Thomas Holz asks: A Lyran CA announces on Impulse #6 that field #2 will be activated. and then subsequently cancels that announcement (G23.33) on Impulse #8. Can field #1 be announced on Impulse #9 or must it also wait until Impulse #16? The phrase "another announcement" in (G23.33) leads me to think the latter, but (G23.12) makes me think it might be the former.

Answer: It applies only to the field that was canceled.

Mike Mendick asks: Two ships are four hexes apart. The Lyran ship (with a radius-3 ESG) moves first, and the ESG strikes shield #2. The other ship (same impulse) turns right, presenting shield #1 to Lyran ship's direct-fire weapons. Which shield does the ESG hit?

Answer: Movement is simultaneous, and that turn (whether a TAC or a maneuver turn) presented shield #1 to the Lyran, and that shield is hit by the ESG and any direct fire. Supporting this is (G23.514) which, while referring to TACs, specifically allows the maneuver to take effect and determine which shield is hit.

Scott Moellmer asks: A Lyran player announces ESG activation up on Impulse #29, to take effect on Impulse #1 of the next turn. This is an old trick allowing him to select the radius after Energy Allocation. If he cancels the ESG announcement, what happens?

Answer: Rules (G23.312) and (G23.3121) provide a description of what happens. You could choose to "allocate" zero power, but then it would be considered "released and dropped" on Impulse #1.

Philip S. Moore asks: A Hydran with an FA hellbore is in hex 1124A when an ESG field appears in his hex. The field (radius two) is being generated by a Lyran in 1122C. Can the Hydran target the Lyran with a standard hellbore at Range 2 and hit the ESG field at Range zero?

Answer: Per (G23.841) and (G23.843), yes, you would damage the ESG at Range zero (effectively treated as Range 1).

Steve Tummey asks: If you have a Lyran with two radius-zero ESGs moving in Direction D at speed 25 and on Impulse #10 he launches two shuttles in direction D, what happens on Impulse #11 when both the ship and shuttles move?

Answer: If you designated that they were "inside" the ESG, and if they move so as to stay in the same hex as the ship, they take no damage.

Follow-up question: Now add an opponent's ship that on Impulse #11 moves into the same hex with the Lyran from Direction A, so everything (Lyran, ESGs, shuttles, enemy) is at Range zero. By the way, the shuttles are suicide shuttles targeted on the enemy ship. If the ESGs were still up, would the enemy ship take all the damage, or would the shuttles take some? My furious opponent thinks not.

Answer: What a one-two punch! The shuttles are inside the ESG fields, so the enemy ship takes the full damage as it slams into the ESGs. The suicide shuttles would impact the enemy ship after the ESG damage is resolved, and for the icing on the cake, would impact the shield damaged by the ESGs! Your opponent will just have to get used to being furious.