Surprise Attack

The user of this Special Skill is able to catch their adversaries unaware by declaring Attacks that are difficult to avoid.

SURPRISE ATTACK

AUTOMATIC SKILL

REQUIREMENTS

To use this Special Skill, Troopers must be in Marker form (for example, Camouflaged, Impersonation, Decoy, Holoecho...) or in Hidden Deployment at the start of the Order in which they are activated.
The user must declare a CC Attack, BS Attack, or Comms Attack.
The user of this Special Skill must be in their Active Turn.

EFFECTS

Update PDF 5.2, October 2025

This Attack imposes an additional negative MOD, as shown in round brackets in the Unit Profile [Surprise Attack (-3), Surprise Attack (-6)...]. This MOD only applies to targets of the Attack and applies to any Face to Face Roll that those targets perform in ARO.
If a specific Attribute is listed between brackets in the Unit Profile, such as Surprise Attack (CC-6), the negative MOD only applies to that Attribute of the targets of the Attack. This MOD is not cumulative with other MODs imposed by Surprise Attack, for example if the Trooper has both Surprise Attack (-3) and Surprise Attack (CC-6).
Restriction: This Skill cannot be used again until the Trooper returns to Marker form.

Show original text.

Original

This Attack imposes an additional negative MOD, as shown in round brackets in the Unit Profile [Surprise Attack (-3), Surprise Attack (-6)...]. This MOD only applies to targets of the Attack and applies to any Skill Roll that those targets perform in ARO.
If a specific Attribute is listed between brackets in the Unit Profile, such as Surprise Attack (CC-6), the negative MOD only applies to that Attribute of the targets of the Attack. This MOD is not cumulative with other MODs imposed by Surprise Attack, for example if the Trooper has both Surprise Attack (-3) and Surprise Attack (CC-6).
Restriction: This Skill cannot be used again until the Trooper returns to Marker form.

SEE ALSO

Users of a Biometric Visor ignore Surprise Attack MODs from attackers benefitting from Impersonation or Holoecho States, if they have LoF to the attacker. In addition, they also ignore Surprise Attack MODs from CC Attacks from those attackers even if they don't have LoF to the attacker.

Users of a Multispectral Visor L3 ignore Surprise Attack MODs if they have LoF to the attacker. In addition, they also ignore Surprise Attack MODs from CC Attacks even if they don't have LoF to the attacker.