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Just clarifying how damage is reduced for mecha in Close Formation that Shields another and for how damage is halved for Rolling with the Impact.

The rules for shielding (p.18) say that damage is split evenly (not halved, I note) by the defender, with odd points assigned as desired. So if a mecha receives 5 MD from a strike, it can share that damage with another friendly mecha that is within 2" of it. If "odd points are assigned as desired" then the defending mecha could be assigned to take just 2 points and the shielding mecha assigned to take 3 points. Correct?

In Rolling for Impact, the rules for both ranged and hand-to-hand attacks say that the MD the target receives from the attack will be half, round down, to a minimum of 1. So if a mecha taking 5 MD from a Strike decides to Roll with the Impact, it spends a CP to reduce the damage to 2 points. Yes?

Complex example: A defending mecha within 2" of another friendly mecha receives 9 MD from a strike after failing a Dodge roll (alternatively, Anti-Missile roll). The player controlling the defending mecha decides to split the damage with the friendly mecha within 2" so that the defender takes 4 points and the shielding mecha takes 5 points (Close Formation shielding process, p.18). The defending player further elects to Roll with Impact with each mecha that received MD. So he spends 2 CPs and halves the damage (Roll with the Impact process, p.16) taken by the defending mecha to 2 points (from 4) and for the shielding mecha to 2 points (from 5).

How am I doing?

Looks right to me- with one exception. 5 reduced by half (rounded down) = 3. You are rounding the reduction (so half of five is 2.5 which rounds down to 2) not the result (5-2.5=2.5 now round that down to 2). This is how I have been using this and that was arrived at because that is how most games work when they use that phrase. I wish there were a few more examples of play and a few less Rick Hunter quotes in the rule book

Until even yesterday, our group had followed the general rule of Rounding (p.11) in every situation: "Whenever you need to round off a number, you should round up to the nearest whole number unless specifically told to round down by the rules. Damage should always be rounded up to the nearest whole MDC/MD point..."

We did this for both shielding in Close Formation and Rolling for Impact—rounding up to put the most damage on a targeted mecha. I think we've been playing both of those wrong.

The shielding rule (p.18) says to divide damage evenly, with the defending player deciding which mecha takes the odd point. So far, no argument.

But the Roll with Impact rules on p.16 (for ranged attacks) and p.20 (for hand-to-hand attacks) both say: "To Roll with Impact, all that is required is for the target mecha's controlling player to spend a Command Point. Doing so will reduce the MD the target receives by HALF (round down, to a minimum of 1 MD);..." (Emphasis added).

5 MD incoming to the target mecha; then Roll with Impact is paid for; 5 halved = 2.5, then round down = 2 MD received by the target mecha.

I think that meets the general Rounding rule's requirement of "...unless specifically told to round down by the rules."

I totally agree about the examples of play. More would be better!

BradyTech wrote:Complex example: A defending mecha within 2" of another friendly mecha receives 9 MD from a strike after failing a Dodge roll (alternatively, Anti-Missile roll). The player controlling the defending mecha decides to split the damage with the friendly mecha within 2" so that the defender takes 4 points and the shielding mecha takes 5 points (Close Formation shielding process, p.18). The defending player further elects to Roll with Impact with each mecha that received MD. So he spends 2 CPs and halves the damage (Roll with the Impact process, p.16) taken by the defending mecha to 2 points (from 4) and for the shielding mecha to 2 points (from 5).

How am I doing?

You are correct.