Holomask & Hacking

Nothing is revealed, you don't have to tell your opponent anything. This is a change from N3.

If they try to use a hacking program on an invalid target (Such as Carbonite vs an LI) then the Skill will become an Idle instead.

 

As colbrook says, the text about the Hackable Characteristic being Open Information when in the enemy Hacking Area was removed in N4, specifically because of problems like these.

And to expand slightly on this, the target restrictions are listed in the Programs' Requirements, so the usual procedure for failing to fulfil Requirements will happen.

Although if you're splitting Burst in the Active Turn, I'd suggest that it's only the Burst that was allocated to an 'illegal' target that gets cancelled.

 

The interesting part is not when they try to use a Hacking Program on an invalid target, but when they do not try to use a (killer) hacking program on a valid target. E.g. what happens when a KHD pretends to be for example an FO trooper and the enemy Killer Hacker does not respond with a hacking program to the first Short Skill?

I'm also interested in whether declaring the use of Holoecho to re-Mask would reveal the true profile or not. I assume so, but what if it is used to re-up the Echoes at end of a turn without declaring skills?

 

Tian Guo and Karens both have KHDs under holomask. In fact disguising a Karen hacker as a non-hacker Karen or Vice Versa is a legit tactic.

 

Beat by colbrook :(

 

They had an ARO and chose not to use it.

Declaring an Entire Order Skill is obviously going to reveal the Trooper before they enter the State again.

Regaining/reupping Holoechos in the States Phase doesn't involve declaring a Short Skill, Entire Order Skill, ARO etc, why would it cancel the current Holoecho State?

 

So in the first question; do I need to inform my opponent about the loss of the ARO opportunity as soon as they attempt to declare an ARO using it or can I keep this information private by not declaring a second short skill that would reveal my hacker?

Second question; apologies for being imprecise, in the case of re-gaining Holoecho at the end of the turn, would that reveal what's under the Holomask?

 

You tell them when requirements are checked, after all skills are Declared.

Doesn't look like it hits any of the cancellation clauses.

 

I'm not sure I understand. If someone acts in your Hacking Area, you need to declare an ARO, or lose it. It's not relevant what the Holomasked Trooper does.

Same answer as before. The Trooper hasn't done anything that fulfils a cancellation clause for Holoecho State, what would be revealing them?

 

1. Tian Gou KHD pretending to be a Ye Mao Engineer activates
1.1. Regular Order is spent.
1.2. Move Short Skill is declared. Tian Gou moves through a Nomad repeater.
2. Nomad player believes the disguise and declares no ARO with their Interventor KHD.
3. Move Short Skill is declared again. Tian Gou moves out of the Nomad repeater's range.
4. No further AROs are declared.
5. & 6. During ARO checking and measuring, does the Yu Jing player need to tell the Nomad player that the Interventor lost their ARO during step 2 even though the Nomad player never tried to declare AROs?

Bonus question; if the Nomad player suddenly remember at step 4 "maybe I should test this after all" and declare Trinity on the Ye Mao, will the skill declaration fail due to missing first ARO opportunity or will the Nomad player still be able to gain information on whether the Ye Mao is a hacker or not?

Holomask state, but okay, I see what you mean, re-activating Holoecho at end of a turn does not cancel Holomask state and the new Holoechoes will be masked as the fake trooper identity without revealing what the true profile of the Holo trooper.

 

At this point doesn't the Interventor forfeit their ARO against the whole order?

 

Yes, but the question is whether the Yu Jing player is required to inform the Nomad player of this at step 6 (when distance is measured) if the Nomad player never declares an ARO.

 

Now I'm confused.

Trooper moves within Interventor's hacking area provoking an ARO, Interventor chooses not to ARO, Trooper continues to move. Holomask has no interaction in that sequence.

The Interventor could also have chosen to Reset, Hack, or even Dodge (I believe). As long as the Tian Gou doesn't hit any of HoloMask's cancellation clauses it remains masked.

 

Very good point, the Interventor had a Reset ARO available to them.
They specifically chose not to hack, that was the premise of the question.
They aren't allowed to Dodge because this is a Hacking Area ARO https://forum.corvusbelli.com/threads/provisional-rules-answer-how-do-hacking-area-aros-work.38312/

 

No they ARE allowed to Dodge because they have a valid ARO, which is the only requirement of Dodge.

IJW's clarification simply says that both a Hacking Program and a Reset are valid AROs vs an enemy that activates inside a Hackers Hacking Area. Thus a Hacker has a valid ARO if an enemy activates inside a Hackers Hacking Area. Ergo Dodge requirements are met if an enemy activates inside a Hackers Hacking Area.

Start a new thread on this one? :)

 

Seems strange that a hacker should be able to Dodge in an exact same situation as a non-hacker couldn't

 

Not really, Hackers get a valid ARO vs enemies activating inside their Hacking Area.

This also means that you can bait a Hacking Program/Reset/Dodge ARO to cross a Hacker's LOF (or similar).

On topic: a Tian Gou KHD + 2 friends in a Haris walk into a Hacking Area. You're a Hacker: you can't know which one of the three you need to ARO against but have a valid ARO so must choose now.

How is this less abusive than Morans with both Limited Camo and a Repeater?