence class ship is equipped with both Invisible Hand and Rapid Launch Bays, how many "set aside" squadrons can I place when I resolve a squadron command? Is the ships squadron value resolved in full for each card? 

Answer: The ships squadron value is resolved once across both effects. For example, If a ships squadron value is "4", you could place 4 squadrons with Invisible Hand, or 4 squadrons with Rapid Launch Bays, or a total of 4 squadrons across those two effects.

[DSchultz]

Question: When I equip Flak Guns, are my anti-squadron dice always black? or can I decide what colors to use?

Answer: Yes. When you gather dice, you will always gather black dice. The only exception to this is Salvo, as Salvo uses the ships "printed anti squadron armament".