VBAM Games Forums

Okay, I just bought the VBAM Campaign Guide, and I have a question about Intel.

On p. 37, in the second paragraph of 3.4.5, there's a complicated set of rules for having multiple systems co-operate on an offensive Intel mission. However, if I am reading the rules correctly, there's no reason to ever do this: Offensive intel is allocated as an order, while Intel allocated to a system is only for defensive purposes, not for offense. Am I reading this correctly?

Although only defensive Intel is assigned to systems,

Offensive Intel is "launched" from systems,

So a system with census 5 can launch up to 5 Intel of offensive missions per turn (in addition to having up to 5 defensive Intel). Since 5 offensive Intel may not be enough to get the job done, you may need to coordinate between systems.

Note that this is why Intel operations have a range (of one system), which may be extended at the cost of Intel (so the 5 intel noted above at range two would only have 4 Intel available for the actual mission),

Ah, okay, it was not clear to me that the Intel limit from the system also limited the amount of offensive Intel that could be launched from that system. That makes a lot more sense now.

Is that total, or just per mission? The rules seem singularly unclear on this point.

That's a hard cap on spending for military Intel and Intel operations per system (so census 5, max of 5IP spent per turn in total on anything other than defence),

It's covered in the FAQ (along with a thorough walk-through of the Intel rules) - the rules are as you say pretty vague (FASB edition looks to have been tightened up in this regard),

I can't find the FAQ on the VBAM games website any more (I'm sure that's where I got it from originally - it includes errata for the moderators companion, menagerie and fasb, as well as the FAQ), and a google search hasn't picked it up,

If no-one official's listening and willing to upload it for us, PM me an email address and I can forward you a copy (or place it on the Yahoo group),

Finally found a link to the FAQ on the VBAM Wiki, but the file has been replaced by a Mastercard advert,

Advertisers heh, there's a space for them along with the solicitors, lawyers and estate agents at the bottom of the ocean,

Well, if you dumpster-dive the old revisions, you can find the FAQ again:

http://wiki.vbamgames.com/index.php?tit ... oldid=6662

Not much on Intel there, tho... Maybe if I dig back further... Hmmm, no, I'm afraid not. Maybe I'll see if there's a FAQ on the mailing list.

Aha, the FAQ in the Files section of the Yahoo Group linked from the VBAM main website contains the discussion of Intel that you mentioned. Thanks!

The wiki was a great idea lost to the spammers.

The yahoo group should have all relevant files past and present. Sorry for the confusion...busy weekend remodeling. The four year old now has the pinkest room in the known universe. It'll probably take a nukular physicist to work out the half-life of her room.