combat sequence

[trollfactory]

Hello,
one question about the combat sequence regarding robots:

In general, are the listed single points in each main sequence in the rules (in this case main sequence 6 and 7)
representing the row in which they take action?

Detailed question:
Dropping a PBB and converting ships to landing robots within the combat phases are listed behind
the ships fire.
Does this mean a fleet has to survive combat with a minimum of one ship to perform than
dropping a PBB or dropping robots on the planet?
Or is this before combat took action and ships are destroyed?

Following questions:
If combat takes action first and the number of ships is reduced but order was given to convert
more ships to robots that ships actually survived the combat - is the order completely ignored or will be ships converted to robots?
And if so, will all ships converted to robots and the fleet becomes neutral or is always one ship left as minimum to prevent falling to unowned status?

PBB: If a fleet with a PBB looses all ships and becomes unowned, is the PBB destroyed or is it still there and can be taken by another player
who captures the empty fleet including the PBB?
So, is it possible to get hands on a PBB although you're not a Positronix or Missionary this way?

Rainer

[drwr]

In general, are the listed single points in each main sequence in the rules (in this case main sequence 6 and 7)
representing the row in which they take action?

In general, yes. However, orders that are listed within the same sequence group are generally to be considered as executing at the same time, not necessarily in any order with respect to each other. PBB's are a special case to this rule; PBB's are dropped at the end of the combat round, so the PBB will be stopped if your opponent destroys all of the ships on your fleet in the same turn. This is discussed on the page http://rswgame.com/help/pbbs.htm.

If a fleet with a PBB looses all ships and becomes unowned, is the PBB destroyed or is it still there and can be taken by another player who captures the empty fleet including the PBB?

The PBB remains intact and will be owned by whoever captures the fleet.

So, is it possible to get hands on a PBB although you're not a Positronix or Missionary this way?

Yes, but it's not the only way to get a PBB; anyone can build a PBB (you don't have to be a Positronix or Missionary to build a PBB). Generally, the other player types don't bother, though, because they stand to lose a lot of points for dropping the PBB. Sometimes it's worth it anyway, to wipe out your opponent, of course.

If combat takes action first and the number of ships is reduced but order was given to convert more ships to robots that ships actually survived the combat - is the order completely ignored or will be ships converted to robots?

This question is answered here: http://rswgame.com/help/robot_attacks.htm. The key quote from that page is, "Ships firing at a fleet performing a robot attack will fire and destroy the falling robots first (at one shot per robot), and then start to destroy ships remaining on the fleet." Thus, robot attacks are performed at the same time as the fire attack, but the fire attack will destroy the falling robots first. There will still be 1 ship left on the fleet, unless the fire attack is powerful enough to destroy all the robots plus a little bit more.

David

[drwr]

I've just discovered that this information is wrong: you cannot capture a PBB from another player. When the fleet changes hands, the PBB disappears; this is per FB's rule as well. I will update the help pages to clarify this.

David