Wizkids Rules!

do admirals count as upgrades when they are not captains?

No, Admirals are their own type of card as stated in the FAQ.

http://wizkidsgames.com/wp-content/uplo ... 202014.pdf

A quick clarification when the Admirals take over. If I have Kirk as my admiral and Maxwell Burke as my captain, when I discard Burke during the phase where I do actions, would Kirk take over immediately so I can us his 8 captain skill to move up in the attack round?

captajack wrote:A quick clarification when the Admirals take over. If I have Kirk as my admiral and Maxwell Burke as my captain, when I discard Burke during the phase where I do actions, would Kirk take over immediately so I can us his 8 captain skill to move up in the attack round?

When you discard your Captain the Admiral becomes your Captain. The change in skill will only take effect in the next phase of the round.

Round
1. Planning Phase
2. Activation Phase
3. Combat Phase
4. End Phase

So you would move and take your action with Captain Maxwell Burke's Captain skill and fire your weapons with (Admiral)Captain Kirk's Captain Skill.

In another post (Wave 9 - Tholaron Weapon) this response was given:

stawrulesteam wrote:Apply the discards in the same order as you would apply damage, hits then crits.

1 [hit] is absorbed by Picard. He is discarded at which point Kirk immediately becomes captain.
Kirk (now the Captain) absorbs a second [hit] result.
The ship will take up to 5 of the damage from what is left over ( 3 [hit]s and 5 [crit]s.)

My question is do admirals replace immediately or next phase? This would matter to Thalaron Weapon as it removes captains and crew, which admirals are their own upgrade (This would also protect them from the weapon).

Admiral's replace the Captain immediately.