Hi-

I am loathe to ask the question, but I must... Can someone please tell me if I am correctly understanding how the Twins work now that they have been FAQ'd?

Scenario 1: Both Twins are token free. I give the pulsing twin (A) a move order, running into position to shoot at an opposing figure. I give an order to the other twin (B) and then attack with Twin A using pulse. I have used two orders and Twin A has two clicks of heat (one for ordering Twin B and one for the pulse). Twin B can be given no additional orders this turn.

Scenario 2: Twin A is token free but Twin B is not. Can I order twin A, push twin B and then give another order to Twin A, since she was token free?

Thanks for the input.

I hate the Twins now. They are so complicated. Sorry I can't help.

Scenario 1 looks right.

For Scenario 2, once you give Twin A that first order, it gains a token and would no longer be "token free" for the purpose of the Twin's special ability. You would have to move Twin B first, give Twin A the free order, and then give Twin A its normal order to do what you're trying to do.

Also, there's a third (and more complicated) scenario, in which both Twins receive two orders. Scenario 3: Both Twins are token free. Twin A gets a vent order, allowing Twin B to move for free. As a vent order does not add a token, Twin A remains tokenless. Twin B then can move normally, allowing Twin A to make a free move. Both Twins take two actions each for only two orders.

Typically, you'll never use Scenario 3 over Scenario 1, but it's useful to remember in case one of your twins (Twin A in the Scenario 3 example) is up on the heat due to either TSEMP or having just restarted.

Anyway, I'm 90% sure I'm right on all this, but I'm not a battlemaster. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong.

MarchHare-

I'm a Battlemaster in my area and to my understandings of the rules, you are correct.

Ah, don't you just love overly complicated pilot abilities?

Sure, it keeps us BMs in work Nanhold. ;)

MarchHare's understanding reads correctly to me, by the way. Good job.

That confused me. :eek:
Could someone please post a "The Twins' Ability: For Dummies".:nervous:

Thanks to all who replied. This is very helpful.

I'll give it a shot, but be forewarned that it will probably still be a little confusing since the FAQ wording is so confusing to start with. I don't claim to be an expert with the Twins, but I think I at least have a basic grasp of the rules. I also only got the second Twin after the FAQ was in effect, so this is the only way I've ever known to play them. If anyone sees any omissions or inaccuracies, please chime in.

For starters, here's the requirements you need to be able to use the ability:
1) Fortuna Pannichello must be piloting Nyx - "Fortune" (Dom-114)
2) Gloria Pannichello must be piloting Nyx - "Glory" (Dom-115)
3) At least one Twin must have no tokens
(that all sounds obvious, but we have to start somewhere)

What are the common situations that the multiple orders are used for?
1) Rear-Arc Attacks (run to rear arc with free action, then charge or shoot)
2) Heat Management (run/shoot then vent, vent then run/shoot, 2 vents)
3) Double Attacks (two ranged or close combat orders--Double Rate & Pulse are now legal with the Twins, so upwards of four ranged attacks are possible from one Twin)
4) Charge & Break (charge with the free order, flee from retaliation with the second order by breaking and running)
5) Flee (two move orders to get out of trouble)
(there's other scenarios, I'm sure, but these are the main five I've encountered)

Things to keep in mind:
1) Double orders CAN'T be used every turn, so remember to rest your Twins when you can afford to. Double orders, or even the threat of double orders, are great but the extra order can't help as much if you're resting a Twin that's under siege. Light mechs don't take to being shot too well.
2) Each Twin loses Evade after two clicks of damage. There's a repair marker on the first click wihtout Evade.
3) Each Twin has three clicks on its heat dial with no checks or negative damage modifiers. The third click on each mech's heat dial has a -1 movement modifier, so it's easy to spot.
4) Don't forget that the Twins only get +1 attack against mechs. I beat a guy playing the Twins once 'cause he thought he'd have a 12-attack against my vehicle. It turned a risky attack into an ill-advised one that cost him a Twin when he missed. This shouldn't be a big concern, but simple mistakes can kill the light mech swarm. Be careful.

How the two-order mechanic works:
When using the Twins two-order mechanism, generally, you'll give one Twin a single order and the second, tokenless Twin two orders. For the sake of discussion, we'll call the Twin receiving a single order "Twin A" and the one getting two orders "Twin B". Twin A may or may not be tokenless, but Twin B MUST be tokenless. Now, to do the ability it's as simple as giving Twin A an order (any order will do and the game situation will dictate what you do). Once Twin A's order is resolved, the Double Team ability kicks in and allows Twin B to receive its free order (again, any order will work, but it depends on what you're trying to do). Twin A's standard order and Twin B's "free" order from the ability uses a total of one order from your allowable orders this turn. Twin B may now be given it's standard order for the turn. Viola. Two orders have given you three actions from the Twins.

Example:
You have "Fortune" & "Glory" and your opponent is running the Malice - "Peacemaker". All mechs are at their starting click, for reference sake. "Fortune" has a token, but "Glory" does not. You want to knock "Peacemaker" out of its Point Defense, which requires three-clicks of damage. For starters, you give "Fortune" a move order to set up a shot on an opposing unit for the following turn. The Double Team ability allows you to give "Glory" a running move order into "Peacemaker"s rear arc. "Fortune" gains one heat for the push and "Glory" gains a token (no heat for the run, due to Evade). "Glory" may now be given it's standard order for the turn. You may either give it a charge through the Malice's rear arc or you can fire the secondary weapon in a ranged combat order through the rear arc. Because "Peacemaker" is a mech, "Glory" gets +1 to its attack. With pilot & rear arc included, "Glory" has an effective 14-attack against "Peacemaker"'s 24-defense. With better than 50/50 odds, you'll remove Point Defense.

Anyway, that's about all I can think of. Hopefully that clarified things a little (and equally importantly, hopefully I didn't screw it up :) ), but feel free to ask questions or provide clarifications if they come to mind.

Thank you MarchHare. that really clears some things up