If you have any questions for Andy Chambers, you can e-mail them to me or join the BFG List and ask him directly on the list.
A crippled ship has its firepower halved. If it uses a special order like brace for impact, is the firepower halved again (i.e. a quarter of the original value)?
A: Yep, quarter it.
Opinions are divided on failed special order checks. My reading indicates that, if any one ship fails a test, no ships in the fleet may subsequently test for the entire turn. The language seems absolutely clear on this. Some say that despite the clarity the rule is meant to apply to that one vessel only.
A: Once one ship fails no more checks may be taken for the whole fleet just like it says. The confusion may arise from the fact that some people think a ship can be given more than one special order per turn (the rules don't specify otherwise) suffice to say they can only have one order at a time.
Does the player have to decare all his special orders intentions before rolling for any of them? (Can I pick a ship, try to give it orders, move it, then go to the next ship, try to give it orders, move it, and so on...?)
A: No, you can do them one at a time - as in the bracketed example you give
If a ship fails a Brace For Impact command check are no other ships allowed to BFI that turn, even though it is the other player's turn?
A: No, other ships can try to brace for impact
If a ship failed a command check other than BFI, could any ships try to BFI later that "turn?"
A: Yes
Firepower reduction due to special orders. Just to be sure, when a ship suffers a firepower reduction due to a special order that applies to the strenght of ordnance fired/launched too, right?
A: Wrong, ordnance is not affected by special orders
Firepower reduction again. Does the firepower reduction due to special orders apply to turrets ? (especially important in case of 'Brace For Impact' special order)
A: No
Is it allowed to 'Brace For Impact' against criticals caused by 'hit-and-run' attacs (e.g. teleport attacks)?
A: No
Does brace for impact work for Nova cannons?
A: Yes (why wouldn't it?)
When you have a Squadron brace for impact do you add up the firepower/strength of the whole squadron then half the results or do you do it ship by ship then add up the squadron. We where adding the squadron first then halving as this has a stronger penalty and can affect hemlocks, and ships with an odd number of fire power. I was wondering witch you prefer.
A: I add a squadron's firepower together first where this is applicable - sometimes the squadron is split across two target facings and ships have to be dealt with seperately.