SA Rules Questions

[Black Cavalier]

Hi, I've read through the rules a few times before I run my 1st game & have the following questions.  Sorry if these have been answered elsewhere, but I couldn't find a FAQ here or on the SA website.

Thanks

1) The difference between Base Points & Build Points is a bit confusing.  Are Base Points the points only the figures + skills, but not any of the equipment?  & the Build Points is the total of both Base & equipment points?  With the limitation of 15 Base Points during the Re-equip phase, does that mean if your team gains enough skills, the team will overtime get smaller because it can't buy new figures since the original figures + skills may end up being greater than 15 Base Points?

2) Is there any requirement to active all your figures before going back & activating the a figure that had already been activated? Or can you just keep activating the same figure over & over if you want?

3) The Close Combat To Hit & Damage rules & the Shooting Damage rules refer to "taking the highest dice".  Since "dice" is the plural of die, does this mean if a figure has 3 attacks & rolls a 4, 5, & 5, both 5s are used in determining the outcome?  Or should it be "taking the highest die", so no matter how many instances of the highest number you roll, you still only take one of them?

4) In a Close Combat Draw, it says to fight a round of combat before nominations.  Does that mean 2 rounds of combat would be fought in 1 Turn if the active player nominates his figure in combat?

5) There are a few different plot points or effects that give a Save to all attacks.  But the Close Combat rules don't cover Saves.  Do the "Save all" saves cover close combat, & if so, is it done after the Damage is rolled, like for Shooting cover saves?

6) In the Close Combat Back To Normal section, it says "if the model is Changing States while in base-to-base with an enemy model a round of Close Combat is fought after each Action".  But in the Injuries Face Up section, it says "To return to Normal (...) a model must be nominated and not be in Close Combat."  The Face Up section seems to say you can't change state (or at least return to Normal state) while in Close Combat.  But if that's the case, when would the Back To Normal rule come into play?

7) Alert says a figure can take its shot "either after the opposing model's 1st Action or its 2nd".  Can the Alert figure take its shot during an Action?  Or is the opposing model not a target when running from cover to cover within the same Action?
 
Since Parry skills stack, does the Werewolf have 2 Parries?  I see Parry is listed in its skills, & also listed in its weapons.  But the Formless Thing only lists Parry in its skills, which may imply it has less Parrying ability than the Werewolf.

9) When a Dark Puppeteer Compels an opponent, does the opponent get 1 or 2 actions?

10) Some of the scenarios refer to deployment zones, but I didn't see any standard deployment zones specified.    What is it?

11) In turn 2 of the Game Play example, couldn't Sonia Green have used her Lucky reroll to not have gone Catatonic & thereby possibly avoid being automatically killed?

12) In turn 5, why was the cultist unarmed?  Did he have a .22 pistol?  Do ranged weapons not count as a close combat weapon?

13) In the Re-equipment Phase of the example, it said that no one died, so the player couldn't re-equip.  But Sonia rolled a 14 on the Major Injury chart & did die.  Why couldn't the player re-equip.

[Cherno]

Hi, I've read through the rules a few times before I run my 1st game & have the following questions.  Sorry if these have been answered elsewhere, but I couldn't find a FAQ here or on the SA website.

Thanks

1) The difference between Base Points & Build Points is a bit confusing.  Are Base Points the points only the figures + skills, but not any of the equipment?  & the Build Points is the total of both Base & equipment points?  With the limitation of 15 Base Points during the Re-equip phase, does that mean if your team gains enough skills, the team will overtime get smaller because it can't buy new figures since the original figures + skills may end up being greater than 15 Base Points?

Yes, it is exactly as you have described it. Veteran agents gradually slip into insanity until they get shunned by most of their partners and end up being experienced but alone in the field.

2) Is there any requirement to active all your figures before going back & activating the a figure that had already been activated? Or can you just keep activating the same figure over & over if you want?

Each turn, you can activate exactly one figure. It doesn't matter which one it is. Generally, Threshold teams will activate their Character model each turn so he can activate his fellow Agents and civilians.

3) The Close Combat To Hit & Damage rules & the Shooting Damage rules refer to "taking the highest dice".  Since "dice" is the plural of die, does this mean if a figure has 3 attacks & rolls a 4, 5, & 5, both 5s are used in determining the outcome?  Or should it be "taking the highest die", so no matter how many instances of the highest number you roll, you still only take one of them?

Only the highest single die result counts. That means being able to throw more dice means having a higher chance of scoring high numbers.

4) In a Close Combat Draw, it says to fight a round of combat before nominations.  Does that mean 2 rounds of combat would be fought in 1 Turn if the active player nominates his figure in combat?

Yes.

5) There are a few different plot points or effects that give a Save to all attacks.  But the Close Combat rules don't cover Saves.  Do the "Save all" saves cover close combat, & if so, is it done after the Damage is rolled, like for Shooting cover saves?

Save rolls only cover ranged attacks.

6) In the Close Combat Back To Normal section, it says "if the model is Changing States while in base-to-base with an enemy model a round of Close Combat is fought after each Action".  But in the Injuries Face Up section, it says "To return to Normal (...) a model must be nominated and not be in Close Combat."  The Face Up section seems to say you can't change state (or at least return to Normal state) while in Close Combat.  But if that's the case, when would the Back To Normal rule come into play?

