Do you get the Master Gunner's free encounter on any card in the row, including the merchant ship and saga encounters, and can you look at the back first?

Question

Accepted Answer

Yes, you may encounter any card in the row for free, including Merchant Ships and Saga encounters. You encounter it rather than gain it, so you cannot take the advancement on the front, and you cannot look at the backs before choosing which to encounter.

Dead Reckoning

Do you get the Master Gunner's free encounter on any card in the row, including the merchant ship and saga encounters, and can you look at the back first?