Who takes Blast damage, and is it reduced by block or defense dice?

Question

Accepted Answer

Every figure and object adjacent to the target's space takes damage equal to the Blast value, friend and foe alike, but not the target itself (a large target is hit only through its neighbours). It is not an attack, so no defense dice are rolled and block cannot reduce it. A figure is hit once even if it touches several affected spaces, and an object or token sharing the target's space is also hit.

Star Wars: Imperial Assault

Who takes Blast damage, and is it reduced by block or defense dice?