As currently worded, the ability Penetration could easily lead to rules confusion, due to abilities such as Shields, Dark Armor, and Vonduun Crab Armor. These abilities specifically use the words "reduce damage", and Penetration specifically uses the words "damage reduction", yet the abilities have no actual interaction. The only difference in the interaction is that the words Damage Reduction in Penetration are capitalized.

I propose that the ability Penetration be errata'd so that all abilities or effects that reduce damage are affected.

This proposal is not only easy to make, requiring only a change in capitalization on two letters, but removes the possibility of rules confusion with effects that reduce damage not named Damage Reduction. It would also serve to improve the depressingly-poor piece Odd Ball, however slightly, though that is more of a miscellaneous byproduct than the intended objective.

The only problem I can imagine with this proposal is that Penetration becomes slightly more powerful. However, the only pieces with Penetration are either so good that they will be played regardless of the change, improving only slightly, or so mediocre that the change barely affects their play. It may seem pointless, then, to errata Penetration at all, but I believe that changing the apparently-contradictory way the ability works is worth it, especially considering how easy the errata is.

Thoughts?

It would make Oddball's commander effect for the Clone Pilots in Galaxy at War even more useful.

No kidding. :D

IMO, those abilities were made like that specifically so Penetration couldn't work against them. On the subject of how easy it would be: how easy it would be doesn't matter. An example: the Yuuzhan Vong Subaltern. His CE, "Yuuzhan Vong Watrriors gain Double Attack", at present, is near useless. I asked that in the next errata, they copy-and-paste the definition of Trooper, while replacing each instance of the word Trooper in the definition with the word "Warrior", so that the Elite Warrior and the Praetorite Vong Warrior would benefit from it as well. How hard would it be to do that? Not hard at all. But b/c they didn't want it that way, it didn't happen. So while it would be nice to down Vader, Jedi Hunter with a Galactic Alliance Trooper, I don't think it will happen. I like the idea, though; very original.