SWEET BOUNCING BABY BANTHAS.

... hey, has anyone else noted that with these new rule patches, we'll finally be able to comfortably fly a pair of Defenders alongside Vader?

Still super sad that Manglers are 4 points. Because Maarek+Mangler+TIE/D would have been mint seriously crazy nuts OP.

Fixed

I'm slightly disappointed with the Tractor Beam, but oh so pleased with this veterans box that I've magnanimously decided to forgive them.

Like I mentioned, at least tractor beam seems to be a really nice piece with the new Defenders at least! Otherwise I don't think I'll ever use it.

A couple of B-Wing supporters, two TLT Y-Wings, Golden Daggers.

Or a new iteration of the old Bloody Daggers, with the revitalized X-Wings.

But the issue here is the B-wings are missing out on an opportunity to lay 3 attack dice into the opposing ship. In most every match up, you will want the damage instead of the -1 defense for the round. There are also a number of match ups where tractor beam wont be doing anything for you- on the ships at the top of the agility spectrum (Soontir), and those at the bottom (Ghost, Decis).

That's the beauty of the list, though. Your opponent may think that the Bs aren't doing damage, so they'll focus on the Y-wings. When they least expect it, you can switch and just start using your primaries. At 1 point per Tractor Beam, it's not a huge loss if you only use it a few times. Against low-agility targets, you'll just go full damage, but if you are facing a turtled-up ship that you think you'd only get 1 damage on anyway, dropping that agility so the 4 TLT attacks to hit it can be a better investment of your B-wing's attack.

Just for the pretties, I hope you can run 2 Glaives and a Vessery.

At least a bloodred Vessery and two Royal Guards. Which means I need me another Imperial Aces, soon.

Royal Guard Pilot with Royal Guard Title, Push the Limit, Autothrusters, Targetting Computer

Royal Guard Pilot with Royal Guard Title, Push the Limit, Autothrusters, Targetting Computer

Colonel Vessery with Ion Cannon, Tie/D title, MkII Twin Ion Engine, 3 points left for EPT of choice

Fly with style!

I was hoping that "Tractor beam" would have nullified your movement for one round.

For 10 points?

Calling it now, Rebel veterans Y-wing and E-wing. Open to debate over E-wing or Z-95.

Rebel Veterans would likely see X-Wing and E-Wing I think. Z-95's and Y-wings are used consistently. The two ships on the rebel side that need the most love are the X-Wing and the E-Wing. They've made a terrific precedent with this pack. Looking forward to seeing what they do with the X-Wing!

This discussion is deviating from the threads intention. But my cents: It won't be the Z95, as Scum also has it.

So E-wing. And i think Ys, cause there are only 4 pilots. X-wing has has already 10(!) T-65 pilots + some 5+ T-70 pilots.

Tie/x7 and Juke will be pretty slick. K-turn into your evade token and make the defender hurt.

That being said, the generic PS6 with outmaneuver might actually, be a thing finally. But also on the TIE/D with Tractor. K-turn behind, tractor with -1 agility, hit, primary attack with -2 agility.

I pick E-wing and either the Y (which has lots of options, but they're scattered thinly, and the pilot shortage is the 'real' problem), or the X (although they've already said that they wanted to 'wait and see' on what else the X needed, so I wouldn't actually pick it just yet.)

Tie/x7 and Juke will be pretty slick. K-turn into your evade token and make the defender hurt.

There are other considerations, but isn't outmaneuver just flat out better for a point more? It isn't a no brainer so I understand your point, but realistically we have been able to simulate that effect for a long time and yet it still hasn't shown up.

That being said, the generic PS6 with outmaneuver might actually, be a thing finally. But also on the TIE/D with Tractor. K-turn behind, tractor with -1 agility, hit, primary attack with -2 agility.

Outmanouver doesn't come up in a joust.

And there are very, very few combat-applicable 2pt EPTs; it's where most of the synergy stuff (Squad leader, Swarm Tactics, Wingman) sits. On a high PS-pilot, it's a pretty good buy.

Scyk is still garbage. I was really hoping tractor beam would find a home there. If Defender titles hadn't dropped, I would say tractor beam has no use at all.

Unless I'm misremembering, doesn't outmaneuver cancel an evade die, whilst Juke cancels an evade result? Basically, cancelling an evade result is like cancelling a die after they've been rolled and you know exactly which die to cancel, which is much more powerful

Tie/x7 and Juke will be pretty slick. K-turn into your evade token and make the defender hurt.

There are other considerations, but isn't outmaneuver just flat out better for a point more? It isn't a no brainer so I understand your point, but realistically we have been able to simulate that effect for a long time and yet it still hasn't shown up.

That being said, the generic PS6 with outmaneuver might actually, be a thing finally. But also on the TIE/D with Tractor. K-turn behind, tractor with -1 agility, hit, primary attack with -2 agility.

Outmanouver doesn't come up in a joust.

And there are very, very few combat-applicable 2pt EPTs; it's where most of the synergy stuff (Squad leader, Swarm Tactics, Wingman) sits. On a high PS-pilot, it's a pretty good buy.

