What is hopefully quick question about TAG

[Firesprocket]

I'm just curious.  If I have TAG mounted in either Arm or Legs, use it in a turn, and want to commit to a punch or kick later is it legal to do so in the same turn?  TAG itself isn't a weapon, just a piece of a equipment?

[Frabby]

My understanding is that the rules do treat it as a weapon, as it is used in the firing phase.
(This does raise a similar question about AMS though.)

[Col Toda]

From what I understand It has it's own Phase as follows .
Movement Phase
TAG Phase
Off Board Artillery Phase
Weapon Phase and On Board Artillery Phase
Physical Attack Phase .
So if you are using Off Board Artillery it can knock out weapons ( Before the Weapons Phase ) .
On board Artillery is simultaneous with weapon phase as well as all semi- guided LRMs and Mech Mortars .
But for placement Frabby is correct it is normally mounted as a weapon in every example I have seen .

[Firesprocket]

All of that makes sense.  The only issue is I could not find the rule that would prohibit it in either tw or TM last night.  I guess I will try and research mor3 when I get home tonight. I

[Colt Ward]

Its not 'on board' its Indirect vs Direct artillery fire- basically greater range than a single map sheet vs on the map sheet.

[Xotl]

It fires in a limbo period; not its own phase, but after the Movement Phase and just before the Weapon Attack Phase.

The main thing is that because it doesn't fire in the Weapon Attack Phase, it does not prevent the use of physical attacks where it is mounted.

[Firesprocket]

That is what I thought reading through the rule books this week.  Thanks for the clarification.

[TigerShark]

If it works like a real-life laser guidance system, it would need continuous contact with the target. i.e.: you don't just flash a laser at it, make contact, then break off. A missile or shell is using the constant data being fed to it from the laser. Seems like it would be difficult to keep a laser pinned on a target while punching and the TAG data being used would be invalid the moment it breaks contact.

[Firesprocket]

I generally agree the common sense of it wouldn't make much sense.  However, that is why I asked, because I couldn't find anything about it in any recent rule book either.  I don't think it comes up often enough.  Right off the top of my head I can't think of any mechs that TAG is either mounted in the arms or the legs.