Rapid Fire - unclear rule

[Darkson (Simon)]

Need some other eyes here, regardless of whether you've played Stargrave, Frostgrave or NO *grave:

Rapid FIre weapon has a +2 dam modifier on it's profile (that's easy).(p.34)

Then there are the Rapid Fire rules (p.31):

These heavy weapons are capable of extremely high rates of fire. When making a Shooting
attack, a figure armed with a rapid-fire may either make two Shooting attacks at two
separate targets that are within 2” of one another, or one Shooting attack with a +2 Damage
modifier. If this figure has two actions available, it may use both of them and make two
Shooting attacks at two different targets that are with 2” of one another, both with a +2
Damage modifier.

So there are 3 ways to Shoot (ignore any weird rules that give a model 3 actions):

1. Move and Shoot (or Shoot and Move) at ONE target.
2. Move and Shoot (or Shoot and Move) at TWO targets.
3. Use both actions to Shoot TWICE in its activation, at TWO targets (one shot each).
(And then there's an argument that "If this figure has two actions available, it may use both of them and make two Shooting attacks at two different targets that are" means you make 4 shots, but I don't think that's intended!)

Question is, what's the modifier?
1. a) +2 dam? b) Or native +2 Dam and additional +2 for +4?
2. a) No modifier? b) Or native +2 dam for each shot?
3. a) +2 dam? b) Or native +2 Dam and additional +2 for +4?

Read as written, what do you think?

P.S. I don't have one in my crew, but I might now! Mike did, and we might have diddled him out of some damage.

[Dave]

Does stargrave have the “one action must always be a move” rule? I’ll assume it does.

It’s not a well written rule. I understand it as follows:

1) use one action to shoot one target with a +2 dam mod.
2) use one action to shoot two targets within 2” of each other with no additional dam mod.
3) use two actions to shoot two different targets within 2” of each other with shots getting a +2 dam mod.

The issue with 3 is “....make two shooting attacks at two different targets” this suggests 4 shots total with all of them getting a +2 dam mod but I suspect it’s only two shots.

[Ray]

Is there another rapid fire weapon you can compare against. If something else exists with rapid fire and doesn't have the +2 modifier in it's profile then it's safe to say the modifiers stack.

[Darkson (Simon)]

@Dave - same as FG, one must be Move, unless specifically stated otherwise (so #3 is allowed).

@Ray - no.

[Tom]

Unless Stargrave has a tendency to higher damage than Frostgrave, I’d assume the +2 damage on the profile was a repeat of the +2 in the rapid fire rule rather than an extra, simply because +4 damage seems a bits nuts.

[Darkson (Simon)]

The rapid fire gives you a +2 damage modifier if you shoot at one target. Or a +2 damage modifier to two targets if the figure uses two actions.

So all the a)'s above.
The weapon profile on p.34 either shouldn't list the damage modifier, or should have an asterix next to it.

Still a little better than I thought, and I might have to try to squeeze one in my crew.