Post any questions you have about nukes here. I will compile them into a single post (the second post of this thread) for ease of reading.


Nuclear Units:

Nukes are powerful, single-use units that destroy any supply center or unit in the target province or sea zone. A nuked star retains its vote value but loses its supply center status.

From the start of the game, only selected powers can build nukes. The powers are listed below, along with the starting range:

Starting ranges:
USA = Unlimited range!
Russia = Unlimited range!
United Kingdom = 5 Spaces
France = 5 Spaces
China = 7 Spaces
North Korea = 4 Spaces
Israel = 2 Spaces
Pakistan = 3 Spaces
India = 3 spaces

Trading Nuclear Secrets:

Recipient nations can offer anything and sending nations can demand anything for the technology, provided it meets the rules of the game. While a power could offer a supply center uncontested, which is a legal move, they cannot ask the GM to switch control of the supply center, as this would not be a legal move. Other options include trading banked credits, offering military or diplomatic support or agreeing to vote for various coalitions.

When these secrets are traded to another, news that a nation received nuclear technology and the name of the donor will immediately become public.

Trading nuclear technology occurs with the spring season. Who trades with whom is made public.

Both the sending and receiving nations must order the trade to occur (you can't trade nuclear secrets unless both people show up to the meeting!).

Only one trade can be made per spring season.

Banked Credits, Building Nukes and Nuke Range:

Banked credits are earned by passing on a build.

Banked credits can be traded, spent to increase nuclear range, or later spent to fast-track a nuke build.

Trades of banked credits can only occur in the spring season.
Only the sending nation needs to indicate the trade in their orders.

Building a nuke can be done in two ways:
1 - Issuing a build nuke order for two consecutive winter seasons
2 - Spending a banked credit to fast-track a nuke build

Powers increase nuclear range by spending a banked credit. Powers can pass a build and immediately spend that credit on increasing range.

Nuclear Unit Movement:

Nukes may be moved from the place where they are built.

Nukes may move or be convoyed just as an army would move.

Nukes have zero offensive power when moving and may not be supported (either moving or holding).

Nukes also have a defensive power of 0, and as they may not be supported, can be dislodged by any attacking force. Nukes may be convoyed. Movement orders are done the same as any other units.

Firing nukes at a target can be ordered any way a player wants, just make it explicitly clear.

Damage:

Nuke strikes occur before all other orders are adjudicated.

Any units struck by nuke attack are immediately removed before other orders are followed. Any orders made by such units are void.

A nuclear strike renders the target territory impassable for the duration of the season.

1. Am I right to assume that nuclear powers can fire nukes at any power they wish this time around, even if they are a B faction shooting at an F faction for example?

This is correct. While this was a rule test the last time around, I have removed this restriction.

2. What is the difference between building a nuke for two seasons vs. passing a build and then building the nuke?

Build a nuke over two seasons means that unit 'exists' as a nuke-in-production. A passed build adds a banked credit to your total but does not count as a unit on the board.

If you lose an SC in the second year of production and have to disband, the nuke-in-production can still be placed, assuming you disband another unit. However, if you passed the build, there is no unit to place. Therefore, without an available build, you cannot build the nuke.

There is a value in either choice. Building a nuke guarantees its placement, while passing a build gives you more flexibility with the banked credit.

3. Can nuclear units get captured or dislodged?

Nukes cannot get captures. They can, in theory, be dislodged. They have a defensive power of 0, so any unit attacking them would force them to dislodge.

In practice around 90-95% of nukes are fired immediately upon being built. The remainder are fired in the second season. This is not a rule, this is just the general practice of using nukes. Remember: if you built a nuke, firing it means you have one less unit on the board and, hopefully, that means you have another build in the upcoming year. Therefore, you can get a cycle going of building and firing nukes every year, if you have the capacity that is.

4. Do nuked SCs only become neutral, or are they completely removed from the map? I know any voting status remains.

Nuked SCs are wiped off the map. Nuked voting SCs lose their SC value but retain their voting status.

Updated FAQ.