BFG FAQ 2010 General Rules Questions

[Admiral_d_Artagnan]

Yes, it doesn't bother me. To BFI in your movement phase because enemy ordnance is parked in front of your ship is your decision. You can always opt not to BFI. As I said, there are ways around it. Yes, doing it is easy. To one or two ships. The AC has to be in a wave. Put out fighters and put them on CAP duty. Escorts massing together to max their turret. Sending one escort to contact the AC wave in front of the cap ship you want protected. Sending an escort squadron and shooting the wave out of the table with its main weapons.

If there were no ways to avoid or minimize the problem, then i would agree to a change. As it is, there are ways around the problem. Therefore, I do not see any reason to change BFI. Yes, it sucks but if my ship survives for another round, then great.

[RayB HA]

Your movement phase (and shooting in weird circumstances) is the ONLY time where you can be BFI'd for two of your shooting phases. It's pretty unbalanced to be penalised twice when the benefit is just the same.

Cheers,

RayB

[Don Gusto]

Bracing when ramming is vital for Orks (especially for Brutes).

But ... if the first ramship changes AAF to BFI in its move, how would the second ramship be able to ram?

Actually, you might brace against ships exploding in your own shooting phase, but that's the only other exception

Oh no, I forgot about the exploding ships. That would require a rewording of my rules but I won't bother for now.

Ray,
ramming is a good example to illustrate the problem with your proposed change.
If a ship starts its turn with AAF and switches to BFI on a successful ramming attack it will end its turn with no special order.
This could deny the opponent a +1 on command checks and in most cases theres NO disadvantage to it (only exception I can think of is a loaded ordnance ship).
I can't see this as an improvement over the current rule.

[horizon]

I still advocate no change.

[RayB HA]

Don,

Hmm, perhaps you are right. The fact that there are so many exceptions and the odd exploit leads me to think the benefits don't out weigh the cost.

I'll still put forward the clarfication about being braced for 2 shooting phases.

Cheers,

RayB

[Admiral_d_Artagnan]

Your movement phase (and shooting in weird circumstances) is the ONLY time where you can be BFI'd for two of your shooting phases. It's pretty unbalanced to be penalised twice when the benefit is just the same.

Cheers,

RayB

Again, I don't see it as a problem. It's a decision the players make. If they think the ship needs to survive, then do it. BFI at the cost of halving weapons for 2 shooting phases. Reward should go to the player who makes an excellent tactic.

[fracas]

just limit all SO to beginning of your movement.

[horizon]

Huh? So in my turn I need to brace if their is a chance I might be shot next turn?

[fracas]

yes. plan ahead if you are going to get into the thick of things.

[Vaaish]

That makes things too predictable. The first to close to range locks on and the the second just braces.

[Caine-HoA]

And for the attacker it would be too easy to shoot at the 2nd row ships that maybe didnt brace because someone wants to shoot back.

[Don Gusto]

Some more thoughts on the current FAQ

Ships on a Planetary Template
Do ships on a planetary template benefit from being inside the planets gravity well? Naturally one would assume yes but running circles around the polar region feels like an exploit to me. "Turning towards the planet" would in this case probably imply "turning towards the center" but with a ship close to the center this could get ridiculous.

Fighting Sunward
Currently also applies to the Primary Biosphere. This will be dropped? Not really concerned about this, just curious.

Multiple Boarding Actions
Since Race modifiers are not cumulative (which makes sense) are the other modifiers cumulative?
E.g.: 2 crippled ships, both on special orders combine in a boarding action. Defending ship gets a +6 modifier?
and if the defending ship was also crippled and on special orders it gets a +6 and the attackers a +3 modifier?

Flying Bases Overlapping and Stacking Squadrons
This just begs for exploiting.
I can put a single Nightshade on the table and play it as a squadron of 6. That would make for really nice torpedo 12-board shooting and I wouldn't be too much concerned about the blast markers in contact.
Imagine small-base ships hiding inside large-base ships - unreachable for bombers and assault boats.
Also Necron's will really love this since they don't care about blast markers.
BFG is tabletop game, the whole point is to have (painted!) models on the table not abstract placeholders.
Overlapping should imho only be allowed if absolutely necessary, something like "...if it cannot be avoided...".
Personally I prefer to adjust a ships movement to avoid bases overlapping.

[horizon]

lol, escorts hiding in the battleship template. Good idea.

[commander]

Do they get the advantage of the 4 void shields of that battleship too, and their own offcourse? 

[trynerror]

Just rule that the base must be present on the table including the stem (-> The stem can´t be overlapped !) so you can´t hide inseide another base.