My friend and I have been arguing about this point for nearly three years, and I was hoping to get some input from the community on the following scenario.

The piece "Dooku" has the ability "Jedi Reflexes". My friend and I were wondering specifically when the damage is applied to a piece moving into or out of an adjacent square. This is relevant to us for the purposes of determining where a character with self destruct would blow up. In all of our research, the relevant rules that we've been able to find are as follows;

"attack of opportunity

A single, immediate attack against an adjacent enemy who moves. If an enemy moves out of a square adjacent to a character, that character can make an attack of opportunity against that enemy. Attacks of opportunity do not use the targeting rules. A character can’t use a special ability or Force power that replaces attacks instead of an attack of opportunity."



"simultaneous effects

If several effects happen at the same time, play them out one after the other. Usually it doesn't matter what order these effects happen in. If it does matter, use the following rules.

Player's Choice: If several effects apply to one player's character or characters, that player determines the order.

Acting Player First: If the effects apply to more than one player's characters, the acting player (the one whose character is doing something) goes first."


I am taking the stance that, for example, if Dooku was facing a Nom Bomb team, he could blow up a character before it was technically adjacent to him because according to the "Clone Wars Rule book" page 23, when movement is declared that would trigger an attack of opportunity, the movement is paused, and the attack takes place before the movement happens. Because the glossary says that "Attacks of Opportunity" do not use targeting rules, Dooku would be able to attack a character that is not technically adjacent to him if they've declared they WILL be moving adjacent to him, and therefore, would be able to blow up a self destruct piece before it was adjacent.

-----EDIT-----

There were some more points that I wanted to add to this that I considered after I posted them:

1) In this instance, Dooku would be considered the "Acting Character" because he's the one taking the action as is defined in the glossary terms, which reads:

"acting

The acting character is the character who is currently moving, attacking, or using a special ability or Force power. The acting player is the player whose squad that character belongs to.

Usually the acting character is the character who is taking its turn, but in cases such as attacks of opportunity or certain special abilities, characters act out of turn."

Therefore, I believe his attack and damage would occur before the self destruct occurs.

2) I'm trying to establish a consistent order of operations for when damage is applies because if we were talking about a STANDARD attack of opportunity, and the character with self destruct was moving away, then he would blow up before he moves. So the same needs to apply in reverse, no? He blows up before he moves.

----- EDIT 2-----

I think it's also important to note that the ability specifically says that Dooku gets to make an Attack of OPPORTUNITY, as opposed to just an Attack. And that is why I believe "Targeting rules do not apply".

Sorry for the double post.
"according to the "Clone Wars Rule book" page 23, when movement is declared that would trigger an attack of opportunity, the movement is paused, and the attack takes place before the movement happens."
This part of the rule book you quoted is technically accurate, but it also technically outdated. This verbiage applies only to making attacks of opportunity against characters moving out of a square adjacent to your piece.
This is because Jedi Reflexes and its effects didn't exist during the WOTC era when the rule book was written. It was created later by the v-set team. Jedi Reflexes is an excellent counter to things like strafe and galloping attack

This character can make an attack of opportunity against an enemy character that moves into or out of an adjacent square. Its the bold part that's the key here, the piece has to move into the adjacent square, then you get to make the AOO.

Just so you're aware, most timing questions can be answered through a careful reading of the Resolving Effects details:

http://swmgamers.com/SWM/Rules/ResolvingEffects.html

However, the question at hand is not addressed there.

A normal attack of opportunity is triggered by movement out of a square. As such, immediately before leaving the square, the attack of opportunity happens. Jedi Reflexes introduces the option of an attack of opportunity that is triggered by movement into a square. As such, those attacks of opportunity happen immediately upon entering the square, before anything else happens. So Self-Destruct would hit Dooku in that case.

AoOs do not "target". That means you can skip straight to step 5 of the Resolving Effects list (see the link above). Draw Fire and other effects cannot be used because targeting doesn't apply. Being non-targeted doesn't mean Dooku loses Melee Attack. It doesn't get around the fact that the enemy has to be adjacent for Dooku to make the attack of opportunity.

This is how I would rule if I were a judge at a tournament, and I'd put my confidence in that at about 90% or 95%. Dave (swinefeld) issues official rulings, though. If you really need an official ruling, it can probably be had in an hour or a week or so. (Unfortunately, official rulings are notoriously inconsistent in how quickly they are issued.)

==
Edit: Added the 2nd to last paragraph.

Flying Arrow is one of the players on the current rules committee and his ruling would be 100% correct. It was what my instinct told me as well, but I did a little looking around to document.


http://swmgamers.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=53&t=16347

This post on gamers asks this same question and is answered by Sithborg (the rules guy for a long time before Swinefeld took over

In another post
Sithborg also says this

Clarification, this only applies to the normal AoO situation (ie the leaving of a square adjacent), not the entering of a square effect of Jedi Reflexes, which follows the timing of Mines.


In short, Jedi Reflexes has two sets of timing. There is the normal AoO timing when you start adjacent (which occurs before anything else does) if you declare your intent to move.

Then there is the moving into adjacent squares portion that basically acts like mines for purposes of rules (as sithborg said above.

I'll FB Message him haha.