Attack

Ships can perform attacks which thematically represents the ship firing its blaster cannons, ordnance, or other weapons.

If a ship performs an attack, it becomes the attacker then follows these steps:

## **Declare Target**

During this step, the attacking player identifies and names the defender of the attack.

1. **Measure Range:** The attacking player measures range from the attacker to any number of enemy ships and determines which enemy ships are in which of its arcs.
2. **Choose Weapon:** The attacking player chooses one of the attacker’s primary or special weapons.
3. **Declare Defender:** The attacking player chooses an enemy ship to be the defender. The defender must meet the requirements defined by the weapon.
4. **Pay Costs:** The attacker must pay any costs for performing the attack.

* During the Declare Target step, the attack arc is the arc that corresponds to the chosen weapon. The attack range is determined by measuring range from the closest point of the attacker to the closest point of the defender that is **in** the attack arc.
* A primary weapon requires the attack range to be range 1–3. A primary weapon has no cost by default.
* Special weapons have different requirements specified by the source of the attack.
* If there is no valid target for the chosen weapon, or if the attacker cannot pay the costs required for the attack, the attacking player either chooses a different weapon or chooses not to attack.

## **Attack Dice**

During this step, the attacking player rolls attack dice and the players can modify the dice.

1. **Roll Attack Dice:** The attacking player determines the number of attack dice to roll based on the chosen weapon’s attack value, range bonus, and any abilities that add or remove attack dice. Then they roll that many dice.
2. **Modify Attack Dice:** The players resolve abilities that modify the attack dice. The defending player resolves their abilities first, then the attacking player resolves their abilities.

* The most common ways the attacker modifies attack dice are by spending a focus token or spending a lock it has on the defender.
* Each attack die cannot be rerolled more than once during an attack.

## **Defense Dice**

During this step, the defending player rolls a number of defense dice equal to the ship’s agility value and the players can modify the dice.

1. **Roll Defense Dice:** The defending player determines a number of defense dice to roll based on the defender’s agility value, range bonus, whether the attack being obstructed by an obstacle, and any abilities that increase or decrease the number of defense dice. Then they roll that many dice.
2. **Modify Defense Dice:** The players resolve abilities that modify the defense dice. The attacking player resolves their abilities first, then the defending player resolves their abilities.

* The most common ways the defender modifies defense dice are by spending a focus or evade token.
* Each defense die cannot be rerolled more than once during an attack.

## **Neutralize Results**

During this step, pairs of attack and defense dice **neutralize** each other. Dice are neutralized in the following order:

1. Pairs of **Evade** and **Hit** results are canceled.
2. Pairs of **Evade** and **Crit** results are canceled.

The attack hits if at least one **Hit** or **Crit** result remains uncanceled; otherwise, the attack misses.

## **Deal Damage**

If the attack hits, the defender suffers damage for each uncanceled **Hit** and **Crit** result in the following order:

1. The defender suffers 1 **Hit** damage for each uncanceled **Hit** result. Then cancel all **Hit** results.
2. The defender suffers 1 **Crit** damage for each uncanceled **Crit** result. Then cancel all **Crit** results.

## **Aftermath**

Abilities that trigger after an attack are resolved in the following order.

1. Resolve any of the defending player’s abilities that trigger “after you defend,” excluding abilities that grant a bonus attack.
2. Resolve any of the attacking player’s abilities that trigger “after you perform an attack,” excluding abilities that grant a bonus attack.
3. Resolve any of the defending player’s abilities that trigger “after you defend” that grant a bonus attack.
4. Resolve any of the attacking player’s abilities that trigger “after you perform an attack” that grant a bonus attack.

* Each ship may perform one attack when it engages during the Engagement Phase.
* If a ship is destroyed during the Engagement Phase, the ship is not removed until all ships of the attacker’s initiative have engaged.

## Misc Rules

* During an attack, a ship cannot choose to roll fewer dice than it is supposed to roll.
* If a player would roll more dice than they have available, keep track of the rolled results and reroll the dice necessary to equal the total number of dice the player would have rolled all at once. Note that these dice are not considered rerolled for the purposes of modifying dice.
* A ship cannot attack a ship at range 0, even if the attack range would be range 1.

 FAQ

**Q:** When a ship is destroyed by a game effect triggered with “before engaging,” does it still engage?

**A:** Yes, because the game has already reached that initiative step, it is not removed until after all ships of that initiative have engaged, per simultaneous fire.