I think you are missing the point of a white K-turn. Your opponent blinks and does a k-turn and gets stress, your opponent doesn't and you do. Either way you win. You never joust against a defender, you will lose...painfully.

I'm not saying Juke is a bad card, or a bad option, it's just that given both have restrictions and neither will always be "on" losing an evade dice is significantly better than forcing focus use. Given their similarities it will be down to personal preference, and points available. Of course the reality is that predator is almost always better than both.

I really can't wait to see the bottom of this rule card.

It looks like there's still some text left on the card, so hopefully there's more to it. Otherwise, why would you take it on a low-PS ship?

I'd wager there will be something along the lines of "a tractor beam is the first weapon to fire in the combat phase, regardless of PS".

For 1 point - Tractor Beam may be too powerful having it reduce a ship's agility by 1. B-wing, Falcon, or any 1 agility ship will be dead meat getting hit by it.

If it could have just freeze a ship for 1 round, it possibly would be more interesting. Imagine "tract beaming" your own ship to keep it from flying off the board or keeping an enemy in place for your wingman to get in a better position to shoot it.

For 1 point - Tractor Beam may be too powerful having it reduce a ship's agility by 1. B-wing, Falcon, or any 1 agility ship will be dead meat getting hit by it.

If it could have just freeze a ship for 1 round, it possibly would be more interesting. Imagine "tract beaming" your own ship to keep it from flying off the board or keeping an enemy in place for your wingman to get in a better position to shoot it.

Definitely one of the (several) cases where how FFG implemented something is substantially different from the PC game.

In the PC game, the tractor beam was mainly used to help delay those rapid-maneuvering ships so you could hit them. In this game...not going to be a lot of use against high-agility targets at all (not really) - but definitely going to be effective in making large and ungainly ships COMPLETELY helpless.

Tractor beam is good for combining a good shooter with lots of low attack dice ships like TIE swarms. Imagine a small TIE swarm will eat agility 1 Poe for breakfast

For 1 point - Tractor Beam may be too powerful having it reduce a ship's agility by 1. B-wing, Falcon, or any 1 agility ship will be dead meat getting hit by it.

If it could have just freeze a ship for 1 round, it possibly would be more interesting. Imagine "tract beaming" your own ship to keep it from flying off the board or keeping an enemy in place for your wingman to get in a better position to shoot it.

Definitely one of the (several) cases where how FFG implemented something is substantially different from the PC game.

In the PC game, the tractor beam was mainly used to help delay those rapid-maneuvering ships so you could hit them. In this game...not going to be a lot of use against high-agility targets at all (not really) - but definitely going to be effective in making large and ungainly ships COMPLETELY helpless.

Reminder that Tractor Beam tokens become IMMEDIATELY effective.

Shoot AGI3 target, get 1 hit through, that's now an AGI2 target, and easier to hit with your next Tractor ship. You are running more than one, aren't you?

Tractor beam is good for combining a good shooter with lots of low attack dice ships like TIE swarms. Imagine a small TIE swarm will eat agility 1 Poe for breakfast

Possibly, but you really want to hit the target twice with it to get a solid effect for the rest of your swarm...and once you've spent the points on two cannon carriers, what kinf of swarm is left to do any shooting?

Given the thing does no damage, I think I'd rather have seen it roll 6 attack dice or something. At 3 attack, it's going to be hard enough to land the shot ANYWAY, and once you do it only reduces agility by 1? Meh...

Scyk is still garbage

Unless...

having to forgo an attack makes this kind of crap

really don't see it having a home anywhere, outside of sometimes on the Tie/D

except...

I really can't wait to see the bottom of this rule card.

Latts Razzi with weapons engineer and/or k4 security droid and a tractor beam could be a lot of fun....expensive for what it does, but still fun.

4x Dagger Squadron, 4x Tractor Beam

4x FCS Blue Squadrons, 4x Tractor Beam

2x TLT Y-Wing with 1 point Astromechs, 2x FCS Tractor Beam Blue Squadrons

1x TLT Y-Wing, 1x TLT Stresshog, 2x FCS Tractor Beam Blue Squadrons

It doesn't matter if you have low PS as long as your PS isn't lower than the rest of your ships.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but these TB tokens should stack. If you hit with one of them it makes hitting with another TB easier. Then once you have Soontir down to 1 agility you blow him away.

4x Dagger Squadron, 4x Tractor Beam

4x FCS Blue Squadrons, 4x Tractor Beam

2x TLT Y-Wing with 1 point Astromechs, 2x FCS Tractor Beam Blue Squadrons

1x TLT Y-Wing, 1x TLT Stresshog, 2x FCS Tractor Beam Blue Squadrons.

It doesn't matter if you have low PS as long as your PS isn't lower than the rest of your ships.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but these TB tokens should stack. If you hit with one of them it makes hitting with another TB easier. Then once you have Soontir down to 1 agility you blow him away.

See:

Reminder that Tractor Beam tokens become IMMEDIATELY effective.

Shoot AGI3 target, get 1 hit through, that's now an AGI2 target, and easier to hit with your next Tractor ship. You are running more than one, aren't you?