Seed and Caliban Questions

[SgtHulka]

Can Shavaasti Caliban seed-embryos that are discovered and/or revealed and then knocked unconscious use auto-medikits on themselves? The embryos themselves aren't listed as having medikits, which would suggest not. Also, since Seed Soldier seed-embryos don't have a "Phys" listing, I would assume you can't use regular medikits on seed-embryos of any kind, either? So does that mean Seed-embryos go straight to dead when taking a single wound? There's nothing in the rules that say so, but how would you rule applying a medikit to an unconscious seed?

Secondly, can the various forms of Caliban link with eachother? For example, let's say I have a developed Caliban Hacker on Turn 1. On turn 2 I have a bunch of Embryo Caliban hatch. Can I use the Lt. Order to now link my developed Hacker with the Embryo troops? Or are they considered completely seperate troops?

Lastly, do seed embryos still hatch when immobilized by E/M? I would think so, since hatching doesn't use an order. My interpreation would be that you can't hatch the seeds early if they're immobilized, but they still hatch on turn 2. Is that the correct interpretation?

Thanks in advance.

[Pierzasty]

Yes, Caliban Embryos have automedkits listed in their seed profile, so I'd assume they can use them. As for normal Seeds, why would you ever want to heal them on PH-3? Use a doctor and roll against the doctor's WIP.

All types of Calibans can link with each other, but not with Caliban Seed-Embryos.

What do you mean by "immobilized by E/M"? IIRC, Seed-Embryos are not affected by E/M, and neither are units that hatch from them (no HI). There's the question if the hatched soldier's equipment is affected if they were EMPed in the seed (I'd assume so), but that's another issue.

[IJW Wartrader]

1. As far as I know there's no such thing as an unconscious Seed Embryo, you'd replace it with an unconscious Seed Soldier or Caliban.

2. A hatched Caliban is a hatched Caliban. I can't see what difference it would make if it hatched on the table or before the game started. The only profile difference is the points cost.

3. Yeah, I don't really understand what effect E/M could have on the seed embryo so I don't know why it's mentioned in the rules.

[SgtHulka]

Yeah, the seed-embryo entry on the Wiki says "It is vulnerable to E/M (being Immobilized) but it cannot be hacked. " I'm not sure what immobilized means for a seed-embryo. It already can't take an action that implies movement, unless hatching implies movement. And if hatching implies movement, then perhaps it can never hatch? So it just sits there continuing to add an order without ever hatching, a sort of Imetron? If so, bombarding a Shavaasti starting zone with E/M grenades could get nasty. Although I guess you can't do that because they're all camouflaged.

As for paramedic-ing a seed embryo, yeah, not the most effective use of an order for sure, but if you've only got a paramedic and not a doctor, there might be some desperate game situations you'd try it. I use Aleph Toolbox and there they don't have a Phys listed for the seed soldier embryo, and for some reason they don't have the auto-medikit listed for the caliban seed embryo (just for the caliban itself). Nice to know that's an error.

Come to think of it, the lack of a Phys for the seed soldier embryo also means you don't know how to medivac it.

[IJW Wartrader]

Again, I don't think there is such a thing as an unconscious Seed Embryo, so 'healing' can never come up.

[SgtHulka]

Again, I don't think there is such a thing as an unconscious Seed Embryo, so 'healing' can never come up.

That does seem like the most logical way to play it.