Space Cannon (Unit Ability)

Rules Reference

A unit that has the Space Cannon ability can use it during two different steps of a player’s tactical action: after the Move Ships substep (Space Cannon Offense) and during an invasion (Space Cannon Defense).

  1. A player is not required to be the active player to use their Space Cannon ability of their units.

  2. Space Cannon Offense

    3. During a tactical action, after the Move Ships substep of the Movement step, beginning with the active player and proceeding clockwise, each player may use the Space Cannon ability of each of their units in the active system by performing the following steps:

  3. Step 1 – Roll Dice: The player rolls dice for each of their units in the active system that has the Space Cannon ability; this is a space cannon roll. One hit is produced for each result that is equal to or greater than the unit’s Space Cannon value.
    1. A unit’s Space Cannon ability is presented along with a unit’s attributes on faction sheets and unit upgrade technology cards.
    2. Space Cannon is displayed as “Space Cannon X (×Y).” The X is the minimum value needed for a die to produce a hit, and Y is the number of dice rolled. Not all Space Cannon abilities are accompanied by a (Y) value; a space cannon roll for such a unit consists of one die.
    3. If a player has a PDS unit upgrade technology, they can use the Space Cannon ability of their PDS units that are in systems that are adjacent to the active system. The hits are still assigned to units in the active system.
    4. Game effects that reroll, modify, or otherwise affect combat rolls do not affect space cannon rolls.
  4. This ability can be used even if no ships were moved during the Move Ships step.
  5. Step 2 – Assign Hits: The player whose units have been targeted by Space Cannon must choose and destroy one of their ships in the active system for each hit result produced against their units.
    1. Players other than the active player must target the active player’s units.
    2. If the active player is using the Space Cannon ability of their units, they choose a player who has ships in the active system. That player must choose and destroy one of their ships in the active system for each hit the space cannon roll produced.

  6. Space Cannon Defense

    7. During the invasion step of a tactical action, after ground forces have been committed to land on planets, players other than the active player can resolve the Space Cannon ability of their units on those planets by performing the following steps:

  7. Step 1 – Roll Dice: Each player may use the Space Cannon ability of each of their units on the invaded planet by rolling a specific number of dice for each of those units; this is called a space cannon roll. A hit is produced for each die roll that is equal to or greater than the unit’s Space Cannon value.
    1. If a unit has a Space Cannon ability, it is present on its faction sheet and technology cards.
    2. Space Cannon is displayed as “Space Cannon X (×Y).” The X is the minimum value needed for a die to produce a hit, and Y is the number of dice rolled. Not all Space Cannon abilities are accompanied by a (Y) value; a space cannon roll for such a unit consists of one die.
    3. Game effects that reroll, modify, or otherwise affect combat rolls do not affect space cannon rolls.
    4. Game effects that allow the use of Space Cannon abilities against ships in adjacent systems have no effect during Space Cannon Defense.
  8. Step 2 – Assign Hits: The active player must choose and destroy one of their ground forces on the planet for each hit the space cannon roll produced.
    1. Hits can only be assigned to units that are on the same planet as the units using the Space Cannon ability.

Notes

  1. The Space Cannon Offense step happens before combat. Any secret objectives that require winning a combat or similar cannot be scored if all of one player’s ships in a system are destroyed during this step.
  2. If a player chooses to use the Space Cannon ability of their units, they must do so for all of their eligible units with the Space Cannon ability. This includes units in adjacent systems, if applicable.
    1. A player that chooses to use the Space Cannon ability of their units may choose whether or not they use the ability of the Plasma Scoring technology, if they own it, and any similar abilities, independent of one another.
  3. A player may use the Sustain Damage ability of a ship in the active system to cancel a hit produced during the Space Cannon Offense step.
  4. A player may use the Sustain Damage ability of a mech committed to a planet to cancel a produced during the Space Cannon Defense step by a unit on that planet.
  5. If multiple players are resolving the Space Cannon ability of their units against the active player, the active player must resolve capacity limits after assigning one player’s hits and before the next player make their space cannon roll.
  6. A player cannot assign hits produced by a space cannon roll to their own units.
  7. The “0” side of the d10 represents a result of 10.

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