I think you're right, that's a contradiction. I'd just ignore the "if the model is Changing States while in base-to-base with an enemy model a round of Close Combat is fought after each Action" bit.

7) Alert says a figure can take its shot "either after the opposing model's 1st Action or its 2nd".  Can the Alert figure take its shot during an Action?  Or is the opposing model not a target when running from cover to cover within the same Action?

There is no interruption mid-action, so enemy models can in fact run from cover to cover before you have a chance to shoot.
 

Since Parry skills stack, does the Werewolf have 2 Parries?  I see Parry is listed in its skills, & also listed in its weapons.  But the Formless Thing only lists Parry in its skills, which may imply it has less Parrying ability than the Werewolf.

Looks like the Werewolf is indeed better in parrying

9) When a Dark Puppeteer Compels an opponent, does the opponent get 1 or 2 actions?

"The model is now under the control of the Dark Pupeteer, which may spend an Action to make the compelled model move, Shoot, or charge if the model has the capacity to do so."

So, one action.

10) Some of the scenarios refer to deployment zones, but I didn't see any standard deployment zones specified.    What is it?

Deployment zones are 5" from both of two opposing table edges, unless stated otherwise in a scenario.

11) In turn 2 of the Game Play example, couldn't Sonia Green have used her Lucky reroll to not have gone Catatonic & thereby possibly avoid being automatically killed?

Possibly, but in hinsight she didn't die anyway because she used her Lucky roll later (see below)

12) In turn 5, why was the cultist unarmed?  Did he have a .22 pistol?  Do ranged weapons not count as a close combat weapon?

There's no mention of any unarmed cultists in turn 5, but to answer your second question, ranged weapons do not count as a close combat weapon.

13) In the Re-equipment Phase of the example, it said that no one died, so the player couldn't re-equip.  But Sonia rolled a 14 on the Major Injury chart & did die.  Why couldn't the player re-equip.

Sarah used her Lucky roll to avoid being killed and "only" suffers from Agoraphobia instead.

[styx]

I can also add on the following:

2) it is good to balance your list with leadership (command) with either an Agent with Lt Skill or Improved command if you want to use larger teams of agents above 3+/

6) While you can fight 2 times in close combat on the next activation (one at the start, another IF you activate), note that (asked this question) if you draw again on the next combat, you could opt to not activate to continue fighting.   Why? To stall to allow your other models to finish an objective or allow them to get away from close combat, perhaps even to give time to get closer to assist if possible.

[superflytnt]

Quote from: Black Cavalier on October 07, 2012, 11:57:11 PM
6) In the Close Combat Back To Normal section, it says "if the model is Changing States while in base-to-base with an enemy model a round of Close Combat is fought after each Action".  But in the Injuries Face Up section, it says "To return to Normal (...) a model must be nominated and not be in Close Combat."  The Face Up section seems to say you can't change state (or at least return to Normal state) while in Close Combat.  But if that's the case, when would the Back To Normal rule come into play?

I think you're right, that's a contradiction. I'd just ignore the "if the model is Changing States while in base-to-base with an enemy model a round of Close Combat is fought after each Action" bit.
--------------------------
A Face Down model may change state to Face Up, and then a close combat round ensues. At that point, if the model wins, it moves out of BtB contact.

[LidlessEye]

That does sound off.  I'll give a thorough read-through those sections tomorrow.

[superflytnt]

They don't contradict one another, the rules simply could've been organized better.

If you're in Face Up, you cannot change to Normal if in base-to-base.
If you're in Face Down, you CAN change to Face Up if in base-to-base.

It's really clear, but you have to read two sections to understand it. It's just a matter of poor organization.

[Mathyoo]

Most has been asnwered, but I am pretty sure I saw two saves in various profiles "against all attacks" and "against all shooting attacks", so, by my logic, that means the model gets a save in CC as well. Now that I think of it, I have never been throwing saves in close combat, so I might as well be wrong

Nice to see people asking questions, I learn so much from those threads!

[Black Cavalier]

Thanks all for the help & answers.

[superflytnt]

Most has been asnwered, but I am pretty sure I saw two saves in various profiles "against all attacks" and "against all shooting attacks", so, by my logic, that means the model gets a save in CC as well. Now that I think of it, I have never been throwing saves in close combat, so I might as well be wrong

Nice to see people asking questions, I learn so much from those threads!

Cover saves don't apply to models in CC because it would be physically impossible to have an object between two figures in base-to-base contact. I mean, I guess if two figures were touching bases just barely underneath a large wall with a gap at the bottom...but then would you really consider that to be a viable CC attack?

[Mathyoo]

Makes all the sense, but if you try to hit formless fire demon in the CC, it could still somehow transform and make you miss it

[Black Cavalier]

>Cover saves don't apply to models in CC

True, but the saves from plot points dont have anything specifically to do with cover & I believe they say "all saves".  So a save for Beasts when the moon is full would seem to be equally applicable to both close combat & ranged attacks.

[superflytnt]

Ah, I catch your drift now, mate. Well, that's a horse of a different color.

[Mathyoo]

Let me hijack this thread...

I am just playing Devils Hop Yard mission...does making a suicide require resolve check for human lurkers in 5 inches radius?

[Uncle Mike]

If the suicide guy is removed from the table it would generated a Resolve test for all friendly Human models within 5"...great fun! If this is not to your liking why not spend some points on the Drug Crazed plot point. 

[superflytnt]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLICsSuUO5s