Active Scan and Line of Sight

Hello good people. Tried to search for an answer but couldn't find anything so hoping someone here can help please.

The rules for Active Scan say that it may target any ship on the tabletop. This makes sense in most games in clarifying that it does not require any range checks and things like debris fields don't provide cover. So rules as written, as far as I can tell, there is no line of sight requirement for active scanning.

The problem is when an LSO is added like in Moonshot. Now we have something that does not obscure hitting but completely blocks it. RAW it sounds like a ship could huddle up to the far side of the moon and active scan enemy ships that it has no line of sight to. This feels wrong. I'd be happy to make a house rule saying you need to have LoS to an enemy ship to active scan it, but now some extra problems arise, like when is the scan made?

Could it be ok if at any point during the move LoS was established? Or just at the start or just at the end? Or maybe it requires LoS through the whole of its movement representing that it needs to continuously ping the enemy ship for others to be able to get a lock.


So I'm looking for please:

1. Does anyone have an official interpretation of these rules?
2. If you don't have an official interpretation what would you recommend as a house rule?

well id say you can as written active scan all ships!

its like a sonar of Submarines, they dont know you there before the found you... well sonar dont need LOS, it goes around corners as well

or think of infrared scan it goes through walls and measures heat




if you really want LOS for active scan... how can you scan "silent running" ships. which can not be detected by scanners... maybe by sight...

but how looks out of the window, to maybe see a stealth ship without scanners???

i dont see a reason in this rule change


if you get active scanned behind a moon you want be shot, if another ship could have LOS, well than the active scan only adds the "marker" heat to the enemy which is recovered by a friendly


there is enough to argue against this house rule....


beside this, later on its not important if there are some more "spikes" anyway

At the moment the rules are fairly clear: regardless of LSO, you do not need line of sight to Active Scan any ship.

Remember that the moon works both ways: you can hide ships behind them that have been active scanned, protecting them anyway.

I agree it's crazy, especially through a Moon, but at the moment it's clear: Active Scan has no range or LoS requirements.

At least it's quick and easy and requires a Special Order (except for those pesky UCM Lima).